Chapter 6

July 30, 2006

Angela: Thank you for the review, but, like last time, I'm giving nothing away. (grin) Here is your update.

iNuQTpIe: It's all good, and I'm in a way glad about your reviews. I'm trying to write them from a sort of grown up, darker way. Things have really changed for them all, which, believe me, is really hard to write. Thank you for your review, and here is chapter six.

Catbuddy: I couldn't leave Sango too harsh, after all, she and Kagome were, and still kind of are, best friends. As I told iNuQTpIe though, I am trying to write everyone slightly darker and more grown up after all they have been through. Yes, they did round up a lot of help, though I'm not to sure how much help the rest will be…. (evil smirk) Not that I'm giving anything away… lol. No, I'm not forgetting to update, just a little late this week, but my little muse is running short, so hopefully I will get another chapter out next, er, this Friday. (I've lost track of time…) Anywho, thank you for the review, and here's chapter six, enjoy

Disclaimer: Rumiko Takahashi owns the Inu-Yasha characters, while I own the others, please don't sue or steal, thanks!

Screams.

Pain filled screams.

Where are they coming from?

"Mama!" Yui's voice screams out. My heart and breathing increase as I run forward, trying to find her.

"Yui!" I shout as another of her screams echoes off the walls.

There is darkness all around me.

I am running blindly.

"MAMA!" Her scream goes higher before being cut off entirely. My heart drops in fear.

"Yui!" I find a door, and break through the wood. Every part of me stops at the scene before me. Tears fill my eyes…

horror…

pain…

anger…

sadness…

"YUI!" I howl as I rush to the broken form that is my daughter. "Oh Kami no…" I cradle her lifeless body close to my chest, weeping into her bloody hair. "No, not my baby…" I sob uncontrollably, the pain overwhelming. "I'm so sorry… I didn't get here in time…"

"That's all you're good for, isn't it miko? How many times will 'sorry' do it?" Arashi's voice laughs right behind me.

"You." I snarl, whirling around, my ankle dagger in my hand, the blade aimed for his throat. He jumps back with a grin. "You stay away! I swear I'll kill you." My voice resembles Inu-Yasha's youkai form.

"You could not save your own flesh, what makes you think you can kill me?"

Pain rips through me at his words. I turn my attention back to Yui and clutch her closer to my chest, ignoring him. I rock back and forth, grieving.

His hand is on me, shaking me.

My teeth grind together as I focus on Yui.

"Kagome…"

His shaking increases.

"Kagome… Come on…"

He's laughing at me again.

"Kagome…!"

My eyes screw shut.

No, just leave me alone.

More laughing.

"Shut-up! Leave me alone!" I whip around, pulling my dagger around again, intent on making him bleed.

"Hey!" A clawed hand grabs my wrist. I scream as my eyes snap open. They meet a pair of golden eyes intent on me. "Since when have you pulled a dagger on me when it was time to get up?" My mate asks with a raised brow. My breathing deepens as I realize it had all been a dream.

A terrible nightmare.

"Oh," my eyes lower as I realize I had really pulled the dagger from my ankle. "Sorry." I put it away carefully. Inu-Yasha makes a small sound in the back of his throat, which makes me think he understands.

"We're supposed to be at the gate in half and hour, we'd better get some breakfast." He says as he runs his hands comfortingly down my arms. I nod slowly, taking the comfort with open arms.

My head turns even with Inu-Yasha's as the hut door is pushed aside. Shippo steps through the door, a smile on his face when he sees me. "Morning." He says with a nod. I nod in reply, trying to smile truly. "I got some extra fish and rice, is that okay?"

"That sounds good, thank you Shippo." I reply, rising to get the two bowls he had gotten for us. I return to Inu-Yasha's side so I could lean against him as we eat, taking strength from his aura. He wraps one arm around my shoulders, waiting until I'm done eating to eat his own breakfast. I smile in thanks to him, and quickly eat what is in the bowl.

((The Ending of a Beginning))

We stand just outside the open gates of the Taijiya village. Inu-Yasha stands on my left, Hokori on my right. The young Taijiya were gathered silently in front of us, ready for our word to move out. I step forward, smiling lightly.

"Thank you all for agreeing to come with us. We will need to meet the wolf tribe at their den before we move onto the castle. So, if all of you are ready—" I am cut off as a lightning bolt strikes just in front of me.

In another flash of light, Inu-Yasha is in front of me, his red haori my only view. I gasp in surprise at the sudden movements.

"Toto-sai?" Inu-Yasha breathes in question. I peek over his shoulder to see the old youkai sitting on his ox, looking spaced.

"Hu? Oh, Inu-Yasha." Toto-sai seems to come back to Earth, turning to look at us.

"What are you doing here?" My hanyou asks.

"I've got your sword."

"My sword?"

"Wasn't I supposed to make you and your pup one?"

"What?" I butt in. I turn a slight glare on Inu-Yasha. "You had Toto-sai make Yui a sword?"

"It was for later, but I didn't say one for me too." The hanyou replied, only glancing at me, confusion in his eyes.

"You didn't?" The older youkai looked to be thinking as he spoke. "Well, I guess I didn't need to take four fangs from you then, did I?"

Inu-Yasha's eye twitches as Toto-sai speaks. "You senile old man, weren't you listening to me at all? Did you make Yui's sword too then?"

"Of course, for as you know, I can only form swords with live fangs, but she will not get it now, not until the agreed time."

"If you can remember…" Inu-Yasha growls lowly as Toto-sai thinks.

"Where is the pup anyway?"

Everything tenses at the youkai's words. Toto-sai looks around at the silence. "What? Why'd everybody stop talking? What's going on?"

"Where is this sword then?" Inu-Yasha wisely changes the subject.

"Oh, yes, here it is, Shinsei." The youkai pulls a sheathed sword from behind him and holds it out to my mate. I take a step back at the powerful aura coming from the sword.

"Shinsei…" Inu-Yasha breathes as he reaches a hand out toward it.

"It's so powerful…" I add, watching as my hanyou takes the sheath. Toto-sai shrugs off handedly.

"I just used the two fangs the boy gave me."

I turn to Inu-Yasha as he carefully pulls Shinsei out of its sheath, the blade instantly growing into what looks like Tetsusaiga, except this Fang is half the width. There is no ring of fur around the bottom of this sword, instead a fire that licks up the Fang. The hilt is protected by the cloth of the fire rat which wraps its way around from the top to the bottom.

"It's beautiful, Inu-Yasha." I whisper. He nods silently, swallowing once.

"Um, Kagome?" Shippo's voice breaks in. I turn to the Kitsune.

"Yes?"

"Are we ready to depart?"

"Oh, yes, of course." I can't believe how distracted I was by Shinsei… but the sword is amazing…

"Let's move, Kagome." Inu-Yasha says, sheathing Shinsei and putting in on his waist. I nod and motion for the others to follow as well. The Taijiya are well trained, even the young ones, moving in an organized mass. We move silently on to the wolf tribe's territory.

((The Ending of a Beginning))

As we approach the wolf tribe's den this time, there are warriors gathered to greet us. Inu-Yasha motions for us to stop, which in turn is repeated by Shippo toward the Taijiya. I turn my attention back to the youkai in front of us, just as the sun begins to rise over the horizon.

"Right on time." Koga speaks as the warriors part to allow him to reach us. He smiles at us, and then his smile fades into surprise at the army behind us. "You brought the Taijiya?" He breaths.

"Not all of them." I answer. "Are you ready to go?"

Koga nods and turns to look over his shoulder. "Let's move out." He motions his youkai to follow him as Inu-Yasha motions for the Taijiya to move forward as well. We meet halfway, turning to head south—toward Arashi's castle. The two armies combine, moving as if they had been trained together, and they had been waiting to prove their abilities.

I turn to look forward, where we will find and attack Arashi, and get Yui back.

There is no way we can lose.