Sorry about yesterday. So many technical difficulties including post wrong chapter of a different story! Apologies!

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Itty Bitty Pretty Nine

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"Stop beating yourself up," Kagome soothed as she leaned her cheek onto his shoulder, "You were just trying to protect them."

"I should've been listening more closely, reading their scents, anything at all but I didn't," he responded gruffly as he ran through the trees at a speed that left the scenery no more than blurs of brown and verdant green. It seemed unfair that no matter how much he strived to be the man his conscience wanted him to be, it would keep taunting him with his failures. Each time a regret reemerged he would diligently analyze them again trying to find something that would make his actions more justified, hoping that this time his mind would be satisfied with his self professed remorse, but all that effort ever did was make his actions seem that much worse. Like an unforgiving specter this latest mistake would be back tomorrow to haunt him all over again. What was yet another to pile on top of the every growing mound of terrible things he'd done in his lifetime?

"If Sango and Miroku are with her, I'm sure she'll survive and will be able to tell us her side of the story in a few days," Kagome tried and failed to coo placatingly, "In the meantime, let's find that cave and see what's going on."

Nodding numbly, Inuyasha pressed on and charged towards the mountain peak in the distance.

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"So that girl turned on me did she?" the silver haired woman scoffed as she thrust her hand into the small pond replaying the images of what occurred mere moments before, "She had one job. One."

Huffing in frustration, Tsubaki ran a shriveled hand through her unseemly locks as she glanced about the filthy cave floor in search of her faithful companion. It was by his existence alone that she survived. So long as the albino serpent remained unharmed, she would be reborn over and over and over for as long as time itself. Still, if she wanted to regain her former glory she needed an immense amount of demonic power beyond that of any regular youkai. No, she needed, wanted him. If she was able to absorb him, there was no doubt in her mind that she would be able to absorb his ability to wield that magnificent sword of his.

That filthy half-breed had seemed like such an easy acquisition. Especially when another of his kind had been convinced to retrieve him. Little did that insolent brat know she was going to share in his fate. Someone that powerful with her particular skill set would be a wonderful addition to her collection. The only problem she was faced with now was how to convince them to come willingly as forced wasn't seeming to do the trick.

As her gaze fell onto the pure white python curled up in a tight ball, her wicked grin grew.

Oh, this was going to be fun.

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"...and she claimed that this grandmother could recalls souls and place them in clay vessels. Supposedly she expected her to return once her mother met her end but..." Miroku sighed heavily - his hands trembling as he fought to overcome his shattered nerves- as Kaede worked over the patient who was barely hanging on.

"Ah, that witch never returned as my sister banished her from this earth," Kaede sighed sagely as she began to sew the gaping wounds together in an effort to assist with the healing, "Urasue was a formidable opponent and managed to steal Lady Kagome's soul just long enough to recall my sister from the dead."

"I never knew that piece of the story," Sango sighed sadly as she titled her head to the side as she considered the broken girl, "She must have been very powerful given the strength of this poor child."

"Indeed she was," Kaede acknowledged as she began to stich up yet another wound, "It explains a great deal."

"What do you think of the news that Tsubaki may still be among us?" Miroku asked cautiously as he took another shuddering calming breath, "Would this girl have been lying to us? We saw her demise by the wind scar in a similar fashion to so many others before her."

"Tsubaki was very powerful and very persuasive," Kaede responded with a heavy sigh, "I would not be surprised if she managed to survive."

"Well this complicates thing," Miroku breathed in a dejected tone as he leaned his head back and closed his eyes, "Even if we were to help the girl, we now must chase after this formidable dark priestess and defeat her soundly."

"I wonder how old she is," Sango whispered sadly, "She looks perhaps ten or twelve but who knows how old she really is."

"Some demons age differently than others," Kaede sighed, "I believe Inuyasha to be around a century and a half in age. Shippo is around forty from what I can best guess. She may be more than a century in age or she may be exactly as old as she looks."

"Incredible," Sango breathed in awe, "I never thought of it that way. We never thought to keep track of the ages of the demon's we slayed."

"I would never have guessed Inuyasha would be so...old," Miroku snickered humorlessly before adding solemnly, "Nor would I guessed the origin of the reanimated Kikyo. Such tragedy would have destroyed even the strongest of men."

"Inuyasha is not a man," Kaede reminded him with a sad sigh as Sango looked quizzically at them both, "One tragedy I understand but how is his age a tragedy?"

"I would've thought you understood better than anyone," Miroku replied with polite surprise, "You know how badly demons of any kind are treated but at least, as a full demon, he would've at least had one group that would not have hunted him."

Looking chagrined, Sango nodded sadly as she turned her eyes to the small girl, "That explains her distrust and his as well. It's terrible that they have been forced to live with such hatred."

"Indeed," the monk agreed with a heavy sigh, "I can only hope that both of their lives will be improved by our playing a part."