Shikuro: A Caribbean Fairy Tale

by Inuma Asahi De

Inuyasha was as bad as pirates came, according to his legend. Kagome was a woman of propriety, destined to marry for her family's honor when all she wanted was to live on the sea. What happens when their eyes meet by chance or perhaps by daring fate?

102. To Kill

Blanket Disclaimer: The writer does not own any characters created by Rumiko Takahashi but like everyone else wishes she did. All original characters or concepts are the author Inuma Asahi De's (with the exception of historical figures).

Chapter One Hundred and Two

To Kill

The sound of water falling behind her, dripping down and sliding between rocks before hitting the surface of a tepid pond made Kagome's mind go completely quiet. The humid air created by the combination of the pond around her and the jungle that surrounded it touched her skin but she didn't notice it at all as she perched on a mossy rock. Her legs were crossed, the length of her red hamaka keeping her bare skin from touching the intermixing smoothness of stone and softness of the moss. Hands on her knees, she listened to the lapping of the water on the edge of the stone, hearing the sound without truly acknowledging it.

Concentrating, she didn't notice the fish that jumped and swam in circles all around her, seeming to circle her motionless form as if they were curious. Her grey eyes didn't see the creatures that lined the forest edge or the one's that came closer to the pond looking at her as if she were some mystic being that didn't quite belong. She didn't see the large fanned palms or the rubber and banana trees. She didn't hear the lizards that crawled along the thick waxy leaves or the strange monkeys that hung from the dense tangled vines, which had silently made their way around the trunks of dark barked trees. She didn't even acknowledge the light as it barely peaked through the canopy above her head, highlighting the thickness of the foliage and the beautiful bright red and yellow flowers that opened towards that light as the water from the waterfall hit their petals, washing them with life.

She did, however, feel the trickle of sweat as it ran down her neck. It was cool as it made its way down the curve of her shoulder towards her back, following the path of muscles that were tensed between her shoulder blades. She inhaled deeply, the bow in front of her slowly beginning to glow even without her hands gentle grip. Her chest moving with barely visible shifts as the bow glowed brighter. A finger twitched upon her knee and her brow furrowed so slightly it was barely noticeable. Concentration pushed her on and she began to shake as the energy in the bow danced like a tiny blue flame sent to devour its surface.

She inhaled slowly, deeply, methodically, her vision not noticing the whiteness of the spirits as they began to gather with curiosity around her. Behind her, the sound of water dissipated as everything in the clearing began to still. Droplets hung in the air, frozen, and the waterfall ceased to flow. The fish below her stopped their circles and leaps and the monkeys hanging from the vines in the trees ceased to even breathe.

Silence—

Silence overwhelmed the clearing just as her energy in the bow began to enter the air. It rose above her slowly moved only by the will power of her mind. Her sightless eyes didn't even recognize it as it rose above her head, hovering right before her. For several seconds nothing moved. Not one animal released a precious sound as the energy stood right before Kagome.

Off to her side, sitting on the edge of the pond's bank, Izayoi narrowed her vision as she watched the energy hover in the air. It was a twist and swirl of color, power unlike she had ever seen at that girl's fingertips. She inhaled once as her body tightened and the hair on the back of her neck stood on end. "She's so powerful—," She licked her lips and shifted slightly as she stared at the girl. "Are you ready?" She asked, watching as one of Kagome's fingers twitched in response.

The sound of the fabric of her red hakama was loud in the quiet of the clearing as another finger twitched and then another until her hand was opened just above her bent knee. It shook but not with fear, with utter and complete control as she raised it just a little higher. The energy in front of her responded with a quake: the blue and whites and pinks jumping left and right, leaving a trail of quintessential light.

Slowly, with hands that moved like water, Kagome pulled the energy in front of her. Her hand guided it without touching it even once. It obeyed following her hand as she moved it in front of her face and then in a circle above her head. Like a curtain the energy surrounded her, a small intimate shield flowing around her body.

Kagome's hand stilled and her breathing came in light quiet pants as she slowly dropped her hand back to her knee. The water, frozen in midair, began to fall again the second her hand took its spot back against her knee. The fish below her started their slow circle once more and the monkeys chittered in the trees. They had been frozen and now were thawed with no memory of ever having stopped moving.

And covering Kagome like a mask, the beautiful light of her power disguised her from them all.

"Completely invisible—from spirits and humanoids." Izayoi's voice entered the tiny world but Kagome didn't move behind her curtain, she knew to wait. Beside Izayoi, laying in the thickest sunbeam that had managed to pierce through the thick canopy overhead, Kilala let out a pleased growl that drew the woman's attention. She glanced towards the cat, watching as her large grey eyes glowed as they channeled the energy of the spirit world into Kagome. It seemed odd that Kilala still had to channel energy for Kagome in this world to Izayoi but seeing as she had never really learned about these beasts until after her own death, she wasn't going to question it. "The knowledge is probably long since lost." She told herself as she turned away from the giant nekomata to the girl sitting on the rock in the middle of the pond. "Dissipate it."

Kagome flicked her wrist at the command and the power instantly vanished as if it had never existed at all.

Watching with pleased eyes, Izayoi looked over towards Kilala once more. The grey eyes that mirrored Kagome's own were no longer glowing, singling that the exchange in energy had stopped once Kagome had brought down the barrier. "Good—they're working together perfectly." She clicked her tongue and mentally smiled even as she motioned towards Kilala, telling the beast to stand with her hands. The cat obeyed with only a slight grumble as it sent her a glare that she understood all too well. "Yeah, yeah—you're only supposed to listen to one mistress. Pesky cat." She sent the nekomata a slight glare before ignoring her all together. "Stand." She commanded Kagome verbally as the spirits in the clearing began to twitter as if confused.

With liquid grace Kagome pushed herself to her feet, her body moving like a branch that sways. She ignored the bow in front of her and placed her empty hands, palms opened and facing down, before her hips as she stood straight upright. Her finger tips glowed and she waited, eyes unfocused and body poised with control.

The wind picked up in the clearing as Kilala suddenly jumped into the air, the cat demon knowing this drill all too well. Kagome's eyes didn't so much as flinch from the cat demon's sudden arrival above the water of the pond, perfectly composed as she waited.

Watching the two, Izayoi felt a little trickle of sweat bead up on her brow. "This is the last test—." She told herself as she glanced between the two of them. "We have to see what Kagome has learned—so we know whether she can move on in her training or not." She inhaled sharply as she allowed her eyes to focus on Kagome for a moment, staring at the girl who was the pinnacle of concentration.

"Make it count Kagome."

She spoke directly into the girl's mind, watching as she shifted ever so slightly widening her stance for better balance.

"Left!" Izayoi released the command, watching as Kilala responded in less than a millisecond.

Roaring, the cat sprang forward in the air attacking the left hand side of Kagome's body with a sweep of her razor sharp claws. Kagome's left hand sprang from her side without the miko even bothering to look at the incoming assault. Energy jumped from her fingers, creating a pane of what looked like perfectly rectangular glass. It sparked with power as Kagome held it expertly, Kilala's claws coming in contact with the shield making it hiss and sizzle before sparking brightly with electricity.

"Excellent." Izayoi barely managed to think as she watched Kilala's fur turn slightly black around the edges of her paw, but the demon didn't seem to notice. "Dissipate." The command was greeted by the shield immediately disappearing as Izayoi smirked with pride. "Right!"

Kilala spun quickly at the command, practically jumped over Kagome's head as she snarled and lashed out with her other paw. Without even appearing to think, Kagome's brought her right hand into the air the same bright white pane of energy blocking Kilala's attack easily. Once again the shield hissed and groaned upon contact, burning the delicate pads of Kilala's paws. The demon yelped slightly but didn't complain further as Izayoi's next command hit the air.

"Head."

Kilala shot her body upwards, opening her mouth as if to maul her mistress' face but Kagome once more was faster than the nekomata's attacks. The young miko's eyes snapped upwards towards Kilala's fanged jaws, the energy of her previous shield not dissipating because the command had not been given. Instead, Kagome seemed to slide the energy with her fingers allowing it to become liquid as she moved it towards her head. Positioned perfectly above her, Kagome gritted her teeth turning the energy solid once more above her head. Kilala stopped before she touched the energy, the cat sending Izayoi a dirty look that seemed to say: 'I refuse to burn my mouth for you.'

Izayoi rolled her eyes in response but said her next command without comment on the slight rebellion. "Face."

Kilala flipped over in response, sending a hind leg towards Kagome's chin with as much force and speed as she could muster. The miko quickly dropped her hand down, the energy turning to liquid once again as it slid into place right in front of her face sending sparks flying as it connected with the demon's hind paw.

"Dissipate!"

Kagome inhaled sharply and the energy fell, disappearing exactly how she had been commanded. For a moment her and Kilala stared at one another, Kagome's seemingly unseeing eyes looking at the perfectly aware nekomata. It was eerie the way grey met grey, the two sets of irises identical except the cat demon's glowed while Kagome's (at least at the moment) stayed normal.

"Back." Izayoi sent the command into the air watching as Kilala jumped over Kagome's head without preamble, her large back legs pulling tight to her body as she prepared to send them both flying towards Kagome's shoulder blades like a bucking horse.

The human girl spun around energy bursting from her fingertips as her body twisted with beautiful precision. Her nostrils flared for just a second as she brought both hands up, sweeping them in front of her body in order to create another pane of transparent white. Kilala's eyes actually widened from the speed as she bucked, both of her hind legs making contact with the shield simultaneously. Sparks flew in all directions and Kilala sprang away from the momentary fleeting pain it had caused her.

On the sidelines, Izayoi smiled brightly, her eyes lighting up with pride as she watched her pupil hold the shield in place without so much as a single flinch. "She's come a long way." She told herself as closed her eyes with some relief. The large nekomata landed beside her as she sighed, the demon sending her a death glare as she licked at her paws that were already beginning to heal (some of them actually already were).

"You big baby." Izayoi commented dryly as she shook her head at the beast and turned back towards her apprentice. "Dissipate." The command rolled off her tongue and into Kagome's ears.

Breathing deeply, Kagome straighten and allowed the energy to evaporate into the air around her; her serious grey eyes watching it as it floated upwards like tiny lightning bugs. The seriousness left her face the second the last of the whites and blues faded and suddenly grey eyes came back to life. A childlike brilliance coated her face as she turned and looked directly at Izayoi, giddiness in her every feature. "That was so easy!" She laughed loudly and clapped her hands together even as she sent Kilala an apologetic smile. "Sorry about the fur."

The beast looked up at her but didn't send her one dirty look, instead she merely meowed: an odd sound coming from a creature so large.

Her smile still splitting her face Kagome stretched up towards the sky that was barely observable through the thick clearing. "That was amazing!" She chuckled to herself, the sound so contagious that it made even Izayoi smile on the shore. "I'm amazing."

"Sometimes." Izayoi agreed as a soft white light, a human soul, danced around her shoulders playfully.

"Come on—," Kagome pouted and crossed her arms over her chest, the white haori she was wearing almost too bulky to do so comfortably. "Can't you give me even a little complement?" She dropped her arms giving up on crossing them and drew her pointer and thumb together to demonstrate her point. "Just a tiny one—little bit—please." She whined as Izayoi played with the little soul, allowing it to dance between her fingers.

"Well, nothing exploded." She offered as she looked towards Kagome watching as the girl blushed profusely.

"That was one time!" Kagome protested as the wind picked up sending her now long bangs into her face. She huffed and blew at them the best she could but it didn't seem to help. "And Kilala's hair grew back."

The nekomata growled at her for the reference causing Izayoi to finally truly laugh. "Oh that bald spot was priceless." She chuckled as she looked towards the spot on the nekomata's head that had been bare for the better part of six or seven months. Now it was covered in fine hairs again making the accident pretty much unnoticeable unless you looked closely and noticed the fact that the hairs were still a little short in that particular spot.

"Still waiting for a real complement here." Kagome waved her hand above her head, the feel of her long hair brushing against her mid-back annoying her slightly. "I should cut my hair—."

The older woman huffed and shook her head as she closed her eyes. "I just can't think of one." She opened her eyes back up to take in Kagome's dry pout. "If you like, I'll make it up to you." She offered as she noticed a tiny soul gliding towards Kagome, the once living creature seeming drawn to her long hair. "I'll tell you an embarrassing story about your husband."

"Deal—I do love a good childhood Inuyasha story." Kagome nodded her head firmly even as the mention of her husband made a pang of loneliness seep into her otherwise cheerful deposition.

Still grooming herself on the bank, Kilala paused in mid lick as she felt Kagome's pain drift off her shoulders. The large cat dropped her paw to look at the Miko, studying her intently until Kagome turned towards her and smiled reassuringly. "I'm fine." Kagome told the cat using her new understanding of mind reading and mind talking to her advantage. "But I still expect a complement, dear mother-in-law." She tried to joke but the strain in her voice was evident to both Kilala and Izayoi.

Seeing that pain, Izayoi frowned herself and then sighed heavily as if she were about to have a bad tooth pulled. "Your control with the bow has improved—you don't have to touch it anymore for small shields, which is good for fighting." She rolled her eyes but let the honesty in her voice shine through as the little soul pushed itself off her hand and jumped into the air, dancing away. "And, I must admit, your ability to hide yourself from spirits is," She paused and sent Kagome a warm smile, her affection for the girl impossible to hide. "Perfect—I couldn't even sense you once you put up the full barrier."

Kagome's face split into a smile brighter than a million suns and her eyes sparkled as she 'gracefully' took the complement. "Arigato!" She shouted as she jumped up in the air excited to receive a complement from the normally pretty harsh master. Unfortunately for her, she had not really realized what she was jumping on and in a true 'Kagome Dresmont' (now O'lionsigh) fashion, slid on the wet moss of the rock upon landing. "Ah!" She screamed as she fell forward headfirst into the water with a loud splash.

Izayoi winced but didn't look all too surprised as she watched the girl flounder for a moment before righting herself and spluttering in the four foot pond. "You did need a bath."

Kagome growled at the comment as she pushed her hair out of her face and glared at the older woman. "Thanks." She shook her head and reached for her bow which was floating beside her. "And now you're thinking to yourself," She continued to speak as she began to swim towards the shore. "That's why it took two years for her to master two things, right?"

"You know me too well." Izayoi rolled her eyes even as she sent the girl a playful smirk that told Kagome she truly was impressed.

Kagome groaned playfully anyway as she reached the bank of the pond where Kilala was already waiting for her. She smiled up at the demon as Kilala reached her giant mouth around the back of Kagome's haori, pulling her out of the water like a mother cat with a kitten. "Thanks." She whispered as she petted the sweet cat under the chin making her purr. "Well," She looked back at her mother-in-law as her fingers continued to move. "Looks like I finally can make spirits leave me alone—what a goal." She laughed even as the vague memory of the child spirit that had haunted her in the earthly realm made her thankful for such an ability.

"It's a good goal to accomplish." Izayoi commented as she watched Kagome stand up and begin to ring out her long hair. "More importantly though, you've gained complete control." She continued on as Kagome dropped her hair, a look of contemplation on her pretty face. "You can heal at will; you can read thoughts and block thoughts—," She narrowed her eyes as Kagome's fingers began to glow sending energy into the bow and then, surprisingly into her clothes. The warmth of her miko spirit filled the space around her and as if by magic her clothes began to dry. "Dry your clothes—."

Kagome laughed openly as she stopped the rush of energy, her clothes dry in a matter of seconds it seemed. "So, took me two to learn to heal, ignore people effectively, block things, and," She motioned to her now dry clothes. "To wash and dry my clothes." Kagome giggled good naturedly as she spoke, stopping her hand and allowing her power to fade instantly. "Life goals achieved."

Giving up on praising the girl Izayoi groaned as she pushed herself up from the ground. "Well, when you put it like that, it doesn't sound impressive at all." She dusted herself off as she looked towards the waterfall. "We need to go to Inutaisho," She nodded to herself as she turned her attention back to Kagome. "It's been a month since we've seen him."

"I bet he's lonely." Kagome commented absently as she stretched her hands over her head and moaned. Kilala nudged her middle with her head and growled slightly making Kagome smile and drop her hand to the cat demon's head, rubbing behind her ears.

"Which means he'll be grumpy." Izayoi grumbled as she watched Kagome absently, her thoughts already turning to her husband. "Poor thing—he's probably pouting."

"You know Inuyasha's the same way." Kagome smiled sweetly at the thought of her husband even as her own pang of loneliness threatened to swallow her. "After we married, he practically stuck to me—he'd get upset when I wanted to be alone." She shook her head as she brought her hands away from Kilala's head and turned back towards the other woman. "I had to go to the bathroom if I wanted any privacy and I'm pretty sure he would follow me if I let him."

Izayoi laughed as the three began walking towards the forest as if the action had been previously agreed upon. "All demons are like that with their mates." She shook her head as they entered the forest that surrounded the pond, giant plants with huge leaves hiding them as they walked down a small dirt path. "Children are worse though," She began as the humid air made her skin feel sticky, distracting her from her words. "Inuyasha used to follow me everywhere—and I mean everywhere, he'd cry if he couldn't see me." She laughed Kagome joining in. "Wait until you have children," She continued on as she fanned herself without thought. "I bet they'll take after their fat—." Her voice died on her throat as she realized what she was saying.

Beside her Kagome had stopped walking, her body ridged as her every sense was assaulted with visions of a boy she had often dreamed of. She could just see Inuyasha's boyish smile on a tiny face, smirking at her as he tried to get out of trouble. Her heart tugged violently in her chest as she drew in a shaky breath. Kilala stared up at her with worried eyes, the demon cat nudging Kagome gently, trying to get the woman to look at her so she could help ease her pain. She growled softly as she head butted Kagome's hand once before licking it with the tip of her tongue.

The miko jumped slightly at the contact and looked down at the demon with blurring eyes. "Kilala?" She whispered, not bothering to look at her mother-in-law who was watching the exchange silently, unable to think of anything to say to comfort the girl.

"Fly?"

She heard the word enter her unguarded mind, Kilala slipping in the thought as easily as a human speaks. She blinked once and turned away from her guide, her eyes looking down the path, over Izayoi's shoulder and towards the large world beyond. The wind picked up around her and she closed her eyes against it, the feel of it reminding her of the sea, standing on the bow of the Shikuro as it cut through the water going faster than any ship could over hope to move. Her eyes opened and she let the pain slip away, forcing it to leave her for just a little longer.

"I think," She spoke even as her feet began to move, Kilala following her lead as they strode passed Izayoi like the woman wasn't even there. "We're gonna," She breathed in once deeply before suddenly taking off at a sprint, Kilala right behind. "Fly!"

Izayoi raised a hand in surprise and started to say something but stopped herself as she watched Kagome's back quickly disappear towards the light that was the end of the forest. "She's changed so much." She thought to herself as her shoulders slumped slightly. "She's never been a girl of station but now—she's just so wild." Her heart sank in her chest and she breathed in deeply, as deeply as she could. "She's perfect for him." She held the breath for several seconds stilling her heart in her chest as she felt her own pain take hold of her. "Can I change fate—?" She asked herself as she pursed her lips and sighed as a far more challenging question entered her mind. "Do I want to?"

That question was much easier to ask than answer.

Already a good forty or fifty yards away from Izayoi, Kagome continued to run through the underbrush, Kilala running behind her matching her pace. The world was a blur as she moved, ducking underneath plants and laughing as she saw spirits fly around her keeping up as she ran. With agility she had never had in the earthly realms, she jumped over tree roots and swung her body over little creeks using nothing but her strength and tree branches that hung over head. The leaves below her feet crunched and the dirt turned them black, cooling them as she continued towards that light in the distance:

"Freedom."

She called out the light's name name as it grew closer and closer, the world moving so quickly around her that she felt dizzy. Her breath came in deep controlled waves and she glanced towards Kilala who was moving at the same unbelievable pace. "Not bad for a human, huh?" She yelled over her shoulder as she turned just in time to duck a low hanging branch.

"That would have been embarrassing."

She grimaced and laughed at the same time as Kilala's comment entered her mind as if it were her own thought. "Yeah." She agreed just as the green of the dark jungle gave way to the bright gold of a field.

The wind instantly picked up around them as they entered the field of wheat, the stalks as tall and golden as they had been two years before. Kilala sped up coming to run beside her as they both crushed the wheat under their feet. Kagome glanced towards the beast not afraid of hitting any low hanging branches in the wide opened and nodded her head. The demon nodded in return and their pace slowed ever so slightly as Kagome reached and grabbed hold of the fur at the base of Kilala's neck. She inhaled once swiftly and pushed all her weight into the balls of her feet and forward. Her legs kicked up over Kilala's back with ease and within seconds Kagome was sitting on top of the nekomata her body low as her heart pounded.

Only one more of Kilala's paws hit the ground before the creature sprang up into the air the flames on her feet pushing her there. The young miko felt adrenaline rush through her body, the sound of blood pounding in her ears the only thing she could hear next to the wind. She glanced towards the ground, watching in amazement as the field of wheat became fuzzier and fuzzier to her vision, appearing miles away. What she knew to be stalks became nothing more than blurs until she could no longer tell that she was looking at individual plants. Instead, it was as if she was staring at a blanket of gold draped upon a brown mattress.

"Beautiful." She told herself as they grew higher and higher in the air, the ground becoming nothing more than a memory as Kilala took them into the clouds.

A rush of cold air, followed by the feeling of moisture on her skin (however minimal it might be) made Kagome inhale sharply as her eyes took in the whiteness of clouds. It was a sight she would never quite get used to and a sight she was sure not many humans had ever seen. Holding onto Kilala's neck as they pushed upwards, she couldn't help but laugh as her hair became damp from the thick moisture.

Pushing herself up away from the demon's back, Kagome allowed her fingers to loosen on Kilala's fur, the wind rushing around them pulling at her clothes and hair. The wind yanked on the loose strands, tossing them this way and that around her head. It was an odd feeling, a feeling she had once been used to but, because of her lifestyle choices, had grown unaccustomed to experiencing. Despite the oddness of the sensation, however, she had to admit that the feel of the wind in her hair, pulling and yanking and making it dance, was beautifully freeing. She tilted her chin upwards towards the sun, the warm rays beating down on her face as she breathed in deeply.

"Yaaa!" She yelled at the top of her lungs, letting her mind go completely out of focus with her pleasure just as they emerged into the bright sunlight.

Kilala raised her head up towards the sky in response and roared as loud as she could, releasing her own excitement as the sun hit her fur making it shine. After a moment, her large grey eyes looked back at Kagome as she maintained a consistent straight flight right above the clouds. She growled low in her throat to catch the girl's attention.

"What?" Kagome asked as she opened her eyes and smiled at the creature. "You want to dive?"

If any animal ever looked positively devious, Kilala did in that moment. She nodded and turned away from Kagome as the miko shook her head and gripped the fur around Kilala's neck again. This time, however, she allowed some of her energy to leave her body, moving from her stomach into her hands and fingers. Her hands glowed with its power and she breathed in deeply as the energy from Kilala's body jumped in response, reacting to her own. The nekomata's fur glowed at the very spots where Kagome's fingers made contact with it and, as if they had tied chains to one another with their shared energy, connected them.

The young miko licked her lips, already feeling her heart pounding as the adrenaline that had depleted once they were above the clouds began to rush through her veins once more. "Let's do it." She whispered as she felt her stomach sink with a strange combination of pleasure and anxiety.

Her fingertips tingled as Kilala exerted more energy through them making sure they were connected safely. The muscles around Kagome's neck tensed and so did her arms and legs as she prepared to feel absolutely weightless.

She was not disappointed.

Within seconds, Kilala allowed them to drop heading downwards nose first back through the clouds. Kagome screamed in delight as her stomach flew upwards in her abdomen, lodging itself somewhere between her galloping heart and her throat. Her body lifted up away from Kilala but her grip on the fur around the creature's neck was steady, controlled by their connecting energies. The air stung at her face until she had to close her eyes and she snapped her mouth shut so her cheeks wouldn't feel as if they were ripping apart.

The sound of Kilala's delighted roar reverberated within her and she had to resist the urge to laugh as they suddenly were jarred upwards, her eyes snapping opened in time to see a great river down below. The nekomata herd, who liked the river during the warm months, looked right back up at her most of them appearing bored as they studied both rider and cat. Kilala leveled them out for just a minute as she glanced over her sisters, her feet moving as if she were running in the air above them. Finally, with a great shake of her head, the demon cat plummeted head first once more causing Kagome to shriek in surprise.

"You're supposed to warn me!" She yelled in her mind knowing the cat would hear; whether she would response or not, was a different story.

They fell towards the ground, the energy they shared the only thing keeping Kagome on as Kilala threw them head first towards the ground. The giant cat stopped only a few feet from the ground, all four paws hitting the dirt for barely a second before she darted forward through the herd. Holding on for her life, Kagome laughed as they galloped between the nekomata, dodging the old and instigating the young. She heard the growls of the disgruntled and she heard the delight from the entertained as Kilala darted left and right and up, jumping over the nekomata who refused to move.

A group of young kittens, ones so young they hadn't been there two years prior, joined them as they jumped over a particularly grumpy silver haired cat. Kilala slowed down in response allowing the young ones to keep up as they flew as fast as they could. Kagome released one hand from Kilala's mane, breaking the connection just long enough to reach out and touch one of the babies' heads. Her fur was a bright red in color and her eyes were a striking hazel that favored green instead of brown. It purred against her fingers and rubbed at her hand as the other three kittens meowed and surrounded her until she felt as if she was petting four kittens with one hand.

Realizing her dilemma, Kilala (without warning) sped back up, reaching her full speed within seconds. The little ones were left in the literal dust behind them as Kilala pushed herself back into the air. Chuckling, Kagome looked over her shoulder at the four small kittens and waved as best she could to appease their pouting faces. "Bye!" She yelled as her body was jarred slightly, telling her to get her other hand back in Kilala's fur as fast as possible.

Sure enough, Kilala jumped up into the air the second Kagome had gripped her fur again. They didn't go as high as before though, Kilala staying low to the ground as bright green grass mixed with pretty little flowers began to appear below their feet. The young miko smiled at the sight knowing exactly what those little flowers meant. Lifting her head up she was just able to see the branches of Goshinboku in the distance. The tall tree was swaying in the wind, the giant branches filled with leaves and flowers representative of spring. She squinted as her eyes moved towards the tree's trunk, the smile on her face becoming even larger as she recognized the figure resting against it.

"Go down Kilala." Kagome commanded as much as requested, the demon cat obeying automatically as she lowered herself down to the ground, her feet touching down as she started to run. "Konnichiwa!" Kagome screamed, Kilala plastering her ears to her head in response. "Sorry." She mumbled apologetically as she rubbed the side of the large cat's head as they began to slow down. "Otou-sama," She lifted her hands completely away from Kilala's body as she waved them over her head. "Konnichiwa!"

The man leaning against the tree turned towards her in response, and despite the distance between them, Kagome could just see his bright gold eyes as he stood to greet them. "Konnichiwa!" He yelled in response and laughed as Kilala's run turned into a disgruntled trot as the large cat snorted and glared at Kagome over her shoulder.

"What?" Kagome offered Kilala a smile but the demon merely growled in response. "Ah," Kagome laughed and fell forward, wrapping her arms around the pouting Kilala's neck. "I'm sorry—did I hurt your ears?"

Kilala rolled her eyes in response and deliberately stopped walking and laid down in the middle of the tiny dirt path that lead to Goshinboku.

"Kilala!" Kagome protested but there was no anger in her voice as she shook her head at the creature and giggled.

"It would seem," Inutaisho commented as he approached the guide and her miko slowly. "She's protesting the abuse to her ears."

The young miko looked up at her father-in-law, her grey eyes glowing from the sight of him. "She's just such a delicate creature."

He raised an eyebrow at the term and looked towards the nekomata with sympathy. "I wouldn't call it delicate," He nodded his head as Kagome slid off of Kilala's back and onto her own feet. "As a fellow demon, I understand how—sensitive—demonic hearing can be."

"Sensitive?" Kagome repeated as she crossed her arms over her chest. "Is that what we're calling it now?"

Unable to resist the urge Inutaisho began to laugh as he sent Kagome a truly warm grin his arms opening up to her. "Ah, Kagome-chan." The playfulness of his words made Kagome's heart swell with affection and she darted forward into his large arms, enjoying the feeling of him enveloping her in a fatherly hug (the kind of hug her own father had never given her when he was alive). "Where's Izayoi?" He asked as he released her, one of his hands moving towards Kilala, rubbing an ear absently.

"Walking." She answered simply as she walked towards Goshinboku, eyeing the nice shade the tree provided.

"You left Izayoi to walk by herself again?" He sighed as he spoke, as if there was more importance to Kagome's actions than even she realized and there was. "You don't realize how important that relationship is to your future Kagome."

"I can't resist flying." Kagome shrugged but didn't add anything to her statement, she didn't want the man to know that she had flown because she wanted the escape that it provided. "I can't let either of them know—Okaa-sama, Otou-sama." She licked her lips as she lowered herself to the ground beside the sacred tree. "They'd worry if they knew," Her heart ached a bit in her chest and she frowned as Kilala raised her head and looked towards Kagome with scrutinizing eyes. "I'm fine." She told the demon for what felt like the millionth time. "Just lonely—I'm allowed to be a bit lonely, right?"

"Of course, if I could fly I wouldn't resist it either." He agreed allowing his earlier thoughts to disappeared as he smiled at her. "How was your training?"

"I've mastered blocking minds and blocking attacks," Kagome rattled off as she motioned towards Kilala, hoping the demon would join her in the shade of the tree. "Invisibility," She added off handedly as she looked at Kilala's matted fur with a frown. "One flight and you're covered in dirt." She commented dryly as the cat demon appeared to shrug before dropping itself down on the ground in front of her for grooming.

"Anything else?" Her father-in-law asked as he too dropped down to the ground, back in his original position.

Kagome tilted her head up in thought as she ran her fingers through Kilala's mane looking for knots in the fur. "Um," She clicked her tongue before snapping in realization. "Reading minds."

He raised an eyebrow at her words and clicked his tongue as well in almost a mocking way. "Quick," He pointed right at her, his eyes daring her to get the answer to his next question wrong. "What am I thinking right now?"

"That," Kagome drew the word out as she brought one hand up to her head, rubbing at her temple as if reading his mind was actually hard. "You want," She squeezed her eyes shut and let out a fake hiss of pain before snapping them opened in triumph. "Some wagashi."

"How do you always know?" He gasped and brought a hand to his chest to hold over his heart with his fake surprise.

"Why is it always wagashi?" She threw back as she shook her head and turned her attention towards Kilala's fur again.

"I like sweets." Inutaisho chuckled heartily and leaned his head against the trunk of the tree. "Well, it looks like you're ready to move to the next phase of training." He nodded his head once and turned to the side as his nose caught a familiar and gentle scent on the breeze. "And just in time, too." He licked his lips and jumped to his feet, heading off without another word in Kagome's direction.

Carefully, the girl looked up, her eyes following after her father-in-law as he darted down the path like a boy causing her to smile as she turned her attention back to Kilala's fur. "We really must have taken the long way here if she caught up that fast." She commented as she used her energy to smooth a section of tangled hair. Kilala only purred in response as she closed her eyes and relaxed in the shade of Goshinboku's branches. The corner of Kagome's lip twitched from the sight as she tried not to smile at the demon cat but her expression quickly fell as her mind unwittingly jumped back towards her father-in-law's words.

"You're ready to move to the next phase of training."

"The next phase of my training." She licked her lips as her hands stopped moving against Kilala's fur. "Am I ready for this?" She asked herself even as she looked down at Kilala, hoping for an answer.

The demon cat didn't respond either outwardly or in her own mind, however. Instead the large demon merely rolled on its side and lifted up one paw in the air so Kagome could reach her stomach.

"You're so helpful." Kagome commented dryly even as she gave in and rubbed the demon's stomach with a well contained sigh.

Out a bit away from Kagome, Inutaisho reached his wife with a large smile plastered on his face. "Konnichiwa." He greeted her, his golden eyes shining with happiness as he watched her approach. "Koi."

The affectionate term made Izayoi blush slightly (even if she was raised by a bunch of men, which made her a bit more forward than most women, she still was embarrassed by such blunt attention). Uncertainly, she glanced towards Kagome watching for a moment as the girl groomed the dirty feline. Glad Kagome appeared to be distracted, Izayoi turned towards her husband and smiled sweetly, the longing and love in her eyes real as she approached him. "Taisho." She shortened his name as she often did and leaned her head against his chest accepting the warmth and comfort it provided.

Inutaisho lowered his head in response, placing his cheek against the top of her hair as he sighed. "Welcome back." He greeted once more, the pure love in his voice making her close her eyes with pleasure.

"We thought we would come here before we started the next phase of training." Izayoi commented as she allowed herself to sink into his comforting embrace, the knowledge that both Kagome and Kilala were out of hearing range helping her relax. "You know—make sure you weren't lonely."

"I'm not lonely." He huffed but the slight whine he released in the back of his throat seemed to say otherwise. "I don't need a nursery maid to watch me."

"Sur-e-e." Izayoi drug out the word and she pulled away from him. "My lonely man." She reached for his face with one of her hands and gently traced the outline of his chin.

The dog demon accepted the affection readily, his love for her outweighing his need to defend his honor. Leaning forward, he inhaled her scent, delighting in the smell of her woodland escapades. "You were in the forest?" He questioned as his hands moved on their own, his fingers finding their way into the large sleeves of her haori, brushing against her hidden skin.

She nodded in response as she leaned into him a little bit more, the warmth coming from the pads of his fingers against her exposed flesh making her shiver. "I gave her," She shook her head to help her mind focus even as he began to massage her forearms. "A final test there."

"She told me she'd mastered quite a few things." He commented as he dropped his head down, brushing his nose against the side of her neck where his own mark laid hidden underneath the white material. "How'd she do—in your opinion?"

"Remarkably." Izayoi answered as she closed her eyes against the feel of his lips caressing the spot where her haori ended and her neck began. "She's a lot better than I ever was." She admitted, the sound of her pride for the girl actually shinning through into Inutaisho's ever listening ears.

"Izayoi," He whispered as he pulled away from her, his expression growing a bit taunt as her eyes fluttered opened with surprise. "You've grown fond of her." He bit his lower lip, his fangs peaking out as he looked away from her for just a second in thought. "As have I." He opened his mouth as if to continue but paused unable to really form the words. "How," He looked at her imploringly, watching as her face began to harden as if she knew what he was about to say. "Can you—?"

"Leave it Taisho." She interrupted him automatically, pulling away without a second thought as her body became cold but not from the loss of contact. "This is the only way."

The dog demon groaned and brought his hands up to cover his face for a moment before looking at her pleadingly. "I know you think that but," He hesitated, growling to himself as he tried to think of the appropriate words to say. "We've been down this road before."

"Stay out of it," She rephrased as she sent him a glare before glancing towards Kagome, who some distance away, was still grooming Kilala completely unaware. "I'm the one who knows these things."

"If you know so much," He fired back as he looked at his wife, his arms crossing over his chest as he felt anger well up within himself. "Then why are you denying the one thing we know to be completely and utterly true." He watched as she turned away from him, refusing to look him in the eye. "Izayoi," He gritted his teeth and shook his head at her childishness. "Fate can't be changed—you know that, I know that—we—we just have to accept it." He reached for her but she side stepped his hand, refusing to be touched by him. "I know it's not easy," He sighed and dropped his hand down as he looked away from her, his heart sore as he spoke. "No one should ever have to accept that their child is going to—."

Her hands flew up to her ears as if she were blocking out his words. "I refuse." She said bluntly as Inutaisho frowned at her and narrowed his eyes a bit, exasperated.

"Izayoi," He reached out and managed to grab her hand before she could side step him again. He pulled the hand away from her ears, watching as her eyes snapped opened and she sent him a well aimed glare. "We've been over this—for centuries we've been over this." He explained slowly as he looked her straight in her glaring eyes. "There's nothing we can do to change what fate has in store for him—nothing—we've tried."

"We haven't tried everything though." She fired back as she pulled herself away from his grip, Inutaisho's love for her the only thing that allowed her to get away so easily. "Kagome," She said the name as she looked away from him and towards the girl who was at the moment having a staring contest with a disgruntled Kilala. "She's our last chance—if we—if I train her, maybe we can change it—we already changed it a bit just by bringing her here." She spun around to look at him, her eyes desperate for him to buy into what she was saying. "I have to believe that I can change it further at all cost."

He was silent for a moment as his eyes turned towards the girl who was just now pushing herself upwards from the ground, smiling at the cat demon who was stalking her playfully. "But at what cost does it all become worthless?"

She opened her mouth to answer but no words actually emerged. There was nothing she could say to Inutaisho in that moment, nothing at all. After all, she didn't even know how high a cost she was willing to pay for her son's survival. All she knew was that she wouldn't stop, she wouldn't ever stop trying to save him. She had resounded herself to that only centuries after her death. "I will do anything and everything in my power to keep him alive—it's my duty as a mother." She told herself as she looked down at the ground, knowing how wrong that thought was. "Even if it means—."

"Alright—," The sound of Kagome's voice suddenly entering the sphere of their private conversation made both Inutaisho and Izayoi jump. "So Kilala's pretty again." The girl told them as she approached the two solemn faces, not seeming to see them as she looked towards Kilala with a smirk.

The large demon cat shook itself and blinked several times before raising a paw up to its face to lick. She licked the paw for several seconds before bringing it up above her head and over her face, cleaning her ears and head carefully.

"Guess I didn't do a good enough job." Kagome mumbled as the demon cat stopped just long enough to send her a look that could easily have been mistaken for the equivalent of a cat smirking (which it probably was). Rolling her eyes, Kagome turned back towards her in-laws her eyes just now taking in the somber nature of their faces. "Is everything okay?" She asked slowly as she looked between the two of them.

As if just realizing that her expression was giving her away, Izayoi's face turned into a suddenly overly bright smile. "Yes," She glanced at her husband who had placed an equally fake, although not nearly as bright, smile on his face as well. "We were just discussing the next phase of your training."

Kagome stared at the woman for a moment as she allowed the words to sink in, sudden (mis)understanding dawning on her. "That's why you looked so—glum." She whispered as she reached out towards Kilala, resting her hand on the demon's head. The cat had long since stopped grooming herself and now was sitting rigidly next to Kagome with a marked worried expression on her muzzle.

Izayoi glanced at Kagome and then back towards Inutaisho who had crossed his arms over his chest and bluntly looked away from her. She sighed and made sure to block all her thoughts from Kagome as she brought her hand up to rub her temple. "It's time Kagome," She spoke softly yet clearly as she dropped her hand back to her side. "We can't put it off any longer—besides," She forced herself to look the girl in the eye, waiting for Kagome to lift her head before she spoke further. "You're ready."

"I don't feel ready." Kagome thought to herself, blocking her thoughts from Izayoi as she looked down at Kilala. Unlike any other creature in the entire world, she couldn't block her thoughts from the demon cat. That very fact was plain to see on Kilala's face, her large grey eyes reflecting the pain and fear in Kagome's own. "If I wasn't ready," Kagome asked Kilala, her words echoing in her own soul as well as the demonic animals. "Would she wait?"

"No." The demon answered in return and leaned against Kagome tiredly, the weight that had been placed on Kagome's soul just then weighing down her own.

Kagome cleared her throat and lifted her head towards the creature, her eyes filled with trepidation and uncharacteristic turbulence. "No sense wasting time." She closed her eyes for just a moment as if to gather her thoughts. "Let's begin." She opened her eyes again, sending Izayoi a determined, yet tired frown.

"Alright." Izayoi nodded once as she moved away from her husband a little further and motioned Kagome towards the field just off the path. "You already know the basics: To give life—we pull energy from our bodies—."

"And push it out, into the recipients—whether human, plant, demon, or animal." Kagome finished as she followed the woman, sending Inutaisho a backwards glance as she did so. The man was still standing on the dirt path, his golden eyes tense and strange to her. "What's wrong with him?" She asked herself, as she felt Kilala's head push against her hand. Glancing down at the large cat she pursed her lips in thought, waiting for an answer. Kilala merely shrugged in response (if a giant cat can shrug) and turned her eyes towards Izayoi who was waiting for them. Kagome followed the large cats gaze until she was looking right at her mother-in-law.

"Are you coming, Inutaisho?" Izayoi spoke carefully, her eyes darting to look at Inutaisho over Kagome's shoulder.

Kagome turned and looked as well, her eyes focusing on her father-in-law's tense expression.

For what seemed like an eternity the man said nothing. Instead, he stared at Izayoi, his eyes focused on her as if he were trying to mentally break down some barrier she had placed around herself. Finally, he closed his eyes and sighed, the sound suggesting he had given up on removing whatever obstacle had been in his way. "Yes." He answered slowly as he crossed his arms over his chest and opened his bright piercing eyes once more. "Lead the way."

Kagome glanced from husband to wife awkwardly not exactly sure what had changed since their blissful reunion moments before. "This is weird." She looked down at Kilala who had a very similar expression on her feline face.

"Alright then." Izayoi nodded her head slowly and turned on her heel. "Like you were saying Kagome," She began again as if nothing strange had occurred in the last few minutes at all. "To heal we give our energy to a recipient." She explained with her back to Kagome as she started to walk towards the little blue and purple flowers of the field. They danced as she approached, reaching for her dangling fingers as if begging to be petted. "This you have mastered."

"Yes." She agreed, even as anxiety began to nibble at her stomach while she followed Izayoi towards the mass of flowers.

"Taking a life," Izayoi continued on as she glanced around herself, looking for the perfect spot for them to start. "Most of the time is essentially healing's exact opposite."

Kagome nodded and reached subconsciously for Kilala, petting the nekomata's head gingerly. "So—you take energy away?"

"Yes," Izayoi sent her a slight smile as she stopped walking and lowered herself to the ground amongst the little periwinkle flowers. "Like I said though, that's only most of the time anyway." She motioned for Kagome to take a seat in front of her. "On rare occasions a miko can kill a demon by putting too much of her own energy within them. This is also known as purification, a technique you've used before."

Kagome winced at the reminder but nodded her head all the same as she sat down in the flowers, Kilala taking a spot next to her. "I did that with Manten." She acknowledged as she placed her hand on Kilala's head and rubbed. The sound of grass and flowers moving behind her made her turn and she smiled briefly as she looked at Inutaisho sitting behind her. The man was stiff as he sat but he did offer her a smile of reassurance that she very much appreciated.

"Correct." Izayoi nodded firmly, drawing Kagome's attention back towards her instructor. "To kill Naraku," The woman paused only long enough to watch Kagome wince from the suggestion. "You will need the more common method. You will take his energy away—or, more accurately," She raised up one hand as if to draw Kagome's complete attention to what she was about to say, "The jewel's energy. They are so deeply interconnected at this point that pulling the energy of one will easily kill the other."

"Okay." Kagome gulped slightly as a cool sweat broke out on her forehead at the very idea of taking someone, anyone's life made her feel a little sick. "So—where do we start?"

Izayoi frowned a little bit at the girl's impatience finding it odd coming from someone who wanted nothing to do with killing. "First, you have to find the energy-well within your target."

Kagome's tense face fell from the words as she tried to figure out what exactly Izayoi meant. "What?"

"Inside your body," The woman explained slowly as she looked at Kagome's confused face. "Is a well of energy right? It's where you store the energy given to you by Kilala until you use it."

"Oh!" Kagome blinked rapidly as realization dawned on her. "Everyone has one of those—to keep their energy?"

"Yes," Izayoi nodded her head and looked behind Kagome briefly towards her husband. The man was sitting stiffly, his expression taunt as he looked at the back of Kagome's head, not sparing Izayoi a second glance. "He won't even look at me." She thought to herself and resisted the urge to sigh. "For a normal creature—a none miko—it houses their life energy."

"Wow," Kagome twisted her face up as she tried to think of the best way to phrase her sentence. "Even—a—none miko type person—or demons have them then."

"Yes," Izayoi couldn't help but smile a little bit at Kagome's struggle, her fondness for the girl apparent. "But they only store life energy—the exact amount of energy you need to live your life." She shook her head as she finished speaking, not wanting Kagome to see the evidence of her fondness. "Every once in a while, when a normal human or even some demons are in horrible danger they will be able to summon a bit of that energy and use it like a miko does." She stopped and cleared her throat a bit as she tried to think of exactly how to explain the concept further. "However, a miko can replenish her energy afterwards since she has a spiritual equivalent."

"And a human or a demon can't." Kagome deduced, her stomach aching a little bit as she glanced at her literal lifeline, Kilala.

"Exactly—there are some exceptions amongst demons—but, for the most part, once the energy is gone, it's gone and if they use too much," She licked her lips slowly and forced herself not to look at Inutaisho no matter how much she wanted to right then. "They go with it."

"They die." Kagome said for her, strangely able to say the words when Izayoi could not. They floated around her head, teasing her mind as they echoed from one side of her brain to the other. "They die—they die—they die." She gulped and closed her eyes against the assault as she felt a lump form in her throat. "Without your life energy you die." She whispered the words, straining to say them as the lump grew bigger. "That can happen to miko's too—they come to this world once they deplete the energy they share with their spiritual equivalent and start using their own life energy instead."

Izayoi started to comment but stopped when she noticed Inutaisho shift behind Kagome. Instantly, her eyes were drawn to the man who was watching his daughter-in-law intently. She could see the pain in his eyes but she didn't want to admit what that pain represented, not yet.

"So," Kagome continued on ignoring both Izayoi and Inutaisho as her mind continued to process. "All I have to do—to kill," She spoke as she raised her head up and looked directly into her teachers eyes. "Is take their life energy from them, right? Without life energy no one can survive, not even a miko."

Izayoi stared back into those grey swirling eyes, feeling distinctly uncomfortable as she looked into them. She was the first person to really understand the true nature of Kagome's power and because of that she knew that she didn't stand a chance against this girl. If Kagome really wanted to read her mind, then Kagome would read her mind; if Kagome really wanted to hurt her, then Kagome would hurt her; if Kagome wanted to do anything and everything to her, then Kagome would do anything and everything. "Luckily, she's far too sweet to."

Kagome broke eye contact with Izayoi first, her eyes looking towards the little flowers without really seeing them. "It really is that simple?" She whispered the words as Kilala growled softly and rubbed her nose against Kagome's clothed leg. The girl didn't respond to the gesture, however, her eyes concentrating on not seeing or acknowledging anything.

"It is." Izayoi responded, despite the fact she was positive Kagome wasn't listening.

"You just take it away?" Kagome's face scrunched up as she tried to deal with the very thought. "That seems so—so," She stopped and finally raised her head up to look at Izayoi, a look of disgust actually crossing her features. "Wrong." She blurted out the word before she could stop herself. "To believe that anyone has the right to just take life away from someone—just—rip it from them like you're pitting an olive for lunch!" She shook her head and pushed herself up off the ground, no longer able to deal with the idea of killing anyone.

"Kagome," Izayoi pushed herself up off the ground as well, the sight of Inutaisho following only seconds later making bit her lip. "It's not like this is something you will do every day of your life. This is a special circumstance."

"Killing is still killing," Kagome shook her head as Kilala let out a little growl of agreement beside her. "Regardless of who it is or why—I just—I won't do it. I can't."

"Kagome," Izayoi took a step forward, her eyes turning dark as she hissed her words. "You don't have a choice."

"Of course she does!" Inutaisho suddenly interjected for the first time since the 'training' had begun.

"No!" Izayoi whipped her head around and glared at her husband, pain in her dark eyes. "She doesn't."

"It's you that thinks she doesn't have a choice." He fired back, disappointment actually breaking into his voice as he looked toward Kagome not bothering to send Izayoi a second glance. "Kagome—this isn't you—it's not in your nature to kill and that's fine." He raised up his hands looking apologetic as he tried to smile at the young girl. "There's another way to end this."

"No there's not!" Izayoi jumped between Inutaisho and Kagome, her hands opened wide as if to shield Kagome from his very words.

"There is." He gritted his teeth and actually growled at his wife menacingly, his eyes narrowing with anger.

"Not if she wants Inuyasha to live, there isn't!" The words froze in the air the second they left her mouth, echoing so loudly around them that they nearly ruptured the eardrums of all four people in the clearing.

Standing between the two fighting forces, Kagome's eyes grew huge, her brain barely processing what she was hearing. It was like everything had suddenly stopped moving, her whole world stopping, unable to keep up with the powerful information that had been shouted. Both Izayoi and Inutaisho were staring at her, a fact she barely seemed to comprehend. She blinked once slowly, the words 'live' and 'Inuyasha' seeming to appear in front of her very eyes, mocking her. Her heart stopped beating in her chest and with slow controlled movements she turned her eyes towards Izayoi, staring at her as if she were a hex.

"Live?" She spoke the word as if it meant the exact opposite from its dictionary definition. "Not—," Her eyebrows knitted together and she shook her head in confusion. "Not—live?"

"Kagome—please." Inutaisho reached for his wife's arms dragging them down so that he could see the look on his daughter-in-law's face properly. "It's not what it sounds li—," He stopped knowing that his words were lies; it was exactly what it sounded like.

Looking at Inutaisho out of the corner of her eye, Izayoi felt a strange opportunity suddenly appearing before her. "If she knows the truth," Her eyes grew large as the thought made her stomach flip flop with possibilities. "She'll—she'll force herself to learn—she won't let him die—she'll try to protect him at all cost." Her heart beat accelerated in her chest and her breathing turned into rushed pants as her eyes snapped towards her son's wife. "It's exactly what it sounds like." She spoke the words without even one thought about their consequences. "Inuyasha's going to die." The words ripped through the air with such intensity that they seemed to suck all the life out of everyone's lungs.

"Izayoi!" Inutaisho snarled and glared down at his wife who didn't even spare him a second glance.

Instead she simply raised her hand and using powers she very rarely exerted, placed a barrier over Kagome and herself, pushing her husband completely from the conversation. "I'm sorry." She whispered under her breath as Inutaisho screamed from the other side of the barrier, the sound muffled.

Ignoring it completely, Izayoi turned her attention to the stone statue that was Kagome. The girl was frozen and her eyes blank as disbelief clouded her vision. She didn't even seem to realize that she was suddenly standing in a barrier. It was as if the whole world no longer existed to Kagome, only the thoughts that were running unhindered in her mind.

"Kagome?" Izayoi tried to pull Kagome out of her stupor but the girl's eyes barely even flickered with realization that Izayoi was speaking. "Just talk—if you have to repeat yourself then you'll repeat yourself." Izayoi told herself as she tried to catch the girl's eye hopelessly. "When I saw the future, I saw Inuyasha's death. When Tetsusiga hits Naraku it will kill the bastard but in the aftermath," She continued explaining, ignoring both Inutaisho's glare and Kagome's vacant eyes. "Inuyasha will die—the jewel will attack him immediately after."

Kagome felt sick to her stomach as she tried to comprehend exactly what she had just been told. Part of her didn't want to believe that Izayoi's words were true, the other part of her knew that everything Izayoi had ever predicted had come to pass and therefore, she should believe her. "I have no reason not to believe her." She told herself as she began to sway on her feet. "She wouldn't lie—but—but—it has to be a lie, it just has to be."

Her head was spinning with a million thoughts she couldn't quite comprehend. Her lip trembled and the world suddenly tilted as if everything had been turned sideways without her permission. She lurched as bile rose in her throat and gasped as she tried to breath but it felt like her lungs were being crushed by some unseen hand. She felt her knees shake but, by some strange miracle, they didn't buckle.

"No," She felt that first strange word leave her mouth, sounding so strange as it entered the world that she felt compelled to repeat it. "No—," Something licked her hand and although she realized internally that it was Kilala she still yanked it away as the world suddenly seemed to explode around her, lights, sounds, smells, and sights assaulting her. "No—no—no!" She screamed as Izayoi came into focus right in front of her, the woman's dark brown eyes seeming blatant and horrible. "That's not possible." She snarled and pulled herself backwards nearly stumbling and falling over her own feet as her heart raced in her chest. "He can't die."

"And there's a chance he won't." Izayoi explained gently, softening her gaze so that Kagome would listen to her. "You have the power to stop it from happening."

Sure enough, the girl's whole demeanor changed at the promise of Inuyasha's survival. Kagome leaned forward once more and the hysterical look left her eyes as she took deep nerve racking breathes. "How?" The word left her mouth as if it were a prized possession and Kagome's eyes turned hard and demanding. "Tell me how!"

"If you destroy Naraku's body in Inuyasha's place," She felt her heart twist in her chest as if her body was punishing her for what she was about to say. "He won't die." She reached forward as she spoke, grabbing for Kagome's shoulders just as the girl started to loss her footing. "That's why you need to learn to kill Kagome." She shook Kagome to make her listen, moving her with force that seemed unnecessary. "If you can kill," Her hands dug into Kagome's arms, leaving hand shaped bruises under the girl's clothes. "Inuyasha will live."

"Inuyasha," Kagome repeated the words slowly, her mind not bothering to even register the pain in her arms. "Will live?"

"Yes."

"Kagome listen," Inutaisho screamed from the other side of the barrier glaring at his wife with fiery eyes. "Kagome, Kagome," He repeated the word over and over again, desperate for Kagome to hear him even though he knew the barrier muffled his voice. "Please—listen," He yelled at her, watching with a thankful heart as the girl turned to look at him, actually hearing him from within the barrier. "If you use the amount of power necessary to kill Naraku in Inuyasha's place and then purify the jewel as you're supposed to, you won't have any energy left, life energy included."

Kagome narrowed her eyes not quite sure if she had heard the stifled voice correctly. "You mean," She blinked and turned her attention back to Izayoi looking at the woman with her mouth slightly opened. "I'll die?"

Izayoi held her breath for a moment as she looked down at Kagome trying to think of the correct words to respond with. "Well," She cleared her throat as she spoke quietly. "There's a chance you'll live and a chance you'll die." She supplied as she looked into those deep grey eyes watching as Kagome began to process what she was being told. "But whether you live or die, love," She continued on knowing that Kagome was starting to come to the same conclusion she had many years before. "Inuyasha will live—regardless, he will live."

Kagome's hands shook as she pulled away from the older woman and brought them up to her hair, grabbing at the edges as she breathed deeply. "If I learn to kill," She raised her eyes up to look straight into Izayoi's own. "He will live—you can guarantee it?"

"Yes." She nodded her head once in response ignoring the muted yelp of Inutaisho on the other side of the barrier. "This is the only way to save him Kagome." She stepped forward, reaching for the girl's hand, unburying it from its place in Kagome's hair. "If you learn to kill and succeed in killing Naraku and the jewel at the same time, then you will save his life."

The younger miko looked away from Izayoi but didn't pull her hand out of the woman's grip. Carefully, she drew her attention towards her father-in-law, looking at his slumped body as he leaned against the barrier, not seeming to care that it shocked him every once in a while. The only thing he seemed to care about was her. He was staring at her with pleading eyes that seemed to say, 'please don't listen' but she couldn't help but hear Izayoi's words. "Why is he—against this?" She still managed to question as she turned to look at the other woman.

"He doesn't understand," Izayoi reached up her free hand to cup Kagome's cheek. "What any woman would do to insure the people she loves live." The pads of her fingers were warm on Kagome's cheek as she continued to speak. "I understand Kagome." She smiled and held onto Kagome's hand a little tighter as she kept those warm fingers planted against Kagome's jaw. "You wouldn't be able to live with yourself if you let him die knowing you could have saved him."

There was something about Izayoi's words that sounded strange to Kagome then but she let it go. "I wouldn't—I'd never forgive myself."

Izayoi nodded as she heard the words she had expected to hear, the words she had known Kagome would say. "Then learn from me Kagome," She implored, staring into those grey eyes as she spoke. "Learn to kill, so you can save his life."

It sounded so hypocritical to Kagome, it sounded awful and wrong as well but she couldn't help the feeling that was overwhelming her heart. "Hate begets hate, violence begets violence," She felt tears begin to well up in her eyes as her principles began to fade, blocked by her love for Inuyasha. "But love—love—if loves involved then maybe—maybe violence is okay." Her mind flashed to Italy, to the time she had killed so many mongoose demons in order to protect the one's she loved. "If it's for the one I love most—then—it will be okay."

"Will you do it Kagome?"

Her eyes snapped towards Izayoi as the sound of her voice entered her ears. "What?"

"To save him," The woman spoke slowly wanting Kagome to hear and digest each word completely before she moved onto the next one. "Will you learn to kill?"

"I'll do more than just learn." Kagome whispered the dark dangerous words even as she felt her heart sink in her chest. "For him," She felt her stomach flip as she realized exactly what she was willing to do. "I'll be the very best at it."

On the other side of the barrier Inutaisho slumped, his golden eyes wincing with pain. "It's too late now," He told himself as he hung his head knowing that Kagome would never back down as long as she knew her actions would save her lover's life. "She's lost."

-break-

Sango panted as she walked in small circles around the bedroom, Miroku at her side guiding her. One of his warm hands was wrapped around her back, leading her, while the other was holding onto one of her free hands prepared for her to grip it should the need arise. She smiled as she stared at his hand in her own, the sound of him mumbling incoherently either to himself or to her reverberating through her body. He was so attentive and gentle that it made her heart swell with affection despite the lingering pain in her back and the tenderness of her stomach.

She could feel the soothing stroke of his thumb as he rubbed that spot where the labor pains oddly seemed to collect. "Why in the lower back?" She asked herself as she took tiny steps for fear of tripping over her feet when a contraction hit. "The baby doesn't come out my back." She grumbled to herself wishing she could go back in time to only a few precious hours before when she had been trying to fall asleep on the strange bed, while jealously watching Miroku and Shippo sleep.

"How are you feeling?" Miroku asked as they walked around the midwife who had positioned herself next to the futon. The old woman was kneeling on the ground as she worked organizing a series of crisp and strikingly white sheets and clothes of various sizes. Beside her was a tub filled with water as well as various containers, some filled with things neither Sango nor Miroku could identify and others completely empty.

Breathing deeply, Sango attempted to smile up at her husband. Her head actually felt heavy as she tried to lift it and a bit of pain was collecting in her temple making the effort it took to lift seem pointless. "I'm—okay." She managed to say even as the sweat around her brow caused her hair to stick to her face in the most annoying fashion. Raising a hand, she moved it from her forehead, only to wince as the simple act of raising her arm above her head made her stomach tighten in an odd uncomfortable way. "This is just—," She breathed in deeply again and scrunched up her face as the tenderness turned to pain. "Strange—a strange pain."

"Yeah?" Miroku licked his lips nervously and glanced down at her stomach. He would only be allowed to stay in the room until she was laid on the futon and ready to give birth. "Which I don't agree with." He gulped a bit and placed more soothing pressure on her back as they made their way around the futon for what felt like the millionth time. "I should be here—the whole time. I'm her husband—but I did have to throw a pretty big fit just to be here now, so she wasn't alone."

The strange pain began to pass and Sango glanced towards the midwife only to notice the woman studying her. The wrinkles on her old face were drawn into a tight line and her nose was twitching in a way Inuyasha's often did when he was scenting the air. "I wonder what she's trying to smell." She asked herself as she continued to walk, the discomfort in her abdomen shifting to her side suddenly as the baby kicked.

"Just let me know—if the pain gets worse." Miroku told her as he rubbed his palm against the base of her spine, trying to take the pain away but knowing that was impossible. "I'll tell her for you."

She smiled at the offer and nodded as she licked her lips tasting the salt from her sweat. "I—wonder where Kagome is and—," She managed to say as they turned, the tenderness in her abdomen making her wince once more. "Otou-san."

The midwife raised her head as she heard the familiar Nihon-go word. "Nani?" She asked as she stood, her old bones creaking from the move.

"Ask her," Sango motioned with her chin towards the midwife. "Ask if someone called them."

"Okay." Miroku whispered to her and kissed the side of her head absently before turning towards the midwife. "Otou-san, ano—Kagome-sama." Miroku stumbled over Kagome's name not sure how to classify her. "Karera wa," He paused and raised one eyebrow as he tried to think of how to phrase his question. Although he was pretty much fluent in the language now, as far as understanding it went, he still needed to think in order to form complete sentences himself. "Yoba rete imasu?"

The midwife shrugged her shoulders and responded bluntly. "Shirimasen."

Sango gasped as a labor pain took up residence in her lower stomach once more, the contraction flaring as she listened to the conversation, understanding most of it except the word 'Shirimasen.' "So—have they been called?" She asked as she gritted her teeth and tightened her grip on Miroku's hand.

Miroku stopped walking in response and allowed her to clamp down as hard as she needed to while he supported her weight, insuring she didn't fall. "She said she doesn't know."

"Oh, joy." She gasped sarcastically and dropped her unoccupied hand to her stomach where the pain was intensifying. She winced further as the area throbbed from just the contact her hand made with it and tilted her head back in agony. "Oh—ow."

"Kokyū suru." The midwife coached as she crossed the room towards the closed sliding door. "Kokyū suru."

"Breathe." Miroku translated as he lowered his head down towards her own resting his forehead against the side of her ear. "Breathe."

Sango responded by taking shallow breathes, even as she whimpered and gripped his hand tighter. Finally after nearly a minute, the pain began to lesson and she took one long breath as she righted herself. "It's," She stopped momentarily to breathe as she relaxed her grip on Miroku's hand, petting it slightly. "Gone—I'm okay."

The sound of the door sliding opened made Miroku and Sango both turn with surprise towards two little faces who rested just on the other side. "Shippo!" Miroku looked at the little boy in surprise just as the midwife echoed another name.

"Mariko-chan." Her voice was stern and the little girl shrank back as if afraid or simply chastised. "Naze Mariko-chan wa me o samashite iru?" The midwife asked the little girl just as Miroku echoed the sentiment in English.

"Why are you awake?" He held onto Sango's hand as he narrowed his eyes at the little boy. "We sent you back to bed hours ago."

"Ano—." Mariko mumbled as she glanced at Shippo, shifting her weight from foot to foot as she waited for him to answer for both of them.

Shippo stared at her in return, his green eyes wide and horrified. "Um—," He glanced towards the frowning midwife and then back at Miroku and a very red Sango. "It was her idea." He pointed at the little girl who didn't understand any English.

"Oro?" She blinked and looked between Shippo and the other house guest confused.

"She drug me outta bed and took me 'ere." He raised his hands up in front of his face, palms out, as if to assert his innocence further. "Honest."

Sango just started to smile as she felt the pain begin to return once more much to her surprise. "That's fast—too fast." She thought to herself as she lowered her hand and groaned slightly. "I just had one."

"Sango?" Miroku turned towards her no longer caring about the children as he watched his wife's pained expression return. "Another one—so soon?"

Sango nodded as she gritted her teeth, her knees beginning to buckle as the pain intensified. "Ah," She hissed and moaned as she clamped down on Miroku's hand a bit harder. Vaguely, she registered the midwife saying something in rapid Nihon-go behind her but what she said, Sango had no idea. She could only concentrate on an increasingly painful sensation in her lower abdomen. "Ow." She felt tears prick her eyes as the pain became excruciating and then she felt the odd sensation of something inside of her giving out almost. She didn't have the words to explain the strange sense of something releasing that made its home just below her navel.

Within seconds, she felt the trickle of something down her leg and her hands began to shake. The trickle feeling didn't last long, however, and before she knew what was happening a rush of hot fluid washed down her skin. Distantly, she heard Miroku call her name but the sound barely reached her ears as her eyes dilated making the room impossibly bright. Her skin felt suddenly cool and the room somehow turned upside down for a moment before righting itself. She stumbled but Miroku caught her just as the midwife suddenly appeared directly in front of her face.

She didn't hear a word the woman said her ears ringing so loudly that she could hear nothing else. She could tell the woman was shouting, the sound loud and incomprehensible. Without warning, her hand emptied and she heard the snarl of Miroku's voice just beside her ear. People suddenly appeared all around her, women in night dresses (or what she thought were night dresses) buzzing all throughout the room as the midwife shouted at them, giving them orders.

Two hands were suddenly on her cheeks, the midwife's face directly in front of her own. She knew the woman was saying something but for the life of her she had no idea what. "Na—ni?" She tried to ask but her voice felt strange in her throat and the pain was returning full force in her stomach. "Ow—." She whimpered and looked around for Miroku but didn't see him. "Miroku?" Her heart dropped, beating slower in her chest, as lightheadedness accompanied her earlier headache. "Miroku?" She mumbled his name like a little child as a wave of comprehensive fear washed over her.

The midwife grabbed her face again and looked her directly in the eye without saying a word. She felt a thumb underneath the bottom of one eye, the midwife pulling it down and looking at the iris strangely before quickly pulling at the other eye. She turned without a word and called something over her shoulder as she guided Sango across the room.

Her feet felt like water as she tried to move them and a strange hot wetness caught her attention as they dragged the floor. Before she even knew quite what had happened, she found herself on the futon lying flat on her back. Her eyes widened as she looked all around her at the countless women. They were moving quickly, this way and that, making her feel nauseated and dizzy. The pain in her stomach came back once more causing her eyes to snap shut from the magnitude of it. She gasped as the pain increased turning her head to the side and biting her lip as it practically incapacitated her.

After what had to be several minutes, she opened her eyes blinking several times as her mind tried to comprehend exactly what was happening. Her blurry vision slowly came back into to focus and she narrowed her eyes as she saw the strangest thing on the ground. It was red and shiny and there was quite a bit of it. She narrowed her eyes as her vision became blurry once more, the edges turning black as consciousness began to escape her. The midwife shouted but she didn't hear any words just the telltale signs of panic in her voice.

"How strange," She told herself as the red began to fade everything slowly going black as her mind comprehended exactly what she had been looking at. "There's blood—everywhere."

Outside the room, staring at a closed door Miroku felt his heart gallop in his chest as Mariko and Shippo both cried in shock. It had been a few seconds, less than that it seemed. One second he was standing at Sango's side, the next there was blood, and then there were women everywhere and he was outside with one of them. In just three seconds, it had to have been only three seconds, everything had gone to hell. His hands shook as he stared at the door, remnants of sticky blood on his fingers. He couldn't move, he couldn't think, he was completely catatonic.

Luckily, the girl (one of the many midwives in training no doubt) was currently kneeling in front of Mariko and Shippo, comforting both of them as they gasped and hiccupped since Miroku was obviously in no shape to do it himself. "Daijoubou, Daijoubou." She whispered over and over again the sound of her voice soothing Shippo at least but Mariko refused to be comforted.

"Otou-san—Okaa-san!" She yelled at the top of her lungs instead as she brought her hands up in front of her face sobbing hysterically.

The woman in front of her winced immediately, a panicked expression jumping onto her features from the very thought of Sesshoumaru catching her in front of his wailing precious daughter. It was a well-known fact in the castle that Sesshoumaru-sama did not take kindly to anyone making his little girl cry. On top of that, the lord was known to blame whoever he caught in front of the crying child, whether you were comforting her or not.

Plainly terrified, the woman jumped away from the child like she had the plague and began to hyperventilate as footsteps suddenly hit their ears. "Kami-sama!" She cried out as she desperately backed away from the child her whole face panic stricken as she waited for her impending demise.

"Mariko-chan?"

The sound of another voice entering the hallway made her blink rapidly with hope. "Takeshi-sama?" The woman righted herself as she said the name, her large silver eyes shining in the light. "Yare." She whispered her thanks to the kami as she slid to the floor glad it had been the young master and not the demon lord.

Takeshi for his part didn't spare her a single glance, however, as he reached his little sister dropping to one knee in front of her. "Mariko-chan?" He said her name, watching as her identical gold eyes snapped opened and looked at him. "Daijoubou desu ka?" He asked and opened up his arms even as the scent of blood, not her blood but someone else's, entered his nose.

Her face twisted with pain and she wailed, throwing herself into her big brother's arms. "Onee-san." She cried out and buried her face in his white sleeping yukata.

"Daijoubou." He told her faintly as he smiled at her tiny head, before raising his eyes towards Miroku. "What's going on, Miroku-san?"

Miroku blinked as he heard his name barely able to register the fact it had been his own. "Sango." Was all he managed to say as his legs suddenly gave out and he dropped to the floor like a lead weight.

"What?" Takeshi jumped up to his feet, Mariko still in his arms crying as he inhaled sharply. The smell of blood hit him once more but this time it took on new meaning as his ear flicked towards the sounds accompanying it. He could hear the midwife shouting, her voice angry as she directed her assistants. And although even he had no idea what she was saying (not because he didn't understand the language but simply because he didn't have any idea about birthing), he knew it was bad.

"Somethin' wrong with Sango." Shippo spoke suddenly as he looked at Miroku, his eyes large and worrisome. "There was blood." He sniffled as he spoke, able to control himself far better than Mariko but still a child all the same.

"That's not good." Takeshi whispered to himself even as images of his own blood being spilled by his uncle jumped into his head just from the mention of the word. He shook himself in order to remove the thought and licked his lips as he patted his sister's back. "Has someone spoken to Ojii-san?"

"Who?" Shippo cocked his head to the side and raised one little red eyebrow.

"Inuyasha." Takeshi corrected himself and cleared his throat immediately after as he shifted uncomfortably. It had only been a few hours since the incident and he couldn't quite say how he felt about it. "Stupid—mainly." He lowered his ears at the thought and tried to shake the feeling off.

"No—we don't know where he is." Shippo shook his head and glanced towards the unmoving Miroku just as the man mumbled.

"Tou—," The word was faint but it had regardless come from Miroku's lips. "Tou."

Takeshi bit his lip, very much aware of where his uncle most likely was: Goshinboku. "I should get him." He closed his eyes and held his sister a little closer as she began to calm, her shoulders only jumping as she hiccupped in the aftermath of her tears. "Damn it! Why am I—why am I so—sc—sca—damn it!" He cut off the thought refusing to admit that he was actually scared, scared to face his uncle not because he had been hurt by him but because his pride had been squashed by him."I acted like a baby—a little pup scared," He looked down at Mariko as the child wrapped her arms around his neck seeking comfort. "And begging for its mother." An unnerving sense of fear and shame crept up his back as he looked down at his perfectly unscarred arm. "My first wound—my first fight—and I acted like that."

"Onee-san." Mariko whispered as her eyes began to droop, the girl far too tired from her tears to notice the turmoil all around her.

"Takeshi-sama?" The woman who had remained silently next to the wall finally drew attention to herself. "Koko ni." She offered as she reached out her hands towards the little girl.

For a moment, Takeshi simply stared at her too distracted by his own thoughts to realize what she was offering. "Oh!" He nodded finally and passed off the already half asleep child to the nursery maid. "Arigato."

"Hai." The woman nodded and looked down at Shippo prepared to take the boy with her as well, away from the pain on the other side of the door (as well as on this side). Shippo shook his head quickly though, refusing to move even as Mariko looked down at him cutely, her eyes half lidded.

"Shippo-chan?" The little demon called and Shippo blushed as he stood firm, his green eyes shining.

"No." He held up one hand and turned his head away dramatically. "I'm needed here."

"Oro?" The girl tilted her head to the side and blinked at him strangely.

"You know she doesn't understand English, right?" Takeshi asked as he raised an eyebrow at the melodramatic child.

"Of course!" Shippo defended and crossed his arms over his chest as he looked at the little girl with a bright red blush on his cheeks. "Konbanwa." He told her his face firm even as he winced from a yell on the other side of the door. Worry flooded him for the woman on the other side, one of the few people he considered his family. "Sango—."

"Konbanwa." The little girl whispered back and laid her head on the woman's shoulders as they walked away to the safety of another building.

Takeshi watched them go, glad his sister had been too tired to beg him to follow. He growled slightly to himself as an uncomfortable awareness weighted itself on top of his heart. "I'm being a baby again." He told himself as the pride he had inherited from his father began to build up in his throat. "I have to go—I have to get Ojii-san—I can't let my own embarrassment get in the way of that." He nodded firmly to himself and yanked his eyes away from Mariko and the nursemaid as they continued down the hall. "Shippo."

"Yes!" The boy stood up straight as he heard the commanding quality of Takeshi's voice.

"Stay with Miroku-san." He demanded of the child as he turned on his heel and started down the hall in the opposite direction. "I'm going to get Inuyasha-ojii-san!"

On the ground, still barely moving, Miroku blinked from the name and raised his chin just slightly. "O—," His eyes glazed over and tears actually pricked at their sides. "—Tou."

-break-

Inuyasha, Rin, and Sesshoumaru hadn't moved in what felt like hours. Silence hung between all three of them, desperate and clingy. The young half demon was slumped against the side of the Goshinboku his eyes unseeing as he stared at the ground. A cool breeze drifted through the warm air of the sacred place, catching the edge of his silver hair but he didn't feel it at all. He didn't feel anything, just an unsettling numbness. On the ground in front of him a line of ants were making their way across a small path they had no doubt created. Each was carrying pits of leaves from the ground as they scurried trying desperately to make it back the colony with their cargo, each playing their part in keeping their family alive.

The dog demon's hands gripped at his red hakama that had once belonged to his father; a father who had died so that he might live. "What do they call that?" He asked himself as he watched the ants walk in their straight line. "A martyr—I guess—is that what I'll be when I die, a martyr?" He snorted, the sound catching Rin and Sesshoumaru's attention.

Both had been quiet until now respecting Inuyasha's pain and need for silent reflection. His snort, however, had no opened the door to discussion once more. Whether they would seek to enter that door was debated though.

Biting the inside of her cheek, Rin stared at her brother-in-law feeling his pain as if it was her own and in a way it was. "We tried so hard to protect him—to save him." She felt tears begin to form on her eye lashes again, the urge to cry overwhelming. "For centuries we tried but—in the end, fate—it can't be changed—Naraku still has to die and he still has to do it." She glanced towards her husband, catching the distant look in his sad golden eyes. Carefully, she reached out her hand, touching his clothed elbow.

Sesshoumaru's eyes snapped opened in response and he turned to look at her for just a second. He tried his hardest not to frown but he couldn't keep the look off his face. Not only was it natural for him but he also just didn't have the heart to smile.

"Otou-san died for us." Inuyasha said suddenly making both husband and wife jump with slight surprise. "And now—I'll follow his footsteps."

"Inuyasha," Sesshoumaru felt his shoulders hunch from the very thought. "If I could, I would take your place."

Rin's head snapped up at her mate's words and she frowned but didn't speak.

"As the older brother it should be my duty." He exhaled and brought a hand up to rub at his eyes.

"You can't change fate though, right?" Inuyasha looked towards his brother even as fear gripped him making him feel weak.

"No—you can't." Sesshoumaru agreed and looked towards Rin watching as her eyes shinned with unshed tears.

"Fate's cruel." She wanted to say but stopped herself, there was no use pointing out what was plainly obvious. "But," She ran her tongue over her teeth in thought as she looked towards Goshinboku, the tree in which Kagome had disappeared. "I don't know if it really can't be changed." She eyed the shide as they blew with the wind her thoughts slowly swirling in her head. "Kagome wasn't supposed to go with Inutaisho but she did—someone changed what was fated by Izayoi." The name hit Rin hard in the stomach as if she had never realized what it meant before. "Could she—could Izayoi," She stared at the sacred tree, her mouth opening ever so slightly. "Could she have done it? But why would she? How would she?"

Before she had time to really think about the possibilities of her own thoughts, the sound of crunching leaves reached all of their ears. Three heads turned towards the darkness of the Sakura trees, a figure taking shape quickly in the darkness. The flash of shoulder length silver hair meet their vision and Rin quickly jumped to her feet amazed to see Takeshi awake and in nothing but his Yukata.

"Takeshi?" Sesshoumaru was the first to call as the boy ran towards them.

Takeshi didn't respond to his father (an action that could have been misconstrued as defiance but luckily wasn't), instead he ran straight up to his uncle, falling to his knees on the ground in front of the older man within seconds. "Ojii-san, you have to come quick."

"What?" Inuyasha leaned away from the boy in shock not just because he had no idea why Takeshi was asking him to go somewhere but also because he was surprised the boy was talking to him at all. "After what I did—he should hate me or at the very least fear me."

"It's Sango-san."

Rin immediately was at her son's side, grabbing the boy by the shoulders and pulling him up. "What happened?"

"She's in labor." Takeshi responded towards his mother before immediately turning back to Inuyasha who didn't seem too concerned. "And—."

"That figures." The slightly older dog demon groaned, cutting off his nephew as he buried his head in his hands. "That's just my luck." He continued on as he resisted the urge to bang his head on the Goshinboku's trunk.

"Ojii-san—." Takeshi tried again but Inuyasha continued on, easily running over the Nippon raised boy's polite nature.

"I can't win." He pushed himself to his feet and laughed almost insanely. "Kagome's disappeared inside a tree, I find out I'm gonna die—."

"What?" Takeshi managed to ask as he stared at his uncle in horror."

"Later." Rin told him and started to say something else but Inuyasha was not to be stopped.

"And, oh yes, let's not forget." He raised his hands in the air and laughed hysterically. "My son's having a baby!" He gasped and lowered his head down as the laughter continued to bubble out of his chest. "I'm an old grandpa." He added as he covered his face with his hands, his shoulders shaking as he laughed or—cried—it was hard to tell which it was.

"Inuyasha—?" Rin started to say again unaware of tension rising in her son.

The young man, despite his fear and despite his humiliation, took a step forward, grabbing his uncle by the shoulders. "Sango's in trouble." He spoke without preamble saying the words as quickly as possible so he wouldn't be interrupted again.

Inuyasha ripped his hands away from his face in response. "What?" He asked as his composure came back to him immediately.

"I don't know why exactly but—they kicked Miroku out of the room and Shippo said there was blood." He spoke hastily, looking the man directly in the eyes even as the incident from only hours before jumped in and out of his head, mocking him. "Shut up!" He told his psyche, forcing himself to continue on, ignoring the mental image of red eyes that tried to haunt him viciously. "I smelled it—the scent was strong—too strong and Akane-san was yelling."

Unable to speak, Inuyasha stared at the boy, his mouth dropping open as he tried to process what he was being told.

"Miroku was practically comatose." Takeshi looked towards both of his parents desperate for his point to come across. "He couldn't say anything except," He looked back at Inuyasha imploring the older demon to hear him clearly. "Otou-san—he said Otou-san—he needs you."

Immediately and without words, Inuyasha's head snapped towards the Goshinboku. "Kagome?" Her name jumped into his head and his desire to wait for her, to insure she was alright burst in his heart but the sensation didn't last long.

"Otou-san."

He heard Miroku's voice plain as day in his head along with an image of the man himself smiling brilliantly. The man soon faded, however, replaced by a little boy who seemed to appear right in front of his vision. The image was haunting as the child laughed and smiled up at him, eyes filled with nothing but admiration and love that soon have way to memory.

"We'll always be together right, Captain?" The ten year old boy asked as the wind caught his scraggly black hair.

A slightly and unnoticeably younger Inuyasha laughed at the boy's words and dropped his hand onto the child's head. "Why not," He told the boy as he mused Miroku's hair as he chuckled. "I'd try to get rid of you," He shrugged and pushed Miroku's head down making the boy reach up for his hand grabbing it and shaking it. "But you just keep coming back."

"Of course," Miroku chimed in as he kept his grip on Inuyasha's arm, tugging on it playfully. "Why would I ever leave?"

"Well, I don't treat you right for one thing." Inuyasha supplied as he lifted the boy up off the ground, allowing Miroku to grip his forearm as if he were a tree.

"You treat me better than anyone else ever has." Miroku told him bluntly as he lifted his feet off the ground so he could swing back and forth on the Captain's arm.

Inuyasha laughed and placing his free hand on Miroku's back, pushing him up and over his arm so that the boy did a front flip over it. Miroku gasped in response but continued to laugh none the less as he came to a stop dangling from Inuyasha's arm.

"Do it again!" He demanded as he started to swing, waiting for Inuyasha to push him up and over once more.

The dog demon shook his head but complied as Miroku squealed with delight, the sound making him smile. "You must really trust me." Inuyasha commented as he pushed Miroku up and over his arm once more. "Or you're a fool—one of the two." He shrugged and put his hand on Miroku's back before the boy could do a third flip.

Once more the boy dangled from Inuyasha's arm but this time he didn't ask to be flipped again. Instead, Miroku looked up at the man he called Captain as he released his grip from Inuyasha's arm, landing on the wooden deck. The dog demon raised an eyebrow as he took in the child's surprisingly serious expression. "Captain," Miroku said the word slowly as if he wished he could have put another one in its place. "I trust you with my life." He spoke bluntly and with eyes filled with honesty. "You'd never let me down."

Coming back to himself, the memory of Miroku's childhood washing over him, Inuyasha stared at the sacred tree. Images of Kagome washed over him, her smile and her laugh becoming part of his very soul as he stared at that tree. He closed his eyes against the sights and, irritated with himself, cursed. "Damn it."

"Ototou." Sesshoumaru spoke up suddenly, fully prepared to tell Inuyasha exactly what he thought the younger demon should do.

Before he could though, Inuyasha raised his head and looked directly at the tree. "I probably won't be here when you get back and I'm sorry but," He spoke to it as if he were speaking to his wife. "I know you'll understand why because—," He saw her smile in his mind's eye and it was the most beautiful sight in the whole wide world in that moment. "You're too damn good for me and if it was you in my place—you would already be there by his side."

Takeshi stared at his uncle in complete shock along with his mother and father. "Ano?"

If Inuyasha heard him, the man made no indication. Turning on his heel, Inuyasha immediately ran into the darkness, leaving the tree behind and three shocked demons behind him as well.

"I thought that'd be a harder choice after—well," Takeshi turned to look at his mother and father with wide and truly confused eyes. "You know—." He raised his once injured arm as if to indicate his point. "He tried to kill us when she disappeared."

"One day pup," Sesshoumaru said as he stood up from the ground, a worried expression on his typically expressionless face. "You'll have children."

"And when you do," Rin continued where Sesshoumaru had left off, approaching her son, reaching for him as her own worry jumped in her heart. "You'll understand why he didn't need any thought." She placed her hand on her son's cheek, gently rubbing her thumb over his cheek bone.

Takeshi raised an eyebrow but otherwise didn't comment on his parents' strange remarks. "Okay." He glanced towards the sacred tree slowly and licked his lips. "What about Kagome-obaa-san—do you know when she'll be back?"

Rin glanced at the tree and then towards Sesshoumaru. Izayoi had predicted that Kagome would need at least five years to be properly trained by Rin but that was time they didn't have. There was no telling how long they had until Naraku's arrival but if Kagura was with them then, it had to be soon: a month, two, maybe just a few more but no less. "If—if Izayoi did take her—would she use the whole time?" She wondered to herself, sending Sesshoumaru an unnerved look.

Sensing his wife's dilemma with answering their son's question Sesshoumaru cleared his throat. "We don't know pup."

"Oh." The boy lowered his head and sighed slightly.

"Come on sweet one," Rin leaned her head against her son's shoulder, the boy slightly taller than her already. "We should make our way there—I know Sango's in good hands but—Miroku's a different story, he'll need all the support he can get."

"Really?" Takeshi shrugged a bit confused by the concept. "Why's he need anyone? He's not having the pup."

Rin smiled at her son and sent him a playful look. "It's hard to be on the outside, just waiting for the pup to come." She looked over her shoulder at her husband tauntingly. "You should have seen your father when I was in labor with you." She tried to keep up the playful quality of her voice even as her stomach clenched with dread. "I have to keep it light for Takeshi-chan—he shouldn't be burdened with worry, he's just a child."

"I was fine." Sesshoumaru replied shortly but kept up the pretense knowing exactly what Rin was doing for their son.

"You punched a servant in the face." Rin reminded him dryly as her young teenager laughed openly.

"Otou-san did that?" He brought a hand up over his mouth in shock, he couldn't imagine his father acting with such emotional violence.

"Sure did." Rin dropped her voice to a conspirator whisper. "And when he barged in halfway through, breaking the door I might add," She wrapped an arm around her son's shoulders and sent Sesshoumaru a ruthless smile. "—Akane-san actually kicked him out, literally."

"She did not kick me." Sesshoumaru closed his eyes and turned away from his mate slightly as if to assert that he was better than this conversation.

"Oh, she did, I saw." Rin leaned towards her son, whispering loudly. "He pouted for days afterwards."

Takeshi laughed at his father's disgruntled expression. "I can't image it."

Rin nodded in agreement and turned back towards her husband with mock apology on her face. "He had to know sometime." She told him before her expression faded just slightly with seriousness. "Are you going to wait here?"

"It's the best use of my time." Sesshoumaru responded stoically as he lowered himself back to the ground, crossing his legs and leaning against the tree regally.

"I agree," She turned towards Takeshi without another word. "You want to stay with Otou-san or come with me?"

"I'll stay with Chichiue." He changed back to the proper term for father, offering the picked on man some form of respect.

"Okay." Rin nodded and thanked the Kami of Goshinboku for drawing Takeshi towards it instead of towards what she knew was bound to be an ugly situation. "It's better he stays here—just in case." She bit her lip, allowing her worry to overtake her as she started into the darkness of the sakura. "I'll send news once we have it!" She called over her shoulder before her brisk pace turned into a full out run.

Watching his wife disappear into the grove, Sesshoumaru turned his attention towards his son, wanting to say something to the boy. "Takeshi."

Takeshi froze as his father said his name, something Sesshoumaru only did during training or in front of none family in order to help Takeshi gain respect from their community. When it was just his father (or his immediate family), he was always the 'pup' because, well, he was just a 'pup' to his father. "Yes?"

"I'm proud of you." He spoke the words without explanation catching the child off guard.

"For what?" Takeshi asked unable to hide the disbelief in his voice caused by his father's admission. "What did I do?"

"It's hard for any man," Sesshoumaru looked away from his son as he spoke, the word 'man' making Takeshi's eyes widen with amazement. "To face his source of great defeat."

"Chichiue?"

Sesshoumaru turned towards his son, looking him directly in the eyes. "And to do it with dignity is even harder." He bowed his head only a fraction of an inch but it was enough to make Takeshi's chest swell. "I know—what happened was humiliating."

Takeshi winced and lowered his head, the swell of pride replaced by embarrassment. "I behaved like a child."

"Yes," Sesshoumaru agreed nonchalantly as he sent his son a slight smile. "But you made up for it by facing Ojii-san with your head held up high." He nodded once and watched as Takeshi raised his head once more, looking at his father curiously. "Everyone fails—that is part of life, it is how we handle failure that makes us who we are: strong or weak." He motioned towards his son, Takeshi crossing the clearing towards his father with amazement marking his every feature. "And today son, you proved you have the potential to be strong."

"Really?" Takeshi whispered the word as he lowered himself to the ground in front of his father.

"Yes." Sesshoumaru nodded and reached up to rub one of the boy's ears. "I expect greatness out of you Takeshi."

"And I will do my best to meet your expectations." Takeshi lowered his head to the ground, bowing before his father both out of respect and to cover up the large grin that had practically split his face. "Arigato—Chichiue." The boy tried to contain his grin as he raised his head back up and looked at his father hopefully.

The look of affection diminished slightly on Sesshoumaru's face as he gazed at his son realizing that if Takeshi was really becoming a man then he needed to know everything about their current predicament. "It's only right." He glanced down at the ground, his ears taking in the child's breathes. "Takeshi—it's time you knew the truth."

"About what?"

Sesshoumaru raised his head up slowly and sent his son a pitying smile. "About the future Izayoi Baa-san predicted."

-break-

Inutaisho leaned against the Goshinboku, Kilala curled up beside him asleep. Normally, the nekomata would have been at Kagome's side but for this particular bit of her training the nekomata was not needed or better yet, Kagome didn't want her to be needed. It was one thing for Kilala to attack and Kagome defend, it was another for Kagome to suck the very life energy out of the nekomata's body. Besides, Kilala needed rest at least sometimes and the demon cat wasn't one to object to such an allowance.

Sighing tiredly, Inutaisho placed a hand on top of the large demonic cat's head and rubbed at one of her triangular ears. The texture of her soft fur made his mind wonder to his son, remembering days from long ago when he had rubbed the tiny boy's ears while the child had laid in his lap asleep.

"It was practically a lullaby for him." He whispered his own ears tweaking as Kilala meowed in her sleep from the attention. "He wouldn't sleep unless someone was rubbing his ears." He leaned his head back as images of a tiny face and itty bitty soft ears twitching entered his mind. "He was cute kid, you know?"

Kilala opened one eye as she realized she was being addressed but closed it almost instantly as the sun hit her dilated pupils.

"So curious and—well—mischievous, arrogant, a bit dramatic. He could throw a good fit when he didn't get his way." He laughed slightly to himself but the sound faded almost immediately. "And what are we doing to him?" He raised his head up and looked out across the field towards the two women who were standing amongst the flowers that inhabited it. They had been training for the better part of three years, working nonstop in order to hone Kagome's ability to kill. "And just as Kagome said: she's become the best at it."

The demon lord dropped his head to his chin and closed his eyes as a wave of anger built up in his system. Kilala responded to the shift in his emotions by opening her eyes once more and raising her head to look at him. She growled low in her throat to catch his attention and sure enough his eyes snapped opened in response to the sound.

"I know." He told her as he raised his hand and started petting her head again. "There's nothing to be done anymore—I just can't help but feel that," He stopped and leaned his head backwards against the trunk of the tree. "This isn't right—and at the same time I," He stopped and closed his eyes as the sun peeked through the limbs of the Goshinboku warming his face. "I can't stop seeing him—my little boy—and I want to protect him. I didn't protect Sesshoumaru so I—I want to change that with Inuyasha." The wind shifted slightly and he caught the distant scent of Kagome and his wife, the smell of both of them calming. "But, not at such a great cost."

The cat demon growled low in her throat acknowledging his words as she bared her teeth at nothing.

"I have no hand in this though," He continued on as he slumped further against the tree. "No one will change her mind." He opened his eyes and turned towards the field once more, watching both his wife and daughter-in-law. "Kagome would sooner cease to exist than let Inuyasha die." He stopped talking for a moment, Kilala rubbing her nose against his hand in a comforting manner that he barely felt. "Love," He whispered the word, feeling it stick in his throat. "Is a horrible thing."

He closed his eyes, his brain shutting down as his own words made him feel disgusting.

Some distance away, unaware (or perhaps very much aware) of Inutaisho's unsettled thoughts, Izayoi looked at Kagome with a firmly fixed gaze. "Alright Kagome." She began as she looked towards the girl who had now spent five years as her apprentice.

In that time, Kagome had changed physically quite a bit, although due to the magic of the miko realm, she had not aged a day. Her hair, on the other hand, had grown long and now reached down to her mid back, if not a little farther. Her body had become sculpted from exercise, leaving her muscles firmer, although still petite compared to some women she had met in her travels, Ayame. And, in just the past three years, her eyes had lost just a bit of their expressiveness, becoming almost closed off but that was a mask and one she used quite well (at least in front of Izayoi).

Inside, she was very much the same, if not humbled by her own power and self-loathing of her own catastrophic abilities.

"Just like before," Izayoi continued as she turned her attention from Kagome to the field around them. "This will be your final test."

"I understand," Kagome responded as she clasped her hands in front of herself, intertwining her fingers as if for comfort. "What will be my task?"

Izayoi glanced at Kagome briefly before looking out over the field of flowers once more. They were so delicate looking as the breeze pushed at their petals and stems and leaves, rocking them gently. "You have proven you can—take the energy from one thing." She paused for just a second as she decoded her own thoughts. "Now, you must prove you can take it on a mass scale."

"A mass scale?" Kagome narrowed her eyes already following what Izayoi meant but not liking it all the same.

"To kill Naraku you must take the energy from the jewel." Izayoi nodded as if just to herself, the wind picking up around her pulling at her clothing. "To practice how much energy it will actually take to perform that task—you will take the energy out of every flower in this field." Her face stilled for a moment and she thought to smile but didn't. "Of course, this still won't even begin to simulate how much energy is required for Naraku and the jewel but it will be a good indicator of your training's success."

The younger miko nodded her head, hearing Izayoi but secretly resenting her, a fact Izayoi would never know. "I'm far too well trained for you to read my mind anymore." Kagome thought to herself as she looked at the woman with a realistically fake smile on her face.

"Are you ready?"

"Yes." Kagome responded shortly as she turned away from Izayoi not bothering to hear any further instruction. "I just have to reach into her mind and I'll know everything anyway." She bit the inside of her cheek as she looked out at the little unsuspecting flowers, her heart twisting from the sight. "They're so—pretty." She whispered just under her breath quiet enough not to be heard by the woman behind her.

"Find the energy-wells within them." Izayoi began to instruct Kagome without thought only to be interrupted seconds later.

"I know how to do it." Kagome grunted as she opened her hands palm down, allowing her vision to blur so she didn't have to see what she was doing. "I'm not exactly new to this."

Izayoi frowned but didn't say a further word as she lowered her eyes staring at the flowers at her feet. They were tiny, colorful and harmless little plants, completely unhindered by the two women around them. They continued to dance in the wind and the bees continued to buzz about them drinking their nectar, unaware that they were about to die.

Kagome felt her lip tremble for just a second, her whole body starting to shake as she inhaled, preparing for the task set out before her. Briefly, she wondered what color her eyes were in that moment, hoping beyond hope that they were grey. Not wanting anyone to see them, regardless of color, she snapped her eyes shut and widened her fingers as well as her stance, ready now to complete the final test.

With one last deep breath, she allowed herself to reach out with her energy, pushing it from her body and into the world around her. Instantly, she lowered the mental barrier she held so firmly in place all the time now, allowing herself access to every creature in the world around her. She heard the thoughts of birds and spirits and Izayoi and even Inutaisho and Kilala who were with Goshinboku. She heard the voices of the kami that took up residence within the tree's branches and even farther still, the sound of the Goshinboku itself as it hummed softly, singing to the kami for their pleasure.

And underneath all these voices, tiny ones reached out to her. They were so small that the average miko might have overlooked them but to Kagome, as sensitive as she was by nature, they were loud. One by one, she blocked out all other voices. She blocked out Izayoi, Inutaisho, and Kilala; she blocked out the bireds and the spirits; and she blocked out the Kami and the Goshinboku which sang for them, leaving only the flowers of the field in her mental ears.

They didn't think much, their life energy not dedicated to higher thought. Instead, they sang to the breeze, and praised the sun, delighting in its warmth and begging it for more.

Her lips twitched as she heard them whisper: asking for rain but not wanting to lose the sun. "I can't blame you." She told them as she began to reach within them, finding the swirling mass of energy that rested in every long stem. "I love the sun too."

She inhaled sharply as the warmth of their life energy suddenly flowed throughout her body and she had to stop herself from enjoying the sensation. It wasn't that she enjoyed taking the life from the small periwinkles, it was that she enjoyed the warmth of the energy as it coursed through her veins. It was like drinking hot tea on a cold winter night in France. The way the warm liquid slid down your throat before spreading out into your belly, making your body feel tingly and warm all at once. It was a beautiful sensation that nearly made her toes curl with enjoyment. But now, even as her toes began to curl, she felt sick for even daring to like that warmth: the warmth of these living things' life forces being sucked from their very body.

She didn't let up, however, as she felt the energy flow within her, coursing through her veins faster and faster as her own energy began to deplete from the effort it took to coax energy away from a creature or plants' body. "Too bad I can't just take their energy and replace the energy I'm losing." She shook her head and narrowed her eyes in abject concentration.

"Flowers of winter—."

She froze as the distant words echoed in her head, a little song she had often heard Inuyasha sing when he thought she was asleep. She had even heard him sing it softly to Shippo when the little boy spent the night in their room. Once, she had asked him about it, and been told that it had been his mother's song, and Eion's before her, and Paedar/Aengas' before even him. A song passed down through generations.

"Of summer and fall—."

Her eyes fluttered opened, the energy that she had been taking from the flowers hovering in the air around her as she lost her concentration. She barely noticed the brown and blackened edges of the plants' petals as she looked behind her towards a shocked Izayoi.

"Kagome?" The woman took a step forward, her eyebrows knitted with worry. "What's wrong?"

Kagome didn't respond as she dropped her hand completely, the energy she had been taking from the flowers fading back within them instantly. Pinks, and lilacs, and whites, and yellows seemed to jump back into existence becoming colorful once more as the voice filled Kagome again.

"Fit in my hand—."

"It sounds like a woman." She shook her head, the voice so soft and so kind that it tears sprang to her eyes that she couldn't explain. "Familiar too—like I know that voice." She told herself as she stepped backwards away from Izayoi, her eyes searching everywhere.

"Gentle and small."

Kagome blinked, and dropped her eyes towards the Goshinboku tree, realizing oddly just then that the sound was coming from its direction. She felt something begin to grab at her stomach, pain filling her in a way she had never felt. Her breath suddenly rushed from her body and she gasped falling to her knees, attempting to breathe. "I know that voice." She whispered as tears came to her eyes horrific realization forcing her to her feet even as the pain intensified. "Sango." She took a step forward not even bothering to look at Izayoi as her mind was filled with the woman's voice singing that song.

"A field of daisies—tiny askew."

The words were soft but Kagome heard them perfectly well. The pain in her stomach began to lessen allowing her feet to move just a bit faster. "Her voice—it is, it's coming from Goshinboku."

"Where are you going?" Izayoi yelled after her as she too started in the direction of Goshinboku. "Kagome." She called, reaching for the girl attempting to grab her arm. "Kagome!" She tried again, finally managed to grasp Kagome's forearm, yanking the girl back. "Listen to me." She demanded even as her heart raced in her own chest, part of her already knowing what Kagome had heard even though she couldn't read Kagome's thoughts to confirm.

"I heard Sango." Kagome filled her in immediately as she pulled away from her mother-in-law and started towards Goshinboku at a faster pace. The pain in her stomach returned within seconds causing her to stop in her tracks as she doubled over. "Ah!"

The sound of her scream finally drew Inutaisho's attention to the two women, the man pushing himself up away from the tree along with Kilala. "Kagome!" He yelled as he hurried towards her Kilala already halfway there by the time he had even stood up.

"How can she be feeling her, here?" Izayoi shook her head even as she mentally calculated what time it was in the earthly realm, her knowledge of the future aiding her now. "Sango should be in labor—but—why would Kagome feel it and hear her?"

Kilala reached Kagome's side seconds later, pushing herself underneath Kagome's hunched form to give her support. "Goshinboku." Kagome spoke just in her mind, directing Kilala towards the tree and the sound of Sango's voice continuing the lullaby.

"Will lead me back to you."

The last words of the song drifted through the air as Kagome reached the tree half expecting to see Sango standing at the base. "I could have sworn." She narrowed her eyes and stopped walking the pain inside of her coming back instantly. "Ow—oh." She clutched at Kilala's fur, the feel of her father-in-law's hand suddenly on her back actually making the pain a little better.

"What the hell is going on?" Inutaisho asked as he looked at his wife but the woman was too distracted by Kagome.

"Kagome," Izayoi reached the girl, standing on the other side of Kilala so she could look her in the eyes. "What do you hear?"

"Sango." She whispered as she lifted her head to look at her mother-in-law. "I hear Sango."

"There's no one here." Izayoi tried to convince her as she glanced towards Goshinboku. "You must be sensing her, that's all."

"Sensing what?" Kagome gasped as the pain came back, her mind going fuzzy for a moment as it consumed her completely.

"Labor—Sango must be in labor." Izayoi supplied and rubbed the side of Kagome's arm, wishing she could take the girl's pain away.

Kagome blinked in response as the pain began to lessen once more much to her great relief. "I need—if she's in labor," Kagome looked at Izayoi, her face and words imploring. "I need to be there."

"There's no need." Izayoi smiled at her reassuringly, having already seen this part of the future she wasn't worried. "Sango will be fine."

"But she's my friend, more, my—my sister," Kagome pushed herself off Kilala, standing firmly upright as the subconscious need to prove her ability forced her to stare Izayoi down. "I need to be there for her."

"Kagome," Izayoi sent her a sympathetic look, a genuine one. "I understand—but she will be fine, I've seen the future, she'll deliver with no complications."

Something in the woman's eyes made Kagome feel a little bit calmer.

"Shut off your mind from her like I trained you too and everything will be fine." Izayoi reached out and cupped the girl's cheek as she glanced at her distraught looking husband behind her. "I promise." She spoke to both of them watching as Kagome just started to nodded in agreement.

"I'm scared."

The words flew into her brain, her jaw dropping at the sound as she whipped her head in their direction. Immediately, the sacred tree came into her vision and she gasped as Sango's form filled her eyes. "Sango!" She yelled, as she pushed herself away from Inutaisho, Kilala, and Izayoi, rushing towards the invisible or perhaps nonexistent Sango.

Staring after her completely baffled Izayoi looked towards her husband with wide eyes before she turned to the tree again, seeing nothing. "There's no one there." She whispered even as a strange feeling welled up inside her.

"But—Kagome sees someone." Inutaisho barely said before he too was running after Kagome, Izayoi and Kilala following only moments after.

Standing at Goshinboku, Kagome reached for the tangible woman in front of her, her fingers coming in contact with her arm. "What are you going here?" She asked as she stared at the woman, the pain in her abdomen returning but far weaker than before.

"I'm scared." The girl repeated but her body didn't move. She only stared at Kagome, her eyes sightless and unnerving. "And it hurts."

"What hurts?" Kagome asked as Izayoi came to stand behind her, seeing no one in front of Kagome but knowing someone had to be there.

"Is she there Kagome, is Sango there?" She asked desperately, her eyes searching for any indication that there was a person she could not see by the tree.

"Stomach." Sango told her but the response seemed automatic and not intelligent, as if she wasn't actually there but was more a shadow of the real Sango. "Blood—pain."

"Blood?" Kagome whispered, completely ignoring Izayoi as the woman stood behind her confused.

"I'm scared." She said one last time as her body began to fade, evaporating right before Kagome's eyes. "I don't want to go." The milky outline of her body turned to look at Kagome one more time as she spoke her last words. "I don't want to die."

"Sango?" Kagome felt her heart gallop with panic as truth hit her brain like lighting hits a tree. "Oh god!" She yelled but the figure was already disappearing, diminishing into nothingness right in front of Kagome's eyes. "Sango, come back!" She reached for the girl but her hands meet nothing but air. "Oh no—oh dear lord no."

"What did you see?" Izayoi reached for her, yanking on the girl's shoulders so she turned around. "What did you see?"

"Something's wrong." Kagome responded back immediately as her heart galloped with her own panic. "Sango—she—something went wrong with the birth." Her hands shook as she looked all around herself not able to comprehend even where she was for a moment. If it wasn't for Kilala who had come to stand beside Kagome, supporting the girl, she probably would have fallen to the ground from the way her knees began to shake. "There was—blood—and pain."

"There's always blood and pain." Izayoi told her as she looked towards her husband baffled. "It's birth—besides I saw the future and, well, she was fine in it."

"Well something's change!" The girl turned and looked directly at her mother-in-law with huge grey eyes. "I need to get back," She reached out and grabbed Izayoi's shoulders actually shaking the woman earnestly. "And I need to get back now."

"Kagome—things don't change that easily." Izayoi immediately responded as her mind raced trying to understand what Kagome could have possibly seen.

"Bullshit!" Kagome cursed, the sound of the word coming off her clipped tongue making Izayoi and Inutaisho both take an involuntary step back.

"Aa," Izayoi stumbled over her words as her mind raced and raced. "I know the future Kagome," She tried again as she looked at the girl, not sounding convincing even to herself. "Sango will be fine." She tried to reassure fully believing what she said was true. "Besides, your training isn't finished."

"Close enough." Kagome immediately fired back as she glared at the woman with narrowed eyes. "Now show me how to leave this place, right now."

"No," Izayoi crossed her arms over her chest firmly. "I'm the seer Kagome and I know what I saw—she will deliver fine." She huffed as irritation built in her whole body. "Besides, her training is more important anyway."

"You know Izayoi," Kagome spoke not believing for a second that the older woman was right in this case. "I can hear your thoughts and I can feel your emotions and damn it," She spat out the word as her eyes became lighter, more brilliant, burning. "Sango's life is far more important than my fucking training."

"Watch your mouth!"

"Watch yours!" Kagome threw back as she pointed straight at the older woman venomously. "A curse word is nothing compared to the ignorance that spews from your lips."

Izayoi's jaw fell opened as did Inutaisho's as Kagome glared at both of them with such burning defiance that it was utterly unnerving to see. "You don't—." Izayoi started to protest but Kagome blatantly interrupted her.

"What, I don't understand?" She spat out the words as she planted her feet firmly in the ground. "I think I understand perfectly well what you're willing to do to get the outcome you want." Her heels dug into the ground as her power began to drip off her body, the bow at her back glowing. "And I may understand why you do it—I'm an empath, after all—but that doesn't mean I agree!"

"Kagome listen!"

"No, you listen!" Her power flared as her words reverberated through the clearing. "I will keep Inuyasha alive; I will give every last bit of energy in my body to do that." She screamed as her power exploded around her, a bright florescent light that made day seem like night by comparison. "But I will not sacrifice the life of someone else I love in order to do it." She stepped forward, raising one glowing hand towards Izayoi's face, her whole body glowing with a pure, brilliant white. "I'm a better miko than that!"

The older miko stepped back as if she had been burned, the memory of her son's own words (seen in visions long ago) filling her. "I'm a better man than that."

"Now show me how to leave." Kagome pressed on not bothering to pause long enough for Izayoi to process her own thoughts.

"Kilala knows the way." Izayoi answered easily as she looked away from Kagome unable to look the girl in the eye any longer.

"Kilala!" Kagome turned away from the people she had spent the better part of five years with, without so much as a goodbye. The demon cat was already glowing as she stared at Goshinboku, the ancient knowledge of how her species jumped from realm to realm already awakened in her mind from Kagome's command. Not bothering to question anything, Kagome jumped on the creature's back, grasping at her fur, ready for whatever may come.

The girl didn't have to wait long for the air around Goshinboku to shift, becoming lighter and lighter as a small orb began to form in front of its trunk. It looked exceedingly similar to the one Inutaisho had created five years before drawing her into this world and away from her own. It swirled and sizzled as energy built within it, taking shape right before her eyes. She could see the fuzzy outline of the world on the other side as the orb widened, growing bigger and bigger, preparing for the two who would seek entry into the world on the other side.

"Let's go!" Kagome commanded the second the orb had opened just enough to let them through. With a great roar, Kilala complied, shoving her body forward into the brightness. The large portal seemed to swallow the two up without a second thought and before Inutaisho and Izayoi could even blink, it disappeared severing their connection to Kagome permanently.

Staring after them, Izayoi allowed her shoulders to slouch as she felt a great weight fall upon her. "Is it possible," She asked herself as her stomach sank with a deep, intense, self-hatred. "Is Sango really in trouble—did I let my need to protect Inuyasha cloud my judgment?" She moaned and brought her hands up to her face, covering it as she felt her stomach knot.

"Izayoi?" Inutaisho whispered beside her as he dropped a hand down to her shoulder, squeezing.

"I think," She pulled her hands away from her face, tightening her grip on her emotions. "We might have changed fate." She seemed to realize the implications of her words the second she said them, her eyes become large with the knowledge. "We changed fate."

"What do you mean?" Inutaisho looked at his wife intently as a gnawing feeling entered his gut.

"Sango was supposed to have an easy birth," She nodded her head as she spoke, happiness begin to bubble within her as she grasped what this all meant. "If it changed, then—we've changed something." She snapped her chin upwards and looked at her husband with a giant smile on her face. "Fate's changed—it's already changed.

The dog demon bit his lip, his sharp fangs piercing it, drawling blood. "And at what cost?" He spoke quietly, trying to contain his anger but beginning to fail. "Our granddaughter?"

"Don't act so—," She stopped and glared at him, disguising her own disgust with herself the best she could, pride preventing her from showing it. "High and mighty Inutaisho."

"I'm not." He responded back flatly as he narrowed his eyes at her darkly. "I'm simply stating a fact." He sent her a sarcastic, nearly sadistic smile. "Everything's finally in place—after hundreds of years of planning." He watched as she looked away from him refusing to make eye-contact. "That girl has officially been raised to be a pig to slaughter and our grandchild is having trouble birthing—oh goodie—fate's changed."

"Inutaisho!" She snapped the pure amount of anger in her voice unnatural for a miko of her talents. "I did what had to be done."

His mouth dropped opened a little and he stared with disbelief in his eyes. "You sentenced Kagome to death and maybe even Sango."

"I protected our son's life!" She shot back her voice desperate and pleading as she finally let her emotions through.

"And at what cost?" He ignored them all though, his own emotions fueling his need to tell her exactly how he felt. "Do you think Inuyasha would want to live knowing that his mate—his child," He bit out the word as he reached for her, grabbing her shoulders as of to force her to hear him. "Had to die for it to happen?"

"I don't care." Izayoi shoved him away, tears forming in her eyes. "I had to protect him—he's my—he's my little boy."

"He's a man!" Inutaisho reached for her, grabbing her hands and yanking her forward. "And no man would want to live without the woman they love." He explained as he forced her to look him in the eye. "I didn't want to live without you."

Her mouth snapped shut at his words, feeling them to her very core. "Taisho," She whispered as her heart tore in her chest but she refused to hear him and believe in his opinion. "You just don't understand."

"No I don't." He dropped her hands as he spoke, looking into her eyes as if they were alien to him. "The Izayoi I knew would never put innocent lives in danger just to alter fate."

"The Izayoi you knew," She looked down at the ground, her words barely above a whisper. "Disappeared the day you stabbed yourself through the heart on Sesshoumaru's blade."

Inutaisho froze, whatever words he had to say dying on his lips as she spoke.

"I died that day." She raised her head up and looked at him, deep chestnut eyes filled with honesty. "And what was left alive promised, promised, to keep the only part of you I had left alive." Her voice wobbled and her lips trembled as she reached for him needing to touch him. "He was all I had," She whispered as her fingertips connected with his cheek. "I spent the rest of my life trying to think of any way I could to keep him alive." She dropped her chin down not able to look at him anymore but kept her hands perched on his skin. "I asked my father, my grandfathers to lie—to hide the truth." Her fingers slid down the edge of his jaw, falling to his chest. "I asked Myoga and Totosai to obey Sesshoumaru's orders and keep Inuyasha away from that god forsaken place!" She practically snarled the words as she suddenly gripped his haori before raising her head up to look him in the eye. "But fate was too strong!"

For a moment, Inutaisho didn't speak. Instead, he looked at his wife seeing her desperation, acknowledging it, but still not agreeing with it. "How can a miko who sees the future," He looked at her, his face taunt as he tried to find a way to explain himself to her. "Not see what she has done to her own son?"

"What are you talking about?"

"A life without your mate," Inutaisho shook his head slowly from side to side. "For a demon—you would rather be dead than live that life."

"It's too late now, anyway." Izayoi told him even as her heart began to sink in her chest. "What's done is done."

"And if Kagome dies?" He spoke, a bit of his earlier venom returning to his voice. "Sango dies?"

"Then at least," She didn't look at him as she spoke, not able to face him. "He's alive."

"And if he dies?" Her husband pressed, wanting nothing more than to grab her and yank to her feet but he resisted.

"Then fate prevails." Izayoi whispered the words, barely able to release them from her mouth.

Inutaisho was silent for a moment before, against his better judgment, he reached down and grabbed Izayoi's shoulders. She gasped as he drug her to her feet, his golden eyes finding her own brown ones within seconds. He knew she had to be looking him in the eye when he spoke his next words. "And if they all die?"

Her eyes widened and her jaw dropped but she didn't say a thing, she couldn't dare to admit that even with future sight she had not predicted the possibility of fate being that cruel.

"Then fate's a bastard, right?" He supplied for her as he released her, allowing her to sink to the ground without another word.

End of Chapter

Please Review

A/N: There is a super long installment for everyone. I loved the reviews I received for last chapter, they are amazing and highly appreciated. We are truly coming to the finish at this point if you know this many of the secrets about this complicated family! But I'm not done, there's still a lot more to come. Keep the theories coming though; I'm curious to see who figures out the ending first. The foreshadowing is present. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the chapter.

Bonus Point:

Which is worse: Inuyasha Character Death or Kagome Character Death-no Sango for now? And no I won't tell you who or why or where or how or if, either will actually die. (Evil Sadistic Smile)

Last Chapter's Bonus Point:

The answer is three: twin girls and a boy! Congrats to the winners:

AiydanWarrior, Sitchine, Kan78, Leomae, Asian Delicacy, Kittyzluzme1234, atem4321, sessylovr, TachiMakoto, Cagome, IkutoTsukiyomi'sGirl, Glon Morski, ryndc-chan, Catalina Luna Moon, love INUYASHA and kagome, AriaLuvsInu

Real quick, a note on Kilala vs. Kirara:

I know the Japanese hiragana form of her name isきらら, which is literally translated into English as 'Ki''Ra''Ra.' However, the Japanese pronounce their 'R' sound like 'L' under specific circumstances (referred to as a soft 'r' when it is done) as is the case with our nekomata friend. Even though they still represent this sound with 'r' characters, it does in fact sound more like an English 'l' than an English 'R.' Thus, when I personally translate from hiragana to what is referred to as Romaji (English version of Japanese words; not translation just sounds), I tend to use letters that don't exist in Japanese so the word is pronounced correctly. In this particular case, I change the 'R' to 'L' to accommodate the actual pronunciation of the name itself, which is closer to Kilala than Kirara.

Either way, the name is pronounced the same whether written Kirara (Japanese Accent Needed) or Kilala. Still, it's just a personal preference when push comes to shove, sorry if it bothers anyone, hope my explanation was at least interesting.

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7/24/2014