-Key of minds- you asked I delievered and thank you for the review!

Kitsune-MiMIK-how couldsay no and not update faster with that face? haha Thanx for the review hun:D!

Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha

The beautiful light of Lumius's house was no more as the darkness surrounded them taking away their sight for several seconds. During this time, which felt like hours, they stayed in their battle stance waiting for any sound, any aura, anything that would pose a threat to them and their mission. Having gained their vision and the knowledge that nothing was threatening around them they relaxed slightly, after all you can't sense the night it just falls on you unexpectedly and their enemy was the night. Looking around to where Lumius had transported them they found they were in the exact same meadow that they had been in when it all started.

The same intoxicating smell assaulted his nose; it was hard to believe that such a beautiful place was the cause of pain. If they stayed away from this land then nothing would have happened to Kagome and they would be searching for shards and this truth clung to InuYasha he couldn't help feel it was all his fault, after all Miroku did warn him and he was too pig headed to care, he couldn't shake this feeling, it was his fault that Kagome was in this predicament.

Miroku looked around him they were near the same fortress of trees that surrounded them before closing them off from the outside world. Closing…that what he did to the girls, he didn't warn them of what was their, if he said something as soon as he fault the weird presence then nothing would have happened. Kagome would have made InuYasha move camp, and they would have been on there way. Miroku shivered at the memory of the aura, it felt like he was six again as if he was afraid of the dark and of the monsters that lurked in the corners to come out and take him away. However he had now seen the monster that loomed in the dark and was going to slay every child's nightmare, the dark.

How could she have been so stupid? She was right in front of her she should have ran to her and helped instead of stare in shock. Sango couldn't stop these thoughts from haunting her mind; she had let another person she cared so dear for just collapse in front of her at this very spot. She could almost see Kagome's lifeless body drop down with a hollow flop as she just watched another person she loved go through pain and torture. If she had just helped instead of stare in shock Kagome would be helping them right now defeat this foe not back with Lumius fighting to stay on this plane. The long grass was flowing gently around her thighs playfully but Sango as she looked around at the scene that she once thought was beautiful now looked revolting.

Why didn't he get there faster? Kouga was screaming at himself in his head, he had smelt Kagome sooner but thought he would wait; he had another matter to deal with at that moment but promised himself he would be back after they were done. He needed to deliver some news to a scout near by about the latest news of his tribe, and his new task. This however took longer then he thought it would since the scout kept asking about his mate and cubs back at the den which Kouga couldn't help but tell him how they were after all he had the right to know. So he started off into a swift jog towards the beautiful scent that was Kagome, until he heard Sango call out her name. His blood went cold and his heart was beating hard against his chest and then instinct kicked in and he was off but was too late… If only he started running sooner he would have been there on time, if only he went to her first then maybe she would be here now…

"So what now?" asked InuYasha in desperation to keep away from the dark thoughts that were clouding his mind, out of all emotions, he hated guilt the most.

"We find Lunius, I kill him, save my woman and take her back to my den…" started Kouga listing off the events as to which were going to happen most to his likings of course.

"No way!" shouted InuYasha at Kouga, turning his guilt into anger towards the wolf, he needed to vent and who best to take it out on but Kouga right? "I'm killing Lunius. I'm saving Kagome and you can keep your flee bitten paws off of her, got it?"

"Like to see you stop me Mutt Face!" Kouga barked back, his own frustration at himself was aching to get out and InuYasha had made himself a fabulous target for it.

The canines started moving towards each other fangs glistening in the moon's light and claws out stretch ready to ripe the other to shreds. "Enough!" yelled Sango, she couldn't believe it, not even two minutes towards their destination and they were already fighting. How they defeated Fire and Wind's guardians without killing each other she would never know.

"Sango is right we need to work together on this, this is no divide and conquer mission we need to work together," Miroku stated dryly, he was in no mood for their bickering. The demons said nothing but lowered their arms and started walking in opposite direction from the other growls still could be heard from the depths of their chest whenever one caught the other eye. Miroku decided it would be best to ignore them and start thinking of the matter at hand. This was just like being dropped off at the edge of the Elements property, but what direction should they travel? It wasn't like there was a nice little stream they could follow like before.

"How do you find the Darkness?" asked Sango out loud to any one who would be listening hoping that someone would be able to answer her. She started to lean back on to a near by tree but stopped about half way, she started to turn around slowly to look behind her to make sure this tree was indeed still a tree. Thinking she was better to stand any ways did a turn on her heels to make it seem as if she was pacing. Miroku watched the Huntress before him and a small smile came across his face as he remembered the last time that she was about to lean against a tree it was almost her death. Realizing that she was being watched a blush snuck up onto Sango's cheek bones and turned her head quickly in the opposite direction of the monk. "So do you have any ideas?" asked Sango quickly wanting to get the attention off of herself.

"On what?" Miroku asked, with each word he spoke laughter laced each one.

"On how to fine Lunius!" shouted a very frustrated Sango she was having problems enough dealing with her own thoughts and two immature demons she didn't need the lecherous monk making fun of her too.

Stifling a laugh in his throat Miroku could see the flames in Sango's eyes and didn't need to tempt it, not tonight. "Oh well…how do you find anything in the dark?" he asked.

"You shine a light," stated InuYasha unsheathing the Tetsusaiga, being engulfed by flames its light fought the darkness off for about several feet around them.

"Well that came in handy," Kouga said a little surprised that anything that InuYasha had could be useful but shrugged it off quickly. But soon rolled his eyes as he saw the Hanyou glow with pride like a child with a new toy, so ignoring the swelling head of the hanyou decided to look for a clue to find Lunius. His sharp eyes traveled over the landscape in front of him until his eyes fall upon a dark spot near them that, even with InuYasha's sword near, didn't want to lighten up it had to be the pathway. "Over there!" shouted Kouga as he pointed towards the darkened pathway.

Sango eyes widened with excitement as she jogged over to Kouga to see where his finger lead to. Once her eyes fell on the point indicated a smile graced her face, "Kouga you're amazing," she said happily and started towards the pathway. Miroku and InuYasha whipped their heads to find Kouga and Sango heading towards the path.

"Hey guys wait up!" InuYasha yelled behind them, his head deflating a little as Sango praised the wolf demon. "I should go in first so we can see where were going since my gift lets us see," he said while strutting by Kouga, he could have sworn he heard a low growl being emitted from the depths of the demons chest, how he love these new improvements of his sword.

Kouga let Miroku and Sango pass him, he figured if anything was going to come up behind them and surprise them at least there would be a demon to face whatever it was, although these humans were strong they still weren't able to heal themselves as fast as one with demon blood, and if something did pull a sneak attack less time would be needed if it was him who got wounded.

About an hour had passed as they traveled down the path, senses on high ready for anything, however just like when they were traveling down the paths towards the Elements, nothing had happened.

"Would Lunius have a guardian?" asked Sango, the Elements did and he did think he was a heavenly being so was it possible that he would have created a Guardian for himself?

"Hmm…" Miroku brought his hand to his chin in typical Miroku fashion and thought for a couple seconds, "I don't' think so, Lumius would have told us about it. Also I think he thinks himself above the Elements not needing protection."

"Makes sense," Kouga agreed, he then folded his arms across his chest to make the journey more comfortable and continued to look around him. All around them were thick trees, even in the day light this place would be unbelievably dark. There almost felt like there was an aura temping them to come off the path and explore the unknown forest around them only to be lost wondering the darkness forever, there was nothing happy about this place, no beauty even in the trees everything seemed and felt dead.

The suspense around them like the darkness was growing, were they close? Or did they have hours ahead of them and how much more of this could they take? Luckily for them they finally came upon something but it wasn't what they thought it would be at all. It was a large wall that seemed to go on for miles above them it was almost impossible to tell how large it actually was because it blended into the darkness.

"How are we supposed to get up that?" Sango asked to any one of her comrades.

"Like this," Kouga said as he scooped up the Slayer bridal style and took a running go at the wall. Sango's eyes went wide, any minute they were going to be crushed into the wall like a bug. Kouga could feel the fear coming off of Sango and smirked, as if she would be in danger while in his arms. Now was the time to show off his gift, he focused on his legs and kicked it into high gear and leapt into the air and ran up the wall. Kouga felt free, he had never thought it was possible to run this fast before; he heard nothing only felt the wind licking at his skin, the sensation was unbelievable in fact he almost forgot about Sango in his arms completely if she wasn't squirming a little in his arms, even though he couldn't hear her he was sure that she was yelling something at him and it was nothing complimentary.

In no time at all they were at the top and racing down the other side, now all thoughts of going into the wall were gone from Sango's mind but the ground was a very good possibility and at this speed they were going they would end up digging their own graves. She shut her eyes as tight as she could waiting for her death for the impact that would crush all her bones and kill her instantly but it never came.

Kouga ran straight down gaining more and more speed he felt so alive at this moment but it all came to an end all to quickly as he saw the ground coming quickly towards him. He dug his heels into the wall slowing himself down and then at the right moment leapt off the wall somersaulted in the air and landed gracefully on the ground all the while letting no harm come to the woman in his arms. A breeze that he had created caught up to him and blew past him throwing his midnight hair over his right shoulder, he could hear InuYasha cursing to the monk to relax and that if a wolf could do it then so could he. Smirking to himself Kouga looked down at Sango's form curled up as tight to him as possible, "Sango?"

Hearing her own name she opened her eyes and slowly brought her head up to look up at his face, a smirk was on his face and his blue eyes were dancing with excitement, it was clear unlike her he had loved that little trip. She then realized how close she was to the wolf demon and a blush was starting to form on her face, then memorizes of several seconds ago of fearing for her life caught up to her and rage hit her full force. "Let go of me right now!"

Kouga watched the emotions play across her face from relieved to embarrassed to anger and then he heard her bellow and push, or punch, against him. He put her down quickly and then took several steps back from her he could hear her yelling but that's not what caught his attention he could feel her Hiraikotsu pulse, he looked over her shoulder to the large boomerang, he swore he could see it pulsing a blue aura.

"If you ever do that to me again without my consent I swear I will make sure that you wont be able to walk let alone run ever again got it!" Sango screamed at the wolf in front of her but new her words had fallen on deaf ears since he was looking behind her with a glint of terror running through his eyes. Then she felt it, her Hiraikotsu pulsed, then she felt something on her upper calf it was cold and wet, water. She reached back and stroked her weapon feeling the cool liquid, she brought it up to her face; she watched the water drip off of her hand and onto the ground below. She look from the fallen drop to Kouga's face as he two had watched the drop fall she had challenged into her powers but how did she do it?

"What was that about Kouga leaving us on the other side of the damn wall?" InuYasha yelled finally landing on the other side of the wall with a clinging and very afraid Miroku on his back. Kouga didn't speak just stared at Sango who was staring back at him. "Yo Sango you alright?" InuYasha asked dropping a shocked Miroku on the ground and walking over to Sango who was still looking at her hand.

Sango looked up at the worried hanyou and did something she never thought she would do she walked passed InuYasha and over to Kouga who still had a rather worried look on his face. She was now very close to the demon in a blink of an eye she had wrapped her arms around Kouga's neck and hugged him "Thank you," she whispered, and then turned to the others leaving a very confused wolf behind her. "Well let's keep going shall we?" she said cheerily and started walking forwards.

InuYasha and Miroku looked at Kouga with complete confusion he looked back at them and gave them the same look. Then shrugged laughed and brought his hand behind his head, he didn't know what he did but was just glad that it ended the way it did. "Hey Sango wait up!" he cried after her and ran with the speed only Kouga could after her catching up in less then a second. Leaving the other two men behind, they looked at each other shrugged and then ran after them.

"It seems your speed has doubled Kouga," Miroku stated to Kouga who beamed with pride, "That shall come in handy later." Miroku couldn't shake off the feeling that something was off, why hadn't they seen Lunius he knew that he knew that they were there, why didn't he attack them yet?

InuYasha was in front of them holding his Tetsusaiga high to give them as much light as he could and trying to block out the praise that Kouga was getting. So what he could run he could always run fast. Then he felt it, something fighting his sword, it was trying to kill the light, this was proven with the circle of light started to slowly decline. "Hey guys something is fighting the light of my sword," InuYasha said amazed, he had seen every kind of demon imaginable but he had never seen anything that could fight the light.

"Good that means were getting close," Sango said, her cheery tone was gone and was replaced with anger. Her hand gripping the leather of the Hiraikotsu tightened slightly and her pace quickened as well.

"When Lunius shows his face we need a strategy," Kouga began, "Try and hold back your powers, as far as we know he knows nothing of our new gifts and we should keep that to our advantage. A surprise tactic should be the best way to defeat him."

"It's going to be a surprise no matter what considering no one even knows how to work them yet," shot InuYasha, any plan made by Kouga in his mind needed to have a couple stabs taken to it.

Kouga stopped dead in his tracks and glared daggers at the back of InuYasha's head. InuYasha stopped and turned around to face Kouga; InuYasha had a smug look on his face as if he had just won a battle. Kouga gritted his teeth, "Listen Mutt Face, I don't like being here enough as it is and all my instincts are telling me to run. But I'm not going to run I'm going to stick through this and your attitude for Kagome, she needs my help and whether you think so or not so you do you Mutt!"

"She's not your Kagome and I don't need your help!" InuYasha growled, it was taking all his will power not to strike the wolf down with his sword and watch as he burned to death.

"Wow they lasted longer then I expected," Miroku sighed from Sango's side.

"I have to agree I thought that they would have lost it hours ago," Sango agreed.

Both demons turned from each other and stared at the two humans in front of them, "What do you mean by that?" barked InuYasha his right hand twitching with annoyance.

"Look it doesn't matter, remember what Lumius said, the Elements fell when they fought with each other, so I beg the both of you can't we just pretend we like each other until after Kagome is well and smiling again?" pleaded the Monk.

The demons glared at each other for what felt like hours to the two humans who were left to watch and wait wondering what was going to happen. Kouga's face then fell as if in defeat and with what seemed like a great fight put his hand out towards the hanyou and waited for his hand in return. InuYasha looked at the hand as if it was the plague, he swallowed hard as if it was his own pride that he was choking back and took his hand.

"For Kagome," Kouga said looking InuYasha in the eye, gold meeting intense blue.

"For Kagome," InuYasha agreed as they let go of each others hands and resumed walking down the path with Tetsusaiga leading the way.

"You've been thinking of that speech for awhile haven't you?" whispered Sango into Miroku's ear as soft as she could so the demons ahead wouldn't hear.

"Since we started walking, for awhile there I didn't think I was going to get to say it," he whispered back just as quietly. Then they both started to laugh as quietly as they could.

"Hurry up back there I don't want to have to rescue you too," InuYasha demanded. Smiling the two humans caught up to the demons as quickly as they could.

Another hour of traveling had past and they were all starting to feel the weight of the air around them, it was like humidity but it was much more then that it was like fear, the fear of everyone who was once afraid of the dark. Kouga looked over at Sango who kept fiddling with her Hiraikotsu placing the weight on different parts of her body. Since he had resumed his position at the back he went up behind her and took the large boomerang from her and placed it on his own back and continued walking to go in front of her so she could see what he had done.

Sango momentarily thought of giving that wolf a mouth full of how she didn't need his help and that she was fine but thought against it. She wouldn't lie she was getting tired and needed to give her arm a rest. Miroku watched this and couldn't help but feel a little bit of jealousy towards the Wolf Leader in front of him.

They continued walking for awhile the darkness still trying to destroy the light from the Tetsusaiga, which was still growing smaller. Then they saw it what they had thought they would never see, Lunius's castle, a castle of darkness. It was medieval with statues of gargoyles decorating the peeks of the walls. Darkness pulsed from the building itself and seemed to flow around it like a moat.

"Well, its…something," Miroku stated dryly looking at the castle in disgust.

"I'm glad you like it," said a voice behind them. The group whipped around to see who they had been waiting for, Kouga threw the Hiraikotsu to Sango who grabbed it with ease and was ready to throw it at Lunius any second. Their final battle was about to begin.

A/N: Dun Dun Dun! hahaha. sorry for any grammar or spelling errors in this I did itwhile I waskinda tired but considering i think it turned ok what do you think?

Alright, I just saw an episode of InuYasha were Kouga ran around and around his enemy to confuse him, just like how he did to the Wind's Guardian!How cool is that, he acctually does a move that I wrote in my fanfic! I had to stay up and watch it again...haha. I'm so happy about that..haha..made my night I can tell you that much! haha

Alright this is the end of another chapter and you know what you need to do thats right REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW! Its like fuel for me, and lets face it if somethign has no fuel it wont work. Plz help me work,review!

Preview for next chapter- Illusion