Chapter 10

Lives and Loves

Kotone's POV

Is it possible to go on living when your heart stops beating? Is it possible to live when your lungs collapse and you feel yourself suffocating? Is it possible to feel your skin pinch all around you and turn to concrete…I was being turned to cold hard stone.

There he laid…dead! Time wouldn't move and despite how fast I was trying to get to him, grief had turned my every limb numb and heavy that it rendered me an animal, crawling on all fours to him…because I couldn't stand.

When I reached him I laid my head upon his chest…trying to find his heartbeat, I was greeted with the cold silence of an empty corpse.

His killer still stood above me, "Taro!" I growled, I choked on my own tears…I didn't know stone could cry. "You dare to remain…you should have run."

He smiled at me evilly, "run, from you? Look at you…you're know threat. I want you to look down on him and know you could have prevented this, you should have married me, I would got the cure…I proved I could easily do that, you could have kept him as your servant and he would be alive, your foolishness killed him. He didn't take the cure for himself, he left it for you."

Sure enough in Kei's grasp I saw the vile, I closed my hand over it and laid my head back down, all I heard was the sound of a blade being unsheathed and sensed it over me.

"It's so sad…he died in vain!" Taro uttered, he was about to kill me. Yet I just laid there with my eyes closed and head upon Kei's chest, almost like I welcomed his blade.

Why aren't I doing anything? Why aren't I saving myself?

As the blade was just about to hit me, a roar came, Abyss flew at Taro and aimed for the throat.

"Kotone!" A voice called, it was Sora he flew to me and wrenched me away.

"Let me go Sora!" I cried "Don't do this please!"

"Kotone stop struggling you're too weak!" Sora pleaded.

I hated the way Taro was smiling at me, I wanted to rip his face of, I wanted to chew at his throat and torture him in every horrendous was a dark psychotic mind could think of.

When a sudden swift draft came, it filled the passage ways with an icy chill, my father then appeared, for the first time I saw fear in Taro's eyes. He knew his death was coming. I too saw something that was rare to me, a glimpse of the terrifying demon my father was known to be. My father said no words, he needed no words. His eyes were penetrating, ablaze with so much anger. He said not a word, he did not give an expression, but when he started walking towards Taro in a frighteningly calm manner, Taro began to back away. He backed away into the room where the vile had been kept. He stopped when his hit the pillar the box had been set upon.

"Sesshomaru" Taro breathed, "I beg you, spare me! You promised her to me! She was mine by rights…you made a fool of me, I had no choice."

Closer my father came, Taro made a move to run but my father just zipped in front of him, he tried do so again but was unsuccessful, he was not about to escape the great Lord Sesshomaru.

I smelled urine, the snivelling bastard had urinated in fear of my father who sneered at him in disgust for this."She was mine! Mine! You-"

He could not finish his words; my father had put his claws through his throat. Taro was dead within seconds and his blood covered my father's arm.

"That's it!" I shouted, my father looked over his shoulder, "how dare you show him such mercy!"

Sora was still holding me up otherwise I'd collapse, "You gave him such a quick death! He should have suffered as I know he made Kei suffer!" I was getting so angry, Sora restraining me only added to my fury, "get your hands off me crow!" I pushed him away and again fell onto Kei and wept.

Abyss whimpered as he approached me, I yelled at him and told him to go away. I hated everyone, the corrupted and the innocent, the evil and the good, I hated them!

Suddenly they all appeared having smelled the blood. Ayame screamed and clung to Koga who paled as though he were stuck in some nightmare.

As I lay there, amidst the stunned silence, there came a gleam of light…it was the cure, I reached out for it.

"Life must pay for life…" Hiro muttered, he glared at Takara, "you knew this was going to happen!"

She said nothing in return, everyone turned on her.

"You knew!" Ayame seethed, "my son was going to die and you knew!" she lunged at her, Koga held her back but it was clear by the look on his face that he wanted to unleash his wife so she could do her worse upon Takara.

But everyone was so angered, "Is this true?" my mother demanded, "did you know this was going to happen?"

"Life must pay for life" she uttered sheepishly. "There is a path that leads to three lives being saved."

"Which means three people have to die?" Hiro shouted "and who are you to say who lives and who dies? How dare you Tenshi and what is this about this golden egg?"

Kasumi's eyes turned wide "golden egg?" she scowled at Takara, "what do you know the golden egg? What did you tell him?"

Katashi stood before Takara, protecting her from all the wrath being sent her way, "enough" he demanded.

"You're defending her?" Kasumi shrieked, "She didn't even tell us she got her Tenshi powers back, she's been playing us like pieces in a game!"

Katashi wouldn't back down, "I trust in her! Everything she does has a purpose and is for the good of this family. Stand down or I'll make you all, no one is touching her." He set himself on fire.

Everyone backed away; my mother and father were the only ones not to fear him. I held the vile in my hand. This was why I lost Kei…life must pay for life; he died so that I could live.

They were all bickering, it was them against Takara and Katashi, the only ones to watch me were my mother and father, they watched over me so carefully.

I wanted to break the cure in my hands, just crush it! Something was stopping me, just as something had stopped me from defending myself against Taro.

"Enough!" I called, I still held the vile, "Someone…please, I want to put Kei in his room,"

They all grew tense, "Kotone, we should bury him" Kenta told me.

I wanted to punch him "not yet!" I snapped, "After sunset."

Mother looked worried, "why? You are planning to drink the cure before then…aren't you? You know Kei would want that."

I shot her a glare, "Don't! Don't talk of him like you knew him better than I did! No one knew him better than me! I know very well he'd want me to drink it, the fact he lays here dead is proof of that itself…I'm not ready for him to be buried, we were meant to be married at sunset…I can't let him go till then. Do as I ask…or I'll scream this place to ruins!"

They did as I asked, we were in a cave room, this won had a window carved into it, the sunlight covered Kei as he lay in his bed, I almost let myself believe he was just asleep. The hours crawled by, every half hour they came and asked if I had taken the cure yet, each time they were disappointed. The sun was close to setting and they would be back to pour it down my throat by force. Yes…they'd storm in here, pin me down and pour it down my throat, I'd be a full-fledged demon, I would spend thousands of years, grieving. Humans, when they say they will grieve forever, they don't know what forever is because their lives are so brief, for immortals…its completely different, if we say forever…we have to truly mean it! Without knowing it, my family would condemn me to a living hell, all because the wanted me to live.

I now know why I didn't want to defend myself against Taro…he didn't know it, but he was doing me a kindness, one swift swipe of his sword I'd have had a quick death and I'd be with Kei again.

I held the vile between finger and thumb, "life must pay for life" I uttered to myself. "But not you Kei…your life is worth too much…I mean, I was dying anyway…if not for me, you'd have lived on for so long and you'd have probably found another woman to love, some she wolf probably."

The liquid in the vile gleamed, "I don't want a life without you…." I removed the cork, "your death won't be in vain" I promised and brought the cure to my lips, "I'll bring you back, somehow….even if my life must pay the cost."

I filled my mouth with the cure but did not swallow, instead I cupped his face and placed my mouth over his and let the cure into his mouth and trickle down his throat. He wouldn't be able to drink it himself, this was the only way for it to be drunk and leave me with the beauty of a last kiss…

The sun was setting, I felt myself beginning to fade. A light came from Kei's skin….his beautiful lips returned to their former shade. I let out a gasp when I saw his chest move…he was breathing. I could hear his heart beating and the blood pulsing through his precious veins.

Happiness had made me delirious, I started laughing manically and crying at the same time, my hands gripping at his arm, his skin was growing warm, life was pulsating through him. As he slowly came to life…mine began to fade with the sun that was sinking behind me…

I felt my skin shrinking around me, my heart was slowing down, and the tips of my fingers were starting to crumble into ash.

His eyes fluttered open, he looked so confused, he shot up and looked around the room and at his hands. "I'm alive…" Kei breathed in disbelief.

Our eyes met, it was like being struck with vibrant green lightening, they were beautiful! He smiled and held my face, but when he saw the empty vile he looked at me and when he removed one of his hands, part of my cheek flaked away. Kei's eyes turned wide, they flickered from the vile, to me, to the sunset and then back to me.

"K….what have you done?" he panicked, his voice faltered as though it was over a lump being formed in throat. "K, no! No! Why? You damn idiot! How could you do this? You damn, damn fool! Kotone, No!" he cleaned his forehead against mine, but I could tell he was so afraid to touch me.

A tear escaped from eye, "I…I would do it all again, I have no regrets Kei" I whispered, I was suddenly filled a huge amount of agony, I fell into Kei, I was ageing so rapidly, skin shrinking, hair falling. I could hear him crying my name. My skin and bones deteriorating into ash there in his hands…I let out a piercing sonic shriek that made the caves rattle.

Sesshomaru's POV

Rin was cleaning the blood from my arm; our hearts spoke in secret, without anyone knowing we shared with each other our deepest concerns for the situation. There was no one else I would allow to clean my wounds or see to me, I licked my own wounds in the past…but she was me, she and I were the same being, my wounds were her wounds now, so I could easily allow her to treat. I had received cuts from when Taro claw's dug into my arm as I opened his throat, this meant she did too, I saw to her wounds personally.

What scorned me more than anything was the look in Kotone's eyes…within an instant she became another person who hated everything and everyone, including myself.

Without words she told everything she was feeling also.

"She has the cure…." I mentioned aloud to her.

Rin sighed as she finished up cleaning my arm, "but she will never be the same again, my lord, I fear that we have truly lost her forever. The daughter we love so…died with Kei"

I was about to respond when a certain smell filled my nose, something was not right. Inuyasha ran to us.

"Sesshomaru…you smell that right?" Inuyasha asked.

"What?" my wife asked, her brows knitted in perplexity.

I closed my eyes as I explained, "That scent…it's Kei's…I smell his blood…soaring."

Rin shook her head, "No…No that isn't possible."

A blood curdling screech filled the cavern and shook us, I caught Rin as she almost fell. I covered her ears and shielded her as the high pitched scream was almost deafening.

When the squawk stopped their came another shout, "Help! Somebody help!"

My blood ran cold, mine and Rin's heart clenched. My wife looked up at me, "that was Kei's voice" she whimpered.

Inuyasha frowned…."No, Kei's dead…that would mean…."

I grabbed Rin and soared full pelt through the passage ways, I smell him…he's alive…Kotone, you wouldn't!

I burst into the chamber, shattering the stone doors to pieces, there was a living, breathing wolf cub…covered in ash…it was her! it was her smell, it was Kotone. She had given Kei the vile, she chose his life over her own.

Life must pay for life….damn Tenshi!

He looked over himself not knowing what to do, Rin let out a high pierced shriek that brought the attention of all else into the chamber. Koga and Ayame rushed to their son, I hated them for their happiness, their child was given back to them, all due to the bravery and stupidity of my own. But still I saw some guilt, confusion and sorrow in their faces too.

The ashes that covered Kei…reeked of her, it was her….it was all she left behind!

Rin was soaking my chest with her tears…I hid my face. "Someone do something!" she ordered and then turned to Takara and pointed. "You! Do something! Do something!"

I restrained her, but still the Tenshi had five seconds to tell me how I could get my daughter back….or I'd kill her, she knew this, I could tell by the way she looked back at me. Rin of course knew what I was feeling and she did not disagree, my wife was always so merciful and forgiving, not this time, this time she wanted revenge and she felt is so deeply and so painfully it near erupted us both.

Sensing the danger his wife was in, Katashi stepped in front, he held Takara by the shoulders, "please…tell us what has to be done…..my gentle rain…tell me how to save my sister!"

She looked at all of us, all the grief, Kei was frozen in place, his parents tried to shake him free of the trance he was under.

Takara wandered to him and scooped up Kotone's ashes, placing them in a silken purse and handed it to me. "We must take her remains to the guardian of the underworld, you must bargain for her…"

"How are we meant to get there?" Rin asked, I looked down at her with slight surprise, she responded with a scowl "of course I'm coming with you."

"So am I!" Kei spoke up, suddenly appearing beside us.

"As for getting there…" Inuyasha spoke, he then took out Tessaiga, the sword I had once fought so fiercely to obtain, I would shatter it to pieces now if it would get Kotone back. "I'll use this."

"Just remember" Takara called before he could swing, "the underworld is no place for the living, those with the light of life are not welcome there, you will have to go beyond the darkness, that is where the new guardian dwells."

"You don't need to tell me that" I snapped at her, "I've been there before, the last guardian died by my hand" I looked to Katashi, "I will be needing Tensaiga back, just for now."

He handed it to me cautiously, Rin held the remains to her heart, I could tell she was uttering some prayer in her mind.

"I will come with you…I will be your guide." Takara spoke and she said it in a way that meant that it was decided, I made no argument, I was so angered with that I would happily drag her into the netherworld with me!

Katashi however disagreed with her but she turned to him, laid her hand on his cheek, "my silver storm, I have to go and I must go without you…I am a Tenshi for this brief time again so I am in no danger at all."

They all stood back, Inuyasha unsheathed Tessaiga, when his daughter ran to him "father! Please don't go…I have this feeling you won't be coming back!"

He cupped the back of her head, "that might be so…just in case…you know I love you and your brother right? I love you both and the grandchildren you've given me…I'm not one to spew this kind of mush so you know I mean it,"

Mana's eyes glistened, "If you see mother…will you tell her we miss her?"

"My parents too" Airi chimed in, "tell them that all of us, my brothers and sisters…my children, we love them and miss them, that I hoped to one day see them again."

Rin and I suddenly realised that this may be the last time we see our children again, he looked at me. Years of marriage and the eternal bond that strengthened over the years allowed us to practically read each other's thoughts.

"Should we tell them we might not come back?" her eyes spoke to me, I observed them again, they were already so grief stricken with the loss of their sister, to tell them that they may lose us to would be more than they could handle.

So with a look of my own I answered, "No" and she instantly understood why.

"Okay…everybody stand back!" Inuyasha called, he swiped the sword and called for the technique I had passed to him, "Meidō Zangetsuha!"

With that a path to the underworld opened before us, I took hold of Rin and we leapt in together without hesitation, the others swiftly followed.

We found ourselves on an ever forming path, "Tenshi in front!" I ordered.

She agreed and did so, I felt a tremor in Rin's heart, she was starting to feel guilty and merciful towards Takara who she accepted like a daughter, but there was still that feeling we had been betrayed by her.

Kei was now holding Kotone's remains, the look of pure determination on his face was stifling.

"It reeks of death!" Rin spoke, her nose crinkled, "this is no place for Kotone…"

Inuyasha looked around, "nor Kagome…or Miroku and Sango, it's not fair that they're here."

"They're not" Takara clarified, "they are in heaven where gods and other heroes dwell…they're sacrifices in life made them too pure for such darkness…but be wary Lord Inuyasha, there are gateways to heaven that only open to those who truly seek its embrace and are worthy of it."

Inuyasha frowned, "wait…no one with demonic blood is allowed in heaven right?"

"That is correct" she affirmed.

Inuyasha did not respond, he just looked so downcast, that is because Kagome and his friends were in a world he would never be able to reach.

We followed on, I could hear the hissing of demons, their claws scraping on the walls…I had sworn so long ago that I would never allow Rin to place another toe in this dark place again, yet here she was and completely fearless.

Suddenly, the path shook and began to crumble, it fell beneath our feet and for some reason my power of levitation was taken from me.

I fell below with Rin in my arms, I heard Kei and Inuyasha cry out as they too fell. As Kei fell he took my daughter's remains with him.

Into the blackness we fell, Takara hovering above, "you must all walk your own paths to the guardian of the netherworld…we shall all meet at the end…if your hearts are true." She told us, and then all we saw was darkness.

Inuyasha's pov

I laid upon the stone ground, the air was breezing from bellow my feet, all around me was blackness and I held to Tessaiga, ready to use it.

"Inuyasha" came a call; I looked over my shoulder, "Inuyasha"

My breath hitched, "K-Kagome?" I stuttered, all the darkness around me morphed in something else…suddenly I was back home in the village, I was outside my hut, the one I shared with Kagome, the place where we raised our children.

There was even the little herb garden she had grown so that she could make her own medicine, Jinenji had shown her how.

"How did I get here?" I wondered aloud.

"There you are" came a giggle, "I see you're back already!"

I turned and there she stood, my wife holding a basket of medicinal herbs, I just stared at her, waiting for her to again turn into a shadow.

She frowned at me though maintained her smile, "Inuyasha, why are you staring at me like that?" she asked as she placed down the basket.

I rushed at her and held her so tightly, "Kagome…" I breathed, she smelled the same.

I heard her chuckle, "You've only been gone a couple days…come inside the kids want to see you and later we're having dinner with Sango and Miroku."

I pulled back, "the kids are here? But they're all grown up…"

She again frowned at me, "grown up? Inuyasha, Mana's only a year old and Kioshi is eight….you know that. You seem stressed; Keade can watch the kids tonight, me, you, Sango and Miroku can hang out tonight, Keade won't mind…you look like you need to relax a little" she hooked her arm around mine and laid her head on my shoulder.

"K-Keade's alive?" I whispered.

Kagome laid her cool hand upon my forehead, "are you feeling okay?"

I took her gently by the wrist and removed her hands, "tell me the truth…what is this place?"

She sighed, "You don't understand…Inuyasha, you and I will forever be divided because I went to heaven instead of remaining here…but this was created for you, stay here with me…in this domain and we'll live here like we used to…Sango and Miroku are here too, stay with me Inuyasha….stay here."

I moved away, "I can't! I have to find Kotone…and this…this isn't real."

She scowled at me, "Forget about that little creature! Forget about everyone! Stay with me Inuyasha!" her voice began to change, her eyes were changing. "Stay with me!" she hissed.

I moved away, and readied my sword.

I can't do it…this thing still looks like Kagome…I can't harm anything that even looks like her!

The village vanished and I as again lost in a dark void, the demon Kagome scraping at me with longs, blood stained claws.

"Stay with me! Stay with me!" it screeched like a Banshee.

I swiped at it to make it back away but I couldn't cut it….it still had her face.

"I have to find my niece! Nothing will stop me from helping her…and I won't settle for a mere copy of Kagome or the life we shared together, it would be a mockery to her memory!" I yelled back.

An arrow was shot from out of nowhere and banished away the fake Kagome. "How could you think that was me for even a second?"

I looked over my shoulder and there stood the real Kagome, dressed in a brilliant white silk kimono, she seemed to radiate a light.

I stepped towards her cautiously, her smile was gently, "Inuyasha, it's okay…it's really me…"

I held her, "dummy! It's about time you showed up!"

She chuckled, "me? I've been the one waiting for you."

I hugged her even closer, "I'm here now…how did you get here?"

She shrugged her shoulders, "Heaven has many doors to this place, and there are some domains for those who were good in life, like Sango's family, Keade…even your mother and father Inuyasha! We come visit them as often as we can…when we're not watching over all of you…speaking of which, let's go find our niece! I came here to guide you through the underworld, let's go!" she grabbed my hand and raced away, now this was the real Kagome!

Kei's POV

Why didn't that damn Tenshi do anything? How could she let us fall like that? I sat up and in a panic I checked that I still held Kotone's remains. When I found them at my side I held them close to my heart.

Kotone…I'm getting you out of here! I promise you…where are the others? I need to find them, I'm the one with the remains.

I raced through the darkness, I can smell her! She's close…so close! Kotone, where are you?

"HALT!" called a voice so deep and loud it almost rattled the void.

I turned to see a legend; it was my great grandfather…grandfather of my mother, the wise white wolf. Only he wasn't in his wolf form, he was a grand figure, with piercing eyes.

"Where is your wolf pride? You run into the underworld in hopes to marry a half demon! Not only is she half human…the wench is half dog! I will not let you disgrace our pack, you're not getting anywhere near the guardian!"

I narrowed my eyes at him, "wanna bet old man?" I growled back, no one talks about my woman like that! I don't care if we are related! A fight broke out between us.

"Fool! Her grandfather….the demon Lord Inu Taisho, he would have condemned us…he and I fought many battles, how could you betray your kin like this? He wouldn't allow this mix and neither will I!"

He leapt at me and stole Kotone's ashes right from my hand, now I was pissed! I raced after him, demons clawed at me, screeching at me, "Let her go!" the hissed, "you are not worthy of a child of Sesshomaru…you are nothing!"

"That might be so!" I yelled at them, I was charging one, knocking them away and shattering them with my fists. "I am nothing…right now, because Kotone is everything…everything good and powerful in me….she makes me something…." I punched down another demon, "so nothing will ever stop me from obtaining her!"

My great grandfather was just up ahead, "you messed with the wrong cub, old man!"

Before I could get there, someone else got there. The white figure struck down my great grandfather and shattered him into pieces whilst catching Kotone's remains in his other hand.

I could not help but halt, "Sesshomaru?" I asked but was so unsure for though he had a certain presence of Sesshomaru, there was a lot of Lord Inuyasha about him too. However this dog demon was old…I could tell by the way he looked no older than mid-forties, for a demon that will only age a year every two hundred or so …yes, he had to be old…maybe older than my great grandfather.

His demonic aura was strong….stronger than Lord Sesshomaru's, something I never thought possible. But despite how strong he seemed, despite how much authority he gave off and despite how much respect he instantly drew from me…I was not scared of him.

"Who are you?" I asked the mysterious dog demon.

He smirked at me, "I'm an ally, here to guide you through this dark maze, tell me, what is your relationship with Kotone?"

I scowled at him, "what business is it of yours?" I demanded angrily, I bet this was another suitor who died before he could get the chance to claim her, well if he thinks I'm letting him anywhere near my bride…he's gotta another thing coming!

"I'm her grandfather" he replied coolly.

Oh Crap! "Wait you mean…you're"

"Inu Taisho…father of Sesshomaru and Inuyasha" he bowed, again I was in awe. Kotone had told me everything about this Lord…he was astounding and he now appeared to me.

"Why have sought me?" I asked.

He again gave a smile, it was such a fatherly smile and he handed me Kotone's remains, this meant something, he trusted his granddaughter's life in my hands.

"I was there at the beginning of both my son's lives and I named them myself, I now intend to be with them as they go on to the next part of their journey. Finally….Sesshomaru has someone to protect….I also intend to see what kind of man you are… after all you are not only marrying my last grandchild but the heir to the empire I built…I want to see how far you'll go even still."

Damn! Now I've gotta impress her grandfather too, but I'm not too worried, I can already tell that he likes me. I'm coming to get ya K! You're not escaping marriage to me that easy!

Rin's POV

I awoke the same moment as Sesshomaru, I felt guilty for I knew the only reason he passed out was because of me, my mighty Lord could have withstood that drop, it was I who couldn't. I was weak.

"Rin….you're alright?" my Lord inquired.

I nodded and he helped me to my feet, we observed our surroundings. My lord and I were in a green pasture, flowers of many colours filled the place. There were temples reaching into and endless sky of blue, a long marble bridge stretched across a crystal lake.

We were not alone amongst this pasture, there were humans, demons and half demons…all of them coinciding, being served by maids and men with flowers in their hair and wearing robes of silk.

"My Lord and Lady…would you care for refreshments" one of the servers offered us fruit that shone a pink light…it was food for the dead.

When I refused she looked confused and near dropped the platter when she noticed that we were living. "Why are here?" the maiden asked, "This is a place for those who want to rest in peace…you must leave them to it…I warn you that we are here to protect these souls from any corruption!"

If she wasn't already dead I would kill her just to silence her I could hear my husband's heart speak, sensing his arising irritation I laid my arm upon his shoulder.

"We mean no harm to these here souls" Rin clarified, "Our purpose is to meet with the guardian…we are here to bargain with him, we're here for our daughter."

The maiden frowned, "I see…I must say you are brave indeed," she looked upon my Lord, and her eyes turned wide "You're…his son…I can tell just by looking upon you!"

What is she talking about? How would she know anything about his father? The woman bowed low, "My Lord…I am Etsuko, I serve your father in his realm…he is a demon so kind, fierce and respected that he gained many loyal subjects and created a domain of his here within the underworld…this is a part of it, all here adore him…and we will serve you and your lady."

Really? I heard many stories about the great Lord Inu No Taisho…but he actually forged a kingdom of his own in the underworld? What struck my Lord more than anything was the fact that he realised that his father was here, that our paths may cross…then another thought struck me.

"Is my family here?" I asked, "I have a father named Shou…a mother named Yasu and a brother, he was nine when he died…his name was Yori…are they here?"

Etsuko smiled gently, "My Lady Rin…of course they are here…would you like to see them before you continue?"

I near choked on my emotion and I couldn't speak…all I could do was nod. We followed her, I wandered close behind, Sesshomaru had his arm around me…supporting me. So many years I had longed to see them again…to hear their voices and feel their warm embrace…it was like a dream…a beautiful, wonderful…surreal dream!

We were taken to a hut…surrounded by flowers, I near burst into tears when I noticed the home resembled the one we had shared when I was a child…the very one I was born in! I wouldn't have held myself together…if not for Sesshomaru.

There they were…laughing and playing, my brother…Yori…he was so tiny, still nine…still a child! My mother and father hadn't changed. I stared unable to approach them…I feared if I did so, they would disappear before my eyes…and I lose them again.

"Go to them Rin" Sesshomaru uttered quietly.

One foot in front of the other…I approached. It was Yori who saw me first, he halted and stared in awe…my parents followed his direction…they froze, it was like they feared the same as me…that this was all too good to be true!

"Rin?" my father spoke…

Hearing his voice again…the same gentle tone that would coax me into sweet dreams as I was tucked in at night…hearing it again after so long…the tears burst from my eyes and the emotion poured.

"Daddy!" I blubbered, I ran to them, they all clung to me so tightly, all of them trying to hold me at the same time, we all fell upon the our knees in a long and beautiful embrace. I was a child once again breathing in my mother's perfume, warm against my father's chest, listening to my brother cry…all three who died protecting me from the bandits…giving me the chance to one day meet Sesshomaru and having children of my own! Sesshomaru watched with pure fascination.

Mother held my face "my dearest! We have all watched over you and we are so proud of you! We are proud of the woman you became, the man you married, the grandchildren you gave us! I have waited to hold you again for so long…sweet baby!"

"Mama!" I breathed.

Yori dried the tears from my cheeks, "Priestess Keade is with us, she's so nice! She's with her sister Kikyo now."

Oh Kami! This is such bliss! I feel I'll explode with all the joy…this is so bitter sweet!

Sesshomaru came forward and offered me his hand, "Rin…we must find Kotone…"

"Kotone?" I whispered, in my state of wonder…I had forgotten I was no longer a little girl, that I was a woman with children…one of which I needed to save. "Kotone!"

I took his hand and looked back at them "Listen…I have to-"

"-Save Kotone" father interrupted, "that's our girl…go…save our grandchild…but be careful and remember…we are always with you…and we always love you."

I'll be back soon….I wanted to utter that, but how could I? Dying would mean killing the love of my life along with me…but still.

Etsuko laid a hand on my shoulder, "Come…I will lead you back to the path to the guardian…"

Walking away from them…was the hardest thing I've ever had to do. We followed Etsuko in silence.

"Have you noticed that they don't react to Tensaiga?" Sesshomaru asked me, "When I came to retrieve you…the corpses all crawled towards the sword…begging to be saved…here it has no effect."

"Those corpses were horrid souls all going to a darker realm" Etsuko answered, "the souls here…they don't want to leave, they are at peace, they are happy…they are home."

Home…I felt it too…and so did Sesshomaru…

She opened a giant doorway that lead to a dark abyss, "I wish you luck upon your travels…but be careful…and be prepared for what the guardian may ask as payment for your daughter's life."

Life must pay for life…

but whose?

Okay tiny lie…thought this was gonna be the last chapter, too long so will have another one, the real last chapter is coming soon, hope you don't mind.