N.A.- Back again. Here's the sixth chapter.

I do not own Inu-Yasha or anything about it but I do own the characters used in this fanfic.

Chapter SIX

The next few days didn't go any different than the past. Kagome would wake early thanks to Kitsuki and she'd race down to the dojo to spar with Sesshomaru. After their sparring session, Kagome would go back to her room, clean up, and get the kids. They'd get dressed then come to the dining room for breakfast. After that they'd go outside or do something inside the castle to play, go get lunch, do some other stuff, get dinner, then go to sleep after a shower. Overall, it was the same thing all the time, except for today.

Kagome was still hesitant on her moves when fighting with Sesshomaru. Sesshomaru admitted, though not to her or anyone else, that she was indeed improving and getting much better only there was always something on her mind. Every time she'd get a time to strike she'd pause as if to think giving Sesshomaru the advantage of the fight. It, surprisingly, annoyed him that she was doing this. So after one small spar, Sesshomaru parried a blow and knocked her sword out of her hand making it land about three feet from her. He held the wooden sword at her neck. They stood there like that for a moment.

"If I were a real enemy you would have been dead." Kagome pouted as Sesshomaru lowered his sword.

"Well, I'll try harder than." A soft wave of cinnamon emitted from her. Cinnamon. Sesshomaru took a quiet sniff. Cinnamon when she was angry.

Kagome grabbed her sword and turned with it up and ready only to see Sesshomaru just standing there staring at her. She waited for him to put up his sword but he didn't.

"What's wrong Sesshomaru? Scared of a girl?" She stuck out her tongue to annoy him even more. He grunted letting this go for just this once.

"Why do you hesitate?" Kagome blinked a couple of times before lowering her own sword.

"I don't know…"

"No, it is not that you do not know, only that you don't want to know." Kagome closed her eyes as she tightened her grip on her sword until her knuckles shown white.

"I said I don't know! I…" She remained quiet for a second and was just about to speak again but a large booming sound caught her attention. Both Sesshomaru and Kagome turned towards the front of the castle before dropping their weapons and running straight to the source. Someone was attacking.

Miroku pulled himself from his bed using his staff for assistance. The attack had woken him up. Just that sound made him want- no- need to get up. He had to see this for himself. He just had this bad feeling for some reason…

As he made himself to the door another person made him stop.

"Miroku…" The voice was faint yet he still heard it. Turning around he saw Sango sitting up in her bed with a couple of the bandages still on her. Kilala, fully transformed, stood next to her bed while staring at Miroku. "…Help me." Miroku would have refused but Sango was stubborn and she had a determined look on her face that he couldn't reject. So he helped her out of bed and onto Kilala. Grabbing her hiraikotsu, he jumped on behind her and held her carefully so not to injure her anymore as they ran through the halls. He wasn't going to try any of his tricks on her right now, but perhaps when she got better…

"Kagome!!" Inu-Yasha cried as he tore through the castle. His blood red eyes looked everywhere, searching for her. He had to ask her. Why? Why did she leave? To go with his forsaken brother!? The same brother who wanted to kill them in the past!? The same one who wants him dead!? "Kagome!! Come out!"

Kagome stood in one of the halls hearing Inu-Yasha calling for her. Her hands shook uncontrollably as she continuously wrung them. She didn't want to go out there. Not now. A presence beside her made her look over. It was Kitsuki. Kitsuki glanced at Kagome and smiled.

"I'm not just a servant." Kagome smiled back feeling her nerves calm down a little bit more. "Here. Lord Sesshomaru wanted you to have a weapon, in case you must defend yourself." Kagome took the sword gratefully with gently hands. It was like any regular katana that was in a black wooden sheath. She admired its simplicity and beauty for a second before strapping it onto her waist. Kistuki held two chakrams the size of her palms in her hands. "I'll watch your back." With that Kitsuki sprinted forward the two chakrams spinning in her hands and catching fire. Kagome stared after her before pulling out her sword and following after her.

"I'll watch yours too!"

Sesshomaru stood before Inu-Yasha Tojikin out and ready against Inu-Yasha and his claws. His eyes narrowed at the site of his disgusting half brother. This was too repulsive.

Inu-Yasha growled at Sesshomaru menacingly seeing how he was in his way.

"Get out of my way! Kagome! GET OUT HERE!" Inu-Yasha made a rush forward but Sesshomaru intercepted him using his sword to block both his hands. Inu-Yasha growled louder as he looked Sesshomaru in the eye.

"Inu-Yasha!" Kagome came running out of the front with Kitsuki ahead of her. She held her own sword down and ready like how she sparred with Sesshomaru. Inu-Yasha didn't even have to look towards her without knowing where she was. Forgetting about Sesshomaru, Inu-Yasha bolted towards Kagome at a frightening speed.

'Stupid woman!' Sesshomaru was just about to move but stopped. As Inu-Yasha collided with Kagome she held her sword in a diagonal way with the flat of the sword resting upon her palm that didn't hold the hilt. Inu-Yasha looked at her surprisingly as well but shook his head and began to push her back. Shocked by her own reaction, Kagome was pushed back fairly far and onto the ground.

"How could you!?" Inu-Yasha yelled as she jumped towards Kagome. He would've made it, killed her, if it weren't for two small fiery, spinning chakrams. They didn't hit the mark but they did distract Inu-Yasha long enough for Kagome to get away. Seeing his prey flee only made him angrier. "Come BACK HERE!" He lunged, once again, at her but failed a second time. Though, this time it wasn't by Kagome, Kitsuki, or Sesshomaru, but by a different source.

Vines sprouted from the ground wrapping themselves around Inu-Yasha's limbs and body. He fought against them, biting them, tearing them apart, but each vine that was destroyed was replaced by another even stronger. It wasn't long before he was totally immobilized being wrapped in vines.

By this time too, Kilala with Miroku and Sango on her back arrived just in time for the end.

"Kagome!" Sango stumbled off of Kilala towards her companion seeing she was safe and okay. Kagome also dashed over to help her injured friend walk to see what was going on. Miroku jumped off of Kilala still leaving a hand on her back in case he collapsed as well.

Inu-Yasha struggled against the vines with all his strength but they wouldn't budge. Sesshomaru went towards him, Tojikin still out in case he somehow did free himself. Vines? From what?

"Didn't I send a message stating 'be careful'?" They turned towards the source of the voice to only see a young woman standing at the front gate with a falcon on her shoulder.

"Who are you?" Sesshomaru inquired in a cold voice. He recognized the falcon. It was the one who delivered a message declaring exactly what she said. A mysterious message from an equally mysterious woman. A surprising saving that wasn't exactly needed. Who was she? The woman bowed deeply and gracefully making the falcon fly up for a bit before landing back on her shoulder when she straightened back up.

"I apologize, Lord Sesshomaru, for not introducing myself in the note. I saw that there was no time at all to say who I was, but, now that I do have the time, I shall take this moment. My name is Iris." Her voice sounded sweet as honey, flowed so gently, and, if it could have a feeling would feel like soft silk. Iris walked towards them her long, black hair streaming behind her as if a tender wind was playing with it. Every step she took plants sprouted from where she had last put her foot down. The scent of forest and pine clung to her as it should from her wild appearance. "I apologize for what has happened to Inu-Yasha. My sister seems to have been messing around a little too much." Snapping her fingers a small crystal appeared in her hands. It was almost completely black. Pinching it at one of its ends, Iris blew on it gently and the darkness responded by being blown away like dust. As if in reaction to it, Inu-Yasha's struggling stopped as his limp form was slowly unraveled from the tangle of vines.

"Inu-Yasha!" Kagome ran to him leaving Miroku to help Sango stand and walk. She kneeled beside him and put her ear against his chest to see if he were still alive. Sesshomaru looked down at her and how she was worrying about Inu-Yasha. At first, he thought he could care less about the two, but he did. He DID care. Seeing Kagome worry over Inu-Yasha made a pang of…no. No. He did not feel that… Was he really jealous? Jealous that Inu-Yasha, though blind and idiotic, had this loyal of a woman? Jealous that Kagome, though stupid of her loyalty and love, really REALLY cared for Inu-Yasha? No. No. He didn't feel this way. He didn't.

"It's alright. He's still alive, only asleep. After everything he's been through he'll probably be resting for a day or two." Kagome let out a breath of relief and smiled down at Inu-Yasha satisfied with him being alright. He was okay.

"IRIS!" A loud voice boomed from the gate. Everyone turned except for Iris to see another woman who looked exactly like Iris only with a few differences.

The new woman's straight grayish-white hair floated above her lightly showing exactly how angry she was. Her pink eyes were lit with fire as she stormed over. All around her darkness gathered like moths to a light. Her dark brown dress flowed behind her like a river. She stormed towards Iris every step bringing death to the small patches of life Iris had grown.

"Seri." Iris finally turned towards her twin sister.

"How DARE you take that crystal from me!?" Seri shrieked. Everyone flinched, even the Great Lord Sesshomaru from her voice. It wasn't like Iris's. It was like nails being dragged against a chalkboard, shrill and piercing.

"YOU were taking this way too out of hand. Someone had to stop you. You can't get your ways the entire time sister." Seri stuttered in pure anger not knowing what to say. Screaming in frustration the darkness around her consumed her taking her back to her home. Iris sighed at her sister's pissy fit. How annoying…

"I apologize for my sister. Sen." The falcon hopped down her arm and looked at her waiting for instructions. "Stay here. Contact me if anything goes wrong." She threw her arm up helping the bird take off and go to the messenger tower. "If you could excuse me." Without any last looks or words she vanished much the same way as her sister only light took her back. They all covered their eyes shielding them from the bright light. What were they?

With the reconstruction of the front gate underway, Sesshomaru was in his office signing last minute paperwork and looking over some old books of this Iris and Seri that he had pulled from his library. He was flipping through a book when someone knocked on the door.

"Come in." He knew who it was. With just one sniff he could tell that it was Kagome. The door opened revealing the girl. Silently closing the door behind her she walked up to the front of the desk. Sesshomaru didn't look up and continued to thumb through the book. Kagome didn't think he would, so she bowed to him deeply and thankfully.

"Thank you Lord Sesshomaru." This made him look up at her. "Thank you for letting my comrades and I stay here. Thank you for giving treatment to my friends, even to your bro- Inu-Yasha." Sesshomaru blinked once before going back to the book.

"You are welcome." Kagome looked up from her bow before straightening back up and turning to leave seeing that as a dismissal. Once the door closed, Sesshomaru glanced towards it. "Hm."

Sesshomaru had probably gone through ten or fifteen books before he finally found the book giving the most information even if it was only half a page or a page about both of them. Running a hand over his face he slowly began to read the words.

Seri and Iris are both one and the same. They were born at the beginning of time as the protectors. Iris is the protector of light, life, wind, water, earth, and purity whereas Seri is the protector of shadow, death, rock, fire, lightening, and the tainted. They keep the balance of the world in their hands. When one grows too strong, stronger than the other, the world will fall into chaos. Iris wishes to keep the balance right but Seri has her own plan for the world.

There have been several occasions to where Seri had almost overtaken her sister, however, all failed when Iris' followers stopped her in time. Since then, Seri has been trying to gain enough power to overtake her sister, but never succeeded each time. Angered by this, Seri hid herself in her dark kingdom hidden and alone. Some say that she is building an army to kill her sister; others say that she's waiting for the right person to 'taint' who's strong enough to do the job for her.

It is also said that if you see Iris luck, fortune, and wealth will follow you. However if you see Seri only bad luck and disaster will

It didn't give too much information about the two, but at least he knew something about them. The ending part had him reading it over and over again. 'Luck, fortune, and wealth' 'bad luck and disaster'. Wonder what was granted when they saw them both…

"He's waking up!" Kagome, Sango, and Miroku all crowded around the bed Inu-Yasha was laying on. He tossed his head for a moment before bringing up his hands to wipe his face.

"What the hell…?" Sitting up slowly he winced as he felt his stiff bones crack from not moving in a long time and the pain of his overused muscles. What the hell was going on? He looked over at his three comrades, especially one certain person. "Kagome!" Kagome was near tears at seeing him finally okay and back to his regular self.

"Inu-Yasha!" She threw her arms around his neck as she hugged him tight. "We thought you were a goner!" Inu-Yasha yelped at the sudden hug, but returned it gratefully. That's when it hit him. The smell of Sesshomaru was everywhere. He pulled back gently as he looked around.

"Where are we?"

"In the Western Lands. Specifically the castle of Sesshomaru," Miroku said fairly casually. Inu-Yasha stiffened up. Now he remembered. He remembered…

"I'm so sorry." They all blinked at Inu-Yasha at his apology. It was pretty rare when Inu-Yasha would apologize and mean it at the same time. So this surprised them both.

"I'm sorry too. I should've told you where I was going. We should have talked. If we'd done that you wouldn't have… wouldn't have…" She hiccupped her sentence as the tears began to flow yet again.

"I don't deserve you guys…" He just finally realized everything. These people were always there for him, even when he made a mistake. They trusted him with everything and what did he do with it all? He threw it away each and every time. Just like all those times when he hurt her. He'd go off with Kikyo leaving Kagome and the others alone to think of where he was. When they were found out he always spoke sweet to Kagome and she believed him despite what her heart told her. She forgave him all the time. And when he found out she had gone off with Sesshomaru he blew up and couldn't take it. Was this how Kagome felt when she found him with Kikyo? Did she hurt this much every time? He didn't deserve her or Sango or Miroku or even Shippo. They were all too forgiving.

"Don't think like that. We're all friends here. We all make mistakes some time," Miroku preached as he leaned against his staff. Kilala jumped lightly on Inu-Yasha and mewled comforting him.

"Miroku's right. We all get angry at each other but that's what makes us a lot closer," Sango said.

"Is that right Sango?" Miroku rubbed his chin as he began to think about all those times she was yelling at him, hitting him, being mad at him. A small tinge of pink crawled up Sango's face as she realized what she had said and what he thought she meant.

"I-I didn't mean anything by that." She turned away from Miroku as he smiled at her.

"What are you talking about?" The shade of pink seemed to grow deeper the more the talked about it.

"Forget it." Kagome laughed. She knew Sango liked Miroku deep inside. She told her when they were bathing one night. The subject of who they liked suddenly came up and she blurted it out. Miroku's liking to Sango was very evident, they way he teased her and groped her 'accidentally' almost all the time. Kagome had told Sango that she should tell him how she felt, but Sango always said that she had no time to be in a relationship with everything that's going on. She reluctantly let the conversation end there but she really thought Sango and Miroku would make a good couple.

Inu-Yasha sat there as he watched Miroku, Sango, and Kagome talk and talk. They forgave him…again… Clenching the sheets with his hands he vowed silently to himself, this was going to be the last time he ever did anything like that again. They would no longer have to forgive him all the time. He'd be there for them and he'll keep their trust from now on. He won't break it anymore.

N.A.- Well, there ya go! Another chapter! Hope you liked it. It was a little hard trying to come up with a story for Seri and Iris. I might re-write that part later on. It was confusing on what to do for them. But I tried.

As I always say, please don't flame me. If you don't like the story than please stop reading it. Of course, I don't know why you'd read the entire fanfic so far only to flame how bad it is. So please, don't flame.

So, I hope you enjoyed it and I'll have chapter FIVE up in no time!

Till then!