-Until We Meet Again Mio-

Mio wails holding her leg as Uryen walks slowly around her looking on in amusement, tears filled her red eyes and her teeth gnashed together as she pulls her leg as close to her as it would go.

"No one told you to go there…." Uryen sighs coming to a stop in front of her, she hisses at him before going back to her wailing.

Uryen bends down to look her leg, he smirks when he peers right through to her stomach from a gaping hole in her thigh, Mio growls at him.

"This is not funny!"

Uryen raises a brow, it was funny to him.

"You brought this upon yourself you ignorant creature, no one told you to go to Kiyoza."

She screeches when he pulls her leg out straight, she claws at his hands trying to push him away.

"Stop," she growls, "I don't need you to make it worse."

Uryen looks at her his mouth slightly ajar as he continues to pull at the leg, she moans falling onto her back as if to pass out.

"And what makes it worse…you told him about Aya." Uryen growls yanking at the leg now, Mio screams sitting up again.

"I didn–!"

"No matter!" Uryen whispers standing, he walks away from Mio who now stared up at him with blood shot eyes, Uryen holds his arms out and suddenly ever shadow shifts in the room into impossible positions in the light.

"You go to her, put a fire under her," Uryen whispers to the shadows, "I want her here and soon…I miss her."

A loud screeching noise sounds from the shadow's in the room, Mio raises a brow.

"Ignorant brutes." She whispers struggling to stand on her one leg, Uryen waves his arms and the shadows seep out of the room from the cracks in the windows, he turns to Mio with a grim smile.

"Our dear Ay will be home soon," he whispers, "we must make preparations."

"Sure, but she will probably have exactly what it is she needs to destroy you," Mio spats angrily, she smiles now. "And it'll be a happy day for me, finally free of you."

Uryen smiles, Mio's evil grin falls as he begins to move toward her, Mio tries to hopple away but Uryen grabs her by the hair at the top of her head, she screams trying to pull away but he yanks her close again. She begins scratching at his wrist to get away but he holds her still, he closes his eyes and suddenly the hole in her leg closes, she breathes a sigh of relief when he tosses her aside.

"I cannot get rid of you just yet," he says turning his back to her, " you are a part of my mind trick for Aya…even though she knows the truth she will still have trouble hurting you."

Uryen looks at his feet as he folds his arms behind his back, if only things were different, "she shouldn't have taken a mate…now I have to treat her differently."

Mio snorts as she pushes herself to her feet, Uryen glances back her with hardened eyes. "Aya is mine and always has been…I am owed something for the pain and suffering that her father caused."

"Yeah and she's owed something as well…your–" Mio is cut of by Uryen turning to her with a wide grin.

"My love." He breathes.

"Though she must be punished she is still my most loved in this world. Who else but my precious Ay could get me this worked up, our games over the years have turned me from a viscous creature to a work of perfection. She is confused now, after being with that man she has lost her way. She believes there is hope, when without me…there is none. She needs me though she does not believe it nor see it. I gave her life, a reason a to go on."

He laughs and Mio grimaces.

"Our love will be that of a fairytale, two lovers kept apart by evil circumstance only to come together in the end."

Mio snorts.

"She doesn't want anything to do with you unless it involves her poking you with that sword of hers." Mio hisses, Uryen grins.

"She can poke all she likes, as long as I get to return the favor." Mio gags covering her mouth with her hands.

"I get the inkling that she likes this as well, this twisted mating dance that we are taking part in. It is only right that she play hard to get…though…we all know that she is not." Uryen whispers looking at the ceiling.

"Enough of this worthless drabbling…it will get me no where…I must go and see her to put my mind at ease." He says walking away from Mio who shakes her head.

"Stop it…I'll be fine." Aya reassures Sesshomaru who held her back from their separating paths, she laughs when he doesn't let go of her arms.

I must admit, it will be a bit strange without him.

"Do not do anything stupid." He mutters close to her ear, she sighs.

Way to ruin a sweet moment.

"I won't…in fact…I usually make the good decisions." She says nodding to him, Sesshomaru cocks his head and she laughs. She begins to pull away but Sesshomaru pulls her back.

"Jaken, if anything happens to her its your head."

Jaken gasps.

"B-But Mi'lord…the lady demon does not listen to me!" Jaken screeches, Sesshomaru ignores him and Aya sighs.

Note to self, be careful with the Aya Special…it drives men crazy.

Aya grabs Sesshomaru's face kissing him before pulling away, he glares at her when she backs away from him with a smile.

"We have to get moving…its turning night–"

"Which is why we should stay together until morning." He says moving closer to her again, Aya shakes her head grabbing Jaken by the collaras she moves even further away from Sesshomaru.

"Go on Sesshomaru…the quicker you get Rin the quicker we can meet up again."

She jerks her head in the direction she moved in with a smile.

"I'm South you're West so let's move!"

"That's East." Sesshomaru mutters making Aya look back at the road with widened eyes, she groans covering her face with her hands.

I see that sense of direction hasn't gotten any better.

"This is why we shouldn't split." He says moving closer to her, she gasps quickly running around him to the other part of the road, she looks back taking a long deep breath, she could smell the grassy plains of the Southern Lands now. She rubs her nose, "finally you're beginning to work again."

"Well it was nice…but I must go…my other mate awaits me." She says leaning toward him while placing her hands on her knees, she winks when he glares at her.

"Be quick." He mutters turning away to walk the other way, Aya frowns.

"Aren't you jealous!"

Sesshomaru pauses for a moment but he begins to walk again without a word, she sighs turning to her road now.

"Well lets get going Jaken," she says almost enthusiastically.

Jaken glares up at her as she begins walking down the hill that they stood atop of.

"Why do I get stuck with the lady demon." He grumbles following behind her, Aya looks back at him with a smile.

"Oh come on Jaken, you know that deep down you love me." She says clasping her hands together, he snorts and she sighs.

"I think we need to have a discussion." Aya says tying her hair up above her head, she looks down at Jaken with a smile, he raises a brow.

"We're coming upon a spring, and I do need a bath," Aya mutters, " we can talk there."

Jaken gasps.

"I do not need to talk to you anywhere!" He screams, Aya sighs again.

What a fun time this will be…

"We should really start moving." Aya mutters more to herself than Jaken, he glares up at her.

"Then start walking faster woman!"

Aya sneers down at him before grabbing him by the collar dragging him with her as she begins moving at full speed, Jaken sighs.

"At least this way we won't have any distractions," he grumbles, "and we can get back to the Lord as quickly as possible.

He gasps when Aya comes to a screeching halt, she drops him before running over to a spring in the middle of a clearing of trees.

"This won't be long." She says winking at him, he gasps.

"Are you…you…." He trails off as he face burns red, she laughs waving her hands at him.

"Oh Jaken please."

She undoes the obi of her kimono as she begins to sniff about, she lets out a sigh of relief when she smells nothing but the putrid odor of sweat and dirt.

Coming from me…ugh!

Jaken turns away muttering angrily to himself, Aya smirks at him as she drops the rest of her clothes.

"Care to join me?" She asks teasingly, he covers his ears.

"I shall tell the Lord of your actions!" He screeches at her, she sinks into the water laughing.

"He won't believe you." Aya says turning her body to his and laying her head on her arms to watching him shake and tremble.

Aya sits up now, "we need to talk Jaken."

"No we do not," he yells, "you are an evil woman…with evil ways."

Does he really think I'd want him.

"I wasn't serious," Aya says holding up her hands, "you're a Toad and I'm a Dog Demon…you wouldn't even begin to scratch the surface of my many needs."

Aya smiles when Jaken presses his hands even closer to his head, he doesn't budge so she continues on.

"I just wanted you to laugh…smile…do something," she mutters, " and here I thought Sesshomaru was the stiffest man I'd ever met."

Jaken turns to her now his eyes blazing, "you stupid wench…I do not like you why would I smile for you…and at your blatant stupidity!"

Aya's smile melts away and her eyes lose their sparkle as her face turns blank, she shrugs making Jaken fall over in exasperation.

"Sticks and stones Jaken…sticks and stones." She mutters closing her eyes and shaking her head.

She opens her eyes when he marches over to the spring's edge to get into her face.

"One day the Lord will see you for what you are!" He cries in a shrill voice.

Aya nods her head knowingly, "for the beautiful, smart, graceful, and respectable woman that I am."

"And yet you are here naked before a man other than your mate…peh…of all things…." Jaken mutters folding his arms, Aya looks down at herself, everything worth seeing besides her face was covered by the steam and water.

"Well you don't see anything…and besides if I'm so evil what would that make you…staring at the body of your master's mate…ooh I'm gonna tell." She says poking him in the stomach. Jaken gasps falling backward onto the earth.

"You're insane!" He screeches making Aya laugh.

"Oh you're no fun," Aya mumbles turning away from him, she brings her wrist to her chest counting the bangles one by one, "I wonder where the other could have went…."

"You're useless in every way!" Jaken screams at her, she nods making him stew.

"Jaken…why don't you…go and get yourself something to eat…I'm kind of tired of you now." She mutters losing herself in her mind, Jaken grumbles walking away and through the trees, though not too far, he knew better.

"Hmm." Aya recounts and recounts until she began to jumble the numbers in her mind.

Ugh…where could it have gone.

She raises herself out of the water slightly to wash her body, she tilts her head as she looks down at the bangles again.

"How annoying…and stupid of me to lose it."

She dips her head under the water before coming up and wringing her hair in her fists.

"And that my son…and is why you should get started early in your search of a wife." Aya throws herself deeper into the water peeking overthe edge of the spring to see who had spoken, she gasps seeing a tall brown haired man standing there with a young boy standing next to him.

The man eyes widen when their eyes meet, he smiles.

"Oh if it isn't the wonderfully beautiful Aya!"

Aya rolls her eyes.

The lecherous Monk.

"Miroku what are you doing here?" She hisses wrapping her arms around her body, he shrugs.

"Just on my way home with Seigo…and we just happened to walk through here."

In hopes of finding a woman like this. Back when I traveled with Inuyasha and his friends he was one of my greatest annoyances…and I thought I was saucy.

"So?" She mutters through tightly pressed lips, he nods as if not catching what she was trying to say, his eyes eyed the water as if wishing it away. Aya growls.

"Don't you think you should start moving!" She shouts, he nods closing his eyes.

"But I thought that we could catch up." He says into his fist, Aya clenches her fists against the dirt at the edges of spring, Miroku smiles when her eyes light up.

To Aya's annoyance, this is when Jaken decides to return, he gasps.

"I knew it," He screams, "I will tell the Lord of this!"

Aya shakes her head furiously, "no…it is not what it looks like…for god's sake there's a kid here!"

Jaken turns away shaking his head, Aya groans.

"Ah if it isn't…Sesshomaru's…thing…how is your lord?" Miroku asks his eyes still on Aya who pulls at her hair as she tries to sink even more into the water, Jaken glares at him.

"Don't try to make small talk now…you will die for trying to have…relations…with the Lord's mate!"

Miroku grimaces, "Aya…is…Sesshomaru's mate." Aya nods and he frowns grabbing the small boy's hand again.

"Come Seigo…your sister awaits us!" He begins running past the spring, he glances back just in time to say goodbye to Aya, Aya cuts her eyes at him before turning her attention to Jaken once again.

"You're not serious about that telling thing?" She whispers rising out of the water slightly, he nods, "but I am!"

Aya growls clawing her way out of the spring to tear Jaken to shreds but he begins to run away.

"Run all you want Toad…I'm going to get you!" She shouts grabbing her clothes. She rushes them on as she begins to run after him, just as she ties the obi in place she feels a familiar presence fill wood around her.

"Jaken." She mutters unsurely, the woods around her begin to change and the trees fill with green leaves and the titters of birds fill her ears.

"Aya!"

Aya turns to the sound of the voice, Mio sat under a tree next to the spring looking into the distance, her hair was tied to the top of her head and her clothes wrapped loosely against her as if she'd just bathed.

Aya shakes her head bringing her hands up to cover her eyes, she moves her hands away to see if the haunting vision still remained, it had not faded.

The woods around her slowly begin to turn black and white, Aya turns back to where Jaken had left her but something tells her to stay, Mio laughs making Aya turn her attention back to her.

"Aya…come out!"

The water in the spring begins to bubble making Mio's smile fall as she crawls over to the edge of the spring.

"Ay…." She mutters bringing her hand to the water's surface, suddenly Aya pops up out of the water, Mio falls back with shock in her eyes.

"Scared you didn't I?" Aya laughs holding her stomach, Mio sits up with anger in her eyes.

"Yes you did!"

Aya laughs even more when Mio stands straitening her clothes.

Aya, the real Aya could not help but smile.

I…remember this day…we were…we had been away from the house for a while and so we decided to bathe the way traveling human's do.

"Ay, you really worried me!" Mio shouts, Aya sighs.

"I'm sorry Mio." She says turning away in the water, Mio falls next to her again.

"Its ok…but for future reference," Mio mutters, "don't pretend to drown or anything like that…it really scares me."

Aya nods when Mio wraps her arms around her shoulders.

"I don't know what I'd do if something like that really happened." Mio whispers.

As Aya goes to turn to Mio they begin to fade and the woods slowly changes back into it's original state.

Aya turns away, how could that have happened, she grabs her head.

Am I going mad?

Jaken suddenly comes back his face gnarled in anger.

"What do you think you are doing you stupid woman!" He shouts at her, Aya shakes her head walking past him, he frowns watching her go.

"Maybe…she's finally realized that she is the problem?" He mutters following her.

The Next Morning

Lana sighs when Mio runs over to her with her hands at her hips.

"Where could they have gone," she shouts raising her arms, "without us!"
Lana yawns into her hand, she turns away in her hammock shaking her head, it bothered her as well that Aya had left without even a word to them but she could understand.

Rin climbs onto the end of the hammock folding her arms across her lap, she looks at Mio who turns away shaking her head.

"Maybe their taking care of the Uryen guy." Rin suggests, Lana nods.

Mio turns to them her eyes sad now.

"But…Aya…what if–"

"They will be ok, I honestly can't see Aya leaving you guys that way…she'd make her way back here." Mikado says from the door.

She enters the bedroom taking in the mess that lay on the floors, no matter how many times she told the girls to clean up it seemed that the mess stayed where they left it, Mikado sighs.

"You know, you should be worried about way more than them. They are demons they can take care of themselves, to be honest I was more worried about them when you were with them." Mikado says nodding her head, Mio pouts falling onto the floor next to Lana's hammock.

"They will return soon," Mikado says with a reassuring smile, "but in the meantime you girls should start cleaning up this room."

Lana sighs, how could she think about cleaning a room when she was this stressed out, she sits up to look the room over and sure enough it looked as though a hurricane had run through it. She tosses her feet over the side of the hammock muttering to herself mean things about Mio, the main wrecker of the room.

Mikado leans against the dresser, on her lips there was a smile but inside she worried.

Suddenly the doors downstairs slam shut, Lana gasps rushing toward the door but she and Mio make it at the same time.

"Move, it could be Ay!" Mio shouts.

"Exactly!" Lana growls using her hip to mush Mio out of the way before running downstairs.

"Aya we–" She immediately shuts her mouth when she comes face to face with Sesshomaru, he regards her with a cool eye.

"Where is my mother?" He asks looking up at the stairs when Mio comes to a halt at the top, Lana shrugs. Though he was Aya's mate, and they stayed in his castle, he was still Lord Sesshomaru to them, not to be trusted to the fullest. He could attack them whenever he wanted, Lana shudders at the thought.

"Right here." Inukimi says in a rather dull voice as she comes from the kitchen, she sniffs at the air before her face twists from bored to inquisitive.

"Where is Aya?" She asks cocking her head.

"She should be in the Southern Lands by now…." Sesshomau mutters looking aside.

He looks at her then the children, "I want you to take them and Mikado to her home in the Eastern Lands.

Inukimi folds her arms.

"Why, do you think their in danger here?" She asks shaking her head,

"Uryen's castle is somewhere on the border, coming here is a burden to us since we have no business here…the children will be closer there."

He says looking past her up the stairs at Mikado who leaned against the wall with a smile. Inukimi nods walking upstairs, Mikado rushes down past her to face Sesshomaru.

"Mi'lord…but-"

He shakes his head.

"This is not only about you, as I said it is more convenient for the myself and Aya to get there…and…," he grunts turning away, "I'd rather get this over with and avoid Aya's whining…I don't need you here while we're away and wherever you are the children will be ok…."

Mikado smiles, "how did you know?"

"I hear everything," he mutters looking at her over his shoulder, "you'd best remember that."

Mikado nods looking at her feet, Rin comes downstairs gasping when she sees Sesshomaru.

"Lord Sesshomaru," she cries hugging him around the waist, she pulls away looking around, "where is Lady Ay?"

Sesshomaru shakes his head, "she is not with me but she is ok…."

Rin scratches her cheek before nodding her head, Sesshomaru turns her looking her over until he finds the bangle at her wrist.

"Rin, give me bangle." He says holding his hand out for it, Rin looks down at her wrist.

"But Lady Ay gave it to me."

Sesshomaru sighs and Rin looks up at him, she sighs pulling the bangle off of her wrist and handing it to him.

"Take care of it please Lord Sesshomaru…it's really special to her." Rin mutters leaning toward him, he nods before turning to Mikado.

"Have you seen another bangle around the castle, she lost one." Sesshomaru asks.

Mikado shakes her head.

"No, if anyone had found one it would have been reported immediately." Mikado says.

Sesshomaru glares at the ceiling, maybe Aya had just lost it, but what then?

"I'm going." Sesshomaru says walking over to the doors, Rin rushes over to him grabbing his hand.

"Where are you going?"

"To meet with Aya." He says gently pulling his hand away and walking out of the castle, Mikado smiles at Rin.

"Didn't I tell you?" She asks grabbing her hand and walking her toward the stairs.

Aya and Jaken stand on the stone steps leading into the Yuta house watching the shadow's swell and pulse at it's roof, Aya grimaces looking away.

Did it always look this way?

She turns to Jaken who looks up at her not sure of what to say, Aya sighs shaking her her.

So much darkness poured from the house, it was like the evil had taken a throne there, Aya shudders, if it had always been that way why was she just seeing it.

Maybe because I'm no longer tainted.

"Are you going in?" Jaken whispers, she looks down at him nodding.

"Stay right here." She mutters walking up the stairs, he nods, he had no qualms about that.

As Aya climbs the stairs her mind drifts into the past.

"Oh he's going to be so angry with me." Aya whispers to herself as she climbs the stone steps to the house, she looks up at the clothing line hanging from the bathroom's window into the outside.

"Maybe I can climb that?" She ponders pausing at the middle of the stairs, she sighs shaking her head, last time she tried that she broke the line and had to go to the nearest town to get another. It was best to face her punishment and drift back into her uncaring nature.

"Uh…I wasn't with him…I…I…went into town to reassign myself to the etiquette classes…." She begins practicing her lie but the sickening smell of blood meets her nose, she covers her nose as she makes it to the front door.

"Ugh, Mio needs to learn to clean up her messes." She grunts pushing the doors open.

Aya walks into the house with her arms folded, the smell covered the entire house, usually Mai would have been scrubbing away by now. Aya skips over a rug that had been rolled up in the middle of the floor.

"Mother," she calls frowning back at it, " father I've-"

Aya pauses when she makes it to the long hall that her father's room lay at the end of, she grimaces at the trail of blood and scratch marks on the floor trailing to the stairs behind her.

"Mother…?"

She slowly starts down the hall.

Aya leans against the hallway wall peering down at the blood and scratching marks in the floor, she closes her eyes sinking back into her memories.

"What?"

Aya covers her mouth with her hands when she makes it to her parent's room, on the bed was the decapitated corpse of her father, and her mother lay atop him with her arms around his shoulders.

"No…what…this…."

Aya runs over to him, she drops next to the bed stroking her mother's hair.

"Ma…please…wake up." She whispers burying her face in her mother's kimono, Mai does not stir when Aya begins to shake her.

"Mother!"

Aya pushes away sobbing on the floor, she pulls herself away with her hands trying to get to her feet but the sight of her father's head peering back up at her shocks her into it, she screams running into the hallway and crashing into the wall outside.

She covers her face sobbing into her hands but suddenly she hears a loud creaking above her head, she gasps.

"Mio." She whispers struggling to her feet, she throws herself down the hall and to the stairs.

Aya starts up the stairs wiping tears away as she goes.

Aya looks up at the stairs fearfully, she begins climbing the sense of foreboding within her growing with every step.

The upstairs was like a completely different place, the tables in the hallway were hacked to pieces, flowers lay withering on the ground and family portraits were tilted or ripped on the floor. Aya stumbles down the hall to Mio's room, she gasps. Feather's were everywhere, covering everything. Her pillows were sliced open and her bed pushed against the wall, Aya sniffs the air turning to the direction where'd she smell Mio's scent coming from. Aya rushes down the hall to her bedroom.

"Mio!"

She drops to her knees, Mio lay in the corner next to Aya's bed her head lowered to her chest where dried blood stained her white kimono, Azuma lay shattered on the floor next to her. Aya shakes her head.

"No…not Mio…."

Suddenly Kize walks toward her from the corner in the room he'd been hiding in, Aya gets to her feet when she notices the sword in his hand.

"K-Kize?"

He cocks his head smiling at her.

"Welcome home." He whispers walking toward her, she back away from him down the hall but he follows her at a brisk pace, she turns to run but a burning pain at her back brings her to her knees. She clutches her stomach as blood begins to pour through the ripped fabric in her kimono.

"Come, pay for your father's mistakes." Kize whispers grabbing her by her hair, she screams when he yanks her backward but she grabs his arms and for some reason her rears back hissing at her.

"Ah…so you have it." He whispers, Aya scrambles to her feet running down the stairs, she could hear him coming for her but she didn't look back, she ran and ran until she could run no more.

"Hello…baby sister."

Aya sits in front of Mio's skeletal body, Aya looks away letting tears fall.

"Mio…." She whispers.

She looks at her again, six bangles were wrapped around Mio's wrists, three on each arm. She crawls closer to her gently taking her hands in her own.

"I…Mio…I'm sorry." Aya says her voice cracking, she lowers her head.

"Maybe if I were a better daughter, I would have been here…maybe if I were a better sister I could have protected you." She whispers.

"You're my sister…and I failed you." She cries, Aya looks at the body before her, she wanted nothing more than to hear Mio's voice.

"I…was so stupid," she whimpers, "I spent so much time trying to get away…to leave…to leave…you behind…this whole thing behind…Mio I didn't know…14 years was all I'd have because if I did…I would have stayed with you for every second of it."

"And I don't get another chance."

Aya bows her head.

"Mio…please…forgive me."

Aya takes three bangles of one wrist.

"I…may not ever see you again…and I'm sorry it took me so long to get here…seven years." She whispers.

"But I'm here now Mio…I'm awake…I've changed so much…and I've met some wonderful people. But I have not forgotten you…you deserve rest. And that's what I will give you."

Aya takes the other three bangles putting them on her wrists, she slowly stands to her feet bending down to lift the small skeleton in her arms, she steps over Azuma walking out of the room and down the hall, she pauses at the entrance of Kize's room.

And you deserve rest as well.

Aya turns and as she does a finger falls from the skeleton, Aya shuts her eyes tightly as she makes it to the stairs, shadow's had begun to spiral up the stairs, Aya takes a deep breath walking down and as she does the shadow's fade and the house fills with light.

Aya takes Mio down the hall and to their parent's room, she walks her over to the bed lying her in it, the darkness now leaves the room and natural light fills the room and covers their bodies. Aya looks them over before nodding, she turns wiping away tears, as she walks further away from the feeling of wanting to stay fills her.

I cannot die here.

If I had…none of this would have happened…I wouldn't be on my way to revenging my family…they wouldn't have wanted me to die that day.

Aya walks out of the house and into the sunlight, she turns to the house, the shadows had left and house was beautiful once more. Aya smiles wiping away more tears, she tursn to walk down the stairs.

"Was I long?" She mutters.

When she gets no answer she looks up, no Jaken.

"Jaken?" She calls looking about, she goes to run down the stairs but suddenly shadows surround her, she gasp looking at each of them as the pulse and swirled into one another.

"Leave this place…now." She whispers glaring at them, a loud screeching comes from them as they begin to spin rapidly around her, Aya grunts falling to her knees and holding her ears.

This is too much…I have to do something.

Aya growls lashing out at the shadows, she swings her fist as the spinning creatures and almost immediately they disapate, she sighs wiping her hair out of her face, she stands to find Jaken but as she goes she feels something wrap around her ankle, she falls onto her stomach with a grunt.

Aya turns to see a shadow creature pulling her toward a large dark opening in the ground.

"No!" She screams trying to get away, Jaken suddenly appears from the bushes, he gasps.

"Get away from the Lord's Lady!" He shouts rushing over to the shadow, he hits with his staff knocking it away, the shadow creatures titters before disappearing into the earth, Jaken turns to her.

"You foolish woman, you should know not to try to fight monster's without the help of men."

Aya frowns but slowly her frown turns into a smile, she holds her arms out for him.

"Oh come here." She coos, he glares at her before turning away and folding his arms.

Aya gets to her feet dusting her kimono off, she looks down at the bangles on her wrists.

I need to learn to use these the right way.

Kiyoza…or even Kagome might know.

"Come on Toad, we have to meet with Sesshomaru." She mutters stretching her arms over her head, Jaken follows her his usual sour puss in place, Aya turns to him smiling, "oh and thank you." He snorts looking away, Aya shrugs turning back to the road that they would follow, once she turns her back Jaken readjusts his hat while smiling.

"It's been a long time since I've received anyone's gratitude." He whispers, she looks back at him.

"What!" She calls, he glares at her now.

"Keep your eyes on the road you silly woman!"

Next Chapter: A Time For Sorrow