Yes, y'all can put away the torches and pitchforks, I have updated. I have not been feeling much love coming form this fic. It is really swaying me to go with the sad, spin off ending without doing a spin off. Ok, I also finally got Word back on my laptop, so there should be fewer mistakes in this chapter than the rest. Yay! Also, I've had a roguh past two weeks, so that is why this was so slow. (Keep that in mind when you scroll to the bottom and see the review button.) Also, a bought of writer's block held me up. I didn't know if I should start out with Rin or Izayio first. The block did have an advantage as I was able to work on a Sonic one-shot (still in the works). Ok, without further ado: I own nothing except Izayio, Marika, Kiba, and the other small minor characters thrown in.

Chapter 7

Last Day

Previously on TSSoD:

"Rin! He's not like InuYasha. He has no human heart. Let him go! Or has he bewitched you?" Kohaku harshly demanded. "Kohaku! You are hurting me!" Rin cried out. Sesshomaru could smell her tears.

Before him, Rin lay on the ground with her kimono torn open and Kohaku stratling her waist, holding her down. Tears streamed down Rin's face as she looked up at him. Kohaku looked up at him in anger. "Get off of her." Sesshomaru calmly demanded.

A kimono lay in shreds behind Rin, who was wrapped in a blanket. She and Sesshomaru were wrapped in each other's embrace as they kissed. Sesshomaru's hands were tangled in Rin's hair, while Rin's were holding onto his neck. InuYasha quietly exited the room and left the corridor.

Shippou jumped up and smacked him in the head. "No! Kagome was important to me! So, I'm helping you!" InuYasha flinched. He didn't like hearing Kagome being talked about in the past tense.

"You two had been such good friends, until she met Inutaisho. The yokai lord fell in love with her and you could only watch as your best friend took away the man you loved. And then, she became pregnant with InuYasha. You told Takemaru, didn't you? You thought he would kill them both and leave you free to go after Inutaisho. But you were wrong, weren't you?" Kiba's voice was smug. Marika's eyes clenched shut and she bit her lip. "However, Inutaisho saved Izayio. And died fighting Takemaru. You were left with Izayio and the hanyou pup. You swore vengeance. That's why you became a sorceress. You were born to help me complete this task. You were-" "Stop it!" Marika screamed as she collapsed to the ground, holding her head.

"I just wanted the miko!" Marika narrowed her eyes at him. "When you had Kagome murdered, her life and soul were linked to the pup's. It would be impossible to bring one back without the other." Kiba growled.

Cool night air tickled the bare skin on her exposed back. Rin lay on her side, just barely draped in her futon covers. Her hair was spread and tangled around her head. She moaned and pulled the silk covers tighter around her. The sounds and smells of a palace just waking up could be heard faintly. The smells of breakfast, mainly for the human help and herself, made her stomach grumble. Dawn was still far off. Rin groaned again and reached her hand out, searching. The futon next to her was empty. She blinked open and eye and sighed sadly. Sesshomaru was gone. She sat up and wrapped the cover over her body as she stood up. She delicately walked over to her mirror and turned her head to the side to better see her neck. And more importantly: her mark. A grin spread across her face. Sesshomaru had marked her. He had wanted to keep her enough to mark her before she was even of age. He had told her that they must keep it a secret and that she must continue living in the village until she turned sixteen. Just two short years. He had even said that if on her sixteenth birthday, she decided that she no longer wanted to mate with him, he would remove the mark. Rin knew that would never happen.

A quiet knock came from the door. (Sesshomaru had made sure it was replaced before they made love or he had marked her.) Rin turned and told the guest to enter. She quickly pulled on her nearest kimono. As she was tying the obi, the door slid open and in walked her lady in waiting, Chika. Chika smiled sweetly at Rin as she came in. Chika had short brown hair that was always pulled back into a high ponytail. She wore the typical kimono of a human woman who worked for Sesshomaru; it was pale gold with a blue crescent moon on the right breast and magenta stripes at the sleeves and collar. It fell to her ankles and her feet were bare of her zori. Chika wasn't much older than Rin herself; Chika being sixteen. When Rin had first moved into the palace, there were no humans. Her kind lor-mate -Rin smiled- had brought in a few humans to tend to Rin. Chika was the one who spent the most time with her. Rin had told him she did not need other humans, but she was still happy at the thought of not having to be alone with all of Sesshomaru's demon followers anymore. Most of them were hateful to her when Sesshomaru wasn't around.

"Good morning, m'Lady." Chika slightly bowed before heading off to Rin's private bathroom. Rin followed her slowly. "Sesshomaru-sama has requested that you be up early this morning. I see you already are though." Chika smiled back at her kindly.

"Why?" Rin asked. Chika turned around and began to pump the water pump for Rin's bath.

"I know naught, m'Lady. Perhaps it has to do with the coming battle? Which soaps would you like to use?" Rin never really got used to the fact that here she did not have to do a thing. She still tried and many of the servants would tell her to not. However, Chika has always allowed her to do as she pleased. Rin walked over to the shelf holding the bottles of soaps. Without caring, she picked one and handed it to Chika. Today...something felt wrong. Chika smiled and took the small vial and set it on the side of the bath. Rin's room was one of the only rooms that had a bathing room connected to it. Sesshomaru saw to it that she had everything she needed and wanted. Chika stopped pumping now that the wooden tub was filled and then added the soap and bubbles slowly appeared in the steaming water.

"Okay, m'Lady, your bath is ready. Which kimono do you wish to wear today? Sesshomaru-sama suggests that is something suitable for travel." Rin untied her obi and allowed her clothing to slide off her shoulders and pool around her feet. She stepped over the pile and into the bath. Rin sank into the warm water and pulled her knees to her chin.

"I don't care." Rin mumbled. Her head was starting to hurt. Chika turned and faced the girl.

"M'Lady? Is everything okay?" Rin put her head in her hands as a pounding headache overtook her. She moaned. "M'Lady? Rin? Rin!" Chika rushed towards the bath and placed a hand on Rin's shoulder. "Rin? Should I call for a doctor?" Rin shivered and looked up at Chika.

"I...I..." Rin shuddered. She blinked her chocolate eyes and when they opened, they were blank and soulless. Rin stood. Chika stepped back.

"Rin?" Chika breathed. Rin raised her hand and her nails grew into claws. She sliced her nails towards Chika. There was a scream and a splash of blood before Chika crumpled to the floor. Rin stepped out of the tub and over Chika's body. She approached her open wardrobe and raised her hand and fingered the silky and cottony clothes. She passed her modest ones and rested on a silky red one. She pulled it out and slipped it over her shoulders and tied the black obi. Rin barely looked at herself in the mirror before leaving the room.

What she saw in that split second was a once tender girl. What she saw now was a young woman, with dripping wet brown hair. Her kimono was short, it fell as short as Kagome's old uniform and was extremely low cut and revealed more of her cleavage than her night gown the night before. It was thin, pure silk, and crimson red with black outlines of roses dotted randomly around the cloth.

Rin flicked her hand and the thin door shattered. She stepped over the shreds and into the hallway. A guard stood at the end of the corridor, his sword at the ready.

"Lady Rin, what's wrong? I heard a scream." He asked her. He was a lower inu-yokai. He was dark headed, black eyed, and had green markings. He wore the male clothing of one who works for Sesshomaru. Exactly like the females, only a male version. He had always been nice to Rin. However, Rin could not stop herself from raising her clawed hand and with a slashing motion, sending red energy claw marks towards him. He had no time to react as the energy pierced through him. Another scream and more blood.

Rin turned and walked in the other direction. Inside her mind, the real Rin was screaming.

'No! Sesshomaru-sama! Help me! I can't stop hurting people! Sesshom-AH-r-OO!' Rin tried to stop herself, but it was as if she were watching something unfold from the sidelines. As if she was walking through memories. Terrible memories. Surely this was not an effect of the mate bond? Rin watched helplessly as more guards appeared in the corridor. She easily fought them off with hardly any effort. At last, she reached the staircase. She delicately stepped down the steps as if she was competing in a beauty pageant and it was the grace round. At the bottom of the steps, a shadow appeared. Rin stopped as another figured entered the stairway. Sesshomaru looked up at her.

"Rin." Was all he said.

Rin tilted her head to the side like a child. Sesshomaru took another step. He paused as Rin raised her hand roughly and her claws began to glow.

"Rin, stop." Rin's lip pulled back from her teeth as a small growl rumbled in her throat. Sesshomaru boldly walked up towards her and took her by the shoulders. Rin clawed at him with her hands, but he seemed to not notice, even as she tore his clothes and nicked his pale flesh. Sesshomaru pulled the neck of her kimono down to see her mark. It was the same as last night. She had not gotten an infection. Had the mark driven her mad since she was so young? He cursed himself at the thought that his impatience had driven her to insanity. Sesshomaru looked into her glazed over eyes. She stopped fighting him and stood still his grasp.

"Rin, why are you behaving this way?" He asked her in such a way as if she were a petulant child wanting a treat. Rin pulled her lips into a thin angry line as she looked up at him. Sesshomaru knew he would have to kill her if she had gone mad. But, could he bring himself to kill her? He sniffed at her. She still smelt the same; no sent of pregnancy. However….there was something…different. A small change that someone as inferior as InuYasha would not be able to detect. Sesshomaru concentrated on that smell. He had only smelt it a few times in his nearly three centuries, but he was sure of it. It was the scent of a curse. Someone had placed a curse on Rin. He released her and she didn't move. She merely looked at him like a lost puppy. He felt a small relief that he did not have to kill her. He opened his mouth to speak when Rin moved.

In a blur she raised her hands and with elongated claws jumped onto him. He caught her and together they tumbled down the stairs together. Sesshomaru had age and experience on his side. Rin had only anger and the curse on her side. She had no real fighting abilities as he had never permitted her to learn to fight. He only required that she carry a small blade with her and he taught her a few deathly strikes with it. However, Sesshomaru found himself easily matched as she discovered his few weaknesses. As they made the final tumble to the ground floor, Sesshomaru pinned Rin underneath him. He straddled her waist -remembering faintly that they had been in this position for a completely different reason only hours before- and carefully held her down by the throat. Rin lay motionless beneath him, staring blankly at him.

"This Sesshomaru does not want to kill you, Rin." He whispered pleadingly. Rin looked up at him and he swore he thought he saw her eyes flash momentarily. He loosened his hold.

The sound of a door crashing out interrupted the moment. InuYasha ran in with his sword raised over his shoulder. Sesshomaru did not look up as his half-brother stood before him. InuYasha lowered his fang.

"Sesshomaru? Why are you attacking Rin?" InuYasha demanded. Sesshomaru did not look up at him as he answered.

"Someone has cursed Rin." InuYasha began to sheath his blade as Sesshomaru sharply looked at him. "Baka. Keep that out if you wish to live, halfbreed!" InuYasha paused. It had been a while since Sesshomaru had called him a "halfbreed." Something had to be very wrong. InuYasha bent down beside him.

"What happened?" Sesshomaru looked down at the girl. She remained still.

"She attacked and killed several demons and a human." Sesshomaru stated as if it were common knowledge. InuYasha looked down at Rin.

"I remember when Kagome was possessed by Menomaru. She had that same cold, blank look."

Something in Sesshomaru's mind clicked. Another enemy of Father's had just come back to life. Had he not just been thinking of him? It would be all too simple for Kiba to find a witch and have that witch place a curse on Rin. It would have to be a witch that hated Sesshomaru…or Father. A witch that would willing help Kiba.

"Marika." Sesshomaru spat. Rin twitched at the mention of the name. InuYasha raised an eyebrow.

"Who the hell is Marika?" InuYasha questioned. Sesshomaru looked over at him with a look of hatred.

"Another one of your mother's pitiful human enemies." Sesshomaru spat. InuYasha growled.

"Why the hell do you know more about my past than I do?"

Sesshomaru looked down at Rin. "I was there. I knew Father and I have had the displeasure of meeting your mother. The first time I met her, I was with Father on a training mission. Your mother was out with her lady in waiting doing some meaningless human activity. Father forced me to meet her, saying I needed to meet the woman who would bare my brother," Sesshomaru gave a small snort. "I learned later that her lady in waiting was a witch. She was the one who told Takemaru about you and Father. She had been in love with Father and wanted the two of you out of the way. As if such a foolish enchantress could ever be worthy of Father."

InuYasha looked away as he absorbed the information. "Is this Marika working with the wolf demon?"

Sesshomaru turned back to him. "It is possible. However, she is not my concern at the moment." He turned back to Rin's soulless eyes. InuYasha sat back against the wall. Rin was in danger just because she had been involved with Sesshomaru. Kagome was…gone because she had been involved with himself. It seemed that Myoga was right. History was repeating itself. Was this the destiny that he was forced to live with. He had believed that his destiny was to find Kagome; that they had been born for each other. What if he was wrong? With his destiny supposed to be filled with the sad sounds of pain, agony, and loss? Had their father thought these same thoughts over two hundred years ago?

He suddenly felt like a small child. He felt lost and scared. He had half a day and a night to save Kagome and he feared his time was up before it began. InuYasha nearly drowned in his thoughts of despair when he faintly heard Miroku shout from the courtyard.

"Kagome-sama?" InuYasha ears twitched as his head jerked up. Sesshomaru looked over at him.

"I thought she was dead." Sesshomaru stated. InuYasha barely heard him as he jumped up.

Shippou sat perched on Miroku's shoulder as the monk headed out into the courtyard.

"Miroku, shouldn't we go help InuYasha?" Miroku looked over at the young kitsune. The sun had barely risen over the mountains and cool air still fluttered in the clearing, dancing with the monk's robes.

"Do you not feel it, Shippou? That aura? Does it not feel familiar?" Shippou looked out over the courtyard. He hopped off Miroku's shoulder and jumped outside the gates.

"I smell Kagome." Shippou meekly whispered. Miroku nodded and walked up beside him. Together they stood outside the gates and watched the meadow with a sense of foreboding. The gentle breeze slowly died away and the clearing calmed. They stood in silence for more minutes silence until there was faint rustling in the forest on the other side of the clearing, about fifty feet away. They waited with bated breath as a figure emerged from the shadows. Their breathing stopped as the recognized the figure.

It was a female. She was maybe a little over five feet. She wore miko robes and had long black hair pulled back high into a ponytail.

"Kagome-sama?" Miroku called and stepped forward. Shippou jumped up and shouted for joy. He started to run towards her when Miroku stopped him with his staff. "No, Shippou…something feels wrong."

The girl took a few steps forward. A few more details came to them. She had black triangular dog ears atop her head. And she wore a bow and quiver on her back.

"That's not Kagome, is it Miroku?" Shippou questioned. Miroku shook his head.

He squinted his eyes and wet his lips. "No. Though…she feels almost exactly like Kagome. Almost like a twin…or a…"

"Child." Shippou finished for him. "Now that I smell her…she smells young. Younger than me and she looks to be a fully grown..." Shippou sniffed. "Hanyou." They looked at each other in realization. "Miroku…she couldn't possibly be…" Shippou trailed off.

Footsteps behind them made them turn. Behind them, InuYasha slowly walked out of the courtyard, his eyes lock onto the girl. His eyes were widened and his face pale. Miroku reached towards him.

"InuYasha…" InuYasha did not even glance at them as he ran towards the girl.

"InuYasha!" Shippou yelled.

The girl stood there, waiting for him. She never moved, she merely stood there watching him. InuYasha stood and stopped when he was about ten feet away from her. He carefully sniffed. She smelt of death, Kagome, and…himself. She titled her head to the side and smiled at him sweetly, as would a child who wanted candy.

"Are you the one called InuYasha?" She had a childish voice; she sounded the way Rin did when he first met her. It sounded strange coming from a grown woman.

"Who are you?" InuYasha demanded. She blinked her caramel eyes, her long black lashes tangled with her long messy bangs…his bangs. Her black dog ears delicately swiveled on her head. InuYasha swallowed hard. If someone were to combine himself and Kagome, she would be the outcome.

Confusion swept over her face. "If you are the one they call InuYasha, you should know me…Father." The confusion melted away to a fang ridden breathtaking smile. The ground beneath InuYasha seemed to drop. He had dared to wonder that this girl was his daughter. But…how could Izayio be here and especially be all grown up?

"You…you're lying! Izayio is dead!" InuYasha yelled. The girl frowned.

"I actually prefer to be called Aya." Aya turned her caramel eyes away from InuYasha and began to chew her lip. InuYasha swallowed as he recognized the habit from Kagome. How could he see so much of Kagome and himself in this Aya girl in only a few minutes…could she really be…? Aya turned her eyes back up to him, her lashes shading her eyes and making them darker. InuYasha drew in a shaky breath.

"Iza-Aya…how do I know you are telling the truth?" InuYasha questioned.

Aya placed a clawed finger to her lip and tapped it, thinking. "Hmmm…my mother's name is Higurashi Kagome. She came through a well and met you. She's a miko and you're an inu-hanyou. She described you as a two-timing scoundrel and a-"

"Okay!" InuYasha interrupted her. Some of that was common knowledge…but knowing her surname and the two-timing scoundrel bit…that was information only a few people knew. InuYasha sighed. "There might be a possibility you are my daughter…but, "He swallowed. "Could you tell me what happened to Kagome."

Aya looked down. "She's dead." InuYasha roughly stepped forward and narrowed his eyes.

"You said is and that she told you all of that." InuYasha insisted.

Aya looked to the left of him. "No I didn't. Mother is dead. She told me that stuff in the netherworld."

InuYasha clenched his fists. "How are you alive then?"

"Mother had a chance to save herself with her miko powers, but she chose to save me instead." She said it the way a bored actor would say a much hated line. Aya looked up at him. "I inherited her miko powers though."

InuYasha looked down. 'Damn that wench. Why didn't she save herself? We could have had another pup.' His upper lip pulled away from his teeth in a small growl.

He faintly heard Aya step towards him. "She gave me this though." He tilted his face up enough to look at her outstretched hand. He wheezed in a breath as he recognized the object in her hand. It was a thick coppery colored band. A ring, Kagome had called it. He personally did not see the purpose in rings, but after he had marked her and other men began to stare after her in other villages, he had went out and found the metal and took it to Totosai who had fashioned it into the thick ring. He could not stop himself from remembering back to the day he gave it to her.

Kagome kneeled in the middle of a meadow. Wild flowers grew around her and swayed gently in the breeze. She tilted her face towards the sunny sky and a sigh escaped her lips. She blinked open her eyes and smiled brightly. She turned her attention back to the grasses before her. Her nimble fingers expertly combed through the grasses and carefully picked out the precious herbs. She hummed a quiet melody as she worked.

InuYasha watched her from the darkened woods. He could hardly believe that she was really here. He chuckled as he thought how silly he had been in thinking she was in any way similar to Kikyo. Her hair was shorter and wavier and thicker for one. Her eyes were friendlier and lighter. Not cold and dark. Her skin was slightly darker and her body was slender and soft. Not muscular and hard the way Kikyo's had. On the inside, she was more trusting, kinder, and sweeter. InuYasha pushed the branches away and moved into the meadow. Kagome looked up and smiled.

"InuYasha." She called. The way she said his name always sent shivers up his spine. Some of her raven hair had fallen out of her cloth hair wrapping and spilled over her shoulders, with the cloth only holding back a small portion. She sat back on her hams and looked up at him with her head tilted to the side.

He walked closer to her, his hands hidden inside his suikan sleeves. He carefully sat next to her and did not stiffen when she leaned her head on his shoulder. Kagome sighed contently and continued her humming.

They sat in compatible silence until InuYasha spoke. "What are you humming?" He asked quietly.

Kagome didn't look up at him and she shrug lightly. "An old lullaby Momma used to sing to Souta and me when we were children." InuYasha felt guilt flood through him. It made him nervous when she talked about her other time. It was always in the back of his mind that one day she would decide to leave. Kagome felt him stiffen and intertwined her fingers with his.

"I talked to Kaede today about my…problem." InuYasha laid back and pulled her with him. She snuggled against his side and laid her head on his chest. He pulled the cloth out of her hair and began to gently comb his fingers threw her soft locks.

"What did she say?" He asked.

He felt Kagome smile on his chest. "We shouldn't worry about it." She said vaguely.

InuYasha's hand stopped. "What does that mean?" Kagome pulled back and looked down at him, her hair fell over her shoulders like a curtain and closed them off from the meadow. Her smile was vast.

"She said we're going to have a baby." Kagome whispered. InuYasha's breath drew in. Kagome searched his eyes for emotion.

It was quiet for several minutes. Kagome's smile fell. "InuYasha…are you…" Her eyes teared up. InuYasha cupped her face and pulled her towards him. He tenderly kissed her lips. When she pulled away, his expression had changed. He had a look of wonder on his face.

"Kagome…" Was all he said. He sat up and pulled her into his lap. He reached into his sleeve and pulled out something. Kagome tried to peek but he held it tightly as he pulled her hand to him. She felt something cold and metal brush her skin on her finger. When he pulled away his hand, she saw a crudely made copper colored ring on her finger. She looked up at him and a tear slipped from her right eye.

"Remember when we went to that village and that human wouldn't leave you alone?" InuYasha asked. Kagome frowned.

"Yes. But you didn't have to be so mean, InuYasha." Kagome quietly scolded.

InuYasha growled at the memory. "Kagome! He was worse than Miroku!"

"But you didn't have to threaten to rip his bowls from his stomach and put them in a bowl if he laid another finger on me." Kagome replied.

InuYasha sighed. He did not want to get into the demonic aspects of the mate bond with her. How his yokai side felt extremely possessive of her. How it was in his boundaries to kill the human. He looked at her when she cupped his cheek.

"I don't want to fight." Kagome whispered. InuYasha placed his hand over hers and looked into her eyes.

"Anyway, I remembered what your mother said about her ring when I asked her about it one day. So, I decided to go to Totosai and ask him make one. I hope you like it."

Kagome smiled. "I love it." Kagome kissed him gently on the lips.

"InuYasha?" Aya asked. InuYasha shook his head and focused on Aya.

"Where did you get that?" He whispered. Aya looked into his eyes.

"Mother gave it to me." InuYasha shook his head and drew in another shaky breath. He looked at the facts, something he rarely did. She looked like them. Her name was Izayio. She knew things about their relationship that only a few people would know. She had Kagome's ring. There was only one possible explanation. He would except this and worry about the rest later. Aya had to be his daughter, his Izayio.

"Izayio…" InuYasha whispered. A smile spread over Aya's face.

"It's Aya, Father." InuYasha smirked. A rebel. Just like her father. Perhaps he could reclaim some of his happy ending.

Marika exited the small back room of the temple. She now wore a more form fitting hakama in black. Her kosode was also slightly tighter and also black. Her obi was crimson red and a wakizashi hung from it. Her clothing was loose enough to be decent, but not to loose as to prohibit her from fighting. Her hair was pulled back into a ponytail.

Kiba sat cross legged in the middle of the alter room. He seemed to be praying to the god statue before him. Marika frowned.

"No amount of praying shall save your soul, Kiba." Kiba did not look up at her.

"Have you told Kagome?" Marika looked towards the doors that lead outside. An outline could be seen through it.

"Kiba…I know this part was my idea…but…" Marika turned away from the statue. She could not face a god. Later, she would purify herself.

"Marika. Your idea was perfect for this plan. Don't tell me you plan to back out." Marika observed Kagome's figure through the thin doors.

"Upon further thought…it's cruel. To cruel, even though I find myself hating InuYasha." Kiba snarled. In a flash, he stood before her. She stepped back from his fury.

"You can not back out! I will kill you now if you do and you shall spend eternity in hell watching Izayio and Inutaisho be together. Isn't that why you became immortal? So you would not have to see that?" Kiba fiercely reminded her. Marika looked away. Kiba smiled. "That's what I thought. We attack at sunset. That is when I want Rin's will to break and her make the final blow to Sesshomaru." Kiba smirked. "That is when I want Kagome to make her first move."

Marika held back the tears as she nodded.

Kagome stood on the porch of the temple. It was late afternoon. They would be making their way to Sesshomaru-sama's castle. She knew when she got there, she would have her revenge on that filthy half-breed. Hate consumed her at the thought of him. He had torn her away from her home, her friends, her family, and her life. He had forced his mark on her. He had forced himself on her. As she was a miko and had taken vows to harm no innocent creature, she could not kill the abomination that had grew in her womb. She had given birth to the creature. The hanyou had been angry that it was a female. She knew she was lucky that she had gotten away. If she had stayed, he would have surely forced himself on her again and again until she produced a male.

Kagome's hold on her bow tightened. He would pay. Before dawn kissed the land, InuYasha and the child would be dead. The sun would kiss land covered in the tainted blood of the two unholy mutts.

So many new develpoments! Kagome is evil! Izayio/Aya is all grown up! Rin is an anger driven zombie! And the battle is soon to be here. Will InuYasha save Izayio and learn the truth about Kagome? Will Sesshomaru kill Rin? So many questions! Review, please!

~Azarath101