Before we continue, I would like to give a specail shout out to Msmes. You've be with this fic since the beginning. You are probaly the only reason this fic still has some small life in it. You might even sway me away from the sad ending -though, the sad ending would fit very well at this point. However, things can change as this story has proven again and again. A lesson that all up coming writers need to remember is that the story writes itself. This is some different from hom I originally thought it. First, it was a one shot where the pup was still born, then the second verson I had of it, and now this. Anyway, enough of my ranting. I own nothing, except Izayio/Aya, Kiba, Marika, blah blah blah.

Chapter 8

The Last Night

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!'

"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.

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."

"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.

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."

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.

Rin never moved. Eventually, Sesshomaru got off of her and took her to his quarters. Now, she lay seemingly asleep on his futon, her messy brown hair spread around his gold colored coverings. He sat in the floor in the corner watching her. He would make Kiba pay dearly. Everything else had been almost excusable; he even found it in his heart to take it easy on Kiba after he, Sesshomaru, had saved Rin's life. But this…this was almost humorously over the line. Where had Kiba gotten it into his mind that someone like Rin could possibly kill a demon of his level? It almost made him laugh. True, he could have easily ended the menial threat by killing Rin…but even if Rin was a hair's breath from killing him, Sesshomaru knew he could never kill her. This made Sesshomaru scared. He had an easily accessible weakness. He only left his quarters once and it was to instruct his generals to call off the attack. Sesshomaru would not play Kiba's sick game. He would finish this with his own hands and if InuYasha lifted a finger to help him, Sesshomaru would kill him without a second thought. He almost snorted. He would do InuYasha a favor and allow him to be with his precious Kagome that he would not stop talking about.

Eventually, late afternoon began to creep into his lands. Sesshomaru had stopped watching Rin and drew into himself looking all for the world like a stone statue. He no longer heard Rin's shallow breathing, Shippou's unending questions about Kagome, and the other more normal sounds of his palace. He heard nothing except the voice in his head telling him how this was his fault. He had been selfish in keeping Rin when he should have left her in a village that day over four years ago. He should have left her for dead. He should have never taken her on as a protégé. He should have never befriended her. He should have never fallen in love with her. He should have never marked her. There were so many things he should have never done, and yet, he could not force himself to regret the decisions he had made. His only regret was not sensing Kiba and killing him sooner. Though, perhaps he should count his few blessings that Rin was still alive. Though…would he really dare to call this alive? He knew that his Rin was trapped somewhere inside this…thing's mind. Rin would need to find the will to fight her own demons for once. He lightly chuckled. It was almost ironic. He had thought that he had to find the will to fight all of her problems for her and he had told InuYasha to find his own will to save Kagome. Who would have thought that he would have needed to help Rin find her own instead of stealing hers? And all this time he thought he had allowed her to have her own free will. Instead, he had trapped her into thinking that he could save her every time. This time, he would have to pray that she could find her own will….or stay alive until he could force Marika to reverse the curse.

As the sun began to turn dark orange, Rin's breathing changed. It was enough of a change for Sesshomaru to shake himself conscious. When his golden eyes refocused, he saw Rin breathing normally and lying relaxed on his futon. He stood and slowly walked the few feet to the futon before kneeling next to her.

"Rin?" Sesshomaru called softly. Rin's eyes were still dull, but she seemed to understand him. He reached his hand down towards her face and gently stroked her cheek. "Rin, can you understand this Sesshomaru?" Rin's brow twitched. "You need to fight it." He told her fiercely.

Rin seemed to go through some internal struggle as her eyes flashed between dull, alive, and back again. Sesshomaru held his breath until Rin's eyes grew a glimmer of definition. She wheezed an unsteady breath as he sighed in relief.

"Sessho…maru…" Rin rasped out. Sesshomaru's hand molded closer to her cold face.

"This Sesshomaru is here, Rin." Rin's eyelids began to droop, but she appeared to fight them back.

"…Water..." Rin questioned softly. Sesshomaru nodded once before turning around to reach for a bowl of water that one of the human help had thought to bring him. As he was reaching for a cup, he felt blinding white pain flash through his body. Everything happened so fast that without his yokai powers, he would not have known what had happened.

In that split second before, he faintly heard cloth moving and Rin sit up. He heard the air whiz past the small dagger –that he had forced her to carry with her- and then the sound of it piercing through his clothing and flesh. He stopped moving and stiffened. Rin had just barely missed hitting his left lung. He howled in defiance and pain as his yokai began to over throw his senses and he felt the transformation occur.

Sesshomaru's hand flew to his back and searched for the small weapon before he whipped around to face her. She stood tall and straight behind him. Yokai aura surrounded him as he elongated and grew into his true form. Rin seemed even tinier now compared to him. He snarled as his tail knocked over a torch and with a crash, fire began to lick across the floor.

An Hour Earlier

Aya sat in the main room of the castle with Miroku, Shippou, and InuYasha. Shippou continuously asked questions about Kagome. Had she gone to heaven? Was there really no way to bring her back? Had she told Aya to tell him goodbye? Aya answered them as best she could. She even seemed to have a small sob story about how Kagome told her to watch after Shippou.

Miroku did not befriend her as easily as the others. Something about the whole thing was off. He had once asked her why she chose to go by Aya and not Izayio, seeing as she had only been alive for merely a day. She quickly told him that she did not want to hurt anyone's feelings by bringing up the past about the original Izayio as the whole thing was so similar. Miroku also did not understand how she seemed to know so much about the past, present, and everyone involved. Aya explained that Kagome had told her everything. Though, how could she have known where Sesshomaru's palace was when Kagome herself had not been? Aya also had an answer for that. She used her small amount of hanyou abilities to track InuYasha.

Miroku was still not won over. He could tell that InuYasha and Shippou were. Shippou snuggled Aya as he would have snuggled Kagome. InuYasha watched her as he would watch Kagome. He did not want to mention how he felt evil radiating from Aya like heat from a fire. He wondered why Shippou and InuYasha did not as well. He determined that Shippou was too young and InuYasha was too devastated to question anything anymore. Miroku was alone and would have to solve this on his own, as he promised Sango he would. The thought of Sango offered a small distraction as he thought of her supple curves, how cold her pleasurable rear must have felt without his warm hand caressing it. He soon left the conversation to the other three.

Aya was charming. She held all of Kagome's traits and InuYasha's. She knew what to say, when to say it, and how to say it. However, no one noticed the way she looked to the left a lot instead of directly at someone or how she seemed to look out the window watching the sun. Shippou and InuYasha were too distracted by the thought that a part of Kagome was there with them. InuYasha would still try to save Kagome's soul, but he would try after Aya had retired for the night. Surely it would be soon after her long journey?

Shippou snuggled closer into Aya's warm embrace. He blinked and looked up at her. "Aya, how come you're all grown up and not a little pup?" Aya froze for a moment. InuYasha and Shippou looked intently at her.

InuYasha could sense her discomfort. "Yeah, I've wondered about that too, Aya." Aya seemed to shake herself out of some kind of stupor before she smiled sweetly and stroked Shippou's head lovingly.

"It has to do with the spiritual power transfer. Mother gave me abundance of power that was too great and to strong for a pup. It caused me to grow to adulthood." Aya quickly explained. Shippou nodded, pretending he understood the mechanics of spiritual power transfers. InuYasha, on the other hand, began to get uneasy. He looked sharply at Miroku, who had a day dreamy expression on his face. InuYasha didn't have to guess what, or who, he was thinking about. InuYasha roughly stood and grabbed Miroku by his shoulder and dragged him from the front sitting room. Aya and Shippou looked on questioningly.

Once in the main hall, InuYasha released Miroku. "Does that sound right, Miroku?" Miroku, who had been grumbled about being literally dragged from his day dreams, straightened and looked seriously at InuYasha.

"It could be…possible. Though in most cases with those who have such great powers, I've never heard of one just….growing up. Usually the power just stays hidden, as it did with Kagome, or comes in small bursts, or the power grows with the child like Kikyo."

InuYasha leaned against a wall. "Aya looked like she didn't want to talk about it."

Miroku held up his hand, showing InuYasha the place where the Wind Tunnel used to be. "Sometimes those who have powers…or curses…just thrown to them don't want to talk about the experience. Sometimes they don't even understand it. Maybe Aya doesn't want to think about her powers. Maybe she sees them as a curse because of how they were given to her. Perhaps she…hates Kagome for forcing her to grow up and not have a childhood. Maybe she sees her adult self and powers as a curse." InuYasha looked to the ground.

"Kagome would never purposely do that to someone…" He grumbled. Miroku lowered his hand.

"Maybe…Kagome didn't." InuYasha's head snapped up.

"What?" he barked.

Miroku held his chin and looked to the floor as he carefully considered his words. "Something about Aya doesn't feel right to me. If Kagome did as Aya said, then for Aya to be the way she is…she would have to have a piece of Kagome's soul in her. However, if that were the case…certain problems could arise."

InuYasha wasn't following him. "What kind of problems?"

"Well, for one, Aya could…want to…later...I'm just speculating, InuYasha, but-"

"Just spit it out, Miroku!" InuYasha interrupted.

Miroku sighed. "She might feel the way Kagome did towards you and we could have another Kikyo's soul in Kagome's body problem." InuYasha's blood drained from his face.

"Miroku…I hope that's some sick joke. I would never…I mean…she's…and I'm her…" InuYasha fumbled for words.

Miroku held up his hands to cease InuYasha's worrying. "I'm not saying it will. But, another thing to consider is if she possesses a part of Kagome's soul, we can use it to bring Kagome back to life. Maybe that's what Kagome was thinking by doing the transfer."

InuYasha thought it over quickly. "What about when that hag used Kagome to bring Kikyo back to life? What if we kill Aya in the process?"

"InuYasha, I'm not to sure that Aya is even your daughter." Miroku said solemnly.

Wolves. Hundreds of wolves. Some were animal wolves while some were yokai wolves. Kiba, in his true form, trotted through the slow moving procession of them. Marika had brought back the ones he had killed and he had found the rest of them. The undead wolves were even stronger than they had been in life, thanks to Marika. She had made them twice as strong as they had been in life. Kiba could feel the victory in his paws. He looked up and saw the two lone horses in the back of the swirling mass of brown fur. Two young women rode atop the horses while a third marched beside them.

Marika and Kagome rode in the back, rocking as the horses moved over the lands. A young female wolf yokai matched their pace easily as she pleaded with them. Kiba had come across the lone wolf, no pun intended, as they had been making their way to Sesshomaru's stronghold. She had been the fool Kouga's woman. Kiba had taken her along because, after all, he needed all the fighters he could get. She had instantly attached herself to Kagome, pleading with her to stop. Kagome, looking as cold as Kikyo had, merely shrugged her off. Kiba could now sense that she was going to be troublesome. He made his way towards the women.

"…don't know what you're doing! InuYasha loves you! He would never do anything to hurt you!" He could hear Ayame telling Kagome. Marika's lips moved quickly as she chanted a mantra under her breath to preserve Kagome's curse.

Kagome sharply looked down at Ayame. "Baka. How could I ever love such a repulsive half breed?" Ayame was taken aback.

"Kagome, you turned Kouga down so many times swearing your love for InuYasha and now you're just going to turn around and kill InuYasha? You humans are so…so…" Ayame huffed and turned away. Marika's chant grew stronger, though it could not stop the question from forming on Kagome's lips.

"Who is this Kouga?" Kiba snarled and sped up, his muscles burned.

Ayame gasped and turned around. "What do you mean? He was in love with you and I had to practically drag him away from you and InuYasha would always fight him!" Kagome looked down her nose at her.

"Is he a yokai?" Kagome asked.

Ayame nodded vigorously. "A strong, beautiful, wonderful, spectacular, full blooded yokai!" Her eyes lite up.

Kagome made a grumbling noise in the back of her throat. "I despise yokai." Marika ceased her chanting. Ayame startled. Kiba trotted up next to Ayame. Power swirled around him as he transformed to his humanoid self. Ayame looked over at him.

"Ayame, may I speak with?" Kiba asked. Ayame nodded with wide eyes. Kiba turned away from them and started walking off to the side with Ayame following. Once out of hearing range, he stopped and turned to face her. Ayame shrunk from his glare.

"Silly girl, you are about to ruin my revenge." Kiba snarled. "You should be thanking me for saving you from that ruined human village where you were left for dead."

Ayame gathered her courage. "I was dead! At least…I though I was…I remember Kouga attacking the pack…ranting about Kagome's pup…and then I followed him to that village." Ayame gasped as realization dawned on her. She clutched Kiba's kosode. "Where is Kouga!" Fear bubbled up inside her and her eyes widened. Kiba slapped her hands away.

"Kouga is no longer your concern." Kiba answered coolly. Ayame shook her head fiercely.

"He is my mate!"

"Wench, you are starting to get on my nerves." Kiba unsheathed his sword. Ayame darted back, barely missing have her chest punctured. Kiba raised his blade again. Ayame turned on her heel and ran towards the direction she thought Sesshomaru's palace was.

'InuYasha! I've got to find InuYasha!' Ayame sped up as she heard Kiba howl in anger and a few yokai wolves follow after her. Her auburn hair whipped out behind her as she pushed her yokai powers to the limit, the force of the wind hitting her face forced tears to travel down her pale face. "INUYASHA!" She screamed out, the yell echoing off the mountains and trees.

"INUYASHA!" Kagome faintly turned toward the direction of the yell. It sounded like Ayame. Kagome rolled her eyes. The stories that she made up. As if she, a miko, could ever love him, a filthy hanyou. Marika muttered a small mantra under her breath again. Kagome's brown eyes narrowed. She was starting to irate her with that constant muttering. She turned her eyes to the sky. It was almost sun set; maybe another half hour. Kagome gripped her reins until her knuckles turned white. She was so close.

One of her hands left her reins, to land on her slender stomach. It was odd how she felt no motherly love towards her child. Should she not feel something? Should she not remember the birth? Kagome frowned. She turned her head towards Marika.

"Marika, why do I not remember giving birth to Izayio?" Marika's eyes widened and then narrowed to catlike slits.

"You blocked it out." Marika replied. Kagome faced the wolf army. It was possible. However, if she hated demons and hanyou, why was she helping Kiba? His aura was so…evil. She could even sense a small darkness beginning to creep into her heart. Why? She never felt it there before…not even when InuYasha raped her or when she learned she was pregnant. Kagome pulled her lip into her mouth and began to chew. What was this feeling in her heart?

She heard Marika mutter yet again. Kagome's lip popped out of her mouth. If anything, she would use her frustration at Marika's chanting to help her kill InuYasha. Kagome flicked her reins and the horse sped up. She rode through the clusters of wolves to the pinnacle of the army. She wanted to be the first one there…to end it all.

InuYasha and Miroku returned to the sitting room. Aya looked up and put a finger to her lips before smiling sweetly at them. She looked pointedly down at Shippou, who was asleep in her lap. She stood with the kitsune in her arms.

"I'll just take him to his room." Aya whispered. InuYasha and Miroku stepped aside and allowed her to leave the room. They heard her dainty steps fade away. Miroku turned back to InuYasha.

"InuYasha…it seems as though Shippou trusts her." InuYasha's yellow eyes looked away from him and he crossed his arms.

"I trust her, too." He mumbled. Miroku stepped closer. "No." InuYasha snapped. Miroku stopped and looked towards the window.

"InuYasha, do you feel that strong yokai aura?"

InuYasha looked up. "We're in a yokai castle." He scoffed.

Miroku sighed. "I know that. But…it's not the castle." InuYasha sniffed. He growled and reached for Tetsusaiga.

"I smell wolf." InuYasha turned and ran back into the main hallway. Miroku was half a step behind him. They saw black, wavy hair whip out the main door. InuYasha drew his fang.

"Was that Aya?" Miroku asked. InuYasha growled and ran after the figure. Miroku followed after him. They excited the castle.

In the courtyard, the saw Aya with her bow at the ready. She faced away from them. The men stopped behind her. The scent of wolf surrounded the castle grounds; along with the scent of death.

"How were they able to get this close and not be detected?" Miroku inquired.

"Who the hell cares!" InuYasha yelled.

"INUYASHA!" A scream rang out from the forest.

InuYasha jerked reflexively at his name.

"Was that Ayame?" InuYasha turned to face Miroku.

"Stop asking questions and get ready to fight!" He yelled.

Miroku pulled out sutras with a sigh. A deafening howl sounded from inside the castle followed by a crash.

"Sesshomaru?" InuYasha called, whipping around to face the castle. The castle began to buckle. A room on the second floor began to shatter apart and wood rained down on the group in the courtyard. InuYasha jumped back and pulled Aya out of the way. As the first room exploded, the castle began to fall in on itself. Flames began to lick and grow across the destroyed castle.

"Shippou!" Aya screamed, reaching a hand out. InuYasha held her back.

Debris and flames flew into the sky as Sesshomaru's true form erupted from the destroyed castle. Blood began to taint his pure white fur from a small wound on his back.

"He's hurt!" Miroku yelled. Another figure erupted from the disaster. This one was small and surrounded by red energy as she held her hands over her head.

"Rin?" InuYasha called. Rin brought her hands down and sent a red energy sphere at Sesshomaru with a shout. He easily dodged. Screams from the humans that worked in the palace filled the air. Inu-yokai that also worked for Sesshomaru began to fight their way out of the rubbish.

"InuYasha! It's started!" Miroku yelled out. Military orders began to ring out across the courtyard. InuYasha looked down at Aya. Her ears were flat against her head and her caramel eyes were wide. She was limply leaning against him. InuYasha held her tighter against him. Even if she wasn't the daughter he thought she was, she was still his daughter and he would be damned if he would allow Kiba to take her away from him. He looked over at Miroku.

"Miroku! Take Aya!" InuYasha called out. Miroku raised an eyebrow. InuYasha pushed Aya towards him and turned to run after Sesshomaru's army. He would go right to the frontline.

In the moment it took Miroku to understand what InuYasha wanted him to do, Aya broke away from him and ran towards the destroyed castle. Miroku chased after her.

"Aya! Stop!" He called after her. Aya paid no attention to him as she pushed her way through what was left of the main doors. Miroku followed her carefully inside.

As InuYasha pushed his way through the inu-yokai, he heard the cry of his name again. He turned and was jostled around as he tried to find Ayame. He could see and hear the wolf army spill out from the woods surrounding the castle grounds. The battle began around him. He was distracted by stopping and slaying a few wolves on his way, however, he eventually made it to the outskirts of the battle. He sniffed, but Ayame's scent was lost in the smell of wolf yokai surrounding him.

"Ayame!" InuYasha called. Something told him that he had to find her.

He faintly heard something break through the trees ahead of him. He stepped closer as a figure began to form out of the shadows. The figure stepped into the dying light of the sun and the bright light of the fire behind them, and InuYasha instantly recognized it.

"Ayame!" He called. He ran towards her. Ayame leaned heavily on the tree next to her.

"InuYasha! Thank Kami! InuYasha, she's alive! Kagome is alive!" She blurted out. InuYasha froze.

He could hear the blood pounding in his dog ears. His heart stopped and kicked up double time. He turned on his heels and ran towards the wolves. Everything lost all meaning as he focused on this one thought. His mate, his Kagome, was alive.

"InuYasha! Wait! I'm not finished talking with you! INUYASHA!" He heard Ayame's calls, but they did not register in his mind.

"KAGOME!" InuYasha yelled out. "Hold on!"

Aya pushed her way through the castle, coughing as the smoke of the fire began to choke her. She weakly pushed a support pillar out of the way.

"Shippou!" She rasped out. Coughing over took her. She suddenly wished for hanyou powers in place of her miko powers. She sweated under her layers of clothes from the heat. The fire roared around her, but she kept forward. She felt protectiveness towards the kitsune she could only figure came from her mother. She knew she was dangerously averting from plan, but she didn't care. She had to find Shippou.

"Shippou!" She knew that she would die tonight, but she would rather it was saving Shippou than as a pawn in Kiba's war. It was almost ironic, actually. She was risking her life to save this small yokai that was so important to her mother, and she would only turn around to have- There! Blue foxfire could be seen from a small mountain of wood debris.

"Shippou!" She called as she began to push fragments out of the way, the heat of the wood burned her hands, but she didn't care. She covered her face as the remained erupted away from the small blue fire. Shippou looked up at her with wide eyes. He jumped into her arms. Warm energy encircled her as the foxfire enclosed her. The foxfire allowed her to easily make her way through the castle.

This time she easily made her way through the flames to the outside. Outside, the foxfire died away and Shippou lay unconscious in her arms. Miroku jumped up from his spot on the ground and rushed toward her.

"Aya! I tired to follow you, but…" Miroku looked down at Shippou. "Shippou…" Aya's eyes slid closed as she fell to her knees and then to the ground. "Aya!" She lay on the ground with Shippou in her arms. Miroku bent over her. He felt her pulse. She was still alive…barely. Miroku looked up and searched with his eyes for InuYasha. He was nowhere to be seen. Miroku looked back down at Aya. He sighed and then scooped her up in his arms. He hefted her up and then ran away from the burning building.

Behind him, he could hear Sesshomaru snarling and trying to not hurt Rin while still trying to defend himself from her. Miroku escaped out into the meadow. He carefully carried Aya away from the on going battle. Miroku could faintly see a figure running the length of the tree line. Miroku squint through the clusters of fighting demons and scarcely made out Ayame.

"Ayame!" He called out. Ayame stopped at her name and looked up. They looked directly into each others eyes. Miroku pushed his way through the few clusters separating them and raced to her. Ayame met him halfway.

"Miroku! You have to help me stop InuYasha! I didn't finish telling- Is that Izayio?" Ayame looked down at the hanyou in Miroku's arms.

Miroku nodded. Ayame stepped back from them. "That girl is on their side." Ayame hissed. Miroku sighed.

"I figured as much. Where is InuYasha?" He asked.

Ayame crossed her arms. "I told him that Kagome is alive, but-" Miroku's dark eyes widened.

"Kagome is alive!" Miroku interrupted. Ayame snarled.

"STOP INTERRUPTING ME!" Ayame yelled. Miroku shrunk back. She was almost as scary as Sango. Almost.

Ayame huffed. "Yes, Kagome is alive. But…she's been brainwashed. She doesn't remember Kouga or giving birth to Izayio or dying, for that matter. She hates InuYasha and Izayio. She's going to kill him!" Miroku's face paled.

"What does Izayio have to do with it?" Miroku weakly asked. Ayame leaned closer to him.

"Kagome is going to kill Izayio as a distraction to InuYasha. Then, while he's distracted, she's going to make her final move." Miroku looked down at Aya. How had it all come to this?

"We have to stop InuYasha." Miroku stated unflinchingly.

"How? He won't listen to me. All he cares about is that Kagome is alive. But that…person isn't even Kagome. She's almost like…" Ayame paused for a moment. "Like when Kikyo was brought back from the dead. The only thing keeping her alive is Marika's dark magic and her hated for InuYasha and Izayio."

Miroku didn't know what to say as things slowly fell into place around him. Myoga words of history repeating itself resounded in his mind. A small moan made them both look at the bundle in his arms. Aya moved slightly. She blinked her eyes and then slowly opened them. Faded caramel eyes weakly looked up at them. Shippou remained asleep in her arms.

"Father." She moaned. A spasm over took her. Miroku held her tighter. When it stopped, Aya elbowed Miroku's ribs. With a grunt he released her. Ayame reached out for her but Aya kicked her in the stomach. Ayame grunted. As her arms flew to her abdomen, she dropped to her knees in pain. With Shippou still in her possession, she used her minor yokai powers to run towards the front of the battle field. She knew deep inside her time was here. A tear escaped her eye as she raced pass bodies and small duels. She looked heavenward and saw the half moon. The fires lite up the night sky and made the darkness a faint orange color.

Aya wanted to stop herself, she really did. However, she knew Marika was pulling her towards InuYasha and Kagome. Towards her and InuYasha's deaths. She looked back down at Shippou. She didn't know why she brought the small kitsune. Maybe it was her need to at least protect something from the carnage around her. As the fighting began to thin out, she could see InuYasha. Her mouth opened on its own, her voice cried out against her will. Her father turned and looked at her. Aya tried to talk to him with her eyes. It was as if Aya had detached herself from her body and was watching a play.

InuYasha and Aya drew closer together. InuYasha called out for her. Aya heard an arrow whistle through the night air. She heard it puncture her flesh. The pain flooded through her body as she gasped out. Shippou fell from her arms and her head reared back. The air in her lungs whooshed out past her lips. Aya fell to her knees. Before her glazed over caramel eye closed, she saw InuYasha cry out. Her eyes closed as she banged to the hard ground below her.

Aya dropped to the ground like a rock. InuYasha cried out as he saw his daughter's eyes close. He stopped and dropped to his knees in torture. He could not look away from his daughter. An arrow rose out of her back as blood began to darken her hakui. He heard footsteps as a pair of red hakama appeared behind her. InuYasha weakly looked up the length of the hakama and then up the white hakui. It felt like someone had dumped freezing water on him as he looked into the eyes of his daughter's murderer. Those same cold chocolate eyes stared back into his yellow eyes. He had wanted nothing more than for the past three days to see those brown eyes again. Now, he didn't know what to do as he looked into the narrowed eyes.

"Kagome…" InuYasha breathed.

"InuYasha." Kagome spat at him…in the same cold way Kikyo had called out to him before she cast him under her spell. Kagome pulled her bow string back. "It ends here.

So many of you guys are now sharpening your pitchforks and getting ready to come after me now, aren't y'all? For the slow ones out there, Kagome killed Aya and now she is getting ready to kill InuYasha. Will she do it? Will InuYasha still save her? And what of Rin and Sesshomaru? Review!

~Azarath101