Fast update, I know! I've finally had time to write. I'm having some mixed requests about how to end this. I have a pretty good idea how I want to end it. However, there may only be two more chapters before the epilogue. And, I am thinking about a spin off. I only own my personal characters.

Chapter 10

Intermission

I feel too lazy to do a 'Previously on TSSoD' so I'll do a recap. Kagome regains her memories. Marika dies. Kagome and InuYasha are back together. Aya is Izayio and we (y'all, really) are still unsure of her powers. Sesshomaru turned Rin into a hanyou to save her from dying and they are a couple. And InuYasha, Rin, Izayio, and Sesshomaru were hurt during the battle. InuYasha is still badly injured.

X

'Where am I? Who am I?' A woman of seventeen sat in the corner of a small room; her knees drew up to her chin. Her long raven colored hair spilled over her shoulders and her thick bangs hid her caramel eyes from view. Her triangular, black dog ears lay flat against her head. She wore a plane, white kimono that fell to her ankles.

She had woken up here about an hour ago. She was confused, alone, and scared. She had no idea where she was or even who she was. The building she was in was quiet. She didn't want to leave the room, because she didn't want to get lost. She felt like a child. The girl blinked her tear filled eyes and more tears traveled down her cracked cheeks.

'Am I a child?' She buried her face in her knees and sobbed silently. She had hoped that by now someone would have come to her and explained everything. However, no such luck. Eventually, she was unable to hold back a sob and one ripped from her throat. It echoed in her small prison.

Her ears twitched and she looked towards the door flat. She could see the out line of a person through it. That person pushed it aside and walked in. It was woman a little older than her. She wore a pink and purple kosode underneath a green mo-bakama. Her light brown hair was loosely tied back with a blue ribbon. She smiled kindly at her.

"Izayio, how long have you been awake? You should have called. Are you okay?" The woman kneeled before her.

The girl blinked at the older woman. "Is that my name?" The older woman's smile fell.

"Don't you remember anything?" The girl shook her head in the negative. Sorrow flashed in the older woman's eyes. "My name is Sango. I'm a friend of your mother's, Kagome. Your name is Izayio. You are really only a few days old, but an evil witch cursed you into growing up. You're probably about seventeen. And, you are a hanyou. That means that you are part human and part yokai. However, you're father, InuYasha, is only a hanyou himself. Do you understand?"

Izayio swallowed and widened her eyes. She slowly nodded. "Sango…why did she place a curse on me?" Sango pursed her lips.

"I don't know if I can tell you. Your parents might tell you." Izayio looked away.

'I know why, Izayio.'Izayio gasped and jerked her head up, eyes widened. She had heard a voice in her head. Sango reached for her.

"Are you okay?" Sango asked. Izayio's breathing picked up.

"I…I…" Izayio bit her lip. 'Tell her you are fine.'Not even questioning, Izayio looked at Sango and smiled.

"Yes. My…stomach hurts." Izayio lied. Sango smiled.

"It should. Who knows when the last time you ate was. I doubt InuYasha fed you. I'll go get you something and tell your parents." Sango stood and exited the room. When the flap closed behind Sango, Izayio turned inward.

'Who are you?'

'I'm you, Izayio. My name is Aya. I know why you were cursed.'

Izayio gasped. 'Please, Aya, tell me! I'm so confused! I feel lost!'

She heard Aya chuckle in her head. 'I'll explain everything.'

X

Rin looked into the mirror Sesshomaru held before her. She was no longer a fourteen year old human girl. She was a hanyou woman that looked to be sixteen. Rin had grown a few inches, her chest had swelled out more, and her hair now fell to her hips. Her eyes were lighter brown and magenta markings painted her eye lids and two magenta strips painted her cheeks. A purple crescent moon rested between her eye brows. She turned her head to the side and her ears were elongated at the top. She looked down at her hands and magenta stripes also marked her arms.

"Are you pleased, Rin?" Rin looked up at Sesshomaru. She ran her tongue over her teeth. They were pointed like fangs.

She nodded quietly. Sesshomaru placed the mirror next to Rin's medical supply tray.

"You will be stronger and faster now." Sesshomaru told her. Rin nodded and looked away.

"Will you treat this Rin the same?" She asked quietly. Sesshomaru leaned back against the thin wall.

"Why would this Sesshomaru not? You are my mate now, Rin." Rin wetted her lips. This is what she had wanted since the beginning, why was she nervous?

"What does that entail, Sesshomaru?" Rin asked. Sesshomaru looked her squarely in the back of the head.

"No other yokai or human can ever have you. You are mine. This mate bond can not be broken. This will not be like a human relationship. This will not be like Kagome and InuYasha's relationship." Rin sighed and slowly turned to face him.

"Will I be a slave?" Sesshomaru's eyes widened.

"Rin, this Sesshomaru would never consider that idea. That is preposterous. Other yokai may treat their mates as such, however this Sesshomaru will not. Think of it as if you were this Sesshomaru's property, a precious sword. This Sesshomaru would never allow any one to harm this Sesshomaru's most precious sword."

Rin looked away. She knew this was Sesshomaru's way of telling her he would never allow her to get hurt again and how much he loved her. Rin felt Sesshomaru pull her into his embrace.

"I now understand why Father had the Tetsuiga and Tenseiga forged. I would have them forged now if they weren't already created." Rin cuddled closer into his embrace. All of Sesshomaru's guards were down. It was Rin and Sesshomaru.

Rin closed her eyes. Yes, she had wanted this, but not this way. She had at least wanted to build up to this. However, she would take this small piece of her heaven. She had wanted to be older, to be pretty, like Kagome. Rin sighed sadly. Sesshomaru's arms tightened in response.

"Rin?" Sesshomaru knew something was bothering her.

"I'm sorry I had to force a plain child on you, Sesshomaru. I had wanted to wait so I could be prettier." Rin's face heated up. She felt like she had to tell Sesshomaru.

Sesshomaru chuckled quietly. "Rin, this Sesshomaru thinks you are far more than pretty." Rin smiled and snuggled closer.

"Thank you, Sesshomaru-sama." The lure of sleep pulled her into its sweet embrace and within a few minutes, Rin peacefully slept in the arms of her mate. Sesshomaru leaned his head back against the wall.

He was more than happy that Rin was finally his. However, he had his kingdom to consider. Rin would never be able to produce pups; even if she could they would be hanyou. And he needed to produce an heir, a full fledged yokai, to take his lands once he perished. This was something he thought about occasionally as his father had been killed way before his time. How would he ever be able to explain that to Rin? His parents had only mated for the sake of combining their territories and to produce an heir to rule it later on.

Sesshomaru's fingers trailed along Rin's exposed arm. He knew he would not need to think of the political reasons for mating for a long time. For once, he would just let things unfold. He would sit back and relax…that is…after Kiba was finally killed.

X

InuYasha lay back on his futon. Kagome was curled up on his side. Her head rested on his bare chest as she slept. His arm was wrapped around her waist limply. His other hand was propped under his head as he looked up at the ceiling. He knew he couldn't sit around anymore. He needed to get up and find Kiba. He would sneak out; peak in on Izayio and leave. Kagome shifted beside him. His eyes flickered to her. On the other hand…No. He had played around long enough.

InuYasha carefully slide out from underneath Kagome. She only mumbled in her sleep, never waking. He quickly pulled on his clothes, wincing when he pulled on his wounds. Looking back one last time at Kagome, he slipped out of the room.

He stood alone in a long hallway. He sniffed carefully and turned left. As he had been carried in unconscious, he would just have to sniff his way out. He passed by more rooms, some empty, some occupied. He recognized a few scents from Sesshomaru's castle.

As InuYasha turned a corner, he finally saw someone. He stopped and watched the woman leave a room, holding a small tray with a bowl of rice.

"Sango." InuYasha stated.

Sango looked up. Her brown eyes widened and a smile broke across her face.

"InuYasha! I'm so glad you're here! I just looked in on Izayio. She's finally awake!" She paused and looked around him. "Where's Kagome?" Her smile fell.

InuYasha quickly looked to the side to hide his blush. "She's…asleep." He turned back to face her, serious this time. "How's Izayio?"

Sango sensed his seriousness and matched it. "She doesn't remember anything. She doesn't even know who she is. You should go talk to her." She looked down at the bowl of rice. She looked back up and held it out to him. "Here. Take this to her. I'm going to go check on Kagome."

InuYasha took the tray as Sango brushed past him. He looked down at the tray. He turned and looked at Sango's retreating form.

"Where is she?" He called after her. Sango paused and looked back.

"Take a right at the next split and she's the third room on the left side." She turned and disappeared around the corner. InuYasha turned back around and started down the hallway.

Following Sango's directions, he stopped outside a door. He sniffed and he smelt Izayio. He carefully pushed the flap aside and walked in. Sitting in the corner of the room, his daughter sat curled into herself. Upon hearing him enter, she looked up and blinked her large caramel eyes.

"I brought you some food." InuYasha said awkwardly, holding out the small tray. Izayio blinked her eyes again.

"You're just like me." She stated blankly. InuYasha kneeled across from her and sat the tray to his side.

"Yeah, I'm a lot like you." InuYasha whispered with a small chuckle.

Izayio swallowed. "Are you my father?" InuYasha nodded his head.

"Yeah. Sango says you don't remember anything that happened yesterday." He kept his tone quiet.

Izayio slowly closed her eyes. "I remember flashes. I see two women. A man. And you. A little boy." Izayio opened her eyes again and looked at InuYasha. "I was supposed to do something bad." She whispered.

InuYasha reached out a hand and brushed a stray lock of hair behind her shoulder. "Don't think about it. You should try and forget it." InuYasha stood. "I have to go. You need to eat." He turned and left the room. Izayio eyed the bowl of rice and huffed.

'They want to keep you in the dark.' Aya whispered. Izayio scrunched her eyes tightly closed.

'But…Father seems so nice…'

'Father just wants to keep Mother alive. But, she's evil.' Aya snarled.

'No! I want to meet her first.' Izayio cried in her mind. 'It feels wrong to want to murder another living thing.'

'Mother wants to kill us. She wants to kill Father. Father is a baka and doesn't know.' Izayio put her head in her hands.

'Go away, Aya. You make my head hurt.' Izayio shook her head vigorously. She blinked open her eyes and raised her head. Her stomach growled loudly. She spotted the rice and pulled it to her. She slowly began to eat.

'My head hurts. And I'm so confused. Only Aya will tell me anything and it sounds…so bad.' The flap shuddered and Izayio looked up. Her eyes trailed down until they landed on a small fox yokai.

A hazy memory returned to her. This small child was important to her and Mother.

"Aya, how are you feeling?" The kitsune asked. Izayio blinked.

"My name isn't Aya. It's Izayio. And I'm fine." She hoped she didn't put to much emphasis on 'I'm.' The small yokai smiled and jumped closer to her.

"That's good. Do you remember anything?" Izayio's brow twitched and her ears flattened.

"Why does everyone keep asking me that? I can't remember anything!" She huffed. The kitsune smiled.

"You're Kagome and InuYasha's pup alright. You have their tempers." He chuckled.

Izayio's face smoothed into a smile. "Father seemed nice when he stopped in." The small yokai laughed.

"Figures that baka wouldn't hit you. You think he would be nicer to me, but he's not. Good thing Kagome still makes him wear those beads." Izayio felt she was missing an inside joke.

"What are you talking about?" She asked. He blinked.

"Oh…You don't remember anything. I'm Shippou. Kagome sort of adopted me when my Pa died. So…I guess I'm kind of like your older brother." Shippou grinned.

'I wonder if he will explain everything.' "Shippou…brother, Sango and Father will not give me too many details. Can you please tell me what is happening?" Izayio looked at him through her long lashes.

"Sango's here?" Shippou looked over his shoulder. "I wonder who's watching the kids. I haven't seen her." Izayio frowned.

"Shippou. Please tell me what's going on." Izayio snarled.

Shippou whipped back around, his mouth hanging open. "You sure are scary when you're angry." He shook his head. "Okay, I'll start at the beginning. Kagome is really from the future…"

X

After stopping and asking a healer, Sango now stood in front of InuYasha's room. She tapped on the flap.

"Kagome?" She called quietly. She heard some one moan and movement.

"Inu…Yasha?" Kagome yawned.

Sango chuckled. "No, it's Sango." Inside, she heard Kagome yelp and then fabric rustling.

"Sango-chan! Please come in!" Sango laughed and pushed the flap aside. Kagome's smile grew when her best friend entered the room. "Sango-chan!" Kagome threw herself onto her and hugged her. Sango laughed.

"Hey, Kagome." Sango hugged her back, holding back her tears of joy. The two women broke and Kagome took a step back.

Sango smiled sadly. "I…We…I'm so glad you're alive. InuYasha nearly lost his mind. Especially when…we…you know…" Sango looked down. It was so hard to talk about how they returned to the village. Seeing InuYasha howling like that, holding Kagome's body…it was heart wrenching.

Kagome stepped forward and hugged Sango again. "It's okay now." Sango hugged her back and this time allowed a few tears to drop. Kagome pulled away.

"Where is InuYasha?" Kagome asked. Sango blinked her eyes.

"I saw him in the hallway. He stopped in Izayio's room. I thought he was coming back here." Sango titled her head to the side. Kagome's eyes widened and she felt cold

"No…He's going after Kiba…" Kagome pushed past Sango and ran down the hallway. Sango followed after her.

"Kagome! Wait!" Kagome paid no heed as she tore through the halls. She paused when she passed Rin's room. Sango stopped as well.

Kagome peaked inside the room. Rin lay sleeping on the futon alone. Sesshomaru was gone. Kagome turned on her heels and once again ran down the halls, Sango behind her.

'Stubborn InuYasha! I told him to wait until his wounds healed. That way we could all go together.' Kagome slowed and then stopped. She placed a hand on the wall next to her and panted quietly.

Sango came up next to her. "Kagome, what's going on?" Kagome's vision swam and her head pulsed. She weakly turned to Sango.

"Stop…him…" Kagome's eye lids grew heavy. She allowed them to close, and as darkness over came her, she collapsed to the floor.

"Kagome!" She heard Sango scream before all was dark and quiet.

'InuYasha…'

X

InuYasha leaned heavily on his sword as he used it for a walking stick. Sex wasn't the best thing to have after major injuries. He stopped and cursed himself.

He was weak and he knew it. He should have stayed with his family and friends, but he needed to finish this once and for all. He began walking again. He would not return until he killed Kiba. He would not allow Sesshomaru to help in any way. InuYasha allowed these thought to give him strength.

Kiba had killed Kagome and Izayio. He had forced them back from the dead. He had made Kagome like Kikyo had been. He had taken away Izayio's childhood and forced to her to be a pawn in his sick game. All because he wanted their father's lands.

InuYasha growled. So many times had their lineage been the reason for so much pain. Had Father known this would all happen? He must have had a very big indication considering how it had worked with So'unga. InuYasha rolled his eyes. What had Sesshomaru called it then? Ridiculous? Yes, that was a perfect way to sum up the events now. It was ridiculous that InuYasha had to keep cleaning up after his father. He was merely a hanyou and had thus far overcome most of Inutaisho's unfinished business. Perhaps it was a good thing he had decided to remain a hanyou. He stopped again.

He was still a hanyou for Kagome. She loved him this way. If he died this way, it would be for her and he would not complain. Everything he did was for Kagome. His last breath would be for Kagome. He started to walk again but stopped. Something was biting him. InuYasha smacked his neck.

With a pop, Myoga floated into his hand and returned to normal size. InuYasha groaned.

"Figures you come crawling back after the battle." InuYasha scoffed.

Myoga frowned. "Why are you leaving Kagome?" InuYasha was taken aback. This was not how Myoga usually began his rants.

"I have to kill Kiba. Then I'll go back to her." Myoga still looked unhappy.

"I will not stand by and watch you make the same mistakes your father made! You are still injured, you baka! Let us go back to the temple. If you fight Kiba now, you will surely die. Do you want to leave Kagome alone? Do you want to force Kagome to raise Izayio alone? Do you not remember what you and your mother went through?" Myoga bellowed.

InuYasha looked away. "I will come back. Just…go back and tell Kagome 'I'm sorry.'" InuYasha turned his hand over and Myoga floated to the ground.

InuYasha began to walk away. "I just came from the temple, mi'Lord." InuYasha stopped.

Myoga looked down. "I tasted Kagome's blood. You've impregnated her again. Do you want to leave behind another hanyou child?" He stopped and allowed his words to sink into InuYasha's mind. "Please come back. Finish healing and then go after Kiba. I don't want you to leave Kagome-sama alone with two children."

"Does Kagome know she's pregnant?" InuYasha asked, without turning.

"No, mi'Lord. I told the healers that it was an effect of the curse wearing off. I don't know how long it'll be before someone figures it out." Myoga replied.

"Go back to the temple. Don't let Kagome know yet. I'll tell her when I finish with Kiba." Myoga frowned as InuYasha walked away.

"Mi'Lord! InuYasha!" Myoga called after him. "You won't survive if you face Kiba now!" InuYasha disappeared over a small hill.

X

A massive pure white yokai dog ran at a steady pace. The earth around him shuddered with each step of his paws. The gentle wind blew his shaggy fur and ears out behind him. Lesser yokai hid in the surrounding areas from his immense yokai influence.

Sesshomaru had eventually left Rin and the temple. Now, he was carefully making his way to Kiba's territory. Along the way, he could smell and sense that InuYasha was ahead of him.

'Of course my lesser little brother thinks he can handle a five hundred year old yokai. Father was pushed to near his limits to kill Kiba the first time. That is another thing to ponder: How is he alive?'

Sesshomaru's easy pace sped up until he was nearly invisible with speed. He would get there before InuYasha. He would greatly enjoy the look on InuYasha's face when he stumbled upon him, Sesshomaru, dispatching Kiba before InuYasha could even raise a finger. Sesshomaru's large canine mouth spread into a large grin, his doglike tongue hanging out the side.

X

Sango placed the damp cloth beside her and stood. Soon after Kagome had fainted, Myoga had popped up on her shoulder. After drawing some of Kagome's blood, he hastily mumbled something about Kagome's sickness having to do with the aftermath of the curse wearing off. Then he demanded to know where InuYasha was. Sango had relayed that she merely knew that Kagome had said something about him going after Kiba. Myoga had quickly left.

Doctor Hyousuke also seemed to agree with Myoga. So Sango simply agreed with them. Myoga was wise and Hyousuke was a healer, so how could they be wrong? Sango cleaned the area and quietly left the small room. As she closed the flap behind her, she felt a presence behind her. She quickly turned and came face to face with Miroku. A cry of happiness crawled out of Sango's throat and her eyes watered. She lunged forward and held Miroku tight.

Miroku held her in return. "Sango, when did you get here?"

Sango pulled back a little to look in his eyes. "Kohaku came back to the village early. He wouldn't explain anything so I went to Sesshomaru's castle. I only found a few yokai there and the castle was destroyed. I asked a yokai and he told me where to find you. I would have come to you sooner, but I wanted to see Izayio and then I ran into InuYasha, and then…" Sango turned and looked at Kagome's room. "Kagome was running after InuYasha and collapsed."

Miroku's eyes narrowed. "Where's InuYasha?" Sango turned back to him.

"Kagome thinks he went after Kiba. What's going on?" Sango implored.

Miroku hugged his wife one more time before moving past her and entering Kagome's room. Sango walked in behind and kneeled beside him. Miroku looked intently at Kagome.

"Do you know what is wrong with Kagome?" Miroku looked over at Sango.

"Myoga and Hyousuke said it had to do with the curse."

Miroku snorted. "I felt Kagome's aura while she was possessed and afterwards. Before, the only thing keeping Kagome alive was her hatred towards InuYasha. However, once the spell was broken, her soul returned to her and she was alive and normal again. The change in her aura is not from the curse." Sango blinked in confusion.

"What are you saying, Miroku?"

Miroku looked at his wife. "Do you know if Kagome and InuYasha…you know…?" He waggled his eyebrows. Sango blushed deeply.

"He…um…Kagome was…I'm pretty sure, you pervert." Sango mumbled.

Miroku sighed and sat back. "InuYasha was hurt pretty badly by Kagome. Remember before when InuYasha's yokai would over power him when his life was in danger?" Sango nodded. "I think, that his yokai over powered him again and impregnated Kagome. It not as if a hanyou has planted its seed in her, it's like a full fledged yokai has." Sango looked down at Kagome.

"What do you mean?"

Miroku looked over at Sango, who looked into his eyes. "I think that InuYasha was still weakened from his fight with Kagome. His yokai needs to avenge Kagome. His yokai also knew that he may not live." Sango swallowed hard and licked her lips.

"Are you saying that InuYasha will die if he fights Kiba?" Sango whispered.

Miroku nodded. Sango's eyes widened. Below them, Kagome's eyes snapped open and she jerked up. Sango and Miroku jumped back in surprise. Kagome's eyes were wild as she blindly searched for her arrows and bow. Sango tried to hold her back but Kagome easily pushed her away.

"Kagome, you can't go any where right now." Sango pleaded with her. Kagome shook her head.

"I don't want to raise my pups alone." Kagome whimpered as she clutched her bow to her chest.

Sango and Miroku eyed each other.

X

InuYasha looked up the length of the tall mountains. At the top of the mountain lay the wolf tribe. At the top of the mountain, lay his enemy. InuYasha snarled and began to jump and climb up the mountain, ignoring the sting of his reopened wounds and the blood that trickled down his back.

Ok, let's straigthen some things out. Izayio has a split personality now, I hinted on this last chapter. Kagome is pregnant. InuYasha (who is very hurt) and Sesshomaru are going after Kiba.

~Azarath101