AN;

I don't beg for readers to listen to songs, I merely suggest them as companions to the stories that I write. In this case, I feel like I must push this song.

It's

I and Love and You

- The Avett Brothers

I feel like this song just fits this story so well. So, if you have a minute and like finding new music, Youtube it.

Thank you again to all of my readers and reviewers! Thank you so much for the messages and feedback. I've been receiving such wonderful messages and reviews that it makes writing this story even more fulfilling.

Sorry if there are errors and the like, my friends.

Enjoy.

Chapter Five:

The Seraph.

A renewal sprang from the cinders of loneliness that tired bones had felt, rekindling an honest relationship for all those that begged for its presence. The weeks that had passed since two of the wanderers found refuge, they basked in the warmth their new shelter provided.

Sango had tended to the emotional needs of her guests for a few weeks, now. The pair she had grown so fond of resounded with kind gestures and surprise visits to her job. It had been nice to finally get to know someone that shared an opinion of the world, other than the women that so briskly persecuted their families for what they had been given.

InuYasha was content to just stay in the warmth of her small apartment, maybe a mile from the hospital. Totosai had stayed longer than expected, but with his waning age, it had become known that he would be in and out of the establishment. Most likely, they said, for the rest of his meager days.

Kaede-baba visited the orderly went she felt up to it, bringing a few pastries and buns to good measure. She was proud of her boys for finding such a good woman to help them along in their strife.

InuYasha had mostly taken a liking to her cooking. When no one else was home, he knew he and his adopted son always had an open invitation to raid her fridge if she was at work.

Today, however, InuYasha was rounding out his first week at his new job. It was temporary, but he had a few extra thousand yen in his pocket. He'd been saving all the spending money Kaede and Old Totosai had given him for his help.

He felt lucky that he was good with his hands and did part of a restoration project on the old hospital. It was another debt he owed to Sango, but she could careless. Their friendship was easy, understanding.

If he could have loved her, he would have. They found out quickly that neither had feelings for one another, as a kiss had attempted to bring them closer together. It had fallen short of what either had expected, and left them with a laugh.

Shippo had been a been disappointed, but Sango was just content mothering the boy regardless of her status. It was already proven that she was like a mother, at least for now.

InuYasha had found out that she couldn't have children of her own, and the idea of having one to smother with all of her love, well...

...that was just something that she relished.

However, she was going on vacation this week, heading out to Tokyo to see a friend of hers. That was going to leave them without a reason to really get out of the shanty, but as it were, they could have been less lazy.

InuYasha had mulled over the idea of going along, but it wasn't quite sure how the old couple would take it. It would do him some good to go back home, pay his respects to his wife, maybe see that scoundrel, Miroku.

He let out a sigh as the thought passed. Kaede-baba was still pretty upset with him finding the camera, and had hidden it from the room. Totosai was disappointed when he found out that his wife had moved it somewhere safer.

The old man had moped for that whole week, trying to figure out where the old bat had put the damn thing. InuYasha and Shippo had done his snooping upon his check-up visits, coming up empty handed every time.

InuYasha relented, plopping on his bottom, rubbing his face in frustration. Shippo sat at the table coloring with Buyo, trying to stay busy before lunch. Kaede would be back soon, as she fixed homemade dinners for her husband.

He'd almost given up hope on ever knowing what happened to the girl. He kept that red twine tied up in his shoelaces, reminding him that to remember anything that reminded him of her.

His callous fingers picked at it idly before he stood up, grunting at the exertion. His son looked over to him and shook his curls from his eyes. "You didn't find it?"

InuYasha shook his head, helping the boy pick up his emptied box of crayons. "You wanna go see Miss Sango?" He asked, knowing the answer. When he caught a glimpse of the picture, he knew it had been for her.

She loved owls and cats, and seemingly, Shippo had drawn both to appease her. They were janky, a bit off, but adorable all the same.

The table chair skidded as he hopped downing, pattering to their shared bedroom. The inn was large enough he could have had his own. Shippo had resigned to sleeping beside his father figure, watching the late night dramas with him.

The boy's belongings were strewn about the floor, making him stumble as he looked for his new clothes. With a yelp, he tripped, falling beside the low rising bed.

His small hands rubbed his face as he looked at the dusty underside of the mattress. There was a woman's shoe, some old gum wrappers, courtesy of InuYasha's habit, and a small book.

Curiously, Shippo laid on his stomach, crawling beneath the bedframe. His small hands wiped away the dust and picked up the book. When he sat up, he blew off the cover. It was small with a red matte finish.

There was a picture of a birdcage on the front and a broken silver lock on the side. Shippo had known well enough it was a diary, and greedily stuffed it in his coat pocket. InuYasha had rested his hands on the door frame, letting his arms hang down.

"You about ready, Shippo?" He said, trying to hurry the runt up.

The boy grabbed a pair of jeans and socks with a nod. "I'm coming, InuYasha." He replied, stuffing his legs into his pants. A pair of new, green sneakers rested on the shoe-shelf and he plucked them up in his arms.

InuYasha pulled on striped thermal along with a black coat, which hung about his knees. His dark eyes watched the boy's face flush as he knelt down to tie his shoes, "Somethin' wrong, Shippo?"

The little boy straightened up, pressing his thoughts to the back of his head. He didn't want InuYasha to have the book. He had found it first, he mused.

"No," Shippo giggled, rushing to grab his brand new scarf and gloves. InuYasha's hands knit themselves in the pockets of his coat, sliding his skin over the silky interior. He watched Shippo put Buyo's scarf on to keep him warm.

The poor rabbit was already a little stained, smelly, and the fluffiness equated to the a shag carpet. That thing had been to hell and back in the time that he had had it. Buyo was his best friend, defendor of the monsters that crawled from beneath the bed.

InuYasha grabbed an apple from the counter and headed off with his two companions. Kaede was riding in the back of the rickshaw when they passed the edge of town on the bicycle.

Naturally, they stopped and Shippo showed her the picture he'd drawn for Miss Sango. "Look, Kaede!" His tiny voice squealed delighfully. "I drew you one, too. It's on your bed." He said as though he were a professional, keeping the ladies equally as content with his work.

Kaede laughed, handing him a small rustling bag of hard candies. "Well, I think I should pay you for drawing me something pretty." She leaned down to the boy, while he stood on his toes.

InuYasha grimaced when those feet had slipped, trampling his crotch. Kaede smirked, "Well, you already have a son, you don't need that for anything."

The man plastered a hand on his face, trying to hide behind his mass of hair. "My god," He garbled, turning to look at the old woman. "We're going to get lunch from Sango. You want anything from town?"

Kaede shook her head, "No, but she told me she was going out of town." The woman said with a rasp, brushing her hands over her shawl and kimono. The rickshaw driver had set knelt down for a break and a smoke while she talked.

InuYasha balanced the bicycle with his foot, brushing the back of his neck with his hand. A shrug rolled across his shoulders, "Yeah, she told me she was going to Tokyo for the week. I kind of miss the place, sometimes." He drifted away in nostalgia as Shippo adjusted.

Kaede arched a brow, knowingly. "Then why don't you go for a couple of days. I'm sure it'd do you some good to see something familiar. Shippo would probably like it, too!" She exhaled.

InuYasha looked as though he was going to argue, but Kaede shushed him as she had the first night she'd met him. "I know you're coming back. This old woman can take care of herself," She said, her eyes narrowing on him slightly. "As long as you didn't make a mess of my house."

InuYasha chewed at his lip and huffed. "I'll clean it when I get back from Sango's." Those words were so childish that it made Shippo snicker.

The old woman shooed them on their way, "Just make sure to lock the house, I'm going to stay with Papa tonight." Her eyes fell sourly on the geta on her feet. She clutched her purse beside her and let out a sigh. "Wait! InuYasha!" She called, her voice writhing within the cold air.

The boy stopped pedaling and sent Shippo to the cart, "What is it, Baba?" His eyes blinked wildly, trying to wrap his head around the camera she pulled from her purse, shakily.

Shippo gently took the item and held it to his chest, watching her blot her eyes with the tips of her rough fingers. "Take some pictures for me. I haven't been to Tokyo since Kagome's father passed." She said, restructuring her facade. "Now, you boys go along, send me a letter if you're going to be longer, or call the hospital."

The small boy crawled back onto his father's lap, wrapping the strap around his neck. InuYasha looked down at the camera and felt victorious. He had the one thing that he needed to find her, he thought as they parted ways.

A piece of him fell to the wayside, trying its best to stay behind in the shanty of Akita. This was going to be the first time he'd left the area since he had ended up there. So many things had happened it was hard to believe that he hadn't lived there his whole life.

Everyone knew his name, knew his child, knew the area like the back of his hand...

It was surreal. He couldn't forget the past that brought him to this speck of a city, but he was happy that he had found it. The refuge of Baba's house was going to be hours out of his grasp, should anything of detriment happen.

As the trio zipped across the bumpy road, InuYasha looked back at the dimishing shanty. The wind whipped his hair across his face, leaving him with a billow of silver behind him. His heart was in his throat, choking off his oxygen. He was going back to the place where he had fallen in love, grown up, and lived his life.

There was so much excitement that built within his bones. Shippo was surprised at the youth vigor that had returned to the man. He knew that part of his mind still lingered on Kagome, and the betrayal of leaving her memory in Akita.

A piece of her would be with them, he noted, trying his best to focus on the icy cars that passed by like slugs. They breezed by the hospital, a few little stores, until they made it to a solemn square apartment complex.

Sango's building was in front, the leader of the three that stood in a triangle.

Her small, traditional car was parked on the side-street, overlooking the bay. He was happy she was home, as they dismounted the bike. Shippo grabbed Buyo and rushed to the woman's door, InuYasha following close behind.

The boy tapped the center, the highest point he could reach, and waited to see her fling open the door. Her dark brown eyes lit up the moment she saw his face. He jumped in her arms and hugged her as she dragged him inside.

"Let me guess, you came for some food?" Sango asked, shooting InuYasha a glance, sitting Shippo down at her two person table. She was nimble, quickly rummaging through her refridgerator.

InuYasha hopped upon her counter-top, curling his hands underneath the edge, fingering the cork. "At first yes, I actually needed to talk to you about something."

"Yeah?" Her hands brushed back her long hair, as she pulled out a hot plate from the cabinet. "What is it?"

"Would you care if we tagged along with you, when you go to Tokyo? I got a friend and some business left there." InuYasha said, looking down at her green tiles.

Sango nodded, heating up the food. The kitchen filled with the smell of charred fish and vegetables. "That'd be great, actually. I haven't been there in a long time, so I don't remember much of anything. You could keep from buying up every toy I see."

Her laughter caught Shippo's ears and remembered the picture in his pocket. Unfolding it gently, he hopped up. He and Buyo pinned it to her magnetic clipboard which housed her schedule. "I drew you something, Sango." The boy said proudly, pointing at the crayon scribbles.

The woman looked over her shoulder, grinning. "Oh, look at that! I love my new owl to watch over me!" Her smile was as bright as her eyes. Sunlight kissed her skin through her window as she plated the food.

InuYasha rolled ideas over and over in his head as Sango handed him his fish and a fork. "It's kind of falling apart." She spologized, as she handed the little boy his own plate to share with Buyo.

Licking her fingers, Sango rushed about her apartment. "But, I think that would be a great idea, InuYasha." She hollered from her room, dragging her large suitcase with her.

The man swallowed a mouthful of food, callously wiping his mouth with his sleeve. How polite he had become in all of his years, he mused idly. "When are you heading out?" He asked, leaning over to put his plate in the sink.

Sango gritted her teeth and looked a small Hello Kitty watch on her arm. One of the children had given it to her and she had cherished it. "The last train leaves, who am I kidding, the only train leaves in about two hours."

InuYasha bit his lip and hopped down. Shippo lifted his dirty face to him as he chewed at his food. "Do you think I could leave Shippo here and go pack our things? It'd be a lot quicker that way, ne?" His lanky arms crossed over his chest as though they offered an answer.

The little boy looked at her with pleading eyes. She dropped her suitcase with a thunk, and moved to turn on the television. "That's fine, I just have to change and things like that. He's always good for me."

"Thanks, um, I'll be right back. We don't have much, so it shouldn't be a problem." InuYasha said as he knelt down to slip off Shippo's jacket. He gave him the fatherly speech on how to behave when he wasn't at home, like he did every time he left him with the woman.

Shippo rolled his eyes and ignored the warmth of his coat and hat leaving him, as InuYasha hung on the two-pronged coat rack next to the door. The book in his pocket fell out on the floor.

Absently, he picked it up and held it in his hand as he inspected the room thoroughly, making sure that Shippo had what he needed. The camera was sitting on the table beside Buyo for safe keeping, and his shoes were neatly tucked by the entrance mat.

A moment later, he was gone.

The afternoon shot by, leaving a panic in his bones. He'd packed shoes, socks, pants, underwear, everything that the child would need. He even remembered his favorite blanket to make sleeping less stressful.

Everything fit neatly in his backpack, leaving InuYasha to borrow a rolling suitcase from the hall closet. It was another thing of Kagome's that he had to contend with.

The corners of its casing were smooth, lined with a red stripe. It was obviously a young woman's bag. The tags had a picture of her on them, with her name neatly written.

His fingers ran aimlessly over the plastic, seeing her smiling face again. It was new, exciting to see the subtly in her features. Instead of removing her tags, he merely taped a makeshift one with his information over it.

All of his belongings fit that bag, which in his mind, was fairly saddening. When he was in Tokyo, he hoped he could pick up a few things from Miroku. A hot breath hit his bangs as he double checked the contents. He'd almost forgotten the book until it hit the wooden floor, clanking against it.

He grabbed it before and stood up, inspecing the age. It was dusty, had tiny fingerprints smeared across it. It wasn't something that he'd noticed Shippo carrying around before today. Kaede-baba hadn't of given it to him, had she?

It wasn't in time's best interest to sit down, but he scooted out the chair at the table, hunkering down for a moment. He could have died when he flipped the cover back, slicking back the once functioning lock.

Inside, there was a world he had only dreamt of. It was hers.

Her diary.

Each page was filled, top to bottom with information about her feelings, her daily activities. There was nothing more enthralling than the small, delicate strokes that lined the pages.

She started when she was nineteen, it seemed like. The growling breath of the refrigerator seemed to be the only sound he heard. It was almost like a hypnotizing song, outlining the words that Kagome had scribed.

Had InuYasha been any less in a rush, he would have lingered upon those words like a bloody stain. As if it was a chore, he closed the book shut and stuffed it close to his heart, in the pocket lining his breast.

Sango was probably pissed that he hadn't gotten back yet. The train was leaving within the hour. It was times like this he wished he wasn't so simple minded. Being driven mad by the absence of this one person was more of a job than when he was a fisherman.

He was about to leave when there was a stout knocking on the front of the door. It snapped him out of the vagary that devoured him. His paramnesia to the tasks at hand were utterly depressing as the thumping echoed louder.

Part of him wondered what kind of person would just beat down the old folks door, but it was an inn after all. His hands deliberately gripped to the handle, sliding the door open.

The very last breath in his body escaped him, staring down the barrel of a loaded gun.

InuYasha's eyes faintly bothered to look up, catching the sight of a pair of eyes just as pale as the morning sky.

Each crank of the hammer sounded like a clock ticking in a silent room. Seconds seemed like hours, hanging a proverbial, and perhaps literal, noose around his neck.

He had never been a pious man, but when he knew when the seraphim sang, the world was ending. And when he saw the man expose the mark of the beast, that scar, carving out a mountain above his lip, that this was the man that destroyed Eden.

It was him.

AN:

First off; Any guesses as to who the big baddy is?

XD

Okay, so I wasn't sure if I was going to start an introduction with this chapter, but the path that I've chosen is going to push this forward in the timeline.

Chapter Six will be up tomorrow.

I'm sorry for the delay to my posting schedule, I was cursed with a murderous migraine.