Author's Notes: Man, I am running on fumes right now. This is such a struggle. X3 This is why I can't write romance novels. XD I'm so trash at this! How do romance novelists do this? I don't understand. Before I forget, though, the sacred mound's cave is based on the real-life Cave of Swords located in Mexico. It's a dangerous place to go and is closed off to the public due to the high temperature and high humidity able to cook you alive if you stay inside of it for more than 5 to 10 minutes. Though beautiful on pictures, this cave has killed people before. I do not condone any adventuring or illegal trespassing upon sites like these. However, I liked the pictures and the idea of using it as a setting, so I happily plugged the Cave of Swords in here. As for the outside of the cave... it's based on something else that I'll leave out instead. 0_o

Milady could see her son and a young guard fighting side by side within the sacred mound. She didn't say anything as the boys clawed or struck at the falling crystals eager to pierce their bodies. She merely walked quietly until she heard Yonamine's voice echo through the sacred mound. Sesshomaru finally turned around to show both surprise and confusion in his eyes at her presence. When he got a decent enough look at her, he could see a bit of despondence in her body language like she'd rather be anywhere else, but she was pushing through this cave unharmed and unbothered by the dropping crystals like she knew the terrain of this place from pristine memory. The look of confusion was the same for Reijiro. They watched Milady walk right passed them and stop directly beneath a crystal that looked like it was made from glass and not elemental manipulation. That ethereal voice bouncing from one wall to another. Milady's eyes welled up with unexpected grief, but she took a deep breath and clasped her hands together as though she were praying.

She then said in response, "By the light of truth, thine sword is the key to peace. United, sun and moon, we art the wives who fear no darkness and stand firm in our ways for love and justice. Daylight guardian, it is thy time. Align with me, sister of the dawn. Release!"

From the ceiling of crystal swords shone one singular blade that cast a bright light and shattered the crystals surrounding it. Among the diamond dust, a spirit descended upon them. While Sesshomaru didn't recognize the woman, Milady walked up to the ghost and quietly admired the angel floating towards her. Yonamine, as beautiful as the day she had last seen Milady, landed before her rival with a gentle smile before the two embraced each other. Sesshomaru's eyes shot open. His mother wouldn't be caught dead touching a human like this! This was arguably worse than his father mating with a human! While Sesshomaru was slow to admit that Izayoi was at least an attractive woman, she was plain compared to this other woman. Whether it was the lighting, her flowing clothes, her smile, her kindness, or the fact that she was friendly to his mother or even vice versa, either way this human was a beauty. Her honey brown hair was practically singing as it shone in the light!

"Your daughter is in trouble, Nani," Milady whispered, making Yonamine's spirit release her. She had a look of genuine concern in her features. "Azumamaro has returned. Hasumi is calling out to you. You have to go to her."

Yonamine stroked Milady's cheek in gratitude before the spirit disappeared in a zipline of light and fire. Milady watched her old friend go with saddened eyes, but her shoulders picked up and a new resolve within her rose to straighten her up. The promise that she made to these humans was different. This wasn't just Toga's task. He did what he could for their friends. But she? She hid the known pieces of the shield with the hope of being able to rejoin them with her husband! At least... she thought they could. If they could find any trace of their friends or even find a way to release their spirits, then it was fine as long as they were freed. But... Toga was no longer her husband, and Sesshomaru probably doesn't even remember how precious he was to all of them. He'd dismiss the ordeal transpiring now as "nothing important" like everything else in his past. She wouldn't, however. She may not have attached herself to her son's young ward, but she didn't ignore the fact that Rin was a young and a human child. Two facts that fit Hasumi. Watching her grow up around demons made Milady think of her friends for the first time in years. She had practically forgotten about them. It is true what humans say, "Out of sight, out of mind." While Sesshomaru went off on his adventures, Milady could honestly say she went down memory lane. The lunches, dinners, walks, gossips, and even simple play with Yonamine and Manzo were treated like an afterthought. In being queen, or at least highness, she relinquished the past and forgot that she used to be a friend to others besides Toga. There were days when the sun shone brighter than what others claim these days. There were nights where the moon was its most radiant. That's what upset her more than anything when Toga left. He took the light out of their world that they fought so hard to protect. In her grieving, the memories of happier times with him were taken away, too. But... in doing so, Toga did manage to do one thing... he made her a far stronger fighter than what he even remembered. She was going to fight for her friends and her son! Sesshomaru walked over to his mother to question her, but she stepped forward like she was a ghost herself and flew after the spirit in a hurry. Her tanto was glowing with power and her stripes were turning jagged before she could be seen no more.

"What was that about, my lord?" Reijiro asked, not understanding what was going on. Didn't Milady not like humans? Rin was the exception to the rule, right?

"She would never touch another human like that," Sesshomaru replied after a moment of intense silence. "Mother prided herself in protecting her space. No one dared challenged that. So why...? She didn't even acknowledge Rin like that! She's one of the coldest rulers the House of Inu has ever known. Why?"

Who was that woman to you, mother? Sesshomaru thought, narrowing his eyes. You've had a dislike for humans for years! What changed?

"Reijiro... hold my furs," Sesshomaru ordered, seething at his mother's actions. He wasn't sure what was more upsetting about this sudden interference, the fact that he just watched his mother hold another human in her arms or the fact that she called that human woman her sister...

Her sister!? Sesshomaru thought. When he felt Reijiro take his furs hesitantly, he took one step before he was airborne and following his mother out of the cave.

Keeping up with her was actually a struggle. She was barreling towards a beam of light, staying at the ghost's side. Sesshomaru wasn't sure if he should even be angry anymore, but he was and he demanded so many answers. Who was this woman? Of all the humans - no, of all the spirits - she was choosing to side with, why this one? When the ghost separated from Milady, the inu princess rocketed up to the blackened sky in a fury. Mouth open, her fangs lengthened until wisteria blossoms covered her body and her tanto became a set of glowing fangs as she transformed into a glowing, purple and white form. The amount of power that blew Sesshomaru back shocked him and made him land in a barren area between the two beams of light. He might have had close to a minute watching his mother face off against the akashita demon who now had a face. It was a pale white mask with wide eyes and a large mouth filled with yellow and brown fangs.

"If it isn't my old friend, dog mother," the akashita demon said, curling his nose up with some disgust. "Come out of hiding, have you?"

"I don't hide!"

Two large hands appeared from the demon's body, picking up Azumamaro by the tail to fling him away from Hasumi's group. The demon then commanded, "Ignore the girl! Kill the bitch's son!"

The demonic steed snapped his head to Sesshomaru and leapt into action to summon his own soldiers to attack. Summoning power from a jewel in its body, Azumamaro went on the offense himself to retrieve Kirameku Ha and Meioshi. Sesshomaru and Reijiro were surrounded within seconds by visibly enhanced soldiers and engaged in battle. Milady, hearing the faintest union of voices from Yonamine and Hasumi, entered into a berserk mode and went on a rampage to attack the akashita demon. The Green Pheasant yelled out in warning of the approaching demon and gasped when Azumamaro wrapped Kirameku Ha in its hair, but some kind of disc shot out and gathered the hair.

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say you're awfully disrespectful to your elders," a familiar voice said.

"Lady Meioshi!" the Green Pheasant replied, seeing something far worse than the two beasts plaguing the land. "You're wrapped in his hair!"

"Good!" Azumamaro replied, activating power from his entire body. The akashita's hair on her body sprung to life and entered her spine and neck to control her body. She was shaking violently and Azumamaro's jewel powers were infiltrating her mind and body as well. Kirameku Ha tried to free Meioshi with a tidal wave strike, but the demonic steed blocked his attack and said, "You are too late, old man. She is mine!"

With that, both left and stormed into the village...