Ello!

We got a semi-long one folks. I wanted to add more into this chapter, but I severely underestimate just how much room each of my 'points' takes up lol. Anyway, lets move on to shout outs!

Kit: Eyyyy! You're caught up! Welcome to the fun game of waiting. Hope it's not too dreadful lol. It's more like my friend dared me to rewrite the first chapter, and now it's completely it's own thing cause I really liked it. About the only thing similar is that she moves, and there are werewolves and vampires. Oh, and her dad is a cop. A detective actually, which should let you know it has mystery in it. lol. Thank you! I hope you enjoy the chap! For chpt 83: Nnnnnngggg... I mean I could try to explain it (cause i've got it reasoned out, right) but... Terminator loops. There's always gonna be questions haha. For chpt 82: Tehe. No spoilers. haha. But, I will say that Airi is definitely possessed. She was easy for the goddess to instill her influence into because she was so trusting in the cave at the slayers village, and when the goddess fed her some of her blood (because she can only manipulate yokai blood) Airi became full-on possessed. For chapter 77: Thank you! I'm glad you find it binge worthy lol. (OMG so many stories I've started and they're never finished. How awful! That's why the idea that Game of Thrones -the books- would never be finished doesn't faze me. *Shrug*) So, to favorite, there should be a button down at the bottom of the page. Right under the review text box on pc. There are squares you can click on

Beth2421: Right! It's like "Geez diety, get a life! Find a hobby. You've got way too many issues." haha. All in due time. Awesome! I'm definitely leaning towards all at once too. It's just those kinds of chapters, ya know? lol.

Kouga's older woman: Hahaha! You read my mind.

rspringb: Well just have to see what happens lol. Also, she would, but it would be a situation where she wouldn't have memories of Sesshomaru, so, to compensate, her brain would create false memories. Probably end up thinking it was Inuyasha's. (not the path I'm going down btw)

JGK200: I know :( But all good things must come to an end.

Jamie2012: Back, and I don't know if I'm stopping now lol. I think... a couple won't be. But then again, I can change my mind lol. Ooooooooh Jamie, I get the feeling you're gonna be gnawing on some of those questions until the very last chapter lol. Thank you! I really appreciate it. I do like the lengths I post cause it makes the chapter feel complete (especially since it's around the range that I type for my original pieces as well so I'm already in the habit) but I appreciate the option. It's like that study done where they put two groups of people in stressful situations, but they gave one group a button saying they could quit when they wanted, and they ended up lasting longer than the control group.

Alright! Before we move on, I'm too lazy to check but I think I said the site for OPs was . It's actually and it's made by the same people who made fanfiction.

Okay. Moving on to the chapter!

Chapter 87: A Look Beyond

It had been proven to her countless times, again and again, that in the world of her dreams she was not the one in control. That didn't matter. She fought anyway.

No words were shared. No explanation of what was happening. Kagome saw the goddess, knew tonight would be the worst and ran. The muck weighed her down, the swamp sucking in her steps as she forced her way through. She tried, with her hands and arms, to clear a bit of the path; enough to make the trek easier. But it clung to her, and soon she could no longer move further. Ugh! This is way thicker than it was before! Tranquil laughter, like the chiming of bells, echoed behind her, and Kagome took in a deep breath.

A clawed hand grappled the back of her head, and just as Kagome expected, her face was driven into the swamp. It was sticky and warm. Though she scrunched her face, she could feel the gunk doing it's best to squirm its way into her; through her lashes, up her nose, past her lip, and into her ears. Kagome wrestled against the hold, flailing her arms, but the hand that held her was a steel pipe.

"Suffocate," the goddess whispered merrily, and Kagome's resilience burned. Grabbing the goddess's arm, Kagome poured out energy, filling it with purity. A short, painful screech and Kagome was able to lift her head and breathe.

She was aware of the clumping, grotesque mire in her hair, the slimy mess that coated her skin, parting at her lips as she gasped. She lurched forward, but the clawed hand held her. Taking control, it slammed her into the mud again and turned her over to that the other hand could wrap itself around her neck. Unable to breathe, Kagome opened her eyes, a coating of sludge giving everything a hue of brown. It's just a dream, she told herself as the liquid poured into her mouth as she choked; dirty socks and sewage water covering the walls of her throat. It's just a dream, she repeated to herself, but then the hand that held her head trailed down her flailing body, and then pierced into her side.

Sesshomaru! She mentally screamed as her yell came out in thick bubbles. She was pleading for him, hoping that somehow he would know to wake her from this nightmare. He's going to, she thought with confidence. If this is anything like it is with Ribaiasan, he'll see the wound. He'll wake me.

A sharp, tearing sensation ran up through her. The fibers of her spirit splitting apart as she ripped a part of it away. Kagome's body spasmed. Her back became rigid and her jaw clenched as her eyes widened with a silent scream locked inside her. For a moment, she thought she was going to pass out. Imagine that. Passing out in a dream.

The stolen piece was greater than anything Ribaiasan had taken from her prior. The goddess was greedy, taking a hefty share, and she laughed as she did. Kagome could hear it. The light, chiming bells muffled by the thick water between them. The claws that dug into her throat lifted her, pulling her so that her face broke through the surface. Coughing, the dirty sludge she had inhaled spilled out of her mouth and spirts; a small mercy to the agony the goddess had put her through.

"Ribaiasan likes to take his time. He enjoys savoring in the suffering of others. While I understand this hunger, I'm afraid I no longer have the time to spare. You ensured that," the goddess hummed as she dug her claws deeper into Kagome, who twisted and groaned beneath her hold.

"Please…" Kagome whimpered as her splashing caused a few droplets to fall into her gaping mouth. "Please… stop…"

"Ahhh. You wish for my mercy now?" The goddess chuckled, but behind her laughter there was rage, "What will you give me in return? Hm? Will you… give up your friends? Give up your life? Will you give me what I want, little priestess?"

Small fragments of tears were beginning to form in Kagome's eyes, but she growled at the goddess's request. Placing her hands around the goddess's arm once again, Kagome summoned her power to her fingertips. The surge of energy was cut as another, unbearable piece of her spirit was torn, and she began to convulse. Angered by her actions, the goddess dunked her into the swamp again, deep enough that Kagome's back scrapped the rough rocky edges of the bottom. It occurred to her that those rocks were much more likely bones, and murky water around her was hot to the point of scorching her. Despite all this, Kagome could hear the goddess clearly.

"What a vile creature you are. So petty yet so haughty. You and the rest like you. Especially the ones of your particularly foul capabilities. You treat my creations, my wonder filled children, as demons when it is you and your disgusting species who are the real demons. And those whom you don't scorn and murder, you use as pets and subservient beings meant to only bring your happiness, never caring for the mess you will leave behind once you abandon them!"

Kagome's lungs were burning, but deep in the swamp water she felt, for a moment, that she could almost see the world through the goddess's eyes. It was the same way the villagers hated Sesshomaru when she wasn't around to calm their fears. Or how Inuyasha was viewed as a dangerous abomination before people bothered to get to know him. They were hated, as they hated humans. But she's wrong. It's not that simple.

The fact that she loved Sesshomaru crossed her mind, and perhaps it was because her dream didn't belong to her, but the goddess voice seemed to echo in her mind. Never caring of the mess you will leave behind once you abandon them. She wouldn't abandon him. Say, through some miracle -one which she intended to find- that they were able to continue their life as it was, without the goddess, she would stay beside him. So much of her belonged to him now. Her heart would be incapable of hurting him so.

"Selfish." The goddess growled, and Kagome wondered if she had heard her thoughts as the whisper of her death drifted in her mind. A time long before that of Sesshomaru. If the roles were reversed, as it currently seemed to be laid out to be… she wouldn't be able to bear it. Yet the goddess continued on her rant, and the thoughts burrowed themselves to hide in wait. "When my dearest awakens and pours his dark aura into this dead world, you will see just how much you humans are the demons. He will control nothing, but the fulfillment of every soul's dark desires. Murder; rape; theft. Every dark, harboured thought will be released and caused by your own hands and you will experience hell that my beloved felt. And then you gladfully fall into my dearest's stomach to meet your death."

"I wish to make you feel as lifeless as I have felt. To have you suffer so much that you consider taking your own life. Then, when I come for you, you will joyfully surrender yourselves to me because you'd rather die than live for one more day. That is what I want. That is what you will give to me."

No! Kagome yelled as a third piece was taken from her. Such large pieces. Anymore, and she would be left empty. Could she do that? From the last piece, the remaining fibers tore, and then Kagome's throat was let free.

She was weak, so when she emerged, she lazily rested on the surface of the swamp water. Her breath was raspy and her limbs burned from the lack of oxygen. Blinking, the gunk was slowly cleared from her eyes and her blurry gaze rested on the goddess, who looked down at her with a smirk. Three large, pink orbs floated around her, and further behind was the silhouetted figure of Ribaiasan, with a collection of smaller pink orbs floating around him. In his hand were two bodies, shadowy in their form. Dead spirits? Kagome wondered. The goddess saw him and smiled with a contented sigh. When her cool blue gaze fell back down to Kagome, she motioned two of the large orbs to fly over to Ribaiasan, where they merged with some of the smaller orbs and proceeded to fade into the bodies in his hand.

"A few more days, little priestess," The goddess said in a sing-song voice. "A few more days until my lambs rise. And then you will give me what I want."

With her last words, the goddess flicked her wrist, commanding the moving mounds that slithered their way over and on top of Kagome.

~ • • ~

She bit down on his fingers hard, and then her mouth finally opened as she gulped in air. Turning her over to her side, Sesshomaru looked after Kagome as she coughed violently. In her sleep, her lips had turned blue. Her body had become rigid. The wound that appeared on her side gushed out with blood like a cut bladder. Even with his demon strength, he was unable to pry her mouth open without worry of breaking her jaw, and so he had forced his fingers into her mouth, all in an attempt to get her to breathe. Fear had accompanied him for the third time in his life, and it was such a new and strange companion that demanded complete control. What was it with Rin and Kagome that the thought of losing them made him lose himself entirely?

When her coughs became hoarse breathing, Kagome shivered and he wrapped his boa-boa around her. Her skin was so cold when he touched it, and he pulled her into a tight hold to share his warmth with her. With shaking hands, she welcomed the embrace, hugging the arm that held her upper half. The scent of salty water was in the air, mixed with the subtle aroma of cherry blossoms and waterfalls. He kissed the top of her head, and she relaxed.

"Kagome." He whispered her name, full of ache that she had to suffer so.

"She was there," she whispered back, and he knew immediately whom she was referring to.

"I'm sorry."

"She was there… She took Ribaiasan's place."

He growled instinctually, protectiveness in its intent as he disdain for the goddess flared. Kagome curled deeper into him, responding to his guardianship as she rolled up into a ball in his lap, covering herself in his boa-boa. Through their close proximity, he could feel the beat of her heart begin to slow, and he ran his fingers through her hair to help calm her more.

"Thank you." She murmured, responding to his touch. Crickets chirping kept the silence away as he continued to pet her and kiss her forehead. He wasn't sure whether he wanted to lull her back to sleep- for she had only slept for a little over two hours- or to keep her awake, and push her exhaustion further. That alone carried negatives for humans. Perhaps he could take her home? If he flew fast enough, the time used would be reasonable.

He recalled her peaceful, slumbering figure he had been privileged to see when they had slept in her time. Her light, little breaths. Her delicate lashes shifting with the course of her dreams. The way she would blush, even in her sleep, when he would a loose strand away to keep it from waking her. Those were the nights she deserved. Not these horrid terrors that made her timid to dream regardless if he held her or not.

The decision was made quickly. He would heal her, and then he would take her where she was safe. Before he could act on his plan however, Kagome began to shift and sit up.

"I have to wake Amellis." Her voice was tired and weak as she spoke, and her limbs trembled as she moved. His arms became death grips around her as he pulled her back in, and she was so tired that she didn't fight back.

"Sess…"

"Later."

"But, it's important."

"Will it affect us in the next few minutes?"

"... no."

"In a few hours?"

"No." She answered more readily.

"Then it can wait."

He lifted her up, and with the intent to heal her, he took her down to the babbling brook she had used to wash her face before. Whatever thoughts she held remained a secret to him as she rested her head on his shoulder. A gentle, embarrassed smile crept upon her lips, and he was grateful to see it.

Carefully, he sat her down and began to lift her garb to give him access to her wound. Her body trembled as her skin was exposed to the cold air, but she did not protest, and he took that as a sign to continue.

While he healed her the thought that had latched itself in his mind earlier began to dance around and around in circles. What will you do once I'm gone, my priestess? What will become of your life? He imagined, as the fool was also in love with her, that she would be with Inuyasha. It wasn't as though she would remember who he was once his existence was erased, so he imagined it would not take long. How would his brother treat her? Better than he had before? He could only hope. Just as he could only hope that the burning fire of hope, resilience, and spunk would continue to burn as lively as Sesshomaru knew it to. Would she continue to live as a priestess, though the necessity for them would vanish? Would she bear children? How many? Ahh, he mused, they would be beautiful, as she is.

With one last lick, the wound healed completely and he placed a kiss on her skin as he already missed her dearly from his thoughts alone. She won't suffer anymore, he reminded himself. This longing that he would be sure to suffer in his last moments would be worth it for that simple reason alone.

"Thank you," she murmured again, and he placed his lips on hers, though he knew the coppery taste of her blood was still on his mouth. Despite it, she kissed him back. My priestess, he thought lovingly, and the vision of the future he wished for twirled in a mocking fashion in his thoughts.

"I wish to take you home."

"... Home?" She responded with a tilt of her head, as though she didn't know what he meant.

"To your time."

"Oh…" she paused and bit her lip as her brows furrowed. Finally, she shook her head. "No… I don't think that's a good idea. Don't ask me why but… I feel we would be asking for trouble if we did that."

"Because of the goddess?"

She nodded her head.

"Amellis was certain she could do nothing for at least a week."

"My dream tonight says otherwise…" Kagome bowed her head, looking at the water.

Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed at her words. He knew he would learn what she dreamt sooner rather than later when the others woke, and he chose to wait until then to satiate his curiosity. If he could push off the memories for a later time, he preferred to do so. He wanted as much of his last few moments with her to be ones of serenity and merriment. She deserved it.

"Hm?" She hummed as she brushed his bangs and then caressed his cheek. "Why do you look so sad?"

"Do I?" He asked, knowing that he wore his common, stoic mask. Cupping either side of his face, she sat up in his lap and looked deep into his eyes as he became lost in hers.

"Very." She answered, teasing, and he exhaled a short chuckle. He thought on answering her for a moment, and he imagined this was how it felt when she confided in him. It was very warm and welcoming, a sort of peaceful haven away from home.

"I was imagining the future."

She blinked, a bitter sadness touching her beautiful eyes, and then she lowered herself into a comfortable position where her head rested beneath his chin.

"So… tell me, when all this is over… where's the first place you're taking me?"

He raised a brow she could not see, but she responded as though she could.

"You said you wanted to show me your lands. And you were thinking about the future. So… where are you first taking me."

The breathy laugh that escaped his lips carried the faux hope he desperately wished was real, and he clinged to her words as though they could be true. Smiling, he grazed her arm with his fingers, drawing swirls as her skin reacted to his touch with light goosebumps.

"Have you ever seen the cascading waterfalls that create music with the caverns around them near the western coast?"

Her eyes immediately lit up with excitement as she looked up at him, eager to hear more. Beautiful, he reflected, and he cherished this moment he had with her. As he told her more, he committed this time to memory, and he vowed to carry it until the moment of his death.

~ • • ~

Miroku woke before Sango did. In fact, as he took in the space around him, he concluded that the only ones who weren't sleeping were himself, Lord Sesshomaru, and Lady Kagome. Extending the area he looked over, he soon spotted them down by the brook. He couldn't deny that it was still extremely strange for him to see Lord Sesshomaru showing such deep affection, but Kagome was laughing as she sat in his lap, and Miroku was happy for her.

His night had been restless with the uncertainty that laid before them and the questions he held that burned him for his attention. How could they defeat the goddess? Was there a way to save the demons as Lady Kagome desired? Could it be done before the wind tunnel took him? Would he know when it was time, so as to distance himself from his family before accidentally sucking them in to share in his death? What of his missing daughter and son? What was the goddess doing to them? Where did she have them? Why did she take them? And so on and so on.

His thoughts were a never ending wheel, mish-mashing with the bare bones of his logic. Of course he hadn't been thinking straight the past two days. A death sentence and the continuing absence of one's children could do that to a person. Yet this morning, he awoke with a semblance of serenity.

"I must meditate while my mind allows it."

It was his intention to think through his questions and perhaps discover a truth that may have been alluding them. With enough time and reflection, it was speculated that a monk could reach enlightenment and discover the ultimate purpose in life. Surely the method to killing an immortal goddess was easier to attain.

Leaving the group, he followed the creek upward, ensuring to share a knowing glance to Lord Sesshomaru. He had seen the secret where others hadn't. The safe path was always the one with the creek, and if there were multiple sources of water, the shallowest source was the one to follow.

Miroku followed the path westward, passing trees that had shaken away their leaves and jagged rocks that protruded from the ground as though there had been a rock slide. A false scare to intruders that there were traps that would bring boulders plummeting from the sky on top of them. Miroku passed them without a care.

When he came upon the mouth of a cave, he sat down.

"So we travel underground today," he concluded. That made sense as the hidden labyrinth was meant to blend into its natural surrounding. They would be heavily dependent on yokai abilities today. Perhaps I should make a torch… but he shook his head. Now was the time for meditation. If he had time for a torch afterwards, then he would make one.

Placing his hands on his knees, Miroku took a breath, and shut his eyes. He reflected in on himself, situating his internal self in order so as to calm his spirit. The emotional attachments he held to the questions, both violent and desperate, he relinquished. Time was abstract. That which would come, would. He opened his heart to accepting the situation of the world, both good and bad, and then he reflected on his questions in search for the truth and truth alone.

Many question fell to the side as he did so; the ones that were absent of answers. One of which was the question of where his children were. The truth was that he didn't know, and he lacked information to prove otherwise. Many answers he did attain were vague.

Yes, they could defeat the goddess. If it was a case of separating her from Amatsu-Mikaboshi, a being of pure chaotic energy and nothing more, then they simply needed to manipulate the energy. Block it off somehow. Hmm. Sounds much simpler now, though it may not be. He accepted this with ease.

As for the demons… was the process not the same? If they were linked to the goddess as she was linked to Amatsu-Mikaboshi, then manipulating their energy to divide them from her would be enough, would it not? Oh, but this was different. It wasn't simply energy that held them together. She was a creator who formed the yokai from creatures that already existed. And say it was the same. Would it work for all demons, or only those whose energies had been converted. Questions upon questions. The truth will only be known once we answer the first, Miroku concluded.

The next viable question, finally, fell onto his missing children. Specifically, what was the reason for the goddess targeting and taking them? His thought immediately fell to Rin, who now existed as a shard. This was the dividing line that told Miroku that Airi and Isas had been taken for entirely different reasons. Rin, in her young age, was proving herself to be a priestess that could one day be considered the best under the tutelage of Lady Kagome, himself, and Lord Sesshomaru. The Shikon Jewel, based on how it was formed before, and how the goddess was attempting to form it now, required both Reiki and Yokai energy to be formed. This was the only way it could be used in the whichever way the goddess intended to use it. Rin, then, was an applicable subject for the new jewel. Airi and Isas, however, were not.

Another reason then. Not for them specifically. For us then. Sango and I. She is using them to target us. So then… He mulled over the reason why she kept them hidden away. Why she didn't simply have them fight for their children dangling in front of them only to knock them down, failing to rescue them. The not knowing is what makes it worse, his logic told him, and then the secret opened itself to him. She wishes to make us desperate. That way, when we are given the chance to switch places with them, we will accept. It's us she wants after all.

Yes. This was the truth, and as Miroku opened his eyes, he concluded that, when the option was presented to him, he would accept it merrily. She will not wait long then, he knew, and decided that he would inform Sango of the truth as well… so they would both be ready when the time came.

"Monk." Sesshomaru called out from behind him, and when Miroku turned around, he saw the group in its entirety. Given their stances, he deduced that another's truth was about to be shared.

~ • • ~

"Fuck!" Inuyasha cursed, and he kicked a low boulder, causing it to crack. "You've got to be kidding me."

He was enraged. No. More than enraged. He was bullishly, fiercely, hells inferno angry. He was down right pissed. "What the hell, Amellis?! You said we had a week."

"We do," she sighed as she shook her head and pursed her lips that had gone white when Inuyasha shouted at her. "Of her physically being able to move, we do. I'm sorry, Kagome. I… I didn't expect my mother to transport her spirit into Yomi. I had assumed…"

"Yea, well, ya know what they say about assumptions- Gah! What the hell Shippo?"

"Stop being so mean, Inuyasha. She said she was sorry."

"Yea, well sorry don't cut it. She lured us into a false sense of security."

"Except she's not going after you, Inuyasha," Kagome interjected. "She's not after any of you because she doesn't have access to you. She does with me, which is why I saw her. Amellis didn't do anything wrong."

Crossing his arms, Inuyasha grumbled, but the way his flat ears twitched anytime he let his amber eyes glance towards Kagome told her that he was only upset because he was worried about her. Sweet, she thought, and she fawned over the warmth that washed over her, absent of thorns. Different. Non-romantic. Oh, mom. If only I could tell you… I think I'm starting to get it.

"We should discuss why she targeted you though. I suspect the process of transporting her spirit into Yomi was difficult, based on how you spoke of it, Amellis. There must be another reason other than 'because she could'."

Kagome's eyes fell onto Kikyo, and her gaze was colder than the wintry breeze that passed them from the cave.

"You said she took portions out of you? From your spirit?"

"Y-yeah… but that's what Ribaiasan was doing all this time. Only thing is, she took more."

"Why more?"

"I don't know." Kagome responded, feeling very much like she was being interrogated.

"And what of the two bodies you say you saw. The dead spirits, as you said."

"I… don't know. I didn't get a good look at them." Kikyo's eyes narrowed at that, as though she were upset at Kagome's answer. She probably was, and Kagome couldn't blame her. "Look, if I knew more, I'd tell you."

"I'm sure you would. The problem is you don't know more."

Kagome groaned, and turned her back to Kikyo. After last night, she wasn't willing to put up a friendly front, and she didn't care about what looks were given to her. Especially the ones from Kikyo.

"You said my mother called them lambs?"

The calm, gentle voice was gratefully accepted by Kagome, and she turned to face Amellis. "Yeah, that's right."

"Interesting."

"How so?" Kikyo asked.

"Well… my mother doesn't use the word lamb. Pet, slave, trash… these are the words she uses. Lambs… hmmm… that has a specific meaning to her."

"What, you mean like sacrificial lambs?" All eyes fell on Kagome, and she became flustered. "W-What? It's a common thing lambs are usually known for." She shrugged her shoulders.

Amellis took the answer and pinched her chin pensively. She hummed as she thought, and then she tilted her head up. Her brows were furrowed in confusion and doubt, but the thin line of her lips said that she may have thought of an answer.

"She needed to go to Yomi for these lambs, these dead spirits. And she needed your… oh."

"Amellis? I don't like that you just stopped there. What is it?"

"Kagome, you said Ribaiasan had two spirits, correct?"

"Yeah…"

"Good. Good. That means he hasn't found the third one yet. And if I know my mother, then one of them has been dead for quite some time. It'll take Ribaiasan longer to find their spirit out."

"That is enough time to think. Tell us what you know," Sesshomaru demanded, irritated by Amellis's stall. Of course, Amellis flinched, and she curled into herself, as though she expected to be hit. Biting her bottom lip, Kagome extended out her reiki, and wrapped it around Amellis in a type of comforting blanket. It helped, and after a few short breaths, Amellis was back to standing tall.

"It's the Oni. My mother is bringing the Oni into this world. Three to be exact."

"The Oni? Those mother fuckers exist?"

"Mommy," Aimi called, tugging on Sango, "What's an Oni?"

"They're like ogres, Aimi. Big demons, and very strong."

"They sound scary."

"That's because they are."

Amellis nodded her head at the explanation, but decided to delve deeper to clear any questions before they could be asked. "The Oni are created when truly wicked spirits are tortured in hell. They're meant to remain in hell, but if one were to retrieve one of these spirits and then give it flesh to exist in the mortal realm…"

"Hence, what your mom is doing. Great. Just great… crap…" Inuyasha shook his head, and as if she could read his thoughts, Kagome knew he was trying to think of how they would stand against the Oni now as well.

"Why does she need the Oni, though?" Kagome asked, and Amellis pressed her lips into a thin line.

"I don't know the specifics. They were never shared with me. But I know that they're one of the final keys needed to bring Amatsu-Mikaboshi into this world."

"How long do we have?" Sesshomaru asked calmly.

"It depends on how fast Ribaiasan can find the last spirit."

Kagome's eyes widened as she recalled the two spirits in his hands. Two days… two spirits. "Not long," Kagome answered confidently, and then she, along with the others, turned their gaze to Sesshomaru.

It was evident that he was irritated given how he shut his eyes. Calm otherwise, but a tell nonetheless.

"We need to reach the palace. Today, if we can." The prospect of that was doubtful, but considering the surmounting obstacles that increased daily, Sesshomaru couldn't waste time that could otherwise be spent on convincing the other lords to help them. Quickly, they gathered and flew into the cave, hoping to shorten the distance as much as they could.

Okay, so I know there are some typos (more than usual). Forgive me for that. A lot of this was done on my phone, which I like but I always end up with more typos when I do that.

Anyway! If you liked the chapter, be sure to leave a review, and follow and favorite if you haven't already.

I'll see y'all 7/30

Bye and Bless!