Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha, or any other character belonging to the series they are the genius work of Rumiko Takahashi I simply use them for my creative release.

THE KEY: There was once an evil so terrifying the gods themselves helped to seal it away forever. She knows she needs to find a new protector, she knows she must go west. But once there will she find what she is looking for...or more? Pleas R&R

Warning: This fiction is rated M due to language and sexual content.

As she neared the forest she held her breath, all she could hear was a constant thumping. Whether it was from the rapid beating of her heart or the horse's hoofs meeting the gravel road, she didn't know. Besides that didn't matter right now, all that mattered was getting away.

She looked behind her again and sighed in relief; good at least they are far enough behind me that I can throw them off; it's just a little bit further to the river. She could see it now, the tree line of the forest; damn she was so close she could feel her heart rise in her chest and her breath hitch; so close!

He looked up from his desk of over flowing scrolls at the sound of his youngest coming to the door. 'Great I wonder what they broke this time,' he thought to himself. "Enter" came his smooth voice as the screen slid open to reveal a young man in a ripped blue and white fighting suit, his long silver hair in disarray and dirt sporadically smudged all over his handsome face.

"Please don't tell me you two were at it again. That's the third time this week! What did you break this time?" He said rising and elegant eye brow. Damn did his head ever hurt now.

"Umm...Well you see we were kind interrupted before things got too out of hand this time so nothing got broken…but that's not why I am here. Haru sent me." He said with a lowered head

Okay now that got his attention, and his headache going away, or getting worse he couldn't tell at the moment. Why would his general send his youngest son to him? "And why is that Inuyasha?" He was getting impatient with his youngest right at the moment; he could sense something out of balance in his lands.

"Humans father hundreds of them just crossed our northern boarder; they seem harmless and uninterested in us or the palace moon. Haru says they look as if they are in search of something." He said, eyes still hiding behind his long silver bangs, oh he was in trouble and he knew it but damn it Sesshoumaru started it…again.

"I see." Great just what I need, first my sons now humans. "Kisho," he called. A moment later the screen reopened to reveal his loyal guard. He was dressed in a red and black uniform and armor covered his wide chest, the long sword at his hip was the only indication of his rank with the dog demon. This was a special gift for him from the day he saved Sesshoumaru's mother many years ago. He entered the study. His long red hair was tied at the nape of his neck and his bright blue eyes looked at his lord before the fox demon bowed respectfully. "Yes, lord Inutashio?"

"Gather my eldest, Haru and Yukio. It seems we have a little disturbance at our northern border. I will personally see it remedied." With his order Kisho left the room.

"Inuyasha get changed, I do not want my son looking like a common slave when we pay these meddling humans a visit." He said, flashing his sharp fangs to his son in a sly smirk that would have given the devil chills.

As she neared the river she dismounted her horse and took her bow and quiver of arrows from their resting place on the saddle. She then used her bow to whip the horse and send it running through the forest. By the time they find him and realize that I am not ridding him I will be long gone. She smiled.

She made her way along the river, making sure to stay in the water to hide all traces of her scent and foot prints. Once she was about 200 feet away she made her way across the river and ran into the forest using her long brown cape to hide herself among the large trees. She found a large maple tree and decided she could take a little rest, so she climbed the tall tree and rested in one of the lower branches.

Closing her eyes she laid her head against the large trunk. 'I will just close them for a second, besides if I fall its only a few feet down.' With that in mind she closed her eyes and fell fast asleep, the long night of running finally catching up to the young woman hidden in the tree.

"As Haru has told you we have a human army camped on our northern boarder. We are going to go pay them a visit and see exactly why they are here. We will not attack unless we are attacked first, but that doesn't mean we can't have a little fun and scare the day lights out of those silly humans." Inutashio turned to his oldest. "Sesshoumaru, you, Yukio, Haru and I will take to the sky and confront the humans while Inuyasha and Kisho will go through the forest to see if they can find anything of interest. If anyone is found bring them back here; stragglers and deserters are always fun to pry information out of."

With that said Kisho and Inuyasha leaped from the study balcony and into the night. They ran across the large garden and jumped over the tall stone wall surrounding the mountain side palace and through Inutashio and Sesshoumaru's barriers. They disappeared into the forest, masking their scents and presences.

Once the inu-hanyou and the fox demon were out of sight and their presences could no longer be felt, the four dog demons formed their youkai spheres and took to the sky. Boy, were those foolish humans in for a big surprise tonight.

She woke up from her sleep and could sense something powerful headed her way…No, four powerful something's coming her way. As the feeing got stronger she looked up into the sky just in time to see four large balls of light flying above her headed in the direction she came from. 'What the?' At first she just passed them off as shooting stars and her sleepy head over exaggerating the images but as she really thought about the spheres she realized three things.

One, they were WAY too big to be shooting stars. Two, they were all different colors. The third thing she realized while pondering her thoughts on the large balls of light was that she was being watched, and from a far distance too.

'I wonder if it has anything to do with those balls of light.' Once her curiosity had gotten the best of her she made her way down to the ground below and headed towards the direction of the colored spheres. The thought of being watched was forgotten as she crept through the forest using the trees to hide her tiny self covered in her long brown cape.

Little did she know that two sets of curious eyes watched her go into the forest and stayed a short distance behind the small figure in the brown cape.

As he made his decent from the sky he could see the humans scatter in fear. 'Why is it that humans chose to bathe so rarely? The smell is almost intolerable to this Sesshoumaru.' He thought to himself as he touched the ground and the ball of blue light surrounding him disappeared to show the young heir to the western lands. His long silver hair fell down his back to his knees and the dark blue crescent moon on his forehead and two maroon stripes on his cheeks showed his honored rank as the son of lord Inutashio and lady Satori.

His honey eyes took in his surroundings. He could sense the others landing as well and his half brother and the fox demon were close too, and some unknown presence was nearing the clearing at a slow pace.

Haru landed next to him, his yellow ball of youki dissipating around him. He was a tall strong demon and had been Sesshoumaru's father's general for centuries. Though he only looked about 23, the dog demon was, in reality, over six centuries old. His long brown hair was pulled into a high ponytail and showed off his masculine face; the light blue stripe on each cheek was the perfect compliment to his brilliant emerald eyes. His blue haori and grey hakama rustled in the slight wind giving him a deadly look; the armor that covered his wide chest was simple but thick enough to take a heavy blow. The two katanas at his side sent a silent promise of pain and death to all that crossed him.

Next to Haru stood Yukio, the youngest of the bunch. He looked about 19. The hot headed inu youkai had shoulder length wavy blond hair, warm grey eyes and a single green stripe on each cheek. He wore a green haori and black hakama; light armor covered his chest. The young dog demon carried a short bow and a quiver of arrows on his back. Although his sword was used more often in battle, he was still a deadly shot with the bow.

Sesshoumaru's father landed in front of him, the bright white light around him temporarily blinding the human army before them. His golden eyes slid into a deadly glare and the dark blue stripe on each cheek and matching crescent moon on his forehead showed every human around him just who he was; the feared dog demon Inutashio, ruler of the western lands.

His wore long silvery hair in a high ponytail and the deadly armor around his torso gave the appearance of a war god. Anyone who stood up to him was a fool.

"Who is the foolish human in charge here?" He demanded.

"I am," came a strong voice. The sea of armed men parted to reveal a tall human man, his long black hair tied neatly into a braid starting at the nape of his neck, a purple cross on his forehead indicating his title as the leader of the band of seven; the most feared seven warlords in all of Japan.

Well, to humans anyways. 'I do have to wonder why they still call it the band of seven when there are only four pathetic humans remaining.' Inutashio thought to him self.

"Why are you in the western lands Bankotsu?" He asked, his deadly claws shinning in the setting sun.

"I am looking for something lord Inutashio." Bankotsu smirked; he could sense her she was close and…getting closer. 'How odd.'

"Human you try my patience! What, pray tell, are you looking for?" Inutaisho demanded again as his acid whips ripped through tents and rice bins around him.

"A key my lord. I am looking for a key."

She could tell she was getting closer to Bankotsu, she could sense his presence. As she neared the clearing she could see the four dog demons and Bankotsu's massive army.

"A key you say? What kind of key are you looking for Bankotsu? We both know you don't mean a metal one." Said the tall man with a high ponytail.

Oh, she knew what Bankotsu was talking about. She knew what the key was and that knowledge was why she ran. Hearing enough she slowly backed way from the tree line and deeper into the forest. She had to get to Endo before it was too late and Bankotsu knew she came back.

That's when she felt it, well her back felt it to be exact. Something hard and…warm? In her hurry to get as much of the conversation between the four men and Bankotsu and flee at the same time she had backed up into something.

"Just where do you think you are going little one? Trying to get away?" Said the hard thing behind her.

"No, I guess that makes little sense, seeing as how you had run far from this place, only to return."

'What? How did he know that? Oh no! I forgot I was being watched! I have to get away from here; Bankotsu can not know I am here!' She could feel her heart speed up and her breath hitch as he spun her around to face him.

"I should have known I couldn't fool you Inutashio. I am looking for a human woman; she is the key I seek. That is all I can tell you…for now." This was just too good! He could tell she was just past the clearing; the scent of her fear was one he knew well.

"Well Bankotsu, you and your pathetic army have until sunrise to be out of the western lands. I do not take intrusions on my lands lightly. Should you still be here after dawn, I will return and kill every last man that remains, you included." With that the four inu demons took to the sky in their youki spheres, headed back to the palace moon.

Well there is chapter 1 please review