Chapter 8: Somethings Never Change

They started off, after packing their bleongings. Kagome was so distant, the only person she paid attention to was Kuzuo, and even he noticed how distant she had become.

"Mom I'm gonna skateboard off this bridge!"

Kazuo said testing his mother.

"Uh huh." Kagome mummbled.

Kazuo had a crazy look on his face as he just stopped in astonishment, there wasn't even a bridge around. Inuyasha notcied Kagome looking at him, he looked at her as she walked beside him and Koga. Inuyasha looked at her, her beautiful dark brown hair wrapped around her face as the wind blowed, her brown eyes were deeper than ever, she was still so young, but how. Then something snapped Inuyasha out of his daze.

"There is going to be a storm, let's find shelter." Koga said, sounding like a leader.

"Who said you were boss?!" Inuyasha yelled.

"Shut up, I just want whats best for our commrads, you know they're mostly human! Mutt face!"

"You two stop arguing! The clouds are dark Inuyasha, almost black, we should really find shelter." Sango said stoping the fight between the wolf and the dog.

They all went off looking for shelter, but they had to split up, Inuyasha, Kagome, and Koga were in the first group , though Kagome didn't want to split apart from Kazuo but she knew he'd be fine. Kazuo, Tihiko, and Mihiko were in the next, and the Sango, Miroku, and Shippo, and of course Kirara. They decided to meet back whenever they found a cave or an empty hut.

Kagome didn't say much, Inuyasha and Koga were too busy arguing again. So Kagome was the one looking around.

Kazuo was getting annoyed at Tihiko giving him evil looks, and Mihiko's constant talking.

"Tihiko! Stop looking at me like that! We're companions could we at least get along?"

"Hell no, you're a demon and I don't trust you." Tihiko said.

"Don't mind her Kazuo I like you." Mihiko said smiling.

"Uh...thanks..I guess." Kazuo looked up. When he did saw a cave in the side of a cliff. "look there is a cave, lets check it out, make sure its safe."

They ran to the entrance of the cave, they peered in.

"Come on lets go in and look around." Mihiko suggested.

They all went in suddenly a rock blocked the entrance of the cave.

"What the hell?!" Tihiko yelled.

They saw a pair of glowing eyes deeper in the cave. Kazuo drew his Tetsu, and Tihiko grasped her sword.

"Mihiko get behind me now." Tihiko said.

"Umm...just a thought but where is behind you?" Mihiko said, it was so dark in the cave that they could'nt even see.

The eyes were getting closer, it came into sight but all they could see was the face because its eyes. It was a demon for sure, but what was it. They could tell it was pretty tall, of a course red eyes, its face was that of a man. Kazuo sent a blow to the cave entrance where that rock was blocking it. Only pieces of the rock blasted apart, but still filling the cave with pathes of light, but not much since there was a storm coming. Still they saw the man with all black hair, a pale purple kimono, and bloddy claws. The demon slashed at Kazuo sending him flying into the side of the cave. Kazuo barely opened his eyes but saw the demon holding Tihiko by the neck Kazuo jumped up, he ran up to the demon barring his fangs, and tightening his grip on Tetsu.

"Let her go! Now!" He yelled.

Tihiko was passed out, her last vision was of a demon, the demon she hated standing up for her. The demon laughed. "As if a mere dog such as you could stand up to me, Tokenmaru!"

"Urr..."

Kazuo wanted...no needed to protect her and Mihiko who was crying in the corner, Kazuo could smell Mihiko's blood. 'how long was I passed out for?' He thought to himself. He jumped up in the air and put his sword out towards the demon, he forced all of his force in his Tetsu, he hadn't transformed the sword since when he faught Kagura. But he did now, because of the need to protect a human. He sliced the demons arm off, the one holding Tihiko. The demon growled in pain, then slashed his claws at Kazuo, but Kazuo quickly moved back, as he saw Inuyasha do, and went for the demons stomache. He sliced the demon in half, and watched as the demon slid apart. Kazuo looked over at Tihiko and Mihiko. Kazuo sent Mihiko for the others to tell them of what happend and that for now they had a cave for shelter. Mihiko ran, she was fine except for her arm where the demon slung her. Kazuo stayed by Tihiko, after about 10 minutes she slowly opened her to see Kazuo fell asleep sitting against the cave wall beside her. She sat up and looked around she saw the slain demon.

'Did he do this for me?' She thought to herself.

"Oh you're awake." Kazuo said opening his eyes. "I'm glad you're okay."

"Why did you save me, I had it under control." Tihiko said gritting her teeth, that wasn't what she wanted to say but she couldn't break her barrier.

"I can't believe you! Yeah you sure showed him, especially when he had you by the neck and you passed out. He could have killed you had I not cut his arm off!"

"The only reason I even rushed into battle was because he was going to kill you when he threw you into the wall!' She yelled covering her mouth afterwards.

"Ha! You do like me!"

"You can't be serious...I was just..."She was cut off by sounds of footsteps. She tried to stand but she fell back down. Kazuo went over to her, at first she resisted but then she gave in and put her arm around Kazuo's neck and Kazuo put his arm around her waist and helped her between the rocks that was once blocking the cave. They walked out Tihiko limping in her step, but Kazuo helped her walk. Their parents, Shippo, Kirara, Koga and Mihiko were standing by the cave as Kazuo and Tihiko were walking out.

"Are you alright?!" Sango and Kagome said running up to their children hugging them and saying mushy-gushy stuff to them.

"Mom I can handle myself, I'm okay just a bump on the head that's all, but we found a cave, if someone wants to volunteer to clean the demon guts out of it." Kazuo said.

"I know just the two to do it too, Inuyasha and Koga, since you two can do nothing but argue how about you go clean it." Kagome siad.

"Haha!" Kazuo laughed pointing at Inuyasha and Koga.

"Oh and you Kazuo maybe this will teach you to clean up after yourself." Kagome added.

"Haha!" Inuyasha and Koga laughed.

Koga felt wierd being there...he actually felt comfortable, and like he belonged with that group.

"Miroku where do you think you're going?!" Sango said as she saw Miroku slowly creeping away. "You can help monk."

Miroku made a face but went with Inuyasha, Koga, and Kazuo. They cleaned pretty fast actually.

"So kazuo you killed that huge demon by yourself?" Koga asked.

"Yeah I got knocked out for a minute though. I guess I still need to improve." Kazuo said smiling sitting against a wall of the cave.

There was a fire lit in the middle of the cave and the group surrounded the fire. Kagome noticed that Kazuo was becomming comfortable there, with all of her old friends. She was happy in a way, but she couldn't be happy...no not knowing Naraku had her other son..her Kazuma. Tihiko sat next to Mihiko and their parents, but all the while Tihiko thought of Kazuo of what he did for her, but she did not look at him, she didn't know how to look at him. She usually looked at him with hate, but she couldn't possibly hate him now.

The storm was a great one, they had to even move deeper into the cave to sleep. Sango and Miroku lay together using two sleeping bags, Mihiko and Tihiko shared a sleeping bag, Shippo and Kirara had one, Koga had his, Kazuo had one, and Kagome had one, Inuyasha though always slept sitting up against the cave walls.

Kagome got up when she was sure everyone was sleeping, she knew Inuyasha was still awake, she wanted to talk to him still, she wanted the answers to her questions. So many ran through her head and clouded her thoughts so that she could not think straight. She walked to the entrance to the cave and looked out watching the rain, she felt him, she felt the hand on her shoulder, she turned slowly around to see Inuyasha standing there looking at her. She turned back to watch the rain, she wanted him, she needed him, but she knew she couldn't have him, not then. She couldn't even speak to him, not without asking him questions or crying, she just stood there not moving.

"Kagome..." He said slowly.

"You don't know how long I've wanted to hear you say my name Inuyasha, how long I've waited for you to show up one day in my apartment...but it never happened. Do you know how many dreams I've had, some horrible and some so good I cried when I woke. All I've ever wanted was to be by your side...so just answer the same question I ask myself everyday...why?"

Inuyasha was speechless...he couldn't say anything at all, there was nothing he could say. He had made many wrong decisions in his life but this one he knew he was going to pay for it with his life. He knew now that he shouldn't have left, but he wanted what was best for Kagome and that meant leaving her, but he had no idea that she had become pregnant.

"Kagome I have no excuse for what I did. I have no explanation, nothing. All I know is I never stopped thinking of you, not even for a second, I'm sorry for hurting you. I don't know how I can ever make it up to you or even if I can, so I'm gonna stay by your side until I die. I'm not good with all this mushy stuff but I don't know how else to put this." Inuyasha said looking down.

"I'm not ready to forgive you. I might never be ready to forgive you...So why do you stay here?"

"Because they are my sons, and I will not abandon them when they need me. There is something you need to know though Kagome. But I musn't tell you just yet, be paitient and you will know the truth." With that Inuyasha retrieved back into the cave, leaving Kagome there lost in her mind again.

Kagome later went back in and fell asleep, although she kept waking for fear that something would happen to Kazuo. The morning was filled with the scent of fresh rain and flowers, the sun was bright over head, and the air was moist. Everyone figured with such a nice morning they would get a move on later and enjoy a breakfast, although not everyone could enjoy such. Kagome and Sango were cooking by the fire, and trying to teach Tihiko and Mihiko to cook, but Tihiko often got bored of the house wife duties and went off with the guys. Shippo, Miroku, Koga, and Inuyasha went off to do whatever it is that they do...

"Inuyasha!" Kazuo yelled.

"Yeah? What is it Kazuo?" Inuyasha said turning towards his son.

"Well I was wondering...umm.."

"You want to continue training?" Inuyasha said smiling.

"Yeah! I mean if you're not too scared of loosing!" Kazuo yelled walking into the forest.

Inuyasha smiled, he knew what Kazuo meant, because he was never good at thanking someone either. Inuyasha was troubled at the thought that he was getting to know Kazuo better than Kazuma..he wanted to know everything about them. Inuyasha walked after Kazuo, they stayed in the forest and trained for until breakfast was done anyway. Shippo was talking with Miroku about the next direction they're going to take. Koga though was troubled by a scent, he went to Kagome, who was in the cave with Sango and Mihiko.

"Kagome, something has come up. I will return, but not anytime soon, my clan needs me. Please, you all can go on." Koga said holding Kagome's hand in his, then he left in his tornadoe thingy again.

"What do you think was troubling Koga?" Sango asked.

"I don't know but it has something to do with the wolf demon tribe I bet." Kagome said.

Everyone ate when Kagome announced that it was time to eat. Kagome told them of Koga's absence.

"I think I know why he left." Inuyasha said, shoving a chopstick full of ramen into his mouth. "I can smell the scent of wolf blood. It may be his clan."

"But they've been through so much over these years...well at least when I was here." Kagome said.

When they finished eating they packed up and went on the move again. Shippo and Kazuo were becoming close durring the walking, with Mihiko flirting with the both of them the whole way. Tihiko distant as always, Miroku flirting with his wife Sango, and Inuyasha in the front of the group with Kagome not far behind. They had made it to the western mountain region, they came across a mountain village before it got dark out. They stopped because Miroku heard some farmers talking about a demon terrorizing the village.

"Oh come on what would be better than us all fighting side-by-side again, helping villages on our way to defeat Naraku? What could be better than the good ol' days?" Miroku said.

"Uh...hes got a point I mean we could also use the experience to better our attacks." Kagome said agreeing.

"Fine then. I'm clearly out numbered." Inuyasha said. Really deep down he wanted it to be the way it used to be too. "Whats this demon look like old man?" Inuyasha asked one of the farmers.

"Well, she is a tall one, and looks kinda human, but don't be fooled, for her eyes are a bright green, her hair is as black as onyx and long past her waist, the weirdest black ears like cat ears atop her head, and a long black tail, her skin as pale as the moon, she wears armor, blue-silver like armor, with a black kimono underneath. That is all we know of her, oh and that everywhere she appears the scent of cherryblossoms is left behind."

"Sounds like a beauty..." Miroku whispered to Shippo, who agreed.

"I heard that monk!" Sango yelled.

Miroku flinched. "Sorry dear!"

They rented two rooms at the village's inn before checking out the surroundings, Kazuo, Shippo, Tihiko, and Mihiko got one room, and Sango, Kirara, Miroku, Kagome, and Inuyasha got the other. Too many people for one room. After they got settled into their rooms, they all split up to search for clues...HAHA scooby doo...Its my story I can talk in it if I want. They all split up to see if they could detect any traces of the demon woman, of course their groups were the same, the kids and the adults.

Inuyasha and his group went deep into the forest, it was already dark out by this time, they came to a clearing and on the otherside was a stone cliff wall. Inuyasha couldn't detect a demon scent but here he could smell cherryblossoms strongly. And then she appeared the woman they were searching for, she was in the air on the back of a dragon, the dragon was black with a red tint and was as big as Kirara when she is transformed. Inuyasha grabbed the hilt of his sword, Kirara transformed, and everyone else got ready.

"So hostile." The woman said. "Lets see now, ah, you must be Inuyasha." She said pointing towards Inuyasha.

Inuyasha growled. "How in the hell do you know my name?!"

"Oh, I've heard so much about you, but its all just demon talk. But you know nothing about me, how rude of me, I am NekoTomay, just call me Tomay though. Of course the first part of my name gives away what kind of demon I must be. Just like yours Inu..yasha." Tomay said jumping off of her dragon, landing on her feet.

"Cats always land on their feet." Miroku said purring like a cat.

"Monk!" Sango said punching him in the stomache.

"I love you dear." Miroku said holding his stomache.

"Enough, I didn't come here to fight." Tomay said.

"Then why did you come here?" Kagome asked.

"To help you. I have the information you seek, for you see I can read minds. And I know where Naraku is. He has taken form of Lord Himora as you may already know, but deep within these mountains you will come across his castle."

"Why are you telling us this?" Inuyasha asked with a hint of anger in his voice.

"Because, I want Naraku dead just as much as you do, trust me. We will meet again, oh by the way, you're kinda cute Inuyasha, I'll be checking up on you." Tomay said then disappeared with her dragon.

"Who does she think she is?! Comming here like that...and she flirted with you, you let her flirt with you." Kagome said, her cheeks turning red.

"Whats it to you? Ya jealous, now you know how I feel when Koga flirts with you!"

"Whos jealous, I could care less! I just want my son back so I can go back to my time with my boys!"

"They're mine too!"

"You weren't there!"

"You never told me!"

"You didn't care!"

"You never gave me a chance!"

Kagome and Inuyasha argued like that back and forth for a while.

"Sango you wanna just go back to the inn...we'll have it by ourselves for a while..." Miroku said.

"You dirty monk...race you there!"

Sango and Miroku took off back to the inn, leaving Inuyasha and Kagome there arguing, with Kirara watching them.

Meanwhile

The darkness set in around his body, he could feel the cold around him, his new features were very distinct, you could tell he was full blooded. The place where the half jewel once was, was now just a black spot from where the jewel was absorbed. He heard voices, so many voices, his head was clouded, he couldn't remember his mother or brother, only visions remained of them. A voice was louder than the rest of them, it was calling to him.

"Kazuma, Kazuma, you must kill them, you must kill them all Kazuma, before they kill you." The voice was so deep and sinister. "Go and kill, kill the one named Inuyasha!"

Then the cell was opened, and hung infront of him was a piece of red cloth, not just any ordinary cloth but cloth from the fire rat. He smelt the cloth, then snatched it up and took off into the darkness.

"Shippo we've been at this for hours, they probably already got her. Can we go back now?" Mihiko complained.

"Fine, lets go back, geesh I can do without the whining." Shippo said rubbing his temples.

"Now you know how I feel." Kazuo whispered.

Shippo laughed. They all got back noticing that Inuyasha and Kagome had not returned and by the sound comming from Sango and Miroku's room they knew why. Shippo, Tihiko, and Mihiko went to sleep in their sleeping bags as usual. Kazuo though, couldn't fall asleep he got up and went out the back sliding door and sat on the ledge of the inn, he couldn't help thinking of his brother.

"Why, why not me?" Kazuo thought aloud.

Someone put a hand on his shoulder. "Don't beat yourself up about it, Kazuo." A familiar voice said to him. "Come on lets take a walk."

It was Tihiko, he couldn't believe it, she actually said something without insulting him. 'Its time.' Tihiko thought to herself. 'Its time I break my barrier, I can trust him.' They walked for a while niether talking, finally they stopped beneath a tree.

"Whats the catch? Is this where you kill me?" Kazuo joked.

"Haha, very funny. No, I just figured, I might as well trust you since we're going to be spending alot more time together, you know with the way that Inuyasha has us paired up."

Little did they know that Inuyasha was in the trees, he had taken Kagome back to the inn and went to find Kazuo. But he figured he'd stay hidden and watch, plus he knew Kazuo couldn't smell him because he smelled like him.

"Why do you blame yourself all of the time? Tihiko asked.

"I don't know, I just feel like I could've done something more to help Kazuma. And Inuyasha I don't know if I can accept him as my father...and mom, now she is just so messed up, this isn't good for her, she doesn't need to go through this, she lost the love of her life 14 years ago, and now she lost her son to her worst enemy. I don't know why I'm telling you this but I guess I just need to get it off my chest."

Inuyasha flinched at these words.

"You can always tell..." Tihiko looked around.

They all sensed it, and then they saw him, but it wasn't him. What they saw was a demon, a full demon, his eyes which were once golden were now bright red, his chest which was once just in good shape was now in perfect shape, his claws and fangs were much larger than Kazuo's, and since he didn't have his kimono shirt they could see the black mark.

"Kazuma..." Kazuo said standing infront of Tihiko.