A Light amongst the Darkness

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A/N: Alrighty chapter three!! :::does happy chapter dance::: Don’t have a clue how long that dance is going to last. I have been trying to think out this chapter over and over again and I think I actually managed to kill my brain. :::shakes her head and hears an odd sort of rattling noise::: that can not be good…

A/N: Okie everyone there are some spoilers in the chapter. I made some references to some of the later episodes in this chapter. So you have been warned. They are really little not not that noticeable but some character’s name you might or might not recognize.

A/N: Some new words to know baba=old hag (roughly translated)
Dono=master
Aneue=Older Sister (respected)
*Disclaimer* I don’t own Inuyasha or any of the characters. They belong to their respected creators. I on the other hand do own all the characters I create for this fan fiction. The characters of Inuyasha are just coming along for the ride and I bet they will have a lot of fun ::::eyes Inuyasha and Kagome::::

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Chapter Three
The Legend of the War of Darkness

Inuyasha held Kagome close to him as she fainted into his arms. Her lips had tasted so good and had made him feel alive when they touched. Now she lies in his arms totally exhausted from her battle with the memory.

“Kagome-sama?” whispered Miroku as he knelt beside Inuyasha and looked at her sleeping face.

“She is alright Miroku. She is just exhausted and fainted. I have her,” replied Inuyasha. Inuyasha c hea hear someone else walking up to them. Inuyasha smelt her before she spoke.

“Inuyasha we should really get Kagome-chan out of here. This place still has some of the aura of that youki,” stated Sango as she looked around the forest. Or what was left of it. From the combination of Kagome attacking Sesshoumaru and the power that she used to purify the youki the forest was looking worse for wear.

“I agree with Sango Inuyasha. It is still not safe for Kagome-sama to be here. Especially in the weakened state that she is in,” said Miroku as he got to his feet.

Inuyasha silently agreed and picked Kagome up. Making sure that he had a good grip on her he started to make his way to the village. Inuyasha had only taken a few steps when Shippo yelled, “Hey where is Sesshoumaru?!”

Inuyasha stopped and looked around. Miroku and Sango did the same thing. Inuyasha sniffed the air but couldn’t smell Sesshoumaru. “He is long gone Shippo. Let’s get going.” Shippo looked at Inuyasha in disbelief. He was walking away from this without even yelling or cursing at what Sesshoumaru had done.

“Inuyasha,” whispered Miroku.

“Look Sesshoumaru is gone! I love to go and find him and kick his ass for putting Kagome through all of this but right now Kagome needs somewhere that she can rest and be safe. Until then Sesshoumaru can go and pout at having his ass kicked by a girl!” Inuyasha stated and started to walk once again towards the village.

Miroku, Sango, and Shippo all looked at each. Inuyasha had actually made sense. He was thinking about Kagome first and not about how much he wanted to kill Sesshoumaru. Sango smiled as she looked at Inuyasha walking very carefully through the broken trees and shattered earth. However Sango knew that she had helped to finally drill into Inuyasha’s head that he cared deeply for Kagome. But her smile was not to last.

“Come on Sango let’s get going as well,” said Miroku in cheery voice as he placed his hand on her butt and started to move her to follow Inuyasha.

A defining slap echoed throughout the trees as Sango slapped Miroku about the face. She adjusted her boomerang and walked after Inuyasha.

“Miroku when are going to learn?” giggled Shippo as he jumped up onto Miroku’s shoulder.

“What can I say Shippo. I love it when that woman slaps me,” replied Miroku as he massaged his cheek and followed Sango and Inuyasha.

***

Sesshoumaru wa ver very slowly back to the place that he had left Rin and Jakin. He was not looking forward to Jakin annoying him with stupid questions about how he got hurt so much. Though he himself didn’t know how he allowed himself to get this injured. Sesshoumaru stopped and looked at the night sky.

“What was I thinking? How could the mere thought of Sorano make me act that way? I, Sesshoumaru am not a human. I do not have those worthless emotions that they have. They make me weak!”

But a voice in the back of his mind was telling him that he was wrong. These emotions didn’t make him weak. They made him stronger. Especially when the emotions involved Sorano. Sorano was the only one that Sesshoumaru let into his life. She was the one person who truly knew who he was and she was the one person that Sesshoumaru trusted with every ounce of his being.

“But she is long gone now. I lost her and though we did promise our lives to each other I am still in this world while she is not. That memory of hers was right to wish to kill me. I was meant to be by her side for all entirety and yet I am not.”

Sesshoumaru leaned against a near by tree and closed his eyes. His mind was racing as he tried to figure out what all this meant. The Plain of Ankara let that human miko Kagome enter. She was possessed by the memory of Sorano which was growing in power for over sixty years because I was still walking this world while she was not. Then the memory attacked me using that human as a body. But Inuyasha stopped her from delivering me from this world. Why did Inuyasha stop her? He has never once wished for my safety to the contrary he has wished to fight and kill me every time we meet.

Sesshoumaru opened his eyes and looked at the night sky. The stars were very bright tonight. It was a very calm night and yet Sesshoumaru was a ball of chaos on the inside. Nothing was making any sense. Sorano had been sealed and there was no way of bringing her back. They couldn’t bring her back it was not allowed. And yet now Sorano’s memoad bad been awakened by a human.

“It looks like things have been set in motion and I will never be able to stop it. But if it means that Sorano will be back in this world then I will fight off heaven of hell just to see her one more time.”

Sesshoumaru pushes himself off the tree and continued his walking. His mind was still racing as he tried to figure out why Inuyasha saved him. Then it hit him. He wasn’t saving me. He was trying to save that human. Sesshoumaru recalled Inuyasha yelling at him telling him that the human was going to purify the memory. And the little human did it! She actually purified the memory of hatred that had sixty years to build up in strength. This human was chosen by Sorano herself to have that memory. Was it also Sorano who wanted the human to purify the memory?

Sesshoumaru raised his blood stained hand to his forehead. All of this was happening to fast. His mind was in overdrive as everything was speeding together. But the more he thought he figured out the more questions he seemed to think up. Sorano wouldn’t want the memory to be purified. If she did then she would not want me dead. But then if it wasn’t Sorano who wanted it purified then who did? That human wouldn’t know what the true intentions of the memory was until it was too late. And yet she stopped the memory and not only saved herself but saved me as well.

“Sorano I need to talk to you more then ever now. What are you doing? You know as well as I do that you can not come back to this world. And yet you seem to be coming back and out of the seal.”

Then another question raced into his thoughts. Is your seal breaking? Are the four items of Darkness calling out to you? Has he returned? At the thought of his last thought Sesshoumaru shuttered for the first time in maany any decades. Just the thought of him coming back was enough to make the blood of the Lord of the Western Lands run cold. Sorano you are the only youkai that has the power to stop him.

“All these questions and still no answers. To think I would have to go back to that village after all this time.” Sesshoumaru lowered his hand and started to walk once again back to Rin and Jakin. This was going to be a long night and Sesshoumaru wanted answers.

***

Inuyasha sat only half listening to the conversation that Miroku, Sango and Shippo were having with Kaeda. They were each taking turns telling Kaeda what had happened in the clearing, the fight with Sesshoumaru and finally Kagome purifying the memory that taken possession of her. All Inuyasha could seem to do was watch Kagome. She was lying asleep on one of the futons on the floor of Kaeda’s hut. Inuyasha was thankful that her breathing and heart rate had returned to normal and now all she was doing was resting.

“And then Kagome-sama flowed back down to the ground and Inuyasha caught her. Sesshoumaru left shortly after this happened so we couldn’t ask him what was going on,” finished Miroku as him let out a sigh.

Kaeda sat in silence for awhile prodding the fire with a stick and bringing the tea back to a boil. Sango was staring at the fire and every once and awhile she would look over at Kagome with tear filled eyes. Shippo was curled up beside Kagome and he had silent tears running down his face as he gently ran his hand through Kagome’s hair.

“Miroku Houshi-dono did you say that Sesshoumaru mentioned the War of Darkness?” asked Kaeda after a time.

Miroku looked at Kaeda and nodded. “Why Kaeda-sama?”

“While from what you have just explained this sounds like the work of a miko and youkai that existed during that War.”

“You mean you know of this War?” asked Sango drawing her gaze away from Kagome.

“Yes child I know of the War of Darkness. Though it was before all of our time,” Kaeda suddenly looked at Inuyasha. He could felt her looking at him. Inuyasha reluctantly looked away from Kagome, “except for you Inuyasha.”

Inuyasha gave Kaeda a quizzical look, “Except for me? You mean I was around during this war?”

“You would have been but a young child Inuyasha but you were very much apart of the War of Darkness.”

Inuyasha blinked a couple of times at Kaeda. What the hell is this old woman talking about? I would remember something like this, thought Inuyasha. “What the hell are you on baba? I would remember something like that.”

“You were only a few summers old. But the youkai and miko knew you and you knew them.”

“Kaeda-sama are saying that Inuyasha was involved in the war? But if he was only a few summers old them how did he fight? He would have been to weak,” inquired Miroku.

“No Inuyasha did not fight in this war. But the miko and the youkai lived in the same village that Inuyasha and his mother lived in when the war was happening.” Kaeda stood up and walked over to the door of the hut, “If you all will follow me I will show everything.” Without another word Kaeda pushed aside the bamboo curtain that covered the doorway and walked out into the night.

Miroku, Sango and even Shippo all stood up. Inuyasha was sitting in silence at what Kaeda had just said. The youkai that possessed Kagome lived in the same village as my mother and me? There was a miko involved in a war that sounds like it involved only youkai. Inuyasha was brought out of his thoughts by Miroku asking him if he was coming.

“I don’t want to leave Kagome alone,” replied Inuyasha as he looked again into the sleeping face of Kagome. I don’t ever want to leave you alone again.

“Inuyasha she will be fine. She is resting and I don’t sense that youki anymore. If you like Shippo and Kirira will stay with Kagome-sama and make sure that she is alright. Shippo made to protest but Miroku gave him a pleading look. After all Inuyasha was probably going to need to hear this.

“Ye...Yeah Inuyasha you go with Miroku, Sango Kae Kaeda. I think you need to find out what is going on. That way you will be able to protect Kagome from whatever it was that possessed her.” Inuyasha looked at Shippo. The little runt was actually making good sense.

Inuyasha gently cupped Kagome’s cheek and whispered, “I won’t be gone long.” Inuyasha stood up and followed Miroku out of the hut. Kaeda was a little ways ahead and Sango was waiting only a few feet away for them. Inuyasha didn’t really want to leave the hut until Kagome had awakened but Shippo was right. He needed to find out what was going on. If he didn’t something like this would happen again and then he might actually loss Kagome.

Miroku, Sango, and Inuyasha followed Kaeda up the stairs that lend to Kikyo’s grave. Behind the grave was a small shrine but other then that there was nothing up there. Inuyasha looked at Kikyo’s grave and sighed. He had really wished that he could have returned her bones to the earth in which that they had been stolen from but he never did find her body. At least Inuyasha knew that Kikyo was no longer suffering in this world. After all Kaeda had said that she sensed that Kikyo’s soul was finally at peace.

“Hey Kaeda-baba! There is nothing up here that has anything to do with some war that happened decades ago. This is stupid. I am going back to Kagome,” stated Inuyasha.

When Kaeda didn’t respond Inuyasha turned around and started his way back to the stairs. Inuyasha’s foot was about to descend the first step when he heard Sango gasp. Inuyasha turned around and saw that Kaeda was glowing. Inuyasha blinked hard and when he was sure that his eyes weren’t playing tricks on him he ran back and stood beside Miroku.

“What the hell…” muttered Inuyasha under his breath.

Kaeda stood just to the right of the shrine that was behind Kikyo’s grave. Her eye was closed and she was holding her hands together in front of her chest with her two index fingers positioned straight up. She had a deep look of concentration on her face.

“Rahono nai sorota zai ten. Rahono nai sorota zai ten. Rahono nai sorota zai HON!” As Kaeda chanted out the last word she changed the way she was holding her hands. She thrust her hands forward. Inuyasha thought that her hands were just going to go straight forward and not touch anything but when she straightened her arms out the tips of her fingers connected with an unseen wall of energy.

“Kekkai,” whispered Sango?

“This has been here the whole time and never once did I sense it.” replied Miroku and watched in awe as the kekkai slowly melted away like water running down a water fall. Behind the kekkai was a very lavish temple. It looked as if it had just been build.

“It looks so new and yet I am sensing that this has been here for at least a hundred years,” whispered Miroku.

“You are almost right Miroku Houshi-dono. This temple was created by the youkai and Sesshoumaru.”

Inuyasha suddenly came out of his daze after watching the temple appear out of nowhere. “Sesshoumaru?! And the youkai that possessed Kagome?!”

“The memory was the one who possessed Kagome Inuyasha. Not the youkai herself. Please come inside I will explain everything.” Kaeda started to walk up the stairs of the temple and inside without looking back. Sango followed and was closely followed my Miroku. Miroku stopped half way up the stairs and half turned to look at Inuyasha. “Are you coming or not?” Miroku didn’t even wait for an answer before he finished walking up the stairs and into the temple.

“WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON!” shouted Inuyasha and he too started towards the temple.

Inuyasha felt as if he had just entered tomb. Inuyasha didn’t need be a Houshi to feel the youki and spiritual power that was within this temple. The very air that he was breathing was full of it. Inuyasha felt that he would be scolded if he spoke. The temple was very elegantly decorated. There were pictures on three of the walls and the last wall was a giant shelve covered with neatly piled scrolls and pieces of parchment. Kaeda was leading them to the very end of the temple. Inuyasha was smelling so many different scents and powers that it was making him dizzy.

When Kaeda finally came to a stop and she was standing before a very beautiful painting. The main focus of the picture was a very beautiful youkai who was wearing strange clothing and armor. She had long flowing white golden hair and very mysterious silver opal eyes.

“I know those eyes,” stated Inuyasha, “Those were colour of eyes that Kagome had when she was possessed. I thought you said that she was being possessed by the memory and not the youkai. Then how come she had those eyes?!” But what was bugging Inuyasha even more was the fact that he knew this youkai. He could feel it inside. He somehow knew this youkai and the mere appearance of her was making Inuyasha feel safe and calm even though he was trying his best to get angry.

“This is a painting of the Youkai of Light. This is the youkai to whom that memory had once belonged Inuyasha. Her actually name is still unknown as light youkai’s do not have “earthly” names. However Sesshoumaru had named her Sorano,” answered Kaeda.

“Sesshoumaru named her?” asked Sango and she walked closer to the painting and gazed at her, “She is so beautiful Kaeda.”

“Yes she is very beautiful and she was also known for her kindness and warm presence. Sesshoumaru named her because she did not have a name and since the first time they met was when she was “ascending” to the “earthly realm” he decided to call her Sorano.”

Miroku walked towards the painting and was looking at another woman that was painted just to the left of Sorano. “Who is this woman Kaeda-sama? She is dressed as a miko. Could she be the miko that you were talking about earlier?” questioned Miroku.

“Yes Miroku Houshi-dono. Her name was Hitomi-sama. She was one of the most powerful mikos of that time. She fought along side Sorano and Sesshoumaru during the War of Darkness.”

“Whoa whoa whoa! Wait a minute. My brother fight with a human at his side?! Are you sure that you are talking about Sesshoumaru thee “all high and mighty and humans are like the dirt I walk on” Lord of the Western Lands? Because he would never bring himself to fight along side a human even if you say that this Hitomi was a powerful miko.”

Kaeda sighed and sat down. She looked at everyone else with a look that she wanted them to do the same. “This is going to take longer then I thought. Inuyasha did you really think that Sesshoumaru was always the cold hearted youkai that he is today? Well if you did you were wrong. Sesshoumaru was once a very kind and warm hearted youkai and he was this way because of his love for Sorano.”

“My brother loved this Sorano person?” Inuyasha was not believing any of this. When he had awaken this morning the only thing he was looking forward to was Kagome coming back from her time so that they could figure out a way to get the final Shikon Shard before Naraku. And now he is finding out that his brother not only was warm and caring but he was also in love. Inuyasha’s brain was going to overload any minute now and he knew that Kaeda was going to end up telling them more unbelievable stuff.

“Yes Inuyasha Sesshoumaru deeply loved Sorano and they even promised their lives to each other. And because of Sorano’s powers a great peace had been brought to the world. The youkai and humans were getting along. But this was not to last. A great youkai appeared in the land and started to spread chaos and darkness to everything that he touched. He wished more then anything to see everything and everyone consumed by darkness.’

“That was the beginning of the War of Darkness. Sorano, Hitomi-sama and Sesshoumaru formed a very powerful army of all the Western Youkai. Your father Inuyasha was the leader of this army and with Sesshoumaru at his side they were managing to keep the darkness at bay. Sorano and Hitomi-sama concentrated on the purification of all the darkness that had managed to enter into the West unnoticed by your father and Sesshoumaru. Sorano and Hitomi-sama were very well known throughout the Western Lands as the bringers of hope, life and light.’

“However this too was not to last. The youkai that had started the war took the name “Ryuzaburo” and wanted nothing more then to consume Sorano.” Sango make to interrupt but Kaeda just held up a hand and Sango stored the question in the back of her mind. “He then started the attacks on the borders on the western Lands in hopes of drawing out Sorano. Your father and Sesshoumaru were managing to keep the army of darkness at bay and no matter how much Sorano pleaded with Sesshoumaru to enter the war he always told her no.’

“This is how you met her Inuyasha.” Inuyasha blinked at Kaeda dumb founded. He was still trying to get over the fact that his brother was fighting to protect the people of West and that meant the humans as well. Also he had wished for this Sorano’s safety that he banded her from fighting when she sounded like she was an excellent warrior.

“She met me? Then how come I don’t remember her or any of this?” Inuyasha asked as he crossed his arms and grew impatient.

“You we born during the attacks on the border and your father was fearing for your mother’s and your life. And since Sesshoumaru would no allow Sorano to enter into the war your father asked Sorano if she would watch over you and your mother in his place. Sorano agreed and came to live in the village that you and your mother lived in. She became a “big sister” of sorts to you. Whenever she was not helping Hitomi-sama she was always in the village taking care of you since your mother was becoming ill.’

“However the war took a turn for the worst and with the appearance of Ryuukotsusei things just got that much more worse for the Western Lands. You father battled with Ryuukotsusei but they were both evenly matched. It took your father sealing Ryuukotsusei in order to stop him. But this caused the fatal injury to your father and not to soon after he died, leaving Sesshoumaru the Lord of the Western Lands and the leader of the Western Army. Ryuzaburo took this opportunity to attack with everything that he had since he knew that your father was dead.’

“Sesshoumaru had no choice but to ask for Sorano’s help in defending the borders.” Inuyasha closed his eyes and muttered softly, “That was the last day I ever saw Aneue.” Inuyasha opened his eyes and looked around. Everyone was looking at him. He was already annoyed at the fact that none of this was making sense and now something was awakening in the back of his mind. He didn’t need everyone staring at him and annoying him further, “WHAT!”

“Inuyasha did you just say something?” questioned Kaeda.

“No I did not! Now if you don’t mind get on with your story!” snapped Inuyasha.

Kaeda eyed Inuyasha but shook her head, sighed and continued on, “Sorano came to Sesshoumaru’s aid and she was an even match for Ryuzaburo. They fought off and on again for the next two years. Neither one making any ground on the other. It was clear to Hitomi-sama that onl only way to defeat Ryuzaburo was to seal him away. However Sesshoumaru feared that the person would share the same fate as his father if they tried that and since Sesshoumaru had already lost a lot of his army to this war he was not wishing to lose anyone else.’

“Finally Hitomi-sama and Sorano, in secret, found a way to seal Ryuzaburo away and protect the Western Lands. They did this all in secret because in order to seal away such a powerful youkai another youkai of the same power would have to be sealed away as well. Which meant that Sorano would have to sacrifice her freedom and be sealed so that Ryuzaburo would be sealed as well.’

“From this point on not much is known about the finally battle that took place between Sorano and Ryuzaburo. All that is known is that it Sorano had to be purified first before it could happen and that is how the memory came to be in that clearing. The tainted memories and thoughts of Sorano were to powerful for Hitomi-sama to purify and then have enough power left to complete the sealing spell. So Hitomi-sama just sent the memories out into the world and they embedded themselves in the places that the memories first began.’

“This is how Kagome found the memory of Sorano in that clearing. In the back of Sorano’s mind she was angry that she was about to leave this world and leave behind the one person that she had promised her live to and that he had promised his life to her. She was angry because she was leaving and he was staying. So that memory and thought was removed and it ended up in the clearing.”

“Then how come it attacked and possessed Kagome-sama?” asked Miroku.

“The only reason I can come up with Miroku Houshi-dono is that the memory felt the very powerful spiritual powers of Kagome and knew that her body would be able to last against the youki until the memory had killed Sesshoumaru,” replied Kaeda.

“Then how does she fit in,” asked Inuyass hes he nodded his head in the direction of Sorano’s painting.

“What do you mean Inuyasha?”

“Well Kagome talked about a youkai coming and helping her to purify the youki. The little description that Kagome gave sounds like this Sorano person. The memory was the one acting of its instincts then how come she was inside Kagome’s thoughts?” asked Inuyasha.

Everyone stared at Inuyasha. “I didn’t think that you would deduce that Inuyasha. I am impressed?” Miroku ended up get punched in the head from Inuyasha who ranted that he wasn’t stupid and that he could “deduce” anything.

“Well Inuyasha I have to say that I am not sure. I will have to do some research and since Kagome is mentally and physically exhausted you all will be resting in the village for at least a few days. That will give me time to think of an answer for you Inuyasha. And Miroku Houshi-dono there are some herbs within the hut that will be able to take care of the bruise.” Miroku was massaging the side of his head that Inuyasha had hit and simply nodded at Kaeda.

Inuyasha stood up and stretched. “First Kagome is possessed by some youkai’s memory that is bent on killing. Then Kagome actually tries to kill Sesshoumaru and almost does it. Then Kagome purifies the youki and is unconscious in Kaeda-baba’s hut,” Inuyasha was speaking with Sango and Miroku as they make there way out of the temple and down the steps, “I swear nothing else can possibly go wrong today!”

“INUYASHA!!!!”

That was Shippo’s voice!! Kagome! Before Miroku and Sango could completely turn in the direction of the hut, Inuyasha was running down the stairs and heading for Kaeda’s hut.

“KAGOME!”

***

A/N: I know I’m an ass!! Not only is this chapter full of info I then leave it at a huge cliffhanger. Well I am the queen of cliffhangers. I don’t mean for it to happen it just sorta happens that the next major thought would be like another eight pages and I would go insane trying to finish it.