InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ A Latent Destiny ❯ Chapter 8 ( Chapter 8 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

Disclaimer: Inuyasha and its characters are created by Rumiko Takahashi, not me, but the new plots and the original characters (Akiyama, Moriko, Kajimaru, Eiko, Shoichi, Katsuo and Natsumi) are mine. This fanfiction had been written for entertainment purposes only and without intention of infringing upon any copyright.

A/N: Thanks for reading and reviewing so far! Um… (Looks away guiltily) I know this chapter is very late, but believe me, I've tried. My Inuyasha muse had decided to go on hiatus, I think, so it was quite hard for me to get the words out for this chapter. I fear that this might happen for the next chapter as well, and I apologize in advance. Anyway, Chapter 8 here now - one of the longer chapters, and I hope that you'll enjoy it.

A Latent Destiny by elle6778 - Chapter 8

Three weeks had passed since Sesshoumaru became a part of their traveling group. It took some time, but they had finally managed to settle into some sort of routine. One by one, she steered them from one place to another, all the while trying hard to remember the order in which she had encountered friends and foes in the past.

Still, it was rather difficult because with the Shikon jewel still intact within her. Therefore, it was inevitable that she could not find most of the demons they had encountered before. Instead, they encountered different demons who seemed bent on creating problems for them. She supposed she could not complain, because in one of those battles, Inuyasha had finally discovered the Kaze-no-Kizu.

Kagome frowned worriedly. If she remembered correctly, she should be meeting Shippou just about now. But how was she to do so when neither Hiten nor Manten had the jewel shards? Which probably meant that Shippou's father was still well and alive. Which meant that Shippou would not be running around looking for ways to strengthen himself to avenge his father.

Talk about strengthening, ever since their first `battle', Sesshoumaru had persisted in engaging Inuyasha in one form of battle or another. Sometimes Inuyasha humored him by actually fighting, but the rest of the time, the hanyou simply bopped Sesshoumaru on the head. What surprised her most, though, was that for the last few days, Inuyasha had stopped bullying Sesshoumaru. She could have sworn that the last time he had done so, he seemed almost ashamed afterwards. So he should be.

Kagome glanced down at the serious-looking child beside her. His presence was strangely calming. The atmosphere this time round was completely different from the last time she had traveled in the past. Also, Inuyasha seemed to be a little less crass, even though sometimes his mouth could still be as foul as ever. She finally decided that the change was due to Sesshoumaru's influence.

She had not expected this. But so many unexpected things had happened so far, so she really should not be that surprised. It was an understatement to say that she had been impressed by Sesshoumaru's calm manner of dealing with things during their fights over the last few weeks, not that she should have expected any less from someone like him. But still, it was quite amazing to see how Sesshoumaru had been before he turned into the cold-hearted assassin.

A small frown crossed her brows at the thought. What could have happened to cause that? It was hard to believe that this child would grow up to be so cold. If she had to guess, she would say that his father and grandmother had nothing to do with it. Which left only one other source of influence. His mother.

Deciding that she should take the opportunity to find out more about him, she asked, “Ne, Sesshoumaru? Do you miss your mother?”

His steps faltered slightly as he glanced up at her. Then his brows furrowed. “Haha-ue? She must be wondering where I am.”

That was not what she asked. Determined to find out more, she pressed on, “Yes, she must be really worried by now. You've been gone for weeks.”

His eyes remained fixed to some point in the distance. “She would be concerned that someone might have taken me for leverage against the Western Lands.” His tone was matter-of-fact, displaying no emotion. “Perhaps I should send her a message.”

Kagome blinked. If he tried to send a message now, his mother might really get it, seeing that she was actually still alive out there somewhere. She wondered what would happen after that?

“Keh! It won't take long for us to hunt down this Naraku and then you can go, alright,” Inuyasha remarked gruffly.

She glanced over Sesshoumaru's head at the hanyou, silently thanking him. A few weeks ago, she had finally found some quiet time to talk to Inuyasha while Sesshoumaru was bathing. It was then that she made Inuyasha agree to keep the events in the tomb a secret, because who knew what Sesshoumaru would do if he found out? Especially since Sesshoumaru had been asking some odd questions lately.

“Kagome?”

She glanced down at the small form. “What is it, Sesshoumaru?”

“I detect the kitsune's scent.”

Kagome gasped, her eyes widening. Could it be Shippou? “Where?” she asked urgently.

Sesshoumaru inclined his head towards the east. “A fair distance in that direction.”

“Keh! I still don't understand why you want to find some measly kitsune.”

She glanced sharply at the scowling hanyou. “It's important to me, alright! Shippou might be in danger right at this moment. He's probably alone and he's just a small kit and someone needs to take care of him.”

“Why is he alone?” Sesshoumaru asked curiously.

“Because his father might be-” Kagome broke off, blinking when she realized what she had almost said. She was sure that it was not a good idea to say more on the topic until she knew exactly what was going on with Shippou.

Inuyasha snorted. “I thought if he's all alone, you would have picked him up and coddled him the way you do to Sesshoumaru here.”

Kagome bristled indignantly. The idea was ridiculous. “I do not coddle Sesshoumaru.”

“She does not coddle me,” Sesshoumaru inserted, looking affronted.

Inuyasha raised a brow. “So, you haven't answered me. Why isn't this Shippou with you?”

Kagome sighed. “Look, he probably doesn't know who I am, alright. Some distant relatives of him told me that he might need help,” she fabricated. “Look, let's not waste time. The faster we do this, the faster we'll get to Naraku.”

“What has this got to do with Naraku?” Inuyasha asked.

Groaning in exasperation, Kagome reached out to grab Inuyasha's ear. Ignoring his indignant snarl, she snapped, “Can't you just trust me on this?!”

“Let me go, damn it!” Inuyasha shouted, pulling away from her. “Fine! I'll go!”

Kagome huffed. Dealing with Inuyasha now was so different from dealing with Inuyasha after mellowing him down for three years. But at least this time he seemed more willing to listen to her than the last time. She supposed she should not be too surprised. When they had met in the previous version of the past, she was dependent on Inuyasha to protect her all the times seeing that she had no battle skills. But this time round, although he still tried to protect her at times, it was clear that she did not need it. Still, she was rather touched by the familiarity of the gesture.

“Shall we depart?” Sesshoumaru broke into her thoughts.

Smiling at his barely suppressed eagerness to leave, Kagome nodded. “Lead the way, Sesshoumaru.”

…***…***…***…

Sesshoumaru's nose twitched as he tilted his head up to catch the correct scent. Once he found it, he immediately darted between the trees towards his target. His blood sang as he sped forward, relishing the joy of the hunt. This was something familiar to him, for his Chichi-ue had often brought him along during his hunting trips.

“Sesshoumaru! Slow down, damn it! The wench can't keep up.”

Sesshoumaru halted abruptly, and then glanced over his shoulders. He was so intent upon his target that he had all but forgotten about the rest of his traveling companions. Or rather, he had forgotten that neither of them were full-blooded youkai, and therefore not capable of his level of speed. How he could have forgotten this very obvious fact was beyond him.

When they arrived by his side, Sesshoumaru's eyes went to the panting girl before turning to Inuyasha. “Perhaps you should assist her. It would be more efficient.”

Inuyasha's features displayed his confusion. “Huh?”

“I think…” Kagome gulped in some air before she continued, “Sesshoumaru means that you should carry me.”

Eyes bulging with incredulity, Inuyasha exclaimed, “What?!”

“It is only sensible, if we wish to catch up with the kitsune. I can sense them moving away right this instant,” Sesshoumaru pointed out, his eyes flicking in the direction of his target while attempting to hide his impatience.

A sound of exasperation escaped Kagome amidst Inuyasha's protests. “Inuyasha, what's the big deal? Does the idea of carrying me really bother you that much?” she asked edgily.

“But…” Pausing briefly, the hanyou glanced away and then back. Finally a resigned huff of breath left him. “Fine, jump on,” he muttered gruffly, presenting Kagome his back as he crouched down.

The human girl mounted his brother with a surprising familiarity. For a moment, Sesshoumaru wondered if she had done this before, until he recalled Inuyasha's protests. But now that everyone was prepared, it was time to resume the chase.

With that thought, Sesshoumaru sprung forward again.

They traveled for a while longer before they reached a rocky area. Unlike the previous places, this one was barren of lush trees. Instead, all Sesshoumaru could see were rocks of all shapes and sizes decorating the landscape. The chill in the air permeated his skin, and Sesshoumaru steeled himself against the cold before he swept his eyes over the area. Lips pressed tightly at what his senses were telling him, Sesshoumaru turned to his companions.

“They have left.”

Kagome's lips parted, and her light in eyes instantly dimmed. “They?”

Sesshoumaru nodded. “Two kitsune youkai.” Now that he was this close, he was able to discern their characteristics with more accuracy. “One adult and one kit.”

“You mean you dragged us all the way to tell us that those kitsune youkai are gone?!” Inuyasha sputtered, panting slightly as he dropped Kagome from his back. “Why the hell can't you track them again?”

Sesshoumaru grimaced. Could Inuyasha not sense it? “I'm unable to do so because they took to the air.” Glancing around, he added, “Their victims are still here.”

This time Kagome gasped. “Victims? They were in a fight??”

Nodding, Sesshoumaru gestured towards the north. “Their victims are still unconscious.”

“Let's go,” Kagome urged.

“What? Hey, wench! I thought you wanted to go after the kitsune. So what's this with their victims?”

Knowing that they would remain there arguing if he did not do anything about it, Sesshoumaru interjected, “I'll lead you to them.”

With that, he streaked forward, weaving between the rocks. He did not stop until he reached an area bounded by a tall, circular formation of boulders. As he expected, there were two unconscious youkai on their backs in the middle of the area. From what he could tell from the shattered rocks and the burnt ground, the battle had been furious, resulting in victory for the kitsune.

It was not long before Inuyasha and Kagome joined him. Glancing at her, Sesshoumaru took note of the shock crossing her features before the expression was replaced by resignation. How odd, he thought. He wondered what was going through her mind.

“Well, I guess since Shippou is well and with his father, I don't need to worry about him.”

At that, Sesshoumaru cast her an odd look. “Why would you be worried about a kitsune who doesn't even know you exist?”

“Because if he's alone, someone has to protect him.”

Sesshoumaru's brows furrowed. His grandmother had always said the same words to him. If one was weak, they would be unable to protect themselves, hence they required a stronger one to protect them, to shield them from harm. She also said that by protecting the weak, one would become even stronger. Also, with no one to protect them, the weak would be extinguished, leaving only the strong ones.

What would happen then? According to his mother, if one was weak, one deserved such a fate. Depending on the strong for protection would only weaken them further, and there was no benefit in aiding such helpless creatures.

Those conflicting ideas confused him. Once he had asked his father about this. The taiyoukai had simply given him an odd smile before telling him that one day he would see the difference, and would choose the correct path.

Thinking back to the last few weeks made Sesshoumaru realize one thing. That for all his brashness and uncouth manner, Inuyasha had done his best to protect both of them. And from this most recent encounter, it was obvious that Kagome took the same view about protecting the weak.

Both of them had chosen the first path.

…***…***…***…

It was a good thing that Shippou and his father survived the fight with Hiten and Manten this time round. She guessed it was to be expected, seeing that this time, Hiten and Manten did not have the additional strength from the Shikon shards.

Kagome glanced away from the two unconscious brothers with a bittersweet feeling. She wished that she could have at least seen Shippou. She missed the little kitsune, but she knew that this time, Shippou was right where he belonged by his father's side.

A small smile crossed her lips. As it should be all along. Perhaps in changing the past this time, better things would happen. Perhaps the Shikon jewel was never meant to be shattered like it had done the first time round.

She took a deep breath and turned to her waiting companions. Inuyasha was staring off in the distance, a scowl firmly planted on his face and his arms crossed over his chest. He was obviously not happy about the situation. In fact, it occurred to her then to question why he was staying. Even though he had given his word to help defeat Naraku, Inuyasha could easily disappear on her. After all, as far as the hanyou was concerned, he barely knew her. And yet, he stayed.

Her attention shifted to the smaller of the brothers, watching as Sesshoumaru knelt down to peer at Hiten intently. She wondered if Sesshoumaru was the reason for Inuyasha's presence. Under that brash façade, perhaps Inuyasha longed for the closeness of his only brother. Like the way Shippou remained by his father's side, perhaps this version of the past would see Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru getting closer. It was already happening, she noted as she saw Inuyasha walking towards his brother.

“Oi, brat! Stop poking them. You'll probably wake them up.”

Sesshoumaru stood up. “I'm not touching them.”

Inuyasha frowned at him. “Keh! But if they wake up, don't expect me to defend you.”

“I can protect myself.”

“You're still losing to me,” Inuyasha pointed out, a smug expression creeping over his face.

“Then perhaps you should do your duty,” Sesshoumaru responded immediately, his expression giving away nothing.

Inuyasha blinked. “Uh?”

“As the elder sibling, it is your duty to ensure that I am adequately trained,” Sesshoumaru remarked blandly.

“E-Elder sibling?” Inuyasha sputtered. His shock was evident as his mouth opened and closed wordlessly. He continued to stare at Sesshoumaru with a bewildered look, as if he had not seen him before. Then an odd expression came over him, something which looked like realization.

Kagome held her breath. What was Inuyasha thinking?

The hanyou straightened visibly, and then asked in a cautious voice, “You're asking me to train you?”

Sesshoumaru tilted his head, wearing a puzzled expression. “Is that not what you were doing over the last few weeks?”

Inuyasha fell silent for a while, a thoughtful expression crossing his features. Then he smirked. “Feh, you call that training? I'll show you real training one day.”

Eyes gleaming in anticipation, but obviously trying to suppress his excitement, Sesshoumaru inclined his head. “In that case, I look forward to it.”

Kagome smiled, realizing that this was how they should be as brothers instead of trying to kill each other. Yeah, maybe returning here to re-live everything was not such a bad thing after all is she managed to fix Inuyasha's and Sesshoumaru's relationship. After all, from the looks of it, they had the potential of being civil together.

“Oi! What are we still standing here for?”

Jolted out of her thoughts, Kagome rolled her eyes. Perhaps it was too much, asking Inuyasha to be civil. Nodding at her companions, Kagome clapped her hands together energetically.

“Well, let's move on then. We've got work to do!”

…***…***…***…

For the third night in a row, Sesshoumaru found himself alone just outside a small human village. Seated on a wide tree-branch overlooking the small shrine, he swept his eyes over the area once again. Carefully observing what his father had taught him, he expanded his senses, memorizing every little thing around him. It had to be done so that he would immediately detect intruders.

Such thoughts reminded him that he had been away from home for close to two cycles of the moon. Idly, he wondered why he had no inclination to return. His training with his father was not yet complete, and to leave the nest at such a young age without the benefit of those training was foolish.

And yet, a small voice in his mind pointed out that what he was doing now was as good as training. This time, what he was doing was real, instead of sitting in the library, perusing scrolls after scrolls of techniques. Besides, after losing the scent of the kitsune about five weeks ago, Inuyasha had finally taken his duty seriously and had begun to train him. The so-called training had been rather haphazard at best, but Sesshoumaru could see the improvement in himself.

It occurred to Sesshoumaru then that this was perhaps the longest stretch of time he had spent in the company of others. Usually, his father would be absent from their abode, carrying out his duties as the Lord of the Western Lands, while his mother tended to her affairs. Sesshoumaru frowned when he realized that he did not know what his mother did most days. There were of course servants present in their home, but fraternizing with servants was unseemly.

The sound of familiar voices reached him then, breaking his train of thought. Sesshoumaru frowned, recalling how Kagome had instructed him to keep this task a secret from Inuyasha. Then why was the human girl leading the hanyou to his location?

His question was answered when the voices became clearer.

“Damn it, Kagome! This is the third time he's disappeared off.”

“I told you he's alright! He came back fine the last two nights, didn't he? Besides, with all that training over the last one month, Sesshoumaru can definitely take care of himself.”

“Then why the hell are you stopping me from finding him?”

“Inuyasha, stop or you'll regret this!”

“What? You're going to stone me again?” Inuyasha shot back belligerently.

“If not worse!” she threatened.

It was then that Inuyasha came into his sight. Glancing up immediately, Inuyasha yelled, “Get down, Sesshoumaru!”

Deciding that it was more bothersome to refuse, Sesshoumaru leapt off the branch to land before his brother. Glancing up, he found Inuyasha frowning at him questioningly.

“Now, you want to tell me what the hell are you doing here?”

“I have a task to complete.”

Inuyasha cast Kagome a suspicious look. “Is this something you asked him to do?”

She simply sighed heavily.

Turning back to him, Inuyasha asked, “So what is this task?”

Without a word, Sesshoumaru pointed at the tombstone. It was pointless to hide it now, for Inuyasha would surely find out sooner or later. Clapping her hands to her face, Kagome groaned out loud as Inuyasha walked curiously towards the tombstone.

Then Inuyasha's eyes rounded in disbelief.

“Kikyo…”

A tense silence followed before Inuyasha spun towards Kagome, his eyes flashing with a mix of pain and anger. “You knew who Kikyo is? Why didn't you tell me about this?!” he snarled.

Kagome let out an exasperated sound. “Because I know you'll react like this!”

“How the hell could you have known that?”

She pointed at him. “Look at yourself now. You're practically shaking.”

“I'm not shaking!” Inuyasha glared at her for a moment. When he next spoke, his voice was strained. “When did she die?”

Kagome's eyes flickered. “About fifty years ago, right after she sealed you to the tree.”

“WHAT? That can't be right!”

A resigned sigh escaped Kagome. “Just accept it, alright. You were sealed to that tree for about fifty years.”

Sesshoumaru blinked. Inuyasha was much older than him then. Now he understood why he did not know about Inuyasha until recently.

“How do you know all this? You weren't even born yet at that time,” Inuyasha pointed out heatedly.

Turning his attention to the human, Sesshoumaru wondered curiously how she would respond. He wished to know how Kagome seemed to know so many things as well.

“I know a lot of things, and I can't explain why,” she replied tightly. “But now that we're here, there's something you should know.”

Inuyasha sneered. “Yeah! What else have you been hiding from us?”

She faced him unflinchingly. “Kikyo never betrayed you.”

A choked sound came from Inuyasha. “I don't believe you. She tried to kill me-”

“Hear me out, alright?” Kagome interjected impatiently. Then she took a deep breath before continuing, “I know that you were about to use the Shikon-no-tama to become fully human. It was what Kikyo wanted after all, to live with you, a normal man with a normal woman.”

Eyes widening, Sesshoumaru darted a look at Inuyasha. Why would his brother wish to do such a thing? To give up his heritage for a human?

“H-How…” Inuyasha faltered into silence.

Grimacing, Kagome continued, “It didn't quite work out that way, though. Both you and Kikyo were manipulated into thinking that you betrayed each other. Kikyo was waiting for you when someone who pretended to be you attacked her. After leaving her injured, he told her that he was after the Shikon-no-tama. The same thing happened to you, didn't it, Inuyasha? You ended up attacking the village thinking that she tricked you. But that was not the real Kikyo. The real Kikyo was the one who chased you down to the Goshinboku, thinking that you betrayed her.”

Inuyasha looked lost. “I… I don't… I don't get it.”

Kagome averted her eyes. “The reason we're here is because Urasue, a dark witch, is planning to steal Kikyo's ashes to revive her. I'm just trying to stop it from happening. Kikyo should not be disturbed.”

Inuyasha stared at her disbelievingly, but Sesshoumaru knew that she was telling the truth. His senses were keen enough to detect the changes in a person's form if one was lying. He knew that Kagome had told them half-truths at times, without any hint of malice in her action. It was almost as if she was trying to protect them from the whole truth. But this time, Sesshoumaru was certain that she was speaking the whole truth.

“She is not lying, Inuyasha,” he remarked quietly. “I can sense it.”

Inuyasha glanced sharply at him before turning his flashing golden eyes towards Kagome. This time, the anger in those orbs was more evident. “Who did it?” he hissed.

Kagome's voice was steady when she replied, “Naraku.”

Eyes narrowing, Inuyasha asked, “Why?”

“He wants everything for himself, including Kikyo and the Shikon-no-tama.”

Inuyasha's hands clenched into tight fists as his eyes lowered to his feet. His shoulders trembling with barely suppressed rage, he ground out vehemently, “The bastard. The BASTARD!”

“Inuyasha…” Kagome ventured cautiously, her brows furrowing.

“Where the hell is the bastard?! I'LL KILL HIM!” Inuyasha shouted as his youki pulsed around him erratically.

Sesshoumaru was rather concerned to see Inuyasha in such a state. In the last two months, Inuyasha had displayed many things, but none of it was this overwhelming rage. This Kikyo must be truly important to the hanyou, for Inuyasha to react in such a manner. To charge into battle in such a state was foolish. Perhaps this was why his mother had often told him to keep his emotions at bay, for it would weaken him.

“Do not enter battle in such a way. Your emotions will make you careless,” Sesshoumaru pointed out quietly.

“Believe me when I say that Naraku will pay for this,” Inuyasha ground out, determination lacing every words.

Sesshoumaru studied his brother. As foolish as his reaction was, Inuyasha did not appear weakened at all. In fact, from what Sesshoumaru could tell, his brother's youki was swirling stronger now. Was his mother wrong then?

Before he could come to a satisfactory conclusion, a subtle noise from the air caught his attention. Spinning towards Inuyasha and Kagome, he held up a warning hand. Their loud argument would compromise their position.

“Be quiet. I believe our target is approaching.”

Sesshoumaru continued to watch the sky, noting absently that Inuyasha and Kagome were now standing beside him. Soon enough, his eyes landed on a figure flying through the sky. It was an old wrinkled witch, as Kagome had said.

Unfortunately for them, the witch Urasue's eyesight was keen enough to spot them. Almost immediately, she swung around and flew away in the opposite direction. Sesshoumaru was instantly displeased.

Without taking his eyes off their target, Sesshoumaru asked calmly, “Do we pursue?”

“Yes, we will have to destroy her, or else she will just come back another day.”

“What the hell are we waiting for? Let's go!”

“Very well.”

…***…***…***…

Kagome eyed what she could see of Inuyasha's cheek, their conversation earlier playing through her mind. The hanyou had been silent ever since they left Kikyo's tombstone. His muscles bunched in front of her body with each leap he took, and with each movement, she could feel just how tense he was. She did not mean to drop it on him like that, but she supposed it had to be done sooner or later. In fact, he had taken it far better than she had expected.

With Inuyasha carrying her, streaking through the forest, and Sesshoumaru giving chase in the air, they caught up with Urasue in no time. Only for Kagome to gasp out loud when she realized where exactly they had ended up in. Her eyes landed on the gigantic figure of the sleeping dragon youkai, wincing slightly when she spotted the mask adorning his head. There was no mistaking it.

If her earlier blunders were bad, then what should she call this?

Fate seemed to insist on interfering with the original sequence of events. How could they have ended up in Ryukotsusei's Valley? This was not good. They were not meant to get here until months later. If Ryukotsusei awakened, it meant that they had to fight him. Inuyasha had not had enough time to get all his battle experiences. Not to mention he had not even mastered Kaze-no-Kizu properly yet.

“Get back here and fight, you wrinkled old crone!” Inuyasha shouted.

“Inuyasha…” Kagome began nervously.

“What?”

“That's Ryukotsusei,” Sesshoumaru supplied. “He is father's enemy, though I do not understand why he's sealed.”

Realizing that she had all but forgotten about Sesshoumaru's role in all this, Kagome gulped. In his state, Sesshoumaru would not know that his father had died from the wounds inflicted by Ryukotsusei. What would he do if Ryukotsusei let out the truth?

Perched on a rock next to the sleeping dragon, Urasue laughed. “Oh, look at what we have here. What a fortunate coincidence.” She took a step closer to the sealed giant dragon youkai. “Now let us see how you deal with this distraction, huh?”

Kagome watched in horror as the seal embedded in Ryukotsusei's chest began to disintegrate under Urasue's hands. No, this could not be happening.

A loud rumble coursed through the air, and the tension increased as pulses of youki fanned out from the dragon youkai. The entire atmosphere dimmed as dark clouds sailed across the sky while Urasue's maniacal cackle rang loud and clear amidst the commotion.

Ryukotsusei's body began to tremble with life and then both pairs of his eyes snapped open.

Realizing that it was far too late to turn back now, Kagome steeled her resolve and spun around towards Inuyasha. Clenching her hand in the red fire-rat fabric of his sleeve, she called out urgently, “Inuyasha.”

“What, wench?” he hissed, his worried eyes trained on Ryukotsusei.

She swallowed hard. How was she supposed to explain this? Last time, it was Totousai who had done the explaining. “Um… Inuyasha. That's Ryukotsusei. You know that if you defeat him, you'll learn a new technique for Tetsusaiga?”

He snapped around, casting her an incredulous look. “What? What the hell do you mean?”

“Listen to me, Inuyasha. This is important!” She took a deep breath before she continued, “An attack called Bakuryuuha is formed when you coil up another youkai's power with the Kaze-no-Kizu. The two tangled-up powers will turn into a whirlpool and bounce back on the enemy. Meaning that your enemy will be counter attacked by their own youki and the power of Tetsusaiga combined.”

The look Inuyasha cast her was nothing short of confused.

“Do you understand what I just said?” she snapped impatiently.

Sesshoumaru's brow furrowed. “Such an attack must be powerful.”

Turning his eyes back to Ryukotsusei, Inuyasha snorted. “I'm going to kill him anyway, new attack or not.”

Groaning, Kagome closed her eyes to calm herself. When she opened it again, she warned, “He's very strong.”

“Keh! I'll show him who's stronger!”

Clamping down on the urge to strangle the clueless hanyou, Kagome glared at his side-profile.

“Watch,” Sesshoumaru suddenly said, pointing to one side of the dragon across the valley.

Across the valley, Urasue was facing Ryukotsusei without any fear. “I released you, so you now indebted to me,” the witch declared.

A rumble sounded from Ryukotsusei. “What nonsense do you speak of, witch?”

Urasue pointed at them, and Kagome immediately tensed. Then the witch turned back to the dragon. “I freed you from your seal, so it's time for you to pay your debt. Kill them.”

“What insolence,” the dragon growled. “You dare disrespect me so?”

With a swipe, Urasue was impaled on the dragon youkai's claws. Blood spurted out of the wound, dripping to the ground. Kagome watched, horrified, as the old witch's eyes widened in alarm just before she disappeared down Ryukotsusei's throat. Taking deep breaths to calm herself, Kagome gripped her bow securely.

Then the dragon youkai turned to them.

“You!” Ryukotsusei growled, his eyes pinned upon Sesshoumaru, lighting up in recognition. “What is the meaning of this?!”

Sesshoumaru stared at him intently, but said nothing.

“The two of you are spawns of Inu-no-Taishou. Where is he?!”

Sesshoumaru opened his mouth to speak, but Inuyasha beat him to it. “Keh! You talk too much!”

With that, Inuyasha streaked towards Ryukotsusei.

In moments, they were engaged in a furious battle. Although he started off well, blasting Ryukotsusei with his Kaze-no-Kizu attack, it was clear that Inuyasha was nowhere near prepared for the dragon youkai's strength. But in the usual Inuyasha fashion, the hanyou did not give up. So they carried on, with Inuyasha trying with growing desperation to find an opening to attack while Ryukotsusei seemingly toying with the hanyou.

Kagome hands gripped her bow tighter as she continued to watch. She would not interfere, even if she was sorely tempted to do so. Inuyasha had to kill Ryukotsusei otherwise he would never achieve the Bakuryuuha. And without Bakuryuuha and the rest of Tetsusaiga's powers, they would not stand a chance against the sneaky Naraku. She must have faith that her hanyou friend would be able to pull this off, even though Inuyasha was obviously having a hard time.

“He's having trouble.”

She glanced sideways to find Sesshoumaru frowning at the sight of Inuyasha being tossed around by the giant dragon's blast.

“Inuyasha can handle it,” she said, trying to sound confident, even though she was rather uncertain about it. Unless he managed to get Bakuryuuha right, she knew that it would be almost impossible to defeat this particular enemy.

“Hn.” He paused momentarily before he moved from her side. “It will even the odds if both of us are fighting.”

When she realized what he intended to do, Kagome quickly said, “Let Inuyasha handle this.”

Gaze still fixed to the battle, Sesshoumaru showed no signs of hearing her. His expression was thoughtful when he murmured, “I understand now. One has to be strong to protect another, and thus, the will to protect is necessary to make one stronger.”

Reaching out, she tried to grab him as she called out urgently, “Stop, Sesshoumaru! It's too dangerous!”

Slipping away easily, Sesshoumaru said over his shoulders, “If I'm successful in protecting Inuyasha, it means that I have surpassed him.”

“What?” As his words sank in, Kagome felt her blood run cold. He wanted to protect Inuyasha from Ryukotsusei in order to strengthen himself, but in doing so, he would probably get himself killed.

“No! This is not the time to think like that, Sesshoumaru!” she shouted frantically.

Her voice caught Inuyasha's attention, making the hanyou snap towards them. His eyes widened when he saw the small youkai's approach. “Sesshoumaru! Get out of the way, damn it!” Inuyasha yelled.

Completely disregarding Inuyasha's words, Sesshoumaru zipped towards him, his face set in a determined expression. Before he could reach towards his brother, the dragon youkai swung its tail, tripping Inuyasha. With a growl, Inuyasha raised Tetsusaiga to block another blow from the dragon youkai. Springing to his feet, the hanyou swung Tetsusaiga again. Ryukotsusei hissed as the blade made contact with his body.

Seeing the opportunity, Sesshoumaru darted forward, his youki whip already spinning swiftly around him. Before the dragon youkai realized what was coming, Sesshoumaru snapped the whip forward, carving a smoking line down Ryukotsusei's back. Like the rest of Inuyasha's attacks, Sesshoumaru's attack only grazed the surface of Ryukotsusei's impenetrable skin. But it was enough to draw his attention away from Inuyasha.

Kagome watched in horror as Ryukotsusei spun around, his red eyes flashing as he began to snap at Sesshoumaru in an attempt to bite him. The adult Sesshoumaru would probably find this an easy battle, but the child Sesshoumaru was a different issue. There was no way she could stop herself from interfering now.

She brought her shimmering blue bow up and drew an arrow, aiming it at the dragon youkai.

“Hey, you ugly dragon! Look over here!” Kagome yelled, desperately hoping that the youkai would leave Sesshoumaru alone.

When he made no move to acknowledge her words, Kagome gritted her teeth and released the arrow. The glowing arrow sliced through the air, heading straight for the dragon.

A furious roar escaped from Ryukotsusei when the arrow pierced his back, burning a hole, sending a cloud of black smoke into the air. Snarling, the dragon youkai spun towards her as he reached back to yank out the arrow, his hand sizzling at the contact.

Kagome's eyes widened in alarm as he launched himself towards her. Nerves made her fumble as she tried to retrieve another arrow.

A streak of red flashed between her and Ryukotsusei.

“Pick on someone your own size, Ryukotsusei! Leave Kagome and Sesshoumaru alone!” Inuyasha shouted.

With that, he raised Tetsusaiga. To Kagome's surprise, Inuyasha seemed to be concentrating a little bit more than usual. Which meant that he was actually attempting to develop the Bakuryuuha. The wind swirled around the fang, growing stronger by the second before he released it. The attack connected with Ryukotsusei, but it was clear that it was not effective.

“What the hell!” Inuyasha gritted out. “It's not working!”

Kagome almost groaned when she realized that the Bakuryuuha was still nowhere in sight. “You need to wait for the right moment to coil up his youki with the Tetsusaiga! There's a specific spot you need to find.”

“I'm trying, alright!”

“You insolent brat!” the dragon youkai snarled.

Ryukotsusei made a move towards Inuyasha, only to halt suddenly. With a hiss, he spun and jerked around. Kagome's apprehension grew when she saw that Sesshoumaru had latched onto Ryukotsusei back, digging his poisonous claws into the wound from her arrow. It was clear that Sesshoumaru had thought things out, and decided to attack the dragon's weakest point. She felt inordinately proud of him, but that did not stop her heart from pounding in concern when Ryukotsusei grew angrier by the second when Sesshoumaru refused to release his hold.

Inuyasha smirked as he readied Tetsusaiga again. “Sesshoumaru, get off him once you're done. This time I'll get him with this Bakuryuuha for sure.”

Unfortunately, at the very moment, Ryukotsusei managed to throw Sesshoumaru off. The silver-haired youkai hit the ground, and immediately rolled to soften the impact before he stood up, seemingly unharmed. Without pause, Sesshoumaru charged straight back right at Ryukotsusei.

“Foolish brat!” Ryukotsusei snarled as he swiped at Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru.

Frantic with worry now, Kagome readied an arrow. From what she could tell, her arrow was the only thing so far which could pierce the dragon's skin. She had to end this before either of them got seriously hurt. Inuyasha could gain Bakuryuuha another time. After all, the whole timeline was messed up anyway, so who was to say that he could not do it during another battle?

Eyes following the dragon's movements, Kagome tried to find an opening. Then she released a hiss of frustration when she realized that with Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha streaking around Ryukotsusei like that, she could not safely release her arrow.

Then she saw it. Her lips parted as her breath left her when she saw what Ryukotsusei was intending to do. She recognized the signs from last time. Ryukotsusei was preparing for his ultimate attack.

“Inuyasha! Sesshoumaru! Get out of the way!” she yelled loudly. “He's going to attack!”

Two pairs of golden eyes snapped briefly towards her, but instead of running, they simply took on a defensive stance. Kagome's eyes widened in horror when Ryukotsusei reared back.

“NO!” she screamed just as she released her arrow.

But she was a second too late.

Before her arrow connected with Ryukotsusei, a thundering sound cracked through the air and a giant white ball of explosive energy shot out from the dragon's mouth. A loud cry pierced the air as the attack connected with Sesshoumaru, sending the small youkai flying through the air, even as Ryukotsusei stumbled backwards from the force of her arrow.

“Sesshoumaru!” Kagome called out frantically as she ran towards the unmoving white form. He was so far away. A burning sensation pricked her eyelids, and she bit her lips to hold back her tears of panic. She had to get to him.

“Damn it!” Enraged, Inuyasha charged towards the dragon with Tetsusaiga raised. “I told you to LEAVE THEM ALONE!” he snarled.

Keeping her eyes trained on Sesshoumaru's form as she rushed towards him, Kagome did not fail to notice that the wind around them had picked up. The familiarity of the sensation was comforting, and she knew that at the moment, Tetsusaiga was taking control of Ryukotsusei's youki, mixing it with its own. Absently, Kagome realized that against all odds, Inuyasha had managed to gain the Bakuryuuha.

The blast which followed shortly afterwards shook the earth.

A roar of agony reached her ears, making Kagome wince, but she continued to run, her heart beating so fast that it was threatening to burst out of her ribcage.

Ryukotsusei's body shattered into pieces behind her as she finally reached Sesshoumaru.

When she fell to her knees beside Sesshoumaru's small body, Inuyasha ran towards them from the opposite direction. Sesshoumaru's white kimono was completely splattered with blood. His blood. He was so still. The tears she had been holding back began to run down her cheeks.

“Sesshoumaru,” she choked out softly, her hands cupping his cheeks. “Please… Wake up.”

His eyes fluttered open weakly as he dragged in a shuddering breath. Golden orbs glazed with pain locked onto her. Kagome bit her lips to stop her sobs, not realizing how hard she had bitten until she tasted her own blood.

“Kagome…” he whispered. His eyes wandered until they landed on his brother. “Inuyasha?”

“Shh…Don't talk. You'll be okay…” she soothed, stroking her fingers down the magenta stripes on his cheeks.

“You are safe,” Sesshoumaru remarked weakly.

“Of course she is. You protected her,” Inuyasha said gruffly, but there was no mistaking the concern in his eyes.

Kagome nodded and gave Sesshoumaru a watery smile as she squeezed his small hand. “You did very well. Thank you for protecting me. Now, you got to get better, okay?”

“It hurts…” Sesshoumaru breathed out.

His grip suddenly tightened. Kagome's eyes shot open in alarm as he dragged in a ragged breath. This could not be happening. Sesshoumaru was not supposed to die on them. He was supposed to be this strong invincible taiyoukai.

“No! Sesshoumaru!” she yelled frantically.

Then the grip on her hands went slack.

“S-Sesshoumaru?” Inuyasha cried out in a choked voice as Kagome's chest twisted painfully.

Sesshoumaru's small, lifeless body began to glow and then, right before their eyes, he disintegrated in a flash of light. Kagome trembled uncontrollably at the sight of the empty spot where Sesshoumaru had lain just seconds ago. This could not be happening.

“No… NO!!!”

…***…***…***…

A/N: (shifts nervously under all the glares) Um… yes. That's all for this chapter. Hope you'll leave me a review to let me know what you think, though I think I should be running away just about now…