InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The Phoenix Blade: Time Lapse ❯ ...Let Slip The Dogs of War ( Chapter 73 )

Disclaimer: Don't own…don't sue. Tormenting them purely for my own sadistic pleasure. All characters and most situations owned by Rumiko Takahashi, Shogakukan Publishing, and VIZ is in the dog-pile somewhere, too.

 

A/N: This chapter marks the end of the `fortress' filler arc, and the next will see a resumption of the battle against Naraku with the beginning of the `Mt. Hakurei/Band of Seven' arc. I hope you've enjoyed these original `episodes'; I certainly had fun writing them! There is a fair bit of violence in terms of several fight scenes, some gorier than others.

 

Bouquets to Forthright and Susanne TJ for their comments and suggestions!

 

The characterizations of Momiji, Kagome and the fic itself were honoured at the recent IYFG vote; thank you very much for your support!

 

The Phoenix Blade: Time Lapse

Chapter 73: …Let Slip the Dogs of War

 

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Sengoku Jidai

Chief Wife's Pavilion, Western Fortress

 

Gitoumaru arrived just as Kagome finished the last mouthful of her tea, looking fairly well-rested despite his giddily inebriated mother waking him up in the wee hours and insisting on telling him… several times… how many of her new favourite dishes were on the menu, the shockingly expensive silk of Ichige-sama's court robes and how simply exquisite Kagome-sama looked seated at Sesshomaru-sama's right hand as if she were truly his very own Lady of the West. Then she became maudlin, sniffling over the sad fate of Izayoi-sama and sighing over how Inuyasha-sama resembled his handsome father… except of course, for those adorable ears. Her maid had finally peeled her off the floorboards and assisted her to bed, but not until any hope of dropping back off to sleep had fled.

 

“Good morning, my lord and lady,” he murmured, bowing respectfully… and then his nostrils flared just before he sneezed. Kagome turned a lovely shade of pink while Inuyasha snorted into his sleeve.

 

“Mornin' Git. Where's your sword?” the hanyou asked curiously, after checking to make sure the youth had Kagome's knife strapped to his bicep.

 

The youth winced. “Still at the forge.”

 

“Keh. Totosai takes his own sweet time, doesn't he? Do you have any special attacks?”

 

“Er… such as?” Gitouamaru asked, bewildered.

 

“Energy whip? Claw strikes?”

 

“Uh… nothing remarkable…”

 

The hanyou sighed. “In other words, you're heavily armed with youthful enthusiasm.”

 

Kagome intervened. “Gitoumaru-kun has more loyalty and courage than most people. He was my personal guard when I was in the infirmary.” The smile she bestowed on him more than healed the sting left by Inuyasha's doubtful comments, and the teen proudly straightened before bowing deeply.

 

“Thank you, Kagome-sama. I will endeavour to live up to your faith in me.”

 

Barely stifling the urge to roll his eyes, Inuyasha grumbled, “Let's get on with it, then.”

 

“Hold on a sec, Inuyasha.” Kagome laid her hand on his arm. “I need to know more about Hakimaru's `special attacks'. You mentioned an energy whip last night… what else can he throw at us?”

 

A hard look came over the hanyou's features. “I only know about the energy whip because I saw him use it once on a servant who had the bad luck to be in his way.”

 

“He has poison claws as well,” Gitoumaru added.

 

“Like his nephew, then… what kind of forged weapon does he use?” Kagome asked, fastening her tunic closed and tying her sash.

 

“A long Chinese-style sword; however, it lacks inherent demonic power like the Tetsusaiga or Tokijin,” Gitoumaru supplied. “Or so my father believes, anyways.”

 

Stowing Fenik at her hip, Kagome looked around the room. “Gitoumaru-kun… where are my bow and quiver?” she inquired.

 

The teen flushed and found the tatami highly interesting. “They were impossible to clean properly, Kagome-sama, and are at the armoury being duplicated. Would you like me to requisition one of the bows used by the guardsmen?”

 

“I doubt I could draw it right off the rack, as the tension would be set for demonic strength, not mine. Thanks for the offer, but I'll wait for my own. Shall we?” Kagome patted his arm, nodded to Ume and then headed out the door to join Inuyasha in greeting the just-arrived Fuchi and Saya. Her hanyou slid his arm around her waist and squeezed gently, his golden eyes gleaming. Kagome wondered at the satisfied look on his face, and then noticed the bemused looks being sent her way by the two guardsmen as they discreetly pinched their noses. Maybe I should hand out clothes pegs… gonna smack me a hanyou later on!

 

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The cadets milled around the dojo, filling the air with their bright chatter. The hottest topic seemed to be the conditions in which their parental units had crawled home after the feast. The consensus was that it had been one heck of a party, and they all couldn't wait until they were old enough to attend. Gitoumaru was thoroughly envied because as Kagome's sword bearer, it was assumed he had a front row seat for the adult shenanigans. The human guard captain was also the subject of intense covert interest, due to the rather obvious erotic scent perfuming the air around her.

 

Inuyasha ignored the appraising looks as he leaned against the wall, his hands shoved in his sleeves and his eyes narrowed. “Where's Git's old man?” he wondered aloud to Kagome, who was within arms reach but still not close enough for his liking.

 

“Gitoumaru-kun seems a little perturbed that his father isn't here, either… you don't think…?” she responded, giving him a worried look.

 

“Something's going down,” he said flatly and pushed himself upright. “Come on; we're gonna go looking for trouble instead of waiting for it to find us.” Hooking his hand under her elbow, he began leading her towards the open doors. Before they had taken half a dozen steps, the exit was blocked by a menacing shadow.

 

“Leaving so soon, Inuyasha-sama? And here I thought you were planning on learning how to properly use your sword.” Hakimaru's too-bright eyes glinted mockingly as Inuyasha shoved Kagome behind him; she caught a handful of fire-rat and tugged him backwards towards the mass of cadets. The room fell silent, all eyes on the interlopers. Hakimaru stepped further into the dojo, and then the rest of the shadows flooded into the room, resolving themselves into several adult inu-youkai armed to the teeth with halberds, tridents and lances… as well as the group of older cadets from the previous day who were now carrying real swords. They spread themselves along the walls, blocking the exits. The rest of the cadets instinctively drew together in a confused, protective huddle.

 

“This is bad, Inuyasha,” Kagome murmured, noting the weaponry toted by the newcomers. “Where are Fuchi-kun and Saya-kun? They were supposed to join us on the way…”

 

“Probably already dead,” he ground out.

 

“Why the glum faces, whelps?” Hakimaru asked smoothly, confidently gliding around the perimeter of the nervous group as if he didn't have a care in the world. “It's a lovely day to die.” Kagome and Inuyasha moved with him, protectively shielding the cadets. The hanyou's ears were flattened into his hair and his body vibrated with a deep, menacing growl. Kagome began turning over how to extricate everyone from the situation, relying on Inuyasha to protect her while her thoughts were elsewhere. If all our attention is directed at Hakimaru, his thugs could attack from the rear…

 

Gripping Inuyasha's shoulder, she whispered, “Cover me for a minute; I need to talk to the cadets.” Spinning around, she put her back against his and faced the frightened teens. “Gitoumaru-kun… do you know how to form a hedgehog defence?” she asked, quickly glancing at the tall youth. She saw his blank look and mentally sighed. Too modern of a term, apparently. “A circular double defensive line with all weapons pointing outwards…”

 

His expression instantly cleared. “Right! `Dragon's Spine'!” There was some startled, hesitant shuffling before the group responded by creating a more-or-less bristling protective circle.

 

Kagome watched them narrowly and nodded. “Good. Pay attention, all of you. Gitoumaru-kun is your squad leader; listen to his instructions if you want to get out of here alive.” She gestured around the walls at the interlopers. “Notice that most of these guys are armed with weapons designed to kill at a distance. If your circle breaks, you'll be picked off like flies, so make a partner of the person next to you.” The group squirmed unhappily. “The deal is this; if one of the enemy pokes at you, one partner engages and the other goes in under the weapon to close with them. Use your bokken, use your knees, your fists, whatever to do as much damage as possible… these guys intend to kill you, so don't hold back.”

 

The sound of mocking applause interrupted her instructions and she swung back around. Hakimaru smiled indulgently and propped his chin on his claw tips. “Go on, Kagome-sama. Your futile little dissertation is most amusing.”

 

“We'll see who's laughing after this, asshole,” she retorted, baring her teeth.

 

“How rude… you're all dead, anyways,” Hakimaru remarked carelessly, examining his claws. “Your bereaved families shall be told that the hanyou went berserk and slaughtered all their pups as well as his beloved mate, and I was forced to put him down like a rabid animal. It will be easily believed… since the victor writes the truth.”

 

Inuyasha would have gone for him right then and there if she hadn't dug her fingers into his arm. “Don't react… he's trying to provoke you like last night,” she hissed, taking up a stance at his side.

 

Fenik? Midoriko? What's the plan?

Remember last winter, when Sessaki kicked the snot out of you on a daily basis until you nailed him in the shoulder?

Uh, yeah…?

He was training you to survive a dogfight, but it wasn't with his younger self.

Damn, damned, damnable! You mean… it was this guy all the long?

Yes.

So Fenik knew who Hakimaru was, and just pretended to be stunned for Inuyasha's benefit?

Ha-ha. You want some advice or not, Nixie?

I'm all ears, bobcat-boy.

Full ignition, then hit him hard and fast.

Agreed. Ready?

Locked and loaded!

 

Hakimaru snorted, then began to guffaw, the mocking sound echoed by his cronies. Beside her, Inuyasha snarled viciously and went for the Tetsusaiga. Kagome quickly grabbed the scruffy hilt… and then barely managed not to jump when hair-raising howls echoed around the lofty room as the swords roared their challenge. The yellow-eyed youkai appeared somewhat dumbfounded as he fell silent and then his eyes sharpened. Kagome mentally smacked Fenik, then coolly commented, “Keep laughing; the seventh hell needs more fools.” In an undertone, she murmured to Inuyasha, “You can't use the `Wind Scar' in here because it'll bring the building down on top of us; you'll have to fight with your claws until we can get out in the open.”

 

His hand dropped to cover hers on Tetsusaiga's hilt. “What about you? No arrows…” he muttered.

 

“I still have my barriers and a sword with an attitude.” She flashed him a quick smile and flicked her blade-guard.

 

Their opponent's sulphuric eyes took on a harder glint as he assessed Kagome closely. “What is the House of the West coming to? First we must endure a grubby human pet given the run of the fortress, then a filthy hanyou accorded the due respect of an Heir, and now… a human guard captain? I cannot imagine what my nephew is thinking; this surely indicates that he has become feeble-minded.”

 

“And you're just the asshole to replace him, right?” Inuyasha snarled.

 

Hakimaru bestowed them with a pleasant smile. “So sensible of you to agree with me, hanyou. I will restore this Court to its former glory by ridding it of all weakness and decay… starting with you and these insipid whelps. Once you and that brat Sesshomaru are finally dead, the Western Lands will be mine.”

 

What a windbag! He's pretty confident that he has the upper hand; however, the longer he postures, the greater the chances of reinforcements for our side arriving, like Kiriaisai and Sesshomaru…gotta keep him talking… “For someone who prefers to have others do his dirty work for him, you seem unusually bold today in front of potential witnesses,” Kagome said.

 

“There will be no witnesses… only casualties,” Hakimaru purred.

 

“Would you mind answering a question or two? A last request, if you will.”

 

Hakimaru's fangs glinted. “Aren't you just the inquisitive little bitch? What could possibly interest you more than your own death?”

 

Kagome thought fast and tossed out, “Did you kill Hatsuyuki-sama?”

 

Much to her surprise, the cool façade slipped slightly as his face twisted. “Stupid bitch betrayed her family… she fell in love with that idiot…”

 

“Your own sister…?” Kagome's horrified gasp had numerous echoes.

 

He shrugged negligently, the mask firmly back in place. “I enticed one of her ladies-in-waiting with promises of marriage, but sighed that my sister was opposed to my happiness. My gullible pawn procured a slow-acting, undetectable poison and administered it every day in her tea, then spread rumours of a curse when her mistress fell ill. Simple, really.”

 

“And then you disposed of her, too,” Inuyasha growled, a red haze coming up in his eyes.

 

“I left no loose ends… except once…” Narrowed eyes flicked towards the hanyou. “I shall have to speak to Keishisai about his failure; he will be unable to avoid a command from the new Lord of the West.”

 

Kagome stared hard at Hakimaru, bile rising in the back of her throat. “First your sister, then the attempts on your nephews… you must have planned to kill the Inu no Taisho as well.”

 

“Ryukotsusei kindly saved me the effort.” He cast another side-long glance at Inuyasha before turning his full attention to Kagome. “You're an attractive little thing, for a human.” Cocking his head on the side, he let his gaze travel up and down her body in a manner that left no question as to his intentions. “It will be difficult to restrain him without killing him outright now that he is fully grown, but I don't want him to miss a second of your submission to me… should bring back some memories, eh, hanyou?”

 

An unearthly roar shook the rafters as Inuyasha's eyes turned red and he flung himself at Hakimaru, claws outstretched… but Kagome was faster. Throwing herself into his path and wrapping her arms around him, she shoved him back. “No! Don't, Inuyasha! Don't let him provoke you!” Inuyasha snarled viciously, but he permitted her to restrain him. Kagome fisted her hands into his suikan. “He's not worth it, koibito. Please… don't give in.”

 

“A true warrior never permits his bitch to dictate his actions,” Hakimaru snidely jibed.

 

“My bitch can hand you your ass on a platter, fucker,” Inuyasha sneered. “You'd better hope that I'm the one that rips your head off.”

 

Before things degenerated further, Kagome stepped slightly away from Inuyasha and waited for silence. Pointing at Hakimaru, she spoke with authority. “You have just admitted, in front of witnesses, that you brought about the deaths of your sister and her lady-in-waiting. You have also boasted of dishonouring Izayoi-sama as well as plotting to kill Sesshomaru-sama, Inuyasha-sama, and the Inu no Taisho.”

 

“So?” the target of her ire smirked.

 

“Just making sure it's a matter of public record… so when we write the truth, it will be fact, not fiction.”

 

“Feh,” he snorted. “I tire of this pointless conversation… kill them.” The cadets whimpered fearfully while Kagome nudged Inuyasha's shoulder.

 

“He's all yours, but try to save a piece for Sesshomaru; I'm sure he'd be very interested in learning about this creep's role in his mother's death.” She stepped back. “Sic `em, dog-boy!”

 

Inuyasha instantly sprang for Hakimaru's throat, roaring, “Iron Reaver Soul Stealer!” and managed to slice a strip from the other inu-youkai's sleeve, the action earning him an enraged hiss. The two inu-youkai began circling each other as they watched for an opening, their knuckles cracking as their claws flexed, their competing youki swirling around them. They blurred for a moment; when they separated, Inuyasha was sporting a couple of deep, burned-looking slashes down his cheek and Hakimaru's right shoulder was ripped open. The smell of blood filled the air along with the screams and curses of the cadets as they struggled to hold off their attackers with their unsuitable practice weapons.

 

Kagome tensed, watching the fight in front of her while trying to listen in on the one behind, as claws tore through fabric and flesh, while wooden bokkens collided and splintered against edged weapons. Damn, this isn't going to work… the cadets need me, but so does Inuyasha, because this guy's gonna pull something nasty…

 

That thought no sooner arrived than one of the trident-wielding goons stepped up behind Inuyasha and drove the business end of the weapon right through the hanyou's torso, sending blood spraying in a wide arc. Before Kagome's horrified gaze, the attacker planted his boot in the middle of the hanyou's back and yanked the barbed tines free, dropping Inuyasha to the floor. As fire-rat darkened and silver stained red, Hakimaru stepped forward, his claws glowing. Kagome let out a yell and launched herself, only to jam on the brakes when she realized his true target.

 

Hakimaru's hand snapped in a familiar gesture, but his eyes weren't on Inuyasha. Instead, the glowing, hissing green lash snaked through the air, reaching for the cadets… until it spattered against a glittering pink-hued dome. Several of his henchmen screamed and fell back, limbs missing and weapons carbonized from instantaneous purification. However, the cadets weren't expecting to be rescued by a youkai's traditional enemy and most panicked. Gitoumaru moved quickly to quell the hysteria before the teens ended up killing themselves while attempting to escape the barrier.

 

“Halt! Kagome-sama is protecting us, you fools!” Gitoumaru shouted. “You are perfectly safe!” The group surprisingly listened, quieting and observing until they adjusted to the experience of being inside a layer of energy that they had always been taught to fear. “Stand up and reform your lines… now.” Under his prodding, the double lines shakily curled together until they were more or less in some semblance of order.

 

Momentarily distracted from administering the coup de grace to the downed hanyou, Hakimaru's mouth twisted as he assessed the protective energy. “A miko? How can she contain both spiritual and demonic power?”

 

“Shut the fuck up, asshole,” Inuyasha gasped, regaining his feet and spitting a mouthful of blood. “You'll be a heap of ashes if you even think of laying a finger on her.” The hanyou spun around and dodged another thrust from the trident. Grabbing the shaft of the weapon in both hands, he flung the demon holding it into the wall and turned back. His guard momentarily down, Inuyasha paid for it as Hakimaru's poison claws drove into the wounds already inflicted by the trident, a cruel smirk warping his perfect features.

 

“This should keep you still for a while…” he murmured, while agonizing pain akin to being drizzled with molten steel lanced through Inuyasha's body, sending his heart rate into the stratosphere. Releasing his claws, Hakimaru watched in satisfaction as the hanyou slumped to the floor. “Your miko can't purify me if she's rendered unconscious first…” he murmured with icy anticipation. Raising his voice, he commanded, “Concentrate your efforts on breaking that shield. The human is mine.”

 

A flare of power stopped him cold; the pink dome was webbed by ominously crackling and spitting silver energy. From his position on the floor, Inuyasha managed to laugh, blood dribbling from the corner of his mouth. “Now you've done it, you stupid fuck…”

 

Kagome took several gulping breaths to steady her pounding heartbeat, willing Inuyasha to feel it and calm himself if at all possible. Not taking her eyes from Hakimaru in case he struck out at Inuyasha, she directed her instructions to Gitoumaru. “The cadets need to tighten up their circles and grab the sash of the person to their left. When I drop the barrier, they hit the floor…”

 

“Drop the barrier? Kagome-sama…?” Gitoumaru yelped, eyeing the heavily armed demons menacing them from just outside the sparking shield.

 

“I can't maintain the barrier unless I'm inside it; just do as I say and stay low to the ground… ya got that?”

 

“H-hai, captain.”

 

Ignite.

 

A screaming whirlwind of power, compressed and accelerated by the stone walls, tore around the inside of the dojo and sent the unanchored and unprepared henchmen tumbling clumsily across the floor. The cadets hunched before the blast, shielding their faces while trying to peer at the fiery priestess who suddenly emitted a demonic aura equal to any taiyoukai…and their mouths collectively dropped open at the sight of the giant spectral dog rearing up over her head.

 

Safe by virtue of the fact he was already flat on his back, Inuyasha grinned triumphantly as he watched the silver energy wrap around Kagome's slender form and her sword turn into a torch just before she hurtled directly at Hakimaru. Show the fucker who he's messing with, wench… He huffed in disappointment when Hakimaru, who was barely keeping his footing against the howling cyclonic winds, recovered in time to parry Kagome's charge. She used the concussion of his block to throw herself upwards and somersault over his head for a blow at his back; he caught her out of position and took a swipe with his glowing claws, but only managed to nick the right sleeve of her tunic instead of taking off her arm. He almost lost his hand to her riposte, but she was off-balance from his strike and that alone saved him.

 

Kagome twisted violently in mid-air to land in a crouch beside Inuyasha as the hanyou shoved himself up onto his haunches. Hakimaru grinned maliciously and again swung out his hand. An energy whip curled towards the cadets, aiming at one in particular who had poked up his head to watch the battle. Gitoumaru saw the whip coming and ducked, but not quite fast enough. The winds probably had something to do with only the glowing tip connecting, but it still dragged a high-pitched howl out of the youth as he dropped down out of sight. One of Hakimaru's men had the very great misfortune to lever himself upright at precisely the wrong moment as the lash bellied outward; his decapitated body added to the bloody slick oozing across the stone floor.

 

“You bastard!” Kagome pointed her sword straight at Hakimaru, the coloured vapours whirling so fast that they were lost in the silver blaze. The blade exploded, sending a bolt straight at the demon's chest… but either the wind or his reflexes saved him from a mortal blow. However, the impact knocked him across the dojo, spinning him face-first into the unforgiving stone wall next to the exit door and shaking the building.

 

Hakimaru straightened and turned, a series of horrible grinding and cracking noises announcing his rapidly-repairing spine and ribs, a ferocious snarl on his bloodied face. His shoulder joint was blasted away, the remains of his left arm dangling from a flap of muscle amid the shreds of his kimono. With a `crunch', his ruined jaw re-hinged. “Damn you straight to the seventh hell, you little bitch!” he roared, drawing his sword. Inuyasha leapt to his feet and raced to put himself between the infuriated youkai and the huddled cadets; the winds dropped as Kagome concentrated her power for a final attack.

 

Ready, Fenik?

Release the Hound!

You can't kill him, though… he belongs to Sesshomaru and Inuyasha.

I never get to have any fun…by all the gods of heaven and hell!

 

“In here, Anzu-san… Kagome-sama and Inuyasha-sama will protect us…!” Rin flew in through the open door, her sunny yellow kimono a contrast to her frightened expression. In the blink of an eye, the little girl was crushed against the hard stone floor with Hakimaru's foot driving into her chest and his sword menacing her jugular. Anzu arrived in the doorway, took one look and let out a shrill scream.

 

“Run, girl!” Inuyasha shouted; she looked wildly at him before taking to her heels, closely followed by two of Hakimaru's thugs.

 

The wind knocked out of her, all Rin could do was stare up at the frighteningly disfigured youkai who sneered down at her with dark satisfaction. Kagome came out of her shock at the sound of Inuyasha's claws gouging solid rock as he watched Hakimaru maliciously torture Rin, knowing that if either of them moved a hair, the child would instantly die. The little girl whimpered once, then screwed her eyes tightly closed… but the tears leaked through anyways.

 

“How incredibly fortunate for me,” Hakimaru purred, lightly stroking the razor edge of his blade against Rin's tender throat. Blood-scent instantly filled the air. “So vulnerable… so helpless.” He leaned more of his weight on her small body and Rin's struggling gasps filled the watchers' ears. Enjoying himself rather thoroughly, he almost didn't react in time when he glimpsed a flash of silver barrelling towards him out of the corner of his eye. As he instinctively brought up his sword away from Rin's neck to deflect the attack, a colourful blur knocked him aside and snatched the girl out of danger. By the time Inuyasha returned to his place in front of the cadets, Rin clutched protectively in one arm behind the transformed Tetsusaiga, Hakimaru was in no condition to object.

 

His throat gripped between the jaws of a massive silver dog, Hakimaru gurgled and attempted to skewer the creature with his sword, but he discovered to his considerable consternation that the creature simply wasn't there. The fangs driving into his flesh were solid enough, as were the paws crushing his chest… but the body was impervious to his frantic slashes and thrusts. “Assist me, you fools…!” he gurgled, but none of his supporters had the chance to move.

 

Sesshomaru appeared in the doorway, his hair swirling around him in the updrafts of his youki. An energy whip instantly slashed through the remainder of Hakimaru's followers, felling them where they stood in desperate screams and showers of blood. Reddened yellow eyes took in the cringing cadets, Inuyasha protecting them with the vaporous Tetsusaiga while cradling a bright yellow bundle against his bloodied chest. Rin… The little girl's face was buried in the side of his brother's neck, her small hands desperately fisted into his suikan. The scent of her blood caused the red in his eyes to spread, and it was with great effort he restrained himself.

 

The huge silver dog that had challenged him the previous morning had its fangs deeply sunk in Hakimaru's throat, its weight driving him into the floor even as he attempted to strike it with his sword. Sesshomaru raised his eyes to Kagome, her silver eyes glowing eerily, in a low crouch with her blazing sword restrained in both hands. She panted with the effort of controlling her power; considering what he knew of her capabilities, he was impressed that the building still stood. Inclining his head slightly to her and glancing briefly at Inuyasha for confirmation that Rin was safe, he considered the gasping, frantic youkai at his feet.

 

“What is your explanation for this, uncle?” he inquired mildly, as if he were discussing the weather.

 

“I was foully attacked by that filthy hanyou and his miko!” Hakimaru's accusation turned into a pained squeak as the dog growled viciously and drove its fangs deeper.

 

“Why is my ward's blood on your sword?” Sesshomaru's voice hardened.

 

“She slipped…” Hakimaru grunted out, repeatedly hammering Fenik's muzzle with the hilt of his weapon; the dog merely flicked its ears in annoyance.

 

“This fucker killed your mother.” Inuyasha's voice was low and deadly. Sesshomaru's head snapped up, his eyes wide. “He bragged about it in front of all these witnesses.” The hanyou jerked his head towards the cadets.

 

“Gitoumaru… corroborate.”

 

The youth slowly stood up, revealing a bloodied face. Half of his dark bangs were missing and the energy whip had deeply cut his forehead. Wiping the trickling blood out of his eye, he bowed deeply before speaking. “One of your lady mother's attendants poisoned her at Hakimaru-sama's instigation, my lord.” He hesitated for a moment before adding, “He also schemed against your lord father, but the Inu no Taisho died before he could effect his plans.”

 

Sesshomaru was as still as a statue while he digested that, and then his youki flared even higher as his face began to distort. “Escort the humans to the central keep,” he ordered, deiberately stepping on Hakimaru's wrist and neatly pinning his sword arm. “This is my prey, miko…” he purred, briefly flicking his burning glaze at Kagome.

 

The young woman gasped loudly twice before she straightened up and dropped her sword tip towards the floor. “Heel, Fenik,” she rasped. The dog snarled against Hakimaru's throat but reluctantly obeyed, extracting his fangs from the youkai's flesh while deliberately putting extra pressure on his injury before leaping away. Silver eyes narrowed at Hakimaru for a moment, but then the dog trotted back to Kagome's side. Nuzzling her hand, it became a twist of vapour before disappearing back into the black leather covered scabbard.

 

Sesshomaru gazed down at the wounded youkai as his facial stripes widened and became jagged, his youki whirling. “Leave us.” There was a rapid scramble to obey; Gitoumaru organized the cadets into a loose formation surrounding Inuyasha and Rin before leading them out the door. Kagome saluted Sesshomaru and followed, dodging the pools of congealing blood. As she stepped outside into the fall sunshine, the blast of youki from behind knocked her forward into one of the cadets. They simultaneously apologized to each other as the group moved towards the distant massive central tower. Inuyasha glanced back and caught her eye; she gave him a brief wave and concentrated on keeping up with the rapid pace.

 

Just as they left the courtyard, the leading ranks swerved to avoid something; Kagome didn't react fast enough and tripped over a bloodied corpse. A pair of strong arms immediately swept her up and took off at a dead run, but not before she'd recognized the body. Anzu…! I hope Rin didn't see that! Shaking off her horror, she then transferred her attention to the person now holding her in a rather familiar fashion. “F-fuchi-kun?” she gasped, taking in his bloodied uniform and the deep slash that had taken him across the bridge of his nose, narrowly missing his eyes.

 

“The barracks were attacked just as the night watch was handing over to the day; we barely fought ourselves free. Sorry we left you unprotected,” he answered grimly.

 

“S'alright,” she mumbled. “Hey… are your families safe?”

 

“Not sure, but they're quite capable of defending themselves.” Fuchi paused, then growled, “These bastards seem to have caught us napping again.” Kagome didn't answer, just tucked herself up as small as possible to make it easier for him to carry her; she glimpsed Saya's bright hair guarding the other flank.

 

Ж Ж Ж Ж Ж

 

They were lucky to meet almost no opposition as they covered the greater part of the distance separating them from safety, but the fighting intensified as they neared the central tower. The smell of blood, the shrill battle-cries and the clang of weaponry were further tainted by a faint pall of smoke. Gitoumaru avoided the mayhem as best he could, but each detour cost them precious seconds. The group made it partway across a large courtyard before the insurrection spilled into their path and blocked it completely. As they paused, momentarily dismayed, a cadet beside Gitoumaru tugged his sleeve and pointed to the right. The cobalt-marked teen followed his line of sight, nodded, then bellowed over his shoulder, “In there! Quickly!”

 

`In there' turned out to be the gates of a secondary tower, and they flooded inside the empty bastion. With Rin still clasped in his embrace, Inuyasha immediately took up a position in one of the corners. Fuchi put Kagome down and went to add his strength to the group struggling to close the massive wooden doors. One foot-thick panel locked into place fairly easily, but the other refused to close completely, leaving a gap of about three feet. As Saya squeezed through the opening back outside, Fuchi addressed the milling cadets. “We'll be the first line of defence; you lot protect Inuyasha-sama, Rin-chan and Kagome-sama… with your lives, if necessary.” There were audible gulps all round, and then Gitoumaru took charge again.

 

“You two… up that ladder-stair and bar the trap door. You, you and you… grab a partner and guard those ventilation openings. This half… create a `Dragon's Spine' around Inuyasha-sama, and the rest of you do the same for Kagome-sama.” A bristling circle instantly surrounded the young woman; she bit her lip as she considered their options.

 

“I'd actually prefer to give Inuyasha-sama the extra protection on Rin-chan's behalf,” she demurred, urging her protectors towards the hanyou and his precious burden.

 

“Kagome-sama, I must object!” Gitoumaru said sharply, his tone sounding so much like his father that Kagome nearly grinned. Instead, she patted her sword.

 

“You've seen what kind of power I'm packing, so no need to worry about me. Inuyasha-sama doesn't have his full range of movement because he's holding Rin-chan, so concentrate on him. You and I will be the second line, all right?” Gitoumaru reluctantly nodded in agreement as he pulled the survival knife out of its sheath, hefting it in one hand while twirling his bokken in the other.

 

Kagome turned him slightly towards her and traced the line of the wound above his eye with a careful fingertip. “This could have been nasty; lucky your reflexes are sharp. Too bad about your hair, though…”

 

“A small price to pay for my life,” he stiffly answered, totally missing her attempt at easing the tension, and turned back to focus his attention on the gap between the doors.

 

“I want to check on Rin-chan; I'll be right back,” she said, striding across to the circle. The cadets parted to allow her inside their ring and she knelt beside Inuyasha. The Tetsusaiga was balanced against his knees, wisps of white vapour twining lazily around the blade. She leaned in and lightly nuzzled his cheek stripe, closing her eyes. Inuyasha turned his head and kissed her forehead; they shared a brief moment of peace before Kagome laid her fingers over Rin's small fist where it fiercely gripped his suikan. “It's all right, aiji… you're safe with us.” A small, tear-streaked face peeked at her from under his chin and Rin managed a watery smile before hiding herself again.

 

Kagome squeezed Inuyasha's shoulder and returned to Gitoumaru's side just as the sounds of battle outside intensified. Fuchi's distinctive voice was abruptly raised in a furious howl and then metal crashed against metal. She tugged Gitoumaru's sleeve. “Let's have a quick look…”

 

A javelin thudded into the wooden door right next to her head as she peered outside. Gitoumaru cursed and hauled her back; she batted his hand away and crouched before cautiously looking again… and what she saw utterly horrified her. The courtyard was filled with heaving, snarling, screaming bodies going at each other with blade and claw. One fighter went down, his intestines spilling out over his hands, his shrill shriek of agony abruptly cut off as his opponent swiped off his head. “Gods…” she whispered, riveted by the carnage.

 

Fuchi was several paces further out into the battle than Saya, who stood only a swords-length away. Kagome shifted to get a better look past his legs and immediately saw Tsu under heavy attack by two other inu-youkai also wearing the uniform of the Western Fortress. Then she noticed something that helped distinguish the insurgents. “Look, Gitoumaru-kun! The rebels are wearing black headbands… like… Saya…” She froze as realization struck and then she leapt to her feet, nearly knocking her head against Gitoumaru's chin as he crouched above her. “Fuchi! Look out! Saya's one of them!”

 

Fuchi partially turned at her frantic scream, his weapon sweeping ahead of his body, but he had no chance against Saya's murderous thrust. The sword took him through the ribs, penetrating the tough dragon-hide like it was thin silk, and then the red-headed guardsman viciously twisted and wrenched, sending his former colleague heavily to the ground. There was a horrified pause, then Saya flicked Fuchi's blood from his weapon and turned towards them. In one movement, he shoved the door further open and struck at Kagome.

 

As she fell back, she managed to bring her sword half-way up in a desperate block… but Gitoumaru took the blow instead. Saya's blade carved a deep slash across the teen's chest, tearing through his suikan and exposing white bone while the impact knocked him backward into Kagome and her weapon. As Saya swung his sword up for an overhead blow, with Inuyasha's furious yells ringing in her ears, Kagome grabbed for the survival knife dropping from Gitoumaru's limp fingers, charged it with a flare of spiritual energy and threw it at close range.

 

She missed. Kiriaisai didn't.

 

Before Saya could cleave them in two, twin slashes of light intersected and carved him apart. Kagome ducked, shielding Gitoumaru's face as best she could while blood sprayed wildly and the four quarters of Saya's twitching body thudded wetly around them. She looked up to see Kiriaisai snapping his dual blades free of blood and instantly understood how he'd lived up to his name. “Forgive my tardiness, Kagome-sama,” he calmly intoned. “Gitoumaru… this is no time for napping, whelp. Here.” The youth shakily sat up as a sheathed blade landed in his lap; Kagome winced and pulled her sword's honed edge free of his shoulder blade. “Stay down,” Kiriaisai advised as he fluidly turned to bisect another attacker before hacking his way to Fuchi's body. Prodding the guardsman with his boot, he smoothly dispatched two more attackers, then yanked the `dead' youkai to his feet by the back of his collar.

 

“Took ya long enough, sir,” Fuchi grumbled, wincing as he tested his ribs. “That hurt, dammit!”

 

“They had an entire squad besieging my private quarters,” Kiriaisai replied before glancing briefly at the red-haired head as it rocked slowly back and forth in the entryway. “I have to hand it to Hakimaru-sama; using our own technique against us to insinuate Saya into our trust…”

 

Gitoumaru carefully rose to his feet, ignoring the weeping slash gouging his chest, and drew his new sword to stare wonderingly at it. Kagome stood up with him and briefly tore her eyes away from the battle outside to admire the weapon. “You said your father commissioned a sword for you…”

 

“I didn't know he had picked it up from Totosai-sama,” the youth whispered in awe, running his finger down the rippled hamon.

 

“Guess he figured you would put it to good use today. Uh… how's your shoulder?”

 

He smiled down at her as he shoved the scabbard into his sash. “Can't even feel it. Stay behind me, Kagome-sama, please.”

 

“You've already taken a hit for me today, and that chest wound is nothing to sneeze at, either…”

 

“By the fifth hell!” They broke off their wrangle at Kiriaisai's shout; as they looked towards him, a massive shadow quickly passed overhead, immediately followed by a second. Then the ground shook like an earthquake, dust raining down from overhead as the tower creaked ominously; Kagome ended up rather squished as Gitoumaru shoved her underneath him.

 

“What the fuck was that?” Inuyasha roared over the din, but even when she wriggled out of Gitoumaru's protective custody and peered outside through the roiling clouds of dust, she couldn't immediately answer. Gitoumaru growled and yanked her back, then stared in shock over her head.

 

“Sesshomaru-sama and Hakimaru-sama are fighting in their true forms,” he shouted, but then his view was blocked by his father and Fuchi piling in through the opening as an unearthly howl deafened all of them.

 

“Kagome-sama! Can you set a barrier?” Kiriaisai bellowed, motioning her back towards the corner occupied by Inuyasha and the cadets as the ground continued to shake. He kicked the pieces of Saya's body out of the way; Kagome tried not to watch.

 

“Yes, but… I don't think it will do anything to protect us from randomly attacking building materials…”

 

Fuchi bundled her and Gitoumaru away from the doors, but Kagome broke free and shot back towards the opening where she ducked under Kiriaisai's arm. Throwing up a small barrier to protect them from demonic attack, she was absolutely stunned beyond words.

 

Two gigantic dogs, one purest white and the other palest blond, ripped and tore at each other in a vicious tangle of fur, fangs and claws at the other end of the courtyard, sending combatants fleeing for their lives or risk being trampled underfoot. Hakimaru was indeed larger than Sesshomaru, as Inuyasha had predicted, but he did not exactly dwarf the taiyoukai, either. “They'll destroy the fortress at this rate,” Kiriaisai muttered as he took a firm grip on her sash, ready to swing her away from their vantage point to safety.

 

“Hakimaru's at a disadvantage, since he's fighting on only three legs for the first time… oh, shit! Didn't slow him down at all!” As she spoke, Hakimaru tossed Sesshomaru into a pavilion which promptly bulldozed it into kindling, then followed him into the wreckage. Savagely biting at Sesshomaru's belly, the blond dog seized a hind leg instead and set about attempting to forcibly detach it from the taiyoukai's body.

 

“Damn him! If only I had my bow and arrows…!” she wailed in frustration.

 

“Would it be worth the risk, miko?” Kiriaisai asked coolly. “Your battle-sight cannot correct an arrow's path once it has left your bow, so Sesshomaru-sama might be injured as a result of your interference.”

 

Kagome slumped a little. “I know… but it's painful to just sit here and only watch!”

 

“Have some faith in Sesshomaru-sama; he has been preparing for this confrontation for decades,” the tall sentouken said reassuringly, and he was proven almost instantly correct when Sesshomaru agilely twisted, sank his teeth into Hakimaru's drooping ear and tore off a huge chunk. Howling furiously, the bleeding demon left off painfully twisting Sesshomaru's leg and lunged for his throat… but by doing so, he left himself wide open.

 

Sesshomaru ignored what must be considerable pain and kicked upwards with his hind legs, catching Hakimaru in the chest and knocking him onto his back. The taiyoukai righted himself, dove in and sank his fangs into his opponent's throat, his poisonous saliva glowing faintly green against the pale fur. “That's it, then,” Kiriaisai purred in satisfaction, but a moment after that, Sesshomaru firmly planted his three paws, swung Hakimaru around and threw him… straight at the tower in which they sheltered. Kiriaisai shouted a warning to the rest and dropped on top of Kagome; she took a moment to wryly reflect that this was the second time within five minutes she was in a compromising position with a male inu-youkai who was not her husband.

 

The entire structure over their heads rocked on its foundations, the crackling and snapping of stressed timbers blending with the screech of plaster and wood, barely masking the wailing screams of victims on the floors above caught in the demolition. The stonework base creaked, groaned and shook as more debris poured down, choking the very air… but miraculously it held, even though a whole section of rafters at the back gave way, revealing open sky above. In the stunned silence that followed, there was a chorus of weak coughs. Kiriaisai pushed himself up to his knees and cautiously looked around. When he saw the group in the corner intact and relatively uninjured, he then noted the blood dripping through the ceiling to plish on the dusty floor.

 

“Now what?” Inuyasha asked roughly. Kiriaisai helped Kagome up; she made a futile attempt to brush herself off. The sentouken took a careful look around the eerily deserted courtyard.

 

“I believe it is relatively safe to proceed; the dog fight seems to have discouraged a resumption of hostilities in this vicinity… Sesshomaru-sama!” he gasped as the taiyoukai touched down in front of the doors. Kagome stared, wide-eyed. He was almost as dishevelled as the time he'd taken the brunt of the `Wind Scar'; his armour was broken, his kimono tattered and ripped, his hair matted, his pelt shredded… and fresh blood glistened on his throat, his chest, his dripping sleeves, his drenched hakama. The gore told the story of exactly how Hakimaru had been dispatched, and it was obviously in very close quarters. In his turn, flat yellow eyes gave her a cursory glance before turning their attention to Kiriaisai.

 

“Report?”

 

“All safe.” Barely acknowledging Kiriaisai's salute, he turned on his heel and limped heavily away. Kagome shot a glance at Inuyasha and then raced after Sesshomaru. She took up a position on his flank, her sword in hand.

 

“I do not require your assistance, miko,” he growled.

 

“I know,” she replied, ducking around behind him to check for threats on the other side. She looked over her shoulder to see a stream of indigo-blue flowing rapidly after them, a bright flash of red and silver in the center and Kiriaisai's blue cuirass bringing up the rear.

 

“Where is her wound?”

 

“On the throat; fortunately it was only a shallow cut.”

 

Sesshomaru snarled viciously, making her jump. They travelled in silence for the rest of the mercifully brief trip to the massive central keep. It was heavily besieged when they arrived; Sesshomaru whipped out Tokijin and cleared a broad, bloody path to the entrance doors. Driving the tip of the sword into the ground, he followed up with an energy whip that took care of any survivors, then retrieved Tokijin and strode forward to hammer its pommel on the stout wooden panels. “Open up for the Lord of the West!”

 

Faces peered down from the upper stories at his commanding roar; his youki began to warningly flare just as the sounds of massive locking bars being drawn back were quickly followed by one panel creaking open just enough to allow the taiyoukai to slip inside. Kagome led the procession in behind him; Fuchi and Kiriaisai were the last through before the bolts were shot home once again. Sesshomaru instantly levitated up through the opened trapdoor leading to the infirmary on the next floor.

 

Exhaling a sigh of relief and sheathing her blade, Kagome had to wait a moment until her eyes adjusted to the dim light and then was taken aback at the mass of guardsmen packing the ground floor. “Move along, Kagome-sama.” Her elbow was caught in a large hand as Kiriaisai guided her towards the ladder-stair being lowered through the opening. As soon as it was secured she scampered up, closely followed by Inuyasha and Rin. She'd barely cleared the top rung before Jaken was waving around his staff and squawking loudly in either relief or dismay. A sobbing Shizuka fairly pounced on her husband and son while Kagome was enfolded in a giant bear hug.

 

“You're all safe… I was nearly frantic…” Momiji hissed into Kagome's hair, holding her tightly for a long moment before pulling back to cup her face. “You are uninjured, yes?” she asked, frowning at the blood stains.

 

She nodded. “The blood isn't mine, but Rin has a cut on her neck that might need attention.”

 

“Who dared…?”

 

“Keh. Do you really have to ask?” Inuyasha's voice was low as he cradled Rin against his chest. “Oi, runt… Momiji-san wants to take a look at you.”

 

“Not here… go up to the next floor.” Momiji shooed them towards the ladder-stair, but Kagome paused to take the Tetsusaiga from Inuyasha because the rungs were steeper and narrower. The great blade rumbled before transforming to its smaller, shabbier self; she tucked it under her arm and clambered after the hanyou, closely followed by Momiji with her basket of supplies and Kiriaisai. A highly disgruntled Jaken was left below with Gitoumaru and his tearful mother, plus other assorted emotional displays as several of the younger cadets trickled upstairs to join their families.

 

The room was airy and large, sparsely furnished with a couple of chests and a folding screen, with an equally-narrow ladder leading up to the floor above. Rin refused to give up her death grip on Inuyasha's suikan, so the hanyou sat down against the wall and made both of them comfortable for Momiji's ministrations. Only after much cajoling and finally a commanding rumble from Sesshomaru did Rin very reluctantly reveal the long, nasty-looking wound running on an angle along the side of her throat, so close to the vulnerable artery. Momiji praised Rin's fortitude as she sponged the wound clean before dabbing it with ointment and carefully wrapping the little girl's slender neck in bandages.

 

Once that was accomplished, she wrinkled her nose at the bloodied mess Inuyasha's injuries had made of Rin's bright kimono and then insisted that he strip down so that she could make sure he hadn't suffered any permanent damage. Rin looked very unsure of leaving the safety of Inuyasha's embrace, so Kagome knelt beside the hanyou and held out her arms. “Come sit with me, Rin-chan,” she offered. “You were so brave; let's see if the big hanyou kicks up a fuss, shall we?” Inuyasha rolled his eyes as he gave in to Momiji's prodding and shrugged out of his suikan and kosode.

 

Momiji made a noise of dismay at the mangled skin and muscles of Inuyasha's chest. “Poison claws… you were lucky he didn't punch right through you,” she murmured, touching the melted-looking edges of the wound.

 

“Only Sesshomaru's ever done that,” he responded with a rueful grin, and her gaze flicked towards the silent form of the taiyoukai standing near one of the two windows as he divested himself of his shattered armour and bloodied kosode with Kiriaisai's assistance.

 

“The mystery of my honoured mother's death has been solved,” Sesshomaru abruptly interjected, stepping forward wearing only his stained hakama while Kiriaisai hung a black kosode over his shoulders. “My uncle brought about her demise through treacherous means.” As Momiji stared at him in shock, he continued, “I avenged her death and the shameful abuse of Izayoi-sama with my own hands. He will not be accorded a funeral; he will be left for the carrion-eaters, his bones burned and the ashes spread to the winds.”

 

In the following silence, Sesshomaru finished dressing while Inuyasha stoically submitted to Momiji smearing him with ointment and wrapping several lengths of bandages around his chest before growling and batting her hands away. Rin immediately reached for him, but he gently pushed her back into Kagome's arms and shouldered into his clothing. “I'm gonna help Sesshomaru make sure that nothing like this ever happens again, runt. You stay here…”

 

“Wait a minute! I'm not staying behind!” Kagome growled indignantly.

 

“This conflict is between inu-youkai… and my ward requires the protection of someone I trust implicitly,” Sesshomaru stated. Kagome closed her mouth, stunned at the responsibility handed to her by the taiyoukai. Inuyasha cocked an eyebrow at her before bestowing a quick kiss, then ruffled Rin's bangs as he retrieved the Tetsusaiga. Both humans looked up at him with identical forlorn expressions and he smirked.

 

“Nice puppy-dog eyes, girlies, but you'll just have to sit tight for a while. C'mon, Sesshomaru… we have some rebel ass to kick.”

 

The taiyoukai studied Kagome and Rin for a moment, his eyes unreadable, before he rapidly crossed the room and knelt beside them. Rin gazed steadily at him, her face solemn. “Take care, my lord,” she whispered, her voice a shadow of its usual cheerful timbre. Sesshomaru lightly brushed Rin's cheek with the backs of his claws before turning her chin slightly to look at the bandages; apparently satisfied, he nodded once and briefly rested his hand on her head before he stood up. Gesturing for Inuyasha to precede him down the ladder-stair, Sesshomaru took a last look at the two humans before dropping out of sight.

 

Ж Ж Ж Ж Ж

 

“Dammit, not so tight! I'm not used to these fucking things!” Inuyasha snapped, swatting away Kiriaisai's claws and loosening the tassels securing the straps of the breastplate until he could comfortably roll his shoulders. “I still don't see why I have to wear it in the first place!”

 

“That chest injury is serious; this will permit you to keep fighting without fear of further damage,” the sentouken said briskly, checking the fit of the armour over the thick fire-rat.

 

“I have the Tetsusaiga; don't see why I need anything else…” the hanyou grumbled impatiently, wriggling inside the unaccustomed shell.

 

“Insurance, Inuyasha-sama. I am a full-blood but I wear armour for the advantage it gives me. Surely you can see the value in protecting yourself for those you love?”

 

“Since you put it that way…”

 

“Are you ready, brother?” Sesshomaru asked, his tone oddly subdued as he was buckled into another breastplate.

 

Inuyasha glanced his way and nodded after giving the annoying strap one last tug. “How's the leg?”

 

“Tolerable.”

 

The hanyou flashed a fanged, rather fiendish grin and gave the Tetsusaiga a showy flourish. The blade transformed, sending flickers of light shooting around the stone-bound gloom. The clustered guardsmen shifted, their eyes following the vapours twining around the gleaming enchanted metal. “Open the doors…”

 

Kiriaisai stepped back and saluted smartly. “Who can hope to stand against a united House of the West? Only a fool would even try. Good hunting, my lords.”

 

Ж Ж Ж Ж Ж

 

Two floors above, Momiji tidied her basket. “Try to rest a little, as it is likely to be a long wait for their return.” As she patted Kagome's shoulder, her finger tips briefly caught on the gouges in the leather tunic made by Hakimaru's claws, so she took a closer look.

 

“Thank the gods for dragon-hide,” Kagome yawned, suddenly feeling very, very tired as the last of the adrenaline drained from her system. Momiji moved the screen aside, revealing a stack of thin futons. Layering a couple of mattresses, she draped a sheet and a blanket over them. Rin was stripped out of the besmeared yellow kimono and tucked into the makeshift bed while Kagome propped herself up against the nearest wall, Fenik against her shoulder. Momiji tucked a blanket around her as well before disappearing down the ladder-stair. Rin rustled a bit before her breathing slowed and deepened. Kagome listened to the voices and movement drifting up from below while watching the long hairs of Sesshomaru's discarded pelt ruffle in the draft from the slatted windows. She was cold, drained, and deeply worried; all those factors kept her from a deeper rest that afternoon.

 

Kagome came awake to find Rin had crawled into her lap at some point and was dozing fitfully. Cuddling the little girl close, they both drowsed a bit longer until Kagome's leg developed a cramp and she had to walk it out. They kept very close company for the rest of the day and evening. There wasn't much to do in the almost-empty room, and several young inu-youkai as well as Gitoumaru were eventually sent upstairs to join them. It wasn't immediately obvious as to whether it was more to keep the youngsters out of Momiji's way or so that he could escape his mother's loud laments over his lop-sided hair cut, but he willingly joined in the effort of entertaining the children. After a few simple guessing games, a wild round of blind-man's bluff (with the trap door safely closed) immediately followed by a game of tag, Rin asked about the rest of the Edo pack. The children plopped down on the bare floor and waited eagerly, so Kagome spun heavily-edited versions of their adventures to her wide-eyed audience.

 

Water, dried meat and rice balls appeared late in the day, but there was still no word on the progress of the main battle, which had mercifully receded from the walls of the keep. The residents hunkered down and waited, those with longer memories sniffing worriedly at the acrid smoke wafting on the breeze. As the sky darkened, Rin went silent, worrying the sleeve of her white kosode between small fingers. Kagome eventually tucked her into the bed, set up several more to accommodate the other children, and had Gitoumaru tell them all a bedtime story… or ten. The teen had looked rather askance at her request, but a significant look gained his acquiescence. Once they were all sleeping, Kagome and Gitoumaru sat in silence, alone with their thoughts and worries, which interfered with any real rest.

 

The inu brothers returned just as dawn's red fingers grasped at the sky, as close to utter weariness as either of them would ever admit. Kagome roused at Inuyasha's voice down below; a few moments later, he popped out of the trap door. She did a double take, much to his tired amusement. Her hanyou wore not only his familiar red fire-rat, but also a rather battered guardsman's breastplate. He crooked his finger at her and she immediately tip-toed away from Rin's pallet and into a fierce embrace. Whispering in her ear, he said, “Kiriaisai insisted I wear the armour to protect my chest. Come sit with me…” He led her to the other side of the room and sat down, pulling her into his lap while Gitoumaru made himself scarce.

 

Inuyasha rained tiny kisses all over Kagome's face before cuddling her close and exhaling deeply, as if letting out a breath he'd been holding for a long time. Kagome ran her fingertip along the rolled edge of the breastplate. “How bad is it out there?” she softly asked.

 

“Beyond fucking bad,” he murmured back, running his claws through her dark hair. “They set fires again; two rice sheds have already burned, so it's going to be a long, hard winter here for the survivors.”

 

“Did you manage to take down of all the rebels?”

 

“When it became obvious that it was a lost cause… word of Hakimaru's death spread very slowly… the leftovers tried to disappear into the crowd instead of surrendering. Keh. It was completely futile because nobody wants to go through this crap again.”

 

“Where are they being held?”

 

Inuyasha gently rapped her skull with his knuckles. “Sesshomaru doesn't take prisoners, wench. It's done.” At that moment, the taiyoukai himself arrived in the room. He was also wearing a guardsman's breastplate that gleamed dully against the black kosode, his silver hair hanging sleekly down his back. Giving the cozy twosome a scant glance, he immediately crossed to Rin's pallet and stood looking down at her for a long moment. Circling around the foot of the mattress, he seated himself against the wall beside her and laid his swords aside.

 

The light clank of metal roused the small girl; blinking slowly, she smiled softly at the taiyoukai. Kagome gasped quietly at the gentle look that brightened Sesshomaru's features in return as he held out his hand to the child. After the briefest hesitation, Rin scrambled clumsily out of the bedding and into his embrace. Sesshomaru tucked her comfortably into the crook of his arm, a soft hum that sounded suspiciously like a purr vibrating the air around them. Rin snuggled close, one small hand slipping up to curl over the top edge of his breastplate, the two of them the very picture of contentment.

 

Inuyasha chose not to comment on this uncharacteristic display of affection by his austere brother, as it had been an all around weird twenty-four hours that would unsettle even the most reserved of taiyoukai. Instead, he tucked Kagome under his chin and closed his eyes for a well-deserved catnap.

 

Kiriaisai received the full impact of two golden-eyed glares as he ascended the ladder-stair an hour or so later. While Kagome snuggled up in Inuyasha's lap was not a surprise, young Rin sleeping soundly in the crook of Sesshomaru's arm certainly was. However, centuries of discretion kept him from anything more than a cursory glance before quietly clearing his throat to give his situation report, in a whisper so as not to wake the other slumbering children.

 

“The armoury and the treasury have been secured as well as the remaining rice sheds. The fires in the other food stores have been contained, except for the one containing sake. That is still burning furiously, as well as miscellaneous outbuildings, despite our continuing efforts. The main stables were destroyed; aside from three young tenbaryu, the rest of the animals were saved, including Ah-Un. However, the feed loft burned as well. The kitchens are intact because Toku-san barricaded himself and his staff inside; they resisted any effort to torch the building and accounted for at least a platoon of the rebels by themselves. He is preparing some rations at this moment.” The tall youkai shifted his feet and swallowed hard, casting a quick glance at Rin to make sure she still slept before turning to Inuyasha and Kagome. “Unfortunately, the Chief Wife's pavilion was burnt to the ground. The losses include young Ume-san; we found her body in the rubble.”

 

“Oh, no!” Kagome whispered hoarsely. “Oh… gods. First Anzu-san and now Ume-chan?” She hid her tears in Inuyasha's shoulder. He instantly began running his hand up and down her back in a soothing manner.

 

“Everything was destroyed?” the hanyou asked.

 

“Hai, Inuyasha-sama. The fire was intense; I am sorry.”

 

The hanyou tapped his forehead. “Keh. I have my memories, so it's okay.”

 

“We will depart this afternoon,” Sesshomaru suddenly declared. “The hunt for Naraku must resume immediately before the weather forces us into winter quarters.” This bald pronouncement left Inuyasha and Kagome blinking as the taiyoukai continued, “Kiriaisai will remain here and supervise the rebuilding. A small task force will accompany us to Edo; Rin will stay at your village for the duration.”

 

“Uh, er… um, isn't the fortress now safe for Rin-chan…?” Kagome asked, thoroughly puzzled as this apparent change in plans.

 

“I will not take the chance that one of Hakimaru's adherents may have escaped our grasp,” he stated flatly.

 

Inuyasha ground his fangs. “Are we combining packs?” he asked bluntly.

 

Sesshomaru gazed at him steadily. “A combination of our packs… would not be dishonourable.”

 

“I ain't submitting to you…” the hanyou warned.

 

The taiyoukai merely looked tired. “This situation is merely a continuation of our truce, nothing more.”

 

While Kagome goggled at this seismic shift in the power structure between the brothers, Inuyasha casually shrugged. “Keh. I'll accept responsibility for the runt so long as she's in Edo. We'll figure it out from there.”

 

Ж Ж Ж Ж Ж Ж Ж Ж Ж Ж Ж Ж Ж Ж Ж Ж Ж Ж Ж Ж Ж Ж Ж Ж Ж

Sengoku Jidai

Three days later

 

Kagome pulled the hood of the fire-rat fur lined travelling cloak more fully down over her face and shivered. They were weathering a driving rainstorm on Ah-Un's back; she cuddled a similarly swaddled Rin on the saddle before her and Inuyasha's strong arms bracketed them both as he held the reins. Barely visible in the misty low clouds, the rest of the task force heading towards Edo flared out behind them; Kagome briefly hoped that the weather wasn't a harbinger of things to come.

 

I hate rain, and I hate rain even more when it's being driven into my face by a headwind…

Whine, snivel, complain…

Shaddap, Fenik. You're tucked all nice and cozy inside this roomy cloak, not outside… although a change in your circumstance could be arranged…

Okay, okay… how's the runt?

That's Rin-sama to you, bobcat-boy. She's a real little trouper; I guess trailing around after Sesshomaru in the wilderness toughened her up beyond her years.

Oh, and you're such a pushover!

I'm tired, wet, chilled, desperately in need of a bath and I want to go home, okay?

Are we there yet?

No… wait a minute! I see the watchtower! Uh… I think…

Good, `cause I couldn't take much more of your cheerful conversation.

 

It was indeed Edo's watchtower, and Kagome gleefully anticipated not only the greeting in store for them from their friends, but also the first hot water in four days on the other side of the well. After leaving the still-smoking fortress in a rush, the past three days had been a blur of rain, smoky fires, dank caves and monotonous rations which she and Rin had borne without complaint. The first night, when they had finally stopped at dusk after several hours in the saddle, Ah-Un had tromped right inside the designated cave and settled down, then nudged his human passengers into the protective circle of his legs as the guardsmen quickly built a fire with Jaken's assistance. The toad-imp had been displaced from the tenbaryu's back and was sulking terribly over the perceived slight. He ignored both Inuyasha and Kagome with regal disdain; the hanyou schooled his temper to avoid flattening the arrogant imp just in case Sesshomaru actually valued his retainer's life.

 

Momiji was loathe to let them go on such short notice, but there was nothing for it except to gather up the warmest clothing she could find and arrange the rations. She hugged both humans and the hanyou to within an inch of their lives, extracted a heartfelt promise from Rin to behave herself and made Kagome swear to return to the fortress as soon as possible. “Once Naraku is defeated, you must tell me the story yourself; a man cannot be trusted to give all the details,” she insisted, so Kagome promised, even though doing so felt somehow deceitful.

 

In front of his men, the taiyoukai refrained from offering Rin any comfort except for the occasional touch on her hair or shoulder, but he did go so far as to shake out his waterlogged pelt and drape it around her the first night. Kagome was grateful for the gesture, because when she and Rin curled up together against Ah-Un's bulk, wrapped in their travelling cloaks and surrounded by the warm fur, they slept very contentedly right through until the next morning.

 

Clawed fingers lifted from the reins to pull back the side of her hood. “We'd better land outside the barrier,” Inuyasha muttered in her ear and she nodded.

 

“Sesshomaru will need access to check on Rin,” she responded. “All of these guys are loyalists, Inuyasha, so they ought to be permitted the right of entry to the village…”

 

“Wait until we see how it's going to play out,” he growled back. Tapping one of Ah-Un's scaly necks he ordered the beast to land on the path outside the shimmering dome. Their arrival hadn't gone unnoticed despite the lousy weather; as they landed, Kagome detected twin streaks of youki barrelling towards them. She quickly slid off Ah-Un's back and lifted Rin down from the saddle with Inuyasha's assistance. As Shippo gleefully flung himself at his adoptive mother, he was snatched out of mid-air by the hanyou and tossed back through the barrier to land some feet behind Shiori. “Remember your manners, you little twerp!” Inuyasha bellowed as he swept up the squealing bat-hanyou in a tight hug. “Oi, runt… have you been good for your mother and Kaede-baba?” he asked teasingly.

 

“Oh, yes, Inuyasha-san! I'm so glad you've come home!” Shiori hugged him tightly around the neck, tears sparkling in her red-violet eyes. “I can fly all the way across the well meadow and down to the village now!”

 

None the worse for wear, Shippo skidded to a stop at Kagome's feet; she crouched and caught the kit in a one-armed hug. “Shippo-kun, we have several guests joining us, but this one is the most important to you.” She curved her other arm around Rin and gently pulled her forward to make introductions. “Rin-chan, this is Shippo-kun and that's Shiori-chan.” The kit bowed deeply; Shiori hopped down from Inuyasha's arms and followed suit while Rin politely reciprocated. The trio spent a total of approximately thirty seconds sizing each other up before Shiori held out her hand and smiled broadly.

 

“Kaede-sama has made some delicious stew for our lunch; will you join us?” Rin nodded, shyly slipped her hand into Shiori's, and the two little girls skipped off through the rain together while Kagome stood up, grinning after the pair.

 

“Huh,” Shippo sniffed, with a distinct air of superiority. “Women.”

 

“You'll change your tune once you have a female of your own.” Inuyasha grinned down at the kit, snagged him in a rib-cracking hug and then messed up his hair. Shippo yowled a protest and the tussle was on… until the kit stopped dead, holding his nose.

 

“Geez! You reek, dog-breath! Water isn't just for drinking, ya know!”

 

Inuyasha gently tugged on his topknot. “It's a long story, runt. Run ahead and warn the headman that the villagers should give the Goshinboku and the well meadow a wide berth for the next couple of days, and then send Ieji and Ita this way…”

 

“They're back at the hut… crap! Is that who I think it is?” The kit stared upwards, heedless of the rain in his face, as the rest of their travelling companions appeared overhead.

 

“Yep, so you'd better watch yourself, runt. Don't even think of pulling any kitsune tricks on these guys because they'll tear you apart… and I won't stop `em.”

 

“Inuyasha, that is your asshole brother. What the hell is he doing here?” Shippo hissed agitatedly.

 

Kagome stepped lightly on his furry little paw. “Sesshomaru-sama has excellent hearing, Shippo-kun,” she reminded him in an undertone. “He saved my life and he's our ally, so treat him and his men with respect.”

 

The kit shook his wet red head. “The world really has gone insane…”

 

“By the way, runt… Rin is your and Shiori's special charge. You are to make sure that absolutely nothing happens to her while she's here… or you'll have to explain to my brother your lapse in judgement.” Inuyasha grinned evilly before continuing, “Then I get whatever's left of you.”

 

“Where is my ward?” Sesshomaru demanded as he alighted next to the steaming dragon, closely followed by the rest of the task force. Shippo took one look at the taiyoukai and his heavily-armed escort, straightened up smartly and bowed very deeply.

 

“She was escorted by Shiori-chan to Kaede-sama's hut for a bowl of stew, your lordship. Ieji-kun and Ita-kun are there, so she is well protected… uh-oh. Maybe not…” The twins raced into view, madly straightening their uniforms as they prepared to report to the Lord of the West. Dropping to one knee, they bowed their dark heads.

 

“Welcome, my lords and lady,” Ieji squeezed out between panting breaths. “Kagome-sama, may I say that it is wonderful to see you looking so lively? Welcome home, Inuyasha-sama… greetings, Sesshomaru-sama.” The taiyoukai acknowledged the men with barely a flicker as he assessed the village behind them. Jaken spluttered up, only to recoil in horror.

 

“My lord! This is an outrage! Rin cannot be expected to stay here!”

 

“Jaken.” Kagome marvelled at how a single word from the taiyoukai was enough to quell the imp's tirade; beside her, Inuyasha was biting his lip to stop himself from laughing. “You will remain with the guardsmen.”

 

“B-but… my place is at your side, Sesshomaru-sama!”

 

“Your place is to obey.” With a quivering beak, Jaken retreated. Kagome couldn't help but feel a little sorry for the abrasive imp. He isn't coping very well with having us muscle in on what has always been his place of honour at Sesshomaru's side.

 

“Inuyasha! Kagome!” Sango fairly flew down the path with Miroku hot on her heels, both of them wearing blinding smiles. The slayer threw her arms around Kagome and hugged the stuffing out of her while Miroku pounded Inuyasha on the shoulder. Then they switched, Miroku squeezing Kagome breathless while Sango tackled Inuyasha, both of them ignoring Sesshomaru's rumbling growl at all the manhandling. Kagome couldn't help but notice that Inuyasha was grinning like an idiot, his eyes dancing. So nice to see him smiling with his entire face, not just his lips…

 

“I demand to be taken to my ward now,” Sesshomaru snarled, instantly breaking apart the reunion. Miroku bowed deeply and very correctly.

 

“Forgive us, my lord, and thank you so very, very much for returning our friends to us. Please, come right this way.” With a showman's flourish, he handed the taiyoukai a sutra, keeping up the charade of its necessity. “This will allow the barrier to recognize you so that you may come and go as you please.” Sesshomaru looked from the quickly-dampening paper to the very sincere monk and back again before gingerly accepting it with the tips of his claws. Tucking it into his breastplate, he strode right through the barrier, scattering curious villagers like nattering chickens as he unerringly made his way through the downpour towards Kaede's distant hut.

 

“Go after him, you two.” Inuyasha gestured at the twins. “Make sure Kaede-baba doesn't brain him with her ladle for invading her house. Miroku, come with me and we'll take the rest of these guards to the well meadow to set up their camp.” He caught hold of Ah-Un's reins and swung up onto the tenbaryu's back. “Sango, we'll see you and Kagome at the hut in a little while.”

 

She had been about to argue that she wanted to go home now, but Kagome just nodded instead and slipped her arm through Sango's, allowing the other girl to pull her through the barrier and along the path while Shippo hopped up onto her shoulder. The slayer and the kit chattered happily, filling her in on the latest news and goings-on of the village… but Kagome felt oddly disconnected. Before she had a chance to examine this feeling any further, they were jumped by an excited neko and an even more excited tenbaryu.

 

Kumo squealed and chirped, nearly knocking her over with his enthusiastic bunting and licking. Kagome laughed and wrapped her arms as far as she could around his heavily arched neck, squeezing for all she was worth. The stallion pranced a bit, lifting her slightly off the ground, then used his muzzle to press her against his chest, rumbling deeply and contentedly. Kirara leapt down from his back into Kagome's arms, meowing and purring while rubbing her cheek against the woman's chin. Kumo grumbled impatiently at the competition, so Sango swatted the giant grey beast. “Kagome is getting soaked, you big baby… let her have some lunch and then you can take her up to the well.”

 

The tenbaryu shook his mane, sending water flying everywhere, and then nudged Kagome towards Kaede's. He frisked alongside them like a big dog, swishing his tail and trilling happily the entire time until he was forced to wait outside the door of the hut, which he did with barely-masked impatience. “Go tell Okibi to fly up to the well meadow and bring back Inuyasha and Miroku once they've settled our guests, okay?” Kagome scratched Kumo vigorously under the chin, smiling as his long white lashes fluttered ecstatically.

 

Sango leaned towards her and muttered, “Do you think Kaede-sama used a sutra on Sesshomaru-sama? It's too quiet…”

 

“Let's find out… wow, that stew smells great!” Her stomach instantly reminded her that it had been some hours since she'd last eaten, and only a couple of cold rice balls at that, so Kagome pushed aside the reinforced door mat and was greeted by a peaceful, if somewhat crowded, scene. Ieji and Ita knelt at the edge of the wooden platform watching Rin and Shiori jabber excitedly together, while bowls of stew and rice disappeared into the little girls at an alarming rate. On the other side of the fire pit, the taiyoukai quietly spoke with the elderly miko whilst sipping a civilized cup of tea. Shippo and Kirara both jumped down and shook off the excess water, then joined the girls. The kit introduced the neko-youkai to Rin and the conversation became even more animated.

 

“Welcome home, Kagome-sama!” Kaede heaved herself to her feet and stumped across the platform to embrace the young woman after she hung up her cloak and removed her boots. “Sesshomaru-sama has been most kind to tell this old woman some of thy news; be seated and tell me the rest!”

 

Ж Ж Ж Ж Ж

 

An hour later in the driving rain, Kagome stood on the well's rim with Inuyasha's arm around her waist and patiently explained again to Sesshomaru that passage through the portal was exclusive to her and Inuyasha, although he was welcome to try once they had gone through. Tiring of the inquisition, the hanyou grouchily pointed out that their official shard/Naraku detector was in danger of falling sick if she became too wet and chilled, which would delay the hunt even further. Finally, Sesshomaru stepped back and watched keenly as the magic in the well shimmered, hinting at ancient power far greater than his own.

 

A moment and five hundred years later, Kagome took a deep breath and smiled ruefully up at Inuyasha in the dim light at the bottom of the well as the rain drummed on the tiles far above their heads. “I never, ever thought I'd be so happy to smell pollution!” she chuckled, pushing back the hood of her cloak.

 

“I'm just happy that we're here,” the hanyou murmured as he pulled her into his arms for a tender embrace before mischievously tweaking her nose. “Now, wench, we are going in to say hello to your mother, and then you are going to have a shower and go to bed.”

 

“Don't you want to have one with me? You still owe me a scrubbing, since we haven't had a chance to bathe since the night of the feast…”

 

“Now there's an idea…” His fangs flashed and in the next moment they were on the planking at the bottom of the internal stairs… and they nearly fell back into the well from astonishment.

 

The entire well house was tightly packed to the very rafters with crates and cases and barrels of supplies, so much so that once they ascended the stairs, they had to squeeze through a narrow passage to reach the door. Kagome looked around, dazed by the sheer volume of material that they were expected to move through the well. “It looks like a supply dump for a battalion…”

 

“Oi, wench. Look at this.” Inuyasha cracked the door to let in more light and examined a large rice barrel with interest. Kagome peered over his shoulder to see the circular running-dog crest of the Western Lands burned into the staves. The hanyou glanced around. “There's enough here to supply the village for a few weeks or the fortress for several days… how the hell are we supposed to transport it back there, though?”

 

“We'll figure something out… or I'll just ask my commander when I give him my situation report.”

 

“You're going to see that Sessaki guy?” Inuyasha growled.

 

Kagome waved her hand around at the mountain of supplies. “I should at least thank him for this, shouldn't I?”

 

“Keh. I suppose… but I'd like to give him a piece of my mind for not telling us about that fucking snake!”

 

“It all worked out, though… didn't it? I survived, we beat Hakimaru and we're now even more firmly allied with Sesshomaru to reach our goal of defeating Naraku. All in all, it was a good thing.”

 

“You're insane, wench,” Inuyasha chortled. “Only you could be bitten by a big-ass poisonous youkai that nearly kills you and then say, `It was a good thing'. C'mon… let's go see Okaa-san.” He began sliding the door further open; Kagome caught at his sleeve.

 

“Wait a sec! Can you flatten your ears into your hair or something? There might be shrine visitors out there.”

 

“In this crappy weather? Doubt it.” He tried, but his ears' natural position was upright and perky, so Kagome sighed, handed him her sword and fiddled underneath her cloak until she emerged with her sash in her hands. Winding it around his head into a makeshift bandanna and tying it off, she managed to cover the madly twitching appendages. “There… that'll do until we're inside the house.”

 

Giving her sword back, he opened the door wide… and they had their second surprise within as many minutes. Two huge field-hospital size tents took up a sizable chunk of the deserted, wet courtyard. Wondering, they crept down the stairs and peered inside the flap of the nearest tent, only to find it stuffed full of even more supplies. “Keh. If that other tent is the same as this one, the fortress will be in good shape until the food tithes start coming in.” Inuyasha looked at her in frank amazement. “How'd that Sessaki guy pull off all this?”

 

“Connections in high places. Maybe we should start moving these supplies now and have a shower later?”

 

“Forget it. After all the crap of the last few days, we're taking the afternoon off, wench. Besides, we need some help with this, and I'd rather wait until your brother is home. His girlfriend, too; she looks like a go-getter.” He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and swept her towards the house.

 

The exterior door was unlocked and they quickly shucked their wet boots into the racks. Kagome hung up her dripping cloak and opened the inner door. “We're home, mom!” Only silence answered. “That's odd… from all the stuff outside, I expected she'd be waiting for us…” She headed for the kitchen and found the note on the table. As Inuyasha pulled off the makeshift bandanna and looked over her shoulder, she read:

 

Ojii-chan had a doctor's appointment, and I'll pick up the ingredients for oden on our way home. Don't start moving the supplies on your own; I've organized a work party to help!

 

Love,

Mom

 

P.S. Make sure you put your clothing into the wash! Your fleeces are on your desk.

 

The girl and the hanyou exchanged wry glances. “Somebody told her we were a little ripe…” he muttered, grinning. “We'd better do as we're told.” Plucking the note out of her hand, he anchored it on the table with the discarded sash, then towed her off to the laundry room. There, he proceeded to strip off his clothing and stuff the fire-rat into the washing machine. Kagome could only stare at the buck-naked hanyou as he carefully added detergent, then poked buttons and turned knobs. “Hurry up, wench… those hakama and the liner from your tunic can go in, too.”

 

Thoroughly bemused at the very idea of Inuyasha doing laundry, she moved to obey. He growled at her slowness and took away the tunic to remove the fire-rat lining while she stepped out of her hakama for the first time in four days. The black fur went in with the brilliant red and the machine began doing its thing. “Okaa-san said the linen has to go in separately…”

 

“How the hell do you know all this?” Kagome demanded suddenly, finding it a little surreal that her mother had been giving homemaking lessons to Inuyasha.

 

“Last winter, when you were at the Academy. She explained a whole bunch of stuff to me so I'd know how to do things in this era after we beat Naraku.” He shrugged. “It isn't that big a deal… is it?”

 

“Not at all… I'm really proud of you for wanting to learn.” He blushed lightly at her smile then scooped up both her and their swords before heading towards the stairs.

 

“Clean up time, wench. Would you stay awake long enough for a bath?”

 

“Mmm. Not right now. Some hot water followed by a cuddle with my hanyou sounds pretty good,” she mumbled, nestling into his chest.

 

“Keh. You'll probably fall asleep on me in the shower,” he chuckled, pushing open the bathroom door to see a pile of extra towels in readiness by the shower stall. “Okaa-san thinks of everything…”

 

“Your hair always takes three towels to dry, so no surprise there.”

 

“Only because you won't let me shake in here.”

 

“Because the ceiling's a bitch to dry off.”

 

Ж Ж Ж Ж Ж

 

A couple of hours later, Inuyasha disentangled himself from Kagome's warmth at the distant sound of the shrine gates opening. Carefully tucking the blankets around her bare shoulders, he gently brushed several strands of hair away from her face and lightly kissed her forehead before quickly dressing. I knew she'd conk out as soon as she hit the pillow! The clothing piled on the desk included a length of dark fabric for binding his ears; he smiled at it and mentally thanked Mrs. Higurashi. Closing the bedroom door quietly behind him, he hurried downstairs to locate his combat boots and don them before the car pulled to a stop. Taking a deep breath, he slid the door open and stepped outside into the light rain.

 

Kioko Higurashi let out a delighted cry, dropped her shopping bags and fairly ran into his arms. “Inuyasha! You're finally home!” He happily returned her enthusiastic greeting, hugging her just as tightly.

 

“Glad to be back, Okaa-san. Kagome's asleep… who the hell's that?” he suddenly demanded, noticing the tall, slender, dark-haired man assisting a wheezing Grandpa from the car. A growl rumbled through his chest and as he pushed Kioko behind him, he bared his fangs at the newcomer.

 

“Hush, son,” she murmured, patting his shoulder. “That's my very dear friend, Touma Kenjou. Remember the gentleman who escorted me to the wedding last spring? I'm so glad you can finally meet him!” She squeezed a very befuddled Inuyasha's arm reassuringly as she stepped past him to retrieve the groceries. “He knows everything about you, dear; like Lord Sessaki, he's a member of the House of the West,” she added with a wink and a cheerful smile.

 

Smothering a smirk, Gitoumaru had easily overheard both the growl and the conversation as he guided the elderly human around the car and towards the door. I know my concealment spell is strong enough… here's hoping my acting skills are as well!

 

“Touma, may I introduce my daughter's husband, Inuyasha Nishiyori?” Kioko offered breezily, as if the two men were indeed complete strangers meeting for the first time. However, her eyes twinkled mischievously at Gitoumaru and he had to work at keeping his twitching lips under control.

 

“It's a pleasure to meet you, Nishiyori-san,” he intoned politely, inclining his head. “Kioko has been anxious for your return.”

 

“Uhhh… yeah. Same to you, Kenjou-san…um…” Inuyasha stiffly bowed his head in return, feeling rather like he'd been sideswiped.

 

“I'll settle Ojii-chan and start on the oden; Sota will be home at any moment, so you might as well take through a couple of loads while you're waiting for him.” Kioko smiled very brightly at the two inu-youkai, one spell-concealed and one not, then expertly guided the elderly man through the door and into the house. Inuyasha blinked owlishly after her before snapping his attention back to `Touma'.

 

“Shall we? It's rather wet out here…” Gitoumaru gestured towards the well house, smiling genially. The hanyou stared hard at him for a long moment before nodding sharply and leading the way, his boots thudding on the pavement as he stalked past the tents, his wet hair gleaming brightly despite the overcast.

 

Once they squeezed into the well house and stood on the inner stairs, Inuyasha suddenly demanded, “How did you meet Kagome's mother?”

 

“Through your wife,” Gitoumaru replied calmly. “I am in charge of scheduling events for the Imperial House, such as the upcoming Moon Viewing Festival, and that gave me occasion to introduce myself to Kioko.”

 

The hanyou assessed him carefully before asking, “How well do you know Lord Sessaki?”

 

“I see him socially as well as professionally… why do you ask?”

 

“What's he like?”

 

Gitoumaru thought a moment before replying, “Dedicated, honourable and determined. Very much like you.”

 

Inuyasha paused, his eyes hooded. In a swift movement, he pulled the concealing bandanna off his head and waited for `Touma's reaction. It wasn't quite what he expected.

 

“I must say, your ears are as attractive as Kioko has claimed,” Gitoumaru said with a very straight face. “The sketches in the scrolls don't do them proper justice.” He cocked his head, pretending to consider the flickering white triangles. “Somewhat cat-like in appearance, perhaps…”

 

“Ya better get your eyes checked,” Inuyasha spat, somewhat discomfited by the seemingly casual acceptance and complete lack of surprise.

 

“Kioko is extremely fond of you, Nishiyori-san. I already knew most of your story through Lord Sessaki's research, but I feel very privileged to assist you in this small way. I am truly honoured to meet you.” He bowed low to the mollified hanyou.

 

“If Okaa-san trusts you, then that's good enough for me. Call me `Inuyasha', all right?”

 

“So long as you call me `Touma' in return.”

 

Inuyasha waved his hand. “Keh. I'm just gonna hop through the well and organize the reception committee on the other side… back in a few minutes.” The hanyou leapt into the well in a fluid movement, more to give himself time to think than anything.

 

Gitoumaru left the well house and walked up and down the stairs in the rain several times until he had composed himself. This went better than I expected… Sessaki got off easy, meeting him on his human night!

 

Ж Ж Ж Ж Ж

 

Kagome slowly surfaced from a deep and pleasant sleep, warm and comfortable in a soft bed… then sat bolt upright when she remembered where she was. The second thing she became aware of was music blaring outside and loud voices cheerfully chivvying each other. Throwing back the covers and jumping out of bed, she had enough sense to cover her bare chest as she looked out the window, but then had to hang onto the sill with both hands to avoid falling over in shock.

 

A light drizzle continued to fall, but watery late-afternoon sunshine clearly illuminated the activity in the courtyard. Kagome picked her jaw up off the floor as she watched Sota, Akagane and Shimano busily moving load after load of supplies up the stairs into the well house; the music was coming from the speakers in Shimano's sedan. Then she briefly glimpsed someone that could only be Gitoumaru just inside the well house door and she dove for her clothes. Hopping on one foot to pull on her socks, she skittered down the stairs and nearly ran smack into her mother as she came out of the laundry room.

 

“Hello, sweetie! How are you?” Kioko exclaimed, throwing her arms around her wild-eyed daughter.

 

“Mom! I have to get out there before Inuyasha…”

 

“He's already met them, dear. I need help with dinner,” Kioko said rather blandly as she took Kagome by the elbow, steered her into the kitchen and set her to stirring the soup stock. After a couple of minutes of mulling over all the things that could possibly go wrong with Inuyasha in the company of the modern youkai, Kagome dropped the spoon in the pot and bolted for the door, only to go sprawling across the tabletop courtesy of a well-timed hip check. “They're fine, Kagome. Leave them be. Good heavens…! That scar…!”

 

Kagome's shirt had flipped up when she fell, revealing the top curve of the circular bite mark now decorating her left hip. Straightening back up, wincing a little from her unexpected collision with the furniture, she shoved down the back of her waistband. She heard her mother's sharp intake of breath before warm fingers tugged the material further down and traced the mark of the snake. Then, her top was pushed up and the gentle touch repeated on the matching scar. “Lord Sessaki said it was serious… I had no idea…” Kioko breathed.

 

“I nearly died, mom,” Kagome said shortly, tugging her clothing back into place. “If it hadn't been for Fenik, Midoriko and Sesshomaru, I wouldn't be standing here right now.”

 

“I saw the damage to your tunic sleeve; you weren't hurt by that awful Hakimaru?”

 

“No. Other people were hurt protecting me… like Gitoumaru.”

 

“He goes by `Touma Kenjou' now, and I can assure you that he will be perfectly fine dealing with Inuyasha, as will Shimano. Yashita prepared them a few days ago.” When Kagome still looked sceptical, Kioko gave her a gentle smile. “You're so tense that Inuyasha would immediately pick up on it, so it's best you stay in here with me.”

 

“But mom… what about his facial markings?”

 

“Everyone agreed to refrain from commenting on them, because Akagane set the precedent last summer.”

 

Kagome recalled a sun-drenched picnic dinner under the Goshinboku, with Sota in a pair of florid board shorts, Inuyasha with his hair tied back… and his dark-blue stripes on full display. “Akagane has seen them her entire life on Yashita, so she didn't react…” she breathed as realization struck.

 

“Exactly. Same for the rest of them. Don't forget that Gitoumaru has spent centuries in Inuyasha's company, so he pays as much attention to our hanyou's markings as he does his own… which is to say, none at all. Look sharp. Here they come.” Kioko had been watching out the kitchen window as she spoke. “Go say hello to Shimano and Akagane; they aren't staying for dinner. You have an appointment with Lord Sessaki tomorrow morning and Shimano is picking you up along with Sota.”

 

Kagome raced into the foyer, in time to hear Shimano teasing Inuyasha and the hanyou answering in kind, in such a familiar way that it brought her up short.

 

“Hey, sis! You woke up just in time… to miss all the work!” Sota laughed, and Kagome blinked up at this tall, dark-haired teenager who suddenly didn't much look like her little brother. He wore fatigues and a damp tee-shirt that showed off a very lean build; his face had lost its childish softness. Kagome realized, with a sense of shock, that Sota had grown up while she was away.

 

“Hi, brat… Akagane… Sensei Shimano. Good to see you.” She knew her voice was just a little too high-pitched to be completely natural, but she hoped the smile she plastered on her face would fool her hanyou.

 

“Good to see you, too, Higurashi. Staying out of trouble?” Shimano grinned toothily. They both knew that he wanted nothing more than to give her a huge hug, but that was impossible. “I'm told that I have an extra rider tomorrow morning along with this joker, so don't sleep in!”

 

She tossed off a salute, gamely playing along. “Hai, sensei.”

 

“Would you two hurry up with the fond farewells already? We're getting soaked out here!” Inuyasha complained, but tempered the demand with a cheeky grin. Akagane familiarly punched him in the arm on her way out the door, then skipped out of range of his friendly retaliation. “I'll get you back tomorrow, runt!” he called after her.

 

“Bite me, dog-boy!” was her taunting response, and then Kagome noticed that the bandanna was missing.

 

“I told Akagane a while ago about Inuyasha with Mom's approval.” Sota shrugged at her startled expression, continuing to pretend that his spell-concealed vixen was a normal human. “Touma got clearance from Sessaki to tell Shimano… and if I'm gonna marry his daughter, he has a right to know about our family, right?”

 

“Marry…?” Kagome couldn't stop her jaw from dropping again. “You're not even sixteen yet!”

 

He rolled his eyes. “Duh. Not until we're graduated, sis. No worries that you'll be an aunt anytime soon.” Her brother then squished her in a bear hug, and Kagome was rather taken aback by the fact that he was now almost a full head taller than her in his combat boots.

 

“What's fuelled this growth spurt?” she demanded.

 

He snickered and messed up her hair. “All the good eats in the mess hall.”

 

“Speaking of which, why aren't you at the barracks right now?” She moved out of the way so that the three men could put their wet footwear away on the racks.

 

“Special permission, since my sister is on temporary leave from her extended tour of duty,” he replied with a straight face. “I hear you've acquired a couple more funky scars.”

 

“A matched set of four, actually,” she confirmed before addressing the hanyou. “Did you take all those supplies through the well, Inuyasha?”

 

“Hell, no. Cleaned out the well house first so we could move, then did about a third of the one tent… right, Touma?” The hanyou looked to the tall `human' for confirmation, who nodded.

 

“Akagane found a couple of tents and cargo nets; we sent the tents through first to protect the supplies, and then we tied several barrels and crates into a single package in one of the nets that Inuyasha could easily handle. The men on the other side would unpack one while we loaded the second; once we had a rhythm established, it went quite quickly.”

 

But what about your scents? Kagome wanted to ask; as if he was a mind reader, Gitoumaru casually displayed a pair of gloves. Whew. I should have known he'd be prepared.

 

“Come in and wash up, everyone. Dinner's almost ready,” Mrs. Higurashi cheerily called, and with a start, Kagome realized that Gitoumaru was staying to eat with them. As the males trooped off together into the laundry room, Kagome caught up with her mother in the kitchen.

 

“What about Ojii-chan?” she hissed urgently, keeping one eye on the laundry room door.

 

“He's had a chest cold that just won't shift, and he has zero energy, so the trip to the doctor's today knocked him out,” Kioko replied, bustling around the table. “Light the portable burner, would you? The oden's perfect!”

 

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Kagome found dinner surreal on several levels, but she coped. First was sitting down to eat with Inuyasha and Gitoumaru at the same table with the former no wiser about the latter. Second was Inuyasha and `Touma' getting along as if they'd been friends for years. Third was discussing Academy coursework with her brother and confirming that yes, Sensei Watagame really expected fully footnoted translations of those long medieval poems. Fourth was being asked by Sota to help him prepare for a hand-to-hand combat exam with hard-ass Sensei Yashita the next day.

 

“Sis, would you spar with me after we've finished this?” he asked when the two of them were doing dishes while the other three retired to the living room. Kagome, who was straining her ears to listen in on the murmured conversation, accidentally dropped a bowl back into the sink with predictable results.

 

“Are you serious? Spar? With me?” she spluttered, wiping soap suds off her shirt.

 

“Why not? I figure that since you're one of the few to fight Sensei Yashita to a standstill, as Sensei Shimano constantly reminds me, you're the perfect choice to help me.”

 

Kagome saw the genuine hope in his eyes, thought for a couple of seconds, and then nodded. “I don't think he was trying very hard to beat me that day, but okay.”

 

“Great!” He looked towards the living room, moved closer and lowered his voice. “I don't think your mission is going to last much longer, Kagome.”

 

She glanced over her shoulder as well before whispering, “How long?”

 

“A bit more than a month… when it starts to snow on the other side.”

 

“How do you know?” She shot him a desperate look.

 

Reaching past her, ostensibly for a fresh towel, he muttered, “I've heard a few things when I've been over at Shimano's.”

 

Kagome stared sightlessly at the white soapsuds before hissing, “Shit.” Louder she said, “I'll bet I have you disarmed and begging for mercy in less than five moves, tough guy.”

 

“Yeah? How much? A hundred yen?” Sota challenged, playing along for the benefit of anyone who might be listening in, but he peeled her white-knuckled fingers off the edge of the sink and tightly clasped her hand. Kagome turned towards him and briefly rested her forehead against his shoulder, drawing strength from his solid presence.

 

Six to eight weeks until the well closes forever? Damn, damned, damnable!

 

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