InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The Youkai and the Exterminator ❯ Chapter Thirty ( Chapter 30 )

Chapter Thirty

 

 

Aiko frowned, leaning against the closed door of her sister's office. She listened intently, trying to make out the whispered conversation, but it was no use. One of the younger maids came running up to her, breathing hard and her face flushed.

 

"Is it true?" she asked eagerly.

 

The young woman grinned. "Yes, they finally got together. I can't believe it, as stubborn as my sister is I thought they'd both die of old age long before admitting how badly they wanted this."

 

The maid sighed. "It's so romantic," she murmured, her eyes shining. "Jano-san is so...so..."

 

"Stubborn as a farmer's ox and twice as temperamental?" Shiou asked, casually leaning across the table to join their conversation.

 

The maid gave him a reproachful look. "If you and your like ever tried to understand females, you wouldn't be so dense and you'd know what I'm talking about."

 

Shiou smirked as the girl flounced off, her nose in the air. "Right. Jano understands females, I believe that load of dragon dung." The guard grinned briefly and reached over to pinch Aiko before she moved away. She jumped and slapped his hand.

 

"Stop that, fool!"

 

He smirked at her, amusement in his eyes. "Oh I see how it is. I heard that you prefer humans now, Aiko."

 

She shot him a scowl that made her strongly resemble her sister. "Certain humans are much preferable to ham fisted louts like you."

 

The guard snorted. "Never had a human," he said reflectively. "Seemed more trouble than they was worth, if you get my meaning." He leered at her, leaning on his elbows. "Maybe we should go someplace and you can tell me how I measure up?"

 

"You don't," she said sharply.

 

Shiou pouted. "No need to be insulting about it."

 

Aiko ignored him, looking around the kitchen. Since her sister had announced that the kitchen staff had the afternoon off, the news had spread like wildfire. First the housekeeping staff charged into the kitchen and demanded to know why the cooks and stewards had an afternoon off but they didn't. Aiko cheerfully informed them to take the rest of the day off too.

 

Then members of the guard had come in, wanting to know why the maids and stewards and cooks had all been granted a free afternoon and what was the occasion? Aiko told them why. Now the kitchen was full of off duty guards merrily drinking with off duty household staff.

 

In the far corner, a group of guards were having a game of dice with some slightly soused stable hands. It was getting very crowded and Aiko sincerely hoped that word of the festivities didn't reach noble ears. She hoped the kitchen's evening shift would be showing up soon to work on dinner for the fortress or it was going to get unpleasant when this many hungry people didn't get served.

 

A loud crash made the girl jump and she pressed her ear against the door, fluttering her hand for quiet. Haru waved a full mug in her direction.

 

"What the hell was that?" he whispered.

 

"I think they broke her desk," Aiko hissed back at him, grinning. She listened again then abruptly backed away from the door. Several dozen eyes were upon her, eager smiles and knowing smirks. What else could she do?

 

Aiko held up her hands in a triumphant gesture. "They're at it again!"

 

Shiou clapped his hands enthusiastically and jumped up. "Oi, round two is starting, boys! Let's raise our cups and toast our fearless leader! To Jano!"

 

"And Makiko!" Aiko called out, seizing a glass that was pressed into her hand.

 

Loud cheers filled the kitchen and delighted dog demons went about the business of gambling and speculating about the couple's stamina, flexibility and prowess.

 

oOo

 

Jano's hands were clenched on Makiko's hips, squeezing as she continued to move on top of him. He could barely breathe, the shattered table under him was digging most uncomfortably into his back but he didn't give a flying damn about it. All he could think of was Makiko as her claws dug into his arms and chest, leaving welts when she cried out, arching her back and gasping his name over and over.

 

He was dizzy, but slowly melted back into his body, satisfaction oozing from every pore of his skin. His ears were still ringing, at least he thought that's what it was and he lifted his head slightly to stare at the door.

 

"Did you hear that?" he muttered, looking up at her. Oh gods above, she was gorgeous and Jano growled possessively to himself when he watched Makiko wipe the sweat off her forehead and trail her hands over her breasts.

 

"I didn't hear anything.” Makiko leaned forward, resting her head on his chest and sighing in pure sensuous contentment. "What did you hear?"

 

Jano stroked her back, his hands couldn't get enough of her and his mouth was watering for her kisses. "I'm not sure...for a moment I thought I heard cheering."

 

oOo

 

Miles away from the fortress and quite far from his own home territory, a solitary demon lord wandered in the forest. Barou smiled to himself as he walked, it was a good thing to have some time for reflection. He'd promised Sesshomaru that he'd do everything he could to determine the nature of the nameless, haunting threat.

 

For haunting it was, grim and evil, dark like the deepest hole in hell and still somehow eluding him like a ghost from long ago. His senses were as acute as any other inuyoukai, impressive eyesight, and legendary sense of smell. He didn't rely on his ability to track prey for something like this. He was doing more than tracking, he was pursuing.

 

One thing he'd learned over the years was the value of observation, the talent for paying attention to minutiae and analyzing the facts. He was a practical man, a quiet, gentle demon actually. Most dog demons tended to be rambunctious and hot headed. Cold, deliberate ones like Sesshomaru-sama were rare. More unusual still that such a demon would have come from a father like Inutaisho.

 

He smiled fondly as he always did at the memory of the Daimyo. Vital and larger than life, a personality and charisma so strong that it dominated anyone and everything it encountered. Underneath, a complex and reflective man, deeply troubled sometimes, but capable of a cultivated consciousness and mercy.

 

Barou stopped and peered up at the sky, the sunlight whispering through the verdant leaves, dappling him with its light and sending shadows in all directions. He closed his eyes and breathed deeply, letting his consciousness slowly expand.

 

He felt the forest pressing in on him, telling him its stories in its own magical language. The trees whispered of the coming change in seasons, a hare darted by concerned with his family's welfare. Peaceful and serene, nothing out of place. Just quiet, easy and relaxed, as a forest should be, counting time in the way the shadows stretched across the branches of its trees and birds fluttered to each other about the day's tastiest insects.

 

Then he felt it again, the taste of a mind in sheer torment. Barou winced, instinctively shying away from it even as he tried to locate its intentions. No discernable thoughts or plans, not even an identity, only rage, pain, angry need and appalling torment. It left him shivering in the warm sun, ate at his existence with cancerous fury.

 

He sighed as the feeling slowly faded, leaving a bare spot in his conscious mind. He was relieved it didn't linger, although it didn't serve his purposes as far as stopping it. Whatever could have created such a monster? Insanity ruled the consciousness, barely coherent as it only articulated rage and desire to cause immense pain. Lust for blood? Specifically inuyoukai blood.

 

Barou stopped again, contemplating that thought. What purpose? Why would this enemy create something like that that longs for inuyoukai blood? It would kill anything it encountered, but the mind seemed to be moving in a slow inward spiral that's focus was the fortress itself.

 

Could it have been created just to destroy that one single place, that one single enemy that was the current lord of the Western territories? Naraku had annoyed Sesshomaru on more than one occasion, but it still confused Barou. Sesshomaru barely considered Naraku a threat, almost unworthy of killing if he hadn't gone out of his way to be insulting and vile. It was really more the younger brother that the mutant demon sought, some old, bad score to settle that Barou wasn't privy to and hadn't asked about.

 

Why would Naraku go out of his way to create something that would come after Sesshomaru? Was it personal or was it just coincidence?

 

Very well, he decided, turning on his heel and heading in a new direction. I shall seek Naraku as well, if he's within the western territories someone will know of it.

 

In the meantime, they had a bloodthirsty monster that wanted to spread terror. He would report back to his cousin as soon as he could, let Sesshomaru decide how to deal with the problem. It disturbed him, that raging mind out there destroying whatever it touched. Nothing would be safe and he sincerely hoped that Sesshomaru intended to hunt the creature down and put an end to such a tortured existence.

 

As Barou continued on his way, he became aware of a presence near him. The demon paused, not showing any expression on his face. It was masked from him and that truly made him uncomfortable. An experienced inuyoukai could mask his presence and scent with some skill in manipulating youki, but few were able to mask their minds from Barou. Sesshomaru possessed an unusually disciplined mind that wasn't readily open to him.

 

If his daiyoukai lord wished, he could allow Barou to see what he was thinking or feeling, but such moments were exceeding rare, Sesshomaru being very private and not inclined to let anyone guess, let alone see, what he was thinking. No, this was something else, a muffled blank space in his awareness, actively blocking him from seeking it out. It puzzled Barou and made him even more edgy than usual.

 

Barou smiled faintly. You'd think his abilities would have made him less likely to be susceptible to paranoia, but the opposite was the result. He questioned everything, analyzed information to the point of being obsessive. Hells, he was obsessive, he knew it and accepted the fact even as he slipped to the side of the path and crouched in wait.

 

Whoever was tracking him would assume he couldn't sense their presence; this had to be a trap. Barou had no intention of being taken by surprise and if couldn't identify the mind that was shielded from him, he would wait and identify its owner. Sure enough, his ears detected, barely, the sound of footsteps. Whoever they belonged to was more light-footed than Sesshomaru even, Barou had to strain to follow the sounds.

 

Skilled woodsman at least, he thought analytically as he waited. This person knew how to follow a trail and leave none of his own, walking within the natural rhythms of the forest so that not even a bird twittered at his approach.

 

He tasted the faintest possible hint of scent in the air and Barou's backbone relaxed just barely. A human male, his nose informed him. Well, that was no threat at least, like most inuyoukai; a human wouldn't alarm Barou. A mob of them maybe would make him curious, but a lone human walking the forest trails, however skillful, shouldn't be a threat to a powerful demon. No matter, he would wait until the human passed, then follow discreetly. How a human managed to mask his mind so well was a question he'd very much like the answer to.

 

Then like a mist in the mountain sun, the sensation was gone; all traces of the human's scent had vanished. Barou scowled for moment, irritated. This was far from amusing, his prey had slipped him, just as the angry monster had earlier. He must be getting sloppy, he must be getting lax in his own practice for this to have happened and Barou stood up, intending to resume his search when a hand dropped lightly on his shoulder.

 

"Still a sneaky bastard, aren't you, Barou?"

 

He spun to face his attacker, his long cloak whisking over the forest floor. He focused automatically as another youkai would have reached for a weapon, his mind sharpening to the equivalent of tempered steel. And then he stopped, staring in open-mouthed shock at the human appearing face before recognition flooded him.

 

It had been a very, very long time.

 

Naota grinned at him, mischief unchanged by time in his dark eyes. His face was unlined by the near century that had passed, not having changed hardly at all since the last time Barou had seen him, just after the Daimyo had died. A few strands of pure white laced in the thick black hair, streaking the long braid over his shoulder. Barou shook himself, shook away the ghosts and moved swiftly to capture the other man in a tight embrace. Naota laughed, his voice ringing in Barou's ears as the two old friends greeted each other.

 

"Damn you," Barou muttered. "It's been so long, I had thought you were dead. Then I heard a rumor that you returned to the West and I didn't know if I should believe it." He pushed Naota away, looking at him sharply.

 

"I know you saw Sesshomaru not long ago."

 

"And he was every bit as pleasant as ever," Naota snapped, irritation in his eyes. Cold dislike colored his tone and Barou blinked at him, the Naota he remembered never sounded so bitter or angry.

 

"It's been many years," Barou said softly, watching Naota's face. "Can't you set aside your quarrel?"

 

"It's him that can't set it aside," Naota answered, looking away.

 

Barou had to concede the fact. "Forgiveness never was strong in his nature," the clanlord offered dryly.

 

Naota snorted, a faint smile playing along his lips. "It has always been a flaw in his general character," he agreed. "Believe me, I've missed pointing that out to him on a regular basis. Damn the ice faced son of a bitch anyway. Reminds me every time I see him why I never came back."

 

"You're back now," Barou observed quietly.

 

A troubled look passed over Naota's face. "Not by my own choice," he confessed uneasily. "Something is biting at me, nagging me in the night so that I can't sleep. I gave up fighting it and came back anyway. I thought I understood why when I returned here several months ago, but that was just the beginning."

 

"Something dark that haunts your dreams," Barou said, sounding almost dazed himself.

 

"Yes," Naota bit out, looking away. "You're trying to follow it too, aren't you?"

 

Barou nodded, feeling his mind pulling away, searching again even as he stood with his old friend. "I've been tracking it for days," he murmured. "Every time I get close, it vanishes and moves elsewhere."

 

"What is it?" Naota asked, uncomfortable with remembering the dark dreams the thing inspired.

 

Barou's gray eyes met his briefly, and then slid away as the feeling returned. It made him feel soiled, tainted by even brushing against such a presence. "I don't know, Ta-kun," he whispered, using the old nickname out of long forgotten habit. "Something wrong, something hateful. Something that should have been left alone and not awakened."

 

"Something that should have been left dead, you mean," Naota muttered.

 

Barou's expression was utterly serious. "Exactly."

 

oOo

 

She was tired, she hated to admit it, but her feet were aching. Sango frowned and firmly told herself to just get over it already because she had far worse things to think about than tired feet. For a start, she'd just vomited the fourth time in the last two hours and was slowing the group considerably.

 

At least that's what she knew Inuyasha thought about it, the hanyou having made a disgusted sound when she ran for the bushes the last time and was still grumbling at her as if she liked the idea of heaving her stomach's contents all over the place. She met his annoyed look with a feral glare of her own and dared him silently to say one more word to her.

 

"Damn it, Sango. What's the point of eating if you're just gonna puke it all away?"

 

She resisted the almost overwhelming urge to march over there and slam Hiraikotsu into his face, mainly because her belly was making that twingey feeling again and a loss of control would ruin the satisfaction of belting Inuyasha as he so richly deserved. Sango didn't have to bother with him anyway, feminine solidarity was in full force these days and the hanyou made a piteous yipe when Kagome grabbed a chunk of his hair and twisted it viciously.

 

"You just leave her alone," the girl said in a dangerous tone. "She can't help being sick, she's pregnant!"

 

"We ain't making good time if she's gotta heave her guts every ten minutes," he growled back at her.

 

Kagome let go of his hair and turned her back on him. "It wouldn't kill you to have a little consideration for what she's going through."

 

He reflected on that, thinking it just might. Sango's female issues were no concern of his, as far as he could tell this was a plot designed by his brother just to get on his nerves. So Sango was going to have a kid, big deal, it didn't have to end the world. They still had Naraku ready and willing to do that.

 

Inuyasha sighed and plopped down on the soft grass. No way were they moving anytime soon if Sango was still sick. Kagome would have to fuss over her and get her fresh water to drink. If she could hold it down, which he personally doubted. Having never been sick himself, mortal wounds barely slowing his stride, Inuyasha was incapable of feeling much sympathy for anyone who was sick or laid up from anything other than a pitched battle against the enemy.

 

Miroku was a little more compassionate in his evaluation of Sango's plight. A woman's body held many mysteries, the greatest of all being the gestation of life itself. He thought that considering the emotional strain the beautiful exterminator was enduring, a bit of nausea and irritability had to be taken for granted. He was far from a midwife himself, but Miroku was no innocent when it came to the human condition.

 

Carefully, he decided to air the concern that had been nagging at the back of his mind since they'd left the fortress. "Isn't it a bit soon for Sango to be having such strong symptoms of her pregnancy?"

 

Female eyes fastened onto him as if he'd committed a great sin in discussing such a topic. He was male. He had no right to speculate on what Sango was going through, only Kagome and the expectant mother herself were allowed to make comments regarding her condition. Inuyasha was threatened with violent demise three times a day at least for opening his mouth about it, Shippou was carefully neutral and the only other female in their group, Kirara, was keeping her own counsel.

 

Miroku looked away from their annoyed gazes and sighed. He was a monk, damn it, he was familiar with the ins and outs of the process of life. And he hoped to have a large family of his own someday, wouldn't it be wise of him to have a thorough understanding of the issues himself?

 

Apparently not. Kagome made a hissing sound as she exhaled, her teeth clenched. Sango didn't seem to notice, her hands cupping her traitorous belly. "I'm sorry to be a bother," she said at last. Miroku was right, she was having very strong symptoms for a pregnancy not yet two weeks old. Maybe it was because the baby would be half inuyoukai, Sango wasn't sure. Her education and training on demons hadn't covered their life cycles unless that was part of how to kill them.

 

She did know that she was in for an uncomfortable time of it; human women did not bear easily for demon mates. She felt a flush of shame, remembering what her father had told her about the subject. First, even if it wasn't the woman's fault, as in the case of rape, she couldn't expect her own people to bear the burden of a half demon child in their village. In such cases, her father said, the village could be expected to abandon the child to the wilderness.

 

That seemed cruel to Sango even then. Now her eyes rested on Inuyasha again, knowing just a little about how difficult his childhood had been. The hanyou didn't like to talk about it, what he didn't say spoke more for how it had been than all the horror stories they could have imagined. Sango resolved to do everything she could for her future son or daughter to make their lives easier.

 

At least she would be able to protect the child and care for him or her. Even if the child's father had effectively abandoned them both.

 

And her father would have had things to say on that subject, she just knew it. She wasn't the helpless village woman made victim of a demon's lusts. She had willingly offered herself to this, choosing against her training and her upbringing to couple with a youkai and allow herself to become pregnant.

 

It annoyed her, it pissed her off that Sesshomaru had admitted that he'd chosen to impregnate her. Although what really else could she have expected? The way they'd been enjoying each other meant that neither of them had the slightest hesitation, she couldn't honestly say she'd held back from him in the slightest.

 

No, quite the opposite, she'd hungered for his touch in ways that she had never thought possible. It hurt her right down to her soul that he hadn't felt the same way for her.

 

But she couldn't afford to spend all her time wallowing in misery and regret and she couldn't let her condition slow them up. Naraku was out there planning something heinous and Sango steeled herself to be the one to put an end to it.

 

"Come on," she said, getting to her feet. Kagome looked at her questioningly and Sango shook her head.

 

"I'm fine, Kagome-chan." Actually as soon as she'd stood up her stomach roiled in protest. Sango felt the blood rush out of her face, weaving slightly on her feet. Oh gods, not again.

 

Kagome jumped back as Sango dashed for the bushes, Miroku covered his face with his hand and sighed. Inuyasha, a disgusted grimace on his face, put as much distance as possible between himself and the heaving exterminator. As he didn't want to completely abandon his friends, it meant going straight up the tree with his sleeve firmly over his nose.

 

Damn, but he was going to kill Sesshomaru for this!

 

oOo

 

Sango grunted as she was slammed hard, bringing the broad side of Hiraikotsu up again to fend off her attacker. "Houshi-sama," she shouted as the huge bear-oni shoved her back again.

 

Miroku spun around and threw a glowing slip of paper at the demon, shouting an incantation as he did so. The monster squalled and clawed at his face where the paper had stuck and begun burning with a purifying intensity. The monk grinned at her then jumped out of the way as he was attacked by another demon, bringing up his staff in a neat arc to throw back the beast.

 

"All right there, Sango?" he called.

 

"I'm fine," she snarled. Damn huge bear-oni, terrorizing anything that crossed their path. Sango was getting angrier each minute she fought, thinking of the petrified villagers who had all but been ready to leave their homes over the constant destruction the monsters had been causing. They'd thrown themselves at her feet, begging for help from her and Miroku.

 

She smiled faintly, bashing the creature again with Hiraikotsu. The villagers had been desperate...so desperate they'd even pleaded for help from Inuyasha. The hanyou had looked astonished, then vastly uncomfortable as the village headman had thrown himself at his feet and called him inuyoukai-sama.

 

"Please, my lord inuyoukai, please protect us! Your people have always been merciful to humans in these parts, we beg for your assistance!"

 

Merciful? Inuyasha just shrugged, figuring that even Sesshomaru's men didn't harass humans in their territory without specific instructions. It more surprised him that the villagers recognized him as a dog demon and were unafraid of him because of it. They were obviously terrified of the other youkai and lower oni that had been flooding across the borders. Something had them on the run, he thought gruffly and agreed to help hunt the bears down.

 

Kagome was just grateful these bears didn't have jewel shards, they were already proving to be better organized and more vicious than the usual variety of lesser youkai they'd encountered. They'd been ambushed almost as soon as they'd entered the deeper forest, a least a dozen bear-oni were waiting for them this time. In such close quarters, Kagome frankly feared striking one of her friends with her arrows and had hauled herself up a tree.

 

She regretted that she couldn't do more in a fight sometimes; her purification became useless when she couldn't get a clear shot. The day before she'd actually chanced it and Miroku now had a hole in his robe from her arrow. The monk took the near miss in stride, but Kagome didn't. She swore she'd had a clear shot at the demon they'd been fighting, but instead of homing in on the evil presence, her arrow had gone wide and torn a neat hole right through Miroku's sleeve.

 

Inuyasha didn't mind a close fight, he was just as happy to use his claws and these greasy bastards weren't worth his Tessaiga's time. Sango seemed to wholeheartedly agree with his decision, first using Hiraikotsu as a battering ram against the big demons, and then whipping out katana and dagger to slice at them with glee.

 

What the hell has gotten into her, the hanyou wondered as he ripped into stinking black fur. Sango had ordinarily displayed a fine sense of restraint in battle, a coolness of mind in a fight that he'd come to value very highly. The woman who tore through her enemies with such glee didn't even seem to be the same person. But at least he'd finally gotten his claws into something that mattered and that was good for him. Couldn't let the exterminator have all the fun.

 

He turned to watch as Sango battled her last demon, neatly backing it into a tree before she stabbed it. Inuyasha scowled at the sight. That wasn't a mortal blow and she knew it, she could have killed it right then but instead her dagger carved a dripping wound into the bear's shoulder, causing it to squall with pain and fury.

 

Her answering grin made him cold inside, realizing it wasn't an accident. Sango wanted to punish the bear-oni with pain.

 

"Hey, finish it off already," he barked, irritated. This wasn't the time or place to have fun with a kill, not that he'd ever seen Sango do anything like that before. He could understand the feeling, there had been more than enough times in the past when he'd enjoyed shredding an enemy and making sure he knew it. Sango shot him a furious look and brought her foot up for a savage kick at the creature's throat.

 

"Don't tell me how to fight, Inuyasha," the girl snarled, her dagger dripping.

 

"Don't fucking play with it then," he squalled back at her.

 

Sango shook her bloody blade at him, splattering him with the bear's blood. "I'll do what the fuck I want!"

 

"She's really been spending too much time around him," Miroku said in a quick aside to Kagome, who was slithering down the tree.

 

The girl looked down at him, her lip between her teeth. "She's been so angry ever since we left the fortress."

 

Miroku looked up at her. "I would expect so," he said lightly. "She has reason to be angry. I for one will not provoke her when she's like this." The monk started to smile widely then and Kagome blushed. With her short skirt and her legs clenched on the trunk of the tree, he had an excellent view. She struggled her way down the rough bark, trying not to scratch herself.

 

Miroku laughed at the dirty look she was giving him and held up his rosary bound arm to help her. "Need a hand, Kagome-sama?"

 

"Not from you," the girl muttered. "One of your hands is way more help than any female needs."

 

He sighed; folding his arms and watching Sango and Inuyasha finish off their prey. "One would have thought you'd wouldn't be so edgy about such a thing, I sincerely meant no harm."

 

"It's not my fault you've got a reputation for putting your hands where they don't belong," the girl scolded.

 

He raised an eyebrow. "Reputation deserved or not, did you seriously think I'm insane enough to grope you when Inuyasha is in the mood for killing things?"

 

Kagome laughed at his insulted expression. "It's not Inuyasha you should worry about, it's Sango. I'm not sure any male is safe from her at the moment...look at that poor bear! It makes me feel bad just watching."

 

The exterminator had mortally wounded the demon and now it made a desperate lunge for escape. Sango started to go after it, still growling angrily, but Inuyasha caught her arm.

 

"Damn it, the stupid thing is done for. Don't tell me you have to hack it to bits like that slug from yesterday!"

 

She tore her arm out of his grasp. "I'm a demon exterminator," she said in tense, strangled voice. "I have to kill it. If that thing manages to heal, it will come back twice as nasty and just wait until the right moment to get revenge. It's sloppy to leave one alive, my father trained me better than that!"

 

He let her go, sighing. Somehow he didn't think Sango and Kohaku's father would be particularly proud at the moment, he hadn't trained them to kill demons and enjoy it. He could smell it on the girl, even through the blood stench. She wasn't done, wasn't satisfied. He knew that feeling too well, that sensation of bloodlust, that wish to cause pain. He only hoped that Sango would slake her desires on the pitiful lesser youkai before she did something she'd truly regret.

 

Following the blood trail easily, Sango pursued the bear deeper into the forest. She slashed at undergrowth with her blades, tearing the hapless greenery out of her way with a singular determination. "You aren't getting away this time, demon," she muttered.

 

There, it was huddling in front of a rude hole in the hillside. "Oh, came back to your den to die?" she asked sweetly, licking her lips in anticipation. The bear-oni gave a horrible rumble, its red eyes shining in rage at her. "Come on," the exterminator muttered. "Play with this human, you beast!"

 

It ran at her, hampered by its injuries and made a wild slash. She could sense the desperation in its moves as she tumbled neatly, springing to her feet with predatory elegance. The blood was beating in her ears now, Sango was panting with excitement. Excitement? She was...aroused by the battle? That had never happened before. There was rage and pain in the pitiful monster's eyes now, it was getting close to exhaustion, bleeding to death from the multiple wounds it had received.

 

She advanced slowly, thinking to end its pain now that she'd had her fun. The creature threw itself at her again, wild to keep her away from its den and the long claws caught her leg and Sango hissed as the scratches started to bleed freely.

 

"Don't want me near your hole, demon?" she hissed. She jumped over it and rammed her katana into the monster's shoulder, disabling it as the beast fell to the ground, snarling and garbling in its intelligible language. This variety of demon wasn't smart enough to make speech with a human; it was barely capable of articulating to its own kind. It was a filthy beast and she felt vindicated at she kicked it over and brought her sharp blades to bear on its throat.

 

"Nothing personal," the exterminator growled happily. "You see, your kind eats my kind, it's my duty to end your life."

 

The bear looked at her dumbly, too hurt to move. She plunged both blades into its throat, feeling certain exultation as the life force flowing in weak youki waves from the slain demon stopped. She stood, wiping her katana on the thick fur.

 

"Your kind kills humans," she repeated, her eyes glimmering still. "You're a filthy demon, a monster, the world is better off without you. Demons and humans can't mix, don't you understand?"

 

She stood up and her eyes fell on the hole that the creature had wanted to protect. "Let's see what you have here," she murmured, sheathing her blades. If there were human remains left in the den, she'd have to gather them, see they got to Miroku for a proper burial. It was the least she could do and Sango knew that several peasants had gone missing since the attacks began.

 

There was barely enough light for her to see inside, a dirty hole filled with bones and fur. At least none were human, she thought grimly, feeling around on her hands and knees. She could tell the bones were too small for human, wrong shape for them too. That made her feel a little better, graves made her sad and always brought back memories of her own slain village. Her hand fell on something warm and she jerked in response.

 

A thin wail pierced the air and Sango froze, her eyes going wide with fear. Slowly, she drew the warm bundle to her and crawled out of the hole. A tiny cub, a baby bear-oni looked up at her with big, scared eyes. The bear had young, she thought, feeling the tremble in arms as she looked at it. No, she told herself, it's a demon and it will grow up just like the one I killed and be a vicious monster. She had to kill it.

 

The cub whimpered and struggled, pinching at her with its useless little claws. "I can't," she whispered, horrified. She couldn't kill something so little and helpless. She could already tell that it was too young to survive, if she left it alone it would surely die, easy prey for bigger monsters that lurked in the darkness. Her eyes fell on the dead oni, feeling hot bile start to gather at the back of her throat. It had nothing to do with morning sickness.

 

That's why it had run, she thought dully. It had to stay alive for its young, even if it meant giving up a fight.

 

"You wanted to save your baby," the girl said, her whole body starting to shake. Oh merciful gods, she thought, hot tears leaking down her face. "What have I done?" she asked brokenly. The cub started to whine a little, her tears falling on its face.

 

"What am I becoming?" Sango murmured. "I don't want this. Sesshomaru, I can't do this alone. Why did you do this to me?"

 

A snarl from behind her had her turning, too late, far too late. The blow sent her reeling, the little cub bounding out of her arms and scampering on the ground to its other parent. Gods above, I never thought about its mate!

 

Sango tried to draw her sword but a heavy blow from the enraged bear-oni shattered her arm. She screamed in sudden pain, turning to protect herself when the bear's sharp claws raked down her back. A hot and sticky sensation dripped down her backbone, she was bleeding badly. She had to get away, get back to her friends so they could help her.

 

Staggering, she tried to get up, but the bear wasn't having it. Just as she'd not let its mate live after retreating, no more would it extend such a courtesy to her. She kept trying anyway, dragging herself away. Tiny teeth and claws tripped her, clamping down on her leg as the baby oni savaged her, tearing at the soft flesh of her thighs in hunger and fury. She batted it away but the tiny demon came back again, this time heading for her face and she just barely brought her good arm up in time to keep it from taking her throat.

 

The large bear hovered over her, saliva dripping from its jaws. She'd make a good meal for it and its cub before they escaped; it was only natural to hunt such prey. Sango pulled out her dagger, ready to defend herself to the last even as the bear's claws ripped into her again; tearing away the centipede hide armor and shredding it like rice paper.

 

Funny, she'd never thought to die like this; she'd always assumed she'd die facing down Naraku as she made him pay for her family.

 

It was too bad, she'd never get a chance to have that vengeance she'd been so desperate for, the revenge she'd even lost her love to, for her lover didn't want a human who loved revenge more than him. That's it, she thought, blood loss making her dreamy. No wonder he wouldn't understand, he was so angry. He thought I loved my revenge against Naraku more than I love him and Sesshomaru just isn't the kind of person to ever accept second place.

 

What a fool he was. She girl smiled, thinking of his face as she perished was the only thing that could have made her happy. He'll never know how much she really loved him, beyond anger, beyond revenge and mistrust, her love burned every bit as brightly as demon's golden eyes. The bear was closer now, ready for the kill. Sango smiled and closed her eyes, thinking of silken white hair dancing in the wind and the whisper of his lips caressing hers with the gentlest of kisses she'd ever known.