InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ War's Shadow ❯ Shards ( Chapter 7 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

Chapter 7 - Shards

The night was quickly turning from heavy purple to an onyx black. High winds picked up from the west, sending trees in Inuyasha's Forest into a thrashing frenzy as sheets of rain pounded down from above, a massive waterfall that turned the nearby stream's usually smooth, cascading flow into something chaotic and torrential. The rain fell so fast that the ground had no opportunity to absorb it, turning the land into a massive puddle of sludge.

In the village, everyone was wisely taking shelter indoors. In Kaede's hut, Shippou was doing his best to distract Kenji from the earth-shaking thunder and his mother's obvious absence by helping him assemble one of the strange "puzzles" from Kagome's world.

In Sango and Miroku's home, Kaede and Kagome were watching Sango, who had taken to pacing restlessly, unable to find any other means to make herself comfortable.

Kagome curled her fingers into tense fists. Inuyasha had been right after all, so she was glad he had spoken up and kept Miroku and Sango from leaving. But now that it was obvious that the baby was going to arrive soon, she was not so sure of her decision to try to be helpful. This experience was completely nerve-wracking. No hospital. No medicine. There was nothing for Sango except an old priestess and a friend that had only had the opportunity to skim a book about labor and delivery. Poor Sango, Kagome sighed internally, watching her friend’s obvious misery.

Kirara had been sent to retrieve Kohaku from the old demon exterminators' village. Miroku and Inuyasha had been banished from the house; Inuyasha because his big mouth had flapped open again with a triumphant "Told you so!" at the news that the baby was indeed on its way, and Miroku because Kagome thought it was best for the monk's health not to be too near Sango when she started to really feel the pain.

Inside Inuyasha's home, Miroku, too, was pacing restlessly. Inuyasha watched him, eyes moving back and forth to follow the nervous movements.

"You're wearing my floor out," he finally commented.

Miroku instantly stopped and seated himself on the wood floor, legs crossed, face morphing back into the very picture of calm composure.

"Who are you fooling with that look? You're about to jump out of your skin."

"The waiting is difficult," Miroku replied, clasping his hands in his lap. "She's done this before. She'll be fine."

"Sure she'll be fine. And she'll be an old pro after this one."

"Indeed." Miroku's foot began to twitch, creating an anxious rhythm. "Maybe I should go back in there---"

"She'll throw something at you."

Miroku sighed. "Yes. I still have the scar from last time."

There was a bone-jarring crack of thunder, followed by a strong wind that screamed around the wood-framed house. The window covering flapped back and forth, carrying with it the scent of something that brought Inuyasha's head up. His ears twitched for a moment as they worked to pick up a sound beyond the noise of the storm ....

Standing quickly, Inuyasha left the house, ignoring Miroku's surprised questioning. The rain pelted down on him in an onslaught, almost immediately matting his hair down onto his face. He leapt lightly onto the roof of the house and peered outward into the nearly impenetrable blackness. From the ground, Miroku called for him to come down, adding a warning about lightning. Another gust of wind blew past him and this time Inuyasha was certain.

"Dog youkai," he murmured to himself. A lot of them, and coming from two different directions. Inuyasha jumped back to the ground and hauled Miroku back inside by the arm.

"We have a very large problem," he informed Miroku, who was now also completely drenched, his robes and hair plastered to him. "There are two separate armies approaching the village ... one from the north and one from the south."

"How many?"

"A lot," Inuyasha said grimly. "I'm going to go meet them, because I may be what they're looking for."

"I'll go with you---"

"Like hell you will. Sango'd have Kagome osuwari my ass into the grave. You warn the villagers, then get Shippou, Kenji, and the girls out of here."

Inuyasha stopped then, wondering if that was actually the best response. If they fled the village, it might be to find themselves alone against the dog youkai. If they remained in the village, they would be an obvious target and would have lost the chance to flee. Inuyasha deeply regretted Kirara having left for Kohaku and, apparently, Miroku was thinking the same thing.

"Kirara won't be back for at least an hour. How long do we have?"

"Not nearly that long," Inuyasha thought, his brain whirling. How could he fight a battle on two separate fronts? He could not, and that was what had given him the idea that Eizan had arrived for more than him. For a moment, his thoughts went to Sesshoumaru and a deep resentment began to build. This is Sesshoumaru's conflict, not mine, he thought angrily. But sending someone to let him know what’s going on will only ensure that the bastard will go out of his way to take his sweet time in getting here.

"The village men are going to have to fight," Miroku argued. "You can't fight two armies that are coming from two different directions. It'll give the women and children a chance to escape."

Inuyasha nodded in agreement as he moved to where the sheathed Tessaiga was leaning in its resting place against the wall. A flash of lightning lit up the outside as Miroku moved to go warn the villagers. Inuyasha's thoughts went to the person he was most afraid to leave.

"Hey, Miroku," Inuyasha called, halting the monk on his way out the door.

"Yes?"

"Try to get Kagome to go back to the well."

"She won't go for it."

"I know," Inuyasha replied, walking past Miroku and out into the angry storm as he attached Tessaiga at his waist. “But do what you can.”

Miroku nodded. “Take care.”

"You, too. See ya later," Inuyasha said, then turned and began sprinting full speed toward the north end of the village, heart thumping loudly in his ears, his mind whirling with the certainty that if Sesshoumaru didn't bother to come clean up this mess, Inuyasha was going to be around in the morning to deal him more trouble than he'd know what to do with.

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As the steady wash of rain began to decrease in intensity, Kanaye reached the edge of the forest and halted, feeling annoyed at already being winded. His senses were not back to normal because he was repeatedly losing track of Sesshoumaru's scent in the deluge of bad weather. Now with the rain slowing its fall, he paused on the top of a small hill and looked out over the blanket of trees that extended for miles, trying to regain his sense of the direction Sesshoumaru had gone.

He descended the sloping hill at a walk, giving his lungs the chance to clear of the incessant burning that was slowing him down so much. He was healing quickly, but not quickly enough, apparently, and it galled him beyond words that the little brat had deemed that he could be of no assistance, instead deciding to go off and face Eizan on his own.

Egotistical pup, Kanaye thought angrily, eyes narrowed against the wind that blew fiercely into his face. I've been killing Eizan's people since before he was born and suddenly I'm not useful? His hatred for Eizan had peaked to an all-time high now that Sashe was so intrinsically involved in the situation. Kanaye was greatly looking forward to the opportunity to let Eizan know of his displeasure in the most painful manner he could devise.

It would be especially satisfactory if Sesshoumaru’s suspicions were true in holding Eizan responsible for sending the human assassin. Her face was becoming clearer and clearer with every passing hour. He could recall all of what she said. She had not even touched him and she had wrought such destruction. What was she?

He stalked into the forest once more, heading in an aimless direction, but unwilling to admit that his indomitable sense of smell had been defeated.

"Are you looking for Sesshoumaru?" a voice called out then, and Kanaye whirled around instantly, becoming even surlier at the idea that his senses were depleted enough for someone to sneak up on him.

As his sight settled on the shadowy figure that emerged from behind a massive oak tree, Kanaye's face fell into a snarl. His hand instantly moved to clasp the hilt of the sword he had been forced to fall back on now that his own weapon was destroyed.

"Please don't," Zadi said sincerely. "I don't want to have to do that again."

"This is a change. Last time it was your specific request," Kanaye answered mockingly. He drew the weapon, eyeing the human carefully, waiting for signs of any sort of outside power possessing the blade. "This time I intend to land the first blow."

"I'm only here to speak with you,” she said calmly.

A strange mixture of rage and amusement seized Kanaye as he watched her stare back at him with complete earnestness. "Why the sudden change?"

"I have no desire for your death. I only attacked you before because it was Eizan's request---"

"Then you do work for him."

She smiled benignly. "No. I am doing him a favor so that he will peacefully return someone that belongs to me. I have no animosity toward you. In fact, if it helps, I apologize for my actions."

"It doesn't help,” Kanaye snapped the words out.

"I thought not," she said, smiling more widely. "But you're very strong, you know. I am amazed that I failed to kill you. It says something about your strength of will. I'm impressed."

"I don't care. You're about to die."

She utterly offended him by laughing sincerely. "I'm afraid that won't be possible. I have someplace I need to be. In fact, I think it might be the place you are looking for." She paused, then said, "Inuyasha's village? Turn northeast and stay straight. You'll find it. And you might get there in time to warn him."

"What the hell is wrong with you?” Kanaye asked, completely caught off guard by the woman’s odd behavior. “You try to kill me, then return to apologize? You admit that you're working for Eizan, but advise me to arrive at a battle in time to warn Sesshoumaru what's coming for him and the hanyou kid? You're either an indefensibly crazy bitch or a worthless asset to strategy."

"We're not enemies, Kanaye, believe it or not,” Zadi claimed. “I sincerely hope that your side wins this. I'm fulfilling my part of the bargain with Eizan and taking back what's mine. And now that you are armed with the knowledge that your death was in fact plotted and planned by Eizan, perhaps you now have the means to bring your daughter home."

"You are a crazy bitch."

"Eizan would agree with that," she replied amiably. "But now, if you'll excuse me, it is time to resume our respective sides in this conflict, don't you think?"

Kanaye watched in barely disguised amazement as Zadi's form stepped back into the darkness. He slowly lowered his sword, amazed as much by the things she had said as by his apparent decision to simply let her go.

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Eizan felt certain that even nature was on his side. As his army drew to a halt on a field within sight of the scrawny human village the hanyou seemed to so happily inhabit, the rain slackened off to a light shower and the high winds took a cue from the storm, dying off into a strong breeze.

He dismounted from his horse and signaled for the rest to do the same. There were the sounds of dozens of individuals following his orders. Beside him, Kawahira was slower to comply. Eizan glanced over and saw that, like him, his son was splattered by the mud their horses had done their best to gallop through. This was an ungodly night, but at least it was beginning to make amends.

And just in time, it seemed. Eizan smiled thinly as his sight focused in on the dot of red and white that was sprinting toward them when intelligence should have dictated that the more prudent course of action would be to turn and run the opposite direction. But he is still just a boy, Eizan thought. A parentless, untrained child without the sense the creator had gifted to even a human. Inutaisho had been smart to leave Tessaiga to Inuyasha. Without it, he was essentially defenseless; he had all of the bravado of a full-blooded demon, but not the innate skill.

"Father."

"Yes?" he replied to Kawahira distractedly, not taking his eyes off of Inuyasha’s approach.

"Zadi is gone."

This announcement caught Eizan's attention and he immediately turned to search the ranks of those behind him. "Gone? When did this happen?"

"I don't know. Do you believe she’s abandoned the bargain?”

Eizan frowned angrily. The woman was impossible, unpredictable. He wondered, not for the first time, about the wisdom of having entrusted her with such a vital part in this battle. He had the advantage in numbers, certainly, but he had no weapon that could compare to Tessaiga. Zadi was meant to serve as that weapon.

"No, she'll return," he replied with confidence. "I have what she wants. She'll complete her tasks. Until then, he's yours to deal with, Kawahira."

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"Shippou, are we still going the right way? Do you see anything?" Kagome called up as quietly as she could. She slid down a steep embankment into knee-deep muddy water, Kenji clinging to her back, then extended a hand to help Sango, who was not currently at her most graceful.

Shippou popped out of his balloon form and dropped back to the ground. He pulled Kenji off of Kagome's back and was rewarded by nearly being strangled when the boy's arms wrapped tightly around his neck. "Yeah, we're doing okay," he choked out. "I didn't see anyone and we're still heading directly west."

"Kirara will find us," Sango breathed, half-bent from a contraction. Inuyasha's taunt about giving birth to her child in the middle of nowhere came back to her and she took a deep breath. There was no way in hell she was having this baby anywhere but in her own home. She kept looking over her shoulder, terrified that she might see an orange-lit sky that would suggest the village had been set on fire.

Kagome grabbed Sango's hand and led her down the small stream, eddying currents of mud swishing around their knees. It was up to Shippou's thighs, high enough that Kenji's dangling feet were now coated in the muck.

Kagome was worried. She was afraid for Kaede, who had steadfastly refused to leave, instead insisting that she would stay behind to help defend the village. Kagome thought it was more likely that Kaede had not wanted to slow them down any more than they already were by a laboring mother and a three-year-old child.

She was also worried for Miroku, who had looked completely torn about his duties: leave with them and remain with his family, or stay behind and do what he could to ensure their escape. Miroku had chosen the more noble approach, but Kagome wished more than anything that he had made a different decision.

But it was Inuyasha that made her heart thump continuously in a dull panic. She had a bad feeling about this battle, a horrible, sinking, gnawing feeling that he should not be facing that army alone. She wanted to be with him. No matter what, she wanted to stay with him, but, like Miroku, she had had to make a decision based on less selfish motives.

Kagome paused for Sango again, who was stiffened awkwardly by the pain. "Kagome-chan, I can't," she said. "Just go on."

"No way," Kagome replied defiantly. "We're okay ...", she trailed off on her own reassurance, stopped cold by the sound of a shout from nearby. She glanced frantically at Shippou, who shook his head.

"They’re not human."

Kagome swallowed back the panic that lodged itself in her throat, unconsciously squeezing Sango's hand. "Okay, Shippou, then take Kenji and go ahead."

"Kagome---"

"I've got my arrows. We can hold them off until Miroku or Inuyasha finds us. It's okay."

Shippou shook his head, but heard Kenji whimper behind his ear. "I can't just---"

"Shippou, you can at least see that he stays safe. You can't carry us all."

Biting down hard on lips that wanted to argue further, Shippou promptly transformed again and shot up into the sky, Kenji shrieking tearfully for his mother the entire way.

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Hovering in the air, drizzling rain drenching both himself and the shivering Kenji, Shippou tried to peer down into the carpet of dark trees below him. He couldn’t see the dog youkai … but worst of all, he couldn’t see Kagome and Sango anymore, either.

He was frustrated about what to do, felt like a coward for having left them behind, but he understood that Kenji came first. Taking the boy somewhere and leaving him alone long enough to come back for Kagome and Sango was not a good decision. If anything happened to Kenji, it would be his responsibility.

“Shippou … can we go back?” Kenji asked quietly through chattering teeth. He was lying on his stomach, fingers clenched into fists that painfully gripped Shippou’s skin.

“No, we can’t yet, Kenji.”

I could take him and find Inuyasha, Shippou thought. Busy or not, Inuyasha would drop whatever he was doing if he knew Kagome and Sango were in trouble. Yes, that was the best option, but his plan was halted when he heard Kenji say wonderingly, “Shippou, there’s a dragon flying in the sky.”

“Huh?” Shippou asked, turning carefully around so as not to dislodge Kenji’s grip, certain that the boy was imagining things, but when he looked for himself, he found that Kenji had been paying better attention than he had.

A white blur was soaring toward them, followed closely by a double-headed dragon ridden by a girl in boy’s clothing. Shippou recognized that girl … and he also recognized the person she was following.

“Shippou!” Rin called as she drew up on Ah-Un. Sesshoumaru halted as well, taking the opportunity to search the ground beneath them.

“They’ve already arrived,” Sesshoumaru said almost to himself as he continued to eye the forest below.

Shippou nodded vigorously. “Kagome and Sango are still down the--- Hey!” Shippou called as Sesshoumaru suddenly descended like a bolt of lightning down into the trees.

“The dog demons are his enemies,” Rin reassured Shippou. “He’ll take care of them before they can do anything to Kagome and Sango.” She brightened up her tone when she noticed Kenji’s teary face and stretched her arms out toward him. “Come on, you two. There’s plenty of room over here … and Ah-Un won’t mind, right, Ah-Un?” she questioned the dragon.

The massive creature gave a snort of assent as Kenji was deposited on Ah-Un’s back. Shippou detransformed and clambered up behind Rin. A loud roar echoed from the forest below them, and all three looked down in time to watch as a ring of trees collapsed in a massive explosion of leaves and energy.

“It sounds like he found them,” Rin assumed with a nervous smile.

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Kagome watched as Shippou became a distant dot in the sky, then reached for her arrows, grasping several so that she would not have to waste time reaching for them later. She released Sango's hand and pulled back on the bow, eyes scanning the darkness around them. Tree branches floated back and forth in the wind, obscuring her vision, playing tricks on her mind. Was that a figure moving? Or a bush waving in the wind? The forest was eerily quiet now that Shippou and Kenji were gone, a silence that made the sound of Kagome’s thumping heart audible.

Taking deep breaths, calming her nerves, Kagome honed in on her own innate powers ... waited ... waited ….

She turned and fired off an arrow into pitch blackness. There was an immediate thump as it struck a body, followed by the crash of something hitting the forest floor.

There was another shout. Another presence sensed. Kagome turned slightly and sent off another arrow, but this one did not make contact with anything that she could hear.

She listened intently as whoever was out there learned a lesson from their comrade and moved with more stealth. Instinct suddenly told Kagome to dive down and she pulled Sango with her as a barrage of arrows poured from both behind and in front of them. Arrows impacted with the trees overhead, thunking into trunks with a twanging sound that made her flinch.

Kagome and Sango ducked further down until they were nearly submerged in the thick muck of the engorged stream. The hail of arrows halted, but Kagome did not know whether to be more frightened or thankful for that development. Silence settled over the forest once more. Kagome waited, unaware that she was holding her breath.

Several footsteps approached, too many for her to be able to count the number of opponents she was about to face. She saw figures begin to emerge from the overgrowth and quickly fumbled for another arrow, but before she could get good aim, a roaring energy swept over her head and impacted with the dark figures, obliterating them and taking the surrounding trees with them. Split trunks sent their unsupported burdens colliding with the ground in a raucous shower of leaves and twigs.

When the ground stopped shaking, Kagome opened her eyes to discover that a large clearing had just been leveled around her, a lopsided circle of mass destruction. She inhaled a shaky breath and turned to look at Sango, who seemed as amazed as she was by the sudden lack of enemies. Footsteps sounded behind them then and Kagome turned, pulling an arrow back as she did so.

Fortunately, she had the presence of mind not to release it. Sesshoumaru was standing on the opposite side of the embankment, frowning down at them as though he could not quite fathom what set of circumstances had led them to wallow in the mud.

"Sesshoumaru," Kagome breathed in relief. Yes, that made sense. Toukijin had leveled its share of forests in the past. "How did you find us?"

"I wasn't looking for you," he replied honestly. "The fox demon was transformed and hovering in the sky. An effective beacon."

"You have no idea how glad we are to see you," Kagome said gratefully, certain that this was the first and last time she was likely to say those words to him. She rose to her feet, feeling as though she had just gained thirty pounds from the weight of the mud that was caked over her body.

He made no comment as he watched her extend a hand to Sango and then wade toward him. She offered a muddy hand to him so that he could pull her out, but he made no effort to reach for it. "You've mistaken me for your guard dog. Where is he?"

"Inuyasha went to fight the army that was coming from the north," Kagome explained. "Are you here to help him?"

"This is none of his concern. Now that I am here, he will be free to come dig you out of your unfortunate situation," he said, ignoring the poisonous glare she leveled on him as he walked away.

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Watching dispassionately as Kawahira and Inuyasha continued their battle, Eizan had to admit that the scruffy little half-breed did have some ability to defend himself. He was holding up well, but so was Kawahira, who was having little difficulty dodging the energy attacks that were coming from Tessaiga. Because of that stalemate, it had degenerated into sword-to-sword combat. As entertaining as this was, Eizan was ready for Zadi to make her return so that they could conclude the evening and escape this miserable night.

Inuyasha took another swing at Kawahira and this one successfully made contact, cutting across his chest just below the neck. It had been quick movement on Kawahira's part that had saved him from decapitation, but Kawahira retaliated with a heavy swing that caught Inuyasha on the shoulder. Eizan's ears registered the sound of a bone cracking into uselessness, and Tessaiga was sent flying from the hanyou's grasp. Immediately, Inuyasha lashed back with a claw attack from his remaining useful hand, which Kawahira was unprepared for.

The approach of an all-too-familiar scent brought a frown to Eizan’s face as he turned his attention from the fight to the direction of the distant human village, this time to witness the arrival of someone who was not meant to be here.

Sesshoumaru ... it was far too early for him to have already heard about this. Not even the swiftest of spies could have reported in time for him to arrive this quickly. Eizan's mind then fell back to dinner earlier that evening ... and the two women he trusted least in this world. With reason, obviously, he thought coldly. Face darkened by this blatant betrayal, Eizan looked around him once more and, to his astonishment, found Zadi standing only a few feet away from him, watching the fight as though she had been there the entire time.

"Where the hell have you been?" he demanded of her.

Her head turned slowly until she was looking at him, as though it was beneath her dignity to even respond. "I had something to do. I am here now and that is what matters."

"Destroy their weapons and we'll handle the rest," he reminded her.

"How am I to destroy weapons that neither of them are using? Youki does not create itself," Zadi inquired calmly, finding that she greatly enjoyed the expression of frustration on Eizan's face.

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Sesshoumaru came to a halt on the field just in time to watch as Inuyasha was sent flying past him. The hanyou collided with the muddy ground and slid a few feet before hauling himself back up with what sounded like a primal growl. Sesshoumaru would have been content to watch his brother attempt to defeat Kawahira, but Tessaiga was lying on the ground, the normally pristine blade covered with mud. This made Sesshoumaru decide that ending this fight would be a better idea, since he knew all too well exactly what sort of mindless embarrassment Inuyasha degenerated into when injured and faced with an intensified battle.

As his brother zoomed past him on a collision course with the re-armed Kawahira, Sesshoumaru moved to block his progress and gave him a heavy push backward, sending the riled up Inuyasha back to the ground in a rather undignified sprawl.

"This fight is over. Grab your sword and go back to your village,” he ordered him.

Inuyasha pushed himself back to his feet with his one good arm then pointed an accusing finger at Sesshoumaru with a gesture that slung a great deal of mud. "Why is it that your shit always seems to run downhill?!" he yelled angrily.

Sesshoumaru's eyebrows rose slightly. "Eloquently spoken as always, Inuyasha."

"You shut up! All of this is your own damned fault, and when I get done with this bastard, I'm gonna come kick your ass, too! So stay put!"

As always, the boy had far more confidence than brains or skill. "Get your sword and go away," Sesshoumaru advised again. "If you have a problem with me, I will be happy to settle it with you once I am finished here."

"I'm not finished here!" Inuyasha reminded him

"Leave this to the adults, hanyou.”

"And that would be you? No, thanks. I'll take my chances."

Sesshoumaru turned his attention from the stubborn Inuyasha to Eizan, who was motioning for Kawahira to return.

"For someone who seems so interested in settling our differences, Eizan, you've been quite adept at avoiding me. But it's just like you to bring an army to face one half-breed boy rather than meet an opponent of any substance," Sesshoumaru called out as Inuyasha moved to retrieve Tessaiga from the ground, wiping the blade on the legs of his pants before returning it to its sheath.

"My tactics appear to be working, Sesshoumaru," Eizan replied calmly.

"Except for the unfortunate fact that I was made aware of your plan and arrived unexpectedly,” Sesshoumaru reminded him.

"Yes, and I have an idea of just who I can thank for letting you in on this. She’ll be sure to receive my gratitude when I return," Eizan replied dangerously.

"But you won't be returning," Sesshoumaru informed him, stepping forward and drawing Toukijin as Eizan moved to approach him as well.

From her vantage point, Zadi watched as the demons moved to confront each other. She could feel the intensity of the demonic energy radiating off of Sesshoumaru's sword, but it was a strange combination of dark youki, a demonic energy that did not belong to him, that was separate from but mastered by his own stronger powers. A formidable weapon, one that could very well destroy Eizan. It was a shame that she would have to destroy it instead.

Her moment of hesitation forced Eizan to have to draw his own weapon as Sesshoumaru lunged at him. Eizan ducked out from under a swing and went on the defensive, but Zadi's eyes were drawn over their heads to a figure that was emerging from the distantly looming forest. Kanaye.

Indecision froze her, but she reminded herself that her true objective was Ashitera. It wasn't for her to involve herself in a matter that should be settled between demons. She would simply do what she had agreed to do, reclaim the little girl, and distance herself from the entire affair.

She again focused on the whirling youki that was surrounding the sword and its master, but her ears distantly heard Kanaye call for Sesshoumaru to drop Toukijin.

Hearing Kanaye's voice distracted Sesshoumaru, and he leapt away from Eizan as he looked back to find his uncle watching something with great animosity. He turned to follow Kanaye's line of sight until he found a human woman among Eizan's ranks, watching him with an unnatural intensity.

Without warning, Toukijin lit up in his hand with a searing heat, and sudden instinct told Sesshoumaru to follow Kanaye's instructions, but the blade exploded in a riotous hail of energy and shrapnel that lacerated through his skin like molten knives. Tenseiga, ever his defender, pulsed violently as he dropped down to one knee.

His ears registered another shattering sound and his mind reeled with the absurdity of what had just occurred. He stared unblinkingly down at his mangled right hand, the one that had held Toukijin, and now possessed nothing. He unclenched the fist, taking note that his fingers were still there, then looked down at the ground, at the sharded remnants of his sword. A pile of useless pieces.

He blinked as he realized his vision was obscured in his right eye. He reeked of his own blood. His chest burned horribly every time he inhaled. What just happened…?

"It's her," a voice said suddenly and Kanaye moved to kneel down beside him. "That human woman. She can manipulate youki and turn it back as a weapon."

The human woman .... Sesshoumaru glanced upward and found her among the crowd of invaders again. She stared impassively back at him. A human woman did this?

Inuyasha's muddy bare feet approached, crouched down, and suddenly the hanyou's face was at eye-level. "Toukijin max out its death quota?" he asked. "Because you don't see swords explode like that every day." Inuyasha straightened back up, hand falling to Tessaiga as he turned to regard Eizan, who was watching with a satisfied smirk. "Hey, mutt,” Inuyasha called, “Now I’ll finish with you what I started with your kid!”

Before he could pull the sword, however, Sesshoumaru's hand circled Inuyasha's wrist in a bloody grip. "If you draw that sword, you'll get what you deserve," he hissed at him, pain and anger combining to make his heart pound in a gathering rage. "Toukijin's demise was no accident."

Inuyasha frowned down at Sesshoumaru, who was hardly looking the regal figure he normally liked to portray. Even so, Inuyasha could certainly recognize a temper tantrum when he saw one coming, and Sesshoumaru looked like he was quickly heading toward quite the angry meltdown.

"Hey, I know what you're thinking, but don’t. You look like you're done for the day," Inuyasha advised, then thought that that might have been the wrong thing to say, since the surest way to make Sesshoumaru do something was to tell him he shouldn't.

Sesshoumaru turned a ferocious glare on Eizan, finding that his depth perception was bothered by being unable to see out of his right eye. Inuyasha was correct. Continuing to fight was a strategically poor idea in this condition, but common sense was completely obliterated by the unmitigated desire to make certain that Eizan left this battle looking worse than he did.

“Idiot,” Inuyasha muttered as he moved out of the way. Sesshoumaru's entire posture stiffened and then began to elongate, his body finally morphing with some difficulty into his dog form. Eizan seemed to take the invitation because, suddenly, there was another overly large dog on the field, this one covered in long black fur that ruffled in the wind.

The two canines lunged at each other and met in a flurry of snapping jaws and claws. Eizan had the immediate advantage over Sesshoumaru when he used his body weight to knock his weakened opponent off-balance. Sesshoumaru went rolling in the mud and Eizan pounced, attempting to tear at his throat, but was quickly shoved backward by two massive white paws.

Inuyasha watched the fight, not at all liking the idea of just standing around. Across the field, Eizan’s army, too, seemed undecided about whether to get involved, since this seemed like a personal fight. Inuyasha glanced over at the demon that stood several feet away and distant recognition came to him. "Shouldn't you be doing something?"

Kanaye turned a cold glance on Inuyasha. "Why are you still alive?"

"Yeah, nice to see you, too."

"They aren't worth my time," Kanaye explained, glancing at Eizan's army and noticing, again, that the wretched human woman was watching him intently. "I'll finish what Sesshoumaru doesn't."

The ground shook under the weight of the enormous dogs. Inuyasha turned back to the fight at the sound of a roaring yelp, though which dog it had come from he did not know. Sesshoumaru crouched for an instant and then leapt at Eizan, plowing him into the ground in a splatter of muck. Claws slashed out as teeth snapped viciously, both demons maneuvering fiercely to gain and maintain the upper hand in the fight.

Eizan made the poor decision of angling himself to bite onto Sesshoumaru's front leg in an attempt to get the weight of his opponent's body off of him. Doing so exposed his throat and Sesshoumaru dove in for the kill, fangs slicing through fur and skin. Another roar of pain rent the air.

Inuyasha looked up as Kawahira quickly morphed into his own dog form and took off for the fray. He moved to intercept him, but was pushed aside by Kanaye, who likewise assumed his true form and shot toward Kawahira, flattening the much smaller dog with a well-aimed leap.

Inuyasha’s attention swiveled back to Sesshoumaru's battle as the two demons finally depleted their last reserves of energy. Suffering from the wound Sesshoumaru had dealt him, Eizan lost hold of his form. Seconds later, Sesshoumaru all but melted from canine to human form.

Inuyasha approached the two limp figures, coming to Eizan first. He crouched down on his feet, eyeing him fixedly. The northern lord's throat was open and exposed and Inuyasha wondered if even a full-blooded demon could survive such an injury.

For several long moments, Inuyasha fought with himself over whether to finish Eizan for Sesshoumaru, who didn't look like he'd be moving for a while. I should, he thought darkly. This jackass came to take out me and my village. He doesn't deserve mercy. Sesshoumaru would certainly end it here. But that last thought was what settled the matter for Inuyasha. As much as he could find himself oddly sympathizing with his brother's efforts, he wasn't going to end the life of someone who was beyond defending himself.

He looked up to find that Kawahira and Kanaye had apparently ended their fight at a stalemate, because both were now morphed back into their human forms and Kanaye was trudging back toward them, looking less than steady. Kawahira watched warily as Inuyasha continued to hover over Eizan's prone form.

"Come get him and clear the hell out!" Inuyasha finally yelled, sure that he was going to be in for quite the ass-kicking when Sesshoumaru got word of that decision.

Zadi watched the scene from where she stood beside Eizan's horse, absently clutching the animal's reins. She was very glad she had not had the opportunity to harm the hanyou. When he had approached Eizan, she had expected him to end the demon’s life then and there, but he had restrained himself, which meant his soul was decent, even if those around him were of a somewhat more questionable nature.

She listened as the demons around her shuffled restlessly, watching as Kawahira went to retrieve their lord. They are sheep, she thought. Stupid sheep who could have easily won the prize their master so wanted. An army of forty could make short work of two injured demons, and a half-demon with a broken sword arm. It would have been so simple, but that order had never come from Eizan, and Zadi knew that that was due purely to ego. Eizan and his family, despite their lack of morality or integrity of any kind, wanted to finish what was started with their own hands. He would not be able to proudly proclaim his victory if Sesshoumaru’s reign in the west was not ended by his direct effort. Anyone could defeat their enemy with numbers, but Zadi now understood that Eizan wanted Sesshoumaru to know that he was the better lord. This fight was intensely personal.

The approach of a figure caused her to turn and watch as Kanaye made his way up the mud-slickened embankment, clearly heading toward her. Stepping away from the bristling soldiers, she carefully walked down to meet him.

She finally stopped at a distance she felt comfortable with, but he moved even closer until he was just a step away from her. His white hair whipped about in the heavy winds as his golden eyes narrowed into a decidedly unfriendly glare.

"You did not warn him in time," she admonished, surprised that she almost wished he had and that she had failed. Being involved in this was beginning to weigh on her conscience, because it was easy for her to tell that one side was clearly in the right, and the other in the wrong. She did not appreciate having to work for the wrong side.

"It doesn't matter,” Kanaye replied smoothly. “He'll be fine. I'm not so sure about your lord."

"He's not my lord,” she instantly corrected him.

"Whatever the case may be, after witnessing this battle, I now know just how to destroy you."

"Oh?" she asked, not surprised that this demon had caught on to what Eizan and his people had been too stupid to realize. "And how would you destroy me?"

"You are defenseless without the youki of another to defend for you. That is what you used against me and against Sesshoumaru, but you could not do the same to Inuyasha. He put away Tessaiga. There was nothing for you to use."

Kanaye's reflexes proved to be quicker than Zadi's and she found her neck suddenly clutched at an awkward angle, his fingers digging in painfully. "It's this simple," he whispered to her. "There are no demonic powers in play here. Just strength, of which you have so very little, human."

Much to her surprise, he released her and shoved her backward. "Pathetic," he sneered at her before turning his back and walking away.

------------------------------------------------------------ --------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------

Inuyasha continued to eye the distant darkness until the last demon in Eizan’s army was no longer visible. He had been prepared for more trouble than they had apparently been willing to offer. Kawahira had simply retrieved Eizan, voiced a low threat to Inuyasha, and then had left with the army.

Inuyasha glanced over at Sesshoumaru who was sitting on the mud-pooled ground, which spoke more loudly of his condition than any visible injury. Kanaye hovered not far away, arms crossed and scowling for all he was worth.

"Come on, we've gotta go back,” Inuyasha finally said, stirring into action. “I'm betting there are some people at the village that are going to need Tenseiga’s help."

"They're out of luck," Sesshoumaru muttered, bringing up one of his hands for inspection, as though disbelieving of the fact that it, along with the rest of him, was coated with a thick layer of mud and grime.

Inuyasha glared at Sesshoumaru’s voiced indifference. "Listen, jerk, I didn't ask for this shit to come to me, so you just get up, drag your ass back to that village, and start reviving."

Sesshoumaru turned a poisonous look on Inuyasha, his mud-coated hand moving to detach Tenseiga's sheath from his waist. He utterly shocked his brother by extending it to him. "If you can find a way to do it with what remains, then you are a better master than I."

An odd feeling clutched Inuyasha's gut as he listened to those bitter words. He took the sheath that was extended toward him and, with a sickening feeling, turned it upside down. Instantly, the hilt fell out, followed by what almost looked to be shiny gray ash. Sharp, miniscule shards, far too many to count. Inuyasha looked back up at Sesshoumaru, not really sure what to say. Tenseiga and Toukijin had met the same fate.

------------------------------------------------------------ --------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------

Dawn was beginning its slow encroachment toward the village, hueing the sky a less ominous blue as the human inhabitants tried to settle down after the night's terrifying events. The village itself was untouched, but had lost six men in its defense. Their burials were being planned for the morning.

Kirara had returned with Kohaku in time for him to locate Kagome and his sister, both of whom were slogging their way back through the forest accompanied by Shippou, Kenji, Rin, and Ah-Un. Not long after, Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru made their way back from the now-abandoned battlefield, absent of Kanaye, who had decided that entering a human village was akin to sleeping in a pig sty.

Inside Inuyasha's home, Rin convinced Sesshoumaru to let her do something about the wounds he'd received from Toukijin's violent end and the subsequent battle with Eizan. He seemed to be in some strange, solitary mood. He was generally a quiet person, but there was something in this that spoke of ... defeat. And that was certainly not something he was accustomed to.

He was sitting on the floor, back against the wood-planked wall, staring at the opposing side of the room with an eerie intensity, his mind clearly a million miles away in thought. He had refused, despite Kagome's suggestion, to at least make himself comfortable and use the bed. Nearby were the remains of the two swords that were now so thoroughly shattered and useless.

A scream of pain echoed from across the road and Rin winced at the sound, watching as Sesshoumaru’s eyes narrowed in annoyance.

“They should put that woman out of her misery,” he complained, his ears still ringing from the sound. For all the noise she was making and the damage it was doing to his hearing, the demon slayer might as well have been sitting beside him and deliberately shrieking into his ear.

Rin attempted a smile for him. “You know, your mother had to go through the same thing to get you here.”

His eyes moved from the wall to her, as though astonished that she would make the comparison. “I sincerely doubt my mother carried on as she is doing.”

He is certainly not in a forgiving mood this morning, Rin thought. She knew that he was not the only one suffering from sensitivity to shrill noise. When she had gone to retrieve some water earlier, she had come across Inuyasha sitting outside of Kaede’s hut, making use of his healthy arm by plugging fingers into the ear that was aimed in the direction of the noise.

Rin quietly watched Sesshoumaru, not really certain what to say and wondering what was going through his head to make him this distant. Was it the loss of the swords? Toukijin could not have been of much sentimental value … he hadn’t had it for very long. Would Tenseiga’s loss bother him this much? Rin didn’t know; but he had always spoken of it with such disdain that she had assumed he was not overly fond of it. Still, it had been an inheritance from his father … maybe that was the root of this melancholy mood? Or was it the fact that a human woman, of all creatures, had been the one to catch him off guard?

Sesshoumaru’s thoughts were not nearly as interesting as Rin was crediting them. In fact, his mind was surprisingly empty, save for the occasional replay of events. He had not lost that battle. He refused to consider that it had even been a close call. When it was over, it was Eizan who had been carried off by his people, not Sesshoumaru, and that was the judgment he used.

But if the purpose had been to destroy Tessaiga, Tenseiga, and Toukijin, then it was Eizan who had been mostly successful. It had been a cowardly attempt at leveling the playing field, which was ridiculous for the northern lord to even have bothered to attempt in Sesshoumaru’s estimation. With or without Toukijin, he would own Eizan in a battle and had proved it tonight, even if it had been at the expense of his depleted health.

Now, though, despite the satisfaction that had come from delivering what he hoped would prove to be a fatal wound to Eizan, Sesshoumaru found that a different feeling was hanging over him.

Sesshoumaru felt … unsatisfied? No, that wasn’t exactly it. It was more … a sense of loss. That was more accurate and it was a foreign feeling, which was why he was having so much trouble naming it. But loss of what? Not the battle, certainly. Toukijin? He was annoyed by the abrupt lack of that weapon, as it had been very useful over the past several years, but it held no sentimental value.

Then there was the sword he had always regarded with such animosity. He hated it, despite its penchant for acting in his best interests, often of its own accord. Toutousai’s bizarre, magical creation had been meant for him in the same way Tessaiga had been meant for Inuyasha. Tessaiga protected Inuyasha from the weakness of his human blood. Tenseiga was meant to protect Sesshoumaru from his own abundance of self-confidence. The sword had a mind of its own, and that was necessary in order to override Sesshoumaru’s admittedly overlarge ego.

He did hate Tenseiga, because he was not and never truly would be its master. He had grudgingly come to accept its presence, and it had instilled a sense of invincibility in him that extended to those around him. He had never needed to bother with much concern for others, because, ultimately, it was he who controlled when and where those around him exited permanently from his life. Tenseiga had always been willing to help in inconveniently fatal situations; death had been no match for it.

Now, though, he was as much at the mercy of fate as everyone else and that gnawed at his mind like a disease. Not for himself, necessarily, as he was aware that it would take monumental effort to actually kill him. That was not the case for others whose lives he had come to, often grudgingly, value in some way. With Tenseiga gone, he would have to admit their worth. It would affect his strategy. It would affect his decisions. It would affect his priorities. And he hated that far more than he had ever hated Tenseiga.

As this realization came to mind, he found that the loss was deepening to something else that he could not name. He did not like change, and too much had been changed tonight. When he had returned from the field in clothes that were torn and completely destroyed by blood, rain, mud, and Toukijin’s unfortunate end, he had had to make a concession that had further ruined his evening by accepting clothes from Inuyasha.

And so now here he was, the great and mighty Lord Sesshoumaru, seated in a shack on the outskirts of a human village, attired in ridiculous clothing that was too short for his arms and legs, looking like he had been set upon by a pack of wild animals when, in fact, his own sword had been used against him, manipulated at an untouchable distance by a mere human. A human.

This was certainly as close as Sesshoumaru had ever come to a humbling experience.

Another shriek of pain from the monk’s home made him fight the urge to plug his ears, and the situation was worsened when the hanyou barged into the house, past them, into another room, and then returned an instant later to toss a blanket at Rin.

“You can have the bed, you know,” Inuyasha told her. “I’m sleeping in the forest tonight.”

“Why?” Rin asked. “That’s not necess---“

Yet another pained scream came from across the road. Inuyasha pointed at the door. “That’s why. Last time, she was at it for twelve hours.”

Sesshoumaru closed his eyes at the horror of that statement, as Rin gratefully said, “Thank you, Inuyasha, but I’m not even sure that we’re staying in the village for the night.”

Inuyasha snorted. “Sure you are. Just look at him,” he said, gesturing vaguely at Sesshoumaru as he moved toward the door, then quickly added, "You know, it’s going to take weeks to get rid of your stink. I may just have to burn the place down and start over."

Sesshoumaru did not bother to respond or even so much as look at Inuyasha in the hopes that the hanyou would simply evaporate.

Inuyasha clearly did not get the response he was anticipating because he tried again in a voice that rang of annoyance, "Hey ... I'm talking over here."

"All I hear is noise, Inuyasha,” Sesshoumaru answered slowly, still focusing his glare on the far wall.

Rin watched as a deep frown etched itself across Inuyasha’s face … and she nearly groaned in dismay when the hanyou marched right back over to Sesshoumaru and knelt down, just inches from his brother’s face. "Your ego got busted tonight, didn't it, pal? That’s good, because you could use a little deflating. But if you don't start moving around a little more, I'm gonna go ahead and bury you."

Sesshoumaru’s anger flared up then and he turned his head quickly to stare Inuyasha in the eye. "Get out of my face, you disgusting, overgrown whelp,” he said lowly in a tone of warning. Rin nervously watched as his claws began to flex with the desire to use them.

Inuyasha nodded, the frown melting into a smirk of satisfaction. "See? That's more like it,” he said, then quickly got back up and left the house.

Rin did not bother repressing the sigh of relief that came with Inuyasha’s departure. She looked back at Sesshoumaru, whose expression was no longer vacant, but dark and sullen instead. He turned to look at her.

“You’ll stay here tonight to sleep.”

“And where will you be?” she asked, wondering in a moment of fear if he was intending to leave her there.

“I’ll be with you,” he replied, as though the answer should be obvious.

She nodded and moved to sit with him, leaning forward to fold the blanket around their legs before settling back. He surprised her by moving his arm so she could lean in and draped it around to rest at her side, pulling her in closer.

He’s feeling affectionate, she thought, wondering if that was an omen of an improving mood or a worsening one. She grasped onto the hand at her waist and then turned to look up at his face, trying to get an idea of what he was thinking. He looked bothered and more than a little gloomy. She was so immensely glad to be with him now. She was relieved that of the two, he had fared much better than Eizan. She was content to be in a place that was surrounded by people she was familiar with.

Clearly noticing that he was being watched, he turned his head and studied her in a similar fashion.

“You look tired,” she told him.

“I am rarely tired,” he replied equally quietly.

“I’m glad you’re okay.”

“You always are.”

“Will you replace Toukijin and ….?” She stopped before adding Tenseiga, because she was not certain that it could be replaced.

“I will see someone about that today,” he answered more distantly.

They both fell quiet. The rain began falling again, splattering hypnotically on the rooftop. Rin’s mind began to sink toward sleep. Sesshoumaru shifted beside her, and she felt the hand tighten around her.

She had not been present at the battle, but something about tonight was eating at him. She could only assume that it was Tenseiga. The security that came with being loved by someone who possessed a weapon that could restore life was no longer Rin’s. That guarantee was no longer there.

As her mind put aside these troubling thoughts and began to drift toward sleep again, she heard the cry of a baby. The loud, healthy wail of an infant that had decided to put both of its parents at ease by finally making its appearance.

And to soothe the ears of a weary demon, she added the thought with a smile, turning to glance at Sesshoumaru, expecting to see an expression of relief. Instead, she found a sight that was as rare as the affectionate mood he had been in just minutes earlier. His eyes were closed in sleep, chest rising and falling in a slow rhythm that told her his senses were not alert enough to even register the baby’s cry.

Despite his frequent complaints about humans, their utter lack of worth, and their disgusting ways and habits, Rin found a sly amusement in the fact that putting himself into such a state of vulnerability meant that he trusted what was around him. Perhaps there was hope for his attitude toward humans … and his brother … after all.