Chapter Text
Inuyasha pushed back against Tokijin as hard as he could, but he could barely keep Tessaiga upright, and Kaijinbo was holding his ground. Sparks of red energy shot from Tokijin as the aura around the sword pulsed, sending waves of power through Inuyasha. It made him feel sick to his stomach, and he couldn’t imagine how the rest of his pack was faring. He growled and threw all his weight into blocking the blow, but neither sword budged. Instead, he pulled back – there was no use exhausting himself like this. Kaijinbo immediately swung Tokijin, but it was a slow, uncoordinated attack and Inuyasha easily leapt out of the way. The weight of Tessaiga dragged him down, however, and the sword tipped over onto the ground, wrenching his arm along with it.
Inuyasha snarled. It was infuriating! Kaijinbo barely knew how to handle a sword, for all his skill in making them. This wouldn’t even be a real fight if Tokijin wasn’t so powerful, and if Tessaiga wasn’t so damn heavy! He should have finished that demon off already, but instead he was barely managing to keep up. What the hell had Totosai been thinking?
“Pathetic,” Kaijinbo sneered. “You don’t even have the strength to hold up your own sword!” He laughed, and Inuyasha swore. “Prepare yourself!”
He charged holding Tokijin out in front of himself. Inuyasha yelled as he ran, lugging Tessaiga behind him. He swung his sword forward so hard that it almost threw him off balance, and the two blades clashed once more. Inuyasha glanced over the demon, Sango’s training flashing in his mind. Kaijinbo’s stance was wide open for attack, but he couldn’t let go of Tessaiga with either hand or even move his feet to sweep the legs. He was stuck!
Tokijin was shooting bursts of power all around them, into the sky and ground and even back at Kaijinbo. Tessaiga was glowing with golden light, the sword itself fighting off against its opponent’s aura. Inuyasha could feel his youki swirling within him and he desperately tried to shove it back down – there was no way he could transform again now! He could also feel Kaijinbo’s youki, which was flaring ever brighter as it mixed with Tokijin’s aura. Inuyasha grunted as Kaijinbo took a step forward, forcing him back – his muscles were shaking from the strain of holding off against the overwhelming force. Kaijinbo was laughing again.
“Pathetic, Totosai!” he grinned. “I would have expected-”
He cut himself off mid-sentence, and his eyes widened. The angry red aura around Tokijin flared once more and began climbing up Kaijinbo’s arms. Some of the pressure against Tessaiga eased off and Inuyasha drew back, eyes wide. Kaijinbo’s skin was slowly dissolving as pulses of red energy shot out from inside of him. Inuyasha backpedalled wildly, Tessaiga dragging along the dirt. In a flash of light, Kaijinbo was gone, and Tokijin fell tip-first into the ground. The sword glowed even brighter than before, with Kaijinbo’s severed hand still clinging to it before it turned to dust.
“My, my,” Totosai shook his head, standing beside the horrified humans. “Tokijin held up, but Kaijinbo himself was unable to withstand its power. The very sword he forged!” He tutted softly. “The wretched fool deserved it.”
Tessaiga transformed quietly into its smaller state and Inuyasha growled as he turned around and charged at Totosai. “I wanna talk to you,” he snarled, landing in front of the old demon. His breath was coming in sharp gasps from the exertion of the fight.
“Something about the sword you don’t care for?” Totosai asked mildly.
Inuyasha let out a slightly hysterical whine and shoved Tessaiga right into the demon’s face. “How in the hell do you figure I can carry around such a heavy sword? One thrust and I need to stop and rest.”
Totosai made a soft noise of understanding and stared up at Inuyasha with wide, unblinking eyes. “Do you wish to know how to handle the heavy Tessaiga?”
“You mean there’s a way to do it?” he asked cautiously, shooting a skeptical glance at Miroku and Sango.
“And it’s simple!” Totosai proclaimed.
Inuyasha closed his eyes and thumped a heavy hand onto the old demon’s shoulder, squeezing tightly as his mouth stretched into a toothy grin. “You’re not gonna tell me to build up my strength, are you, old man?”
Totosai hummed thoughtfully. Inuyasha groaned, his hands curling into fists. He raised one threatening before spinning on his heel and stalking away. Miroku sighed heavily, while Sango shook her head.
“What now?” she asked, walking over to the severed halves of her Hiraikotsu which lay on the ground. “We can’t just leave Tokijin lying in the field for anyone to find.”
Miroku stepped closer to examine the sword and frowned. “Strange – the aura around the sword still hasn’t dissipated. Shouldn’t it have disappeared when Kaijinbo died?”
“Indeed,” Totosai muttered, moving past Miroku and reaching for the hilt of the sword. He froze and gasped, throwing his arm out in front of his face and backing away. “The aura is too strong – it’s preventing me from extracting the sword! Who could have commissioned Kaijinbo to forge such a weapon?”
Miroku shared a worried glance with Sango and Inuyasha, who had come back to see what all the fuss was about. “We’ll have to construct a permanent spiritual barrier around Tokijin to contain the aura, else it might spread.”
“Can’t you purify it?” Sango asked.
He shook his head. “The aura is too strong. I don’t know if any of my spells would be able to even seal it off completely.”
“And a barrier?” Sango pressed. “How long will that take?”
“We’ll need to hire men to build it, and that requires money,” he smiled wryly. “Which we’re sadly lacking.”
Sango eyed him thoughtfully. “Can’t you just con some lord for us?”
Miroku gasped and placed a hand on his chest. “I am shocked and appalled that you’d even suggest such a thing!”
Inuyasha rolled his eyes. “You’ve corrupted her, is what you’ve done.”
Miroku smiled, but it quickly fell from his lips when he glanced back at the sword. “It would still take some time to make as much as we need, and even longer to find a town with builders capable of constructing a suitable barrier. Can we afford to leave the sword here that long?”
Inuyasha huffed and shouldered his way past Totosai, unsheathing Tessaiga with a grunt. “I’ve heard more than I need to. I’ll just smash the stupid thing to bits!”
He lifted Tessaiga over his head, almost falling back from the weight, and leapt at Tokijin. A barrier formed around the sword, shooting red sparks out in all directions when Tessaiga struck it. Inuyasha was thrown backwards and skidded along the ground, his sword falling to the ground with a hollow thunk.
“The hell?” he grimaced. “Is Tokijin unbreakable?”
Miroku knelt beside the sword and reached into his robes, holding out a sutra experimentally. The paper began to sizzle and quickly shrivelled and burned in his fingers. He looked up at Inuyasha and shook his head.
“It’s almost as though it has a life of its own,” Sango muttered. “Who would want to wield a sword like this?”
It was a good question, one which Miroku feared he might have the answer to. Whoever commissioned the sword must have felt that they were powerful enough to handle it, while also holding a significant grudge against Inuyasha. They had to have known that Goshinki had broken Tessaiga as well. Sending out an incarnation of himself just to have it defeated, all so he could make a powerful weapon for himself did seem like just the kind of thing Naraku might do.
“It doesn’t matter,” Miroku found himself saying. “We can worry about that later. Right now, we need to distance ourselves from this place and make a plan.”
Inuyasha scoffed incredulously. “You mean you want us to run?”
“Anyone capable of drawing out a sword of such evil will have enormous power,” Totosai advised. “You are no match at present.”
Inuyasha harrumphed in indignation and turned away, folding his arms pointedly before plopping down to the ground. “I’m not going anywhere.”
“Inuyasha…” Miroku started, but he hanyou growled.
“I’m not gonna let some power-hungry bastard show up and become an even bigger problem! You all can sort this out yourselves, but I ain’t moving!”
“Tokijin’s aura is too powerful to be around for too long,” Sango tried. “It’s wiser to leave now and find a solution.”
Inuyasha lifted his nose into the air, eyes closed and ears back, pointedly ignoring them all. Miroku sighed softly and motioned with his head for Sango to follow. They stepped a safe distance away and glanced back.
“Tomorrow morning, once he’s had a chance to calm down,” Miroku murmured. “I’ll try to get through to him.”
Sango frowned tightly. “Can we wait that long? What if the aura affects his youki?”
Miroku shrugged. “Then I’ll use my sutras or we can knock him unconscious if we have to.”
They shared an uneasy look as they returned to the others. Totosai was glancing around in apparent confusion before looking up at the sky, watching the clouds and the birds. “I wonder if I said something that I shouldn’t have.”
Far across the field, at the edge of a forest, Kagura smirked.
~*~
Sesshomaru followed Rin’s scent to where she and his two-headed dragon mount were waiting by the campfire she had built. Jaken was yammering behind him, still distraught at how Kaijinbo could have taken the sword. Sesshomaru was resolutely ignoring him. Rin gasped in delight when she saw them, immediately running towards them. Another scent followed her on the wind – a familiar scent.
“Stop, Rin,” he ordered. “Do not move.”
Rin immediately froze in place. Sesshomaru leapt over her head, over the fire, to the trees behind. His claws flashed, slicing through two of the trunks. The figure hiding behind them shot into the air, lit by the crescent moon. She flipped through the air and hovered there for a moment before floating slowly to the ground. She was obviously youkai, but her scent sparked anger in his bones. It was the same scent as the demon that Inuyasha had killed.
“I am familiar with your scent, but not with you,” he said, eyes narrowed, trying to comprehend the connection between the two demons.
The woman smirked. “I can say the same for you, Sesshomaru. I am familiar with your brother.”
“Indeed?”
“I am Kagura the Wind Sorceress. I, and that beast you found slain by your brother’s hand, are incarnations of Naraku. I believe you’re familiar with him.”
Sesshomaru’s jaw clenched ever so slightly. Naraku. He recalled the demon who had given him the human arm to claim Tessaiga, the insect hive to drive off that human monk who followed after Inuyasha. He had been used by this demon, and that was an unforgivable insult. That demon had had no scent.
“Incarnations?” he asked, interest piqued.
“I know about the fangs you gave to Kaijinbo for a sword, from my fellow incarnation named Goshinki,” she continued.
Sesshomaru kept his voice flat. “All very interesting, but did you search me out simply to tell me this?”
Kagura’s fan snapped open as she passed it over her face. “Can you not detect its scent? Tokijin reeks of Goshinki’s aura. It is closer than you think.”
A gust of wind swirled around her. Her eyes locked with his as she plucked a feather from her hair and jumped on it as it expanded, riding it up into the air.
“You are that sword’s rightful owner,” she called down to him before she disappeared.
Sesshomaru watched her go. Jaken ran to his side, muttering about her arrogance, but Sesshomaru wasn’t convinced. He knew that he was being manipulated once more, but that was how things were in demon society. No one spoke without serving their own needs. So long as he could claim his sword – a sword even better than Tessaiga – then he would follow her advice. If she was part of Naraku’s pack, then he did not know how this would benefit that bastard. If she wasn’t acting on his behalf, then so much the better. He respected those who sought out what they wanted and made it happen.
He almost smiled when he saw Rin out of the corner of his eye, still frozen mid-stride. “Rin, you are free to move.”
“Yes, my lord!” she chirped, stretching blissfully before flopping onto the ground. Sesshomaru glanced back up at the sky, watching the stars.
~*~
Sango sketched swirls into the dirt with a twig while Miroku meditated beside her. Inuyasha had refused to so much as look at them all day, and was now to the point of refusing the fish they offered him. Sango had no idea whether there was something going on or if he was simply sulking. Myoga was firmly planted on Inuyasha’s shoulder and had been speaking to him quietly all day. None of them felt comfortable going off to the closest village and leaving Inuyasha alone with Tokijin, but neither of them wanted to leave the other alone with Inuyasha while they travelled with Kirara, either. It could take several days to get money, gather builders, and bring them all back to the sword, and there was no telling if Inuyasha would transform from Tokijin’s aura during that time.
Totosai had refused to leave as well, claiming that Kaijinbo had been his apprentice and therefore his responsibility, though he sent Mō-Mō off around noon. He sat some distance from the group, down by the river, as he blew another wave of fire over Hiraikotsu and tapped along the weapon with his hammer. He had been rather intrigued by Sango’s weapons, listening intently as she explained the process by which the slayers purified and converted demon parts into their armour and tools. He’d agreed to repair Hiraikotsu for them at no charge, so long as he could study it for possible replication in the future. It saved her having to make a trip back to her village, but she still didn’t know if she trusted the old demon.
“Would you get off my back?” Inuyasha’s angry voice broke through the quiet of the evening. “Stop saying the same thing over and over!”
Sango glanced over at the hanyou, catching Miroku’s gaze as she did so. Myoga was bouncing up and down in vexation. “I will not stop until I have your promise! You must not abandon Tessaiga again!”
Inuyasha scoffed. “What do you care? If I can’t lift the fucking sword then I’m not going to use the fucking sword!”
Sango suppressed a sigh and shrugged at Miroku, who looked grim. For one who didn’t want to tell Inuyasha about Tessaiga’s control over his youki, the flea was sure drawing suspicion. Sango could see the conflict in Miroku’s eyes, knew that it was mirrored in her own.
“Should we just tell him and get it over with?” she asked quietly.
Miroku frowned. “I can’t say. He doesn’t know, which is why he sometimes abandons the sword, but if he can’t wield Tessaiga, then will he be drawn to his youkai form as an alternative?”
“You said it was wrong not to tell him.”
Miroku closed his eyes. “I did.”
“You must not tell him!” Myoga hissed as he hopped over to them. “You know what Master Inuyasha is like. If he learns of the secret, he will surely abandon the sword and come to rely solely on his transformed claws and fangs.”
“You think that he will find them addictive?” Miroku asked warily.
“He has always sought greater power,” Myoga said in a hushed whisper. “If he relies on his transformation, then it will become more than a habit – it will be his primary defense, and each time he uses it, his youki will take over more and more.”
“So we tell him this!” Miroku snapped, and Sango nodded slowly in agreement.
They glanced over to Inuyasha, surprised to see Totosai walking towards him. Miroku and Sango exchanged a look and crept forward towards the pair, intent on hearing what the old demon was going to say.
“You certainly keep yourself busy,” Totosai said, plopping down beside Inuyasha. “Changing into a human one minute, a monster the next.”
Inuyasha growled softly. “I’m not a monster – don’t say that! It’s not exactly like I have any idea what’s going on here.”
Totosai blinked at him. “Don’t you know? You really are stupid!”
Inuyasha’s growl was louder this time, and he bared his teeth. Sango and Miroku watched intently – whatever Totosai was going to say was out of their hands, despite Myoga’s shrieking protests.
“Myoga told me that you transform into a full demon when you’re on the verge of dying. That’s not too surprising, really, seeing as you are a half demon,” Totosai shifted, looking over at Tokijin. “But if you ask me, your strength doesn’t lie in your demon nature. As I explained to you, the weight of your repaired Tessaiga comes from the fang I used to forge it. Originally, Tessaiga was forged from your father’s fang alone – you were relying on your father to protect you. But now, Tessaiga is different. Now, you must master your own fang, and you must protect yourself! Once you manage to freely wield this new Tessaiga, you will have truly discovered your own strength.”
Inuyasha rolled his eyes, rejecting the words out of instinct. But in doing so he glanced behind him, and saw Miroku and Sango looking at him with shining eyes. Miroku offered him a small, encouraging smile. Inuyasha’s ears flicked back and he looked down at the sheathed Tessaiga. He supposed Totosai was right – Tessaiga had given him the strength to fight against any of the opponents they’d met thus far. He needed to be able to master it again. His pack was counting on him! He’d figure out how to wield the sword, even if it meant rigorously building up his own strength like Totosai had suggested.
“We believe in you,” Sango’s voice washed over him. “If you set your mind to it, you can do it. We’re right here with you.”
Inuyasha ducked his head as his cheeks burned and his eyes stung. He still had the lingering feeling that they weren’t telling him everything – she and Miroku had been whispering all day, even if they were far enough away that he couldn’t pick out most of the words. But he trusted them. If they thought that working on Tessaiga was the right thing to do, then so be it.
Black clouds rolled overhead, blocking out the setting sun. Inuyasha leapt to his feet, instantly wary. Lightning crackled through the sky above them in an ominous display, thunder travelling over them in rolling waves. A flash of blue light pierced the clouds right above them, and a beam of white light shot down to the earth. Inuyasha yanked Sango and Miroku back by the collars of their robes as Kirara darted to their side. When the light faded, Sesshomaru was there, riding his two-headed mount. One of the heads shot another bolt of lightning down at Tokijin, striking the sword, and Sesshomaru jumped off their back and to the ground beside it. The blade was crackling with red energy, but the swirling aura around it had dissipated.
Inuyasha stepped forward, placing himself between his brother and his pack, while Totosai yelled in fear and scampered behind Inuyasha to hide.
“What the hell’re you doing here?” Inuyasha asked flatly.
“Just what I would ask you,” Sesshomaru said coldly. “I’ve merely come for the sword – it seems the demon you killed was so bitter that it desired revenge after its remains were forged into a sword.”
Inuyasha stiffened.
“How does he know about Goshinki?” Sango asked quietly.
Miroku was staring at the inu-youkai. “It must mean that…”
The faint hint of a smirk appeared on Sesshomaru’s face. “I am the one who commissioned Kaijinbo to make the sword.”
Totosai poked his head out from behind Inuyasha, and though he trembled, his voice was insistent. “Sesshomaru, you must not touch the Tokijin. Even you will be possessed by the sword’s evil aura. Heed my warning, I implore you!”
Sesshomaru scoffed, immediately walking forward and grasping Tokijin’s handle. He held on for a moment as his youki flared deep blue around him, and then he pulled it effortlessly from the ground. “Pathetic fool,” he intoned. “Just who do you take me for?”
The remnants of the aura surrounding Tokijin vanished like mist into the air.
“He’s overtaken the aura,” Totosai muttered, frowning. “I don’t care much for him!”
Sesshomaru hummed, examining the blade. “The sword has chosen me as its master.” He looked up at his brother commandingly. “Draw your sword, Inuyasha. There is something I wish to verify.”
“Something about me?” Inuyasha asked, instantly suspicious. He could hear Miroku and Sango’s hearts pounding behind him.
“Do you honestly think you can defeat him?” Totosai asked him doubtfully, tugging on his sleeve.
Inuyasha scoffed. “Keh. I can’t exactly tell him to come back once I’ve finished training.”
“Precisely,” Sesshomaru’s eyes narrowed. “Come at me, little brother, or I shall come for you.”
Apparently the scant heartbeat of hesitation was enough, because then Sesshomaru was charging at him with youkai speed. Inuyasha swore and took off towards his brother, reaching for Tessaiga. “You’re gonna regret this!”
He snarled as he unsheathed his sword and it transformed, immediately slowing him down from the weight of it. The thing was way too heavy! He could barely face Tokijin before, and now it was in the hands of someone who actually knew how to wield it. Damn! Sesshomaru lifted the sword, and his own aura had melded with the sword’s, leaving a trail of blue light through the air. Inuyasha lifted Tessaiga across his body like a shield, blocking the blow, but even he knew that it was a testing strike. Sesshomaru hadn’t even gotten started yet!
The power from the strike continued as a wave of blue energy which blasted at him, almost throwing him from his feet. It was all he could do to stay put as he dropped to a crouch.
“Is there no chance that Inuyasha can defeat him?” Miroku asked Totosai, not taking his eyes from the fight.
“Well,” the old demon hummed. “He still doesn’t know how to handle the reforged Tessaiga. Besides, he’s up against a formidable team – Tokijin is formidable on its own, and Sesshomaru is skilled with any sword.”
“Damn it to hell!” Inuyasha snarled, climbing stiffly to his feet. Sesshomaru’s face was utterly expressionless, but his eyes were keen.
It was interesting. Inuyasha’s scent was no more than a mere hanyou’s, as he had suspected, but that had not been the story etched into the blood surrounding Goshinki. Even now, there was a tinge of something more to the blood which pumped through his brother’s veins – something had had not been there before. Sesshomaru stepped back, passing his sword in front of his face. He must witness the transformation within Inuyasha with his own eyes.
Inuyasha locked eyes with his brother, snarling. Sesshomaru was as fast as he was strong. He had to finish him off with one blow, or else he wouldn’t stand a chance! Tokijin would slice right through him.
“What, have you altered your combat strategy?” Sesshomaru mocked. “Usually you’re charging at me recklessly by now.”
Inuyasha heaved Tessaiga over his shoulder as he growled. “Whatever you say.”
He yelled as he ran. Sesshomaru seemed utterly unfazed – that didn’t bode well for him. He knew that Sesshomaru was goading him, but he didn’t have a choice! If he hung back for too long, the asshole would figure out that something was wrong. He leapt into the air, using all his strength to swing Tessaiga over his head. Sesshomaru blocked the strike with Tokijin, one-handed, at an awkward angle, with ease. The bastard was just showing off at this point. Sparks flew from the blades, golden and blue light mixing from the weapons. Slowly, the aura faded from both swords, and Tessaiga was resting on Tokijin as much as it was pushing against it. Inuyasha was gasping for breath.
Sesshomaru hummed, his head tilting slightly to the side. “I see that Tessaiga has become a touch heavier.”
Inuyasha snarled, not bothering to hide the exasperation and frustration from his voice. “It’s a lot heavier, you stupid, pompous jackass!”
“If the sword is too heavy for you, then you’re better off without it!” Sesshomaru announced, pushing back with Tokijin and almost knocking Inuyasha off his feet. He struck from above and Inuyasha dodged, crouching low to keep his balance. So Sesshomaru swung from below, ripping the sword from his hand and sending it flying up through the air. Tokijin’s blast sent a wave of youki through him, flinging him back. Inuyasha tumbled along the ground a few times before rolling to a stop. Tessaiga struck the ground not far from him, the blade transforming down from the power of Tokijin.
Miroku grasped his staff, while Sango’s eyes darted to where Hiraikotsu lay by the river. Kirara was already creeping towards it, almost unnoticeable in her smaller form. Meanwhile, Myoga was hopping frantically at Inuaysha, landing on his shoulder.
“Master Inuyasha, hurry and take a hold of Tessaiga!” the flea implored.
“You again?” Inuyasha snapped. “I don’t need it!”
He ran at Sesshomaru, claws bared.
“Stop! I’m warning you!” Myoga shrieked. “Don’t be so rash!”
“I can’t use that lug of a sword, now can I?” he snarled, not slowing down.
“Please, I’m begging you!” Myoga continued, pulling at his hair with all his might. “Stop!”
“Shut up!” Inuyasha snapped, slapping the flea off his shoulder mid-jump.
Sesshomaru hadn’t so much as flinched. Inuyasha didn’t care. He launched himself off the ground, shouting “Iron Reaver, Soul Stealer!”
Sesshomaru raised Tokijin and the sword pulsed, the red aura returning to the blade. It crackled like lightning around it, while a line of blue power shot forward towards Inuyasha. It struck him hard and flung him back, the combination of Sesshomaru’s power and that of Tokijin biting into his youki and refusing to let go as pain ripped through him. Inuyasha dug his feet into the ground as he landed, curling into a low crouch. Sesshomaru raised his sword, Miroku began to run, and Totosai snagged him back with a hand on his robes.
Inuyasha had fallen to his hands and knees and was breathing raggedly. There was a distinct red tinge to his vision as he looked up at Sesshomaru, baring his teeth. His brother looked back coldly, calculating. The bastard. Inuyasha pressed to his feet, his muscles screaming in protest.
“Inuyasha, run!” Miroku shouted from behind him.
“I’ve seen all that I needed,” Sesshomaru murmured, pointing Tokijin at him before charging forward. “Die!”
Sango snatched Hiraikotsu from Kirara’s jaws and flung it at Sesshomaru, but he jumped over the weapon without so much as a glance. She turned her attention to Tessaiga, which stuck from the ground only a few paces away. Miroku tried to run, to put up a barrier between Inuyasha and Tokijin, but Totosai was holding him back once more. He thrashed in the old demon’s grip. Inuyasha hadn’t moved, head bowed where he stood. Slowly, he dropped back into a crouch, and his youki pulsed. Ever so slightly, Sesshomaru slowed. Miroku kept his eyes fixed on Inuyasha as he felt the transformation take hold.
Sesshomaru stopped. That scent again… The wind blew in great gusts across the field, whipping Inuyasha’s hair to and fro. There was the flash of his eyes, but they were no longer amber. The whites had turned a deep, bloody red, and a slim ring of indigo surrounded his pupils, which narrowed as he focused on his prey. His claws and fangs extended, and faint purple markings slashed down his cheeks. He snarled, saliva dripping from his fangs, his fingers digging into the ground.
He crouched lower to the ground, ready to spring forward. Sesshomaru started again in turn, lifting Tokijin above his head.
“Take him and flee from here!” Totosai said earnestly, shoving Miroku and Sango behind him before taking in a deep breath. He spewed a wall of fire across the field, which shot in between Sesshomaru and Inuyasha. Sesshomaru halted and glared angrily, his eyes flashing at Totosai. Miroku ran. Inuyasha stood, looking for a way to reach his opponent through the flames. Miroku grabbed his arm and pulled, trying to get him away from the fire which played dangerously near his hair. Inuyasha whirled on him, snarling, and his claws flashed. They dug into Miroku’s shoulder.
The scent of pain and blood shot through Inuyasha’s mind like an arrow, clearing away the red fog. His vision snapped back into place, in a whirl of purple and black, and then there was movement, a whispered apology, and pain shot through his head. He cried out and stumbled back, clawing at the piece of paper slapped on his brow. His youki shrank back inside of himself from the pulse of spiritual power.
“-asha!” a voice was shouting over the wind and fire and rush of blood in his ears. “We need to go!”
He shook his head, disoriented. There were hands on his shoulders, more on his legs, and he was being hoisted into the air. His face hit something warm and furry and then he was moving. A hand fell firmly between his ears, holding his head down, and he shut his eyes. His mind was still having trouble connecting the pieces, but all the scents surrounding him were warm and familiar – safe.
Sesshomaru lowered Tokijin. The scent of his prey was disappearing into the forest beyond. If he truly wanted to, he could jump over the rapidly spreading flames. He could pursue them. Instead he turned, calling upon the storm which had brought him here, and summoned the rains. Lightning crackled along the sky and torrents of rain poured onto the burning field, reducing it to smouldering ashes. A bolt of lightning that wasn’t his own struck the ground, and a demon ox stepped out. Totosai emerged from the last of the flames and regarded Sesshomaru warily, eyes narrowed. He climbed onto the ox’s back and tapped its haunch with his hammer, sending it flying back up into the sky. Sesshomaru walked away.
Jaken appeared beside him, fetched by his dragon mount. “My lord,” he asked at once. “Why did you not kill him? His scent lingers in the air still!”
Sesshomaru ignored him and climbed onto the back of his mount. He had no desire to linger, and he didn’t like leaving Rin unattended for too long. Jaken continued to yammer behind him, but he block out the grating voice. To think that his little mongrel of a brother could produce such a fearsome sight. Sesshomaru did not enjoy battles that he could not win, and there was a good chance that, as wild as he was, Inuyasha may have gutted him alive.
He glanced across the field, a now familiar scent sweeping away the cinders. He caught red eyes watching him, and pointedly looked away. He didn’t care to speak with that Kagura anymore. At least, if nothing else, he had ascertained the cause of the change in Inuyasha’s scent, and had proven that his new sword could easily defeat Tessaiga.
Kagura smirked. This one was strong, and that sword made him even stronger. He might just be able to kill Naraku – a potent mix of stubborn inu-youkai and a sword indirectly forged from Naraku’s own flesh could be enough. She leapt onto her feather and ascended, still deep in thought. She knew that there was a good chance that Naraku was watching her, with his spies hidden all over the land. She couldn’t face him directly, not while he held her heart in his hands. But he could not hold her captive indefinitely. She was the Wind itself! One day, she would be free. And Naraku would pay.
~*~
They eased Inuyasha off Kirara’s back as he blinked owlishly up at them. He wasn’t bleeding, which was no small mercy, but Sesshomaru’s final blow had done some damage.
“Is he following?” Miroku asked Kirara, and she shook her head.
He caught Sango’s eye, his own worry mirrored there. They both doubted that escape would be so easy. Once Inuyasha was up and moving once more, they would find a storehouse or some village to spend the night.
“At least we don’t have to worry about containing Tokijin,” Miroku said, and Sango shot him a dry glare.
Miroku ran a cautious hand through Inuyasha's hair, trying to center him and bring him back. Inuyasha shifted into his arms, his claws digging into his robes, though this time they didn’t pierce the skin. “Sesshomaru?” he murmured, his words slightly slurred.
“Gone,” Miroku reported, tugging him more firmly into his arms. “Totosai drove him off. You’re safe – we’re safe.”
Inuyasha glanced up at him warily before he sighed, squeezing his eyes shut. A moment later he tensed and his eyes snapped open, and he was looking over Miroku frantically. His gaze settled on the five dark smudges leaking through his kesa and he sucked in a sharp breath.
“They’re nothing,” Miroku insisted quickly, and Inuyasha shook his head firmly.
“I hurt you,” he whispered in a mangled voice. “You said- I didn’t mean-”
“Breathe,” Miroku instructed gently. “It was my fault for startling you, but we needed to get out of there quickly.”
Inuyasha growled softly, dragging them closer by a hand tangled in his robes. “Don’t you dare. Don’t you try to take the blame for this, you asshole.”
“Can I cast my vote for it being no one’s fault?” Sango suggested tiredly, cutting off Miroku’s response. “No one’s but Sesshomaru’s, that is.”
Inuyasha huffed and sat back, his ears twitching. “That bastard. Did he really just want to provoke me into transforming?”
“It’s possible,” Miroku shrugged. “If he was the one to discover Goshinki, and commissioned Kaijinbo to make Tokijin specifically because he knew that Goshinki’s fangs broke Tessaiga, then it’s more than likely that he smelled your first transformation. He wasn’t just testing Tokijin’s strength against Tessaiga in this battle – he wanted to test you as well.”
“Fuck.”
“I agree,” Sango said wryly. She caught Miroku’s eye, and sighed softly before nodding. She stood, and pulled Tessaiga from where it was tucked into the obi around her waist. “I threw my furoshiki with my travel clothes in it off to the side when Sesshomaru arrived. Kirara and I are going to grab it, then we’ll look for a place to spend the night. Scream really loudly if you need anything.”
Inuyasha snorted in surprise at this, and took the Tessaiga with a grateful nod. He watched them take off uneasily before looking back at Miroku, his ears twitching warily. The monk offered him a lopsided grin and scooted closer to him, pressing their sides together. Inuyasha lowered his head to rest on Miroku’s shoulder, even though he was still tense. He knew when something bad was coming, and this was it. Miroku’s fingers combed through his hair, brushing lightly along his ears before settling between them. Inuyasha closed his eyes and leaned into the touch, holding on for just a moment longer before their fragile peace was broken.
“There’s something I need to tell you,” Miroku said reluctantly, and Inuyasha nodded, shuffling away so that he could look the monk in the eyes. “It’s something we’ve been keeping from you, and that was wrong.”
Inuyasha’s brows furrowed and he frowned, his mind racing. Was this what they’d been whispering about over the past several days? What on earth could they be keeping from him?
“You no doubt noticed how insistent Myoga became about using Tessaiga,” Miroku continued slowly.
“Yeah, that was weird,” Inuyasha agreed. “But he’s not wrong. I thought a lot about what Totosai said, and I do want to master the Tessaiga, even if it is stupidly heavy now. I’m stronger with it than without it. I want to be able to protect you and the others. Until I can handle it, though, I’ll need to fight hand-to-hand more. That’s why I thought it was odd that Myoga tried to stop me – it’s not as though I would win against Sesshomaru when I can’t even lift the sword. It was just bad luck that he caused me to transform.”
“That’s what I want to talk to you about,” Miroku said quietly. “It’s no coincidence that you transformed the first time after Tessaiga broke, and with Sesshomaru, it only happened after you were no longer holding the sword.” He paused, and Inuyasha’s frown deepened – he didn’t like where this was going. “Myoga told us that your father left you the sword not only to use as a weapon, but because it could stop you from transforming.”
“What?” Inuyasha gasped, eyes wide. “How? What- How?”
“Your demon blood means that your youki can take over when your life is threatened. Tessaiga channels your youki and prevents that from happening.”
Inuyasha shook his head, stood and began to pace. He took a few steps before he whirled on Miroku, eyes blazing. “How long have you known?”
“Since you left to ask Totosai to repair Tessaiga,” Miroku said evenly, holding his gaze. “We thought that it would only cause problems to tell you. We were wrong.”
Inuyasha shook his head and continued pacing. Hurt welled up inside him but he pushed it down. Because he didn’t know if they were wrong. Because Tessaiga suddenly felt less like an heirloom and more like a muzzle. Because it meant that he could have tapped into this strength inside of him at any time, to save himself and those around him unimaginable pain. He froze. Wait, why hadn’t he been able to do it before?
“How is that possible? I had my ass handed to me hundreds of times before Goshinki, and I only had Tessaiga for a few months!”
“Myoga says that it was a combination of Tessaiga breaking, your injury, and the threat to your pack.”
“So why did it happen again?” Inuyasha asked. “Tessaiga was only just out of reach, and Sesshomaru didn’t even hit me that hard. Yeah, it hurt, but damn.”
“Myoga says that the first transformation awakened your youki,” Miroku said. “It will be harder to control each time you transform.”
Inuyasha sat down heavily and looked at Miroku hopelessly. “So, what? I’m just going to change more and more until I can’t stop?”
“Not if you have Tessaiga,” Miroku said firmly. “You just need to keep the sword close at hand, even if you’re not using it.” He frowned. “I’m sorry.”
Inuyasha huffed and looked away. “Feh. Don’t be. It’s a shitty thing to keep from me, but I get it. It’s kind of a lot to put on a guy.” He glanced back at the monk thoughtfully. “You were going to tell me before, weren’t you? When we talked about what happened with Goshinki?”
“I didn’t want to make it seem like we were forcing you to it,” Miroku sighed. “You can still choose to fight without Tessaiga, and to use only your own strength. And I know that you’ll be able to adjust to your youki over time – it’s a part of you, after all.”
Inuyasha growled. “There’s no way in hell I would take that risk.”
Miroku looked at him enquiringly, his eyes a little sad. “Even if it means not becoming a full demon?”
That pulled him up short. Even now, he could feel the power simmering under his skin from when he transformed, just waiting to burst out again. He’d been able to tear apart Goshinki with only his claws, and he could smell the fear in Sesshomaru’s scent as they left. He’d searched his whole life for a way to be strong enough, and it turned out that it was within his grasp the whole time. He wouldn’t even need to hunt down the remaining shards of the Jewel. He would be able to defeat Naraku, he was sure of it!
His eyes darted down to his hand, where dried blood coated the undersides of his nails. Miroku’s blood. What the hell kind of good would it do him to have power if he went after those closest to him? Maybe once, back before he even met Kikyo when all he could focus on was surviving, he wouldn’t have thought twice. But he’d changed since then. Kikyo had changed him. Kaede, back when she was just a nosy little brat, had changed him. And Miroku, well, he’d reached deep inside of him an altered some fundamental part of his being. He had a pack now. He had people that he would lay down his life to protect.
“Not like this,” he whispered. “I can’t tell you that I don’t want to become a full demon, because I do, but I won’t let it happen like this. I’m not going to put any of you in danger.” He glanced up, catching Miroku’s eyes. “And I’m not going to let this threaten what I have with you.”
Miroku swallowed hard, but stayed silent.
“So much has happened since we decided to try, but it hasn’t changed how I feel about you,” Inuyasha said, his voice wavering slightly. “I’ll stay a half-demon for as long as I need to if it will keep you safe. Because Miroku, I don’t want this thing between us to end.”
A broken smile slid across Miroku’s lips, and his eyes were shining. “I don’t, either,” he whispered, and there was so much weight to his words, the shadow of what was left unspoken. “What I said before hasn’t changed. I don’t know if there will be a future with us until Naraku is dead, but I don’t want to stop.”
Inuyasha tipped himself forwards into Miroku’s waiting arms. He pressed his face into the side of Miroku’s neck, clutching at the back of his robes. His youki shifted within him and settled with a satisfied rumble. It was a part of him, a part that cared for Miroku just as much as he did. He recalled the flash of sheer panic that shot through him when he smelled Miroku’s blood on his hands. His youki had reared back in revulsion and rejection of the act, had backed off even before the sutra stunned his power. Maybe Miroku was right – maybe he could learn to adapt to his youki better. But that same force was what had hurt the monk to begin with. And that couldn’t happen again.
He closed his eyes and tried to shove the swirling thoughts from his mind. They didn’t matter. He had Tessaiga back, he would get strong enough to wield it, and he would do whatever was necessary to keep his pack safe.