Chapter Text
Inuyasha glared at the kistune and growled at them, picking himself up off the ground and slowly shifting further in front of Miroku. Kirara was by his side once more, taking up a protective stance, letting him know that he could attack without fear of the kitsune slipping past their combined guard. Because he was terrified. He had no idea why Tsubaki was bothering with this fight – not if she could really kill Miroku in an instant as she’d warned. Was it because she knew that he would never let her go if she did? But she was making no move to escape while she had him bound in this way. What was she playing at?
The kitsune was watching him carefully, obviously calculating. They were holding their ground, but weren’t visibly protecting Tsubaki, leaving a clear path for Inuyasha to attack her. It threw him off balance, made him wonder how much control she actually had over this demon. Three-tailed kitsune weren’t the most powerful around, but they weren’t a youkai to be trifled with, either. Experimentally, he took a step over towards Tsubaki, and the kitsune growled but made no move to stop him. So he leapt at her. And the kitsune knocked him from the air, their claws digging deep into his chest. He crashed to the ground and rolled to avoid another attack. He jumped to his feet and fell back, a hand coming to staunch the flow of blood pouring from the wound.
The kitsune crouched then leapt over his head, where Kirara met them head-on. She slashed at their face, driving them steadily back and away from the others until Inuyasha leapt on their back, wrapping his arms around their neck and pulling them into a headlock. Once he had them pinned to the ground, Kirara dove and began clawing at the kitsune’s eyes. The demon let out a heart-breaking shriek and struggled desperately to escape.
“No!” Tsubaki cried out, fury in her voice. Inuyasha cast a frantic look over his shoulder to see her squeeze her fist around the Jewel. A pulse of dark red energy shot from it, and Miroku gasped before crumpling to the ground. Inuyasha immediately released the kitsune, who stumbled away, and ran back to Miroku’s side. He was struggling for air, his muscles tensed to snap, and in so much pain that he couldn’t move. The world flashed red and Inuyasha dug his claws into the ground, going lightheaded at the rush of youki within him. The kistune struggled to their feet behind him and he whirled around, eyes fixing on his target. What could he do?! A pulse of power came from Tsubaki, and the kitsune’s wounds glowed red before disappearing completely. He roared and leapt back at the demon.
“Sango,” Miroku gasped as the pain receded slightly. “You have to help Inuyasha.”
“No way in hell I’m leaving you,” she snapped, still the only thing keeping him upright. He could see her point, but still.
“He’s going to lose control,” Miroku said pleadingly, watching Inuyasha throw himself at the kitsune. “He won’t use Tessaiga.”
Sango cursed softly, saw Inuyasha tear at the kitsune before the demon caught him in their jaws and threw him aside, and cursed louder. “Right,” she said finally. “I’m not going far. Don’t die.”
She ran forward, hauling Hiraikotsu over her shoulder and leaving Kirara between him and the kitsune. She threw Hiraikotsu but the demon dodged. Miroku shot a glance at Tsubaki, who had been watching the fight, but turned her gaze steadily on him. Her hand was still clenched around the Jewel, ready to attack again at any moment. He couldn’t allow this to continue.
“Kaede,” he called weakly, drawing her to his side. “Do you see her shikigami?”
“Two, yes,” she said solemnly. “There could be more. I do not know how powerful she may be.”
“Can we separate them from her control?” he asked.
She thought for a moment, then shook her head. “It is possible for them to cast off her influence, but there is no way of inciting such an incident. If she has practice enough to control more than one at a time, then I doubt we may be able to sway them. Now, she also has the power of the Jewel at her disposal.”
Miroku swallowed hard, nodding. Black spots were swirling in his vision. “You see the one with her?”
“The horned serpent?” Kaede asked, her eye narrowing grimly. “Aye.”
“Make sure it doesn’t attack any of the others,” he said. “I think that’s the one that bit me. It must have allowed Tsubaki to form the curse. We can’t allow that to happen again.”
Tsubaki was watching them closely, a hint of worry flickering across her face. Her free hand rose to settle on the serpent’s head. Miroku glanced back at Inuyasha, who was slowly turning the kitsune to a bloody mess, yet paused every few moments with a shudder and a pulse of youki. Tessaiga was keeping him from transforming for the time being, but he was visibly struggling. Every wound he inflicted was healed a moment later by Tsubaki, whereas Inuyasha clearly couldn’t carry on indefinitely. As he dug his claws into the kitsune’s throat, Tsubaki sent another pulse of power through the Jewel. Without Sango beside him, Miroku fell to the ground, unable to support himself with his shaking muscles. Inuyasha whirled around to face him, terror in his eyes, and abandoned the kitsune to race for him. Sango shouted a warning and threw Hiraikotsu, but the kitsune batted her weapon aside and jumped for Inuyasha, catching him in their jaws once more. Sango and Kirara both moved to help, while Kaede notched an arrow, looking worriedly between them and Tsubaki.
Enough.
Miroku snatched his dagger from where it had slipped from his hand, tugged his robes apart and, before he could think too much about it, dug the tip of the blade into his chest. It hurt, but not much more than the agony already shooting from the Jewel shards. His vision whited out for a moment but he pressed deeper, feeling the tip of his dagger strike one of the shards. He felt eyes on him and looked up to see Inuyasha staring at him, his claws dug deep into the kitsune’s flank, and horror on his face. He continued regardless, was just prying the first shard from his skin when Tsubaki realized what he was doing. With a wordless cry of rage, she sent a solid wall of power through the Jewel. Miroku’s lungs constricted and his mind went blank except for the indescribably agony that hit him in an endless barrage. It didn’t take long for consciousness to begin slipping away.
Inuyasha howled as everything faded away except for the scent of his partner. He moved to help, but then the demon slammed into him with their paw, crushing him to the ground. He ripped off the leg which held him and ran for his love.
Sango swore, looking wildly between Inuyasha – who was transforming before her eyes – the demon re-growing their leg, Tsubaki, and Miroku. It was increasingly obvious that no matter what happened with the kitsune, Tsubaki was planning to kill Miroku. Kirara landed at her side, a question in her eyes, and she gestured wildly at the struggling kitsune before she met Kaede’s gaze. She pointed at Tsubaki and mimicked the serpent draped over her shoulders. Kaede nodded and pulled her arrow taught, immediately sending it flying at the shikigami. Tsubaki laughed as she summoned a spiritual barrier, and Kaede’s arrow snapped as it struck before falling uselessly to the ground. Sango pulled out the last of the sutras that Miroku had given her and slapped them onto Hiraikotsu before sending the weapon hurling at Tsubaki. She held the barrier but stepped back, apprehension showing in her expression. Some of the angry red light around the Jewel faded some. Sango cast a hopeful glance at Miroku, where he was being supported by Inuyasha’s arms, and saw some of the tension bleed from his shoulders. She caught Hiraikotsu and threw it again – she may not be able to break through Tsubaki’s barrier, but at least she could keep her concentration diverted.
Miroku grasped onto Inuyasha’s robes and pulled himself to his feet, ignoring the whining growl of protest which came from his half-wild partner. Following Sango’s example, he pulled a sutra from his robes and whispered a prayer into the paper before throwing it at Tsubaki. It connected with her barrier with a sizzle, but then the serpent lifted its head and hissed, and the paper quickly shriveled away as the youki burned it away. The kitsune shoved Kirara aside and dove for Sango, who had thrown Hiraikotsu again and was without her weapon. She pulled out her sword and leapt back, and Inuyasha growled beside Miroku, tensing.
“Go,” Miroku said insistently, shoving weakly at his shoulder.
Inuyasha cast him a deeply troubled look before gently lowering him to the ground and racing off to Sango’s side. He dragged his claws along the wound at his chest and shouted “Blades of Blood!” The crimson blades caught the kitsune and drove them back, long enough for Kirara to rejoin the fight. He glanced at Kaede, who was wrapping her own sutras around another of her arrows, chanting softly. As it glowed with spiritual power, she aimed it at Tsubaki once more. Tsubaki’s eyes widened in fury and the serpent sprang from her shoulders, immediately turning invisible. Kaede exclaimed in surprise and quickly began chanting, pulling a faint barrier around her and Miroku. He dragged his staff towards him and joined in the incantation, watching as a transparent shape moved along the outside of the barrier, sending sparks of energy out wherever it connected. Miroku met Inuyasha’s eyes through the transparent surface, saw the colour drain from his face. He shouted something to Sango, who nodded and immediately jumped onto Kirara’s back, where they began attacking the kitsune from the air. Inuyasha leapt for Tsubaki, eyes flashing red, youki trailing from his hands. His claws connected with her barrier and pierced through slightly. Tsubaki shouted in surprise and stumbled back.
The kitsune immediately swung around and sprang for Miroku and Kaede. They both grunted at the impact as the demon connected with the spirit shield, struggling to keep it intact against the pounding claws. Inuyasha swore and abandoned his target, bounded across the clearing and threw himself onto the kitsune’s back. He dragged the demon bodily away and snarled ferociously.
“Inuyasha,” Miroku gasped, immediately drawing his attention. He could feel the barrier slipping, and the serpent was just beginning to worm its way inside. Inuyasha’s eyes fell on the spot where the barrier was shimmering, his ears pricking, and he immediately grasped the serpent – turning it visible as he did so – and flung it into the air just as the barrier failed. Hiraikotsu caught the serpent as it fell and sliced it in half. The severed pieces fell to the ground and immediately began glowing red, shifting back towards one another.
“None of the shikigami may be slain while Tsubaki controls them,” Kaede gasped, her exhaustion showing.
Inuyasha swore and looked back at the kitsune, who was snarling at them and pacing, just waiting for an opening. “Kirara!” he shouted, drawing her and Sango. “Get Kaede out of here,” he ordered. “Attack from the air. We can’t let that stupid snake bite anyone.”
All three nodded and took off. Then the kitsune attacked, just as the serpent reappeared around Tsubaki’s shoulders. Inuyasha slashed at the kitsune’s face, his claws leaking amber, his mind going blank except for protect and kill. He tore into the demon, what should have been a fatal blow. And then the serpent stretched its mouth wide over the Jewel in Tsubaki’s palm, venom dripping from its fangs onto the gem, staining it a darker red. And Miroku screamed.
Sango swore and Kirara dove for Tsubaki. Kaede shot the arrow that she had been preparing. It broke apart on the barrier but her concentration failed, and the glow of the Jewel subsided slightly. Sango watched as Inuyasha abandoned the kitsune in favour of grabbing Miroku as he fell, frantically begging him to hold on. She knew that he was almost fully transformed. Tsubaki must have realized as well, and was playing on his overwhelming instincts. The kitsune leapt at them and Inuyasha snatched Miroku from the ground and ran, the demon’s paws landing where they had been a heartbeat earlier. Sango threw Hiraikotsu, cutting across the kitsune’s back, drawing them back to her.
Inuyasha growled and clutched Miroku tighter to his chest, panic flaring through him as the frantic heartbeat of his partner began to slow. The scent of the monk’s pain was acrid on the back of his tongue, making him nauseous. He couldn’t concentrate on anything but getting Miroku to safety – but was anywhere safe with Tsubaki after them? He needed that damn woman dead. He knew that Miroku couldn’t last much longer under these constant attacks.
Miroku tugged at Inuyasha’s robes, blinking the fuzziness from his vision. “Put me down. I have an idea.”
Inuyasha just held on tighter, though he slowed slightly. His ears were pinned to his head and his eyes were still flashing red.
“Don’t bother with the shikigami,” Miroku said firmly, blinking up at him through hazy eyes. “Go for Tsubaki. Tessaiga should be able to break through her barrier.”
Inuyasha growled and shook his head frantically. “I can’t. She’ll kill you!”
“She’s going to either way,” Miroku said firmly. “I can give you some time, but not much.”
Inuyasha glanced back to where Sango and Kirara were keeping the kitsune at bay, Kaede still firing arrows at Tsubaki’s barrier, though her quiver was rapidly emptying. Inuyasha forced himself to lower Miroku to the ground, gently brushed the hair from where it was stuck to his brow with sweat, and stared into his eyes. As he stepped back, Miroku nodded and pulled a sutra from his robes, murmured something, and it began to glow. He placed it onto his chest, dragged his staff upright, and summoned a weak barrier. Immediately the glow of the shards in his chest diminished. Inuyasha whipped around and saw Tsubaki’s face twist with rage.
He knew that Miroku wouldn’t be able to hold the barrier for long, and he wasn’t about to waste an instant. He ran for Tsubaki, unsheathing Tessaiga as he did, desperately hoping that Miroku was right. The kitsune immediately appeared before him, abandoning their fight with Sango and Kirara. He called upon the Wind Scar and sliced straight through them, the blast tearing apart Tsubaki’s barrier as well. He leapt into the air, the blade aimed straight for her. The serpent shot from her shoulders and flew at him, mouth gaping and fangs bared. He sliced through it, batting one of the halves to one side with Tessaiga while catching the other with his free hand and throwing it even further in the other direction. He landed in front of Tsubaki, who smiled. His heart sank. He spun around just in time to see the kistune lunging for him. Hiraikotsu sliced through them before they could strike true.
In a heartbeat, the kitsune whirled around and knocked Sango and Kaede from Kirara’s back, landing on top of the slayer. Kirara crashed into the demon, ripping them off of her. And then the serpent materialized on top of Sango, immediately winding its coils around her like a rope. Inuyasha dove for her but then one of Tsubaki’s sutras hit him square in the chest. He gasped and dropped to his knees as pain seared through him, his youki being shoved down.
Sango’s struggles increased. The snake had pinned her arms to her side, had wrapped around her legs as well. She sprang the hidden blade against her right forearm, which ripped through one of the serpent’s coils, but it continued constricting around her, entirely unfazed. It began dragging her back towards Tsubaki, growing and lengthening as it did, shifting its body into inescapable bonds. It coiled around one of the remaining wooden pillars holding up the hut and pinned her there, its fangs poised threateningly above her throat.
Inuyasha tore the sutra from his skin, snatched Tessaiga from the ground and leapt at Sango, cutting the head off the serpent. He began tearing at the body which still coiled tightly around her. Yowls and roars continued behind him as Kirara drove the kitsune back, keeping them from Kaede as well as she did so. He looked at Tsubaki, who met his eyes evenly, a smirk on her face, raising her hand pointedly with the Jewel shard in her palm. His heart sank. Miroku’s barrier was pulsing weakly, almost gone.
And he lost it.
He tore away the last pieces of the serpent then threw Tessaiga at Tsubaki, the sword breaking through the barrier. He leapt right after it, his youki springing forth. Tsubaki met him with a blaze of spiritual power. It clashed with his youki, dropped him to the ground, forcing the transformation to stop. Through the red haze in his vision, he snatched Tessaiga and sliced straight through her arm. He snatched the Jewel from her limp palm, growling at the corrupted power which immediately began searing into his skin. The kitsune instantly crashed into him, their jaws closing around his hand and digging deep into his arm. He slashed at their eyes with his other hand, kicked them away. Their teeth dug bloody gouges through his skin as he ripped their mouth off him.
Miroku poured everything he had into the barrier – more than he could spare – but it wasn’t enough. It gave one final pulse and died, just as Inuyasha grabbed the Jewel from Tsubaki. He didn’t bother trying to get up and help. His mind was filled with tar, his limbs unresponsive. He wouldn’t be able to fight Tsubaki. Inuyasha and Sango might be able to reach her, but not with her shikigami constantly thwarting their attacks. And Kaede’s spiritual powers were no match for Tsubaki’s. Only one person could face her.
He reached out with his mind and soul, grasping at the intangible line which connected them. He could tell that she was still nearby. Once he made contact with her soul, he pulled with his little remaining strength. It wasn’t anywhere near enough to draw her to him, but he met the faint anger he felt from her with a wave of pleading and desperation. Her emotions fell silent for a moment before he was met with steely resolve.
~*~
Kikyo sighed and glanced around, at where the bodies of dozens of soul collectors and more than a hundred Saimyosho lay scattered across the forest floor. She supposed that there was little more to be done. Despite his best efforts, Naraku was now blinded to whatever occurred here. If he wanted to ensure the safety of his coveted Jewel shard, then he would have to send one of his incarnations after it – or, if they were truly fortunate, come himself.
She ignored the tugging at her heart until it became too strong to bear. How dare that impudent monk deign to summon her like some lowly servant? She would not stand for it. Although, based on the emotions she could feel rolling through him, the situation was likely dire. She could not allow Inuyasha to be killed, as she feared that he might be in his misguided attempts to save the others. And she could not allow Tsubaki to retain her possession of the Jewel.
She turned and made her way back through the forest, surprised by the scene which faced her. Inuyasha was locked in battle with a three-tailed kitsune, while the slayer and neko assisted him. She could sense the Jewel in his grasp, saw Tsubaki picking up her severed arm off the ground, placing it back against her shoulder with a hiss. There was an unmistakable flare of youki as the limb reattached. As she watched, the pale horned serpent rematerialized behind Inuyasha, and immediately struck at his hand. He cried out and tore the serpent away, the Jewel falling to the ground between them. He dove for it and snatched it up, just to be set upon by the kistune, who knocked him down. The slayer threw her weapon, knocking the demon away, but then the serpent set upon him again.
Inuyasha growled and kicked at the serpent, desperately trying to keep its mouth away from the Jewel. But then Tsubaki’s sutra struck his shoulder and a pulse of spiritual power shot through him, paralyzing him. The serpent snatched the Jewel from his hand and immediately brought it back to Tsubaki. He swore and struggled, his desperation sending a wave of youki out in all directions, burning through the sutra. It was too late. Tsubaki’s hand closed around the Jewel and immediately, an impossibly strong burst of power shot towards Miroku.
Kikyo watched with mild fascination as the corrupted Jewel shards burned through the sutra on the monk’s chest, began to tear away at his soul. She could feel him dying – an unpleasant sensation, to say the least. She knelt down beside him and placed her hand on his chest. She purified the Jewels but didn’t pull away. Tsubaki was getting desperate, and there was no telling what she might do next. Kikyo nodded at Inuyasha, who barely seemed to register her presence as he ripped the kitsune apart with his claws. Kikyo summoned a barrier around the monk, and keeping it firmly in place, removed her hand from his heart and drew an arrow from her quiver. From this distance, it would be a difficult shot. Her arrow pierced through Tsubaki’s barrier and struck her shoulder, sending her flying back.
Inuyasha dove for the serpent which fell beside her and, before she could recover from Kikyo’s arrow, ripped its head off. Kaede was rushing towards him, and she pulled the last arrow from her own quiver. She wrapped a sutra around the head and pierced it into the serpent’s body, pouring all her spiritual energy into it. The serpent began to dissolve. Sango rushed forward and used Hiraikotsu to separate the kitsune’s head from their body as well.
“How dare you?” Tsubaki cried, pushing herself up right, looking between her serpent and kitsune before turning her wild gaze onto Inuyasha. “Do you think this makes any difference? Kikyo can only protect him for so long, and I have plenty more demons to share! That monk is still going to die – as will you all!”
Her right eye was glowing, the scar spreading across the side of her face once more. Inuyasha swore and leapt for her. He was met with a wave of demons which erupted from her eye. Dozens of them. Inuyasha’s heart sank. He needed this to be over! As they spread out over the sky, he immediately summoned the Wind Scar and attacked. He only caught a few of them, but it didn’t matter. These demons were weak. They wouldn’t be able to stand against him. With one final glance to make sure that Kikyo stood in front of Miroku – and remind himself that that was a good thing – he flung another Wind Scar at the demons. But they were spreading out, making it harder to hit more than a few at a time. He saw Hiraikotsu flash out of the corner of his eye, while Kirara leapt into the air, taking on any of the demons that tried to dive for them. He saw Kikyo’s arrows cutting swaths through a few more, one of which struck the ground in front of Tsubaki, knocking her back. Another hit the kitsune, who was beginning to reform. He looked around wildly for where he’d left the serpent, but it was nowhere to be seen.
“Sango!” he shouted, Tessaiga glowing amber with the beginnings of another Wind Scar. “Find the snake!”
Her eyes widened and she nodded, reaching out a hand for Kirara and vaulting onto her back. They shot into the air, dodging demons as they did so. But she couldn’t find it! There were demon parts scattered across the ground, a few wriggling as they reformed, and it was impossible to make out the subtle movements of a serpent amongst the chaos. But then something caught her eye – a faint rustling of the grass, a distinct side-to-side movement heading straight for Miroku and Kikyo.
“Look out!” she shouted, reaching for Hiraikotsu, but it was too late. It was almost upon them.
Kikyo smirked as she saw what had the slayer so flustered – as though a shikigami could pose a threat to her! She raised her bow, ready to break Tsubaki’s spirit. But then the monk was pushing forward, the head of his staff glowing with a faint spiritual glow, and struck the serpent away with a surprisingly fierce blow. He immediately sank back to his knees, shudders running through him. She shook her head. The fool. She sighed and glanced at the serpent, who was already coming back towards them. She could just kill the shikigami and be done with it. She could take the Jewel back from Tsubaki by her own power – but there would be no guarantee that Tsubaki would not come for Inuyasha’s comrades again. Not without a reminder. And so as the serpent lunged at them, venom glistening on its fangs, she caught it with her bow and flung it back, through the air, towards Tsubaki.
The serpent struck her eye, the same place that another shikigami serpent had more than fifty years ago. Tsubaki screamed as the curse she had placed within the serpent was cast back at her, Kikyo’s spiritual energy searing it into her form. She stumbled back, the curse momentarily overtaking her own powers, before she cast all things youkai from her body – the curse, and her shikigami along with it. Immediately, a pulse of power shot from all of the demons she had summoned. Those who were still alive immediately dispersed, fleeing for their lives, while those that were half-reformed slumped lifelessly to the ground.
Inuyasha was running for them, fear in his eyes. Kaede was coming for them as well, while the slayer and neko were driving away the remaining demons. The fools. Kikyo met Tsubaki’s eyes, saw the raw fury which lingered there even as the curse was slowly tearing her apart. Tsubaki lifted the Jewel, a clear threat. Kikyo knew that the choice was hers. And she hated it. It would be so easy to draw another arrow, to kill Tsubaki where she stood – and let the monk die with her. Instead she looked down at his deathly white face, at the blood which dripped from his chest, and she sighed. She knelt down and placed her hand over his heart once more, grasping at the power of the shards as she drew them to herself. She forced Tsubaki’s influence away, purifying them, and pulled them free of the monk’s skin.
Tsubaki’s face was grim as she lifted her own shard, reforming the tattered connection with her few surviving demons. Kikyo watched them dive for the ruins of her hut and wind around her, lifting her into the air. Inuyasha spun around at the sound, cursed fiercely. The slayer threw her weapon, cutting through a few of the demons, who fell lifelessly to the ground, unable to reform. Inuyasha drew his sword, which was glowing amber. Six lines of energy shot into the sky, crashing into the blinding light which Tsubaki pulled from the Jewel. A few more demons fell away, leaving only two supporting her as she and the Jewel moved further and further out of their reach.
“Damn it!” Inuyasha shouted. “Fuck! She’s getting away!”
Kirara raised one paw slightly, looking between him and Sango, but they both grudgingly shook their heads. It was too late. It was over.
Kikyo straightened, seething. She could not believe that she had been manipulated by that impudent, sorry excuse for a priestess. She would not let this stand. Tsubaki would pay for this. Naraku would pay for this. As she turned to walk away, a pale hand shot out and grasped her wrist. She met the steady eyes of the monk, fever-bright in his too-pale face. He didn’t say anything, but his expression was set and firm. She considered wrenching her arm free of his grasp, perhaps telling him just how much he had cost her. Instead, she obligingly pressed the five Jewel shards into his hand. He nodded slightly, his shoulders sagging, energy spent. With one final glance at Inuyasha, Kikyo took her leave. She had no reason to stay.
Inuyasha watched Tsubaki disappear into the distance before he shook his head, casting the rage from his mind. There would be plenty of time to be angry later – later, when he could track her down and rip out her throat for what she’d dared to do to Miroku. But right now there were more pressing matters. He spun around and returned to the monk’s side, terrified to see just how weak he’d become. He couldn’t hold himself upright. He was blinking repeatedly, lethargically, lacking the energy to even keep his eyes open. Inuyasha immediately lifted him into his arms, his stomach dropping as he followed the languid heartbeat.
“Hey,” he whispered, pressing his brow against Miroku’s. “Just hang on, okay? It’s over now. You just gotta hang on. We’re gonna get you to safety.”
Miroku’s hand pressed weakly against his arm, and when he held it in his own, the Jewel shards fell from the monk’s lax fingers. Inuyasha sucked in a startled breath but took them all the same, sharing a worried glance with Sango. She pulled a small, empty wooden box from inside her robes and handed it over to him. None of them would feel safe touching the shards directly until Tsubaki was gone. Speaking of which – he looked around for Kikyo, but she was nowhere to be found. Her scent still hung in the air, leading back into the forest.
He climbed to his feet, cradling Miroku in his arms, his youki pulsing once more. Sango was helping Kaede back onto Kirara, her expression pinched. He nodded. There was no way that they could all ride Kirara back. It made no difference to him. Despite the long battle, he still burned with nervous energy. He would have no problem running the distance back to Kaede’s village.
~*~
“So that’s it?” Kagura asked, keeping her voice level as she watched the wretched group disappear into the forest through Kanna’s mirror. “You’re going to let her get away with the Jewel?”
“Patience, Kagura,” Naraku smirked knowingly. “We can reclaim it at any time. Why not give Tsubaki a chance to seek her revenge?”
“How very considerate of you,” Kagura grumbled, crossing her arms.
“As it was for Kikyo to allow us to witness the spectacular show,” Naraku said, a little softer. “She must have wanted me to see.”
Kagura wisely kept her mouth shut.
~*~
Inuyasha lay Miroku down on the floor of Kaede’s hut, ignoring Shippo’s anxious face hovering beside him. The others followed in behind him, expressions pinched and drawn. He could hear Kaede telling Shippo to fetch some herbs and boil some water, directing Sango to find some clean bandages, needles, and thread. He curled tighter around Miroku, letting the sound of his heartbeat wash over him.
“There should be no lingering effects of the curse,” Kaede said, kneeling down beside them. “But resisting Tsubaki for so long will have drained him. It will take him some time to recover.”
“What if she comes after him again?” Inuyasha asked in a whisper.
Kaede hummed. “I doubt that she will be able to cast a curse to the same effect again, even with the Jewel shard. It is possible that she will find some other ploy.”
“She’s working with Naraku.”
Kaede closed her eye and sighed. “That explains how she managed to get a hold of the Jewel. In that case, it is certain that either she will try something new, or Naraku will kill her and reclaim the shard.”
“I’ll be ready,” Inuyasha growled quietly, his ears flicking back, his eyes still fixed on Miroku’s unmoving face.
They stripped off Miroku’s robes and washed the sweat and blood from his skin. Sango carefully cleaned and stitched the wounds from where the Jewel shards had fallen from his chest, and the small cut he had made with his dagger. They wrapped his ribs, well aware that he had likely done a fair amount of damage throughout the night. Finally, they piled blankets on top of him and dragged the futon close to the fire.
“You’re going to wash and have your wounds tended before you’re allowed to join him,” Sango told Inuyasha in her most no-nonsense tone. He growled at her half-heartedly and began shedding his suikan. His right sleeve and chest were shredded from the kitsune, and all his robes were covered in blood. His overactive youki had mostly healed the wounds on his arm and the stab wound to his gut, although Sango still cleaned the raw claw marks on his chest, and Kaede talked him into smearing some poultice onto them before Sango bandaged him up.
“I failed him again,” he said quietly as Sango wound the strips of cloth around his chest. “I should have protected him.”
“You did everything you could,” she said firmly.
“It wasn’t enough,” he snapped bitterly. “I wasn’t enough.”
Sango frowned deeply. “You kept him alive, Inuyasha – under impossible circumstances, you still kept him alive.”
“I should have done more,” he insisted, bitter anger in his voice. “I should have been better. I can’t begin to ask for his forgiveness.”
Sango huffed and tied off the ends of his bandages. “You can try. Then maybe he can tell you that you don’t have to.”
He handed her his torn and bloodied robes. After a thought, he shirked off his pants as well, and after cleaning off his skin with a wet cloth, curled up next to Miroku in nothing but his fundoshi. None of the others thought it worth commenting on. Sango gathered up both his and Miroku’s clothes and dumped them into a basin of water to soak.
“Shippo,” Kaede said softly. “Do you think that ye and Kirara may be able to replenish some of my supplies of herbs? I don’t want to run out, and Sango and I must set up a watch for protection.”
Shippo nodded enthusiastically, clearly keen to be able to help. He scampered outside, Kirara following a little more sedately. She was clearly as exhausted as the rest of them were, but she cast a knowing look back over her shoulder. Sango brought in a little more wood for the fire and dutifully followed Kaede back out to speak with some of the villagers, leaving Inuyasha and Miroku alone.
Inuyasha gathered Miroku to his chest, and buried his nose in his hair. He furiously blinked away angry tears and tried to focus on the fact that his monk was alive. Kaede had said that he’d be fine. In a few days, or weeks, or months, however long it took him to recover – because Inuyasha was willing to wait forever if need be – the whole encounter would be nothing more than scars on delicate human skin and an unpleasant memory. But that didn’t erase the pain he’d caused. It didn’t diminish the fact that he’d let Miroku slip to the brink of death right in front of him. Even though he knew that the human was deeply unconscious, he pressed his nose into his neck and opened his mouth to apologize. What came out wasn’t what he’d been expecting.
“I love you so much,” he whispered. “I was so afraid of losing you. I never want to be without you.” He squeezed his eyes shut and kept on going, letting the words which were usually so difficult to find simply flow from him. “I have never felt at peace like I do when I’m with you. You make me feel so loved, so right, so safe to be who I am.”
His eyes burned and he thought about every moment they had shared, every one yet to come.
“You make me feel like I belong, like I’m wanted and cherished and worth something. Everything feels calm when I’m with you, but I also feel so alive. It’s like nothing I’ve ever felt before. You pull me in, with your smile, your laugh, your voice…” He smiled despite himself. “The way you listen so intensely when anyone’s talking to you. The way you look so serious when Sango or Kaede are teaching you something. The way you can be so charming and polite and yet not take anyone’s shit. You’re so caring, so brilliant, so strong.”
He pressed Miroku to his chest, closed his eyes and breathed him in.
“So beautiful. So precious to me. I could watch you forever. I could get lost in anything you do. When I feel your eyes on me, my skin is on fire. You have no idea what you do to me. Everything about you makes me fall faster and harder. I couldn’t stop needing you, even if I wanted to.”