What Never Should

I do not own InuYasha or any of it’s characters. Any side character I create will belong solely to me and will not be touched or used by another.

Summary: Review to chapter 1.

Writing Style: Review to chapter 1.

A/N: Next chapter... Don’t kill me.

**~**~**~**~**~**


Chapter 23. Dawning


InuYasha felt his eyes fall closed and the relief of rest extricate him. His mind was a blank void, the voices around him fading away like liquid gas. He was sleeping, sleeping more soundly than he had in years.

Miroku was beside him, his head resting on the hanyou’s bed, sleeping soundly. He looked like a child, but was far from. Neither could hear the approach of small feet and the gentle clunk of a staff on wood. They didn’t hear the small wheezing voice that stumbled into the room and looked around with wide trembling eyes the size of tennis balls.

The being, small and green, his brown and beige robes torn and ripped in mad places, clutched his staff even closer, leaning heavily against it. His elongated snout of a mouth was wide as he breathed heavily for air. His small feet clicked across the ground, robes blowing behind him. His staff clunked against the wooden floor, the two heads atop perched precariously.

His large eyes were watchful as he neared Miroku first, taking each stop carefully and in time with the other. His fingers trembled on the long wooden handle of his headed-staff. He looked over at InuYasha, the hanyou’s forehead strewn with white strands of wet sweaty hair, his face and body glistening with splotches of salty sweat all down and across his long torso and quavering legs.

The small toad-like demon crouched low and moved left along the wall, nearing the four wooden cribs. His large eyes widened as he looked at the three squirming children, all three sleeping soundly. He reached down, his staff lying across the ground. He reached in and picked the first young child up, two silver dog ears perched atop it’s snow white head.

He frowned and said, “bastard hanyou’s.”

The child whimpered, squirming in his hands and opened it’s two small golden eyes, blinking away the sleep to stare at the demon before him. It gaped with silent admiration and reached out a small stubby fingered hand, grabbing onto the long snout-like nose and squeezing it hard in his small hands.

“AHHH, you little brat,” the demon cried.

Miroku jumped, opening his eyes with a flash and looked over at the pups. The small babies eyes watered and he opened his mouth, the wail that was emitted louder than anything every before. It screeched, tears streaming down his face, cheeks red, eyes clenched shut as a wave of tears flooded down the small puppies round face.

“You,” Miroku gasped. “Be gone.”

“Not today, monk,” the demon squawked, stuffing the small pup into a bag on the floor. “These young pups will die by my hands. This hanyou never deserved to be marked by my lord.”

“Jaken, stop this,” Miroku yelled, jumping up from his seat.

*~*~*

The rain was drizzling now, only a light mist across the muddy ground. Everything was quiet. It wasn’t natural. No birds called out to their fellow neighboring birds. No stags of elk came out from their thickets to eat the downy dews of the trees that had been soaked through. No, none of this happened. The world was swallowed into a pit of utter silence.

Blood was the stench that could be smelt the most. It came from every direction. The silence wasn’t even broken when two large leather-like wings unfurled and the beast that they were strewn from leapt from the ground and soared into the air. Everything lay in a breathless hold, almost watchful.

Finally, something within the water drowned of the earth, a demon moved. It’s large brown body was splattered with mud and broken roots and branches. It was clotted with blood, one eye closed due to injury. With a low growl, it hobbled forward, stumbling over it’s own tangled limbs and collapsed onto the ground, it’s body indenting the earth below.

It sniffed.

Keen eye scanned the ground, the other moving behind the closed eyelids. It focused on the mass of silver and white beyond, the rolling fog clouding it’s one eye. With a sense of dread, the demon got to it’s feet once more, sliding forward across the ground and collapsed again. With another heavy effort, it stood and limped forward, each step becoming more painful than the last.

Slowly, like the liquid transformation of water to gas, it molded into the form of a human. It’s body stumbled and caught itself, and stumbled again. The man, his long black hair clotted with muck and grim, limped across the slippery ground and collapsed onto his knees before the other.

His eyes widened in horror.

Silver hair was tangled about, blood and muck coating every beautiful white strand. The face was disoriented by hair and blood, eyes closed. Clothes were torn and shredded, a long, slender wooden arrow protruding from the heart. Clawed hands were scratched and gouged with deep wounds. The body, once perfect and unmarred, was blemished and tarnishes. No breath came from this figure.

With a heavy feeling in the pit of his stomach, the black haired male stood upon his feet and tossed his head to the sky, a long, droning howl erupting from deep within him. He collapsed onto his knees beside the downed other, hands clenched at his sides. The howl wavered and died in the death of silence.

Was it really over?

*~*~*

Kaede and the healer bowed their heads respectfully at the pups grave, hands together as the cry shivered across the land. Both women looked up and at one another, the sound quavering and dying away. They frowned and turned to the clearing not far away, the trees swaying as the wind rustled through them.

They had heard the howl, heard how sad and forlorn it was. It had wavered horribly on the wind and drifted ghostly through the trees. They trudged along a muddy path, the prints of animals thick and deep in the soggy wet march-like woodland. The wolf healer looked around and hummed softly to herself, both blind eyes focused purposefully ahead.

“I smell the coming of death,” she whispered.

Kaede nodded and strode forward, moving branches and bushes out of the way. The clearing neared, and both wolf healer and elder miko stared on at the misty valley side, the streaks and smears of blood that coated the glistening wet grass was like a second layer of dew. Both scanned the grounds, the cracks and breaks in the land signifying where the battle had gone on.

“Ahh, look at this,” the wolf healer muttered, stumping toward a pair of oddly bent leather wings. “If I am correct, as I know I am, this is the dead body of a demon Rotokuteru.”

“Indeed it is,” Kaede agreed. “A fell beast they are, bringing death wherever they pass.”

“But – ” muttered the wolf healer, “ – what was such a beats doing here. They are only known to haunt the southern regions.”

“It looks to be tame,” Kaede murmured, scanning the rope reins and battered bent back. “This one was ridden by someone.”

“Or something,” the wolf healer whispered.

Kaede nodded and walked on, sloshing through the marshy terrain. The wind brought the fowl stench of more blood and the rotting smell of damp earth and leaves. The elder miko covered her nose, disgusted by the scent and looked down into the dipping depths of the valley.

Below, in the void of blood of flesh, bits and pieces of bone, skin and body, was Kouga, his long black hair matted horribly with the reminiscence of death. His face was considerably pale, his usual armoured body was torn and droopy. A long, gaping gash slid from his cheekbone to the length of his chest, blood spurting and pooling around him.

His blue eyes, which usually held the heir of pride, were dull and tired. He was whimpering in what was a painful way, his entire body shivering in it’d weakness. His eyes were downcast, tot he large pool of blood that was scattered with poisonous green acid, bloodied twigs, leaves, and earth.

What was once the handsome, proud and elegant face of a lord, not resembled that of the dead. Silver hair was spread like silver wings across the ground, mud and grass entangled with the brown murk of the blood that was around. The lords more beautiful body was shredded and torn, his elegant white kimono in ruins on his body. And, with gasping realization, Kaede saw it.

Protruding like a sword embedded deep within the soul of the living, was a long wooden arrow, the pointed metal spade deep within the neck of the lord just below the collarbone. From this, came the ora of a powerful priestesses magic, the slender arrow glowing with the ancient power of the Shikon No Tama.

“It cannot be,” Kaede whispered.

“The smell of death to come is most strong here,” the healer whispered from her elbow. “It is not long now.”

“We cannot allow deaths hands to fall upon this one,” Kaede said sternly.

She strode quickly down the hillside, feet slipping and sliding along the muddy path. She could see the lord was till very aware, his golden eyes open only inches, his hands stroking softly across the ground, ripping over chunks of rock and flesh and cloth. Kouga looked up upon Kaede as she neared, bowing his head low in weariness as she kneeled beside him.

“What happened to ye?” Kaede whispered.

“Kagome ... and ... San – go,” Kouga rasped.

“They were here,” Kaede gasped.

“Got – away,” Kouga gasped, clutching his chest. “They – were – badly – wounded.”

“Lord Kouga,” the healer said in her deep throaty voice. “Do you have srength enough for a task?”

“I do,” Kouga said strongly, but it was feeble.

“We ask you to carry this Lord of the Western lands and bring him back to the human village. Then, you may rest,” the healer instructed.

Kouga nodded.

“I shall do it.”

*~*~*

Miroku pulled back the beads around his wrist, the thick rosary falling to his waist. He glared at the demon hunching before him, eyeing the thick two-headed staff warily. He sidled slowly in front of InuYasha who was panting and whimpering on the bed.

“Jaken,” Miroku growled darkly. “Get away from them.”

The bag the demon held squirmed, the babies thick crying drowned by the heavy sack. Miroku frowned deeply, a crease appearing between his eyebrows. He took a cautious step forward, the said demon taking a two steps back. Beads of sweat appeared on Miroku’s brow, dripping thickly into his eyes and across the bridge of his nose.

“Stop this,” Miroku said defensively.

He swivelled toward the two remaining pups, Jaken, eyeing them, also took a sliding step to the right, nearing the farthest pen first. The pair watched one another whilst sliding across the floor, Miroku’s Wind Tunnel still hidden behind the beads and cloth. Jaken clutching the staff of Two Heads tightly.

Jaken dove.

Miroku sprang the beads from his wrist.

A thundering wind rattled within the large hut, the walls creaking and moaning loudly, the drapery flailing wildly from the windows. The length of howling wind was only shattered by the two remaining children, who woke with a start and began crying loudly, the blankets being kicked and tossed as they scrambled for something to hold tightly too.

Jaken yowled loudly as he was tossed through the air, the bag bouncing along with him, the child inside scrambling and crying as loudly as it’s two siblings. Miroku strung the length of rosary back around his hand, Jaken flying through the air and screeching loudly, the bag and staff clutched tightly to him.

Miroku reached out and grabbed the bundle quickly as Jaken sailed passed him, smashing into the next wall beside InuYasha’s bed, said hanyou groaning and tossing restlessly while panting heavily with fever.

Jaken stood. Miroku clutched the bundle protectively in his arms, grabbing the beads as well, ready for another strike. The hunched demon glared at him, eyeing the cradles behind the monk before glancing InuYasha beside him in bed. He smirked and jumped up onto the thick headboard, the staff perched precariously over the hanyou’s sweating forehead.

“Don’t, Jaken,” Miroku said seriously. “Think of what Lord Sesshomaru will do to you if you attack his mate.”

The demon’s hands trembled with the thought, but he did not pull his staff away.

“Lord Sesshomaru abandon me to my own. If it had not been for that half mutt hanyou InuYasha, I would still be serving under him,” Jaken screeched.

“Sesshomaru only did what was necessary for him to survive. He found himself a mate that he could bare an heir with,” Miroku said, trying to sooth the situation.

It didn’t work. Jaken’s eyes bulged angrily.

“That doesn’t matter,” Jaken hissed screechily. “Now, back to the matters at hand ... ”

Jaken eyed InuYasha mirthlessly.

“JAKEN.”

The demon winced at the high-pitched sound of his name being yelled from above as Kagome, Sango and a disheveled looking Kirara came into view through the doorway, all looking rather windswept and bloody. Sango glared hatefully at Miroku, who cast his eyes downward and looked hard at the floor.

Kagome race toward InuYasha and smacked Jaken away from the hanyou, who moaned in sleep again and tossed his sweaty head to the side, his thick bangs falling heavily into his eyes.

“Don’t you dare harm, InuYasha,” Kagome jeered.

“Damn human,” Jaken grumbled, getting a heavy punch to the head by Sango.

“We need him alive, Jaken,” Sango hissed. “For Kagome. And I – ” she eyed the pups and smirked, “ – get to dispose of these cretins.”

“I wont let you, Sango,” Miroku said defensively, placing the young whimpering baby into it’s crib and facing the two women.

“Oh, but you will, monk,” Kagome said darkly, her eyes flashing. “You see, neither that Lord or your little wolf are coming to save you.”

The two woman stood straight, gripping both their weapons – Kagome her bow and an arrow, Sango her Hiraikotsu – and stood ready. They glared from one to the other, sizing each other up, ready for a fluke attack that one might decide on throwing.

“Please, stop this,” Miroku whispered after a long silence. “I thought you wanted him to be happy, Kagome. I thought you wanted InuYasha to be loved.”

“He will be,” she hissed, glaring hatefully with tears in her eyes. “He will be happy with me, not with that fucking demon.”

“Kagome,” Miroku sighed.

“Sango, get the pups,” Kagome barked, glaring at Miroku and Jaken. “I’ll deal with the monk.”

Miroku stepped back bracingly, Sango dove forward, pulling back her bone-boomerang and aimed for the cribs. Kagome pulled back her arrow and stretched out her arms at Miroku, who jumped forward, raising his own staff, and swinging.

There was a loud explosion of noise, the twang of the bows string and the whizz of an arrow. The sound of wood splintering and the thump of something hitting a wall or the floor. They was a cry of surprise, followed by the swish of clothing and the crumpling of a body ... or, more soundly ... two bodies.

“Lady Kaede ... ” Miroku gasped as he landed on the floor, stumbling forward.

The elder miko held out her bow, an arrow trapping another just behind the wood frame. She looked down at Sango who was on the floor, her Hiraikotsu stuck near the roof, stuck within the thick wood. The wolf healer was knelt beside her, a wooden mallet out, eyes closed as if it was nothing but a simple task of swatting a fly.

“Where’s Jaken?” Miroku asked suddenly.

“Ye mean him,” Kaede said, holding the struggling demons robes who was thrashing his staff mercilessly. “I’ll take that.”

She dropped him on the ground and booted him hard on the behind. He whimpered with pain and sprang away, hobbling into the hallway and out of sight. Both women turned to Miroku, who was now kneeling beside Kagome, checking her pulse. She groaned, her head lolling to the side. He sighed and looked up at them.

“What do we do with them?” he asked.

“We shall tie them up in the middle of the village,” Kaede said.

“And what of the cat?” the wolf healer asked, eyeing Kirara, who had done nothing during the entire time.

“Do not worry of her,” Kaede said, waving dismisevly at Kirara, who tipped her head to the side. “She does not wish to harm Miroku or InuYasha.”

“What happened to Sesshomaru and Kouga?” Miroku demanded suddenly.

Both women exchanged worried looks.

“Where are they?” Miroku yelled.

“Kouga is fine, Miroku,” Kaede said calmly. “He has suffered blood loss and some very heavy wounds, but will live.”

“And Sesshomaru?” Miroku snapped.

“He is – ” Kaede said with a sigh, “ – a more special case.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Miroku snarled, taking a step forward.

“The wounds he has sustained from battle are troublesome,” the wolf healer said, her scratchy voice rising over Miroku’s protest. “The miko’s arrow hit his shoulder just above his heart. It’s magic will not allow myself or Lady Kaede to withdraw it. It is too strong.”

“You mean – ” Miroku whispered, gasping.

“He will die,” Kaede said softly, then added, “if the arrow is not withdrawn within the next twenty-four hours.”

“But ... InuYasha ... he needs Sesshomaru,” Miroku said, his voice pleading. “You have to do something.”

“We have tried, Miroku,” Kaede sighed.

“There is nothing that we can do now,” the wold healer muttered.

“No,” Miroku whispered. “No ... InuYasha ... ”

The hanyou whimpered, his head turning to one side, his eyes squeezed shut tightly. He bit his lip and whimpered again, one hand going to his head, his breath coming out in quick, short, pants. Miroku watched him worriedly.

“He is already feeling the affects of his mates weakness,” Kaede whispered.

“InuYasha, open your eyes,” Miroku said loudly, kneeling down beside the hanyou. “Come on, InuYasha. Sesshomaru needs you now, so open your eyes.”

InuYasha’s eyelids flickered and he whimpered, reaching out into the air and grasping nothing. Miroku watched, frantically shaking the hanyou as he whimpered again and groped into the air. Suddenly, words were mumbled from the hanyou, and a tear rolled precariously down one cheek.

“Sesshomaru ... don’t leave me ... wait for me ... ”

Miroku turned to Kaede and the healer, who both acted calm yet their eyes were betraying. He looked back down at InuYasha and shook him again, gripping the hanyou’s shoulder tightly in his hand. He leaned down, pressed his mouth next to InuYasha’s ear, and spoke in whisper.

“Please, InuYasha,” he said softly. “He needs you now more than anything.”

“Sessh – omaru,” InuYasha whimpered breathlessly.

“Wake up, InuYasha,” Miroku said, even more softly. “Open your eyes.”

Foggy erupted everywhere, blurred images coming into view. His body as aching everywhere, his legs and arms trembling, hot and cold flashes flaring through him at every interval. His heard was racing, he felt feverish, weak, paralyzed. Movement next to him made his eyes clear. He looked right, directly into two burning brown orbs.

“InuYasha ... ”

The voice was soft, petal-like. His hand rose, his fingers twitching as he brushed his index finger across one rounded cheek. His hand fell too the soft lips, brushing across them. He didn’t know them, they weren’t who he wanted them to be. His finger trailed further, across the long jaw bone and over a slender ripe mark.

Not his mark.

“Miroku,” InuYasha croaked.

“InuYasha, you’re awake,” Miroku sighed gratefully, sitting the weak hanyou upward.

“Where – where is – is Sessho – Sesshomaru,” InuYasha said breathlessly.

“You need to come with me, InuYasha,” Miroku said loudly, tyring to keep the hanyou conscious. “You need to get up and follow me, Kaede and the wolf healer. Sesshomaru needs you now.”

“Miroku ... where is he?” InuYAsha whispered. “Is he – is he still ... ”

“Come, InuYasha,” said Kaede.

The hanyou was helped up quickly by both Miroku and Kaede, stumbling backward and forward, his legs weighing heavily, feeling weakly like noodles. He stumbled into the nearest wall and gripped it; looking down into a crib basin, the small form of a young child squirming under the covers making his eyes widen.

The pups young eyes were open, focused heartily upon InuYasha’s bleary yellow orbs. It crowed softly and raised its tiny arms, gurgling loudly and then giggling when InuYasha quirked an eyebrow. He reached down slowly, slinking his fingers under the small child’s head and between it’s two legs to hold delicately to it’s back.

The pup clung to his arm as he lifted it to his chest, watching as it squirmed to get comfortable and then settled into his kimono, burying it’s small head into his armpit. He smiled softly and ran a long clawed hand over the pups white haired head. The young pup whimpered at him, reaching up for InuYasha to hold it closer.

“It’s okay,” he whispered croakily. “It’s okay baby, I’m here.”

He held the child close, looking upon the other two. They both slept soundly, unbothered by anything. They breathed softly, eyes closed, small hands clutched tightly together. The young pup in InuYasha’s arms gripped at his kimono and sucked on it.

“Take me to him,” he whispered.

Miroku understood and turned to Kaede and the healer, who both lead the two men through the hut and out into the blistering morn. The sun was barely visible through the thick gray of clouds. It was as if night had descended during the day. They trenched across the slopping land, InuYasha taking much care with the burden he carried within his arms.

A hut far from the village appeared, massed with many heavy black veils and long dark sutra’s. InuYasha felt his heart plummet passed his navel, his grip tightening on the small bundle in his arms. He held it close to him, rocking the baby back and forth as the black veils were pulled aside and they entered, darkness enveloping them.

A lantern was lit on the ground, the wick flickering. The fire bounded across the walls, over the curtains and window and shadowing cracks. But these were far from what both InuYasha and Miroku were looking at. In two beds, on either side of the small hut, lay two figures. Kouga lay sleeping heavily, his right cheek bruised, one arm slung up in a heavy sling. He looked pained, but safe all the same.

Miroku neared the bed, kneeling down and taking hold of Kouga’s hand, tears in his eyes, the firelight flickering off his tears. InuYasha felt pain sting at his heart as his eyes fell across the next bed, his legs trembling as he clutched the bundle to his chest.

A wind ruffled the sheets of the second bed, the occupant resting pallid faced upon the hard surface. His face was not pained, but definitely shallowed. His eyes were heavy, thick blood splotches and cuts marking inches of his body. His hands lay flat and unresponsive on the soft sheets, his head rolled to one side, muddy and tangled hair falling in his ashen face.

“Sesshomaru,” InuYasha whispered painfully.

He fell to his knees at his mates side, holding his pup even closer as fresh tears stung his eyes. He felt so weak, so ill, so afraid. He needed Sesshomaru, more than anything. His heart wrenched with the idea of loss, and he lowered his head to shadow his eyes. Suddenly, he snapped his head up and stared wide-eyed at a long, wooden, slender arrow protruding upward from Sesshomaru’s shoulder, just barely missing his heart.

“No, this can’t be,” InuYasha whispered. “She didn’t ... ”

He shifted the bundle into one arm and slid his hand into Sesshomaru’s, squeezing it, but getting no response. He shuddered as the tears threatened to fall, but he did not allow it. The young child crowed softly again, tugging on InuYasha’s white hair. He paid little attention and merely rocked th child to calm it. His hand massaged his mates, illness setting in farther.

“Come back to me, please,” InuYasha whispered, his voice shaky.

He got no reply.

“You told me not to miss you if you went,” InuYasha said, biting his lip in agony. “But how can I not, when all I want to do is die at your side ... ”

Still, nothing.

“Return to me,” InuYasha said, a single, shameful tear descending his cheek. “Come back ... and be with me ... ”

“InuYasha,” Kaede whispered from behind him.

He did not turn to her.

“He cannot hear you. He has been thrown into a spiral to death,” Kaede said, her voice soft and motherly.

“There is ... only one way, “ the healer said in a hushed voice. “One way ... ”

InuYasha shifted slightly.

“You must pull the arrow, hanyou,” she said in her raspy voice.

He looked at her, seeing her blank eyes. She nodded to him and he held out his child, Miroku taking the young baby, who whimpered and reached back to be held by it’s ‘mother’, you could say. Miroku watched, still clutching Kouga’s hand, as InuYasha stood on his shaking legs and stood over the arrow about him.

He reached out, fingers trembling.

He was mere inches.

He was only centimetres.

Millimetres ...

His hand closed around the arrows body ... and white energy exploded around them all ...

**~**~**~**~**~**

A/N: *Yawns*, I’m leaving it there for now. Sorry for the delay, but school started and I was handed two essays already. Review and I’ll get my next chapter up soon.