After Midnight

DISCLAIMER: Is it wrong of me to NOT read the last few issues of the manga because I don’t want to know how it ends? I don’t own it.

AN: This chapter is dedicated to Archfiend both for reviewing the most and also because your eagerness for this chapter caused me to post it early. This is my first real battle scene. I hope I did ok, but if you have suggestions for the future I’m all ears.

Also I’ve decided to go with translations by Patches on Freelance-manga for my word problems. Thus older chapters got a brush up.


Chapter 6:
The Burning of Edo


He was focused. The sun, a slim hour before it would pass beyond the horizon, painted him in shades of tangerine. Trees stretched black fingers of shadow over the rolling hills. Undeterred by the approaching night Sesshomaru sped above the scenery in his energy orb, heading as fast as demonly possible toward Edo.

For the better part of the afternoon his senses had been humming. A writhing throng of youki, that could only be an army, brushed the edges of his awareness. Its pulse was thick with giddy ill intent. The words of his General about the invasion of the Southern forces into the Eastern Territories echoed through his mind. It did not matter. The impudent fools would be dispatched after he secured the cubs, and then Rin herself.

So focused was he on traveling that when the scent of the wind changed he nearly tumbled backwards. Blood, death, the air was thick with it. The heavy charcoal smell of burning wood melded with the acrid stench. It was not these irritants that caused the daiyoukai to pause mid-flight. No, those particular odors were far too common in his time. The fragrance of watery spring freshness combined with aging parchment buried beneath them, however, was unique to one being. ‘Rin.’

The decision was made instantly. Materializing from his energy ball he dropped like a stone from the sky. For a few moments his clothing and hair billowed upward around him, defying gravity. He gathered his youki into a cloud around his feet, stopping his descent just as he hit the level of the treetops. Turning a bit to the South, Sesshomaru approached the encampment stretched before him.

The clearing they were in was large, much too large to be natural. A pale masculine lip curled in revulsion when he recognized the rubble they were camped on as a decimated village. Only truly vile beings would be able to disregard the stench of rotting bodies, and the distinct tang of semen.

'Utterly disgusting,’ Sesshomaru wrinkled his nose. Finally close enough to distinguish separate entities the demon Lord bit back a snarl. Naboru’s aura rose from within the multi-colored coils of youki like an obsidian star. Its non-light creating a void within the ripples of burgundy, green, and sickly yellows. Rin’s soft aqua was almost lost in the horde. Almost.

Swiftly sorting through his options the daiyoukai concluded it would be best to get Rin out with stealth. The army was massive, thousands of youkai, and while Sesshomaru never backed down from a fight he was a demon who understood odds.

And Rin’s safety was at stake.

Once she was away, and they located her cubs, he could come back and repay Naboru for his insult to the West.

He lowered himself, feet soundlessly settling onto the forest floor. Stalking around the camp’s perimeter, golden eyes peered through the foliage. Hammers rung against metal as armor was mended and swords were sharpened. The orders of several commanders reached his ears. They were mobilizing. Roughly two thousand youkai broke from the main force and arranged themselves into companies.

‘Curious,’ he scanned the assembled youkai, feeling the first chill stirrings of night. Most armies would march at dawn. Very few races of youkai had the ability to see in the dark, and he could tell that among those amassed only a handful were blessed with it.

A shadow near the head of the column shifted. Sesshomaru restrained himself from leaping out to lop off the ignorant whelp’s head. Naboru looked every inch the pompous pest. The snake youkai flipped his coffee colored hair over his shoulder before picking idly at the hem of his sleeve. A sharp order from the powerfully built black panther beside him started the soldiers marching.

The din of shifting armor and footsteps echoed in the clearing. He wanted to follow them, but refrained. It would serve no purpose to witness the destruction they would leave in their wake. Though he itched to stain his claws with the blood of the lowly snake it could wait, and Rin could not.

He had located her before he had landed. She was being kept in a tent close to the tree line. His lips curved into a wicked smirk. ‘Fools.’ But he would have to patient in order to avoid a battle. That was just fine with him. He was, after all, a predatory, and taking down prey had everything to do with timing.

Hours passed before Sesshomaru made his move. The moon was high and many of the fires had been snuffed out as activity in the encampment dwindled.

There were two sentries in front of Rin’s tent. With a burst of speed Sesshomaru exited the woods and appeared in front of them. Before they even registered his presence he had ripped out their throats. They fell to the ground with satisfying wet thud.

Knowing that the scent of blood in the air would draw attention he quickly entered the tent. A tori youkai sat with his back to the door. His eyes were trained on the unconscious girl laying on the futon in the corner.

The demon Lord crept up behind the youkai and wrapped his hands around the soldiers neck. Suddenly the guard’s talons shot out in an ill timed attempt at a strike. They missed Sesshomaru’s face and instead buried deep within his silver hair. The daiyoukai gave a disgruntled grunt and a swift twist of his wrists. His claws sunk through the demon’s neck, severing his spinal cord. There was a distinct crack of bone and the bird slunk to the ground dead.

It was all too easy, but he would dwell on that later.

Sesshomaru looked over the sleeping woman, checking for serious wounds. The only thing he could detect was what appeared to be a self-inflicted slice on her left palm. He was surprised. The demon Lord suspected that they would have at least beat her, at worst... Sesshomaru squashed the thought. He did not want to think about the worst. It appeared for all intents and purposes that the girl was fine, and then Sesshomaru realized why. There was a thin pink glow surrounding Rin, originating from her necklace.

His eyes widened and he had to fight the urge to let out a very uncharacteristic chuckle. The bastards couldn’t touch her because she was in a barrier. A very unique barrier. The necklace Rin wore was infused with a portion of it’s makers aura. Anyone who threatened the wearer would receive a nasty burn.

He approached the unconscious girl and felt the tingle of purity surrounding her seep back into the shimmering stone. Sesshomaru shook his head. ‘Damn miko,’ he thought as he hoisted Rin in his arms. ‘In this instance I suppose I can overlook your meddling.’

With a flick of his wrist he cut open the back of the tent and stole into the woods like the assassin that he was. He wondered how long it would take them to discover Rin’s absence.

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A set of chocolate eyes watched from the shadows as the demon Lord flitted into the forest, his ward in tow. Once the daiyoukai was out of sight the entity casually walked around the front of the tent. Dainty feet stepped over the pool of blood gathered beneath the two dead guards. The clucking of a tongue could be heard as a hand pushed the entrance flap aside.

“Did he have to make such a mess?” The oil lamp within illuminated the thin face and slender curves of an obviously human woman. Her kimono rustled against the ground as she approached the tori youkai.

An expression of triumph flashed in her gaze and she reached out for the silver strands trapped in the dead guards fist. In a motion full of reverence she pried open the youkai’s fingers, plucked out the hair, and coiled it into a small glass vial.

As she corked the bottle another presence made itself known. “Did you get what you needed, Jun?”

The human woman turned, her gaze settling on the lithe youkai with lightly tanned skin and thick waves of black-burgundy hair.

“Yes, Mistress,” she replied with a reverent bow.

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After traveling what he judged was a suitable distance from the encampment, Sesshomaru launched back into the air heading in the direction of Edo. The waning moon shown down upon him, and not for the first time that night the demon Lord wondered at the current turn in events.

Why had it been so easy to find Rin? He could not believe that the Southern Lord could be so dense. Why go through the trouble of masking her scent from the abduction site, only to allow it to blow freely on the winds from their camp? There was only one answer. It was a lure.

Were that the case, if it was a trap, why had it not sprung?...or had it?

His mind sorted through the events of the evening trying to unearth the piece of information that completed the puzzle. A faint crease settled on his forehead as his lips tightened, but his musing were fruitless.

Turning his attention once more to the horizon he felt a strange sense of foreboding. There was a faint waft of power somewhere ahead of him. It was familiar but he couldn’t pinpoint where he’d felt it before. Oddly, it reminded Sesshomaru just a bit of the miko.

His inner self was agitated. He had the mental impression of perked ears, as if the beast could hear something he could not. Indeed, Sesshomaru found that if he strained he could detect soft murmuring, but no matter how he tried he could not distinguish the words.

The phenomenon lasted only a moment and then energy and voice disappeared. Sesshomaru was left with only the notion that haste was necessary in reaching the village.

Rin shivered, and turned further into his warmth. He wrapped his tail around her, increasing his pace ever so slightly, while he contemplated the extent she and the miko had interfered in his life.

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22 Years Ago

It had been brewing for almost two decades and now it was spilling over. The panther and leopard youkai of the Western Land’s had joined together into a force large enough to rebel. Despite his efforts to root out and dispose of the leader’s of these troublesome clans, war was on his doorstep.

“Open up!”

Sesshomaru paused on his trek through his courtyard. His thoughts thoroughly disrupted. Who was yelling at his guards?

“If you don’t open up I swear I’m going to fry you, and then I’ll open the gate myself!”

‘A woman?’ he tilted his head slightly to the side, taking a test sniff of the air. He almost groaned as he recognized the scent. ’And a kitsune. Why is she at my castle?’

“Lord Sesshomaru,” Rin’s sweet voice reached his ears. “Please my Lord, tell them to open the gates.”

No doubt the girl, no woman he reprimanded himself, had identified the owner of the threatening voice. He wanted to sigh. If not for Rin’s strange connection with the miko he would not have to suffer her presence. But no, instead the woman had visited his castle several times, and each visit he had a more difficult time convincing himself that he did not enjoy her company. Life at the Palace Moon could become boring without the occasional verbal spar.

“Open the gates.” The daiyoukai commanded.

“About time!” The female outside yelled.

Rin giggled. “Kagome-nee-chan, they’re only performing their duty.”

“Duty or not, I don‘t have time for it.” The miko looked frazzled as she rushed to Rin’s side, assessing her well being. Shippou trailed dutifully behind her.

Sesshomaru took notice of the gashes at the woman’s shoulders.

“Kagome-nee-chan?” Rin blanched at the miko’s stained clothing. “How did you get hurt?”

“Oh,” the little miko plucked at the front of her shirt. “I ran into a group of youkai and overheard some rather interesting information. They didn’t take too kindly to my opinions on the matter. I take it you’ve had problems with the panther clan lately?” She asked looking towards Sesshomaru.

He gazed back at her with impassive amber eyes.

“Okay,” Kagome drawled. She raised an eyebrow, “Rin?”

The younger girl appeared on the verge of tears. “It’s all my fault. Since Haruki and I mated I’ve brought nothing but trouble on Lord Sesshomaru and his lands.” Rin sniffled a bit, and Kagome hugged her.

Over the girl’s shoulder the miko stared at the demon Lord. It was as if she was asking him to refute it. ‘Why should I refute it if it is true?’ Sesshomaru thought. Kagome narrowed her eyes. ‘Is she attempting to look threatening?’ He wondered.

The miko pulled back from the embrace and gently tilted Rin’s face up to meet her gaze. “You love Haruki?”

Rin’s eyes widened. “Of course!”

“Haruki loves you?”

She nodded.

“Then you have done nothing wrong,” the miko explained in a fierce tone.

Rin looked over at Sesshomaru with her heart in her chocolate eyes. She seemed so vulnerable then he couldn’t help but reassure the girl. He nodded.

‘Damn,’ Sesshomaru thought. ‘These women will be the end of me.’

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Sesshomaru found the same thought running through his head as the village of Edo came into view. The sun was not yet over the horizon and the miko had already gotten herself into trouble.

There below him was chaos. He heard his half-brother’s yell of “Wind-Scar,” and watched a section of soldiers flatten. They were quickly replaced. Red and silver flashed in the dawn light as Inuyasha leapt and slashed.

In the sea of youkai the small specks of resistance fighters were nearly lost. There were simply too few attempting to stave off too many. Already the soldiers had set fire to the huts. The sky was lit with flames and smothered in pillars of smoke.

He looked down to the still unconscious Rin. There was no way he was fighting with her in his arms, and no place for him to deposit her safely. The hanyou and his group would have to take care of it.

A ‘U’ shaped path of destruction drug his gaze to the taijiya. The force of her returning weapon caused her feet to slide back slightly. She and the monk were battling back to back while the fire cat circled around them.

The crackle of holy power surrounded the little miko and the half-breed’s mate. Its force alone enough to deter most youkai from approaching. Though those brazen enough to ignore the purity burns met the blazing end of Kagome’s sword. She ducked and twirled her dark hair swirling around her as Kikiyo took aim with her arrows. His eyes narrowed. Where were the cubs, and where was the kitsune?

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“Left!” Kikiyo yelled.

Kagome spun around behind the other miko and slashed her sword through the neck of the youkai on Kikiyo’s left. She caught a glimpse of red to her right and saw Inuyasha bound further into the ranks brandishing his sword. A cry of “Mediou Zangetshuha” reached her ears. Black blades erupted from the Tessaiga. Feral yowls erupted from the soldiers who were sucked into hell. A section around the hanyou cleared before he was once again swallowed in the crush.

“How much longer until we pull back?” Kagome asked as she grunted and flipped a snake youkai over her shoulder. He landed on the ground behind her and she stabbed her sword into his chest.

“I don’t know. Not that much long-” Kikiyo broke off mid-sentence and fired another arrow. She looked up and announced, “Lord Sesshomaru’s here.”

“I know,” Kagome said. She kicked another youkai in the knee, feeling the snap of tendon before running him through with her blade.

“He has Rin,” The elder miko added in a conversational tone.

Kagome’s head snapped up seeking confirmation. “What?”

“Kagome!” Kikiyo warned.

The younger miko caught a glimpse of the bear youkai behind her before steel bit through her shoulder. She gritted her teeth in pain. In a detached way she watched Sango’s hiraikotsu cut down another dozen soldiers. The gap it created gave her a brief flash of Miroku bashing a leopard over the head with his staff while he threw sutras at a group of shadow youkai. Sound slowed and the eerie yellow light from the Wind Scar melded with the watery pale yolk of the sun. She drew in a sharp breath as reality snapped back like a rubber band. Warmth trickled down her chest and back.

“Bastard,” Kagome bit out. She kicked her foot back and landed a blow to the youkai’s groin. He dropped to his knees, releasing his grip on the sword. Kagome swung around neatly and decapitated him. “Pull it out.” A blood dappled hand gestured to the sword still impaled in her body.

Kikiyo’s eyes widened but she fired her arrow and gave a curt nod. Reaching out, she wrapped her fingers around the hilt of the weapon and removed it in one smooth jerk.

Kagome hissed and focused her powers. She didn’t have time to fully heal herself in the middle of this mêlée, but she could at least stop the blood loss. The miko flipped her sword from her right to her left hand and continued hacking at any youkai that came too close.

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Sesshomaru observed the little miko decapitate the one who injured her, then turn to the half-breed’s mate to have her remove the sword. She nonchalantly switched sword hands and continued to deal out death blow by blow. He felt his respect for her grow. It had been awhile since he’d seen her fight. He’d forgotten how good she was.

‘For a human,’ he added mentally. ‘Better then the half-breed,’ his gaze settled on his half-brother, watching him wield the Tessaiga like a club.

Rin stirred in his arms. “Father?” She blinked slowly.

Sesshomaru frowned. She only called him that when something was very important, or she was afraid.

The sun had just passed the horizon and it cast an orange glint to Rin’s hair as they hovered to the left of the battlefield. “Hai Rin?”

Her voice cracked slightly, “Where are my daughters?”

“They found the miko.”

Rin sighed in relief, closing her eyes briefly. “Good.”

‘Not good,’ Sesshomaru thought as he watched the four humans and one fire-cat fall further back into the village. A moment after the group was lost to his vision under the haze filling the village, the neko punched through the falling embers with the taijiya and houshi on her back. The neko. He cast a glance at the anxious female in his arms. Now that gave him an idea.

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Flames licked at her shoulders, reaching across the divide between the huts. Smoke clogged her lungs. Kagome’s eyes streamed as she swiped out at yet another youkai. Bare feet from her, Kikyo’s form was all but lost in the swirling gray mass.

She could still hear Inuyasha’s bellowed battle cries, but could no longer see him. The only orientation she had was her mental map of the village. The flashing red ’you are here’ marker in her mind, unfortunately, did not help her see approaching youkai. She fanned out her senses, trusting auras alone to alert her to imminent attacks. A roar from Kirara caused her to glance up. Sango and Miroku were perched atop the neko.

“We need to regroup!” The taijiya called down.

Another arrow shot from Kikyo’s bow. “Where?” The elder priestess asked. Soot fell into her hair like snow.

Sango‘s eyes darted about the village. The heat, smoke, and flames made it impossible for them to fight effectively. “The hill to the shrine!”

A rain of sutras fell around them and the two miko’s made a break to their right. Kagome followed the red of Kikyo’s hakama. Everything else was lost to her in the choking cloud. Sweat poured down her back, causing her hair to stick to her neck like long black fingers. Ahead of them Sango’s hiraikotsu carved a path through the soldiers with wicked thuds.

Kagome ducked around the corner of a hut only to be forced to leap back as the walls collapsed. Burning timber rained into the alley. She cursed, jabbing her sword into a very ugly purple oni that had almost run over her. It howled in pain and gripped the hole in its’ side. An arrow streaked dangerously close passed her face and imbedded into the forehead of another larger oni behind her. Her heart beat tripled.

“Come on.” Kikyo grabbed Kagome’s sleeve and pulled her through the flaming wreckage.

Ahead of them the air lightened to a silver shimmer. Both miko’s burst from the edge of the village coughing and breathing raggedly. When Kagome again looked up it was to see Miroku situated with his back to the shrine steps as Sango and Rin circled above on Kirara.

‘Where’s Sesshomaru?’ Kagome wondered. On cue a rumble shook the ground beneath her feet. She chanced a quick glimpse back over her shoulder to find the daiyoukai stood ten feet behind her. The destruction from his Bakusaiga fanned out before him. Huts lay in smoldering tatters. The hiss of dissolving flesh mixed with the ravenous crackle of the flames. Much to her chagrin his presence was a relief.

Twenty yards still separated her and Kikyo from the rest of their companions, every foot between occupied by a demon. The elder priestess fired an arrow toward their friends. Its comet like streak disintegrated a swath of youkai before embedding itself into the back of a boar attacking Miroku. With a last burst of effort the two women hacked their way across the expanse.

Inuyasha’s gruff bellow of “Kongousouha” came from Kagome’s left, almost obscuring the whistling sound of a blade coming from her right. She turned in time to parry the blow from the panther. The metallic clang of their swords barely audible over the thunders of Bakusaiga and the screams from the diamond impaled demons. The whirling sound of hiraikotsu met her ears a second before the bone boomerang sliced through the youkai in an arc around her and Kikyo.

Grunts and the tinkling of chimes, so out of place on a battlefield, drew her attention to the monk. Miroku was being forced up the steps. Without the wind tunnel he had no way to deal with the sheer numbers of the attacking horde. Even with the army cut in half and the addition of Sesshomaru to their force the odds were still roughly a hundred and fifty to one. Kagome groaned internally, suddenly very unhappy that she could figure that out in her head.

A breath left her when the perverted houshi was knocked backwards. Sango cried out in shock. Lowering her shoulders, the miko pushed a purifying barrier in front of her and took the shrine steps like a linebacker. Any youkai before her that refused to move was purified, those behind her met the sharp end of Kikyo’s arrows. They two women paused to stand next to a very frazzled and grateful monk.

Kagome was surprised that no soldiers had climbed up the hill to circle behind them. Instead it seemed as if they were content to drive them into one place.

Abruptly the soldiers pulled back. Kagome could hear Inuyasha’s furious declaration, “What the hell?”

She couldn’t see him. He was still too far into the mass of youkai.

“Who the hell are you?!” The group heard Inuyasha yell.

A beat of near silence passed before Kagome was hit with a powerful demonic aura. She watched as the dog-eared hanyou flew over their heads and hit a tree so hard he was knocked unconscious.

Kikiyo took a step to run to her mate but paused when she felt the youki of the approaching demon. There was something off about it, something familiar around it. She glanced at Kagome out of the corner of her eye and saw the woman’s jaw twitch. It was then the elder miko felt Shippou’s youki.

Horror. Dumb-struck horror coursed through Kagome’s veins. She was rooted to the spot, her heart pumping ice water. All the images of what could have happened, the reasons that her son would be in the hands of the enemy, flickered across her mind.

Kirara landed behind the mikos and houshi on the shrine steps. Sango and Rin dismounted just as Sesshomaru alighted beside them. From out the smoke swelling up from the village below them a stately looking youkai appeared. He surveyed them coolly, his left hand dragging the kitsune blithely behind him. Sango gasped when she spotted the unconscious and bloody Shippou.

Rising to her full height, her powers crackling around her threateningly, Kagome‘s lip lifted in a silent snarl. She stared the regally dressed youkai down. There was laughter in the depths of his moss colored eyes. “Who the hell are you,” she bit out, “and what the hell are you doing with my son?”

The youkai tossed Shippou unceremoniously on the ground between them and leered. “Oh him,” he waved his hand in a gesture of dismissal. “He was in my way.”

“In your way to what?” Miroku ground out. Shippou was like his nephew, and the bastard in front of them dared to lay his hands on him and laugh about it.

“To her daughters,” he said in a matter of fact tone as he pointed to where Rin stood behind Kagome.

In a move that reminded the Inu-tachi exactly who Rin considered her mother figure, the young girl stepped forward. “You asshole!” Kagome was a little shocked at Rin’s language. “What did you do with my girls?”

Sesshomaru moved to the front, his Bakusaiga drawn, intent on ridding the world of Naboru‘s pestilence.

Furious sapphire orbs glared up at him and a small hand landed on his forearm. “Don’t you dare. Shippou is in the way.” A soft chuckle drew her attention back down to the youkai.

“What’s this?” Naboru’s voice asked in amusement. “Is the great Sesshomaru taking orders from a ningen woman now?”

A growl rumbled silently through the daiyoukai’s chest. Kagome felt the vibration in her hand and did the only thing she could think of to stop the Western Lord from going through her son to kill their enemy; She stepped in front of him.

Internally a shadow of fifteen year old Kagome shrieked at her own stupidity. As if her presence in front of his blade would keep him from using it. He’d probably think of it as killing two birds with one stone. ‘Oh well, nothing I can do about it now.’

Naboru’s mirth grew into raucous laughter. A crooked smirk slinked across the youkai’s lips revealing one long fang. “I had quite the time finding those little girls,” he said in a lazy tone, continuing his baiting. “Their scent was masked.” The youkai turned to look Kagome in the eye. “Now why do I get the feeling you had something to do with that?”

Using every bit of fortitude she possessed, Kagome concentrated on the demon in front of her and not the anger rolling off Sesshomaru in waves from behind. Her grin was sinful. “Why do I get the feeling you didn’t find them?” She asked, voice velvet as she watch the youkai’s eyes for signs of anger.

Sure enough, when she voiced her question his gaze seemed to smolder. “I found the boy,” he countered.

“Yes,” Kagome granted, “but you didn’t find them.” His youki flared and his eyes darkened further. Her smile widened. “And you’re not going to find them,” She said with a ring of finality.

That seemed to be the breaking point. Faster than anyone who wasn’t Sesshomaru could see, the youkai had flicked a dagger at Rin’s heart. Sesshomaru jumped in front of her but his move was unneeded. The dagger bounced harmlessly off a barrier that started just in front of Shippou.

The demon hummed in annoyance. He tapped a finger on his lips in mock thoughtfulness. “You’re feisty,” he addressed Kagome. “You would make a good concubine.”

Kagome wanted to gag. “Why does every evil youkai we meet develop some sick crush on me?” She muttered under breath.

Sesshomaru snorted and watched the miko promptly turn red.

‘She must have forgotten I can hear her,’ the daiyoukai mused.

‘Damn youkai and their hearing,’ Kagome groused.

The others looked on in blatant ignorance.

“Not going to happen,” Kagome finally addressed the demon as he eyed her up like a choice piece of meat.

“Well, we’ll see about that. You hold your little barrier just fine against a dagger, but I doubt it is useful beyond that.” He made a motion with his arm and the front ranks of the remaining army crashed against her shield.

“Pull Shippou back,” she ground out, straining under the pressure. Miroku and Sango promptly ran down the steps. Each grabbed one of the kitsune’s arms and pulled him back toward the group. The miko’s heart did a flip at the limpness of his body, but it was quickly replaced by rage. No one threatened her kids. Especially not some flat nosed, over-grown, Sengoku Jidai version of a reptile house escapee. A growl ripped from her throat and she bared her blunt human teeth.

The little miko was livid. He could feel it and he didn’t blame her in the least. With her lips pulled back and her fingers curled into claws, she looked like the mortal approximation of an Inu-bitch protecting her pups. Naboru was an idiot. Even the daiyoukai knew that ningen mothers could be incredibly fierce when protecting their young. This statement was doubly true for the miko. Unlike most mortals she had the power to turn the ignorant snake into a glittery pile of purified dust. Though from the glint in her eyes it seemed her thoughts were running more along the lines of slow disembowelment. A dark smirk crossed his face. Good, they were thinking alike.

Kagome descended several steps with Sesshomaru beside her. She flicked a look at him and reached back for her bow. The solid chock of wood and the light whine of the tensed string sounded.

Naboru grinned as he noticed her barrier weakening, but it slid off his face quickly when he looked into her eyes.

Kagome’s energy snapped around her and coalesced into a liquid wave, centering itself in her hands before flowing into the arrow. The shaft glowed a pearlescent pink, hints of purple flaring around the edges.

Sesshomaru held his sword at the ready, ripples of warning coursed down his spine. The amount of power being focused into the projectile in her hands was astonishing. From the look on Naboru’s face he felt the same. Unconsciously, the youkai across from Kagome took a step back.

With a deep breath, she concentrated the last of her energy, dropped the barrier, and let her arrow loose.

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AN:

Thanks again to my wonderful reviewers. Party hats for all of you!

Indigo: ::dances around with party hat on::

Inuyasha: Why is she acting like that?

Kagome: ::tugs at string on her party hat:: Because she finally got around to writing the battle scene.

Inuyasha: And why are we all wearing these stupid hats?

Shippou: Because she told us that anyone who didn’t wear them would get killed off later in the story.

Sessho: ::sits in corner and pouts with party hat on::

Indigo: ::grabs Miroku and swings him around::

Inuyasha: Wow, is the letch actually scared?

Sango: That’s unsettling.

Rin: Don’t worry about it. He’ll be fine. Just let Indigo get this out of her system. I’m sure once she realizes she reached her goal she’ll crash for a bit.

Kagome: Yeah, eventually she’ll end up like her muse. ::points to muse crashed out on the couch::

Indigo: ::falls to the floor unconscious::

Kagome: Well, maybe I should cover the rest of the author’s note. So, what do you think am I too OOC? I tend to think 50 years of fighting and dealing with Inuyasha in the Feudal Era would make me a little rougher. What about Sess? He’s a little OOC too, but I think having Rin and her kids around would soften him some. I don’t know maybe the ‘Father’ bit was stretching it, but such is fanfiction.

You guys know the drill. Read and Review!

And now for this weeks Preview!

Chapter 7: Destruction and Healing

Kikiyo glanced over at the unconscious woman and her kit. “She used up a lot of her power so she’s going to need to rest for awhile.” The miko gave a tired sigh. “Honestly, if she were any other priestess it would have killed her.”

Sango’s intake of breath was sharp. “Why did she do it then? We planned to retreat.”

Kikiyo’s answer was simple. “Miko’s have instincts too.”