InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Of Gods and Monsters ❯ Chapter 55: If it's Not One Thing... ( Chapter 57 )

Of Gods and Monsters: Chapter 55

 

A/N: Believe it or not, this chapter really didn't take that long to write. I just happened to get married smack dab in the middle of the process, which ate up a BIG chunk of time. ;) Anyway, as you can probably tell, we're getting into the home stretch, here. At the moment, I hope to plan things out so the final chapter is Chapter 60, just to give you an idea. So, great thanks to everyone who's stuck with the story for this long. I know it hasn't always been an easy ride - or a quick one. But know that I'm thankful that you still find this monstrosity of a fic interesting, after THREE YEARS. :)

 

Also great thanks and baked goods to Ithilwen, Kat Morning, and Rhoda, the current beta team. And, as always, hugs and thanks to Everstar - without her, this story would've been far shorter.

 

Chapter 55: If It's Not One Thing...

 

It couldn't have taken more than a second or two, but in that time Inuyasha saw all he needed to see. Something was headed toward the village, and that something looked anything but friendly. Inuyasha was a blur of red and silver as he leapt from the tree limb, hovering in mid-air for a long moment before he hit the ground running. He wove around trees, his feet barely touching the frozen ground as he hurtled through the forest. Once the rice paddies were in sight, he glanced up at the sky again; he could just make out the strange silhouette as that... thing cut through the air.

 

As he drew nearer and nearer to the village, Inuyasha's mind worked frantically -- what was it? Was it youkai - one of Naraku's agents, maybe? No - that bastard's stench was nowhere on the area. Well, what the hell was it and what did it want? And where in all of the hells was Kagome? Had she seen? What about Sesshoumaru?

 

If that thing's as friendly as it looks, he's going to want to get Teles out of the village till it's gone or dead -- preferably dead.

 

By now it was nearly dinnertime, and the village was redolent with the scent of cooking food. Kagome, Shippou, Sango, and Miroku were all in Kaede-babaa's hut; a pot of something was simmering over the brazier, and the old miko was stirring it. Shippou was watching the pot hungrily. Kirara was asleep in Sango's lap.

 

"Kagome, why do we have to wait for Inuyasha? I'm hungry now!"

 

"Just be patient, Shippou-chan. He'll be here in a--" Kagome stopped and looked up when he burst in, a smile ready at her lips. "See? He's here already. Inuyasha, you're just in--"

 

"No time. Something's coming. I don't know what it is, but it's big and it's ugly, and it's heading this way. Fast."

 

Sango was already on her feet. Kaede, Miroku, and Kagome, with Shippou perched on her shoulder, soon joined her. "What did you see?" the slayer asked.

 

"I already told you," Inuyasha snapped. "I don't know what--" His ears snapped back and flattened when an eerily discordant-harmonic shriek cut through the air. The noise seemed to go on forever, drowning out everything else. Kirara bristled, her pupils narrowing to slits before she transformed with a roar Inuyasha couldn't hear above the screeching cry. He saw Miroku dash out the hut, but didn't hear his shakujou jingle, and he saw Sango and Kirara follow, but didn't hear their hurried footsteps thump across the floor. Kagome looked at him, wide-eyed, before grabbing her bow and arrows and grabbing his hand as she rushed to follow them, Shippou still on her shoulder.

 

When they got outside, they saw that they were not alone. Nearly everyone in the village was peering out windows and doorways; some had been foolish enough to wander out of their homes. All of them wore the same expression: horrified disbelief. Miroku and Sango exchanged a look and took off running, urging people to take cover -- to leave the village if at all possible -- which most did without too much encouragement. Kaede worked with them, leading frantic villagers out past the rice paddies, toward the relative safety of the forest.

 

Inuyasha looked again at the creature as it flew above them, circling the village. Now that he had a better look at it, the thing was a whole lot less impressive. He'd single-handedly taken on things bigger than this -- Ryuukossei had been more than twice its size. So far, all it was doing was making a hell of a lot of noise.

 

Out of the corner of his eye, Inuyasha saw that the monster's cries had drawn out another spectator: Sesshoumaru stood in front of the quarantine hut, staring up at the sky, his lip curled in disdain. The youkai turned and looked behind him, and when he saw Teles standing in the hut's doorway, he gestured sharply, and Inuyasha could read his lips through the snarl: Get back inside!

 

But Teles didn't see him -- she certainly couldn't hear him. She was staring up at the sky, like everyone else, but there was one fundamental difference between Teles and the rest of the onlookers: the look of recognition she wore.

 

Inuyasha narrowed his gaze. She knows what the thing is, he thought, frowning. And the way she's watching it isn't making me feel too good about that.

 

It was true -- Teles' gaze was locked on the serpent, and when Sesshoumaru took a step forward, resting his hand on Toukijin's hilt, she screamed so loudly that Inuyasha was barely able to hear it against the unholy shrieking above them. His brother looked over his shoulder at her; Inuyasha could nearly read the conversation telegraphed between them and shook his head. Well, if she doesn't want him doing anything stupid, it's a little late for that. Dumbass was born stupid.

 

He grabbed Kagome's arm and pointed in the direction of the quarantine hut. His eyes and gestures conveyed his urgency well enough and Kagome nodded once before she turned and ran that way.

 

She was sprinting towards the quarantine hut as Teles stood rooted to the spot, staring at the beast circling the village. Meanwhile, the great, winged thing had cut suddenly in the air and stopped, hovering above them all, suddenly silent, its head swiveling from side to side, scanning everything below it. The air was filled with the horrified shrieks and cries of the villagers, and through the cacophony, Inuyasha heard Teles screaming at Sesshoumaru.

 

"Sesshoumaru, NO! IT'S A HYDRA! DON'T!"

 

What the hell's she so worried about? He wondered. So what if it is a "Hydra"? The fuck's a Hydra, anyway? Inuyasha looked up again at the hovering serpent as he moved forward to join Sesshoumaru, who appeared similarly unimpressed. In fact, the name registered with no one but Kagome, whose eyes went wide. The blood rushed from her face, leaving it pale. She struggled to pull Teles back into the hut, but the other woman would not budge. Maybe it's a youkai from Teles' lands because a weird ass name like that doesn't sound like it's from around here. "Keh," he muttered, glaring up at it. That Hydra thing doesn't look so tough to me.

 

Once the area was clear, or as clear as it would get, the Miroku and Sango positioned themselves in front of the beast, the two of them, Sesshoumaru, and Inuyasha creating a half-circle in front of the quarantine hut. It let out another deafening cry; Inuyasha's ears flattened again. He saw Sesshoumaru grimace at the sound.

 

Just then, as it hovered, the Hydra's long neck dipped, its eyes glowing with an unholy light as it tilted its head in interest. With a beat of its huge wings, it lifted itself higher before twisting its body and swooping down, jaws wide open, making a beeline for the quarantine hut. A quick glance told Inuyasha that Kagome had somehow managed get Teles out of sight, but that didn't lessen the danger any. Granted, the hut wasn't exactly safe, but there wasn't a chance in hell Teles was going to be able to run to safety -- or even walk quickly.

 

Sesshoumaru seemed to be thinking along the same lines as Inuyasha, and in a blur of movement almost too quick for Inuyasha's eyes, his brother unsheathed Toukijin and as the Hydra swooped in, he brought the blade down on the long neck, cutting through cleanly as the air hummed with the sword's demonic energy. The body fell to the ground with a thud, and the neck dropped like an overcooked rice noodle. It lay on the ground, twitching, as Sesshoumaru went over to it, and nudged the Hydra's head with his foot.

 

"Unimpressive," he murmured.

 

Now that the crisis had been averted, Inuyasha turned to Sesshoumaru. "Keh. Fucking show-off."

 

"I did not request your assistance, and you mistakenly thought I required it."

 

"Considering you haven't managed to kill me, I figured you could've used a little help."

 

"As you can see, I did not."

 

Miroku cleared his throat. "Ah... Inuyasha?"

 

But Inuyasha wasn't listening. "Well, excuse me. I'll never bother you with my help ever again!"

 

Sesshoumaru lifted his shoulders in a shrug. "Very well. It's inconvenient to have you underfoot."

 

"...Inuyasha? Sesshoumaru?" It was Sango, but again, neither brother heard.

 

"Underfoot?" Inuyasha choked out. "What the hell's that supposed to mean?"

 

"I would imagine it means precisely what it sounds like it means."

 

"Oh, yeah? I'll tell you what you can do with your--"

 

"Inuyasha!" Miroku yelled, at the same time Sango yelled out Sesshoumaru's name. Both brothers turned, one irritable, the other impatient, in time to see something neither of them had expected.

 

The Hydra's body steamed in the winter air, and while it had surely been dead moments before, it was still moving - but not with the involuntary twitches that typically plagued dead creatures. No, the Hydra's limbs moved with slow purpose. More to the point, the severed neck seemed to be alive with a deep pulse, despite the blood staining the snow and melting it, blackening the earth beneath. Something under the skin rippled and throbbed, and soon the neck bulged -- it looked as if something were trying to force its way out. After a while, something did: a head, coated in a milky membrane pushed its way through the wound.

 

And then another.

 

"What the fuck?" Inuyasha breathed.

 

The Hydra continued to lie on the ground, as if dazed. After a second or two, both heads lifted, identical jaws widening in a yawn, stretching and breaking the membrane. It shook its two heads briskly, ridding itself of the thin coating, and looked around, the long necks turning independent of each other. Somewhere behind him, Inuyasha heard Kagome come running out of the quarantine hut.

 

"Get back inside!" he growled, unwilling to take his eyes off the Hydra.

 

"But Inuyasha--"

 

"I said, get back inside."

 

"That's a Hydra, Inu--"

 

"I know what it is!" he yelled. "Now how the fuck do we kill it?"

 

Teles' voice, strained with tension, came from behind them. She was leaning heavily against the doorway, one hand holding her stomach. "You don't kill it. It's immortal."

 

Sesshoumaru's head snapped around as he looked at his mate. "Immortal?" he echoed tightly. When she nodded, Sesshoumaru flexed his jaw. "Tell me, beloved -- is there anything that comes from your lands that is not immortal?"

 

She sighed, rubbing her forehead hard. "Hera sent it. She must have. She's the only one with the power to release it from--" Her words were cut off by another of the Hydra's piercing cries. And if one head was bad, there weren't words to describe how bad two were.

 

As far as Inuyasha saw it, they had a few choices ahead of them. One, they could let the Hydra raze the village, since that seemed to be on its agenda. Two, they could subdue it the only way they knew how -- cutting off its head -- and attempt to destroy it in the few moments it was down. Three, they could run like hell, which wasn't really an option at all. At the moment, buying time was all any of them could really do. Inuyasha unsheathed Tessaiga and, with a mighty swing, brought the blade through the thick flesh below the spot where the dual necks joined, severing them and ending the noise once more.

 

"Will you just shut the fuck up?" he yelled at the fallen -- albeit only temporarily -- creature.

 

"Inuyasha," Teles breathed, "you... should not have done that." She could only stare in horrified fascination at what Inuyasha had done. In fact, when she'd first heard the Hydra's cry, cold dread had pooled in her stomach. She'd desperately hoped she was wrong, that it was something else -- anything else. But when she saw the terrible, familiar shape soaring through the air, her worst fears were realized: any safety she had known was over. The truth was, Teles was surprised the goddess had left her alone this long.

 

She stared as the Hydra pushed itself to its feet, never ceasing in its cries. And then, with a flash, Inuyasha had drawn his sword and cut through flesh and bone, sending the two heads to the ground.

 

Teles swallowed hard. "Inuyasha, you really shouldn't have--"

 

"Oi, Miroku. Can you suck this thing up before it comes back again?"

 

The little monk shot Inuyasha a look, even as he began pulling the beads away from his hand. "Don't you think you should have asked me that before you cut off its heads?"

 

"I would've if I thought you could have heard me."

 

Teles had only heard Miroku talk about his cursed hand; she'd never seen it for herself. The rest of his companions moved behind him as he positioned himself in front of the fallen Hydra. He stretched out his arm and pulled the beads and gauntlet away, clearly bracing himself. Almost immediately, a mighty wind kicked up, swirling the snow and slowly lifting the Hydra's body, which was already starting to ripple and throb; blood streamed from the neck as the monk drew it nearer and nearer. And soon, for a moment, it looked as if the winds were going to draw the Hydra into the little monk's hand. But suddenly the winds stopped, leaving the air eerily still. Nausea tightened in Teles' stomach when the Hydra fell to the ground with a heavy thump.

 

His face contorted in a painful grimace, Miroku dropped to his knees, clutching his hand against his chest.

 

Nausea iced over into cold fear as Teles watched, powerless. The little monk was hunched over, and she could see that he was shaking slightly. The taiji-ya sprinted towards him, calling out his name and pulling him to his feet. When they turned, Teles saw that Miroku had gone an alarming shade of grey.

 

"There's something in its blood," he replied tightly, gritting his teeth as he pulled the beads around his hand, wrapping it firmly.

 

Something in its... Teles' thoughts trailed off as she looked over at the thick liquid that had spilled from the Hydra's body. It had melted through the snow and was currently turning the frozen earth beneath into a black viscous muck. She glanced back at the little monk, who was clutching his hand in pain. Oh, gods -- something in its blood. She had forgotten about the Hydra's blood. Forgotten about it. Her friend was in pain now because a tiny detail like the destructive quality of the Hydra's blood had slipped her mind.

 

Teles gritted her teeth. Stop it. Do not dwell on a mistake, even such a mistake. Make yourself useful. There is more to the Hydra than that -- there is something else about it, something more beyond a talent for regrowth. Think.

 

Her gaze went to the head on the ground, eyes wide open, its jaws slack. Spittle dripped from its mouth onto the ground and sizzled.

 

The saliva.

 

"Whatever is in it, it... bit into the Kazaana," the monk was saying, shaking his head slowly. Those words meant nothing to Teles, but judging from the reaction of the others, this was very bad news indeed, and she felt another sharp pang of guilt for not remembering sooner. Miroku looked at Inuyasha and shook his head. "I'm sorry -- I cannot draw it in."

 

Teles bit down hard on her lower lip and took a few steps forward. "The Hydra's blood burns whatever it touches--"

 

Inuyasha turned his head sharply, glaring at her. "Nice of you to tell us," he retorted hotly. He would have said more, but Sesshoumaru cut him off with a look.

 

"Inuyasha," he said evenly, for all his tone was fraught with tension. "This is not the time." He turned to Teles. "We must beware its blood, then." When Teles nodded, he asked, "Is there anything else?"

 

"Yes -- the saliva too, even worse than the blood. There's not much time before it regenerates, so you must listen. Do not let it bite you. The Hydra's bite not only tears and rends - it will burn you from the inside out."

 

"And what of the heads?"

 

"Only one of the heads is immortal -- the rest are mortal. If you cut off a mortal head, it won't grow back. The immortal head, on the other hand, will. And it will double. But, beloved --" she pointed at the creature's bulging neck "-- when you cut the base of the neck, before it splits, the number of heads doubles."

 

This news made Sesshoumaru glare at his brother.

 

“Good going, Inuyasha!” Shippou cried from the relative safety of Kagome's shoulder.

 

"How the hell was I supposed to know? I was trying to shut the thing up and buy us some time!"

 

Kagome was drawing an arrow out of her quiver. “Well, try not to do it any more, okay? I remember reading about the Hydra in school—”

 

“You knew about this thing?”

 

“We read about it in mythology class! It's not supposed to be real!” Kagome yelled back, clearly forgetting that, as far as her time was concerned, youkai and hanyou weren't real, either.

 

“What the hell good is that school thing if all it teaches you is fake shit?”

 

“Well, it's obviously not fake, is it?” she yelled, pointing. Behind them, the Hydra's neck had finished pulsating and bulging: it now had four heads instead of the previous two.

 

Sango breathed a curse as she lifted her hands, tightening them on the handles of her boomerang; the straps creaked. “I think it's safe to say your school was wrong, Kagome.”

 

"Teles," Sesshoumaru growled through his teeth as he stepped toward the still-dazed Hydra, "get back. Find somewhere safe."

 

"Sesshoumaru, you have to listen to me."

 

"You said Hera released it."

 

"Yes."

 

"So this... Hydra has been defeated before."

 

"Yes, but--"

 

"Then it will be defeated again."

 

"You idiot!" she yelled. "That's what I'm trying to tell you! The only one who ever managed to defeat the Hydra was Heracles -- Zeus's son!" But the names were only names to Sesshoumaru. "He was part god, Sesshoumaru! His father was the king of the gods."

 

"Then you are saying it only took a half-god to defeat this creature."

 

If the situation weren't so dire, Teles would have laughed. But as it was, the Hydra was quickly gathering what little wits it had and assessing the situation. "'Only'? Yes, Sesshoumaru, only a half-god. He removed the mortal heads and burned the wounds. He then sealed the Hydra away for centuries. Hera -- the queen of the gods -- is the only one with enough power -- to say nothing of motive -- to remove the seal."

 

Her husband nodded slowly. "Very well. I will do the same."

 

"Are you mad?"

 

"Teles-sama," Miroku broke in, glancing quickly at the Hydra. "Do you know how to tell between the Hydra's mortal heads, and its immortal one?"

 

She shook her head mutely, feeling fear creep through her chest, tightening it until she could barely breathe. "No, little monk," she managed. "I do not know how Heracles was able to tell the difference."

 

"Enough of the yammering!" Inuyasha growled. "It looks like this ugly fuck is finally awake and ready to get beat down."

 

"Teles, go inside," Sesshoumaru said, turning to face the Hydra.

 

"But Sesshoumaru--"

"Now, Teles," he said sharply. After a moment he turned his head to look at her. "Go, beloved. Be safe. Monk," he said, now addressing Miroku. "Can you still fight?"

 

Miroku planted his shakujou in the ground, standing up straight despite the fact that he still looked as if he were in pain. "While that is usually the most effective trick up my sleeve, rest assured it is not the only one."

 

Sesshoumaru nodded once and glanced back at Teles, inclining his head at her. "I will be fine, Teles. Now, go inside."

 

Teles looked behind her, quietly assessing the hut. It provided no protection from the Hydra -- even she could see that. By now the creature knew she was here -- it would not forget that, no matter how many times they chopped off its head. Perhaps they should have stayed at the den -- doubtless they would have been safer there.

 

"Teles," he growled, "go inside."

 

"I will not."

 

She could see the final thread of Sesshoumaru's considerable patience snap.

 

She heard Shippou's voice from somewhere behind her. “Uh oh.”

 

Teles could not help but agree with that particularly astute observation. The youkai clenched his jaw as he looked up at the sky. "Aphrodite!" he roared, tendons standing out in relief on his neck. "Come collect your daughter!"

 

"Youkai!" Teles snapped, striding away from the hut and approaching Sesshoumaru with all the wrath a heavily pregnant woman could muster. "I cannot believe you'd do such a thing! You call upon my mother when you do not get your way? You are my husband, blasted, idiotic, stubborn youkai, and I refuse to hide and cower--"

 

"You would then choose to endanger our child?" he retorted, eyes flashing yellow fire. "You would do such a thing willingly?"

 

Such an insinuation made Teles go pale with anger, and when she spoke, it was as if her throat had gone raw. The words rushed out in a furious tumble. "I am not endangering him, you fool, because I believe you will handle this brainless wretch!" Her voice grew louder with every word, as she extended her arm, jabbing one finger at the Hydra.

 

And then Sesshoumaru did something wholly unexpected: he smiled.

 

"What?" The word came out like the sharp crack of a whip. "What in all the gods' names are you smiling at?"

 

"I thought you said it took a half-god -- the son of your king, in fact -- to dispatch this beast." Smugly, he added, "And now you concede that I, a mere youkai," oh, how much conceit was loaded into that one word, "will defeat this 'brainless wretch.'"

 

Oh, this is too much to be borne. Had I never laid eyes on this arrogant, insufferable--

 

A smooth hand on her shoulder brought Teles' silent diatribe to a sharp stop.

 

"Honestly, little youkai, the next time you summon me, I would appreciate it if you did it with a modicum of--" Aphrodite blinked grey eyes at the Hydra, which was now eyeing her with a malicious sort of glee. "Oh. Well, this is... an interesting turn of events."

 

"Your daughter refuses to seek appropriate shelter," Sesshoumaru said, inclining his head regally.

 

"I see.” She glanced at Teles. “Is this true, daughter?”

 

“It is.”

 

“Ah.” Her gaze went back to Sesshoumaru. “And you wish me to intervene."

 

"Yes."

 

"No."

 

"Thank y-- what?"

 

Aphrodite smiled. "I believe I declined your request, little youkai." His hand tightened on Toukijin's hilt, but the goddess only smiled. "I don't think I need to tell you this, my son, but your... ah, visitor appears to desire your attention."

 

Sesshoumaru's lip curled a little, belying his frustration with the goddess. "Take her back with you," he ground out, and for a moment, Teles almost felt badly enough to return with her mother of her own volition.

 

"No, I don't think I will. I believe this is something I wish to see transpire as well. It will do you worlds of good, Sesshoumaru, to battle a Hydra. It is a character-building experience from which I'm sure you will benefit."

 

"I do not need to 'build character,' goddess. I only need to--" Another of the Hydra's deafening shrieks filled the air, cutting him off. Setting his jaw, Sesshoumaru turned again, raising his sword in preparation for the inevitable attack.

 

Teles bit down on her lower lip, worrying it between her teeth as she watched. The Hydra was awake and alert, and was presently eyeing its opponents with a hungry eye. She sent Aphrodite a worried glance, but the goddess only smiled enigmatically and placed one soft hand on Teles' shoulder. An almost imperceptible shimmer followed, and even in her weaker, human state, she could feel the magic rippling around them. If the situation weren't so fraught with tension, she might have smiled. No, Aphrodite would not transport Teles to the relative safety of the Den, but that didn't mean the goddess would leave her entirely unprotected, either.

 

"He would never forgive me if I handled the hideous brute," Aphrodite murmured; despite the Hydra's cries, Teles heard her perfectly. She nodded once, but did not take her eyes off the scene unfolding before them. In truth, she wished her mother would do something about the Hydra, but Aphrodite was right -- to do so would have been an affront to her husband's pride. It was already evident that he was none too happy about having any assistance at all, even if it came in the form of Inuyasha and his friends.

 

The Hydra's shriek died away, but no sooner did one mouth close than another opened, letting out the same deafening scream. The long, serpentine necks twisted and swiveled, the monster's jaws snapping hungrily as thick saliva dripped from menacing fangs. Sesshoumaru and the others stood perfectly still, as if waiting for the perfect moment to strike.

 

When that moment came, the unlikely compatriots seemed to explode into a chaos of movement and noise. Though they were fighting one opponent, they seemed to work in concert, whether intentionally or not. Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru distracted the Hydra's heads while Miroku, Kagome, Sango, Kirara, and even Shippou focused their attacks on the beast's body. Teles watched as each fighter tried out every trick in their considerable arsenal to find something that had an effect on their adversary.

 

Kirara leapt into the air carrying Sango far above the melee, where the taiji-ya sent her enormous boomerang down to the Hydra, some strikes intending to injure while others were merely intended to distract. If Hiraikotsu hit the Hydra's body, the wound sealed almost instantly -- before the weapon returned to its owner's hand. Below her, Miroku flung ofuda at the beast, the bits of paper reacting violently with the Hydra's skin, turning the green scales red and then black, leaving steaming, charred welts, which seemed only to anger the Hydra more.

 

While this was going on, Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha drew closer and closer to the beast's body, all the while fending off snakelike strikes as each of the Hydra's heads darted in, intent upon devouring what was turning out to be particularly vexing prey. Their swords flashed, crackling with demonic energy with each attack, but as the battle drew on and on, there seemed to be little progress made against the Hydra. No matter what they did, Echidna's spawn did not tire, and they'd gotten no closer to finding out which heads were the mortal ones. The only way to find out, it seemed, was to cut off each head to see what happened -- clearly not an ideal plan.

 

As the other four continued their assault, Kagome drew her arrows, sending them flying from her bow, as Shippou threw glowing balls of foxfire; their combined attacks blazed with blinding blue light -- most of them grazed the creature's hide, but one particularly artful arrow pierced one of the Hydra's wings. Four mouths screamed in agony as the Hydra beat its wings with one mighty strike. Hiraikotsu sailed through the air, cutting neatly through one neck; soon there were five heads instead of four, and another set of jaws snapped hungrily at Kirara.

 

And then, Teles saw, everything that followed seemed to happen in slow-motion. When the Hydra beat its wings, screeching in pain and rage, the huge, leathery appendage struck Kirara and Sango, sending the firecat through the air and unseating the taiji-ya. Miroku saw as well, letting out a yell as he scrambled to catch her. Something sickened in Teles' gut; she watched, helpless, as Sango's limp body tumbled downwards, the Hydra's cries still filling the air. She could not help but remember the images Aphrodite had shown her on the rooftop in Tokyo. Sango had died in that timeline -- was she destined to perish in this one as well?

 

"Do something!" she yelled, looking at her mother.

 

"I cannot," she replied, resigned. "It is forbidden."

 

"You told me things would be different if I--"

 

"Teles, watch."

 

Teles turned her head and let out a deep sigh of relief -- Miroku caught Sango, landing hard on his knees as he did, and while the blow from the wing had obviously left her stunned, the taiji-ya was indeed alive. Kirara had landed some distance off, and even now was pushing herself to her feet, shaking her head a bit to clear it. Miroku hooked one of Sango's arms around his neck and half carried the dazed taiji-ya to the spot where Teles and Aphrodite looked on.

 

“I'm fine, Miroku,” she protested as they drew closer.

 

“Of course you are,” he replied placidly before looking at the goddess and former goddess. “May I leave her here for the moment?”

 

Sango shook her head. “Miroku—”

 

“Just until she's ready to rejoin the fray,” he continued, a faint grin twitching at his lips as he looked again at Sango when she tried to break in. “And not a moment longer, my dear. I promise you.”

 

“Certainly, little monk,” Teles replied, giving her mother a sidelong glance and sending a prayer up that Aphrodite would not contradict her and deny the monk. But Aphrodite said nothing of the sort.

 

Instead she nodded, saying, “You may leave your intended with us.”

 

She would not help Sango when she was falling from the sky, but will offer her protection when she's sitting still? I suppose, as far as Mother's concerned, doing such a thing would not constitute intervening, Teles thought with a shrug.

 

Miroku nodded briefly, giving his thanks before hurrying back into battle, and Teles could see that where one disaster had been averted, another surfaced -- the Hydra was snarling, steaming blood pouring from the wound from Kagome's arrow, which was healing, but very slowly, oddly enough. In addition to that, the spots where the little monk's ofuda had hit the Hydra were still red, angry-looking welts, standing out starkly against the shimmering green scales.

 

Without warning, the Hydra advanced, and with a violent swing of one strong arm, it knocked Inuyasha aside as if he were nothing more than a toy, and with a swipe of its claws, the Hydra slashed across Inuyasha's torso before tossing him into a nearby storage shed, reducing the building to splinters. Turning, it used the force of its body, its uninjured wing colliding with Sesshoumaru and jarring the youkai's shoulder as he raised his arm to strike. The blow sent Sesshoumaru skidding backwards through the dirt and knocked Toukijin out of his hand - the blade sailed end over end before landing solidly in the frozen earth some distance away. Furious, Sesshoumaru bared his teeth in a snarl at the Hydra before moving forward in a blur, claws raised, green acid dripping from the tips.

 

Teles cried out as Sesshoumaru attacked, his claws rending through the thick, leathery wings, and as she did, she felt something tighten in her abdomen. She bit her lip and shook her head. Your father will be fine, little one. He cannot soothe you now, but he will be fine. And if he is not fine, I am going to rip both arms from his body and beat him with them. After a moment, the sensation passed and she turned her attention back to the melee.

 

All of the Hydra's heads were still screaming, every one of them swiveling at the same time to lunge for the youkai. Blood cascaded from the wound, splashing Sesshoumaru, who leapt back, but not in time. His pristine kimono was splashed liberally with the dark liquid, and his left arm glistened red, nearly to the elbow. Sesshoumaru took another step forward, raising his arm again, perhaps intent upon removing the Hydra's wing from its body entirely, but there was a slight check in his step, and while he was still poised to attack, Teles saw a grimace pass over Sesshoumaru's face.

 

Teles stared, unable to look away. “What has he done?”

 

“Something very foolish,” Aphrodite replied with a sigh.

 

The line of his jaw tightened for a moment, but the minor hesitation spoke volumes to Teles. The Hydra's blood still coated his arm and had eaten through his kimono, and Teles could see the burns and sores blistering Sesshoumaru's arm. He looked at the appendage for a moment, only taking enough time to shake his arm once, flicking his fingers free of the Hydra's blood and advancing again. This time, the long, glowing energy whip trailed from his claws, and it snapped out, wrapping neatly around one of the Hydra's necks, severing it almost instantly, the flesh searing and crackling as the burning cord sunk through blood and bone. One head fell to the ground as the others swiveled madly, shrieking their dismay.

 

Another head did not form.

 

Angry that the youkai had managed to remove one of its mortal heads, the Hydra lunged again for Sesshoumaru, who leapt back again and was regarding it with narrowed eyes, the whip pulsing and glowing as it trailed across the ground.

 

This new development did not go unnoticed by the rest of the group. Inuyasha, bloody and furious, had pushed himself out of the wrecked storage shed in time to see Sesshoumaru's weapon cut through the serpentine neck. The hanyou let out a yell that died in his throat when he realized what had happened - or, rather, what wasn't happening.

 

Nearly blind with rage and pain, the Hydra turned away from its other opponents, focusing wholly on Sesshoumaru.

 

Or, at least, it had been doing that when an arrow, glowing with bright blue light, lodged into its back, right between the wings. The pierced flesh directly around the arrow glowed bright red before turning a black and charred. The Hydra's fury was now pushed to new heights, and while most of the heads were trained on Sesshoumaru, two of them swung around, eyes narrowed predatorily. And when it saw Kagome, who was already nocking another arrow, it turned away from Sesshoumaru completely, letting out a shriek as it charged the young woman. Trembling, she let her arrow fly, but her nerves were too frazzled -- the arrow went horribly astray. Teles heard Inuyasha bellow, his voice nearly lost behind the unearthly shrieking.

 

“Kaze no Kizu!”

 

And then there was nothing but light. It engulfed the Hydra and drowned out its screams. When the blaze faded, nothing was left but scarred earth and thick, black, mud that steamed and hissed in the cold air. A startling silence followed, and for a fraction of a moment, no one quite knew what had happened. The Hydra had been there, and now it wasn't. Miroku blinked, staring at the ruined earth, looking almost puzzled. Sesshoumaru was rising to his feet, shaking his head slightly to clear it.

 

Inuyasha's hoarse yell cut through the hush. "Kagome!"

 

But Teles found she couldn't look away from the spot where the Hydra had been. The others were talking -- perhaps even celebrating -- but she didn't hear any of what they were saying. She looked up briefly and saw Sesshoumaru watching her, wariness in his gaze. She pursed her lips and nodded once, looking again at the ruined ground. I have a bad feeling about this. And I think he does, too.

 

Then the sludge started to move, beating with a slow, thick pulse.

 

"I had a feeling Echidna's darling would not be so easily dispatched," Aphrodite murmured.

 

From somewhere behind her, Inuyasha's "What in the fuck?" let Teles know that he too had seen the latest development.

 

"I did tell you that the Hydra is immortal, Inuyasha." Teles paused and looked at the hanyou. "It is immortal," she said, simply.

 

"How long do you think it will take before it puts itself back together?" Sango asked. She was standing now, and if she was at all unsteady, Teles saw no sign of it. Granted, the little monk was watching her with a hint of concern in his eyes, but he said nothing that would discourage her from entering the fray once more -- possibly because he respected her too much, or possibly because he knew she wouldn't listen. It was hard to tell.

 

Unsure of how to answer the taiji-ya, Teles worried her bottom lip between her teeth, one hand slowly massaging the base of her abdomen as she looked at Aphrodite for input. Unfortunately, the goddess had very little to add. She let out a deep sigh and shook her head, saying, "I don't believe Heracles had such a weapon in his arsenal. I have no idea how long it will take to reassemble itself, but let us hope that it is long enough for you to conceive a plan."

 

"It's evident that cutting off the Hydra's mortal heads would work if we could figure out a way to tell which head is the immortal one," the monk replied, glancing back at the Hydra's pulsing remains.

 

"But we're assuming the Hydra will reassemble itself exactly how it was before," Kagome said, thoughtfully. Maybe after Inuyasha's Kaze no Kizu, it will start over from scratch. Maybe it'll only have one head."

 

"A nice thought," Aphrodite said, grimly, "but I'm not sure how likely that is."

 

After a moment, Sango cleared her throat and stepped forward. "I... think I might have noticed something useful while I was with Kirara above the Hydra. I'm almost positive that some of the heads have different color eyes. The heads were moving so quickly it was hard to tell for sure, but some of the heads have black eyes, and some have red."

 

Sesshoumaru was silent for a moment before turning and walking to where the head he'd severed still lay on the ground, nudging it with his foot. "It has black eyes."

 

"So, if you cut off a mortal head and cauterize the wound, it'll stay gone" Kagome said. "Sango, do you think Kirara can help with that?"

 

Sango chuckled and rested her hand on the firecat's head. "I think she might be able to manage."

 

"Great," she said with a nod. "Shippou-chan, what about you? Do you think you can ride on Inuyasha's shoulder and use your foxfire to cauterize the wounds as he cuts off the mortal heads?"

 

The kitsune's eyes bugged. "Wh-what? But what about Kirara?"

 

"We can accomplish twice as much if you and Kirara work with Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha." She paused. "Unless you'd rather ride on Sesshoumaru's shou--"

 

"No, that's okay!" Shippou chirped, scurrying up to perch on Inuyasha's shoulder, his tail twitching. The hanyou sent him a dark look, but didn't say anything. "I don't mind helping Inuyasha out!"

 

Teles glanced back at where the Hydra was reforming. It was a throbbing mass of bone, muscle and sinew now, and slowly, with a noise like rocks sliding against each other, wet scales stretched across patches of the body. Again, she felt that now-familiar twinge of what was certainly anxiety, which presently seemed to spread to her lower back.

 

Sesshoumaru rejoined the group. “You are assuming I require your help at all.” He glanced back at the Hydra's body. “Now that I know how to identify the mortal heads, I will require no assistance.”

 

“That's all well and good, little youkai,” Aphrodite said wryly, “but how do you plan to dispatch it once you've whittled the heads down to one? Because, as we've established, it is quite definitely an immortal creature.”

 

He inclined his head at her. “And how did your half-god deal with it?”

 

“Heracles had divine blood running through his veins -- enough to give him holy powers that enabled him to mystically seal the creature beneath a rock.”

 

There was a long silence and Teles became aware that Inuyasha was looking pointedly at Kagome. “Seal it?” he asked, his gaze never wavering.

 

Kagome's widened her eyes and took a step back, shaking her head. “Inuyasha, no.”

 

“Kagome...”

 

“I can't! I don't know how!”

 

“Well figure it out,” he growled.

 

“What do you mean, `figure it out'? This isn't exactly a good time to experiment!”

 

The little monk looked between his friends, his eyes widening in dawning comprehension. “Inuyasha, I can't decide whether that's an excellent idea, or the most foolish thing you could have suggested.”

 

“She can do it!” Inuyasha insisted, pointing a clawed finger at Kagome.

 

“It isn't like I've ever done it before!” she cried. “That was Kikyou. Not me.”

 

“Forgive me, Kagome-sama,” Miroku replied, placing one hand on her arm, “but you do seem to share many of Kikyou-sama's powers.”

 

“But this is different!” Kagome insisted, gnawing on her bottom lip.

 

Teles and Sesshoumaru exchanged a glance. She knew that Kagome had spiritual powers, and she vaguely remembered the girl telling her the story of the doomed priestess, who happened to be her previous incarnation, but she has still having a hard time following the discussion.

 

“Inuyasha,” Sesshoumaru said, looking at his half-brother.

 

“What?” came the gruff reply.

 

“What in all of the gods' names are you talking about?”

 

“Kagome can do it!”

 

“No, I can't!”

 

Inuyasha's head turned with a jerk. “For fuck's sake, will you at least TRY?”

 

She hugged her arms around herself, looking at the Hydra with no small amount of trepidation. “But what if—”

 

He jerked one shoulder in a shrug, glancing back at the monster, steaming, half-formed organs bubbling forth with a squishing sound. “Then we'll figure something else out.”

 

It seemed to take no time at all for the Hydra to reassemble itself, but by the time it had, its opponents had arranged themselves strategically, forming a half-circle around the Hydra, watching intently as the heads finished forming. It blinked large, almond-shaped eyes, the lids moving rapidly and with a muted clicking sound as its four heads moved with serpentine grace, watching the compatriots hungrily. Sure enough, one head had gleaming red eyes, while the other four had eyes as black and limitless as obsidian.

 

The fighters exchanged a quick glance before springing into action again. Miroku distracted the immortal head, his ofuda burning the monster's vibrant green scales. He dodged its snapping jaws, miscalculating as he blocked with his shakujou; the staff was nearly reduced to splinters. Meanwhile, Sango and Kirara flew upwards, tempting one of the Hydra's heads into following her. Hiraikotsu whizzed past in a blur just as Kirara directed a blaze of fire at the severed neck, even before the head hit the ground. She looked down in time to see the monk's staff get lost to the monster's jaws, and the firecat swept down in a haze of flames, distracting the immortal head away from the monk, who, Teles noticed, still had a slightly grey cast to his skin.

 

“The Hydra's venom is still in his body,” Teles murmured, still rubbing her lower back and frowning as the monk continued to fight, focusing his attacks on the Hydra's body.

 

“Indeed,” Aphrodite replied.

 

“Will he recover?”

 

“Perhaps.”

 

Teles looked at the goddess. “What do you mean, `perhaps'?”

 

“He has to survive the battle in order to recover from it, daughter.”

 

Teles gritted her teeth, looking back at the tableau. Sesshoumaru had again used his whip, severing another of the mortal heads as Inuyasha cut through the final neck with his sword before Shippou released a blinding burst of blue foxfire.

 

Inuyasha looked over his shoulder, where Kagome stood, poised with an arrow ready. “Now, Kagome!”

 

The girl nodded and swallowed hard, drawing back on the bow; she closed her eyes briefly, as if offering up a desperate prayer. When she opened her eyes, the arrow's tip had begun to pulse with a blue light, and when she released it, the light grew brighter, engulfing the entire weapon until Teles could see nothing more than a light streaking through the air. It hit the Hydra with a solid thunk, and the beast screamed in agony as the flesh around the arrow wound steamed and glowed red.

 

It was in pain, and it was angry, but it was not sealed.

 

Again, Inuyasha turned to look at Kagome. He opened his mouth to say something - perhaps encouragement, perhaps to scold her - and when he did, Teles saw the same thing Kagome did: the Hydra saw that one of its opponents was diverted. Like a striking cobra, the Hydra's head swooped down, its neck moving with all the grace of Sesshoumaru's whip.

 

“No!” Kagome drew and nocked another arrow with speed Teles had never seen the girl display before. Again the arrow pulsed and glowed, but when it hit the Hydra, the effect was entirely different. Rather than screeching in agony, the monster looked vaguely surprised. With a shudder, it went still, the immortal head falling hard on the frozen ground, landing too near Inuyasha for Shippou's comfort. The kit hopped off the hanyou's shoulder and scrambled backwards.

 

Everything was suddenly quiet. The Hydra's red eyes closed, and it went still.

 

Kagome stood, staring at the silent monster, and Teles could see the girl's face was pale and her hands were shaking. Inuyasha strode over to her, still paying no attention to the wounds the creature had inflicted on him.

 

“I told you that you could do it.”

 

But Kagome only took one look at him, his robe torn and red with blood, and burst into tears. The hanyou looked alarmed and took a step back. “Kago—”

 

She threw her arms around his neck and cried hard into his shoulder. “You nearly got yourself killed, you big idiot!”

 

It was as if everything around them were finally allowed to exhale. Sango climbed off Kirara and went to Miroku, looking at him critically and speaking to him in soft tones. He only shook his head and leaned against the taiji-ya, wrapping his arms around her in a firm embrace. Sesshoumaru walked across the ruined ground and looked down at Teles, his face impassive. “I told you I would do it.”

 

Teles bit her tongue, wanting to point out that he'd hardly done it alone, but her relief was too great. Emotion tightened in her chest and she too found herself blinking back tears. Shaking her head, she went to him. “Idiotic youkai,” she said, her voice husky. And as she put her arms around his body, mindful of his injured arm, she shuddered slightly, wincing as her lower back tightened again.

 

“So you've said,” he murmured. “Numerous times.” Looking down, he saw her wince. “Beloved, are you all right?”

 

She nodded, her hand massaging the base of her spine. “I was merely worried, and I think the child sensed it.”

 

“Little youkai,” Aphrodite said, taking a few steps closer to the Hydra and examining it, “what do you wish to do with this?”

 

“I wish to kill it. But apparently that is an impossibility.”

 

“Might I make a suggestion?”

 

He regarded her a moment. “If I said no, I doubt it would stop you.”

 

The goddess smiled. “You're learning.”

 

“Very well. Your suggestion?”

 

As they were talking, Teles felt something odd - a strange sort of warm release. She peered down, around her swollen belly. Fluid was trailing down her legs and dampening her tabi. A small puddle of fluid was forming between her feet. She frowned. It didn't feel as if she'd lost control of her bladder. So what had happened? She prodded at her belly with gentle fingertips. Did I just break?

 

“I think the Hydra would make a lovely tribute for Ryujin,” Aphrodite was saying. “I'm sure he could find use for it.”

 

Sesshoumaru appeared to consider this. After a moment, he nodded. “Yes. I believe such a creature would do well under Ryujin's command.”

 

“Excellent. I will present it to him.”

 

The youkai blinked once. “You... will?”

 

“Mmm. I have a feeling you're going to have your hands full.”

 

He frowned faintly. “Why is that?”

 

Aphrodite didn't reply - she only nodded at her daughter, who wore a peculiar, almost puzzled expression on her face as she stared at the liquid pooling on the ground.

 

Sesshoumaru glared at the goddess. “What's happened to her?” he growled. “What have you done?”

 

Unable to help herself, Aphrodite laughed, shaking her head. “Little youkai, you had far more to do with Teles' current state than I.”

 

The goddess' mirth only angered Sesshoumaru further. “Then tell me what is happening to her.” He glanced again at Teles, who was looking increasingly discomfited. “Why is she...” he trailed off as Miroku and Sango noticed the situation and hurried over. They both appeared to have recognized the problem, which only seemed to annoy Sesshoumaru further.

 

“Sango,” Miroku said, his tone urgent, “go find Kaede-sama.” The taiji-ya nodded and ran off. “Kagome-sama,” he called out. The girl ran over, Inuyasha close behind. She too seemed to understand the significance of the fluid on the ground, and her eyes widened.

 

“She is having your child, little youkai,” Aphrodite explained, patiently.

 

Sesshoumaru looked up from the flurry of activity. “...Yes, I realize that.”

 

“No, Sesshoumaru,” Miroku interjected as he and Kagome began leading Teles back to the quarantine hut, moving carefully but with definite necessity. “She's having it now.”