InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Blackout ❯ Fire and Metal ( Chapter 14 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

Disclaimer: I don’t own Inuyasha or any of the publicly known characters, plot, etc.  I’m just renting them from Rumiko Takahashi, Viz, etc.   I do own the plot of this story and any original characters I’ve created.  I will make no money from this fic; I write for my own enjoyment and the enjoyment of my readers.  


Fire and Metal


It began with the grating sound of metal spinning against metal.  Then came five sharp clicks in rapid succession, followed soon after by the sound of wood being cut.  The first thud of a felled tree impacting the earth had barely reached Inuyasha’s ears when the metal blades were upon him.  Reacting quickly, he swatted the first three away with Tetsusaiga, then reversed his grip and smacked the other two in the opposite direction.  His brief sense of satisfaction at having deflected the weapons out of his enemy’s reach dissipated almost immediately.  For instead of losing their momentum and crashing to either side of him, as he’d anticipated, the flying saws looped back around toward their point of origination, clearing out even more trees in the process.  The result was a wide swath of demolished woodland, an open space which would be ideal for the enemy’s ranged attacks.  It also provided Inuyasha with his first glimpse at his opponent.  

The hanyou was simultaneously fascinated and disgusted by what he saw.  The description Yuu had given for Ginkotsu of the Shichinintai did not do this man justice.  If he could still be called a man, that is.  The term ‘monster’ would probably be more appropriate.  From his grotesque face, more than half concealed by metal, to the vicious-looking claw-like appendage which covered what remained of his left arm, Ginkotsu appeared more machine than man.  The most frightening thing about him, of course, was the neat row of five glistening saw blades on his back, still spinning in their holder.  

“Gesh-sh-sh,” Ginkotsu rumbled, in a high-pitched voice with a definite metallic quality to it.  “Inuyasha, I’ve been looking for you.”  

“Ginkotsu,” the hanyou replied coldly.  “I’ll give you one chance.  Walk away now, and I won’t have to slaughter you.”  

“Ge-he-he-heh,” the metal man laughed.  “Do you think I fear a half-breed?  I will slice you and your friends into tiny pieces!”  

Ginkotsu released the blades once more.  Inuyasha parried the four directed at him, all the while keeping one eye on the fifth, which looped around in a shallow arc designed to come in behind him and decimate his three human friends.  He darted back a couple steps and smashed this away as well, then turned to glare at Ginkotsu in fury.  

“Fight me, you fucking coward!  Leave them out of this.”  

“Gesh-sh-sh, let them die, and then we can fight to your heart’s content.”  

Ginkotsu deployed the saw blades again, this time with three coming down the middle and one looping around on either side.  Inuyasha swore under his breath.  This was bad.  If his friends weren’t lying there helpless behind him, he thought he could take Ginkotsu.  He was pretty sure he was quick enough to dodge or block the incoming blades and close the distance to fight hand-to-hand, or even just to free himself up for a moment to blow the bastard away with a Kaze no Kizu.  But protecting the others had essentially rooted him in place and taken his speed out of the equation.  Now he could only parry the blades; he didn’t dare dodge one which could hit his friends, nor could he move away and trust that Ginkotsu wouldn’t target them.  Given their recent experiences with the Shichinintai, this sort of cowardly strategy came as no surprise to Inuyasha.  But that didn’t make it any easier to deal with, especially with his still-healing wounds.  

Fortunately, the timing of the attack was such that he was able to parry all five blades, starting with the three targeting him.  But it was a near thing, so close that in his haste he didn’t quite swing Tetsusaiga with as much force as he should have, and one of the blades ricocheted off to catch him on the forearm.  A superficial injury, to be sure, but such things had a tendency to compound over time if one was not careful.  

This pattern continued for the next couple minutes, though it seemed much longer to Inuyasha, who was soon breathing heavily.  His body was starting to look like it had at the conclusion of the battle against Jakotsu.  Ginkotsu hadn’t managed to cut him deeply yet, but it was only a matter of time at this rate.  The monster was slowly perfecting his timing, making it more and more difficult for Inuyasha to protect himself and his friends.  He gave the latter priority, which naturally left his body to suffer when his defense wasn’t quite up to the task at hand.  The worst part was the non-stop nature of the attacks; Ginkotsu kept the blades in the holder for less than a second after catching them, just long enough to reinvigorate the rotation and alter the timing and aim.  It simply wasn’t enough time for Inuyasha to recover from his frantic parrying and launch a Kaze no Kizu.  

Nevertheless, the hanyou knew he needed to do something.  If he kept letting Ginkotsu wear him down like this, sooner or later he was going to take a serious hit, and then they would all die.  Shippou and Kirara had not woken, leaving them and the humans still propped helplessly against the tree where he’d left them.  The tree…

He dared a glance up at it, and was pleased by what he saw.  The tree was old and thick, and its position on the hillside left it leaning slightly toward Ginkotsu.  It was not much of a weapon, but sometimes you had to use what you had on hand.  Inuyasha waited to make his move, until Ginkotsu filed a salvo which was not properly timed and relatively easy to block.  That done, he leapt into the air and swung Tetsusaiga, chopping clean through the tree about two meters above his friends’ heads.  He sliced laterally at a steep angle so the trunk would not come down on top of them.  It slid off to the side as anticipated, following the path of the cut and plunging to the ground with a dull thud.  Then gravity took over, the tree’s natural lean and the weight at the top pulling it to rapidly descend toward Ginkotsu.  

The metal man was, to be sure, far enough away from the tree so that he personally was in no danger.  But by the time he realized what was happening, he had already retracted his saw blades and deployed them again.  Desperately he pulled them back, but it was too late; they were trapped and tangled by the descending tree’s bulk.  It was the opening Inuyasha had been waiting for.  He leapt up onto the fallen trunk, Tetsusaiga raised high above his head.  

“Kaze no—what?!”  

Inuyasha’s shocked exclamation resulted from the lowering of the gun barrel over Ginkotsu’s shoulder.  Instinctively he killed his forward momentum and leapt back, just before the enemy fired.  The blast rocked the battlefield, sending dirt and pieces of charred wood flying in all directions, and giving rise to a great cloud of dust which obscured the impact zone from view.  

“Ge-he-he-heh, blown to bits, eh?” Ginkotsu observed smugly.  He called his saw blades to return, and all did after struggling out from under the fallen tree’s branches.  One had been crushed and bent out of shape, so he cut the wire and set it aside.  Renkotsu-no-aniki could fix it later, and he still had four usable ones.  Not that he would need the blades to finish Inuyasha off anyway, even if the hanyou had somehow survived the explosion.  No, his sword or even his foot would suffice for that grim task, as well as disposing of the poisoned humans under his protection.  That’s what they get for relying on a half-breed.  Cackling, Ginkotsu stalked forward to complete his victory.  

Inuyasha lay face-down in the dirt, fighting to retain consciousness.  The shell from the gun had not struck him directly, thanks to his quick reflexes.  As a result, his body remained in one piece.  But unfortunately, the blast had been close enough to knock him backwards and rattle his brain, the shock wave ripping open every wound he had suffered this day.  Blood soaked through his clothing and stained the ground underneath him.  His healing abilities were working hard to save his life, and given enough time, he was sure they would.  But time was one thing he did not have.  He had to rise and continue fighting, or his friends would die.  Deep down he knew this was futile; even if he did manage to stagger to his feet, Ginkotsu would cut him down without mercy.  Sudden despair weighed him down, tempting him to surrender to oblivion, just to make his failure easier to bear.  

Sudden warmth flooded his chest, pervading his mind.  Dark and feral, his youkai essence enveloped him in a brutal heat, urging him to surrender to a different kind of oblivion.  His clawed hands twitched, as a powerful bloodlust sent wicked tingles throughout his body.  Still his mind resisted, even as a low, animal growl began to emanate from his throat.  He had managed to control himself the last time he transformed, during the battle against Ryuukotsusei, but then he had been alone.  None of his friends had been especially near to him.  And he wasn’t sure he could stop himself this time.  What good was killing Ginkotsu if he slaughtered his friends afterward, then went on a killing spree until a stronger opponent finally took him down?  If there was anything worse than letting all of them simply die here, that was it.  

Then he felt it, a new kind of urge, faint but rising from deep within.  Protectiveness.  His youkai side was still driven predominantly by bloodlust, but it was no longer completely indiscriminate.  He sensed the natural instinct to protect one’s offspring, and a recognition of mate and pack which he had never before experienced in this state.  If there were innocent humans around, people who he would never kill as a hanyou but were not ‘pack,’ then he would still have reason to resist.  But there weren’t, and what he was sensing from his youkai side seemed to alleviate most of his concerns.  And since he had no other way to save everyone, he allowed himself to fall into the seductive warmth wholeheartedly.  

Ginkotsu froze in his tracks at the pulse of youki, so strong and savage that even a human like him could feel it.  Another followed, then another.  The dust from the explosion gradually cleared, until finally two glowing red eyes became visible, shining through the haze like fiery beacons.  Within moments, the rest of Inuyasha’s battered and bloodied form materialized.  Covered in blood as he was, and with oversized fangs bared in a vicious smirk, he looked like a monster sent from the very depths of hell.  

“Gesh-sh-sh, Inuyasha, you bastard.  How are you still alive?  No matter; carving you up will be more fun this way!”  

Ginkotsu released his four remaining saw blades, all aimed at Inuyasha from different angles to make it nearly impossible for the hanyou to dodge them all.  To his horror, Inuyasha only smirked wider.  In a series of movements which seemed like a blur to Ginkotsu’s human eyes, the youkai before him dodged or swatted away all of his blades with ease.  The last he smashed into the ground hard enough to dent the metal.  Then he cut the wire with a swipe of his claws and picked up the wide circular blade in both hands.  The tortured groaning of metal rang out, as Inuyasha slowly bent the blade, twisting it into an unrecognizable shape before casually tossing it aside.  Ginkotsu could only stare, at a loss for words.  

“Heh, Ginkotsu,” Inuyasha snarled, still with that malicious smile firmly in place.  “Earlier you said you weren’t afraid of a ‘half-breed.’  How about now?”  

Ginkotsu’s response was to once more lower the barrel of his gun and fire a shell.  But Inuyasha’s reaction was swift as lightning, and brutally aggressive.  He darted forward, ducking so the shell passed harmlessly over his head, his powerful legs carrying him out of reach of the resulting explosion.  Then he was upon his enemy, slashing and snarling.  He sliced through the armour plating on Ginkotsu’s chest, plunging his hand deep inside to discover once and for all whether his enemy was man or machine.  He was disappointed to find only gears and other metal parts, rather than warm entrails dripping with blood.  Next he thrust his claws at the enemy’s face, aiming to see if Ginkotsu’s body could still function without his head.  

Ginkotsu blocked the strike with his left arm, Inuyasha’s claws scraping viciously against the metal.  He stumbled back, hounded relentlessly by the hanyou.  More jagged holes appeared in his armour, inflicted by the snarling beast pursuing him, who showed no sign of stopping.  If Inuyasha had his way, this battle would end when one of them was dead, and not before.  Left with no other option, Ginkotsu employed a technique he’d never needed to utilize before, a true last resort.  He twisted his body so that his left side was facing Inuyasha, then manipulated a hidden lever on his right hip.  His left arm detached at the shoulder with a series of rapid clicks, then shot toward the hanyou in a move powered by compressed air.  The multi-pronged claw opened, presenting Inuyasha with a ring of sharp points soaring at him.  

The hanyou-turned-youkai growled in annoyance, but caught the arm by two of the prongs and slammed it into the ground.  He raised his head to glare at Ginkotsu, but the metal man was already in headlong retreat.  This struck Inuyasha as odd, even in his youkai state; it was usually suicide to turn one’s back to an enemy.  There was something funny going on here.  The disturbing ticking noise coming from within the metal arm seemed to confirm this.  Inuyasha’s mind was too clouded with bloodlust to understand why this turn of events filled him with fear, but he reacted instantly to it nonetheless.  Fortunately so, for he had just barely managed to put a few meters of distance between himself and the arm before it exploded spectacularly, with a blast even greater than the previous two.  

The crimson-eyed youkai picked himself off the ground, shaking his head to clear the ringing in his ears.  Such a cheap trick—he wanted to massacre his enemy more than ever now.  He spied Ginkotsu a fair distance off, plodding away as quickly as he could.  Cracking his knuckles, Inuyasha rose to give chase.  He froze with a baleful snarl, suddenly finding that his greatest challenge would come from within.  The damn hanyou wanted to reclaim his sword and take care of his friends.  He wanted to let that bastard Ginkotsu go.  Fucking intolerable.  

Trapped in a haze within himself, the true Inuyasha struggled with all his might.  Ginkotsu was defeated, no longer a threat to his friends.  But he could not say with any certainty that they were safe.  Ginkotsu was a veritable bag of tricks; it would take at least a few minutes to catch him and kill him.  Plenty of time for any other enemies hiding nearby to creep in and slit his friends’ throats.  And they were all still poisoned; he needed to get them to a safe place to rest as soon as possible.  If that meant letting Ginkotsu go for now, then so be it.  

Of course, his youkai side didn’t see it that way.  His body took one small step toward the retreating enemy, then another.  But that was as far as he got.  Bloodlust and protection warred in his mind, immobilizing his body with indecision until finally the latter began to win out.  Turning around, Inuyasha managed to locate Tetsusaiga, lying on the ground the seemingly insurmountable distance of twenty meters away.  Gritting his teeth, he took his first step.  

Crossing that stretch of ground was the most grueling of tests, and taking those final half dozen steps was among the most difficult things he’d ever had to do.  His youkai side was so tempting, so persuasive.  After all, it experienced only pleasure.  No sadness, pain, or doubt, only delight in the suffering and death of others.  He was faster and stronger as a youkai.  Tetsusaiga only held him back.  As a youkai, he could protect his pack and make sure no harm ever came to them.  They would never again be hurt because of a hanyou’s weakness.  Everyone would be better off if he embraced the strong side of himself and did away with the weak, as he’d always dreamed.  It seemed such a perfect argument, that he almost believed it.  But Kagome doesn’t love you as a youkai.  She loves me as a hanyou.  Repeating this mantra over and over in his head, he reached for the sword.  

The moment Inuyasha’s shaking hand closed around Tetsusaiga’s hilt was pure elation, an affirmation of true strength.  His lungs heaved and he collapsed on his back, coughing uncontrollably.  His body felt heavy, and his head throbbed with the effort of fighting a civil war with his own youkai side.  But that was the price of surrendering to his dark lurker, even for a few moments.  The benefits were obvious; he had managed to save himself and his friends from certain death.  And his heightened youkai blood had done much to heal his wounds; he now figured he was in no worse shape than he’d been when the battle with Ginkotsu had started.  The cost was teetering on a knife edge, coming within a hair’s breadth of losing himself.  Inadvertently, Kagome had rescued him again, saved him from himself as she’d been doing ever since her arrival in the feudal era.  It was funny how he could be so confident of her love for him, in its truest and most all-encompassing form, while locked in a mortal struggle with his youkai side.  Now that he was fully in control of himself again, his rational mind remained as uncertain on that point as ever.  But he could ruminate on the nonsensical nature of hanyou psychology later.  Right now, he had more pressing concerns.  

His tremendous efforts had paid off, he was pleased to discover; none of his friends had suffered so much as a scratch through the entire battle.  He picked them up in the same manner as before, now doubly grateful for hiraikotsu.  The bandages which had bound his left shoulder had been fairly well shredded, and being able to keep his arm extended downward instead of actively lifting weight in front of him helped to ease the strain.  He wished he had thought to bring some extra bandages from Kagome’s bag, but there was no going back now.  The battle with Ginkotsu had at least not taken very much time, so there was still plenty of daylight left.  

After throwing a crazed, semi-human wrench at him, fate seemed to smile upon Inuyasha once again.  Within a half hour, he came upon a large temple.  If the monks within were in the mood to take in weary travelers, then this would be the perfect place for his companions to rest.  The one thing which disturbed him was the smell of burnt flesh in the air.  But this place deserved to be checked out at least.  He crept silently up the steps, keeping to the shadows of the entranceway when he reached the top.  To his surprise, the temple appeared almost completely deserted.  The only person he could see was a monk, digging in the dirt off to the side of one of the main buildings.  The smell of burnt flesh seemed to be coming predominantly from that direction, so perhaps he was burying some remains.  But most importantly, Inuyasha could detect no sign of the Shichinintai in the area.  Finally, he deemed it safe to emerge from his hiding place.  

“Oi,” he called out as he approached.  The monk turned and regarded him kindly enough.  He appeared to be a typical holy man, wearing yellow and purple robes, with an angular face below a completely shaved head.  Inuyasha could detect nothing out of the ordinary about him, but he was not in an especially trusting mood at the moment.  He would keep his eye on this monk, just in case.  

“Welcome,” the monk greeted warmly, in a soft-spoken voice.  “I am the priest of this temple.”  Then he craned his neck to the side to get a better look at the humans on Inuyasha’s back.  “Your companions look ill.”  

“Poisoned.”  

“Ah, I see.  Well, bring them inside.  There is little I can do about the poison, but we can at least make them comfortable.”  

Inuyasha followed as the monk led them toward a large building, senses alert for a trap.  But none was forthcoming, and he allowed himself to relax just a little once Kagome, Sango, and Miroku were safely tucked into futons under a sturdy roof.  With any luck, he would not need to move them again until they had recovered.  The monk sat down in front of him, looking like he wanted to have a conversation.  Inuyasha groaned inwardly, but resolved not to be rude to their host.  The guy had done him a favor by welcoming them, not that he would have left even if the holy man had told him to.  

“Are you being pursued?” the monk inquired.  

Inuyasha thought about responding with something arrogant like ‘we’re not being pursued; we’re pursuing,’ but in the end he couldn’t muster the false bravado.  

“Yeah, we are.”  

“By the Shichinintai?”  

Inuyasha glared sharply at the other man, hand drifting down to Tetsusaiga’s hilt.  “How the hell did you know?”

The monk sighed.  “I feared as much.  There have been rumors going around that the Shichinintai have been resurrected.  I returned to this temple yesterday to find everyone burned alive, likely by one of those undead mercenaries.  Now I am the only priest left.”  

Inuyasha felt a pang of sympathy for the man.  “Keh.  Just be glad you weren’t here.  If you ever meet one of the Shichinintai, run away.  Someone like you wouldn’t be able to handle them.”  

“If the rumors of them are true, I believe you are right.  Tell me, do you have any idea why they were resurrected?”  

“It was a youkai named Naraku who did it.  He gave them shards of the Shikon no Tama, which brought them back to life.”  

“Ah, I have heard rumors of this Naraku as well.  They say he is a great evil.”  

“Keh!  Nasty bastard.  I almost killed him the last time we met, would have if my asshole brother hadn’t interfered.”  

“Is that why you are here, to find and destroy Naraku?”  

“Yeah, he’s hiding himself around here somewhere, reconstructing his body from when I tore it up last time.  He’s probably using the Shichinintai as a shield to keep his enemies from finding him until he’s ready.”  

“Hmm…so then the Shichinintai are just being used by Naraku.  As soon as Naraku has recovered, he will likely seek to reclaim the shards of the Shikon no Tama which he gave to them?”  

“Keh.  ‘Course he will.  Naraku’s always wanted to get his grubby hands on the whole jewel.  Can’t do that if he lets the Shichinintai keep pieces of it.”  

“True enough, true enough,” the monk muttered, staring into space for a moment.  Then he came back to himself and stood to leave.  “Well, I am off to complete my duties.  If there is anything I can do for your companions, please let me know.”  

“Thanks,” Inuyasha told him sincerely.  The monk bowed and left.  

Inuyasha took a few minutes to check on his friends.  Their condition was about the same as it had been a few hours ago.  They hadn’t gotten much worse, but of course this also meant that they weren’t recovering.  They were still hovering just on the right side of death, a dangerous place to be.  One push in the wrong direction…  But no, he wouldn’t allow that to happen.  Nothing was going to get anywhere near his friends, at least while he was still breathing.  He settled against a wall to keep watch, senses attuned to monitor his companions and the outside world.  

Shippou began to stir perhaps twenty minutes later, groaning in the early throes of wakefulness.  Seeing this, Inuyasha poked Kirara in the side.  She also stirred, so he placed the drowsy feline in his lap and scratched her head as he knew she liked.  Shippou sat up holding his head, blinking his eyes blearily.  

“How ya feelin’, runt?  It’s about freakin’ time you woke up.”  

“Ugh, my head hurts.  Inuyasha, where are we?” he asked, looking around.  

“A temple.  You remember what happened?”  

Shippou thought for a moment, an action which looked physically painful for him.  “I remember flying on Kirara…did I get poisoned?”  

“Everyone did,” Inuyasha answered somberly, motioning to their human companions.  

“Kagome!  Sango!  Miroku!” the frightened kitsune shouted, hopping over to each of them in turn.  

“Don’t shake them!” Inuyasha ordered, snatching Shippou by the tail and depositing him in his lap next to Kirara, who was now wide awake and staring at the humans in concern.  “That only makes the poison spread faster.”  

Shippou’s bottom lip started to tremble, but he bit down on it and attempted to hold in his tears.  Inuyasha was glad; the last thing he wanted to deal with was a blubbering child.  At least the kid was trying to be brave like a man.  

“H-h-how are they?” Shippou stuttered.  

“Fine, for now.  I gave them an antidote for poison…but they didn’t get any better.”  

“What did you give them?”  

Inuyasha grimaced, praying that Shippou wasn’t about to tell him that he’d screwed up the recipe.  When he was finished his explanation, however, the kit only nodded in approval.  

“You actually got everything right.  I’m impressed.”  

Inuyasha’s eyes narrowed; he didn’t like Shippou’s tone.  “Impressed that I got it right, or shocked that I didn’t fuck it up?”  

“Uh…same difference, right?”  

“Why you little—”

“Ah!  Wait, I know another antidote too!”  

Inuyasha’s fist paused in mid-air.  “You do?”  

“Y-yeah, for some poisons it works better than the one you made.  I’ll go gather the ingredients right now,” Shippou declared, seemingly ecstatic to be able to help in some way.  

“I’ll go with you,” Inuyasha told him.  

“No, stay here with the others in case…well, just in case.  I know exactly what I’m looking for.  Kirara will come with me, right Kirara?”  

The fire-cat mewed and bounded toward the door, leaving Shippou to scurry along in her wake.  Inuyasha frowned, not liking the idea of the two of them going off by themselves.  But there was nothing for it; the risk was necessary if Shippou’s antidote could help the others.  And the kitsune was right about him staying here with the humans.  Just in case an enemy showed up, or just in case of that other thing he didn’t want to think about…

A half hour later, Shippou and Kirara had still not returned, and Inuyasha was starting to worry.  He leaned against the doorway with his arms crossed, tapping his foot impatiently.  The kindly monk was meditating on the porch of the building across from him.  Everything seemed peaceful, but the hairs on the back of his neck were standing on end.  Something wasn’t right.  Then he realized what it was—the birds, which had previously been chirping merrily, had gone deathly silent.  Then came the smell, corpse and graveyard dirt tinged with oil and gunpowder.  Ginkotsu had returned.  

“Dammit!” Inuyasha roared as he charged to meet the stubborn foe.  He had to finish the bastard off before he got close enough to use those saw blades or his gun on the unconscious humans in the temple.  The grounds were rocked by an explosion, as Ginkotsu collapsed the entrance structure with a shell.  Inuyasha leapt over it and landed on the top step, facing down his opponent with Tetsusaiga raised.  

“Ginkotsu!  You just don’t know when to quit, do you, bastard?”  

“Gesh-sh-sh, Inuyasha.  I told you, I don’t fear half-breeds.  You surprised me last time.  It won’t happen again.”  

Ginkotsu released his saw blades, and Inuyasha charged down the steps to meet them.  He smirked, knowing the outcome would be very different this time, since he had two crucial details working in his favor.  First, there was no one in the immediate area who he had to worry about protecting.  Second, Ginkotsu only had three saw blades left, instead of five.  One he blocked aside and the other two he dodged with ease, sending them soaring harmlessly past.  

“Did you honestly think,” he cried, raising Tetsusaiga to deliver the killing blow, “that shit would work on me again?!”  

“Ge-he-he-heh,” Ginkotsu chuckled.  

Inuyasha dodged automatically, as a shell blasted a gaping hole in the steps where he’d just been.  His ears alerted him to new danger, and he turned just in time to block a saw blade coming at him from behind.  Then he had to dart away as Ginkotsu fired another shell, having apparently realized that his gun was his best weapon against the speedy hanyou, now no longer hindered by vulnerable companions.  But Inuyasha was unconcerned; he still had the advantages of mobility and strength.  Even with explosives and sharp metal flying at him continuously, it was only a matter of time before an opening presented itself.  

It did, when Ginkotsu accidently allowed one of the saw blades to get caught in the blast from a shell, throwing it off course.  Inuyasha turned deftly into the opening and charged.  He had to duck the frantic swing of a great axe, but then swung Tetsusaiga laterally and separated Ginkotsu’s torso from his legs.  Both pieces careened backwards, landing in a jumbled heap of twisted metal.  

“Gesh-sh-sh, you bastard.”  

“Keh,” Inuyasha snorted, raising Tetsusaiga to deliver a Kaze no Kizu which would turn Ginkotsu into scrap metal.  An unmistakable odor assaulted his nose at that moment, the acrid scent of smoke.  A fire?  Kagome!  His enemy forgotten, Inuyasha turned to sprint back to the temple and froze at the sight which greeted him at the top of the steps.  

“Kukuku, Inuyasha, you seem surprised to see me like this,” the kindly monk observed, referring to his evil grin and the fiery purple markings now adorning his cheeks.  “What’s the matter?  Did your senses fail you?”  

It took all of two seconds for everything to fall into place for Inuyasha.  The monk was a member of the Shichinintai, likely Renkotsu, the fire user.  He had probably killed the real monks and put on their robes, using that and the smell of graveyard soil which surrounded this place to mask his scent.  Then he had lulled Inuyasha into letting his guard down and leaving his friends defenseless once Ginkotsu showed up.  If they weren’t already dead, they were probably inside that burning building right now, roasting alive.  

Without a word, Inuyasha kicked off the step and launched himself toward Renkotsu.  He didn’t care what tricks the bastard had up his sleeves; he would burst through them or die trying.  Then from behind, a large metal chain wrapped around Tetsusaiga and pulled him to a stop.  Before he could react, flaming wires came down on him from above, entangling his limbs.  Trapped in a raging inferno, he could move neither up nor down.  

“We can’t let you pass, Inuyasha,” Renkotsu taunted.  “Your friends are going to die, either by my fire or from Mukotsu’s poison.  So you can perish here and precede them to the afterlife.  Ginkotsu!”  

“Gesh-sh-sh, goodbye, Inuyasha.”  

The hanyou didn’t need to look to know that Ginkotsu was aiming his gun.  But Renkotsu’s words had filled his heart with renewed determination.  His friends were alive.  There was still time to save him.  A savage snarl tore from his throat, his muscles flexing against his bonds as the powder inside the gun barrel ignited.  He snatched up the blazing wires in his left hand and pulled with all his might, with so much brute force that even a shard-enhanced human stood no chance of holding him back.  He used the resulting downward momentum to carry himself away from the blast zone.  The shell exploded over his shoulder, showering him with debris.  Off balance, partially blinded by smoke and disoriented by the detonation, and with his left hand badly scorched, Inuyasha nevertheless unleased a one-handed Kaze no Kizu with a great cry.  

He didn’t know if he succeeded in killing Ginkotsu.  He heard an agonized shriek, and the sounds of metal being rent and torn asunder, but he had no time to check visually.  He did not even allow himself the slight delay required to kill Renkotsu, as he returned to the temple with every ounce of speed he could squeeze from his injured and exhausted legs.  

What he saw chilled his blood.  The entire building where his friends were resting was ablaze, already collapsing in on itself.  It was a conflagration no human could survive.  His heart ready to shatter, he sprinted toward the burning building, hoping against hope for a miracle.  

Shippou sniffled and squinted his eyes shut, desperately trying to hold back his tears.  He was reaching his limit; he couldn’t keep this up much longer.  Is this all you can do?  Is this the limit of your power?  Kirara nuzzled him in encouragement, but it was no use.  If help didn’t come soon, they were all going to die.  Inuyasha, where are you?  

He had been returning to the temple with the ingredients for his antidote when he caught the scent of smoke.  He and Kirara immediately rushed to the temple, only to find the building where their friends were resting on fire.  Upon going inside, he discovered to his horror that all three humans were still there, and Inuyasha was nowhere to be found.  With the path to the outside world rapidly becoming blocked by flames and falling debris, Shippou had scrambled for a way to save them and eventually come up with using his kitsune-bi.  The blue flames would keep the real fire at bay, for as long as he could maintain it.  

Of course, the kitsune-bi would not prevent them from being crushed by falling beams.  That unfortunate task fell to Kirara.  The fire-cat shrieked in pain as she caught the heavy piece of timber with her back.  And suddenly Shippou was unsure which would give out first, his strength or Kirara’s.  

Then came a sound which was music to Shippou’s ears—Inuyasha’s muffled cursing, followed by repeated grunts of exertion.  The hanyou was making his way through!  

“Inuyasha, in here!  Hurry!”  

“Hang on, Shippou!  Fuck!”  

The cursing and grunting intensified, growing in volume as Inuyasha’s efforts drew nearer to fruition.  Then Shippou saw him, a wild creature tearing through burning wood, flinging aside tree-sized chunks of timber as if they were nothing.  Heedless of the fire and heat he plowed on, the glint in his eye one of savage desperation.  Shippou found himself in awe.  Inuyasha had burns all over his body, wherever skin was exposed.  His hair was blackened in places, and dark blood dripped down his left arm onto the floor whenever he moved.  Yet still he pushed his body to the limits, ignoring or even embracing the pain as he single-mindedly fought to save those he held dear.  

Shippou felt pride swell within him.  If Inuyasha would give so much, how could he do any less?  And so he vowed, that he would die before allowing his kitsune-bi to be extinguished.  The blue flames would protect his friends until his final breath had left his lungs, and his heart stopped beating.  Fortunately, Inuyasha reached him well before his situation became that desperate.  But it was still by far the longest he’d ever maintained his kitsune-bi, and he felt a sense of grim satisfaction that he had done all he could.  The solemn nod Inuyasha passed him was from one man to another.  

Rather than going back the way he had come, Inuyasha simply tore apart the nearest wall.  Then he somehow carried all three humans out at once, not stopping until he had laid them safely in the courtyard of the temple.  Only then did he sink to his knees and give in to the coughing fit which gripped his burned and bloodied form for the better part of a minute.  Knowing he could do nothing for Inuyasha, Shippou checked on the others.  What he discovered brought fresh tears to his eyes, a few rogue droplets sliding down his cheeks.  But he was a man; he would not cry.  No matter what happened, he would not cry.  

“Inuyasha…they’re b-barely breathing.”  

“I know.  Fuck!”  

Inuyasha eyes watered as he continued coughing.  Normally smoke didn’t bother him so much, but his body was pretty beat up right now.  Not that he cared.  If Kagome and the others died, nothing else mattered.  Dammit!  If only I’d figured out who Renkotsu was.  How could I have trusted him?!  

“They need another antidote,” Shippou sobbed, seemingly on the verge of a breakdown.  “But I—I—”

“It’s okay, Shippou,” Inuyasha told him, realizing what had happened.  “It’s not your fault.”  

And it wasn’t.  Shippou had seen the building on fire and forgotten all about the ingredients he had gathered, which had probably been incinerated or blown away in the wind.  Inuyasha couldn’t blame him for that.  

“You saved everyone from being burned alive, Shippou.”  

That seemed to raise the kitsune’s spirits slightly, though his bottom lip still quivered.  The kit was trying to be brave, but if this went south, Inuyasha knew there were going to be some serious waterworks.  Again, not that he would blame Shippou.  Hell, he might even join in.  

But all was not lost yet.  He had an idea.  A brilliant, insane idea.  What Kagome and the others really needed was an antidote from the creator of the poison, Mukotsu himself.  That was obviously impossible since Mukotsu was dead.  But perhaps he could get them the next best thing.  

“Stay here, Shippou,” he ordered, rising to his feet.  

“Where are you going?”  

Inuyasha lips twisted into a dark, predatory grimace.  

“Hunting.”  

Renkotsu sighed unhappily.  This is so undignified.  He was referring, of course, to the way the two Saimyoushou were carrying him by his robes.  They fluttered a half dozen meters above the ground at a slow pace, though it was faster than he could run.  This he grudgingly admitted might be very important, especially if a vengeful Inuyasha decided to pursue the man responsible for his friends’ deaths.  He actually wished they could go faster, but the little insects could only do so much while bearing his body weight.  About a dozen of them had shown up a few minutes after Inuyasha left, but most had been needed to carry what remained of Ginkotsu.  It was truly amazing that the metal man could still be repaired when reduced to barely more than head and shoulders.  Renkotsu didn’t mind, since he genuinely enjoyed the task of rebuilding him.  He was already coming up with new ideas.  Maybe something with wheels or treads…

It happened so fast.  One moment, he was hovering comfortably in the air.  The next he was falling, alongside little bits of shredded wing and exoskeleton.  A tremendous impact came from the side, a crimson blur which bore him to the ground and slammed him up against a tree.  As his head stopped spinning, the indistinct splotch of gold across his vision solidified into the molten eyes of his hanyou pursuer, glimmering with murderous intent.  And just when he was wondering why Inuyasha hadn’t killed him yet, the hanyou spoke.  

“I just have one question, Renkotsu.  Give me a straight answer or I’ll rip your fucking throat out.  Can you make an antidote to Mukotsu’s poison?”  

Renkotsu’s mind slowed to a crawl.  So Inuyasha…wasn’t here to kill him?  He laughed, a cruel, mirthless sound, until the hanyou slammed his head against the tree again.  

“Answer me, dammit!”  

“So, Inuyasha, your friends survived the fire, but are now lying on death’s door due to the poison.  Does that about sum it up?”  

“If you understand, then you know that your answer is the only thing keeping me from tearing you to pieces.”  

“Hm, true enough.  Very well then, I suppose I shan’t make you wait any longer.  Yes.  Yes, I can prepare an antidote for Mukotsu’s poison.  I do not know all of his secrets, but I have—”

“Good.  Let’s fucking go then!”  

“Wait a moment!”  

“What the fuck is it?”

“Just the matter of my compensation.”  

Deathly silence descended upon the area, as Inuyasha glowered dangerously at his captive.  “Your what?” he snarled in a low voice.  

“My compensation,” Renkotsu replied, seemingly unconcerned by the hanyou’s ire.  “In common speech, what do I get for helping you?”  

“How about getting to walk out of here with your head still attached?!”  

“That is not enough.”  

“Why you—”

“Inuyasha, if what you said about Naraku is true, then my days are numbered no matter what happens today.  I require something from you which will help me defend myself against my ‘benefactor’ when the time comes.  I require your shards of the Shikon no Tama.”  

Inuyasha growled viciously, lifting Renkotsu off the ground by his robes.  “Maybe you don’t get it.  If you don’t help me, I’m going to tear out your intestines and strangle you with them.  Take that offer or fucking leave it.”  

“Then I refuse.  If I fail to obtain the jewel shards, I might as well be dead already.”  

Renkotsu could tell how much that response shocked the hanyou.  But he was not bluffing.  This was a contest of wills, one he knew he would win, for the simple reason that Inuyasha had a lot more to lose than he did.  And when the hanyou unleashed a torrent of cursing which would put even the most hardened soldier to shame, Renkotsu took a moment to revel in his victory.  

“Fine, you bastard,” Inuyasha snapped when he was finished swearing.  “I’ll give you the shards when Kagome and the others wake up.”  

“That will not be necessary.  I have already taken them, you see.”  Renkotsu could tell that Inuyasha was about to launch another tirade, so he hastily added, “How I came to possess the shards is merely semantics.  What matters is whether you agree to my terms.  Do we have a deal?”  

Inuyasha nodded brusquely, now apparently too disgusted to speak.  Renkotsu smirked.  Could he have simply walked away with the jewel shards without mentioning them?  Probably; the odds were low that the hanyou would have noticed.  But there was always the chance of discovery.  And if Inuyasha had found that the jewel shards were missing after his friends were awake, that might’ve spelled disaster.  You had to get a good guy, ‘man of his word’ type like Inuyasha to agree to everything up front.  And now that the terms were fully accepted, he was ready to set out.  He only hoped that the humans were still clinging to life by the time he walked all the way back to the temple.  

But Inuyasha had other ideas, as Renkotsu was disappointed to discover.  If being carried around by the Saimyoushou was undignified, this was intolerable.  If any of his companions saw him like this, he would never live it down.  To think that he, the great fire-user Renkotsu, would be thrown over a hanyou’s shoulder like a sack of produce!  And ass backwards no less!  To make matters worse, Inuyasha didn’t seem to care if he got hit in some ‘tender areas’ by the occasional tree branch.  Renkotsu swore the bastard was doing it on purpose.  That’s fine, Inuyasha.  Have your fun.  I will survive this.  I am going to walk out of that temple with my life, and all of your shards of the Shikon no Tama.  And all I have to do for you is save a few pathetic humans.  

Oh, yes, it was quite obvious who was getting the better end of that deal.  Ow!  Damn, that stings!  

Forty minutes later, they were ready.  Renkotsu had gathered his ingredients from a hidden storehouse in one of the other buildings.  Of course, the bastard had known beforehand that Shippou was going to hunt for some items, most of which could be found in said storehouse, and hadn’t said anything.  But Inuyasha would forgive that little ‘oversight’ if Kagome and the others survived.  

“Inuyasha, I feel that I should reiterate what I was trying to tell you before.  Mukotsu was a master of poisons.  I am not.  I cannot be certain that this antidote I have prepared will work.”  

“If they die, so do you,” Inuyasha replied evenly.  “You can ask Mukotsu how to make the right antidote when you see him in hell.”  

Renkotsu chuckled nervously at that.  “Fair enough.  So, who shall do the honors?”  

“All of us at once,” Inuyasha said, not wishing there to be any delay in getting the antidote into any of their systems.  Nodding, Renkotsu separated the potion into three cups.  

“Make sure they drink every last drop,” he advised, moving to sit beside the closest of the unconscious humans, which happened to be Miroku.  Shippou gingerly carried his cup over to Sango, and Inuyasha naturally took custody over Kagome.  He watched Renkotsu for a moment, and was satisfied that the mercenary was taking proper care with Miroku, so as to not make him choke.  Then he turned to his own task, gently lifting Kagome’s head off the pillow and ever so slowly beginning to feed her the antidote.  

She didn’t like the taste; that much was obvious.  Her eyes would scrunch up every time it touched her tongue, and her throat didn’t want to swallow.  But Inuyasha was the living embodiment of patience, and over the next ten minutes he tenderly coaxed her into draining the entire cup.  When she was finished, he raised his head to regard Renkotsu and Shippou, who had both completed the task about a minute ago and were watching him.  He might’ve been embarrassed at the scrutiny if he wasn’t so worried.  

“So what now?” he demanded.  

“Now, we wait,” Renkotsu replied, sitting back against a wall and closing his eyes.  Inuyasha did the same, with Shippou and Kirara settling in his lap as before.  The kitsune was shaking, his face unnaturally pale, his bright green eyes dilated.  Inuyasha wondered how the kid had managed to feed the potion to Sango, but not a drop had been spilled.  He sensed that this was more than merely fear that his friends would die.  No, this went deeper.  Shippou’s eyes were haunted, as if past and future were melding miserably into one.  

Inuyasha was not a man of many words.  He found that sometimes actions just worked better.  So when he put his hand on Shippou’s head and ruffled his hair affectionately, drawing the kitsune’s gaze, he willed his feelings to be clear.  No matter what happens, kid, you’re with me.  I won’t let you be alone again.  Shippou’s eyes watered and his bottom lip set to trembling again, but he sniffled and held back his tears.  He did finally relax, however, slumping tiredly against the hanyou as he resumed his watch over his friends.  Inuyasha wrapped his arm around the kit, enfolding him in the sleeve of his haori, receiving as much comfort from the action as he gave.  

Over the next several hours, as afternoon turned to dusk and finally to night, something magical happened.  It was gradual, almost painfully so, but over time Kagome, Sango, and Miroku began to improve.  Their breathing became stronger, until finally they appeared to be simply sleeping deeply rather than deathly ill.  Some color returned to their skin, replacing the disturbing pallor.  For the first time since they were poisoned, Inuyasha felt real optimism.  But he would not allow himself to truly rejoice until they woke up, and it was several more grueling hours before any of them showed signs of waking.  Finally, at around midnight, Kagome groaned in her sleep and fluttered her eyes open.  

The first thing she saw, when her vision focused, was the beautiful face of her hanyou gazing down at her.  His mouth was slightly agape with awe, his eye wide and shining, like a child receiving a wonderful gift.  It was as though seeing her wake up was the most amazing thing that had ever happened to him.  His hand hesitantly cupped her cheek, as if to verify that she was really there.  She leaned into his touch, drawing comfort from the warmth of his palm.  She felt incredibly crappy right now, but this was nice.  

Shippou tried to contain himself so as to not ruin the romantic mood, he really did.  But soon youthful exuberance won out.  

“Kagome!  Kagome!  Kagome!” he cried, flinging himself onto her chest and putting his face so close to hers that she had to go cross-eyed to look at him.  

“Hi, Shippou-chan,” she managed.  

“Oi, oi,” Inuyasha grumped, reaching to swat the kit off of her.  But Shippou was already gone, poking and prodding Sango and Miroku into wakefulness.  Inuyasha scowled, but Kagome favored him with a wry smile, and his annoyance was swiftly forgotten.  

“Inuyasha, they’re all okay!” Shippou exclaimed when all of the humans were awake.  

“Indeed they are,” Renkotsu observed, rising to his feet and dusting off his robes.  “I guess that means I get to live.”  

“I guess it does,” Inuyasha admitted.  

“Well, then I’m glad I judged you correctly, Inuyasha.  You are indeed a man of your word.  And so I shall give you mine.  It will take several days for your friends to recover fully, but they will recover.  They would not have regained consciousness if the poison was not working its way out of their bodies.”  

“Good.  Now get the hell out of here.”  

“Kukuku, fair enough.”  

Inuyasha followed him out, across the temple grounds and to the top of the steps.  “I’ll make you an offer, Renkotsu,” the hanyou said, knowing it was probably futile but feeling the need to try.  “Give those jewel shards back and run away from this area, and I’ll promise not to kill you.”  

Renkotsu grinned.  “A generous offer, but I believe I will take my chances.”  

“Suit yourself.  But I will kill you the next time I see you.”  

“I would expect nothing less.  Sayonara, Inuyasha.”  

“Keh.  Tell your buddies that if they’re thinking about attacking me here, I’ll be waiting.  If they’re smart, they’ll know not to fuck with me right now.”  

Renkotsu studied the hanyou for a moment, then departed.  He liked to think that at least some of the members of the Shichinintai were smart, with him of course being the most intelligent.  He took a quick rundown of the state of the Shichinintai.  Kyoukotsu: dead.  Mukotsu: also dead.  Jakotsu: out of action with a broken sword.  Ginkotsu: out of commission until he could be rebuilt.  Suikotsu: unknown.  Honestly, who the hell knew when Suikotsu would wake up?  The last he’d heard, that damn doctor had still been clinging to existence.  Really, the only ones capable of fighting at the moment were himself and Bankotsu, and he wasn’t sure even oo-aniki could take Inuyasha in a one-on-one duel.  

So yes, it would probably be wise for the Shichinintai to regroup and come up with a new strategy before engaging Inuyasha’s group again.  The piecemeal attacks they’d been making so far were clearly not working.  And beyond that, he had never seen anyone fight as desperately as Inuyasha had today.  The hanyou was like an animal, and everyone knew that animals were at their most dangerous when cornered.  

Inuyasha inhaled deeply, then let the tension ebb from his chest as he gazed up at the night sky.  The stars seemed especially brilliant tonight, like a thousand tiny lights shining just for him.  He suspected much of that feeling had to do with the girl slumbering his arms.  Would she have been better off inside with the others instead of out here with him?  Probably.  But this was for him; he needed this.  

They were sitting on the roof of the building which would serve as their home until Kagome, Sango, and Miroku were well again.  It was not as large as the room Renkotsu had tried to turn into their funeral pyre, but crucially it had mostly escaped the blaze.  All three of them had been sleeping again by the time he returned from escorting Renkotsu out.  Shippou had nodded off shortly thereafter, exhausted by the events of the day.  But peace evaded Inuyasha.  He wouldn’t allow himself to truly sleep, since he was the best defense his friends had in this decidedly hostile land.  Normally he would doze off periodically to at least rest his eyes, but every time he closed them, they would snap open again a few moments later, his heart racing.  And each time, he found himself checking on Kagome, making sure she was really alive.  Confirming that her tranquil slumber was only temporary, and not eternal.  Eventually, he’d gotten to the point where he couldn’t take it anymore.  Knowing there was only one thing that was going to help him relax, he gingerly placed Shippou in Sango’s futon and took Kagome, bedding and all, up to the roof.  

Now he sat, in the wee hours of the morning, trying to come to terms with reality.  He looked down at Kagome’s peaceful face, serene in slumber.  She’d stirred when he’d moved her before, but had not awoken.  Part of him wished for her to open her eyes, but he dared not deprive her of the rest she needed.  Left to his own devices, however, his mind wandered.  How close had he come to losing her?  All of his strength, all of his immense power, had nearly not been enough.  Yes, he’d fought frantically, given everything he had in order to save her and the others.  Yet still, their survival would not have been possible without incredibly good luck.  Any number of miniscule variations of chance could have spelled doom.  That was how close he’d come to losing her.  But he hadn’t lost her.  Kagome was alive.  Their baby was alive, its heartbeat strong and regular.  They were going to be okay.  

A burning sensation began behind his eyelids, growing in intensity until finally he was forced to squeeze his eyes shut.  When he opened them again, his vision was blurred.  Not quite believing what was happening, he reached up with his hand and felt the moisture pooling on his cheeks.  Growling in annoyance, he sniffed once and subconsciously tightened his hold on Kagome.  

Why on earth was he crying?  Kagome was okay, wasn’t she?  If she hadn’t made it, then he wouldn’t have been shocked to shed tears.  But he’d never understood this ‘crying with happiness’ bullshit.  Men didn’t do that.  It made no sense, anyway.  Why get all emotional when something good happened?  Just be happy!  But try as he might, he could not stop his tears, which were undoubtedly borne of joy rather than sorrow.  He was glad no one was around to witness his moment of weakness.  

“Inu…yasha?”  

He cursed under his breath.  Evidently he’d squeezed Kagome a bit too hard.  He turned his head away, but it didn’t take a genius to figure out that he was crying like a pathetic child.  He was fully intent on pretending not to notice her state of wakefulness until he’d gotten himself under control.  Then her hand cupped his cheek, gently but firmly turning him to face her.  

One look into her eyes, and he realized how foolish he was being.  Kagome would never view such an emotional display as a sign of weakness.  To the contrary, she would see it as a sign of strength that he was able to feel as intensely as he did.  She was smiling at him now, conveying without words how proud she was, how honored she felt.  Because she more than anyone knew how difficult it was for him to reveal his true feelings at times.  She understood.  And even with the moonlight highlighting the paleness of her skin and the dark bags under her eyes, she was the most beautiful creature he had ever laid eyes upon.  He couldn’t help himself.  He kissed her, desperately at first, then more languidly.  The very touch of her lips buoyed his spirits, lightened his heart.  Kagome wasn’t going anywhere; she was staying by his side where she belonged.  

With as lousy as she felt, Kagome could do little more than lie back and let Inuyasha take what he needed.  Even though the kiss only lasted a few short seconds, it was still enough to set her heart aflutter and make her head swim.  When it was over, she closed her eyes and leaned more fully into his embrace, a contented grin firmly in place.  Time crept slowly by, the rise and fall of Inuyasha’s chest and the rhythmic sounds of the night lulling her back to sleep.  

“Sorry,” Inuyasha said suddenly, jolting her awake once more.  

“For what?” she inquired groggily, to which he gave her an incredulous look.  She almost laughed at the amusing sense of déjà vu which struck her, but was glad she’d managed to restrain herself.  

“Don’t be.  I’m not,” she told him.  She’d meant for her voice to carry a certain sensual quality, but that was hard when even saying a few words left you short of breath.  “But I thought that…you didn’t want to do that sort of thing anymore,” she admitted.  

“You almost died,” he replied grimly, as if that was enough of a reason to break his unspoken vow to keep his distance from her.  And perhaps it was.  

“How…how close was I?” she asked.    

“Close.”  

Kagome digested that for a moment, observing the sudden haunted look in Inuyasha’s eyes and resolving to banish it.  

“You saved us, Inuyasha.  Thank you.”  

“Keh.  Don’t thank me.  I let all of you get poisoned and almost burned alive.”  

“None of that was your fault.  We’re all okay, thanks to you.”  

He didn’t respond, but she could tell that his mood had improved.  That accomplished, she let her mind wander back to see how much memory she could recover.  Not much, unfortunately.  Or perhaps that was a good thing, since she couldn’t recall anything about the fire which had apparently almost killed her.  The one thread she did remember caused her to frown in consternation.  

“Hey, Inuyasha?”  

“Yeah?”  

“That bald guy…was he a member of the Shichinintai?”  

“Yep.”  

“And…you know he walked out of here with our jewel shards, right?”  

Inuyasha sighed.  “It’s a long story, wench.”  

“Tell me tomorrow,” she replied with a yawn.  

“Keh.”  

“Will you also tell me how you got so beat up?”  

Inuyasha had to smile at that.  “Noticed, did you?”  

“Of course I noticed!  I’d offer to bandage you up if I could,” she declared in frustration.  

“I don’t need bandaging.  I’m fine.”  

“You always say that.”  

“Keh.”  

Kagome shook her head, grateful for hanyou healing abilities.  There was unfortunately nothing she could do about his stubbornness.  She was finding it increasingly difficult to keep her eyes open anyway.  

“Go to sleep, wench.”  

“M’kay,” she said, shifting slightly to get more comfortable.  “Inuyasha?”  

“Yeah?”

“You don’t…have to take me back inside if you don’t want to.  I could stay…like this…”

If she meant to continue her sentence, sleep overtook her before she was able to.  Inuyasha returned to gazing up at the night sky, wondering once again how he’d gotten so lucky.  For all the misfortune the Kami had dumped on him over the years, the incomprehensible blessing that was this one girl outweighed the bad a hundred fold.  And he had no intention of letting her go.  I could stay like this too, Kagome.  


A/N – The fact that Shippou’s knowledge of antidotes is better than Inuyasha’s is based on the manga.  At one point, Shippou tells Inuyasha that he administered the antidote.  So I think it’s safe to assume that Shippou prepared the antidote in canon.  I just used a little bit of artistic license to give Inuyasha some knowledge of the subject as well.  He did make that common cold remedy for Kagome that one time.