A single drop of water is all it takes to jolt him awake.

Inuyasha's eyes snap open, only to squint against the hazy shafts of sunlight which filter down from the trees. He rubs at the wet spot on his nose. How long had he been asleep? It's obviously morning, but with the cloud cover it's impossible to tell the exact time of day.

Another drop falls, this time in his hair. He smooths it away as he surveys the forest.

He is alone.

He must have drifted off waiting for Sesshomaru. Where the hell was that bastard?

Another drop. Then another. By the time he stretches and hops down from the tree limb, the rain has begun in earnest.

He inches closer to the tree, shielded by the thick canopy above, and hesitates about his next move. Should he stay here and keep waiting? Just how long was he supposed to wait, exactly? He supposes it's possible that Sesshomaru had gotten lost, but it seems unlikely; their camp site wasn't far, just a little beyond the edge of the forest. Even with Inuyasha's sense of smell he should have been able to track his way back here.

Or maybe Sesshomaru was just running late? He wouldn't put it past his friends to keep a wary eye on him after yesterday's events, so perhaps he was just having a hard time getting away without blowing his cover.

Then again, he also wouldn't put it past his brother to be late just to make him squirm.

Or maybe… maybe he wasn't coming back at all.

Inuyasha snorts. No way. There was no way Sesshomaru wouldn't want his body back. He would come. He just has to wait a little longer.

With a hop he settles back into the branches of the tree, securing a suitable lookout. He drums his dangling feet against the trunk, keeping his eyes trained on the clearing.

The sun is almost at its peak by the time he starts to get angry, and past that when he begins to worry. Sesshomaru could be a rude prick, but he really should have been here by now. Since there was no way he wasn't coming back of his own volition, there was only one conclusion.

Something must have gone wrong.

His heartbeat quickens as he leaps down from the tree. If something had happened to Sesshomaru, then something might have happened to his friends. Miroku. Sango. Shippo.

Kagome.

He steels his resolve. Enough waiting around. If Sesshomaru wouldn't – or, gods forbid, couldn't – come to Inuyasha, Inuyasha would just have to go to him.

Though faint, he can still detect the scent of his companions as he weaves past tall trees and dense brush. The forest protected the scent from the rain, keeping the trail intact. As he stalks toward his destination, he realizes that he no longer feels dizzy and his steps are steady. Everything is still a little more intense than he was used to, but it seems that the rest might have done him some good. It's a small comfort in an increasingly unsettling situation.

When he reaches the edge of the forest he no longer needs to be guided by his nose; he knows by sight which direction to go. Out in the open the rain falls cold and thick on his shoulders, weighing down the ropes of his brother's hair and the heavy silk of his sleeves. He hurries through the meadow until he finds a worn path and follows it until he finds the spot they were camping the night before.

The site is abandoned. The fire pit is there, water-logged and muddy, ringed with the stones Shippo had found along the bank of the nearby stream. But all of their gear is gone.

The people are gone.

He glances around and his heart sinks. There's no denying it. There had been trouble here.

He jogs to the right and takes in the damage to the trees, the jagged gouges in the earth from Tetsusaiga's signature move. In any other circumstance he might have fumed about the fact that his stupid brother was using his sword, but he is too distracted by the blood.

And there's a lot of blood.

It was washing away in the rain, soaking into the mud, but there are immense pools of it. He kneels down to examine it.

At this point in their journey, all of his friends have shed some blood in the name of defeating Naraku. Reluctantly, he leans down and inhales deeply. His shoulders sag in relief. It doesn't belong to anyone he knows. Whatever it was, it seems they took care of it.

Absently he surveys the rest of the scene. There aren't any other obvious signs of a struggles, except –

There. At the foot of a tree. More blood.

He hastens toward it, the stains protected by the foliage above. It had splattered across the trunk of the tree above his head and then pooled at its base. It's fresh enough and thick enough that he doesn't need to get any closer.

This is his blood.

He's smelled it enough to know. Sesshomaru – in his body – had been injured. Badly, by the look of it.

His heartbeat quickens and his eyes swing wide, scenting the air for his companions, but finds nothing substantial. The rain has washed away any leads that he might have had, leaving him to stand soaked in the rain with nothing but a million unanswered questions.

Still, he tries. At even the tiniest hint of his friends he chases the trail, only to come up with dead ends. There are no obvious tracks, no signs of which direction they might have gone. It was like they had vanished into thin air. Which wasn't entirely impossible; between Shippo and Kirara they very well could have taken to the skies. He prays to every god he can think of that this is what happened; that they escaped and are safe, somewhere.

But where?

The sky is beginning to darken by the time he gives up, exhausted and dejected. His brother's armor creaks and sags against him, weighted down with the rain. With a heavy heart he turns away from the scene of the battle and begins to make his way back to the forest where Sesshomaru's group is undoubtedly waiting for him to return.

He knew he shouldn't have let his friends leave without him. He knew it. He should have never listened to his stupid brother. He should have tried harder to follow. And now…

Now his brother could be dead. His body could be ruined. His friends could be in danger. His friends could be…

No. He refuses to think that. They're fine. And his body heals much better than any human's. It would be fine. He would figure out a way to find them, and all of this would work itself out.

But where is he even supposed to start?

Maybe if he just –

A high-pitched scream cuts across his thoughts.

Rin.

With speed even he is unaccustomed to, Inuyasha sprints in the direction of the sound, feet barely skimming the ground, adrenaline pumping as he readies himself for a fight.

And a fight is just what he stumbles upon when he breaks into the clearing.

The little girl is cringing behind the two-headed dragon as Jaken brandishes the Staff of Two Heads, flinging fire wildly at an enormous lizard demon. The toad imp barely rolls out of the way in time to escape its snapping jaws when it lunges for him.

Inuyasha's hand automatically reaches for Tetsusaiga, but he stops himself just in time. No swords. Hand-to-hand. This is what he had practiced for. He could do this.

With a roar he crashes onto the scene, catching the demon's attention. Jaken scrambles to his feet and scuttles back toward the dragon, holding out his shaking staff with wide eyes.

"My lord! Oh thank goodness you're back!"

He glares at his opponent. "Protect Rin. I've got this."

He takes a deep breath and concentrates, tries to feel the solidification of power at his fingertips. Just as the lizard demon charges at him, he cracks the whip with a flourish.

And misses.

The grass sizzles where it strikes the ground, but the lizard dodges sinuously and continues barreling toward him. Inuyasha tries again, but he is too slow; the whip cracks right behind the lizard, catching the tip of its tail and nothing more. It barely flinches as it closes the distance, jaws open and ready to strike.

It hurts less than he thinks it might when the lizard's teeth sink into his thigh, and the scent of his brother's blood blossoms in the night air as it knocks them both to the ground. From across the campsite he can hear the collective gasp of his companions. He scrambles to sit up, punching wildly at the demon with his single fist, only to have it sink its teeth in further. Even when he stabs his claws into the demon's left eye it refuses to release its hold.

His breathing is coming faster, shallower, and the scent of blood is growing stronger. It smears on the ground as he struggles pointlessly against the predator. His punches are becoming weaker, and he's starting to feel dizzy.

This can't be the way that it ends. It can't.

The demonic aura around him begins to crackle with life; he can feel it swirling and shifting all around and within him. For a moment he tries to get it under his control, afraid of what will happen to his companions if he doesn't, but he's too tired, too weak.

He lets go.

A tingling, electric sensation crawls across his skin, and his bones thrum with energy. Something was happening, but he is helpless to stop it. The power builds and he can feel his body stretch and pull, limbs lengthening and shifting beneath him. There is a blinding flash of light and the world tilts.

He finds himself on hand and knees… or rather, on three legs. He blinks confusedly against the rapid change in perspective, which now towers above the treetops. When he glances down he can see one furry claw-tipped paw digging into at the earth. The feral power within him churns, granting him renewed energy and strength. Wild, half-formed thoughts race through Inuyasha's mind. He's like me. When he's threatened, he transforms. I transformed. I'm a giant -

There is a pinch at his hind leg, and he turns his head to see the lizard demon still clinging to him for dear life, its one good eye wide and afraid. If he were in his normal body he might have rolled his eyes. Stupid demon doesn't know when to quit.

He tries to say so, but his voice is replaced with a growl so low and loud that it rattles the nearby tree limbs. With a powerful kick he shakes the lizard demon free, and it sails through the air, landing gracelessly at the edge of the clearing. With a leap Inuyasha is there, landing only a little unsteadily on an uneven number of legs, and snarls at the demon at his feet.

It tries to run, to scramble backward and escape into the forest, but with one quick motion Inuyasha swoops down and bites off its head.

The taste of the demon is foul and he promptly spits out the remains. With the threat eradicated he sits back on his haunches and pants. Far below him, Rin and Jaken come out from behind Ah-Un but aren't brave enough to approach. They tilt their heads back to stare up at him, their jaws slack and eyes wide with awe.

Without warning there is a rush of power and light and the ground races toward him. He is unceremoniously returned to his feet, but pain shoots through his thigh and he stumbles a few paces before seating himself stiffly against a nearby tree. With some effort he twists to examine the wound left by the lizard demon.

The shallow cuts are already healing, skin knitting together as though it was never split. The deeper wounds, the ones that sliced though muscle, are still leaking small amounts of blood as his body rallies to repair itself. It hurts less than he thinks it should, but that's not saying much: that dumb lizard really meant business. He fingers the tears in Sesshomaru's pants and wonders if these will repair themselves too, much like his fire-rat, or if he'll be dealing with a draft until he can find new ones.

The little girl sprints to his side, her hands clasped tightly beneath her chin. "Lord Sesshomaru! Are you hurt?"

Hell yes I am. But he manages to keep a straight face. If his brother was anything it was proud, and he needs to act like it if he wants to keep up this stupid farce. He makes a show of straightening out his legs, as though the stretch of the skin isn't causing needles of pain to stab into his limbs.

"I'm fine. It was nothing."

Rin smiles, her eyes moist. "Oh, I knew you would come through, Lord Sesshomaru! I told Jaken he didn't need to worry, you always come save us!"

Next to her, Jaken sputters. "I was never worried! I told you not to worry, ignorant girl! If you had been following him as long as I have, you would know that no measly demon could possibly hope to defeat our great Lord Sesshomaru!"

The little girl rolls her eyes. "Whatever you say, Master Jaken." She shifts her attention back to Inuyasha. "Is there anything I can get you, my lord? Some water to clean your wounds, perhaps?"

He shakes his head. "No. You shouldn't leave camp. It could be dangerous."

She nods. "Of course." She looks at her feet. "I'm sorry to cause you so much trouble, Lord Sesshomaru. Thank you for rescuing us."

Inuyasha frowns. "It's not your fault. It was Naraku."

Jaken gasps. "Naraku? How can you be sure?"

Inuyasha inwardly winces, but then draws on his most arrogant voice. "Who else would be foolish enough to attack this Sesshomaru?"

Jaken rubs his chin and nods furiously. "Of course! You are so clever my lord. That fiend is always sending his weak minions after you, too cowardly to face you himself!"

You don't know the half of it. Clearly, Naraku wasn't going to waste any time in trying to finish what he started with the dark priestess. More demons were sure to come, and he needed to be ready. Inuyasha nods. "Indeed. Which is why we must be careful. Get some rest; we leave first thing in the morning."

Jaken settles against the dragon's thick hide and props his staff on his shoulder. "Where will we go next, my lord?"

To find my friends. To find my brother.

To kill Naraku.

At the small smile that creeps across his face, Jaken yelps and cowers behind Ah-Un.