Sora pushed him away, trying to get away from the tree and retrieve her sword, which he'd knocked away.

His eyes narrowed, though, and he moved closer, holding her arms at her side as he put his face close to hers. "Stay still for a second and think about this. Do you know just how easily I can kill you right now?" He growled.

"Yeah, and which one of us has claws?" Sora growled back, making no movement after he squeezed her arms tighter.

"Listen to me for a minute." He spoke, glancing around. He didn't seem to see anything, so he spoke again. "You have to get something through your skull. Despite how your family has very little fear of death due to your Father's sword, you aren't immortal. And if you don't get smart about fighting, you're going to die for real here, faster than you can even say a dying word."

"Oh yeah? You gonna kill me?" Sora replied, acting as though she had no real problem with the position she was in at the moment.

"No, but Tentou's another story. And don't give me the crap that your Father can beat him, because we both know he stands almost no chance in this time."

She looked away without a reply, which was all the answer Gouka needed.

"I thought so. Look, I like this about as much as you do, but the most that can be done right now is to wait and see what happens. Maybe I'll keep you posted." He said, moving away and sheathing his sword.

"Why are you doing this?" She asked, watching his back as he began to walk away.

He turned to look back at her and shrugged. "Why not?" He asked, before he was gone, leaving her still looking at where he'd been only moments before.

"Why not, huh?" She murmured, picking up her sword and placing it in her sheath, before standing and walking back to camp. She never noticed the Saimyosho as it flew off silently. "Idiot."

"Sora! Are you okay?"

She looked up at where Kagome and Toushirou were approaching and nodded slightly. "Yeah, I'm fine. Gouka got away."

"So did Tentou and Daichi." Toushirou replied, running a hand through his hair. "No one's hurt, though."

"How did Dad's fight go?"

"Pretty well, I think. Tentou almost got some hits in, but Dad laid a nasty one on his arm."

"Not surprising."

"You get anything on Gouka, then?"

At his mention, Sora's thoughts turned back to when Gouka had kissed her, and the words he said after. "…No." She replied after a moment's pause, lightly touching her lips.

Toushirou merely nodded, before walking away, leaving Sora and Kagome standing there.

"Are you all right, Sora-chan?"

"Huh?" Sora looked up at her aunt, before nodding. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just out of it, I guess."

"Okay. Just making sure."

Sora nodded again, before walking back towards the campfire and sitting down.

"I believe that we should keep watch tonight, just in case. We don't know if they'll come back." Miroku said, standing next to Sango, also near the fire.

"It should be us demons." Toushirou spoke, sitting next to Sora. "We don't need as much sleep."

Hikaru nodded in agreement.

"I'll take first shift." Sora spoke before anyone else could. She glanced at Sesshomaru, who was sitting far away, as always. He didn't speak.

"Second." Toushirou spoke next, a small grin on his face. He, too, glanced over at their father, and seemed to shrug lightly.

"Third." Hikaru spoke quietly.

Inuyasha blinked, feeling as though he had missed something. "Uh…Fourth?"

"That's the spirit, Uncle Inuyasha!" Toushirou spoke with a grin.

"What about Sesshomaru?" Kagome asked, looking over at the demon who showed no sign that he had heard.

"In Mom's words, he's pissed off because he couldn't kill Tentou. Just don't bother him." Sora spoke after glancing once again at her father.

Toushirou nodded slightly, eyes closed. "Yeah, leave him alone, and he probably won't kill you."

"He won't." Hikaru spoke, seeing the somewhat shocked look on his mother's face. "Like Sora said, just don't bother him."

"That's the most you've said all night, Hikaru." Sora grinned lightly. "But seeing as it's getting late, maybe you should all get some sleep."

Toushirou nodded slightly in reply, and almost immediately leaned back, his arms crossed behind his head. He looked over at his sister. "Just wake me up once you're getting tired, Sora."

"Yeah, yeah. I will."

Toushirou nodded again, and said nothing else.

As the rest of the camp began to settle into their own sleeping arrangements, Sora leaned back some, holding herself up with her elbows. She was silent, watching the fire.

Sesshomaru was watching her, not speaking. She could sense his eyes on the back of her head and bit back a smile. "Anything wrong, Dad?"

There was a pause, but she didn't turn to look back at him, waiting for him to speak.

"…I wonder why you bother to set up a watch." He finally spoke, seeing her turn to look at him.

Sora smiled lightly. "For the humans' peace of mind." She replied, sitting up.

Raising an eyebrow, Sesshomaru watched his daughter. "You care that much?"

She shrugged, turning towards the sky. "No, not for most of them. But Hikaru and Uncle Inuyasha do."

Sesshomaru nodded slightly, understanding that his children seemed to be quite family-oriented in the future. Not too bad a thing, he supposed. He also noticed that she again was looking up towards the sky. "Do you do that often?"

"Huh? Oh…yeah. I do it a lot when I'm thinking. It's a habit I've picked up."

"I see." He spoke with another nod. "Who did you pick it up from?"

"You." She spoke with a light smile.

"Ah."

They fell into silence as the fire slowly began to burn out, which was broken only by a sudden, loud yawn.

"You still awake, Sora?" Toushirou asked, sitting up and rubbing an eye.

"Yeah. You think I'm gonna fall asleep on watch?"

"You've done it before."

"Wha-Have not!"

"Have so. Remember when we were little and we were watching for Santa? It was your turn and you fell asleep before you could wake me up."

"Oh yeah..."

Sesshomaru raised an eyebrow slightly, wondering just who this "Santa" person was, and what he was doing in the castle...?

"Anyways, you can go to sleep now. After all, we'll probably have a big day tomorrow...or not. But hey, you never know."

"...Eh, I suppose I might as well." Sora sighed, sensing a yawn coming on and not feeling like being a cliche of a tired person staying up too late. "Night, then."

"Yeah. Night."

As Sora curled up on the ground, she closed her eyes. She was fairly close to the fire, and the orange light danced against her closed eyelids. The shifting of cloth near her meant Toushirou was moving, and she didn't notice much else as she drifted off to sleep.

"Take this!"

"That's all you've got?"

"Shut up!"

Grinning, Sora cracked her neck and her fingers. "Are you a cat demon or a dog demon?" She asked.

"I said shut up!"

Sora caught his hand, still grinning. "Now, now, Hiro. Relax."

"Urgh!" Hiro pulled his hand away quickly, growling. "Do you ever listen?!"

"Nee-chan!"

Both turned to see a young boy running up and to Sora. He was breathing hard.

"Riku? What's up?" Sora crouched, putting a hand on the young boy's head.

"Nee-chan, nee-chan..." He put his arms around her, or tried to, at least.

"Shh..." Sora patted his back, still crouching. "Where's Toushirou?"

"He...He..." Riku hiccuped, and Sora felt the breath force itself from her lungs.

"Is he fighting?" She asked softly, and Riku, hiccuping again, nodded.

Letting go of her brother, Sora turned to Hiro. "Watch Riku." She spoke, her eyes glinting dangerously in the setting sunlight. "Don't you dare come fight."

Hiro's eyes narrowed. "Why not?!"

"Because you'll get in my way." And with that, she jumped off, leaving Hiro and Riku in the clearing.

Sora arrived at the place not too far from where she and Hiro had been, and from where she'd smelled Toushirou. Her eyes widened in surprise when instead of her twin, she saw Tentou, Gouka, and Daichi.

She growled. "Where is he?"

"Who? Oh, your dear brother." Tentou smirked lightly. "Who knows?"

She jumped forward, claws out, and was just about to hit Tentou when he grabbed her hand, smiling.

"Let's kick it up a notch."

Daichi smiled as well, and, after he had made a few hand signs, a large hole opened up in the sky.

"Say goodbye to your family...wherever they are."

Then Sora awoke, breathing heavily and only barely suppressing her urge to cough. "Ugh." She muttered, looking around the camp. "Close one."

Toushirou was snoring nearby, his mouth wide open and his arms and legs splayed in all different directions.

Hikaru was dozing peacefully, his legs pushed straight out, one arm on his chest and the other on the ground next to him.

Everyone else was also asleep, except, of course, her father. She looked over at him, though, surprisingly, he wasn't gazing over at her, but the sky.

"...Do you smell that?" He asked finally, yet not turning to her still.

"Smell what?" She replied, eyebrows furrowed.

"The smell..."

He finally looked over at her, solemn and calm.

"...Of death."