Chapter Twenty-one:

The group set off immediately after their miniature confrontation with Sesshoumaru, urged by Kagome's concern for the fox she'd befriended to hurry. Well, Naraku was more than just a bastard, he was a cunning and cowardly bastard. Kagome could not sense the shards of the jewel she knew he possessed, but, surprisingly, Sesshoumaru's mate bond – he even admitted to it – led them unerringly towards the foul hanyou's newest lair.

The air shimmered as they approached, and Kagome frowned as she plucked an arrow from her quiver and poked the barrier with the tip only to jerk back in surprise at the shock of electricity that zapped up her arm. Numb fingers released the arrow as she shook her hand, a grimace on her face, "No good, it's made to repel mikos," she explained apologetically as she stepped back.

Inuyasha scoffed and reached for the hilt of his sword with a cocky smirk, "Ain't nothing immune to my Tetsusaiga!" He drew the blade with a flourish of light and power to reveal a fur trimmed metal fang. The blade vibrated, singing in the tense air before the steel began to bleed red. Inuyasha's smirk grew, baring his sharp teeth in a predatory grin as he charged the barrier with a primal scream.

Behind them, Sesshoumaru's nose crinkled; he never understood his otouto's need for yelling in battle.

The blade stopped in mid air and a ripple went through the barrier before cracks appeared in what looked to be thin air. With a snarl, Inuyasha forced his sword down and the barrier crumbled with it. Miasma seeped out of the broken bubble to eddy at their feet, and the humans raised their sleeves to cover their mouths in self defense as the glowing eyes of hundreds of lesser demons leered at them menacingly from the purple tinted gloom.

Inuyasha's grin widened to savage proportions as he hefted his sword up onto his shoulder and cracked his knuckles, "Aw yeah, I been itchin' for a fight ever since Mr. Icicle joined us." Without hesitation, he lunged recklessly into the sea of lower level youkai, sword swinging near mindlessly as he chopped and sliced and hacked and… Blood sprayed thick in the air, competing with Naraku's poison for dominance.

Kagome dropped back to stand between Miroku and Sango as she readied her bow, Shippo perched on her shoulder to warm them of any sneak attacks from behind as they took care of their own group of approaching enemies. Sesshoumaru stood further away from them, clearly separate as he swung his acid whip calmly at the hoards of mindless beasts, beheading them with ease. He appeared to be waiting for something.

What that something was became swiftly apparent as the once stagnant air shifted and the corpses of the fallen demons stumbled to their feet and swayed in the breeze. The pungent odor of Naraku filled the small clearing in front of the castle as Kagura appeared, floating on her massive feather, fan in hand. Red eyes watched the group dispassionately, focusing intently upon Sesshoumaru – more specifically his neck – before she flicked the fan open and shout in agitation. "Naraku's coming," was her only warning as she swung her fan at the mortals, and the air compressed into an energy laden arc of death as the cutting winds sliced through the stillness, seeking mortal blood.

Miroku's staff swung up and shattered the power as he braced himself in front of the slayer and priestess-in-training. "Go!" He shouted to Inuyasha, "we'll hold her off."

The hanyou hesitated a moment, clearly torn, before his sharp eyes caught the white blur of his brother darting into the castle. Hell naw, he wasn't going to let his bastard brother get all the credit for destroying Naraku!

The red clad half brother of the dog lord gave chase, and the two sons of the Inu no Taisho rushed to battle together, the image would have made their great and terrible father proud.

Once inside the two dogs came to a stop. Inuyasha was the one who growled, gripping his Tetsusaiga tighter. Sesshoumaru seemed indifferent to it, but deep down the dog lord was livid.

Everything seemed tense during what felt like eternity as the heavy smoke seemed to filter into the room. Or at least, any normal person would think it was smoke. But in reality it was a poisonous purple haze.

Inuyasha readied his sword, as Sesshoumaru still seemed indifferent to the change of the room.

When the baboon suit wearing demon stepped into the large room, the hood once more on his head, Inuyasha, the brash idiot he was, moved first, "Win Scar!" The attack from the Tetsusaiga tore through the room towards the other demon.

Sesshoumaru growled at the hanyou's idiocy. The place shook from the damage it took from the move. "This Sesshoumaru will hold you responsible half breed if the fox gets hurt."

Inuyasha just huffed, "Shut up ya' bastard" then he re gripped his sword, looking around for Naraku. When wooden tentacles shot out at him, he turned, using Tetsusaiga to slice through them before he was grabbed.

Hearing a crash Inuyasha turned to see Sesshoumaru had slammed Naraku to a wall, when or how, the hanyou did not care at the moment. He grinned, This stupid demon was easier without the jewel being used wasn't he?

Inuyasha didn't know it was a ploy from Naraku to make them think he was weak, to let their guards down.

It worked on Inuyasha at least.

Before the half breed knew what happened, more of those tentacles appeared-even while Inuyasha thought the baboon freak was unconscious!

Inuyasha snarled, struggling to keep his grip on Tetsusaiga as the wooden thing wrapped tightly around his arm.

Sesshoumaru had leapt back as Naraku tried to get the dog demon lord; foiling the jewel fed excuse for a hanyou, and despite that, he only laughed.

"Kukukuku!" Naraku smirked, the hood having fallen as he stood, "At least one of you will be a bit of a challenge!"

The two powerful demons clashed while Inuyasha was left to struggle to get free.

Sesshoumaru used his poison whip, mostly to keep Naraku from getting too close, and also to keep the wooden tentacles away from him. He kept moving, not letting himself stop to access much of anything. Damn, he might need to get that mutt loose after all.

The short thought was done, and he started moving in that direction, once he was close enough, he lashed out. Poison whip shredding the tentacles holding Inuyasha... And perhaps hitting Inuyasha a bit as well.

There was a growl of "You Bastard!" as the hanyou hit the ground once more, no longer suspended by the tentacles.

Sesshoumaru easily ignored him moving once more to avoid getting captured by them himself.

Inuyasha leapt, and once again, "Wind Scar!" He snarled out as he attacked Naraku, and the tentacles trying to get him once more.

The dog lord was surprised, and angry. What the hell did he tell that stupid mutt earlier? Did he have that stupid of an otouto?

Everyone except for Inuyasha knew the place was coming down, and fast. The ceiling started falling in.

Naraku fled first, which Inuyasha followed shouting obscenities.

Sesshoumaru growled, stupid half breed. Naraku was going the wrong direction of his mate. He had no intention of following. Turning, he moved swiftly, avoiding falling rubble as he hurried down the hall.

When he found the fox he paused a moment.

Youko was currently laying on his side, his eyes were only barely open, and obviously blank. The only movement coming from the fox was the short and pain filled breaths he was taking.

Sesshoumaru didn't waste time taking in the full state of his mate. The building was coming down, he didn't have the pleasure of worrying about it right now. Using his poison claws, he sliced through the chains holding the cuffs his fox was forced to wear to the wall, and then, took the outer part of his Hakamashita kimono off. Carefully slipping it around the fox and tying it closed as quickly but as gently as he could. Without being tucked in, it went down to about the fox's thighs, covering him adequately.

Not wasting anymore time Sesshoumaru lifted the fox and growled as more of the ceiling caved in blocking him in the cell, so with a turn he simply lashed out at the wall, busting through for a new escape route.

As soon as he reached the outside – through generous use of his poisons to eat through the obstacles in his path – he spared half a glance back at the battle before he shrugged. If his idiotic little brother couldn't handle the waste of space himself, or with the aid of his small pack, the Lord of the West would deal with the nuisance himself. In any case, the bond with his fox was trying to tear his mind into shreds with the need to bring him home to his pups and tend to the nearly shattered kitsune. A wall of energy formed a sphere around them and sped off towards his castle.

-End Chapter twenty-one-

We rushed this one to make our "one a day" ... We want looooove! Review please~