Chapter 21

Shae was not the vision of omni power that he was expected to be as he sat on the window sill, looking out at the snow covered neighborhood with his knees tucked under his chin. It was misleading...both the sight he was looking at and the sight of him. Here was a town, one of the few left, where the snow that lay on the ground was undisturbed and not coated with glistening, raw blood. And the sky was not covered in wicked, rolling mauve clouds. It was quiet here.

And here was a person with more power than any demon or any human on the face of the earth save for one. And he felt less in control of it than ever.

It really hurt Shae to use such cold and abrupt words with these people that his heart was telling him to care for. Inuyasha and Harry were not as dead as he made them believe. Yes, chances were he was not going back to his original forms, but they were both very alive in his mind and memories; in his mannerisms and personality. But the chance of him surviving Braeden's defeat—if he could be defeated at all, that is—were very slim. They should accept their loss now; get used to them not being apart of their lives anymore.

"Ohayou!" Shiva's short, brown hair swung in front of his face as she leaned over his frame. "Well aren't you a sad sight."

"Hi Shives...it's not the morning." he droned.

Shiva pouted and sat cross-legged at the other end of the window sill, balancing on the thin ledge.

"Hey, now. Don't go acting all superior around me..." she said teasingly, leaning forwards and poked the jagged, olive stripe on his cheek. Shae couldn't stop that side of his face from giving a half grin.

"How are they doing?" He finally asked.

"Hmm...well...mourning would be a good word to use. They sure are a solemn bunch right now. Not that I can blame them. Did you have to be so harsh?"

Shae shrugged and looked back over his street. "Probably not. But I don't want them to have any false hope that they'll be getting back Inuyasha and Harry if we do win."

Shiva's eyes saddened.

"So there really is no turning back for you, huh?" She said grimly. "Pity...that's two less people I can hit on."

Shae looked at her disbelievingly and she winked. He sighed and shook his head at her antics—no matter the situation she would never change; a small comfort for him. There was something bothering him in the back of his mind, something that nearly frightened him. He had to get it off his chest.

"Even if, by some miracle, we did find and answer...I'm not so sure I'd want to..." He trailed off, feeling horrible for even saying that.

"You wouldn't do that to them," Shiva said confidently, "I know you wouldn't just by knowing who you're made of. Neither Harry nor Inuyasha were ever spiteful."

"No...But I—," he broke off grimacing, thinking about how he should word it. "I just want them to appreciate that...I'm a real person. I'm someone who they're asking to commit suicide; for their own selfish reasons, no less."

He finally looked at her. His eyes were closed, squinted in a forced grin. "But I can't hold it against them. I understand."

Shiva sighed and cocked her head to the side, an expression bordering pity on her face. She leaned forwards and patted his head a bit.

"I really do wish you got his ears..."

Shae didn't say anything; he just waited until she settled back down from her weird ministrations.

Shiva looked at the man in front of her and felt a bit sorry for him. She could easily understand where he was coming from.

"When this is over," she started tentatively, "you will find out where you stand with them. Sure, you'll be a bit of a father and a bit of a lover and a bit of a friend...but above all you'll still be family. They'll realize that soon enough. Even as yourself, they'll still love you...just like you love them."

Shae gaped in shock at the girl before softening into a content grin.

"You know...just when I think you're only a half-breed pervert you go and say something deep like that."

"Hey!" Shiva said indignantly as he stuck out his tongue, "Don't underestimate my perverted-ness!"

Shae's face fell.

"Never mind..."

"Anyway," she continued with an almost bashful grin "I need to get back to Tai. He's probably wondering where I am right now."

Shae looked back up at her, serious once more.

"Yeah. You shouldn't have come back in the first place. What were you thinking? Throwing yourself in danger like that when you're pregnant..."

Shiva rubbed the back of her head sheepishly with the tip of her tongue sticking out between her teeth.

"Shoulda known you'd have caught on..."

The two were startled from their conversation when a burst of fire erupted between their heads. Shiva flailed for a bit, trying to catch her balance, while the cause of the flame settled down on Shae's arm.

"God damnit bird! I almost went out the freaking window." Shiva growled at the phoenix perched merrily on Shae's leather arm brace with a small note rolled around its scaly leg.

"Fawkes..." Shae stated a bit bewildered. Memories of this bird raced to the front of his mind, allowing him to identify the headmaster's familiar. The phoenix trilled, recognizing Shae immediately and stuck out its leg. Shae took the hint and pulled off the note, skimming over its contents before nodding once to the bird. Fawkes trilled once more before disappearing in a bout of flames. Shae stood from his seat.

"What was that all about?" Shiva asked, standing as well.

"I've got to talk to the wizards. You can use the laptop down stairs to get home. Tell the other's where I've gone."

Shiva nodded. "Alright. Take care."

Shae gave her a half wave before shadow-walking to the Order's headquarters.

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The meeting had adjourned just minutes ago, all the members immediately apparating away to their loved ones, wanting to spend as much time with family in these dark times. The only person currently in Grimmauld Place was one Albus Dumbledore. The aged man was currently standing in front of a table in an old, darkened study. Many cobwebs littered the corners of walls and furniture. It was obviously one of the few rooms that molly did not get around to cleaning. Leaning over the table, Albus ran a weathered hand over his very old and very full pensive. There were many memories in there; memories of his younger, gloried years. He was sharp back then, capable with thousands of people looked to his guidance and rightfully so, there was so much responsibility, so much life. He sighed and let his cold fingers slip from the brass lip. That was so long ago. He still had the dependence of an entire community, but it was misplaced. He had lost his ability to lead years ago. He was too old; too stuck in the past to properly make decision regarding people's lives. The many mistakes he made in the past couple of decades were proof enough of that.

"Hello Albus."

Dumbledore was quite startled, for he had not sensed the presence of anyone and he knew for certain he was still one of the more powerful beings left around. He saw standing in the doorway to the next room the man who he had just seen on television. The one called 'Shae'.

"Hello young man," he replied pleasantly albeit wearily. He was still unsure of his intentions, "How may I help you?"

The youthful man took a step into the room and held up a familiar slip of paper between his fingers.

"How may I help you?" he asked back. Dumbledore peered over his half-moon glasses, puzzled.

"I did not address that letter to you."

"In away you did." Shae replied vaguely.

"What has happened to Harry?"

"Harry didn't have enough power to fight Braeden. So I am doing it."

"But where is he?" Dumbledore tried again. Something wasn't sitting well with him.

"Don't worry about that," Shae mollified. "What did you need to speak to him about?"

It seemed, for a brief moment, that Dumbledore was going to press the matter further, but then decided against it.

"You have us all reeling from the news report a few hours ago." He said "I was curious as to who you are and who Braeden is. And what happened to the Beast."

Shae gazed at the thin man for a while, obviously deciding how much to tell him.
"The beast is Braeden; a more powerful form. I am...his counterpart, if you will. I'm here to return balance to the order of things. The demons are being cleared up as we speak. In a few days the majority of humans should be safe enough to venture outside, though I do not recommend it until Braeden is defeated. He is volatile and nothing is beneath him to use to achieve his goals."

Dumbledore nodded, his gaze dropping as he processed and stored all the information for later use.

"And how can we help?" He asked finally.

"Help?" Shae repeated, not following.

"Do not pretend to not know what the Order is and what it stands for." Dumbledore frowned at the man. "It was created to rid the world of Voldemort and his evil. Voldemort is a part of Braeden now. There must me something we can do to ensure his demise."

"You can help," Shae said firmly, "By keeping people out of harms way and minimizing the casualties."

"That is all?"

"That is all."

"But surely," Dumbledore tried, "There must be something we can do!"

There was something almost desperate in the man's voice. Shae sighed.

"Humans can not help in this fight."

"But wizards...surely magic—"

"No," Shae interrupted, "this isn't about magic…wizards are humans…just as muggles are…there's nothing special about the damn race. Well, except for the whole opposable thumbs and free will sort of thing…"

Shae's body gave a bit of a jolt and his hand flew to the side of his head.

"I have to go, now." He said suddenly, making a discernible effort to stay calm, "Duty calls, you know?"

He paused for a moment before he departed, looking back at his onetime mentor.

"I have many mixed memories in this brain," He pointed to his head as he spoke, a light smile on his lips, "One thing I do remember clearly, however, is a twelve-year-old, auburn haired wizard who had just skinned his knee; who declared that it was his dream to try every muggle candy in existence and to become the greatest headmaster Hogwarts had ever seen. It's not often you meet someone who can keep a dream intact for so long."

Dumbledore was staring at Shae with a disbelieving sort of wonder.

"You've done enough for the wizarding world, Albus. You don't have to compensate for your past mistakes. You may not have known it, but you were forgiven long ago."

His body dissolved into thin, swirling wisps of smoke that dissipated into the air, but Albus remembered the familiar smile on those lips perfectly. A tear slipped down a lined, hollow cheek and disappeared into the wiry, colorless hairs of his beard; the twinkle returned to his eyes.

"Thank you...Harry."

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There was something very wrong—it was a feeling that came over his body not long ago. There was some inner force still connected to Braeden that was trying to warn him of the creature's doings. And thankfully, it had nothing to do with the people in his house...yet. After seeing everyone present and accounted for (aside from Shiva, who had finally taken her leave) he turned to go seek out where the true problem lied. So focused was he on trying to rack his brain for anymore hints that he didn't hear the young voice calling after him.

"Wait! Dad! Harry...Shae! Whoever you are, wait!!"

A small hand grabbed his arm and he started, looking down into concerned tawny eyes.

"Where are you going? You just got back." The sheer emotion from Bridget's voice only served to support what Shiva had said earlier. They really did love him. Shae smiled down at her and patted her head.

"There's something wrong again. I need to go fight him."

"But—!"

"Don't worry, I'm healed now," he tried to assure her but no sooner than he said that another wave of dread rode out down his body, this one with much more force than the last. He saw glimpses of a dainty, blonde woman...blue eyes wide with terror...a fully loaded gun clamoring to the floor...

"Shae...?"

He jolted at the soft hand on his shoulder and turned to see Kagome standing next to him, her face furrowed with concern.

"What's going on?" she asked, her hand had lifted off of him but still hovered near his back as if she were unsure whether to touch him or not.

"I—I saw a woman..." he trailed. He knew this woman. For some reason his memories were coming slower and slower to him. Was it an effect of the binding? He'd have to look it up later if he ever got the chance. "I...was married to her?"

"Mom?" Alaina asked, walked up to him as well. The sight of her, almost the splitting image of her mother, helped spur his memory into action.

"Yes. Something happened. Where is she? Vermont, right?"

Alaina nodded apprehensively.

"In Burlington. She lives in a cabin—"

"—Inuyasha set up wards. Yes I remember now. Stay here!" he barked at them and left immediately.

He reappeared seconds later in front of the smoldering ruins of her residence. The wards around it had been slashed to bits. It took all of four seconds to pin-point the woman he was looking for. Her mangled body was left laid out neatly in front of the formerly ritzy cabin. There were burn marks charring her once perfect completion, many of the burns going clear through the skin. There were also noticeable gashes, clearly made from claws, in all vital areas of the body. There was still blood leaking from these wounds.

Thoughts of their honeymoon, wedding, buying their first house, her sweaty, beautiful face after the birth of Alaina, spontaneous dates suddenly flooded his mind. Shae cried out and gripped his head from the onslaught. He had loved this woman. Not as wholly as he loved Kagome but she still held a part of his heart...

Shae managed to straiten to look at the body once more, trying to stop the painful clamp on his heart from hindering his judgment. And then he looked to the blood-splattered ground. There were kanji in blood...

TWENTY EIGHT KIDS

Shae felt his heart skip a beat.

"Oh fuck."

His mind was racing. How many had he gotten yet? How long as he had? How does he know where everyone is?

Granted not all his kids were alive today but...

Shae shook his head, getting a grip on himself. First things first: the body of his ex-wife wasn't completely cold yet. It had to have been in the last hour or so that this happened.

Next: There was still some sort of curse or connection between the two of them. If he just concentrated enough he should be able to pinpoint where he is...or at least what he had done...

He screwed his eyes shut and fell back into the recesses of his mind, throwing down some layers of his occlumency shield in order to find that link he had buried so long ago. He could feel it, the dark pulsing of his core; it was almost visible and he reached out to it.

A pain hit him as though he had been struck in the head and he nearly lost his footing. Hundreds of images were exposed behind his closed eyelids. There was Braeden. He had found Inuyasha's daughter Quinn who lived in Texas—the one who had spent the last fifty or so years pursuing a medical career before giving it up to try being a house wife. She had just given Inuyasha a granddaughter a year ago...and he was at their house...he had killed her husband in front of her eyes...torn of his limbs and then beat him to death with them...he turned on her next.

Shae threw himself out of the vision, stumbling backwards and landing on his backside. He was perspiring and panting and shaking. He managed to climb to his feet as the adrenaline brought forth the directions to her house easily and he slipped away with no time to spare.

The second his feet were solidly on her property, he knew he was too late. Braeden was no where in sight, just his fusty, odious stench left to remind him of his failure along with the three corpses of his family.

Shae felt like crying as he saw the body of his daughter, split down the middle from the top of her head—her silvery hair turned brown with caked blood and brains—down to her navel, with her beheaded infant child still encompassed in her limp arms. He knew Braeden; he knew the bastard made sure to kill the baby first, so she could watch its death.

He turned away from the sight. There was no time to mourn; his remaining family was still in danger. Fastening his eyes shut once more, biting his lip from the intense pain the sight behind him brought, Shae delved back into the darkness of his mind.

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It was his son Josh who he found next in his New York City flat. He was still so young, just barely making it into his sixties. His head was crushed, most likely from a vice-like grip between Braeden's unnaturally strong hands. Thumbs were jammed into his eyeballs judging from the gluey blood seeping from the sockets. He could see four cavities on each side of his head where claws broke through his skull.

Further down the east coast were the twins, Marc and Ryan, both working as unspeakables for the American Ministry of Magic for at least a century, they had each earned an Order of Merlin, Second Class. They were strung up by their necks on the branch of a tree outside of the ministry. Since their demonic heritage made it highly unlikely they would die from asphyxiation, Braeden took it a step further. He cut deep into their stomachs, ripping the skin around the wounds apart with his claws so that their entrails would more easily spill out. He made sure they were facing each other so each could watch the other's intestines slide from their bodies.

Next was Camille—his daughter who had recently moved to Canada with her four children after her husband, a full-blooded demon, had died by the hands of hunters. There were definite signs of a struggle around the shattered house; she tried so hard to protect her children before her heart was ripped clean out of her, crushed in his palm and left damaged on the ground next to her head. The oldest was dismembered immediately after, his body splayed across the cream colored walls. The two middle children were both obviously poisoned by his miasma. He had place a hand over each mouth, easily immobilizing them as he filled their young lungs with an unhealthy amount of the gas. Their faces, still wet from tears, were gaunt from the lack of oxygen; their eyes were popped open and blood shot. The youngest was last to go. He dug his claws into her eight year old back and ripped out her spine from the middle, just enough so that he could hang her off a hook on the back of a door like a wreath. Her body was left parallel several feet up from the floor; the blood ran down her dangling arms and legs.

Shae gritted his teeth against the emotional agony he was experiencing. Tears had long since made their tracks down his face and he had stopped wiping them away long ago. No matter how fast he traveled, how desperate he seemed...Breaden was always one fucking step ahead of him. He was too late, always too late. He should have killed him when he had the chance...if only he was faster...

He was feeling more and more powerless...his energy was draining from him with each death...he felt so, so weak in his grief...

He wanted to give up. He just wanted it to end. He didn't care anymore, he couldn't care anymore. His psyche was hacked with too much death in such a short amount of time. He fell to his knees and threw up for the third time since he started his pursuit. He was still bent over, spiting the remnants of his puke from his mouth when he was struck by a vision. It hit him before he could even seek it out...like it was sent to him...because something, some higher power, told him it had yet to pass...there was still time.

He didn't want to get his hopes up just to have them crushed again but he felt a fire rekindle in his chest—one that he thought was to have been long since extinguished. The hell with it; this wasn't over yet—not if he had anything to say about it.

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After reading this you really have to wonder what is wrong with me. Shudder.

I just want to prepare you all that this series is coming to a close soon. Only a couple more chapters left I think. There is one of two ways I can end this right now. There's the bittersweet ending...or the happy, happy ending.

Vote or something.

Leave one:)