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Chapter Twenty-Six: Slim Chance

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It was like a flash of lighting warning that the thunder was following close by. At one moment, the cool night brought relative peace to the caravan despite the thick tension in the air and the next, there was a barely-in-control full-fledged taiyoukai in their midst. Not one of them could react before Sesshomaru dissolved and materialized a few feet away with Miroku's neck in his hand. His eyes were flashing red and his face was lengthening. Furious growls continued to escape his snarled lips.

"Oh gods! Inuyasha, do something." Kagome exclaimed as she sped to Shippou and Rin taking both children's heads and holding them to her chest in hopes of saving them from witnessing the carnage that might ensue. Whether the two were shaking in fear or it was Kagome who was unsteady, was unsure, as she pulled them both off Au-Un and fled away from the battle.

Rin was screaming for her Lord. "Please, let me go back to Lord Sesshomaru! Please!"

"No, Rin," Kagome said breathlessly, "He might hurt you."

"He would never hurt me!" And with that she managed to wiggle of the miko's grasps, landing heavily on the ground. Her knees were definitely bruised from the fall and possibly even scrapped but she continued forward.

She called for him as she charged to close the distance between them. "Please, Lord Sesshomaru, don't leave me!"

"Rin, he's not going anywhere!" the taijiya made to catch her but was stopped by Inuyasha. She looked at him questioningly and he shook his head. All she could do was look helplessly at the girl who seemed to be running directly to her death.

"No! He's going to leave me." She had massive lungs for such a little thing. Again, she yelled, "Lord Sesshomaru…please!"

He was transforming so quickly, he had to catch himself before he lost all control. Rage surged from his very core. His inner demon begged to be freed. It rattled its cage and was threatening to break loose. He must not allow it!

Sesshomaru's sight bled crimson and all he felt was the pure urge to kill. He took deep breaths to calm himself somewhat—all the while shooting daggers through his eyes at the monk who hung at the end of his arm. He was prepared to crush the weak creature's windpipe. He tightened his grip and in a matter of seconds, he felt the human fall limp as he lost consciousness. A menacing smile formed on his lips.

"Miroku," Kagome screamed. "Save him Inuyasha!"

Sango looked at his direction with her eyes pleading, "Inuyasha do something!" She knew that neither she nor the miko was powerful enough to stop the taiyoukai at this point. His half-brother was their last hope.

In truth Inuyasha was shocked and extremely terrified. He had never seen Sesshomaru lose control like that before. He was uncertain what chance he had against him.

'But I have to help him.' Facing an unknown future, Inuyasha jumped high in the air drawing Tetsuiga, aiming to… do something. He was still unsure what it was that he was planning to do. He could not slice apart his brother—he is a bastard but to kill him while he is battling another man is dishonourable. Besides, he knew that Sesshomaru was barely in control of his actions. To kill him with such a handicap would be cowardly! And to go there and pull Miroku free from the taiyoukai's grasp was as good as signing a death wish for him. Sesshomaru's grip would ensure that Miroku's neck would be broken if Inuyasha were even able to succeed with this plan.

He landed and moved to act in the spur of the moment, uncertainty clouded his mind, when he halted abruptly as a tiny form sped past him, crashing straight into Sesshomaru's legs.

Sesshomaru was startled by the sudden contact. He looked down to see a very out breath Rin dropping to her knees seizing his ankle. At first he did not realize who this was clinging on to him. As she turned her gaze upward, looking at him with large chocolate eyes and a tear-stained face, it clicked. For the moment, he forgot his target. Dropping the monk unceremoniously to the ground, his neck already is showing the early signs of heavy bruising and the sides bleeding where the demon's claws had punctured it.

'She is terrified of me.' His subconscious screamed for him to regain his control but his inner demon fought for victory. The turmoil that raged within him left him frozen, unable to react the moment.

"Don't change, Lord Sesshomaru. I don't want you to leave." She pleaded.

Nothing registered. Part of him was telling him to sweep her up in his arms and comfort her and the other told him that she must die for is getting in the way. All he could do was pry her off his person with a look of unfamiliarity in his eyes.

This was his chance! Inuyasha needed to subdue the taiyoukai and now that the girl was away from him, the hanyou leaped once again into action, tackling his elder brother to the ground. The taiyoukai fought against him, all the while growling and barking in the most feral manner.

"Stop it, Sesshomaru!" Inuyasha's strained voice held a shadow of concern. "You can't let yourself become wild like that, dammit. You have to regain control!"

Sesshomaru swiped at him, grazing his cheek. The younger inuyoukai took his as an opportunity to hold to Sesshomaru's outstretched arm and flip him so that he had the taiyoukai pinned beneath.

"You have to listen to me!" the hanyou screamed in desperation. He knew that Tensaiga was the only thing keeping Sesshomaru from giving himself over to his inner demon. But Sesshomaru has become so strong, even a glimpse of the feral demon within is enough to cause a large amount of damage. The hanyou continued to struggle, keeping his brother from attacking anyone else.

"Oh! Well, isn't that a pretty sight." A smooth voice erupted from the heavens.

"Naraku!" Kagome spat as she saw the offending creature descend from the skies cloaked in his usual baboon pelt.

Inuyasha turned his head for a split second only to confirm that it was indeed their sworn enemy that decided to join the chaos. Had he been in his normal state of mind, Sesshomaru would've been able to seize their opportunity to gain the upper hand, but clearly he was not in any shape for that type of cunning. He was slowly being reduced to a brainless animal as his transformation continued. Naraku was the least of Inuyasha's problems now, his attention was focused on the mass of pure muscle and rage whose taste for blood was insatiable, attempting to throw him off so he could seek out what he ached for.

Naraku chuckled, "So the rumours were true. The brothers are indeed travelling together."

"Go away, you fiend!" Sango flung her Hiraikotsu at the demon but he dodged the attack easily.

It was Kagome's turn to say, "What do you want, Naraku?"

Again that aggravating smirk appeared on his lips, "What I've always wanted, my dear—the shards of the Shikon Jewel that are in your possession."

The demon charged for the miko. She did not know where her bow and arrow were. Sango's Hiraikotsu came around only to be deflected by the youkai back to her direction. Startled, Sango was hit by her own weapon and fell the ground. Black dots slowly appeared in the corners of her vision and soon she succumbed. This barely broke Naraku's path toward the girl.

With arms outstretched, he made to grab for the Jewel Shards that were around her neck. Suddenly a flash of red came. Inuyasha's sleeves brushed against Kagome's face as he took down Naraku. He immediately jumped off and attempted to claw the other hanyou to death. But it was no use. Naraku only dodged his attacks with lighting speed and with Tetsuiga abandoned, there was a slim chance that Inuyasha would be able to defeat him.

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