Author's Note: The bad news - (Some of) you requested longer chapters. It took a month and a half...

The good news - They will finish the Inuyasha anime! ShonenSunday (dot) com / anime is playing "Inuyasha the Final Act"! In episode two, Sesshoumaru performed SOURYUHA!!! Twice! Yep, that is "canon" now. Absolutely. The producers decided that Sesshoumaru is super-awesome, so he must perform techniques originally from the movies, during the rest of the anime. Gwahahaha! Who cares about what Rumiko Takahashi wrote?

After watching "Inuyasha the Final Act" I feel inspired! I must write fanfiction like crazy! Plus, I must finish this chapter before they animate parts of the background storyline... on Saturday, October 17... TOMORROW. Minor Spoilers for manga chapters 287, 293, 294, 409, 410, 423, 488, 489.

Chapter 27: Tenseiga Reforged

"Well... If he is hurt," insisted Rin, "Then we should treat him."

Jaken scowled at the young girl. "Not that kind of injury," the kappa hissed quietly. "Obviously, his mood is what has suffered."

"Mood?" Rin whispered in return, crouching until she was eye to eye with the little green-skinned demon. Her hands rested on her knees. Unbelievable though it might seem, Jaken's scowl became even more intense. It was not fair! Even a tiny human child towered over him in terms of height.

Leaning forward until his forehead practically touched hers, the small demon continued in a subdued, frantic whisper. "What I'm saying is... we must accept it, while he pretends that nothing is wrong."

In the background, Sesshoumaru suppressed a sigh. After leaving the palace, he had returned promptly to his followers. But perhaps it would have been best to avoid them a bit longer. He was still incredibly ticked off. Evidently, his agitation was so great that his two tiny companions could easily tell something was bothering him.

Still, he had nowhere else to go. As he walked toward his companions, he had turned the dark, misty stone over and over in his fist. The Lady of the Western Lands thought that he should prove himself to other demon-lords in their area by training the Tenseiga. And despite the fact that it was his father's most useless sword, his mother had forced the issue. She had used an unknown attack to absorb the Toukijin, his only functional blade, and now he had no weapon at all. Unless, of course, he did as his mother asked and improved his father's heirloom, Tenseiga. He was supposed to find a demon named Shishinki and offer this strange, black stone in exchange for lessons.

Not that he had any idea how to find this individual.

Staring at the stream that trickled by his feet, Sesshoumaru turned the Meido-seki once more in his hand. In all honesty, he was not certain he wanted to bother listening to his mother's advice. It had been a terrible morning, followed by a dreadful day. His pride was not used to suffering such blows.

At his side, however, the Tenseiga was demanding attention. The moment his mother had placed the Meido-seki in his palm, the sword had started to pulsate softly. And the longer he ruminated on the subject, the more insistent it became.

Hypothesizing that the blade might be responding to the proximity of the Meido-seki, he had tried touching them together. But this had no effect. Next, he had tried to attack the ebony colored stone with his father's sword. Again, nothing. Finally, he had settled beside the stream to contemplate the day's events. The Tenseiga continued to pulse at his side. He ignored it.

In the end, Sesshoumaru thought, the most important thing for him to do today was to calm down. He felt so unsettled. Kagome had somehow managed to crawl under his skin and stay there, like an irritating itch that he could not scratch. The change in attitude toward her had not appeared overnight, but his realization of this change of heart had come suddenly. When his mother threatened to kill her, Sesshoumaru had realized that he absolutely would not allow it to happen. The idea of resurrecting Kagome with the Tenseiga after allowing his mother to assassinate her, this had never occurred to him. Instead, he had been angry toward his mother and concerned for the priestess. And he was not accustomed to feeling angry or panicked or concerned on someone else's behalf.

A delicate whiff of scent approached him on the wind, trailing over the water that flowed by his boots. It smelled like sulfur, smoke, and... bovine? Hn. Slowly, Sesshoumaru stood up, tucking the dark stone into his outer clothing. Once the Meido-seki was out of sight, he turned and faced the sky. The scent could only belong to the ancient swordsmith, Totosai.

Irritation bubbled inside of him. The day had been full of interruptions and trouble. If the old geezer attempted to bring more of the same, then he would suffer the consequences.

Meanwhile, Jaken exploded into a long-winded apology, assuming (correctly) that the dog-demon had overheard his comments. "All that offensive chatter," whined his retainer, "That was Rin's doing!"

Sesshoumaru glanced at the toad-like demon, glaring, while Rin blinked in confusion. Apparently, the girl was so gullible that she almost believed Jaken, when he stated everything was her fault for talking so much.

A sooty cloud swirled overhead, and at last, the blacksmith arrived. For a swaybacked, three-eyed cow, Totosai's steed could actually move rather quickly. Much the same could be said for the elderly smith himself.

"What do you want?" growled Sesshoumaru immediately. He did not want to waste time on this frustrating, old man.

Totosai simply stared at him. Or more precisely, at his waist. It was like the smith was communing with the Tenseiga resting in his sash.

"Oh! So Toukijin went missing, did it?" mumbled Totosai. He sounded far too delighted, in Sesshoumaru's opinion.

Raising his arm, the taiyoukai cracked his knuckles and gathered youki. His hand began to glow slightly greenish-gold, as toxins in his bloodstream flooded to the surface along with demonic-energy. "I can kill you without it," he noted passively, "If you'd like."

The elderly blacksmith lowered his lids, returning the icy stare that Sesshoumaru leveled in his direction. "I had to come," Totosai added testily. "Because Tenseiga called to me."

"It did?" murmured the taiyoukai hesitantly. It was a credible claim, though. Totosai always seemed to have a close connection with his creations.

"Before he died, your Father asked me to place barriers on both of his swords," the swordsmith nodded absently, giving Sesshoumaru another odd look. "The barrier on Tessaiga is intended to foster a protective nature. But Tenseiga's barrier is more subtle... and demanding."

The inu-youkai growled again, low in his throat. No, this was not what he needed to hear at the moment. Although it did seem plausible that Father would have tried to manipulate his sons from beyond the grave with such obstacles, it was unpleasant to hear.

"Ironic, then! Tenseiga has been calling out to me all day, even though the conditions have not been met." Scratching his head with one gnarly hand, the old man exhaled shortly. Then, he deflated a bit, in defeat and resignation. "Well, not completely. Yet Tenseiga insists that now is the time. It can't wait any longer. You wouldn't happen to know why, would you?"

As always, the old man was referring to the swords he had created like people and not strips of metal. Sesshoumaru's glare merely intensified. His surly attitude seemed to encourage Jaken. The little demon's green face brightened with pleasure, as if Jaken was anticipating a bloodbath.

Harming the old swordsmith was the farthest thing from his mind at the moment, though. It was surely too much of a coincidence for his mother to suggest empowering the Tenseiga and for Totosai to approach him with the same purpose, in the same day!

Perhaps his mother had not been informed about the seal on the sword. Father had often hidden plans within plans, schemes within schemes. The Inu no Taisho might not have told his wife about a barrier placed on the blade, in order to keep him from using it. After all, meeting the requirements to bypass the barrier, that was up to Sesshoumaru. But apparently, having the Meido-seki in his hands had influenced the timing of this change.

His heart clenched in his chest. Totosai said that there was a barrier on his blade, and it had not fully accepted him. It felt like he was standing in his father's gravesite again, shocked and tormented by the thought that Inuyasha could handle the Tessaiga, while he could not. Kagome had mentioned this too, even back then. Although she had only known him for a few minutes, she had been able to instruct Inuyasha on the fastest and surest way to vex him - by doing what he could not, by stomping on his pride. Hm. Come to think of it, she had been rather perceptive, even then. Far more perceptive than Sesshoumaru felt right now. What on earth was he supposed to do to satisfy the Tenseiga's requirements, and by extension, his father's demands? He wanted to. But the old swordsmith had not stated that he failed, only that he had not completely met the conditions of Tenseiga's barrier.

"Well, in any case," mused the old man, sending the taiyoukai a shrewd, calculating glance, as if he hoped to persuade his audience. "Tenseiga reacted to a change in your heart. You felt frustration and fear, for another person's life."

Silent as the grave, the dog-demon refused to reply to nosy, idle speculation. It was none of the old man's business, anyway. And furthermore, he did not know the answer. True enough, though. He had been worried about Kagome's safety.

Waving one hand in his direction, Totosai huffed and reached out a bony arm. "Well? Are you gonna hand over Tenseiga?"

A light breeze rustled through the grass. Sesshoumaru frowned slightly. "What?"

The blacksmith returned his glare, as if he had lost his mind. "I've come to reforge it into a weapon," Totosai explained flatly, as though this decision should be obvious.

The old man's words seemed carefully chosen to influence his actions. And Totosai succeeded. After all, Sesshoumaru had brusquely demanded a weapon from the swordsmith once before.

The dog-demon surrendered his sword, right away. Then, he paused, wordlessly considering his options. Slowly, he withdrew a second item from his clothing. The pitch-black stone that his mother had given him gleamed within his fist.

Totosai froze, a small hiss of air sucking between his gums. It looked like he expected the dark orb of stone to leap out of Sesshoumaru's grasp and bite him. Finally, he lifted his gaze to the taiyoukai at his side.

Of course, Totosai's unease did not deter the white-haired dog-demon in the slightest. Out of all his father's old friends, this one was easiest to find. And it was possible Totosai might know...

"Where might one find a demon named Shishinki?"

A haze of confusion swamped the old man's face. "Huh?" the swordsmith answered thickly. It was impossible to tell whether he was pretending or not. "Shi-shi-ki? Never heard of him."

Tucking the sword away at his side, the old man proceeded to fuss over it, almost like Tenseiga was a lost child. But before he left, the swordsmith sent one last glance in Sesshoumaru's direction. "You should put it away, you should," he gestured toward his companion in frustration. "Bad for the soul to gaze on it, too long."

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

By mid-afternoon, the group had finally found what they were searching for. Or at least, they had uncovered something that Inuyasha was tracking. Standing beside a small stream that flowed gently through the woods, the hanyou kicked at the dirt below his feet, looking perturbed.

The Toukijin was sticking straight out of a tree, next to the stream.

"There were two people, here," Inuyasha announced to no one in particular, "No mistaking Sesshoumaru's scent. But the other one? I can't detect enough of it..."

Abandoning Kagome's shoulder for the monk standing behind her, Shippo flicked his tail in irritation. "Why would he leave the Toukijin behind?" the kitsune inquired.

It was a question that no one could answer. This was probably why the fox-kit had cleared the vicinity near Inuyasha, before he said anything. Their group leader did not fly off the handle when he heard the question, however. He simply frowned.

Strangely enough, the demonic sword did not have an overwhelming negative aura anymore. It was obviously the same sword that Sesshoumaru wielded, but for some reason, the evil energy it usually carried was absent. Obviously, it had been thrown with quite a bit of strength to impale a medium-sized tree. Yet despite the fact that Toukijin was longer than the trunk, it did not emerge from the other side of the tree. It was almost as if the blade had been snapped in half, entering the bark. But there was no trace of Toukijin's other half in the area.

Wringing her hands in front of her chest, Kagome paced toward the hilt of the sword and then away again. After seeing what the Toukijin could do, no one wanted to touch it. The blade had such intense evil energy that it would possess its wielder, unless that person had even stronger willpower than the blade.

"Shall we follow him, Inuyasha?" Miroku asked gently.

"Huh?" Without even paying attention, the half-demon continued to watch the end of Toukijin, as though it might spontaneously combust.

Normally, Inuyasha did not ignore his companions, unless they were in the middle of a fight and the hanyou had bigger things to worry about. So, it was obvious that he was concerned, but the monk was still polite enough to phrase it as a question. Raising his eyebrows in surprise, the monk persisted. "You aren't concerned?"

This finally snagged the half-demon's attention. Tossing his head to the side, Inuyasha steadfastly avoided looking at the Toukijin. Finally, he turned to face Miroku directly, placing his back toward the sword. "Keh!" he scoffed. "Who do I look like? Sesshoumaru? I don't care about my half-brother's swords. Not a bit."

Both the monk and the kitsune blinked their eyes innocently at him. Miroku casually leaned his staff against the shoulder that was not supporting a tiny fox-demon. Kagome and Sango merely looked at each other. Clearly, no one believed Inuyasha for a moment. After all, he had claimed to be searching for Naraku that morning... yet had found this clearing, holding one of Sesshoumaru's belongings instead.

"Come on! Let's not waste time!" Inuyasha replied argumentatively, carefully ignoring the fact that none of his companions had said a word. Whirling about, he stalked over to the stream and kneeled, nonchalantly sniffing the bank of the stream for clues.

With a sigh, the priestess took the lead in the dialogue. Sango and Miroku were not foolish enough to risk discussing the situation with Inuyasha. Kagome, on the other hand, could probably get away with it.

"It's obvious you're pursuing him," she noted, tucking her hands beneath the straps on her bag and fiddling with them.

Inuyasha glared at her.

She rolled her eyes. Really, it was fine if the hanyou wanted to search for his big brother. Deep down, Kagome wanted to do this, also. It was worrisome to think that Sesshoumaru would have left his weapon behind and stalked off into the woods. This seemed out of character. Something terrible must have happened.

How could she possibly stay mad? Even if Sesshoumaru had intended to lie about Ryukossei, which he claimed that he hadn't, by now Kagome's heart would have forgiven him. Worrying about someone's health and safety quickly effaced any secondary concerns or irritations that she felt toward that person.

As they traveled upstream, the hanyou began to look more and more disgruntled. Apparently, it was difficult to follow a scent through water, and the taiyoukai had either crossed the stream several times, or he had taken to the air. Kagome wondered briefly if Sesshoumaru knew he was being pursued, or if this behavior was habitual.

After another hour, she called a halt to the journey, and they passed around refreshments from her pack. Several servants in the castle had been kind enough to add generous helpings of food and supplies to her bag. With a sullen expression, the half-demon joined the rest of the group.

"Can't find any more traces of his scent," Inuyasha added. "Er... Naraku's scent, I mean."

"Mm-hmm," Sango nodded serenely. Her sincerity was minimal at best. But it seemed the demon-slayer was picking up some of the monk's calming traits, the longer they traveled together. She was not about to call Inuyasha on his deception.

"S'nother person tracking us, though."

Wide-eyed, the others perked up at this. If Inuyasha was not bothered by it, then perhaps the person following them was a friend? Most of the time, the hanyou seemed bothered by everyone in the world, trusting strangers just about as much as enemies.

Finishing her meal, Kagome shoveled supplies back into her overstuffed, yellow bag and the others gathered their belongings, while Inuyasha glared at the sky. A fluttering papery sound accompanied Sora's arrival, on the back of one of the demon-scrolls that he used for flight.

Looking entirely unimpressed, Inuyasha stood and crossed his arms. Belligerently, he asked, "What the hell d'you want?"

First, his half-brother had offered training. Next, the bastard had booted them all out of the castle. Whether this behavior had been fair or not, Inuyasha assumed his 'training' was over. There was no other reason for a demon to follow them away from the Western Lands.

The dog-eared youkai calmly finished rolling his paper-demon transport back into its scroll, then smiled benignly. Scruffy golden-brown hair fluttered across his brow, as he shook his head. "What do you mean, young master?" inquired the older demon. "My last order was to assist in your education. That order has not been countermanded."

Inuyasha's forehead creased in confusion and displeasure. Somehow, his mentor's voice sounded too smooth and cheerful. And he did not want to deal with an instructor, while more important issues loomed overhead... like... like... hunting shards! "Whatever," the hanyou growled, turning away. "There's no time for that anymore."

Ever the peacemaker, Miroku hummed thoughtfully in the background. While Inuyasha was correct, and they did not want to waste any more time away from their search for shards and Naraku... the monk recognized it would also be helpful for Inuyasha to receive training.

"Is there any possibility of instructing Inuyasha," inquired the monk carefully, "Despite the fact that we are traveling?"

The silence that followed was short, but distinct. As the stream trickled gently by their feet, for a moment it was the only sound that could be heard. But Sora's smile never faltered.

"Of course," the half-wind, half-dog demon agreed far too readily. "My apologies for arriving so late in the day!"

By that time, even Kagome thought it was strange, the way their dog-eared companion happily acquiesced to accompanying the group. Kagome frowned, scooping Shippo into her arms again, for her own reassurance more than anything else. Had Sora's orders to train Inuyasha been modified somehow, and he simply refused to admit it? After all, the soft, brown haired youkai must believe it was a fool's errand to go chasing across the countryside with their group, whether he was supposed to assist Inuyasha or not.

Still, no one contested it, and the half-wind youkai gracefully joined the traveling party.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Morning took an exceptionally long time to arrive, in Sesshoumaru's opinion. It was almost as if staring at the Meido-seki slowed time, caused dawn to linger at the periphery of his consciousness instead of breaking over the land on schedule. He had been sitting in the outskirts of a distant, empty field for days now. Totosai promised that he would finish reforging the Tenseiga within three days. So, Sesshoumaru had picked out a suitable spot to wait.

But the longer they rested here, the more he found himself fascinated by the dark stone that his mother had handed to him. The fact Totosai told him not to look at it encouraged him to do so. When given instructions such as this, most people would be prone to disobey. It was only natural. He wanted to learn what it was about the dark colored crystal that could upset the normally placid swordsmith so greatly.

The first day, he patiently waited alongside Rin and Jaken, watching the young girl gather flowers and grass. Jaken helped her to catch a squirrel, one morning, instead of fish. The second day, his attention was drifting toward the stone, more and more often, although he still had not surrendered to temptation and started to stare at it. He put the necklace around his neck, though, which made it both easier and harder to ignore. At that point, it was no longer in his hand, but it was closer to his heart, and the blackened crystal seemed cold against his chest.

Low-level demons seemed to be gathering about their group, by the end of the second day. It was like the Meido-seki called to them too. Even vagrant souls, which had failed to pass on to the afterlife, were gathering in the area. The souls drifted by him, like wisps of fog, in the background.

By the third day, however, Sesshoumaru had caught himself holding the Meido-seki in his fist and gazing calmly into it. He could have easily refrained, he thought, but Totosai had the audacity to claim that merely looking at the stone was bad for the soul, and Sesshoumaru did not believe him. Thus, he felt the temptation to prove Totosai wrong, and periodically, he would prove the old man wrong by doing exactly what he was not supposed to do.

It was fascinating, actually. At first glance, the crystal inside his mother's necklace seemed to be pitch-black. But when one contemplated it long enough, there were tiny stars sparkling from deep within the stone. And if he studied it deeply, it seemed like the entire night sky had been compressed within it. It felt like a vast expanse of space, trapped within a single speck of stone.

Shaking his head roughly, Sesshoumaru dropped the Meido-seki once more, lifting his eyes. Hn. Perhaps it was a bad sign, to find the damned stone so fascinating? Not that he was willing to admit the elderly swordsmith had been correct. Not quite yet, anyway.

The grass in the field around them was so tall that Rin had to sit on the two-headed dragon, or else she would be nearly swallowed up in it. By the end of the third day, even his tiny ward was no longer excited about gathering flower blossoms. A thick, gloomy fog had overtaken the field.

With a dispirited cough, Jaken muttered how he hated being in the area. Apparently, the lower level demons that had been gathering around them for days were annoying Sesshoumaru's retainer. Rin twisted in place, on the dragon's back, to face an approaching menace with more teeth than it could possibly use. The wild youkai had a grassy looking mane of hair encircling its jaws, and no eyes at all. Scoffing at the attacker, Jaken used his staff to burn the youkai into dust. Then, he frowned again and swiveled about, obviously attempting to dig up the strength to face his leader.

"Sesshoumaru-sama!" the little toad-like demon began abruptly. "It has already been three days." Nodding his head firmly, as though the conclusion were inescapable, Jaken agreed with himself. "Clearly, Totosai lied. He claimed he would reforge the Tenseiga, but he has only run away in fear."

The white-haired dog-demon gazed impassively down at his companions. Jaken quickly lost all of the willpower that he had somehow scraped up from the bottom of his heart. "That is to say..." blustered the kappa, "We must chase him down."

Naturally, no one listened. As if to demonstrate how incompetent the tiny green-skinned demon actually was, even Rin joined in. "Ah!" she cried out happily, pointing upward. "There he is!"

Jaken's face fell. Sesshoumaru ignored him completely. Unfortunately, so did Totosai. The elderly smith actually landed on top of the tiny kappa. Perhaps the old man had overheard Jaken's badmouthing from a distance.

Holding out the Tenseiga, Totosai raised both eyebrows, forehead crinkled in the way that only an elderly man's skin could be. "I brought it back," he announced tartly. "Can you master it?"

With a slightly sneer, the taiyoukai snatched his father's sword back from the old man's grip. Of course, he could 'master' the Tenseiga's latest attack. What a ridiculous question!

The swordsmith was probably trying to insult him, or otherwise get a rise out of him. As a result, Sesshoumaru declined to reply to the question. "If you've done poor quality work," he said softly, "Then expect your life to end."

As he gripped the hilt, a cold feeling washed over him. The Tenseiga felt oddly... empty. Frowning, the inu-youkai held the sword aloft in front of his chest, trying to listen for the newest technique that had been added to his blade. It was how he always mastered new techniques in the past, such as the wind-borne attacks that filled his half-brother's blade. But the Tenseiga sounded perfectly silent and deathly calm.

Next, he tried utilizing demonic-energy. Calling forth his youki, he pushed it down the length of his arm and into the sword. A small light began to build around the blade, and he almost held his breath, as he watched. Its unearthly gleam made him think of the tiny specks of light trapped within the Meido-seki.

The more youki he forced into the sword, though, the more sickened he felt. It was like a twisting, icy cramp that entered through his arm and traced its way into his chest, only to settle around his heart and lungs. Distinctly uncomfortable, he thought, What is this attack supposed to do?

He knew how to accomplish it, now. But something inside warned against performing this attack too quickly. There had to be a good reason to demonstrate it, not just pride.

Perhaps that was what the barrier on the sword had been intended to teach? Totosai had stated that his half-brother's sword had a barrier on it, in order to foster protective tendencies in its wielder. What internal response had the barrier on his blade been intended to produce, before he could utilize the Tenseiga as a fighting weapon?

Gritting his teeth, Sesshoumaru wandered into the murky fog that surrounded them, in search of a reasonably powerful youkai to attack. Destroying annoying, overeager demons, that would suffice as an adequate reason to use his latest attack. The others followed after him, Rin excited, Jaken fearful, and Totosai... Well, Totosai seemed rather unimpressed.

After walking for several minutes, the youki that he had forced into his sword, it began to entice stronger demons to approach. Only low-level youkai hovered nearby, however the apparent abundance of spiritual energy leaking from his blade, it called to them. Sesshoumaru switched direction, heading toward the strongest demonic presence on the periphery of the field. As he neared the edge of the grass, it finally came forth.

The beast was an earth-based ogre. Honestly, Sesshoumaru had seen far more dangerous looking oni. But he would settle for second best, if it allowed him to test his new weapon. The ogre grumbled, having difficulty deciding whether to attack him or not. Perhaps its intelligence level was not as dismal as the other youkai that had been swarming about for the last few days, drawn by the power of the Meido-seki.

Forcing another surge of energy into the blade at his side, Sesshoumaru avoided direct eye contact with his potential opponent, trying to seem as harmless as possible. Look over here, he thought facetiously, So much demonic-energy, being wasted. And it could all be yours, if you beat little... helpless... me.

As if it could hear his thoughts, but not the sarcasm, the ogre finally charged forward with a scream. On its stub-nosed face, the eyes seemed almost bloodshot and crazed. No, this opponent would not be a challenge.

Leaping upward, he slashed the sword in front of the oni's body, never even touching it. The ogre paused, then abruptly died, still frozen in the position in which it began its attack. As it collapsed on its knees, eyes rolling upward into its head, the oni fell toward him, and Sesshoumaru landed lightly on the grass, watching with interest.

It was almost as if he had willed the creature to die, and the ogre had obeyed his unspoken order. It was as if absolutely nothing had happened at all, except for the nothingness that he felt within the Tenseiga, the emptiness, reaching out and touching...

A thin black line split through existence, directly overhead. Like an infinitesimal cut from a paper scroll, a wound that he didn't even notice receiving until he touched another object and realized that his finger was bleeding, Sesshoumaru's heart lurched. As a dark moon opened in the sky above them, a void seemed to open in his chest as well, making him feel numb and hollow inside. Without a sound, the ogre's torso slid apart, evenly divided in two pieces after Sesshoumaru's attack cut it.

"So, the path of darkness has opened, has it?" From where he stood behind the others, Totosai did not seem pleased by how suddenly Sesshoumaru had mastered the skill. His tone was laced with disbelief.

As usual, his retainer jumped into the conversation at that point, ready to defend his reputation, zealously asking questions so that the taiyoukai did not have to. "W-what was that ?!"

The blacksmith huffed, pretending the answer was obvious, although everyone else acted surprised. "The oni's body was taken into the next world, you see," he explained obliquely. "At this point, the fissure between worlds is only a shaped like a crescent moon, but as you improve the attack, it will resemble a full moon, drawing the enemy's entire body into the next world."

Since the taiyoukai was still contemplating the unpleasant sensations that his latest technique had unleashed inside his heart, Sesshoumaru did not reply. He merely replaced the Tenseiga within its sheathe, passively noting that, at least, his sword was extremely clean. It seemed the Tenseiga could defeat enemies without even cutting them, merely by sucking them into an endless void in space. And that was interesting... although unexpected.

Sensing his confusion, Totosai continued gamely. "Tenseiga is a sword that connects this world to the next, after all. It can injure creatures from other worlds, and now, it can cut pathways from this world to the realm of the dead, utterly annihilating the enemy, not merely killing it." With a small grin, the old swordsmith tugged on his beard with one hand. "The attack is called the Meidou Zangetsuha."

Somehow, Sesshoumaru thought, he should feel happier about gaining this technique than he did. Instead of feeling pleased, he simply felt cold. Part of his mind informed him, unhelpfully, that he had still not fulfilled whatever requirements that Tenseiga's barrier had originally set. Or rather... whatever requirements that his father had set for him. And it had hurt to execute this new attack, as if it was eating away at his emotions, or his very soul. Somehow, it did not feel like something to rely on, something to be proud of learning.

He wondered, absently, if he had only mastered this technique sooner, whether he could have avoided the whole misunderstanding with his mother and with Kagome, about who killed Ryukossei and why it mattered in the first place.

Glaring at the ground, he hardened his resolve. He would find a demon named Shishinki, and he would train with his newest technique, until it reflected a full moon instead of a crescent, like Totosai claimed it should. Then, he could use it to regain his position in the Western lands, satisfying his mother's demands as well. And Kagome would have no more reason to doubt him, or to accuse him of underhanded behavior, such as "stealing" Inuyasha's accomplishments. Which he had not done. He had never attempted to undermine Inuyasha's accomplishments; it was all just a misunderstanding.

And eventually, he would drag the truth out of the old swordsmith as well. He would learn whatever he was supposed to have accomplished, before the Tenseiga's barrier would have called to the old man on its own, instead of being rushed along by his mother, who had handed him the Meidou-seki.

"Totosai," he stated proudly. "The fighting Tenseiga... I will take it."

The frosty feeling left behind from his newest technique seemed to melt away, momentarily, in the face of his resolve and the warmth of his determination.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

"But a secondary weapon is invaluable, young master," protested Inuyasha's instructor, "If you meet someone strong enough to defeat a swordsman, don't be a swordsman when you fight him. Fall back on other skills. Many people over-specialize."

"I already have a backup plan," the hanyou agreed happily, "I use my claws."

"You could also learn how to use throwing knives, or... "

"Knives are for girls."

Sora sighed, wearily rubbing the back of his neck. "A spear, then? Or chains. Explosives..."

"What's wrong with my claws?" Inuyasha objected.

By this time, Kagome felt ready to laugh. She barely managed to hold it inside. It was amusing to watch her friend try to avoid his daily lesson.

The palace instructor had been badgering him for hours, now. In fact, the moment the sun came up, Sora had suggested training. Inuyasha had only allowed it, until the rest of the group was packed and ready to move.

Because it was basically impossible to practice swordfighting while hiking, Sora had eventually hatched a new scheme. Inuyasha should practice manipulating his youki, while holding a weapon! Forcing demonic energy into metal or wood, this took concentration and effort. And according to Sora, it was how Sesshoumaru had learned to manipulate his youki in the form of a whip - he had actually used a whip. After saturating the weapon with his energy, day after day, Sesshoumaru eventually figured out how to create that shape on his own.

However, Inuyasha could not effectively practice this skill with the Tessaiga. The moment that he pushed youki into his sword, it transformed. If he continued trying to force energy into the blade, it overreacted. Executing the Wound of the Wind, over and over again, this would only decimate the countryside. It would not successfully teach Inuyasha how to manipulate youki inside a dormant weapon.

Basically, his father's fang was far too lively, and it could not be used for simple practice sessions. So, Sora began suggesting a variety of other weapons that Inuyasha should learn how to use. The half-demon turned down each and every one, without providing a reason why.

In Kagome's opinion, the most prominent reason was probably that he did not own any of these weapons, and their group had no money. But Inuyasha was not about to admit this. Instead, he focused on the fact that he liked his claws, more than any weapon. Perhaps, deep down, he was also enjoying the fact that it annoyed Sora every time he refused.

"Do you think we'll be able to spend the night, at the town ahead?" Sango whispered conspiratorially to Kagome.

Both girls were already focused on the end result, not the journey. After leaving the Western Lands, they had steadily crossed the countryside. No Shikon shards had been sensed, and no rumors or scents of Naraku could be traced. As usual, it seemed like their journey was endlessly spiraling out into nowhere. It was discouraging and exhausting, and Kagome was ready to spend a little bit of time indoors. The upcoming village looked large enough to accommodate them.

Sora looked slightly uncomfortable about entering a human village, but he quickly covered his feelings on the matter. No doubt, he rationalized that any humans they encountered would be too weak to injure them. The group headed for the local shrine, first.

Inuyasha blithely ignored everyone else, exploiting his instructor's silence to complain loudly and vocally. "I'm not gonna become some ridiculous walking arsenal. All those weapons would be heavy!" protested the hanyou. Then, he glanced at his mentor. "And if you had your way, then I'd probably have ta start wearing armor too."

As Sora caught up with him, he looked pensive. "Sesshoumaru-sama does wear armor for a reason..."

"No!" the hanyou glared. "Absolutely not! See? You were thinking about armor, if you could get me to lug aroun' a bunch of weapons."

In the meantime, they had reached the outskirts of the village. Miroku took the lead, introducing himself and the others to several of the locals. Most villagers gave Sora and Inuyasha suspicious looks, since they both had triangular, non-human ears. But no one mentioned it.

"We would gladly allow you to stay," explained one of the old men, "Unfortunately, there is no extra space. All our spare rooms have been destroyed. After the Shinto priest was killed, the youkai sealed in the shrine went on a rampage, breaking down many buildings."

Farther off, several buildings seemed to have collapsed. The majority of the structures that still stood were overflowing with inhabitants. And there was no other reason why so many villagers would have gathered on the edges of the town.

Of course, Kagome immediately offered to assist the villagers in eliminating the youkai menace. Then, belatedly recalling Sora's presence, she reddened with embarrassment. Was it rude to offer to kill youkai, when traveling with one? Hopefully, their newest traveling companion would not mind. They were only offering to kill low-level, small fry demons...

When she looked over at him, Sora merely appeared bemused. "It is astonishing," he told her calmly, under his breath, once he noticed her eyes on him, "The way you freely volunteer other people's services - namely, Inuyasha - without asking first."

"Well, he needs more opportunities for... um... training lessons?" She blinked innocently. It seemed like a good counterattack, because the half-wind youkai had been encouraging Inuyasha to use other types of weapons, all morning.

A smile broke out across Sora's cheeks. He greedily returned his attention to Inuyasha. "True enough."

By now, the hanyou was squirming uncomfortably. For heaven's sake! He didn't want to learn how to use throwing knives or spears or anything... The Tessaiga alone was good enough!

"What in the world killed off your Shinto priest?" Inuyasha barked gruffly, edging away from the brown haired youkai at his side.

Another one of the older men replied, although not the same one who spoke the first time. "No one saw it," he explained fearfully, "But there are rumors that monks and Shinto priests are being assassinated everywhere!. A woman and a baby impersonate helpless travelers, in order to be invited inside, and then... they kill the ones who take them in."

Naturally, this caught everyone's attention.

"A woman and a baby?" Inuyasha mused. The last time they had seen Kagura, she had been carting around a small infant. The moment Inuyasha left the group, they had kidnapped Kagome, and the others had barely been able to rescue her in time.

Perhaps Kagura was simply trying to overpower a holy person, hoping to use that person for some nefarious purpose? In which case, they had two objectives. First, they would stop these low-level youkai from attacking the village. But then, they had to hurry and stop Kagura!

Evidently, Miroku felt the same way. "Where is the closest shrine or monastery that still stands?"

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

As her feather floated in the air, Kagura grimaced at the bundle in her arms. She had been forced to carry this ... thing... around since the winter. It was Naraku's latest incarnation. But as usual, she could not even fathom what the bastard was thinking when he created this detachment.

It was a baby. A demonic baby, yes. Still, it was not terribly special. Just an immature, ineffective demon. It had been thoroughly exhausted by the first mission on which Naraku ever sent it, taking an inordinate amount of time to regain strength. The baby had tried to control Kagome's willpower, inserting a Shikon shard into the girl's forehead, but Kagome had resisted, using her spiritual powers to trump them. And after that, Kagura had been forced to flee with the helpless lump.

Finally, after the damned thing recovered its spiritual energy (which took a long time!), it had demanded to start killing priests. There was only one thing that Kagura hated more than being ordered around by Naraku, and it was being ordered around by a stupid baby. It felt degrading. She had been reduced to a mode of transportation for Naraku's tiniest follower yet.

Once again, she wondered what exactly she was holding. The human monk in Inuyasha's group, he had theorized the baby must be Naraku's "heart." The baby had agreed, snidely conversing with the others and admitting that he was Naraku's discarded human heart. But Kagura didn't really believe that. First, no sensible person would admit such a thing to the enemy. Second, even if the baby was Naraku's human heart, it claimed to have no affection for Kikyou, at all. And wasn't that the entire point of Naraku's human heart? He had felt affection for the priestess, Kikyou, and so, Naraku had excised his heart from his body.

On the other hand, the white-haired, demonic infant had to be important to Naraku, in some fashion, or else she would not be forced to ferry it around by air. Maybe this could be used as leverage against Naraku? Or she could find Sesshoumaru and accidentally drop the little infant on his head... Perhaps the taiyoukai would do her the favor of killing it. Unfortunately, he would probably kill her too, for the insult of "accidentally" dropping something on him.

Naraku had been missing for a long time, and Kagura guessed that he was trying to discover the location of the last few Shikon shards. When they failed to entrap Kagome, stealing the priestess's eyesight (and thereby her ability to see shards), Naraku had moved on. Last that Kagura heard, he was out searching for some old demon named Mimi... Mimisen... something or other. (Well, she remembered the 'Mimi' part, at least.)

Meanwhile, Kagura had to carry around this childlike monster, and murder random men. The baby regularly ordered her to attack priests, but not fully kill them. Then, he would seize the dying soul and watch it, as the soul departed from this world.

Honestly, it was boring. And undignified. She was so tired of doing other people's dirty work.

As she flew overhead to reach the next monastery, Kagura glanced down, and recognized the travelers on the road in the distance. The white hair and red clothing looked like Inuyasha, and the indecently short green skirt could only signify Kagome, his companion. There seemed to be another addition to their retinue, today. Oddly enough, it was another individual with puppy-dog ears on his head.

Kagura smirked. Well, that was interesting. And because it would probably be inconvenient for Naraku, in the long run, she did not mind. The more people who joined Inuyasha, the better. Kagura hoped to watch someone else defeat Naraku, more than anything.

Sadly, the fact that Inuyasha was approaching the base of the mountain, it also meant that she would need to hurry.

As the sun set, she finally reached the monastery, landing softly on the walkway outside the temple's sliding doors. From within, she overheard a commanding, soft-pitched voice.

"The two of you, hide!" said the monk behind the walls, "A dark presence has already approached us."

With a smile, Kagura shifted the infant to her left arm. Wind rustled through the trees around them. Opening a metal-tipped fan with the other hand, she stepped forward, ready for an attack.. "Oh?" she sneered, recalling other priests and monks that she had killed far, far too easily. At least this one might be a challenge. "It seems you are a bit more capable than your predecessors."

Without even opening the shoji screens, she flicked her fan, sending a slice of wind into the room before her. It demolished the door in its path, and left a clear view of her opponent. But the monk had lifted a feeble barrier, in self-defense. He was unharmed.

How aggravating! Naraku's detachment wanted to grasp the man's soul. She was not supposed to kill him too quickly. So, she could not attack with too much strength.

But the tiny child in her arms seemed pleased by their opponent's display of strength. "Maybe this one will show something worthwhile about the borderline between this world and the next."

Sweeping her fan in a wide circle, Kagura sent a barrage of wind toward the monk. By extending her entire arm straight out, she hoped to disperse the winds and lower the level of her attack slightly. Otherwise the man would surely die.

He raised another barrier, but the tunneling winds pierced it almost immediately. However, just when she thought they had won, Kagura detected a trace of youki sweeping toward her back. Distracted, she lost her concentration, and the tornados she had raised against the monk began to dissolve.

Turning, she saw Inuyasha's group racing up the side of the mountain. It would still take them a while to arrive; they should not be close enough to have any effect. But the newest member of the group was holding out one hand, fingers spread wide, as he leapt up the hill. And in the split second it took her to focus on them, below, he closed his fingers, yanking his fist backward.

The air solidified around her in a spiral, twisting her feet from beneath her. As her ankles were dragged backward, Kagura hissed in displeasure and rolled forward to stabilize herself, centering her feet beneath the body once more. Unfortunately, the somersault caused her to drop her (not so precious) cargo.

"Kagura!" shrieked the baby. "Pick me up!"

There was no time to worry about Naraku's infant, though. She had landed quite close to the one that she was supposed to kill. The eldest monk raised a barrier preemptively, as she looked up. He was bleeding heavily from his shoulder. Apparently, some of her tornados had drilled their way through the barrier, earlier. But the old man was far from dead.

"Dance of the Dragon!" shouted Kagura, frustrated by her inability to defeat someone so weak. She should be allowed to annihilate this individual, but instead she was supposed to kill him slowly. But those were her orders...

Her attack was interrupted, again. A shimmering barrier of air diverted her wind tunnels, shifting the brunt of the attack away from the old monk. Damn it! Kagura cursed mentally. The guy at the foot of the hill is a wind-user?

A long distance wind-user, no less. This had been something that Kagura always enjoyed about her attacks. She could utilize the air itself, in order to hurt people. And air existed everywhere! But it was not much fun, she had discovered, to battle another wind-user, for that very reason. Inuyasha could perform a devastating wind-based technique - the Kaze no Kizu. The monk in his group held a wind-tunnel in his palm. And now, apparently, there was yet another person in the group who could use wind-based attacks. Kagura frowned.

The elderly monk threw himself forward, with a pronged knife in one hand. Oddly enough, he was aiming for the baby on the floor, not Kagura. The infant raised a purple-colored barrier and she smirked. Both sides were quick to erect spiritual barriers in this fight, it seemed.

She lifted her fan, only to find they were out of time. The Wound of the Wind, Inuyasha's favorite attack, came roaring through the center of the monastery at that very moment. This had occurred before, when the infant had tried to possess Kagome, so Kagura knew that Naraku's latest detachment was capable of raising a barrier to withstand this attack. Moreover, she knew the purple barrier could absorb and reflect the Kaze no Kizu back toward its creator.

That did not mean Kagura wanted to be in the middle of a battlefield, however. She would rather hide within the barrier, not outside of it. With a casual flick of the wrist, she killed the two young attendants, who cowered at the side of the room. They were only trainees, not officially monks, and she had not been instructed to keep them alive. Dead, though? Now, they could be of assistance to her. Kagura could use the wind to manipulate their forms, distracting the enemy long enough for them to escape.

Propelling the corpses out of the monastery and down the hill, toward Inuyasha's group, she slipped through the circumference of the purple barrier around the Naraku's infant. Ah! She felt much better, now that she had gotten to a safe place.

Next, pulling a feather from her hair, she lifted off the ground, carrying her tiny charge away from the scene. It wasn't a difficult task, since Inuyasha's Kaze no Kizu had demolished a tract of the monastery. The ceiling was collapsing on both sides, now.

As they floated away, the other group finally arrived at the top of the mountain. Inuyasha looked angry, as usual. The humans seemed primarily concerned about the victims of the fight. But the newest addition to Inuyasha's group, a youkai with short brown hair and dog-like ears, he simply stared straight up into her face. Wide-eyed, he seemed slightly astounded.

"Pure wind..." he murmured reverently. The breeze was polite enough to carry his words to her.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

It was not until Sesshoumaru seriously thought about killing Jaken that he realized he had a very, very large problem.

No. He did not actually assassinate his faithful retainer. But the idea did cross his mind. And it did not chill him, the way that it should have.

He had been trying to perfect his use of the Meidou Zangetsuha, for days. And this required killing lots and lots of lesser youkai. After all, practice made perfect. Supposedly, the dark crescent moon would widen, whenever he managed to 'mature' the technique. But no matter how many low-level youkai he killed, it did not expand.

So, he had started seeking larger and larger prey. Eventually, all the youkai in the area vanished. Sesshoumaru had begun walking steadily toward a new tract of countryside, where he could find more youkai to 'practice' with. And he had overheard Jaken insult Rin.

As usual, the tiny green demon and his ward were arguing over something stupid. Rin had been singing for hours, and the kappa wanted her to be silent. Honestly, although it was rude, Jaken's request was not too unreasonable.

But suddenly, Sesshoumaru had caught himself considering whether the Meidou Zangetsuha was wide enough to swallow Jaken yet. Instead of merely telling his retainer to be quiet, or even kicking Jaken for his impudence, Sesshoumaru had contemplated murdering him, in cold blood.

And he had felt absolutely nothing. Deep down, Sesshoumaru had not minded the idea. He knew that he would have been able to complete the act. It had been a purely theoretical endeavor.

That was the part which frightened him. Realizing that he would actually feel... nothing... upon assassinating his tiny green-skinned retainer.

Each time he had used the Meidou Zangetsuha, a pathway of darkness had opened in the sky, and he felt chilled to the bone, almost pained by the sight of the nebulous darkness there. The more he practiced with it, however, the less it hurt to use the technique. At first, Sesshoumaru had believed this meant he was improving - that his tolerance level was increasing, against the nebulous, empty, cold darkness.

But after he emotionlessly, analytically pondered using the Meidou Zangetsuha to kill off Jaken, merely because the green imp spoke harshly to Rin... it was not until this moment when Sesshoumaru finally understood. Perhaps he was not becoming more skilled. Perhaps his soul was simply hardening, becoming more and more numb, from the experience.

Slowing to a halt, he stood still in the middle of the road. Was repeating a technique, over and over, not the proper way to master it? He had been told to find an instructor named Shishinki. But he had no idea where this person might be. No one that he asked had any clue, either.

Admittedly, he had not asked many more people than his father's old swordsmith, Totosai. And Totosai was generally unhelpful. When asked about Shishinki, he had clammed up immediately. Still though, Sesshoumaru could not think of anyone else to direct him.

Heaven forbid, he was not going home to ask his mother! He would be happy to ignore her for another few years...

So, other than wandering around the countryside, killing youkai after youkai, what could he do? He had uncovered one or two demons intelligent enough to understand speech, but upon asking their names, they had not revealed the one he sought. Thus, Sesshoumaru had quickly dispatched them for the afterlife.

With a sigh, he breathed out the name. "Shishinki..." It sounded like a demonic name, not a human one. So, that was good at least. Right?

"Sesshoumaru-sama?" came a bright, young voice from behind him. Rin smiled up at his face. The girl had obviously noticed that they were holding still, at the moment, and she had decided to use this opportunity to explore or gather food. "There are berries in the bushes, over there..."

Pointing one finger to show him, she indicated that she wanted to go and pluck them. He nodded his acquiescence. Then, settling himself beside the dusty road, he tried not to stare at the back of Jaken's head. Had he really contemplated using the Meidou Zangetsuha, on Jaken?

Unable to think about it any longer, he waved Jaken away, instructing the toad-like demon to assist Rin in her search for berries.

Perhaps he really did need to return home, and inquire whether his mother knew where this individual might be hiding. But then, the Lady of the Western Lands had assigned him a task, and it was doubtful that she would assist him, now. She had always been rather fickle, like that.

As the shadows began to lengthen, a cool evening breeze swept by, and a soft sound attracted his attention. Like a whisper of wind, someone appeared farther down the road, walking slowly toward him. Frowning, Sesshoumaru rose to his feet, again.

The person who approached him had papery-white skin and no scent. And just like Naraku's void-demon creation, Kanna, the demon held only the faintest traces of youki. In fact, the youkai seemed like a small boy, with cropped black hair, wearing perfectly white clothing. But he suspiciously kept his hands folded in his sleeves, and his eyes were... missing. The space behind the boy's lids looked like a solid black void, instead of normal eyes.

"Ah, here you are," began the boy, never unfolding his arms. "According to my master, you are searching for him. So, then. You would like to learn what the Tenseiga lacks, when performing the Meidou Zangetsuha?"

Sesshoumaru immediately bristled at the curt, informal manner in which the youkai addressed him, and then burned, at the idea that someone else knew so much about his goals. As much as he disliked the idea of searchingfor Shishinki, he absolutely hated the idea that his hunt might end so abruptly. It reeked of being a trap for the unwary.

Glancing over one shoulder, he ensured that Jaken and Rin were still out of sight. He had left them alone before, without informing them of his location. It was probably safer that way.

"What the Tenseiga lacks?" Sesshoumaru replied, biting the question off sharply, disbelief evident in his tone.

The petite youkai breathed out softly, as if the answer should be obvious. "Follow me, then."

And even though it seemed like a trap, Sesshoumaru could not resist accompanying his guide.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

The old monk knelt on the floor, staring sadly at the two recently deceased attendants. Their white robes were stained with blood, and it looked like the boys had been sliced, head to toe, with several thin blades. Inuyasha and Miroku had helped to carry the trainees back into the temple, and they had rested the boys beside a large statue of Buddha, which was the only thing still keeping the roof up.

Kagome looked rather desperately at Miroku. To her way of thinking, there was only one reality. It might have many facets, but there was only one world in which they all existed. Yet the elderly monk had informed them that his attackers sought to glimpse a 'borderline between this world and the next' ...

"Perhaps something is there?" she asked him. "What do you think, Miroku?"

Wearily, the monk rubbed one hand over his eyes. "The reason why Kagura and the infant killed priests and monks - I thought it was to release the seal on youkai, allowing Naraku to absorb them for strength. But Naraku generally has multiple objectives, at once."

"Like what?" inquired the newest member of their group. Sora looked confused. So far, all they had told him of their quest was that Inuyasha and Kagome sought to find shards of the Shikon no Tama, and that they all sought to destroy a hanyou named Naraku. Naturally, with such sparse background information, the youkai was puzzled.

"Naraku seeks the Shikon no Tama, also," clarified Miroku. "Perhaps he is seeking a shard?"

The half-wind youkai ran a hand through his scruffy locks of hair, as though he still was baffled. "Is that even possible?" Sora frowned. "There is no reason that a physical object would accidentally imbed itself in a barrier between two dimensions. It needs to be carried there."

At this, Kagome piped up. "Yes, exactly! When Kikyou died, she carried the Shikon no Tama into the afterlife, and then, it was reborn inside of me!"

As she spoke, Sora stared at her, aghast. He seemed vaguely disgusted, as if she had just informed him she enjoyed putting spicy mustard on fruit. Kagome trailed off, loosing steam. There was nothing wrong with having the Shikon no Tama born inside of her body, was there?

"So, yea... It can travel through dimensions... and stuff," she muttered.

In the background, the elderly monk rose and paced around the wreckage of the main temple chamber, lighting candles, while Miroku crowded closer to Sora. He wore the same intense expression that he always gained, whenever he sensed money or valuable information. This was one of Miroku's special talents. "Would you, by any chance, happen to know how to reach such a place?"

Sora merely laughed. Shaking his head, he disagreed with the question itself. "There are many dimensions, young one," the half-dog demon noted mildly. "Asking to travel from 'this world to the next' is futile, without knowing what 'world' you hope to enter."

"Even so," persisted Miroku, undaunted. "What sort of special pathways might reach another world?"

Inuyasha interrupted, before Sora had the chance to speak. "Don't even ask!" he huffed, crossing his arms over his chest. "Last time I visited another world, I traveled by way of a black pearl that was hidden in my eye."

Everyone else stared at him. All but Kagome, at least. She had accompanied Inuyasha on that fateful trip to his father's gravesite. So, she knew he was not exaggerating. Sango and Miroku, on the other hand, seemed shocked.

"Yes, that would be one method," Sora agreed, blinking with surprise, and turning to face his student. "A directed portal - keyed to transport someone away from this world, then back again. Also, fixed portals exist between dimensions. But those are usually hard to find and even harder to cross, with many rites or requirements of passage. Finally, you could find an individual or an item with a natural ability to traverse dimensions. A ferryman, if you will."

Sensing that he had their attention fully, the half-wind demon narrowed his eyes at the monk that sat beside him. "Or... I suppose you could die. That is an extremely effective method of reaching another 'world'..."

Clearly, Miroku decided, he had intruded upon Sora's personal space too long. He quickly scooted away on his hands and knees. Once he was safely on the other side of Inuyasha's body, the violet eyed monk peered around the hanyou's shoulder.

Inuyasha flicked one ear in annoyance. "So, we need to find out what 'world' Naraku's hopin' to travel to, before doing anything else?"

"That is assuming, of course, a Shikon shard is actually present in some other dimension. Either way, it is a clever ploy," Miroku admitted begrudingly. "If we do not attempt to retrieve the shard, then Naraku may find it first. But if we do, then he may steal the shard directly from us."

With a growl, the hanyou glared at his friend. No one enjoyed being reminded of failures, such as how they lost shards to Naraku in the past. It sounded like the monk was implying this could happen again.

"Well... Whatever he's trying to do," the white-haired hanyou decided resolutely, rubbing one fist into his palm. "We stop him!"

As usual, their group leader had struck upon the riskiest, most exhausting strategy possible. But even Sora seemed resigned and accustomed to his impulsive behavior, by now. "If I may suggest a course of action, young master?" he added calmly. "There is an oracle, of sorts, whom I know in the West. She will be able to visualize the item that this 'Naraku' seeks, in the barrier between worlds. Also, she may be able to visualize the nearest portal or individual who can cross dimensional borders. Best to know if the errand is worthwhile, before undertaking it."

Night had fallen, and crisp, cool wind slipped through the ruins. Kagome shivered, in the gloomy darkness of the temple. The walls had been thoroughly destroyed by Inuyasha's signature attack, Kaze no Kizu. Frowning, she wondered if they could stay in this crumbling building overnight.

No one noticed the large winged hornet, huddled a short distance away on the bark of a pine tree, watching them.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Author's note: Was the chapter long enough? Good grief! I slowly plodded along, following the manga, and then changing a few points here and there. Next chapter, we can do more creative work, again.

Review! What was good? What was bad? What was stupid and pointless?