Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha, but I do own Makoto. Yay Makoto!

Chapter 36: Final Battle Part 3

AN: This is a youkai speaking in true-form.

Kagome balanced Gina on her hip and stood back, waiting for the others to pass by and checking on the ones in the back. She gave them all encouraging smiles and checked their wounds as they walked. Though they had walked far, the growls and snarls of the battle could still be heard loud and clear. InuYasha had instructed her to keep going until he came for them, but she didn't know how much longer most of them would last. It had been long and hard for the past few days. She sighed and shook her head. If they had to stop and rest they would.

Rin and Tani were two of the last ones following along in the group. Rin had one arm wrapped around Tani's waist and the other around her shoulders, helping her to keep up with the others. Kagome's brow creased as she saw the girl cringe with each step. She approached Rin and handed Gina over, taking Rin's place.

"How are you holding up, Tani?"

"I'm… not sure, Kagome-sama. I'm not feeling so well." She grimaced.

Kagome took another look around. Most of the ones near looked almost ready to pass out, and if Tani didn't rest soon it could harm her unborn kit. Kagome had her own thoughts about that; the kit could come at anytime, and with the luck they have had lately she was almost certain most of the pains Tani was feeling was the beginnings of labor.

"We'll stop soon, I promise. As soon as we can find a place a little more secluded."

"Thank you."

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Yukio snarled and leaped at his brother from the side. The inu-youkai saw it coming and dodged the initial attack landing a few yards away. Taru growled and circled Yukio.

Give it up Taru. There's no way I'm letting you live after what you tried to do with Rin! Yukio rushed forward, predicting his brother's movements and slamming into his side. He jerked his body around and sunk his fangs into Taru's neck. He bit down hard, drawing a mouthful of blood and fur. Taru used his larger body mass to throw Yukio off his paws and towered over him. Yukio refused to relent his grip until Taru's claws scrapped long gashes in his chest. He yelped and rolled out from under the inu, getting back to his feet.

I had every right to rid the castle of her! Father and I tolerated her when Sesshomaru kept her around as a pet, but when you and he started treating her as an equal, when you courted her, then it became intolerable.

What right do you have?! Lord Sesshomaru agreed to our union, that should have been more then enough.

Its about honor, little brother, something Sesshomaru apparently lacks.

Lord Sesshomaru has more honor then you or father ever had. Yukio growled. Attacking a female human in the cover of darkness? Is that what you call honorable?!

I'm tired of your ignorance. Father should have had you killed the moment you were born to save us all from your disgrace. He raced forward to plow into Yukio. Yukio didn't even try to dodge, taking the full impact then raising back to his paws. The games were over. There would be no more beating around the bush, both inu were on the offence. Yukio was more than willing to repay Taru with a slam to his ribcage. The larger inu was quicker to regain his balance and sank his fangs into the back of Yukio's neck, paws on his back trying to jerk him to the ground. Yukio twisted away, allowing Taru's fangs to rip holes in his flesh, and shoved the inu away. Taru flew through the air, landing on his shoulder with a yip a few yards away from his brother.

When he stood, it was slower this time. Yukio's ears trained in on a popping noise, Taru's shoulder wouldn't stay in place. Now Yukio had the advantage. Taru tactically positioned his injured shoulder away from Yukio. Yukio didn't care. His gaze was fixed on that leg. He moved slowly this time. Taru shifted his position whenever Yukio got in striking distance of his shoulder.

Yukio and Taru reared up on their hind legs, snapping at each others throats. To bystanders they were nothing but a tangled mass of teeth and fur. Yukio's rage evened the odds against Taru's size, both giving and receiving hard blows. To the inus, nothing outside of their fight even existed. Their surroundings muddled into a big blur as they ducked, snapped, bit, clawed, charged, and stood back to their paws after being knocked down. It wasn't long before Yukio got the upper hand and ripped a chunk of flesh from his brother's shoulder. Taru howled in pain and stumbled to the ground. He was out. There was no way Taru could win with a handicap that severe. Yukio paced back and forth, gazing in his brother's eyes before leaping for the kill.

"Come on, Tani. Hold on." Kagome franticly wiped the sweat from the girl's forehead with a damp cloth and tried to sooth her the best she could. Rin lifted a pot from above the fire and pored hot water into a basin beside Kagome. Kagome rolled up her sleeves and plunged her hands into the water with a grimace.

"Ough…" Rin groaned, "Is there anything this Rin can do, Kagome-sama?"

"She's barely even dilated." Kagome mused after checking Tani. She sighed and turned to Rin. "Apparently it's going to be a while before the kit is born. I'm going to stay here with Tani. Just please help Kita look after Mehiji, Gina, and the others." Rin nodded. Kagome sat beside Tani, propping the girl's head in her lap and soothing back her hair. "You feeling okay? Want anything?"

"No, I'm fine." She breathed in deep through her nose and let it out through her mouth. "Kagome-sama, I need Shippou here. He can't miss this. It's the birth of our first child." Her eyes started to water. "The kit is getting ready to come and I don't even know if Shippou is coming back to me. What would I do? There's no way I could take care of a child on my own. What if Shippou never comes back?"

"Shhh…Tani, you can't think about that right now. I know it's hard while your mate is away, but you just have to have faith that he'll always return. Besides, worrying isn't good for the kit right now."

"I know, Kagome-sama." She sighed and closed her eyes.

Sesshomaru quietly stalked around the battlefield, searching for Haru, three of his most loyal followers behind him. He had caught a trail on the outskirts of the field and stayed on the tracks. He sniffed the ground. The scent was leading into the forest, following the scent of Kagome and the others. Sesshomaru snarled, as did his three followers. They raced off into the forest.

Kita gave a small smile to the pups sleeping under a shade tree. Mehiji lay with his arms under his chin, knees tucked under his stomach, and his hind end stuck out into the air. Beside him was Tao, the little tiger-hanyou, with his arms and legs sprawled out in all directions. The two were defiantly getting along, and getting into trouble with each other. Kita's eyes shifted. Hana, Cho, and Yumi lay piled up next to each other; nearly laying on top of the other. Each girl was holding the hand or shoulder of another. It had to be hard for them with both of their parents away.

Lastly, Kita glanced over to Gina. The little pup was sitting by the tree trunk, her ears flat on the side of her head, hands on her knees as her silver eyes concentrated on something far in the distance. She had to be the most confusing out of the bunch. A hanyou… and a miko. Two things that should by all nature never exist together. But, here she was. A living proof of how impossibilities just do not exist. Kita walked over and sat down next to the girl. The only sign she showed was a quick flick of her ear in Kita's direction.

"What's wrong, little one?" Kita asked in a soft voice, one that she didn't even recognize as her own.

"'Koto." The girl replied with a sigh. She seemed to lose interest in whatever she had been staring at and looked to the ground instead.

"Your brother is fine. He'll be back before you know it."

Gina closed her eyes and shook her head. "Change. Like once nighttime. No 'Koto."

Kita's eyebrows creased as she tried to translate the gibberish. "Change one night? You mean the night of the new moon? When we turn human?" she spoke in a whisper. Gina only nodded. "Makoto will always turn back, and so will you. Is that what has you so worried?"

Gina fiercely shook her head. "No 'Koto. Stay. Sick." Her voice was small.

Kita sighed and gave up. She just couldn't figure out what the girl was so worried about.

"Kita?" Rin questioned from behind. "Kagome needs more water. The camp is running low. Can you see if you can find something around here? This Rin will watch the children."

"Okay." Kita stood and dusted off her kimono, reaching out for the bamboo jugs to carry the water in, lugging them through the trees. She sniffed the air until her nose picked up a hint of fresh water nearby and she steered in that direction. She found a little brook close to the camp, but the water was barely flowing, not enough to gather it in the jugs, so she kept looking A few yards out she finally found a stream and dunked the jugs. She was filling the last jug when her extraordinary sense of smell caught a whiff of something familiar on the light breeze. She put the jugs down on the bank and stuck her nose in the air to get a better scent.

"Haru…" her voice didn't even have a hint of emotion.

He didn't know what was happening. He felt all his strength suddenly being zapped from his body. Every bruise, every cut, every broken bone started screaming to get his attention. Everything started to become blurry with the onset of all the pain his injuries subjected him to. His front legs gave out on him first, he slipped down and his shoulder hit the hard ground, adding more pain. His muzzle landed in the dirt, stirring up a cloud of dust.

"Makoto!" InuYasha yelled, running to catch a youkai before it got to his fallen son.

"What happened, Oyaji?" Shippou slid in beside InuYasha and shrugged his head in Makoto's direction.

"No idea. He passed out." InuYasha growled as another youkai fell to Tetsusaiga. He looked back over his shoulder. Makoto was shrinking now, his fur being sucked back into his body, back crackling into place, until there was no trace of his youkai heritage. A human Makoto laid on his back in an awkward position, covered in blood.

"Oyaji…" Shippou turned with worried eyes. InuYasha cursed under his breath, his ears slightly flattening to the sides of his head. He surveyed the battlefield. It was nearly over. The remaining group of Haru's men were either running away or being chased into the trees.

"Help with the clean-up. I'll get him out of here."

Kita was back at the campsite, she dropped the jugs of water and Kagome's feet with a wild look in her eyes. "Kagome-sama, we have to move."

"What's the matter?"

"Haru's on his way here. Get everybody out."

Kagome shook her head. "I can't move Tani, the kit is too far along."

Kita flinched. She had almost forgotten about that detail. There's not that much time. Haru caught our scent. Kita thought to herself. There's only one way. The pack. But…will they answer? "I'll take care of it, Kagome-sama."

"I'll do what I can here."

Kita took off, running through the forest to cut off Haru from the campsite. When she deemed herself a safe distance, she threw back her head and let out a loud howl that echoed through the trees. Her ears perked. She let out a breath she didn't even realize she was holding as the return howl sounded a few seconds later. It wasn't long before there was a rustling coming through the brush and three wolf-youkai stepped out with their heads bowed. Two males, one female, all three around the same age as Kita.

"My Lady," the biggest of the males spoke, "we've answered The Call, and are here to serve you in any way that we can."

Kita blushed. "No need for formalities. Is…this all?"

"Lady Kita, we are the only ones that remain loyal to your father. We remember him and your mother from our childhood, and we still value the words they spoke to us." The female spoke up.

Kita nodded. "Thank you. Thank you all. Haru and a few of his men are on their way here. There's a pregnant female in the camp, and there's no way she can be moved now. We have to keep them from entering as long as we can.

"Right. We'll do whatever we can."

Haru broke through the clearing. The larger male wolf-youkai was the first to charge. He transformed as he ran to meet Haru head on. The other two were on his flanks, charging the youkai to Haru's side. Kita could barely keep up with their movements. She watched the fight in horror. She sent those three to fight, if something happened to them…

There was a new growling that entered the fray. Sesshomaru and his men entered the battlefield with snarls. The wolves instantly bowed their heads and backed away as Sesshomaru took charge. His followers made quick work of Haru's men, then all stopped. Sesshomaru's men came to sit slightly back and to his side, Kita took a deep breath and took her place on his right flank, her three followers sat behind the others.

Haru. This Sesshomaru has tired of your insolence. You are to be executed for treason immediately.

Wolf and inu alike surrounded Haru. He bent low and snarled a warning, but there would be no escape for him this time. Sesshomaru and Kita turned their backs, Sesshomaru transforming back to his humanoid state, and they started to walk away as the others attacked.

A/N:

Battle is over so for all of you who didn't like the battle scenes, read the next chapter.