Warnings for this chapter: angst, character death, child death, mass slaughter, familial betrayal, trauma, and discussions similar to those regarding addiction and loss of self

"It's approaching from the forest!" the man cried out in fear. "Slayer, it's time!"

Sango almost smiled to herself as the crowd of villagers parted before her. Though they were right to fear the centipede demon, she didn't doubt that it would be an easy target. Even if, from what they had described, it was more powerful than it should've been. As the trees shook from the approaching demon, her face slid into a cool mask. No matter what the target, she couldn't afford to let her concentration slip. The centipede burst into view, rearing up on its hind legs and shrieking before charging forward. Sango waited until the villagers ran for cover before slowly lifting Hiraikotsu. Breathe in, breathe out. She tossed the weapon forward with a powerful swing. It easily cut through the demon, severing it in two. Hiraikotsu returned to her hand before the demon had a chance to fall to the ground. Her shoulder jerked back with the familiar weight and she slid back from the impact, never taking her eyes from the collapsing centipede.

Something caught her eye from the falling flesh, glimmering in the morning sun. She reached out and snatched it from the air, only mildly surprised to see the glowing pink shard. It wasn't the first Jewel fragment to appear in the surrounding area in recent weeks, though she had never discovered one herself before. There was a steady thrum of power pulsing from the tiny shard, a spiritual force beyond anything she'd seen before. Father had been right to be wary of it. She needed to keep this out of enemy hands.

"Slayer, what is that?" one of the villagers asked as they crept towards her, now that the coast was clear.

"The cause of the centipede's ferocity," she said, showing them the shard. She could tell by their expressions that a handful of them recognized it for what it was. Not too surprising – this village was only two days' travel from home.

The villagers thanked her profusely. She was pleased the job had gone so smoothly, with no injury or damage to these poor people's homes. After instructing the villagers on how to dispose of the demon's body, she stepped into the storehouse where her travelling clothes were neatly folded. She toed off her boots first, welcoming the cool air on her feet. They were the one part of her battle clothes she refused to wear full-time. Yes, they were very useful, but she wanted firm words with whoever thought that wearing heavy leather boots at the height of Musashi summers was ever a good idea. She removed her iron mask next, stretching her jaw from side to side. She quickly pulled her travelling clothes over the rest of her outfit, slipped the sandals onto her feet, and pulled the ribbon from her hair. Thank kami for short battles in the summertime. They usually had to jump in a river afterward, they were so drenched in sweat.

She stepped out of the storehouse and bowed to the villagers, who were busy hacking the centipede to bits. "My job here is done! Please send for me again should you require help."

The villagers exchanged confused looks. "But we haven't yet paid you a fee."

"I shall take this Jewel shard as payment," she responded easily. "It came from my village, after all, and to there it should be returned."

"We must give you something!" another insisted, and Sango eyed the demon thoughtfully.

It was an easy walk back to the village, and Sango smiled at the beautiful day. She would be arriving home early the next morning, a day earlier than anticipated. It had been a busy few weeks, ever since Jewel shards began appearing and demon activity had increased. It was one of the reasons that more and more slayers were being sent out on their own – teams of two were safer, after all. But there was no need for something as simple as a centipede, and Sango didn't mind the time alone.

Sango smiled as she cleared the last of the winding road of the mountain pass, shouting out a greeting to the guards at the wall of the fortress. They waved enthusiastically and opened the wooden gate, allowing her to step through into the village.

"Hello Sango, welcome home!" Natsu called out to her as she walked past with a basket full of demon teeth.

"Thank you!" Sango smiled back, unsurprised to see several children running at her. They were always interested in whatever slayers brought back. "This was from a giant centipede," she told them, untying her blue and white furoshiki to reveal the hide and legs inside, bound with twine. "They will be used to make armor."

The children 'ooo-ed' appreciatively, reaching out to touch the hide with careful fingers. Sango shared an amused look with Eiji as he walked past. The light patter of feet came from her right and Sango looked to see Kirara running towards her. She laughed as the two-tail jumped into her arms, trilling contentedly.

"Hello," Sango cooed, cuddling her close. "I hope you've been a good girl."

Kirara trilled and chirped, nuzzling into her neck enthusiastically. She rubbed her face against Sango's cheek, marking her to renew her scent.

"Sango! Welcome home!" a familiar voice called out, and she looked to see Kohaku running over. "Father said to-" He cut himself off, looking sheepish. "Uh, the chief wishes to see you."

Sango chuckled and rose to her feet, linking her arm with her brother's with Kirara perched on her shoulder. They walked to the chief's house, which stood larger than any other in the village. Kohaku stopped just outside the door, holding his arms out for Kirara and taking the carrying-cloth full of centipede bits from her hand. "I'll send these over to be cleaned."

It wasn't surprising that he didn't want to go inside. Ever since he came of age, Kohaku had been trying to separate his relationship with his father with his relationship with his leader and chief. He figured it was an important distinction. Sango figured it was somewhat idiotic, but she didn't try to dissuade him. He'd figure out soon enough that what made their teamwork so strong was that they were all family as well as comrades-in-arms. The people of their village could play, laugh, and work together as well as fight.

After propping up Hiraikotsu by the door, Sango stepped into the hut, immediately making her way over to the altar. She fished the Jewel shard from one of her pockets and placed it on a cloth in the altar, alongside two others found by other slayers. She said a prayer, somehow doubting that it would do much good.

"I see you've managed to bring home some of the Shikon Jewel," a voice sounded from behind her. "Well done, Sango."

Father stepped up beside her, performing a quick ritual over the shard. As he prayed as well, Sango felt eyes watching them. She turned to see Kohaku peeking around one of the doorways. She jerked her head over, urging him to come in. He did so slowly, but Sango could see the smile tugging at their father's lips. She had no doubt that whichever elder Kohaku had given the centipede parts had shooed him right back to the hut.

"Will this be enough to suppress the evil within the Jewel?" Sango asked, turning her eyes to the glowing pink shards.

"It is unlikely," he sighed. "Fifty years past, the Jewel was supposedly given to a young priestess with unusually strong powers of purification. But in the end, even that miko became embroiled in a fight over the Jewel and died. Until we can find someone with spiritual powers strong enough to purify the Jewel, we must gather the shards and watch over them."

Sango nodded. She remembered the day that news of the Jewel's reappearance reached their village. Everyone had been frantic with discussion, particularly from those alive when it had disappeared. They had grown up knowing the strength and danger of the Jewel, and rumours of its destruction had circulated for decades. No one knew how the Jewel had come to light, or what powerful demon had shattered it for some evil ends. It was agreed that the Jewel must be returned to the village, where it could be kept safe.

"Sango, rest yourself," her father instructed gently. "We'll be needing you on tomorrow's mission."

He guided her outside with a hand at her back, Kohaku trailing dutifully behind. Sango snagged the straps of Hiraikotsu as they passed, swinging it onto her back without a second thought. Kirara was waiting outside, and Sango held out her arms for the twin-tail automatically. The soft whump as Kirara barrelled into her chest caused all three of them to laugh.

"Kohaku, make ready too," their father turned to him, placing a hand on his shoulder. Sango turned to see her brother looking frozen and lost. Father smiled encouragingly. "You are plenty old enough to go into battle. This will be good experience for you."

Sango tried to appear distracted by something until Kohaku caught up. They walked around to the family house, knowing their father would likely be kept with village business for the rest of the day. After snatching a peach from a bowl by the door – likely left there by Natsu for her return – Sango leaned back against the walls and set to cleaning and oiling Hiraikotsu. It was easy, meditative work and part of her ritual after every mission. Kohaku puttered around nervously, tidying the already spotless room and fetching a dried fish for Kirara. He would talk when he was ready. When there were no more chores for him to invent inside, he set up clay bowls on top of the wooden training stumps outside their house. The walls were all pushed back, opening up the room to the fresh summer air. Kohaku stood on the en hallway around the outside of their house and lifted his kusarigama.

The weapon was still fairly new to him, but ever since father had given it to him on his birthday, he hadn't gone anywhere without it. He gripped the kama, adjusting the sickle in his hands before striking out. He hit two of the three bowls and swung the kama back around on its chain, catching it skillfully. He'd obviously been practicing. Sango knew he would be a fine warrior in no time. While he hopped down from the hallway and set up more bowls, Sango leaned Hiraikotsu against the wall and contented herself with playing with Kirara instead. It only took a few more rounds with the kusarigama – with which he hit every bowl from then on – before Kohaku sighed.

"Sango?"

"Hmm?"

He played nervously with his weapon. "Do demons really breathe fire and toxins?"

"Sometimes," she replied easily, tickling Kirara's belly and earning an offended meep from the twin-tail. She saw Kohaku's shoulders hunch and she scooted out onto the en to sit beside him. "Kohaku, what's wrong? You scared?"

"No!" he said instantly. "I never said I was scared!"

He looked away and sighed deeply, and Sango swung her arm around his shoulders. "Don't worry! There are many types of demon, and most of them are pretty easy to fight. Most of the ones that have poison or venom are actually the easiest to kill. Father always says it's the ones with human faces, who masquerade as a person that are the most dangerous. But you have many years to learn all that." She smiled and nudged him with her elbow, drawing out a short chuckle. "All you have to do on the mission tomorrow is hit whatever we point you at. We'll take care of the rest."

The stars shone brightly in the sky, surrounding the waning moon. The night air was clear and crisp, and Miroku found that he had little desire to close his eyes and sleep. The previous day had been tense, recovering from the encounter with Kikyo. Inuyasha had been acting strangely, always hovering nearby but seeming reluctant with the casual touches that had been becoming increasingly frequent between them. He still helped Miroku to his feet when the monk winced in pain from his stiff muscles, and slept with their shoulders pressed together, but he didn't bump their shoulders together or playfully swat Miroku upside the head when he flirted with the women who brought them food. The hanyou was withdrawn within himself, barely speaking and ignoring Shippo's playful prompts.

The next day had been different, though. They had set out bright and early, setting an easy pace across the countryside. Though Miroku could still see the lingering sadness in Inuyasha's eyes, he spoke more freely and chased Shippo up and down the forest path when the fox pulled at his hair. Inuyasha had insisted they stop in the early afternoon, and they washed and played in the river. Miroku may or may not have pushed Inuyasha in at one point. They ate while sat around a roaring fire and now, even after dusk had fallen, Miroku was reluctant to let the day slip away. He lay against a fallen log, his head resting on his hands, a smile on his face.

"So many stars," Shippo breathed. Apparently he wasn't the only one still awake. "Sometimes I wonder which there are more of – stars in the sky, or shards of the Jewel. We have a long way yet to go."

Miroku smirked at the kit's dramatics. True, they had found only a fraction of the Jewel shards, but they had been looking for less than two months, and Shippo had been travelling with them for only a few weeks. Such things took time, and Shippo didn't even have the excuse of a human child's limited perspective. Miroku found himself wondering again just how old the fox demon actually was.

"Not really," Inuyasha shrugged. "Naraku's gathering shards as well. In the long run, it'll save us a great deal of work. He'll get the shards, then we'll get him!"

He grinned and looked between Miroku and Shippo, obviously pleased with himself.

"But the shards make him stronger," Shippo said. "We need to get the shards before he does, or else we won't stand a chance against him."

"We still don't know the limit of his abilities," Miroku added. "We have yet to properly fight him."

"And that slimy bastard will have no problem using the shards for evil," Inuyasha sighed. "I changed my mind – Shippo's right. The sooner we complete the Jewel, the better."

Miroku knew he shouldn't ask. Shippo was curled up and drifting off to sleep, and it was far too late to provoke anything he didn't want to deal with. Still. "And then what? What do we do with it?"

Inuyasha gave him an incredulous look. "What else? I'll use it to become a full-fledged demon."

"Oh."

Inuyasha narrowed his eyes, his ears flicking back at the flatness in Miroku's voice. "What?"

"I thought you might've changed your mind."

"Nobody wants to be a weakling," Inuyasha grumbled, some darkness seeping into his bravado. "You gotta be able to stand up for yourself, to protect yourself and what's yours. You gotta be strong enough to take on all that life throws at you."

Miroku was looking at him intensely, those violet eyes not moving from his own. "When you use the Jewel, do you honestly think you will remain yourself?"

"Why wouldn't I?" Something in Miroku's eyes scared him. He'd seen glimpses of the sincerity he was capable of before. But not like this.

"Think of all the demons we've come across who used the Jewel, or the humans who sought it. None of them were going to use the Jewel for a benevolent end. They lost their hearts in the pursuit of the power it could bring."

"They were all evil bastards," Inuyasha snapped dismissively. "They wanted to use the Jewel for evil because that's what they were."

"It may not come down to good and evil." Miroku sighed, running a hand through his hair. "From what I've witnessed, those who use the Jewel are no longer true to themselves, instead being corrupted by its power. They lose themselves. And I know you, Inuyasha." His eyes burned with intensity. "I know that you don't want to hurt those you care about. The power you gained to protect them might cost them their lives. Once you're a demon, who's to say you won't become like the others we've seen?"

Inuyasha snarled and looked away, away from the piercing gaze of Miroku. He was wrong. All those other demons, they were rotten from the start. They were weak, cowardly. He was nothing like them. Stupid Miroku. It was a coincidence, that's all. He was inu-youkai – he would be better, stronger, smarter than they ever were. He wouldn't lose himself. He wouldn't turn on the ones he loved.

"That won't be me," he said firmly, turning back to Miroku. "I can handle myself."

"Is that why you took the shards from me before?"

Inuyasha startled, leaned back from Miroku's stead gaze. He thought they'd already finished with that. "I didn't steal them for myself."

"I never said you did."

"You were poisoned by those venomous insects." His voice was growing louder, more insistent. "The Jewel makes you a target."

Miroku's eyes hardened slightly and his voice was firm, but calm. "So you took them to, what? Protect me?" Inuyasha couldn't meet Miroku's eyes. "Did you plan on using them then?"

"I don't know."

"I'm glad you didn't."

The words were soft, sincere, and Inuyasha growled in response. "You keep saying that, but you have no idea what you're talking about! I need the Jewel to become whole! To be who I need to be!" He looked away angrily. "You just don't get it."

"Don't I?" Miroku closed his eyes and took a deep breath, calming himself before continuing. "It's true, I have no idea what it's like to be hanyou in such a prejudice world. But Inuyasha, why you do think I stole the Jewel from Kaede the day we met? I was planning to use it on myself, to become strong enough to defeat Naraku. After seeing the corrupting power of the Jewel, what it did to the artist and Royakan, I can no longer justify using it. I can't risk losing myself, and I desperately wish to keep from losing you, as well."

Inuyasha huffed. "You're not gonna lose me, stupid monk. But that's why I gotta do it – I need to be strong enough to protect you. 'Cause I can't lose you, either."

Miroku frowned. "You keep on saying that you need to be stronger, but everything I've seen you do tells me that you're already incredibly strong, and not just physically. You don't need the Jewel to be good enough."

Inuyasha had no response to that. It just…didn't make sense. Of course he needed the Jewel. Of course he wasn't good enough. No one in his life had ever disputed that. Kikyo saw his potential, saw him for what he could be. But even she knew that he needed to change, to become wholly human to be right, to fit in. Becoming a demon was the same idea, just gaining power instead of losing it. It was something so simple and obvious, he didn't even know how to articulate it in a way that Miroku would understand if he didn't get it already. He wasn't sure he wanted to, either.

"Look," he said softly, not meeting Miroku's eyes. "You and Shippo and Kaede, you're my pack. You're mine to protect, and I need to protect you. It's something inherent to who I am. I know it sounds weird, but- What?"

Miroku was smiling at him, a hint of colour at his cheeks. "Firstly, I'm glad to hear you say that," he explained, laughter in his eyes. "And I promise I'm not making fun of you for it. It's just that I've heard so much about dog and wolf demons before and their packs and I may have – accidentally – referred to us as your pack before."

Inuyasha's voice was flat. "You what?"

"It makes sense that we're you're pack," Miroku shrugged. "But I hope you realize that we want to protect you just as much as do you. If I'm not mistaken, that's what packs are all about – looking out for one another."

"So, what?" Inuyasha asked gruffly, still suspicious. "You're saying I don't need to use the Jewel because you'll protect me? You? A human who can't go two days without getting hurt?"

"I'm saying we're stronger together than apart," Miroku said, suddenly serious. "And I fear the Jewel will force us apart."

Inuyasha stood and walked over to plonk himself down next to the monk, pressing their sides together. "No luck there. You're gonna be stuck with me forever. A stupid gem isn't gonna change that."

Miroku sighed and rested his head on Inuyasha's shoulder, smiling softly when the hanyou didn't protest. "I hope so, Inuyasha. I really do."

They came across a small village early the next day, drawn by Inuyasha's nose and the scent of demon. Miroku was pleasantly surprised to find the demon already dead and buried, and asked the villagers what had happened. The answer was not what he'd expected.

"A demon slayer?" he asked, intrigued.

"A Jewel shard?" Inuyasha demanded, snagging the villager by the front of his robes.

"A demon!" the man howled, struggling to get away.

"Call for the slayers!" another man shouted, hand hovering over the kama at his hip.

"Let's all just calm down," Miroku said, holding up his hands to the encroaching villagers. "Inuyasha, put the man down. We mean you no harm, and only wish to talk."

"There's nothing to tell!" the first man spat, stepping away from Inuyasha. "If you want the Jewel, your quarrel's with the slayer, not us! She took the shard in lieu of payment, said it originated from her home village in the first place."

Inuyasha's ears twitched. "Miroku, when you were researching the Jewel, did you find out where it came from?"

"No, it wasn't in any of the texts. What about you? Did you know about the Jewel before Kikyo started guarding it?"

"Not at all. When I learned about it, it was already in Kikyo's possession. I never even thought about where it came from or how it was created." He turned to the villagers, determined to play nice. "Would you mind telling us where the village with the demon slayers is? We only want to talk to them about the Jewel."

It took a bit more persuading and some of Miroku's honeyed words, but eventually they were given the directions. It was surprisingly close by, and Inuyasha guessed they should be arriving later the next day if they kept up a steady pace – and if they could actually find it. The directions were, to put it mildly, vague. He shared a glance with Miroku and silently agreed to set off right away. The villagers were still giving them deeply suspicious looks.

Sango knelt in front of the lord, keeping an eye on Kohaku beside her. He'd been subdued all the way to the castle as the prospect of their mission slowly dawned on him. Sango knew that all the others would be watching out for him, but that didn't stop the protectiveness swirling in her chest.

"You have done well to come here, slayers," the lord was saying. "We have been plagued by nightly visits form a giant spider which has already devoured several of our people."

"Fear not, sir," their father assured easily. "I have brought along my best people to serve you."

On their father's other side, Yasuo looked ahead, determined and respectful as always. Eiji, on the other hand, shot them a wink. Sango suspected it was meant to reassure Kohaku, but her brother's eyes were fixed firmly on the ground.

"Oh?" the lord drawled, eyeing them in an almost predatory way. "Perhaps they are skilled, but I see you have brought along a girl, and even a young child."

Sango tried to ignore the way Kohaku was shaking next to her.

"Yes, my lord," their father replied easily. "They are my son and daughter, and the finest slayers in my village. You will witness their skill for yourself this night."

"Hear that?" Sango whispered to Kohaku, keeping her eyes focused on the lord. The masks they all wore helped to disguise the words. "You're going to be fine."

Thunder rolled overhead and they all instinctively looked up, noting the unnatural darkness that had obscured the evening light. The entire castle reeked of youki. No wonder the lord had wanted them here.

"It's coming!" one of the lord's samurai warned.

"Go forth, slayers!" another instructed.

They all had their weapons in their hands before the instructions were through, rising to a low crouch.

"Move out," their father instructed, and they leapt into action.

Eiji and Yasuo darted to the left while Sango and Kohaku took the right. They spread out into a half-circle, their backs facing each other. The sky rumbled and two glowing red eyes appeared from the clouds, quickly followed by the monstrous face of a giant spider demon. Its unearthly shriek rang through the air and it dove towards them. Landing heavily on the ground, it crushed a couple trees under its ginormous bulk before rearing back. Father and Yasuo took point while Eiji dropped back, placing himself on Kohaku's other side. He shared a nod with Sango as they held their weapons at the ready.

The spider shot a stream of silken webs from its mouth, aiming right for them. They easily leapt out of the way, following father's orders to surround it. Eiji and Yasuo darted forward to flank it while Sango threw Hiraikotsu, slicing through the stream of silk. Yasuo followed suit, tearing through it with the mace on one end of his custom weapon. As Hiraikotsu returned to her hand, Sango noticed that Kohaku was no longer right behind her. She turned to see her brother being yanked into the air, web wrapping around his left arm and right leg. He shouted in fear, his kusarigama dangling unused in his other hand.

"Kohaku!" Eiji shouted, slicing through the web with his twin axes. Kohaku landed on his feet, still maintaining his training, but his actions were unnaturally stiff. Eiji placed a firm hand on his shoulder. "Take a deep breath."

With her brother safe in good hands, Sango rushed to help Yasuo, who was facing down the spider while her father flanked along its other side. Yasuo swung his mace in a powerful blow, the steel ball smashing through all the legs on the spider's right side. No longer able to support itself, it crashed to the ground. Father leapt forward, securing the head with the crescent blade of his monk's spade. Yasuo pinned it with the other side of his weapon, a deadly sharp trident blade. At father's nod, Sango threw Hiraikotsu down the length of the spider, the weapon tearing into its head and back. It didn't take long for the twitching to stop.

A faint "Incredible!" came from behind her and Sango turned to see Kohaku, tucked safely behind Eiji and looking at her in undisguised awe. Sango felt blood rush to her cheeks, especially when Eiji chuckled and patted Kohaku's shoulder with one of his axes.

"That's why the chief says you two are the best in the village."

If Sango was pink, then Kohaku was a bright scarlet. Eiji threw his head back and laughed, the scar over his right eye crinkling in the way it only did when he found something truly hilarious. Sango knew that father and Yasuo were probably sour over the lack of professionalism, so she kept from any nasty retorts.

"Alright, let's finish this up," Eiji said casually, walking forward and swinging his axes meaningfully.

Father stepped back to let him and Yasuo work, carving off the demon's head both to ensure that it was dead and make its various parts easier for transport. They hadn't killed a spider for a while, and many in the village would be looking for its fangs and bones. Sango walked over to investigate, unease niggling at the back of her mind. They were dismantling the body efficiently, Yasuo already gathering various parts while father investigated its blood. It hadn't even tried to bite any of them, she realized. It was odd.

"For a demon so large, it was easy bringing it down," Eiji observed, echoing her thoughts as he hacked off one of the spider's horns.

"It was too easy," Sango agreed. "There's something about this spider that rings false."

The others turned to her, concern in their eyes. If there was one thing all slayers knew, it was to trust their instincts, and those of their comrades. They were all looking at her. That's why none of them saw the kama swinging towards them. The blade sliced straight through Eiji before he even had time to scream, came to a rest half-way through Yasuo's neck. The kama was ripped back by the heavy chain it was attached to, swung again and the tip found her father's throat. He cried out and fell to the ground. Sango could only stare, a scream stuck in her throat, as he bled out before her very eyes. The kama jerked back again and her eyes followed the weapon's path, right back into the hands of her little brother. Kohaku's eyes were cold and distance as he lowered the kusarigama with a small sigh.

"Why?" Sango asked, the word ripped from her. "Kohaku…why?"

Their eyes met, and she could see none of her brother in those eyes. He ran at her, his weapon poised.

"No, don't!"

He didn't listen. She didn't even know if he could hear her. She barely had time to dodge as the kama soared past her, slicing the fastening on the side of her mask. It fell to the ground with a dull thud. Sango followed suit. Her body was numb, unresponsive. Hiraikotsu slipped from her hands. She couldn't believe her eyes. It couldn't be real.

"Don't you recognize me?"

She could hear the samurai and castle guards shouting, but couldn't make out the words. Kohaku lifted his kusarigama, swinging the kama on its chain to build up speed. Only years of training made her pull the sword from her waist. She knocked the kama aside and the chain wrapped around the blade of her sword. She didn't have time to untangle it before Kohaku was running at her, unsheathing an identical sword. She cast off the chain and blocked his blow in the same swing, the power of it reverberating through her arms. Her left hand pressed against her own blade, giving her purchase to push back Kohahu's sword.

"Why are you doing this?" she asked, but it came out more of a sob.

Faint silver light reflecting off a gossamer silken thread drew her attention. It was a small spider, barely larger than a fingernail, which sat perched on her brother's neck. The silken thread coming from its body was suspended in the air, disappearing back to where the lord sat, watching them with cold amusement. Now that she had a target, Sango could feel the youki seeping from him, disguised earlier by that of the giant spider.

Sango kicked Kohaku hard in the stomach, sending him falling back. She ran for Hiraikotsu before pivoting and heading straight back at the lord. The two samurai in front of him immediately raised their weapons, rushing to meet her. She didn't bother slowing, just caught them in the stomachs with a sweeping blow from Hiraikotsu. It sent them flying, but more stood in her path. Five guards had taken up a defensive position in front of the lord, arrows notched to their bows and ready to fire. That was fine, she could get past them. She only needed one clean shot, then she could kill the demon-lord and everything would be-

Pain exploded from her back.

Her legs carried her forward only out of momentum, the rest of her body seizing into ice even as her back was on fire. Hiraikotsu fell from her hands. She turned to look behind her, fearing what she might see. Kohaku fell to his knees, the chain of his kusarigama slipping through his fingers. He stared at his hands unblinkingly, tremors raking through his body. Slowly, haltingly, he brought his hands to his mask and pulled it from his face.

"Sango," he said, pleadingly. "What have I done?"

There were tears in his eyes, anguish on his face. His name fell from her lips, and his face crumpled. He pushed to his feet, was running to her, hand reaching for her.

"Sango!"

A volley of arrows flew at him, four of them embedding themselves in his chest. He stumbled back from the impact, fell to the ground. She crawled for him. What else could she do? He was her little brother. Fire burned across her back, the kama still embedded in her muscle and bone. Every movement was agony. But Kohaku was crying.

"Help me, Sango…" he pleaded as she hovered over him, shielding him as best she could. "I'm so afraid."

"Don't worry," she soothed, hugging him close. "I'm right here."

The arrows that struck her knocked the air from her lungs. She slumped forward, the world going mercifully black.

They had walked the rest of the day and well into the night. Inuyasha had been insistent on them finding the village as soon as possible. However, it was getting late, Shippo had fallen asleep ages ago, and there was still no village in sight. They were still fairly far off from the mountains the villagers had pointed them towards, and after that they likely had a day full of searching ahead. Somehow, Miroku doubted that the secretive armoured fortress of a group of demon slayers would be easy to find.

"We've been walking for some time now. I don't know if we'll reach the village tonight," Miroku observed lightly, earning himself a glare from Inuyasha.

"Stop complaining, will ya?" the hanyou hissed, propping up Shippo more securely on his shoulder. "We need to find these people and get the Jewel shard back."

"If they feel inclined to give it to us, that is," Miroku sighed. "They might be less than willing to do so."

They had to stay on the slayers' good side. Besides the threat of death and dismemberment, the village had a lot more to offer than just a Jewel shard. If they could find out about the Jewel's origin, it could be invaluable in knowing what to do with it once they finally gathered all the shards. Ever since the Spider Heads, all the new shards absorbed into the Jewel once reconnected, so that fixed one problem that Miroku previously had no answer for. Still, the question of what to do with the Jewel once it was completed was a daunting one, and thus far Miroku had tried not to think about it. It was a long way off, regardless. They would burn that bridge when they came to it.

A cold wind blew from the mountains, shaking the trees and bringing with it a sense of ominous dread. Inuyasha stopped, and Miroku took two more steps to stand by his side. They exchanged an uneasy look. As though sensing the situation, Shippo blinked awake and instantly burrowed deeper into Inuyasha's shoulder, clutching tiny fistfuls of his hair. Inuyasha's nose twitched and his eyes snapped to the sky, where a gargantuan mass of demons flew in a thick cloud. They moved against the wind, heading toward the mountains. Dozens of different voices layered over each other, creating a cacophony of sound. Miroku could recognize at least twenty different types of demon, didn't doubt that Inuyasha could see even more. As it was, he had to swallow back a wave of nausea from the sheer strength of the youki flowing from the mass.

"I smell death," Inuyasha growled. "Those demons are charging in to attack!"

They ran after the demons, keeping pace as best they could. But after running for the rest of the night, most of it with Miroku riding on Inuyasha's back, they lost them in the distance. Inuyasha tracked them by smell, but in their hearts they knew they were far too late to do any good. With the mountainous cliffs before them, they began the rough ascent. The trail was long and winding, with several split pathways and dead ends. As the scent of demon faded from the air, Miroku cast his mind out for any trace of youki in the area. Only a faint aura pulled them in a particular direction, deeper into the rocky crest.

Inuyasha's gut was churning the closer they got to the village, a sense of dread creeping into his mind. He tried to brush off his fears. These people were demon slayers, right? They should be more than able to, ya know, slay demons. But there had been a lot of demons. A hoard like that didn't just form on its own. No, something was going on, and he didn't like it. His suspicions were horribly confirmed when they rounded the corner of a winding path to reveal black streaks of smoke across the sky. Slowly, a fortress came into view, still smouldering. He and Miroku exchanged a nervous glance and took off running.

The smell reached him before they even made it through the gate. Blood, demon guts, and singed flesh permeated the air. He ducked through the partially-opened gate and froze, blocking the entrance in a futile effort to keep the others from seeing. It was a horrific scene. Demons were littered absolutely everywhere, arrows, spears, and pikes sticking from them at regular intervals. Others were dismembered or burned, all their weaknesses targeted by opponents with skill and knowledge. Still, it hadn't been an easy fight. Human bodies were scattered amongst the demons, some in armour with weapons in their hands, others in simple kimonos who looked like they were attempting to flee. It looked like some demons had turned on each other as well, tangled up together in their death throws and draped over the huts and watchtowers.

Inuyasha had never seen anything like it.

"How could this have happened?" Miroku breathed, looking wanly over the scene.

"I don't know." Inuyasha's gruff voice was unusually soft.

"I don't sense any Jewel shards. Someone managed to escape with them." He looked to Inuyasha, silently asking what to do next.

Inuyasha shook his head to the unspoken question. "We need to lay these people to rest. They deserve that, at least."

A slight growl came from behind one of the huts and Inuyasha instantly reached for Tessaiga. A demon emerged, the head of another clamped in its jaws. It was big for a nekomata, though not nearly the size of the giants they'd faced in the past. It was about the size of a black bear but had long, sabre-like fangs and two long tails. As it began moving toward them, growling menacingly, Inuyasha unsheathed Tessaiga and sensed Miroku gripping his staff tighter. Just because it was a survivor, didn't mean it was powerful – it could easily have arrived later or been lucky in the fight – but they weren't taking any chances. The beast moved ever closer, and he lifted his sword to strike.

"Lord Inuyasha, is that you?" A voice asked, seemingly coming from the demon.

Inuyasha froze in place. "Uh… Sorry, do I know you?"

"Down, Kirara," the voice instructed, and the cat demon turned its head to listen to the voice. "These people are not our enemies!"

The demon blinked at them and dropped the head it was carrying. A flash of fire grew from the ground at its feet and quickly grew until it consumed the neko's entire body. When it dissipated, a tiny twin-tale cat sat in the neko's place. It scratched absently at its cheek with a tiny black-tipped paw and a flea jumped from its fur. It landed on Inuyasha's nose, and he growled with grim recognition.

"Ah, how I've longed for your blood," Myoga said wistfully while biting down, hard.

Inuyasha smacked the flea off his face. "Still irritating."

"What are you doing here, Myoga?" Miroku asked, eyeing the neko, who was sitting and watching them with keen eyes.

"I knew of this village from my travels, and have met several slayers in previous years. I wanted to confirm my suspicions." Myoga eyed the carnage around them. "This might be a conversation better suited to outside the walls."

"Are there any survivors?" Miroku asked before moving, sad eyes trailing over the many huts.

Inuyasha shook his head. "No heartbeats, human or demon."

He placed a gentle hand on Miroku's shoulder and guided him outside. Shippo had curled up into his neck and refused to open his eyes until they were safely outside. They sat against the log walls of the fortress, the neko coming to sit at their feet.

"First things first," Inuyasha said. "What's with the cat?"

"This is Kirara, an ally of the demon slayers," Myoga explained, and the neko chirped in agreement. "From what I understand, she has lived in the village alongside them for many years. She fought hard in its defense."

Miroku surreptitiously offered his fingers for the neko to sniff. He had to admit, she was pretty cute. Shippo surveyed her keenly, and slipped off Miroku's shoulder onto his lap to get closer to her. They blinked at each other and touched noses gently before Kirara obviously decided that this kit was hers now. She rubbed up against him, marking him with her scent before plopping down beside him on Miroku's knee.

"So you searched out the village," Inuyasha prompted Myoga.

"Indeed. It was somewhat of a fabled area. The people here have been fighting demons for generations, becoming skilled and proficient slayers. They are said to know more about it than anyone, and take work across the province to help whenever a demon causes trouble."

"Makes sense why the demons despised them," Inuyasha grumbled, thinking of the murderous glee in the voices of the demons as they flew overhead the night before. If only they'd gotten there sooner.

"True, yet it's strange that they would choose this time to attack," Myoga mused. "A number of their warriors had been summoned to a distant castle, and this village was left with few to protect it. I cannot help but wonder if those that travelled to the castle are indeed safe."

As Shippo began playing quietly with Kirara, Miroku pulled Inuyasha aside. "We cannot burn all these bodies – we don't have nearly enough trees for fire, and the smoke would be a signal for every demon in the province."

Inuyasha's ears twitched. "So what do we do? I thought humans were pretty set on their rituals."

Miroku sighed, running a hand down his face. "We can bury the bodies. I can still perform most of the rituals, and it will allow any members of the village who may have survived to give them a proper funeral later."

They came up with a long list of tasks for Shippo to do while they attended to the bodies. They wanted to keep him occupied, in mind as well as body, and they didn't want him having to see the corpses, especially the dead children they had seen lying around. They began by separating out the human from the demon, which was more challenging than it should have been on more than one occasion. They laid out woven mats to place the bodies on. Miroku mostly dragged the bodies onto them, lining them up one-by-one while Inuyasha piled the demon corpses in the far corner of the village to deal with later. Miroku tried not to count, but he knew the bodies were approaching forty. While Inuyasha sniffed through the rest of the village, ensuring they had left no one behind, Miroku began digging graves. None of them were as deep as he would have liked, but unfortunately they lacked the luxury of time.

Once he was done, Inuyasha joined Miroku in the digging. He abandoned the concept of a shovel and just used his hands, needing to take out some of his frustration on the packed earth. The scent of death was cloying and ever-present, sitting in a thick layer over the village. Shippo had given up all pretenses of his usual chatter, fetching them water in buckets and laying discarded weapons in a pile, Kirara walking beside him the entire time. His latest task had been collecting all the arrows embedded in the fortress walls. Inuyasha didn't doubt that he had figured out what they were doing – the kid wasn't stupid, after all – but he didn't complain.

Despite having walked through the night, Inuyasha was burning with energy born from helplessness. He refused to rest throughout the day, even as they finished the dozens of graves needed and his arms began to shake from digging. Miroku's face was closed-off, an impassive mask that hadn't slipped since they first set foot in this cursed village. It made him want to scream, to rip apart a tree or smash rock – to kill something.

He buried each of the bodies as Miroku prayed for their souls. As much as he tried not to avoid it, Inuyasha found each of their faces seared into his mind. They would probably be haunting him for a long time. As he smoothed the dirt over the last of the graves, he saw Miroku watching him with sad eyes. He walked over and wrapped the monk in an embrace, holding tight for a long time. Neither of them cried, they just looked at each other with the grim detachment they'd been forced into all day. They washed themselves, trying in vain to get rid of the lingering smell of death and decay. Then they sat down beside Shippo, Myoga, and Kirara at the edge of the village.

"I had hoped to speak to someone of the village about the Jewel," Miroku murmured with a far-away look in his eyes.

Inuyasha growled and looked away. "Talk to me, Myoga. You must know something!"

"About the Shikon Jewel?" The flea blinked. "Indeed, that is why I sought out this village. I understood that it might provide information on the Jewel's history and origins. Unfortunately, I discovered little else during my travels. Very little is known about the Jewel in all the places I searched. However, there is still one thing that disturbs me. During my journey, a white baboon continually slipped in and out of my sight."

Inuyasha and Miroku exchanged a look. A white baboon? That could only mean one thing. Naraku had to be nearby.

When Sango woke, she found the vacant eyes of her father staring back at her. It immediately caused everything to come rushing back, both memories and pain. She grimaced, the agony in her back spreading across her entire body. But that couldn't be it. If she was to die, it should have been embracing her little brother. Now the moment had passed. She would not die. She refused to. If she lived, then she was going to avenge her family.

She clawed her way forward, startling a shriek from the guards preparing their bodies for a funeral. Voices shouted all around her, but she ignored them all. Where were her weapons? She couldn't slay without her weapons. Light spilled onto her face, coming from the hallway where a door had just slid open. A young man stood in the hallway, a look of curiosity on his face.

"You're still alive?" he asked mildly.

Sango glared. She tried to speak. Instead, the world went black.

When she awoke again, she was inside the castle. Her wounds had been cleaned and bandaged, and a soft lilac blanket had been draped over her. She was vaguely aware of three human-shaped figures floating vaguely around her.

"I'm relieved that at least you are alive," a soft voice said.

She blinked and tried to make sense of the words. Why on earth would he be glad? Was she even really alive?

"Slayer," one of the other figures urged. "Show the master some respect with a response!"

"That's enough," the master, the young lord, admonished. "My lady, you have my deepest apologies for the loss of your father and brother, and your comrades."

Sango refused to meet his eyes. There was still the faint hope in the back of her mind that if she didn't acknowledge it, if she just kept her distance then somehow it wouldn't be true. Because it couldn't be true. None of it made any sense! How had the best slayers in their village been taken out by- And how could Kohaku have- None of it made any sense.

"You should know that the demon who manipulated your brother is dead," the young lord continued, and that drew her attention. "It had possessed my father without my knowledge. I apologize for not realizing sooner."

She slumped on the woven mat she was laid upon, some of the tension slipping from her body. The demon was dead. Her family was avenged. …Then what? Was that really all there was to it? A simply manipulation from an unremarkable demon? It didn't seem right. That couldn't be everything. There had to be some rhyme or reason to why this had happened.

"Young lord," a voice called from outside the room.

Sango watched as the lord rose to his feet and opened the door to the chambers, stepping outside onto the en. He spoke to someone, greeting them as Naraku. The words floated over to her, of this Naraku's orders to notify the village. Sango sat up, ignoring the fire shooting through her back as she strained to hear.

"…of this terrible development. Sire, I regret to say that the village had been attacked. It was completely annihilated."

"Tell me everything you saw," the lord instructed.

"The slain bodies of countless villagers and the half-demon who attacked them. His name is Inuyasha. I have heard of him in recent weeks. He seeks the power of the Sacred Jewel to transform himself into a full demon. He must have believed that he would find the Jewel at the village and thus attacked it."

Sango stumbled clumsily to the entrance, bracing herself on the wooden panels. She ignored the startled exclamation from the lord, her eyes fixed on the strange figure dressed in the pelt of a baboon. "Return my weapon and my armour. I shall avenge my village. I will kill this half-demon Inuyasha!"

Lots of notes for this one. First of all, I was on the fence about writing Sango's portion of this, because there's no difference between this version and the anime, but I figured she deserved her own proper into. Oooooh boy, I was not prepared for this level of angst. I'm amazed at how the creators managed to make you care about the two slayers in their group at the castle in such a short amount of time, especially the one who comforted Kohaku (the one I named Eiji). Naturally, I had to try and dump on the feels even more. I'm not sorry.

Does anyone know what the other slayer's weapon is? (The one I called Yasuo) It's like a Morningstar on one side and a trident on the other, and I can't find a proper name for that or any weapon that really looks like it.

On Sango's outfil/armor: I know that the anime shows her regularly stripping and completely changing outfits, but I find it very difficult to believe that Sango, I-Live-To-Fight, Always-Prepared, 15-Secret-Pockets badass slayer, would put herself in the position of having to completely change from her travel clothes at the start of a battle. Even if she's mastered the quickest of quick changes, it just doesn't resonate well with me.

Also, I totally forgot how much violence, gore, and angst is in this entire series. I now totally get the strict rating (14-A here in Canada, I don't know about elsewhere). I thought I was doing the gritty reboot, but apparently not!

Finally, I just started another Shakespeare class today and found out that "ye" is an entirely made-up work created by shenanigans with printing presses in the 16th century and is not, in fact, a form of "you", so now I'm questioning everything Kaede has ever said.