Warnings for this chapter: violence, mild injury, threats of death, characters being stupid, the usual

Kouga looked up at the sky, arms crossed and a scowl painted across his face. His pack shifted restlessly around him. No one had been able to settle down recently. It wasn't just their continual hunt that weighed heavily on all their minds – the Yorozoku, his once-mighty pack, had dwindled down to almost nothing, and he was entirely to blame. He'd been the leader for only a few years, and he'd let his kin be devoured by Birds of Paradise and slaughtered by Kagura – not to mention everyone that had been driven away by the new pack law.

It was unheard of for a pack to forbid eating humans. No one had believed him at first. After they'd learned that he was serious, they started leaving. His relentless search for Naraku had driven most of the rest away. Their elders, their families and pups, everyone had left. His pack had dwindled down to only eight demons. Most of the wolves had stayed, at least. They were deeply loyal to pack and didn't give a shit what they were hunting. The demons that had remained were loyal as well, he supposed. He glanced over at them, huddled amongst themselves and talking quietly. The wolves were flopped in heaps around them, dozing. He was lucky, he supposed, to have any followers left at all. He was surprised that they kept on putting up with him.

He'd been even more surprised when others joined.

His eyes landed on Aka, who was hiding her smile as she listened to one of Hakkaku's wilder stories. Kuro and Aka had just arrived at their den one day, with three more demons and a handful of wolves in tow and announced that they wanted to join his pack. When he asked what the hell they were talking about, their answer had shocked him even more. Of course word of his law had spread like wildfire amongst the other packs, especially when the demons began deserting and had to give a reason why they wanted to join someone else. Apparently, not everyone had thought it was a horrible idea. Five wolf demons had independently decided that maybe killing humans wasn't the best way forward, and they wanted a pack that agreed with them. It wasn't nearly as many as had been driven away, but it was more than enough to keep the pack going. Kuro had even become his new second-in-command, and was back at the den with the rest of the pack, defending their territory while he led the hunt for Naraku.

The wolves all lifted their heads and looked into the forest, and a moment later Kouga also picked up the light pad of footsteps and the scent of freshly killed game. Four wolves emerged, dragging two deer carcasses between them. They were scrawny and would barely be enough to feed the pack, but everyone stood and walked over regardless. Haiiro, the lead wolf, towered almost twice as tall as the others. She padded over to Kouga as the rest of the pack patiently waited for permission to start eating.

"The woods are quiet," she reported in the rasping voice that all the wolves had if they had gained the ability to speak. "We will not be able to hunt here for much longer."

He sighed and nodded. With a flick of his wrist, he signalled the pack to dig in on the deer carcasses without him. He wasn't particularly hungry. He settled down on the ground again and stared up at the sky like it owed him something. It had been almost four months of searching, and they still had nothing. They'd only even gotten close to Naraku once, and that was just another of his traps. They had been away from their home for far too long. It was beginning to take its toll. He didn't know how much longer they could continue on this way.

xXx

Sesshomaru moved silently along the forest floor, feeling the shifting sounds and smells and youki surrounding him. The forest was unnaturally quiet, broken only by the heartbeats and footfalls of his followers. It was late, and by all rights he should find a place for them to rest for the night – Rin needed sleep. However, something made him press on. There was a strange presence in the air, a nervous energy that made him uneasy.

One set of footsteps stopped behind him and he glanced back to see Rin staring up at the stars, a small smile on her face.

"Rin," he commanded, and she immediately looked over at him. "Don't fall behind."

"Yes, my lord!" she nodded with a dazzling grin and ran to his side, quickly matching his pace. He glanced around once more, one hand straying towards Tokijin before he quelled the movement. Behind him, his two-headed mount grumbled and shook both their heads, puffing a warm breath over all of them. Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes. A-Un was restless as well, it would seem. His decision was made – they would not stop this night. They would continue on until he knew that the unspoken danger in the air had passed.

xXx

"What do you think?" Sango asked, wrapping her hands around the bowl to try and leech more warmth from the stew. "Should we continue heading west or start heading south?"

"We could go either way," Miroku sighed. "We still have no idea where Naraku took Tsubaki, whether back to his castle or otherwise. We just need to keep moving."

"Do you really think he's watching us?" Sango scowled at the thought.

"Kikyo said that Naraku could see everything through the mirror," Miroku shrugged. "I have to assume that she meant Kanna's mirror – though that's what I don't understand about this whole thing. If he can see whatever he wants to at any time, why aren't we dead already?"

"It does seem like he's missed several good opportunities to kill us," Sango said slowly. "Kikyo, too. Maybe he can only look in one place at once? He could be using it to keep track of his incarnations more than watch us. We may not be his biggest concern, after all."

Miroku smiled wryly. "I'll be so insulted if that's the case."

"Oh, well," she said. "We're still alive, regardless."

"Indeed. We can come up with a plan to find him eventually. We just need to be smarter than he is." He grimaced. "Which may prove challenging."

"But you know what you're doing with all this, right?" she said. "We'll just follow your lead."

"Sango, I never know what I'm doing!" he said, with a lot more sincerity and a lot less humour than she'd been expecting. "I'm making up everything as I go and I have no idea if I'm leading everyone astray!"

"You could've had me fooled," she said, bracing a hand against his shoulder. "You haven't gotten us killed yet."

"We also haven't found Naraku," he pointed out. "We can't keep searching forever."

Her expression sobered as her eyes darted to his right hand. "It won't be forever," she said quietly. "Sooner or later, we'll find him. And then we'll only need one shot to finish him off."

xXx

Kagura sat on the rooftop of the old structure and glared up at the crescent moon. Another night. Always the same. Naraku hadn't seen fit to kill her yet, but she knew that her continued existence was nowhere near guaranteed. One hand absently rubbed at her chest, where the ache of her missing heart was a constant pressure. There was nowhere that she could run, no one she could turn to. She had to keep her head down and continue as Naraku's puppet for as long as he deemed fit – a least until she could find some way to escape.

Shrieks emerged from the far distance, and she watched as a hoard of demons shot into the sky. Their cries for blood echoed across the valley even as they disappeared amongst the dark clouds that had been gathering for the past few days. Kagura frowned – those weren't the ordinary demons that Naraku always seemed to have at his disposal. Those were the ones that he always kept near him – always inside the barrier. But now they were gone. What the hell was Naraku playing at?

xXx

"Kouga, wait!" Hakkaku's voice sounded behind him, but Kouga ignored him, just kept on running along the edge of the cliff, his senses honed on the scent in the air.

"Kouga!" Ginta called out more forcefully.

He growled and skidded to a stop, turning to glare at them. The demons were all bent double, bracing their hands on their knees as they gasped for air. The wolves immediately flopped down, tongues lolling out and sides heaving.

"Let's rest a bit," Ginta said pleadingly, sinking to his knees. "Can't keep up with this pace. My body won't hold up!"

Hakkaku looked up at him. "Everyone's exhausted, Kouga…"

"Damn it," Kouga growled, and he began pacing. "If I have to keep on waiting for you, we won't reach Naraku's castle in a hundred years!"

"But we've just been running in circles," Ginta said softly.

"Can't you smell it?" Kouga snapped. "This foul odor has to be Naraku. His castle is nearby, I'm sure of it! This time, I'll kill him."

"You really think we can find him this time?" Hakkaku asked carefully.

"All the other packs gave up on getting revenge," Ginta added.

"Not me!" Kouga snarled. "He had Kagura killed them to lure me in. I can't let either of them get away with it!" He turned around and started running again. "Now come on! This is our only chance!"

xXx

Inuyasha crept along the ground, sniffing deeply. He could feel the others' eyes on him, but he ignored them. It was faint, but he could definitely smell it! Naraku was somewhere nearby! He'd first noticed the scent that morning, and it had only gotten stronger throughout the day – but it was hard to pinpoint.

"What's the matter, Inuyasha?" Shippo asked, crouching down beside him. "Isn't it in this direction?"

"Quiet!" he hissed. "I can't concentrate!"

"I think his sense of smell is going," Shippo helpfully informed the others, who wisely made no response. They knew full-well what night it was. This chance was what they'd been waiting for this whole time, but the time itself was the problem.

"We can't do anything tonight," Miroku said, a little reluctantly.

"Don't be ridiculous!" Inuyasha snapped, pushing to his feet. "We've come this far! We don't have a choice!"

"We can't be rash at a time like this," Miroku insisted. "We still don't know if this is another trap. We don't even know if he knows about tonight!"

"Besides, we need you to be at your full strength when we face him," Sango added. "If this is a trap, then he'll be waiting for us to come to him. His scent will still be there tomorrow, either way."

"You don't know that," Inuyasha said, a little quieter. "This could be our only chance. I'm not gonna waste it!"

Then he frowned and whipped around, eyes narrowing and ears flattening to his head as he watched a swirling mass of dust coming towards them. He was growling even before Kouga materialized from the cloud.

"Piss off, Kouga," Inuyasha snarled, pointedly going back to sniffing the ground. "We don't have time for you right now."

"Miroku!" Kouga said, completely ignoring the hanyou. He walked towards the monk, stepping onto Inuyasha's back as he did so. He took a few more forceful steps with the hanyou trapped beneath him in his crouched position before he jumped down and grinned at Miroku.

"How've you been?" Kouga asked smugly. Miroku ignored him in favour of watching Inuyasha climb to his feet. He did so slowly and stiffly.

"What do you want, Kouga?" he asked, more coolly that he normally would.

"It doesn't matter what he wants!" Inuyasha snapped. "We're busy!"

"So am I, you stupid mutt!" Kouga said, whirling on him. "I've been busy tryin' to clean up your mess!"

"Did you come to find Naraku's castle as well?" Miroku asked, diverting the wolf's attention back to him.

Kouga huffed and crossed his arms, looking gloomy. "Yeah. I don't know what it is, but I'm getting strong whiffs of Naraku's scent. That's never happened before."

Miroku exchanged a wary look with Sango. "That could mean that the barrier around his castle has weakened."

"Or it could still be a trap," Sango added pointedly.

Kouga shrugged. "In any case, I'm going to track down that bastard and kill him." He shot them both a toothy grin. "Don't worry, Miroku. I'll kill that Naraku!"

Miroku easily side-stepped Kouga as the wolf moved towards him and instead brushed past him to push Inuyasha back with a gentle hand on his chest.

"Damn it, Miroku!" Inuyasha was shouting. "I'm gonna settle this once and for all!"

Kouga frowned as he looked at Inuyasha. "What's going on, dog-breath? There's something different about you." He shuffled closer and took a deep sniff before his frown deepened. "You don't smell like a mutt anymore. What'd you do?"

"Kouga," Miroku interrupted smoothly. "How long have you been able to smell Naraku?"

"Just picked him up yesterday," Kouga said with a shrug. "Why?"

"Has the scent remained fixed or has it moved around?" Miroku asked. "Does it smell like an individual or his castle?"

"It's hard to say," Kouga said, crossing his arms again. "The scent hasn't moved but I can't track it down exactly. And it's not just his smell – there's dead bodies and soil and smoke and strong miasma."

"That sounds like his castle," Sango said. "We'll need to hurry if we're going to find it."

"Leave it to me!" Kouga grinned. He glanced over to the direction he'd come, where the others could see a pack of wolves and wolf demons running for them. "See you around, Miroku!" Kouga nodded at him and Sango then sped off in the direction that Inuyasha had been sniffing before.

"Kouga!" Ginta called out as they approached. "Damn it, we almost caught up with him!"

"Can't he ever slow down?" Hakkaku asked grumpily.

"Damn it all," Inuyasha growled. "Don't run away, you coward!"

Kouga stopped and whirled around, shouting back to them "Naraku's head is mine!"

"Wait up, Kouga," Ginta panted as the pack of wolves passed by them.

"Hey, Miroku!" Hakkaku waved at them vaguely.

"Can't stay and chat," Ginta grinned wryly, before he pointed at them and glanced back at the other two wolf demons with them. "That's Miroku!"

The two unfamiliar demons made soft noises of interest and their eyes darted over Inuyasha's pack, though they didn't slow down. Miroku waited until they'd all disappeared from view before he sighed and turned to the seething Inuyasha.

"What the hell was that about?" his partner asked roughly.

"We can't go after them," Sango said grimly, looking in the direction they'd run.

"No," Miroku said firmly. "It's better not to do anything tonight."

"What?" Inuyasha spluttered. "You can't be serious! He's going to beat us to it!"

"Calm down, Inuyasha!" Miroku snapped, his eyes blazing. "Or would you rather have Naraku see you in your human form as well?" Inuyasha shrank back from the force of the words, but Miroku wasn't finished. "If he finds any vulnerability in any of us, he'll exploit it. Your life will be in danger! We have to be smart about this!"

"But I can smell him!" Inuyasha insisted quietly. "We can end this!"

Miroku's expression softened. "Not at the cost of our lives."

Inuyasha's shoulders slumped as the fight bled out of him. Miroku pulled him into a quick embrace and pressed their lips together.

xXx

Kagura stepped over another skeletal form in the corridor as she waved her fan in front of her face. The whole mansion was disgusting. None of the humans had survived Naraku's miasma, and the asshole had seen fit to just let their bodies rot where they fell. The air was stifling and she hated it. There was no reason for this place to be as much of a hell-hole as it was. But no, apparently Naraku wanted to keep them as miserable as possible.

Kagura felt eyes on her and spun around. Kanna stood behind her, expressionless and unblinking, totally silent as always. Kagura scowled. "Why are you sneaking around like that, Kanna?"

Kanna held up her mirror. An image of a wolf demon shimmered to life on the glass, running along a rocky ledge. Kouga – the young leader of that wolf pack. Why was Kanna concerned with him? Was he near the castle? Kagura opened her mouth to ask and then paused. It couldn't be a coincidence, could it? First the demons escaping, now this?

"Kanna," she asked carefully, kneeling down before her. "Does Naraku know about this?"

"No," she said softly, no emotion or inflection in her voice. No hint of what was going on inside her head. "He's gone."

Kagura frowned. Disappeared again, huh? It wasn't the first time, but she never knew when he would suddenly decide to piss off for an unknown number of days. There was no telling when he'd be back, either. She had no idea what he was doing while he was gone, and he never talked about it. She eyed Kanna, wondering how much she knew. It was impossible to tell. She never smiled or frowned or even spoke outside of her flat, eerie words. Naraku had said they were sisters, yet she felt no kindship for this strange child. Though, she supposed, Kanna was a vast improvements on some of the other monsters that Naraku had created.

"Fine, whatever," Kagura sighed, rising.

"Kagura…" Kanna said.

"I'll go kill the wolf," Kagura continued, ignoring her. "I don't need Naraku's orders."

In truth, she was more than happy for an excuse to get out of the foul mansion and kill something for a while. And it wasn't as though Naraku could complain – she was defending the castle while he was gone! He might even see the value in keeping her alive.

"You'd better not, Kagura," Kanna said faintly.

Kagura shook her head. "I despise Naraku's tricks. I don't need to stoop so low. I can kill just as easily without his stupid schemes, and I'll get that wolf's Jewel shards while I'm at it."

"It's all in Naraku's hands," Kanna said. "Both life and death… We are all Naraku's tools."

Kagura stared at Kanna for a moment, trying to puzzle her out. She quickly gave up. "I couldn't care less," she muttered, and started walking away down the halls. "He's not here now."

xXx

Kouga glanced around uneasily. The wolves had formed a protective circle around him and the other demons, their hackles raised as they growled softly at the thick fog that had shrouded them. It obscured their vision and dampened the sounds and smells around them. And it had come in so quickly – no way it was natural. But Naraku's scent was as strong as it had ever been! This had to be the place. This was just some stupid trick to try and mess with them.

"I can't see anything," Ginta said uneasily, shifting closer to Hakkaku.

"There's a hint of miasma in the fog," Aka reported. "Do you think he's trying to kill us or drive us away?"

They all froze as the fog began to slowly swirl around them, strange patterns emerging. Faint sounds emerged in all directions, hollow thuds of something hitting against the stone ground. The pack huddled closer together, tense.

"Up there!" Hakkaku's warning shout sounded, and they all followed his pointing finger to a mass of figures floating towards them. The skeletons were dressed in various human clothes ranging from rags to armour, some with weapons clenched in their bony hands. The skeletons hovered in the air for a moment before they dove for the pack as one. Everyone scattered in all directions. Kouga skidded to a stop and growled, batting away one of the skeletons that aimed for him. A soft laugh came from the fog in the direction the skeletons had come. A moment later, Kagura emerged from the swirling clouds and landed easily in front of him.

"It's been too long, Kouga," she smiled.

He snarled, baring his teeth. "Not you again."

The skeletons rose in the air and settled behind her in neat rows.

"What's going on?" Hakkaku asked, clutching Ginta's arm. "What are those skeletons?"

"They're the guards of the castle," Kagura answered easily. "There's countless of them. More than enough for a little fun."

"Kagura!" Kouga growled. "I haven't forgotten your disgusting face. You're not going to kill anyone else, you hear me? It's payback time for all that you did!"

Kagura smirked, passing her fan in front of her face. "I missed you, too! You know, I was so close to getting your Jewel shards last time. This time I'll get them for sure!"

The wolf and the rest of his pack growled menacingly, and Kagura was tempted to roll her eyes at their antics. They really thought that they could pose even a threat to her? Ridiculous. Besides, there was no rush. She might as well entertain herself a little. She lifted her fan and the skeletons rose in the air. Time for a bit of dancing.

Kouga swore and leapt back as several skeletons flew at him. He punched them away, feeling their bones splinter and crack under his fists. The other demons were doing the same, while the wolves tried to tackle the skeletons from the air, but their teeth only scraped along the bones. Haiiro led the charge, using her size to slam the skeletons into the unforgiving rock ground, smashing them to pieces. The other wolves soon followed her lead.

"Still resorting to tricks?" Kouga shouted at Kagura. "Pathetic! You won't get anywhere with this."

Kagura scowled and lifted her fan. "Dance of the Blades!"

A dozen crescent-shaped blades of power hurtled in Kouga's direction. He swore and leapt to the side, grabbing one of the wolves out of the way as he did so. But Kagura's attack followed him, the blades digging deep gouges along the ground. Enough was enough. He jumped for her, struck down hard with his fist. He connected with something solid, but the fog swirled around him and he couldn't tell what it was. A heartbeat later, he saw Kagura leaping into the air. Her eyes were blazing.

"Fool! I'll tear you to pieces!" she shouted, lifting her fan high above her head. "Dance of the Dragon!"

A strong gust of wind began swirling around him, and the shattered bones from the skeletons began to fly into the air from the force of it. The wind picked up speed as it closed in around him, and as the razor-sharp bones flew past him, he suddenly realized what she was doing.

"Stay back!" he warned his pack as they moved to help him. "This stuff will cut you to shreds!"

Kagura grinned. "That's the idea."

Kouga could hear the others shouting at him, asking what they were supposed to do. He grimaced but didn't answer, too busy batting away all the skulls flying at him, trying to dodge the sharp edges of the bones that threatened to cut into his skin. But the whirlwind around him was constricting with every moment, pushing the bones closer and closer towards him.

"Now you must choose your fate, Kouga," Kagura's voice sounded casually from the other side of the wall of bones. "Let the skeletons cut you to bits, or jump out and be slain by me. Either way suits me fine."

Kouga growled and kept fighting. He didn't know what to do! If he tried to break free from the whirlwind, he'd still be injured by the bones. But as the shattered pieces sliced into his thigh, his arm, his cheek… He knew that there was no way he could stay inside. Besides, he wasn't about to play her game. He wasn't about to be trapped while his pack was left to face her on their own. He wasn't about to die before he could kill her and Naraku both!

"Just hold on Kouga!" Ginta's voice shouted at him. "I have an idea!"

He grimaced and hunkered down, punching away another skull as he waited to see what the hell they had come up with.

xXx

Strong winds snaked through the forest and blew past the storehouse. It blew the fire to and fro, pouring the smoke into their eyes more often than not. Miroku shifted to draw Inuyasha closer, resting his temple on the top of his partner's head. Inuyasha huffed indignantly but still pressed harder against him.

"It's getting late," he murmured, burying his nose in the long black hair. "Do you want to head inside?"

"Nah," Inuyasha said easily. "I'm not sleeping tonight. I need to figure out what the hell that mangy wolf meant about Naraku's scent."

"You don't have to sleep, but it will be safer inside," Miroku pressed gently.

"Keh, I'm not fussed about it," Inuyasha shrugged. "It's not like there's any danger nearby. We're still nowhere near the castle. Besides, that hut is tiny. I wanna avoid being crammed in there as long as possible."

Miroku carefully kept from sighing as he followed Inuyasha's gaze up into the night sky. He watched a flock of birds pass overhead, dark shapes amongst the stars. Inuyasha turned his head just enough to press a kiss against the side of his neck. He looked completely relaxed. It was certainly a startling contrast to earlier that day, and to their first new moon together. It was gratifying that he trusted them so much, and Miroku was glad that he was more comfortable with his mortal transformation. The timing of the issue, however, still weighed heavily on his mind. They were still in very real if not immediate danger from Naraku. They couldn't afford to take chances.

"Come on, love," he tried again. "There are warm blankets inside that are calling my name."

"Are you cold?" Inuyasha asked, concerned, and immediately shifted them both closer to the fire. Miroku closed his eyes but he couldn't suppress a smile as he was reminded once again why he loved this idiot.

"I'm fine," he assured, but his smile faded. "How about you? Did Kouga hurt you when he stepped on you?"

Inuyasha snorted. "Don't worry about that. The stupid wolf couldn't hurt me if he tried!"

"You know that you don't need to be worried about him," Miroku said quietly. "He's a good ally to have against Naraku."

Inuyasha's lip curled, exposing his blunt human teeth. "Doesn't mean I have to like him, though."

"No one said that," Miroku agreed, hugging him closer. "I just hope he doesn't run into any trouble tonight."

"No way Naraku would let that idiot find the castle," Inuyasha grumbled, though it sounded more like he was trying to convince himself.

"We should try to rest so that we can pick up the trail tomorrow," Miroku tried one more time.

"I'll be fine," Inuyasha shrugged, and Miroku sighed.

"Well I'm heading inside," he said, pushing himself to his feet and stopping only for a moment to press a kiss to the top of Inuyasha's head.

"I'll be there in a bit," Inuyasha said.

Miroku stepped into the hut and closed the door most of the way. He could immediately sense the tension in the room as he sat down beside Sango.

"He's not coming in?" she asked, peering past him to the doorway.

"He wants the fresh air," Miroku dutifully reported with a shrug. Kirara blinked up at him and immediately padded over to the door and sat down, one ear trained outside.

"We need to be on our guard," Sango said quietly. "Kouga had to be on to something."

"Yes," Miroku nodded. "Either Naraku's trying to lure us in, or his barrier has weakened for some reason. He'll likely be ready for an attack in either case."

"This may be our only chance to find the exact location of his castle," Sango said, and then sighed. "Why tonight, of all nights?"

"I know," Miroku huffed softly. "I don't like it either, but we need to act now."

"But we can't take Inuyasha," Shippo said sleepily, one hand grasping onto Miroku's sleeve. "Naraku can't see him like this."

"That's why Miroku and I are going to go alone," Sango said.

"He's going to put up a fight," Miroku warned. "You know he will. We need to find a way to keep him here, and also leave someone for his protection. Shippo, you'll have to stand guard for the rest of the night." The kit immediately nodded resolutely. "It's a question of which of the rest of us should go. Kirara would be able to restrain him if Sango and I go, but it might be better to have her vantage point from the air to search for the castle. She might also be able to track Naraku's scent. I should go in case the barrier remains, so that I can see how strong it is."

Sango grimaced. "He's not going to be happy about any of this."

They all froze as Kirara suddenly growled, her hackles rising. She shot out the door, transforming as she did so. Inuyasha yelped as her jaws gently closed over the back of his neck and she spun around, dragging him into the hut before unceremoniously depositing him on the floor. She then leapt back outside and stood protectively in front of the door. Miroku and Sango shared a worried look as they both scrambled to their feet. Miroku gently shoved Inuyasha further into the storehouse as he ran outside, closing the door firmly behind him. He followed Kirara's gaze deep into the forest, where two figures were running towards them.

"Miroku!" Hakkaku's voice drifted over to them.

"Brother, you need to help us!" Ginta shouted. "Something terrible has happened!"

"What's going on?" Miroku asked as they slowed to a stop before him. "Where's Kouga?"

"Kagura attacked when we got close to the castle," Hakkaku said, gasping for breath. "She has this skeleton army and she has our pack cornered. Kouga's trapped and he's in real trouble!"

"Damn it," Inuyasha growled quietly from where he was peeping out the door.

"Don't you dare," Sango said warningly as she stripped off her travel clothes. "We can't let them see you."

He snorted in derision. "Don't worry about that! There's no way I'm gonna run off and help Kouga."

He could feel Sango's eyes on him regardless, and he couldn't blame her. It was true – he didn't care what happened to Kouga – but if Kagura appeared, they had to have struck a nerve with Naraku. It was possible that the pack had actually managed to find the castle. But how? The barrier had never let anyone even get close before! He didn't like it. Something was up.

"Stay here," Sango ordered, hauling Hiraikotsu over her shoulder. "We're going to go see what's going on."

"You can't be serious!" Inuyasha said, pushing to his feet, but she just shoved him back. "I can't let you go alone!"

"We don't have a choice," she said firmly. "We'll stay out of danger as much as we can. If we're not back by dawn, you can come find us then."

"Fuck that!" Inuyasha snarled, and kicked the door open. Ginta and Hakkaku jumped in fright and then stared at him with impossibly wide eyes, their mouths gaping. Inuyasha wasted no time in giving them both a swift punch to the head – he couldn't stand any questions right now. Miroku, meanwhile, threw his hands up in the air and walked in a small circle, his face scrunched in exasperated pain while Sango was staring at the lot of them, looking infuriated.

"You idiot!" Shippo shouted, flinging himself onto Inuyasha's head and flattening himself down as though trying to disguise his black hair.

"Get off!" Inuyasha snapped, dragging the kit off him and dropping him on the ground before turning to Ginta and Hakkaku. "Listen here, you two. If you tell anyone about this, I'll kill you!"

"Okay," Hakkaku said quietly, while Ginta just continued to gape at him.

"Inuyasha," Miroku said in a dangerously low tone. "You can't come with us. Kagura is there, or have you forgotten?"

"It's fine!" Inuyasha insisted, but then he lowered his voice and met Miroku's eyes intensely. "I won't let her see me. I'll stay hidden until the sun comes up – but I can't let you go after her alone!"

xXx

Kagura twirled her fan lazily in her fingers. The smell of the wolf's blood lay thick in the air. The winds were whipping around faster and faster, hopefully tearing that wolf to shreds. He had yet to try to escape. Was he too frightened? Or was he already dead?

"Come out, come out," she muttered. "Don't spoil my fun."

"Damn her," Kouga grimaced, swatting another shattered bone away from himself. He was covered in cuts all over his body, some of which were bleeding heavily. But it was useless – no matter how many bones he shattered around him, there were countless more. And he wouldn't be able to keep them away for much longer. He had to find a way out.

Kagura snapped her fan closed. She might as well just let him out. If he was in too many pieces, it would be hard – not to mention unpleasant – to dig out the Jewel shards. She let the winds die away slightly, waiting to see if he would try to break through the wall of bones. There was a wordless shout and then Kouga sprang from the top of the whirlwind, pulling up into the air with a flash of youki before he landed on the ground in front of her.

"Persistent one, aren't you?" she sighed, opening her fan. "Not bad, I'll admit."

"You're dead, Kagura!" Kouga shouted as he leapt for her, a fist raised.

Kagura smirked and raised her fan, and the remaining skeletons flew at Kouga from behind him. Some of them bit onto him, others simply crashed into him. Kouga cried out in pain as he slammed to the ground. The sound sparked the rest of the pack into action. The wolves sprang at the skeletons and began tearing them off their leader. The two other wolf demons began picking up the discarded bones and throwing them at Kagura like spears. She easily batted them away with a gust of wind, knocking the demons back a step. She sent more skeletons after them as well.

"You fools," she muttered. "No one can escape me. I am the air you breathe! I am the wind!"

She flung a volley of blades at the pack, most of whom were easily able to avoid the attack. Kouga wasn't so lucky. Several skeletons still pinned him down, and the blades sliced deep into both of his shins. A glimmer of pink light appeared in both the wounds as the Jewel shards slid from his flesh. Kouga gasped and tried to crawl forward to snatch the shards, but she sent a wave of wind to knock him back. She then stepped forward and casually picked up the shards. She held them up in the air mockingly.

"Thanks for these," she smiled. "It's time to finish you off."

"Damn you!" Kouga growled, dragging himself back up. He lunged at her and she easily avoided him, laughing. She tapped her fan against her hand a couple times, thinking.

"Kagura!" Sango shouted, lifting Hiraikotsu as Kirara bounded towards Kagura. She threw the weapon, but Kagura immediately flung a wall of skeletons up in front of her. Sango swore and Kirara dove down so that she could grab Hiraikotsu as it flew back to them.

"She's got his shards," Miroku muttered behind her, his eyes darting between Kagura and Kouga. He very carefully didn't glance behind them, to where he knew that Inuyasha and Shippo were hiding.

"Damn it all," Kagura sighed, plucking a feather from her hair. "Your life's been spared this time, Kouga. Relish what little time you have left."

She flung her feather into the air and jumped onto it, easily avoiding the snapping jaws of the wolves that leapt after her. Miroku and Sango watched her disappear into the night sky before Kirara landed beside Kouga. Miroku slipped off her back and knelt down beside the wolf demon, wincing at the blood pouring from his legs.

"Miroku," Kouga gasped out, grinning through the pain. "You saved me!"

"Sango saved you," Miroku said absently as he pulled bandages and a needle from his robes. "We're going to have to clear away some of the blood before I can stitch you up."

"Kouga!" Hakkaku shouted as he and Ginta emerged from the forest, running wildly towards them. They froze as the scent and sight of his blood hit them.

"This was your plan?" Kouga asked them with a faint smirk. "Can't say I'm complaining."

"Can you walk?" Miroku asked, ripping some of the bandages into strips to try and soak up some of the blood. "She might come back, and bring reinforcements with her."

"Don't worry about me, Miroku," Kouga assured with unflappable confidence. "Give me a moment and I'll be up and at 'em. I'll track her down in no time! Just watch me!"

"Uh-huh," Miroku said as he pressed the bandages to his legs while Sango readied the needle and thread.

"I'll kill Naraku, too," Kouga swore grimly. "Miroku, I won't dishonour you by letting him get away again."

"Aw, give it a rest, will ya?" Inuyasha spat, stalking out of the trees. "Just let him die, Miroku."

"You filthy mutt," Kouga growled, turning on him. "What're you-"

He froze. The dark hair was what hit him first, then the lack of dog ears, then the scent. Then, the lack of youki. It was completely gone. Inuyasha was glaring at him, a defensive kind of anger in his dark eyes. He looked like he was gearing up for a fight, and Kouga was struck speechless. How stupid did the mutt have to be to show his face when he was mortal? He had to admit, it was one hell of a gutsy move.

"You're hopeless, Kouga," Inuyasha continued, coming to a stop in front of him and crossing his arms gruffly. "Getting yourself cut up by the likes of Kagura?"

"Look who's talking," Kouga snapped. "You're prancing around as a weakling!"

Inuyasha scoffed and looked away, though his expression was tight. Ginta and Hakkaku were still staring between the two of them, while the wolves were getting as close to Inuyasha as they dared so they could give him a good sniff. None of his pack seemed to know what to do. Kouga heaved a deep sigh.

"I've never seen a half-demon turn mortal before," he said, almost conversationally. "I heard that they fear for their lives, that they never appear before an enemy when they're so vulnerable. I never thought I'd see you looking like that."

"And what of it?" Inuyasha asked haughtily, flicking Tessaiga slightly out of its sheath with his thumb. "You gonna go bragging about it?"

Kouga barked a short laugh and pushed to his feet, ignoring Miroku's angry noise of protest. "Oh, you wanna fight? Right here? Right now?"

"You'd better believe it!" Inuyasha hissed, pulling out Tessaiga completely, though the sword didn't transform from its old rusty state. "I'll take you on wherever, whenever!"

Kouga took a threatening step forwards and immediately crumpled to the ground. He winced and grasped his aching legs. Miroku and Sango shared a long look before moving to help.

"Come on," Sango said, propping him back up. "Stop moving or you'll bleed to death."

"Wouldn't be a loss," Inuyasha grumbled.

As she and Miroku began to work on Kouga's legs, his pack forming a tight circle around him and watching anxiously, Kouga kept on glancing between Miroku and Inuyasha. The mutt was standing with his back to them, arms crossed, nose in the air, practically seething. He could smell the emotions rolling off Inuyasha in waves, though he didn't quite know what to make of them. It wasn't the first time that the puppy had almost bitten his head off around Miroku. And they carried each other's scent – much more so than the general mixed pack smell that emerged in such groups. Interesting. Very, very interesting.

xXx

Kagura ground her teeth as she flew through the air, one hand clutching the Jewel shards, the other grasping her feather. Damn that Kouga! Damn those humans for intervening! Damn that Inuyasha – she knew he had to be nearby as well. The fools. Oh well – it served Naraku right. She couldn't do everything on her own. None of those idiots were on their own! And now they were all approaching the castle. They must have sensed the weakened barrier. That hadn't happened before. Naraku would kill her if-

Except Naraku wasn't there.

Kagura veered hard to the side and turned the feather completely around. Naraku wasn't there. It was her chance to escape.

She landed in a field, where the frozen grass swayed around her in the breeze which followed her wherever she went. She let the frigid air flow through her, calming her blood. Finally, a taste of freedom – even though she knew it wouldn't last. She glared down at the two blood-spattered Jewel shards sitting in the palm of her hand. Why the hell should she hand them over to Naraku? He had no more right to them than he had to her. She should take them. She should run! Now was her only chance, while the barrier was weak and Naraku was gone! But…

Her other hand pressed against her aching, hollow chest. There would be nowhere to run. Not while Naraku held her heart. He could kill her no matter where she was. It wasn't enough to flee him – there would be no escape until that monster was dead. But how? She knew her limits. Even if she used the Jewel shards, she would never be able to do it on her own. If she attacked him, he would absorb her back into his flesh, or simply kill her. He had made sure to remind her of that fact whenever he could.

No, she couldn't face him on her own. But, she wasn't the only one who hated him. Inuyasha was a weakling except for his sword, and his followers were no better. The wolf was quickly proving himself to be useless as well. But there was one other who she knew wanted Naraku dead, one who might just have the power to make it happen. She rolled to her feet, her hand wrapping tighter around the Jewel shards. It was her only hope.

xXx

"That one's sparkling," Rin said as she pointed into the sky. "And that one, and that one, and that one…"

"Ooh, a shooting star!" Jaken squealed excitedly. "Did you see, Lord Sesshomaru?"

Sesshomaru ignored them as best he could. Rin seemed to be having a detrimental effect on his servant. It was already bad enough that everyone had started referring to his mount by the nonsense name she came up with for them – he'd even caught himself doing it a few times. He glanced back at the girl, who sat sleepily on A-Un's back and was rubbing her eye with the back of her hand, blinking slowly. She would need proper rest soon. And food, too. But he still didn't want to stop. The odd presence that had been filling the air for the past two nights had yet to dissipate.

He changed his course to the top of a tall cliff and looked out at the valley below. There was no sign of anything amiss, yet he couldn't stop the odd urgent pressure that lingered in the back of his mind. He took a deep breath, letting the scent of the valley wash over him.

That was it.

"It's his scent," he murmured, his eyes flashing as he peered into the darkness.

Jaken sniffed and gasped. "That is the smell of that demon that Inuyasha had slain! And that woman who claimed to be of Naraku!"

Sesshomaru glanced down at Tokijin, which pulsed angrily at his side. Even after all this time, it still bore the faint smell of Naraku. Would he finally be able to encounter the real demon – not some incarnation or false puppet? As he took another deep breath, the scent from the valley was echoed in the sky above him. He glanced up and soon saw a flash of white heading towards him. The wind picked up around them, tossing their hair to and fro. Rin mumbled sleepily and slid off A-Un's back. The demon spiralled down towards them on a giant feather before jumping off and landing easily in front of him.

"Yo," the woman greeted easily.

Sesshomaru didn't respond, but subtly shifted to the side, partially shielding Rin from her view.

"Lord Sesshomaru," she said mockingly. "Did you follow Naraku's scent, too?"

Jaken was tugging urgently at his sleeve but he shifted Tokijin's sheath to bat the imp away. "You are the Wind Sorceress Kagura, if I recall correctly."

She smiled. "I'm flattered you remember me."

He hand was now resting firmly on Tokijin's hilt, his youki rumbling within his chest.

"Take your hand off your sword," Kagura snapped, looking peeved. "I didn't come here to fight. Sesshomaru, I have a proposition for you."

"A proposition?" he echoed flatly.

"You know what these are," she said, stretching out her hand to reveal two Shikon Jewel shards lying in her palm. "I'll give these to you, no questions asked. In return, I want you to kill Naraku."

He stared at her with veiled surprise. Jaken spluttered beside him.

"Destroy him," Kagura said quietly and insistently, her eyes burning into his. "Free me from his grasp."