Warnings for this chapter: references to and discussion of canonical character familial death, orphans, threats of death and violence
*Note that this chapter will contain content of a sexual nature
"We're going to have to stand guard outside until the demons attack," Sango said, checking over her weapons. "The courtyard should give us enough room to maneuver. Will you be alright here on your own?"
Miroku nodded, glancing back at the lord, who was watching them anxiously. "Yes, we'll be fine. I'll be able to hold the barrier all night without a problem. If you need to get inside, just make sure you're in front of the room so I can see you."
Inuyasha leapt down from the roof and walked inside. "The pack will be coming soon. We need to go."
Sango slid her sword back in its sheath and followed Kirara to the en. Inuyasha glanced back at Miroku.
"Have fun," the monk called after them, sitting down cross-legged in front of the lord and laying his staff casually onto his shoulder.
One of Inuyasha's ears twitched back in annoyance. "We're about to face down a huge pack of demons! Is that all you have to say to us?"
"Oh, of course," Miroku smiled. "Sango, I expect him back with at least three limbs intact, possessed no more than once, and absolutely no more than five stab wounds."
Sango nodded seriously. "I'll see what I can do."
Inuyasha curled his lip up at Miroku who returned the gesture with a dazzling smile. Inuyasha bit down his grin and shot a careful look at the lord one last time before running after Sango. They stood in the courtyard, weapons at the ready as they waited for the worm demons to make their nightly appearance. They'd confirmed that none of the demons had a Jewel shard, and they were fairly weak on their own – the only reason they posed much of a threat at all was that the lord had upset their nest a few days prior and his guards had destroyed most of the demons' eggs. Apparently the guards had all been picked off in the nights following the incident, and the lord was convinced that he would be next.
As Miroku's barrier shimmered to life behind them, Inuyasha leaned back against the en. "These bastards better show themselves soon. I don't wanna be waiting around all night."
"At least it's a little warmer tonight," Sango sighed. "Spring should be here soon."
Inuyasha scoffed. "No chance. It'll get warm again for maybe ten or twenty days, then there'll be another snowstorm or something. It always lies the first time."
"I'll be happy when we can start sleeping outside again," Sango said. "Finding lodgings every night is getting exhausting."
"You're telling me," Inuyasha grumbled. "Travelling with humans is such a hassle."
Sango shot him a grin. "Oh, so you don't want the feast that the lord has promised us tomorrow?"
Inuyasha made a little affronted noise and shoved her away lightly. She chuckled and turned her attention back to the empty horizon. She trusted that Inuyasha would catch the scent or sounds of the approaching demons long before they actually arrived – Kirara hadn't even bothered transforming yet, and was asleep on her foot. She busied herself sharpening her sword and, when that got boring, began drawing swirls on the ground with her boot. It was some time later, as the moon was crawling across the sky at a snail's pace, that Inuyasha threw his head back and groaned loudly.
"Oh, come on!" he whined. "I need to kill something! Why is this taking so long?"
"The lord said they could attack at any point in the night," Sango said. "Now stop complaining. Something will try to kill you sooner or later."
Inuyasha huffed and muttered that he was going to go scout the castle. He made the rounds twice before dropping back down off the roof.
"Still no sign of them," he grumbled. "Rude."
Sango smirked. "That sounds like something Miroku would say."
He rolled his eyes. "Well, it's true!"
He cast a glance back into the room behind them, where he could see Miroku watching them calmly from behind the barrier. A dozen or so vassals stood guard between them. The lord was certainly convinced of the danger presented to him, but Inuyasha knew better than to trust a human's judgement of demon power. The worm demons could be the masters of hell, or about as dangerous as a snippy Kirara when they tickled her belly.
The night was more than half over by the time Inuyasha caught the scent in the air. "Finally!" he crowed, stretching out his arms. "Took them long enough!"
Twenty or so worm demons were speeding through the air towards the mansion, their chattering echoing across the night sky. Inuyasha pulled out Tessaiga and leapt onto the roof of the mansion. He pulled a Wind Scar to his mind and hurled it at them before they could get too close. To his surprise, they immediately scattered, and he only caught one or two of them.
"Coming your way!" he shouted to Sango as he jumped back down into the courtyard. Most of the demons began circling overhead, but a few of them dove for them. Inuyasha waited as Hiraikotsu cut through them easily, and then hurled himself at the next wave that attacked. They were clever – they'd fanned out, refusing to give him a single target but instead weaving to and fro – but they weren't exactly much of a threat. Kirara left Sango on the ground and began chasing the demons through the sky, driving them down towards the courtyard so the others could pick them off easier. She ripped through several of them herself, and Inuyasha sliced through the falling bodies for the hell of it. It took a while to work through all of them, and the sky was lightening with the first hints of dawn by the time the last demon was dead.
Miroku dropped the barrier and stood stiffly. He promised the anxious lord that he was just going to ensure that the coast was clear before walking out to meet the others. Inuyasha greeted him with a toothy grin and dragged him in for a kiss as soon as he saw him.
"It went well, I take it?" Miroku asked with a smile.
"Barely worth the effort, but yeah," Inuyasha shrugged. "You can tell Lord Overkill that he can rest easy."
Miroku hummed thoughtfully. "It might not hurt to keep that particular detail to ourselves."
Inuyasha eyed him incredulously. "You want to say that he's still in danger?"
"Not at all!" the monk quickly corrected. "But just be sure to remind him how hard you fought against the vicious demons."
"You're unbelievable," Inuyasha muttered, pulling him in for another kiss.
"I'm just saying that we should ensure a bed for tonight," Miroku said innocently. "You weren't the one holding up a barrier all night."
"I thought you said you could hold one up for days at a time," Inuyasha said suspiciously, following him inside to talk to the lord.
"Again, details," Miroku said, patting his shoulder.
The others let him take the lead, assuring the lord that the very real, very threatening danger had passed through their hard-fought victory. They were offered a feast in their honour and a bed for the night, and Inuyasha and Sango hid their smiles by biting the inside of their cheeks. The lord led them to their room and Sango, Kirara, and Shippo settled down for a nap. Miroku said that he was going to purify the demon remains, just to be safe, so Inuyasha volunteered to go with him. He ended up lounging on the en while Miroku instructed the various vassals on how to burn and bury the demons' remains. Once they had finished up, he snagged Miroku's arm and dragged him back to the room for some well-deserved rest.
xXx
"No more sweets for you," Inuyasha said, snatching the bowl away from Shippo. "You're gonna be up all night as it is."
"I will not!" Shippo argued, scampering onto his shoulder and stepping on his head to try and reach the sweets. "Sango, tell him!"
"I'm not getting involved," she smiled tiredly. "All I can say is that if you're going to be awake, you're on your own. I'm beat."
"Yeah, you're the only one who actually slept last night," Inuyasha reminded him before he turned to Miroku. "I told you we shouldn't've let him sleep in through the morning."
Miroku raised his brows over his cup of tea. "You were welcome to wake him up at any point."
"Can I at least have them tomorrow morning?" Shippo asked, shaking Inuyasha's shoulder.
"Fine," the hanyou sighed dramatically. "We'll save them for later. I won't even steal that many of them."
"Hey!" Shippo exclaimed indignantly, while Miroku and Sango chuckled quietly.
After Inuyasha set the bowl on the ground, Miroku pulled the hanyou against him, pressing a kiss to the back of his head. Inuyasha hummed and leaned more heavily into him, closing his eyes. Miroku's fingers began to run through his hair, teasing out the occasional knot. The nimble fingers brushed over his ears from time to time, and slowly massaged his scalp. Gradually, Miroku began to play with the long white strands, twisting some together and loosely braiding others before combing it all out again. Inuyasha was almost drifting off to sleep when he felt a second pair of tiny hands running through his hair. He cracked an eye open to see Shippo sitting on Miroku's knee, copying the monk's movements to braid a section of his hair.
"Hm," Inuyasha grumbled, one ear flicking.
He tried to close his eyes and ignore them, but a shuffling from across the room warned him that worse was coming. Sure enough, Sango sat herself down next to the others and grabbed a section of hair. She began an intricate braid, and turned his head further and further to the side to get access.
"I'm glad you all are having fun," Inuyasha drawled. "Don't mind me, or anything."
"Don't worry," Miroku said reassuringly. "You can have your turn when we start playing with Sango's hair."
The slayer's head whipped around to face him. "When we what, now?"
Miroku grinned broadly. "Don't worry about it."
Sango's protests were quickly drowned out by Shippo's open enthusiasm, which only heightened as Miroku taught Inuyasha how to braid Sango's hair back into an intricate plait. Naturally, Inuyasha and Sango then both had to show off their new styles, to which Miroku, Shippo, and Kirara acted as definitely-completely-impartial judges. The consensus was that they both looked spectacular, but further assessment was needed at a later date. Shippo didn't even seem to realize what was going on as they had him run around the room to inspect the pair from all angles. However, by the time Inuyasha and Sango had returned to their spots by the fire and had combed out their hair, the kit was flopped over on Sango's bed, passed out from all the excitement. The others enjoyed the newfound peace of the evening for a little longer before turning in themselves.
Inuyasha slid under the covers next to Miroku and burrowed into the monk's chest, feeling strong arms wind around him. He could feel the smile on his partner's face pressing against the top of his head. He sighed contentedly and shuffled further on top of Miroku, resuming his usual impression of a blanket.
"I love you," Miroku whispered into his hair.
"I love you, too," Inuyasha murmured against his chest. "Now hush so we can get to sleep before Shippo wakes up and tries to get us to play again."
xXx
"Come on," Sango said insistently, sliding open a panel on the wall to let the sunlight stream into the room. "We need to set off early if we're going to make it to town before nightfall."
"You got the supplies from the lord?" Inuyasha asked, shoving another dumpling into his mouth before Shippo could demolish them all.
"He had most of it delivered already," Sango said, looking around the room. "I think we just need the clothes."
"I still don't see the point," Inuyasha grumbled. "My hadagi is fine."
"It's more stitches than fabric," Sango said sternly. "You're lucky the rest of your robes fix themselves, or else you'd be long naked by now."
"Yeah, yeah, whatever," he shrugged, walking over to Miroku. The monk still lay face-down in the bed. "Come on, love. Rise and shine."
He was answered with a long, extended groan as Miroku pulled the covers over his head. Inuyasha nudged him with his foot.
"You can't stay in there forever," he tried again.
"I can't get up," Miroku said dramatically, his voice muffled by the pillow. "Can't move. Must sleep."
Inuyasha sighed. "Never mind, Sango. I've given up on Miroku."
"Good to know," Sango said, tying her furoshiki around her shoulders. "I'm going to go thank the lord and get the clothes. Miroku, if you're alive by then, meet us outside."
Shippo managed to draw Miroku out of bed with good-natured pleading, after which point Inuyasha poked him to keep him awake until Miroku slyly grabbed his ass. Sango eyed them suspiciously as she rejoined them and looked utterly unconvinced at their innocent smiles, but thankfully couldn't say anything as the lord followed her out to wave them off. They set out down the road, ready to get as far as they could on foot before forcing Kirara to carry them to the town. That was the plan, anyway. Instead, they'd barely made it out of sight of the lord's mansion before storm clouds began billowing across the sky.
They all slowed to a stop, eyeing their surroundings warily and reaching for their weapons. A rumble of thunder rolled across the sky before a bolt of lightning struck at their feet with a loud crack. Everyone jumped back, and Inuyasha threw his arm out to shield the others. As they chanced a look at the scorched, smouldering patch of earth, they could make out an arrow sticking from the ground, a scroll tied to it.
"What the hell…?" Inuyasha muttered, snatching the arrow from the ground and pulling off the furled paper. He read the inscription on the sealed outside of the scroll, and his mouth dropped open.
"What it is?" Miroku asked in concern.
Inuyasha held it up for them all to see.
"Shippo?" Sango asked incredulously.
"What?" the kit asked, tugging on Miroku's robes. "What's going on?"
"It's for you," Inuyasha said, expression caught somewhere between skeptical and amused.
Shippo carefully took the scroll and, after a brief paused, opened it to read the contents. Miroku surreptitiously tried to peek, but Shippo held the paper so close to his face that he couldn't get a good look. Eventually, the kit lowered the scroll with a deep frown slashed across his face.
"It's a challenge to a duel," he said blankly.
"Say what?" Inuyasha snorted. "Who the hell would want to duel you?"
"It says right here!" Shippo insisted, shoving the scroll in his face and pointing to the words. "Thunder demon Souten of the Raiju family has challenged me to a duel to the death!"
"Let me see that," Inuyasha huffed, snatching the scroll from him and reading aloud. "To the fox demon Shippo. To uphold the honour of the Raiju family, I challenge you to a duel to the death. On this day at sundown, I will await your coming at Raimei Valley. If you dare to attempt trickery, or fail to arrive, know that your friends will pay with their lives. Signed, thunder demon Souten."
"I have to go!" Shippo said, his head held high despite the tremor in his voice. "I have to protect you all!"
"Uh-huh," Inuyasha said. "Because it's not like we can't handle a thunder demon or anything."
"It's not just that," Shippo insisted. "I have to uphold my family's honour. They clearly want to test my might."
"Oh, sure," Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "All great demons want to test their mettle against toy horses and spinning tops."
"A thunder demon in Raimei Valley," Miroku said thoughtfully. "Do you suppose they're related to the Thunder Brothers?"
"Probably," Inuyasha shrugged.
"Thunder Brothers?" Sango asked.
"Hiten and Manten are the ones who killed my father," Shippo said quietly. "And clearly, this Souten wants revenge for their deaths."
"But they shouldn't be after you, Shippo," Miroku pointed out. "Inuyasha was the one to kill both brothers."
"They probably don't think that a hanyou could have done it," Shippo said. "Or if they did, they might not think him worth challenging." He saw Inuyasha's scowl and frowned apologetically. "I'm not saying that you're not worth a death threat! It's just what they might think."
"No, you're right," Inuyasha sighed, waving off the apology. "It's their mistake for underestimating me."
Miroku shot him a proud smile before his expression sobered. "So, what do we do? Raimei Valley isn't far from here."
"We let him accept the duel," Inuyasha shrugged, like it was obvious.
"We can't let him fight a duel!" Sango exclaimed. "He's a child!"
Inuyasha smirked. "He's fifty!"
"Hey, I'm fifty three!" Shippo corrected immediately.
Miroku looked exasperated. "That's not the point!"
"He's a demon, you know," Inuyasha pointed out. "You can't keep treating him the same as a human kid."
"We can't let him fight against a full-grown thunder demon bent on revenge!" Sango exclaimed, staring at him.
"Of course not!" Inuyasha huffed. "I'm not saying we're gonna cart him off to die. I'm saying we use him to draw out the demons."
"You want to use him as bait," Miroku clarified. "That's still a risky move."
"The challenge didn't say anything about him coming alone," Inuyasha pointed out. "We just need to stick him at the head of the pack until the demon shows up, then toss him onto Kirara and get him out of there."
"I'm not running away!" Shippo insisted, jumping onto Inuyasha's shoulder. "And stop talking about me like I'm not here! I'm the one they want. I avenged my father's death, so if they want to come after me, then I have to meet their challenge."
"Not really," Inuyasha said slowly. "They're the ones in the wrong, here. You had just cause to fight Hiten and Manten for revenge. Everyone knows that if you kill someone and their kin swears revenge, there's nothing your family can really do about it when they kill you. Otherwise it'd go on forever."
"So we can talk to this demon before we fight," Miroku said. "They might be reasonable and call off the duel altogether."
"Hiten ate people and Manten tried to turn you into hair ointment," Inuyasha grimaced. "I'm not expecting much from their family."
Another peel of thunder rolled across the sky. They all exchanged wary glances and climbed onto Kirara's back. They tossed the goods the lord had given them into a pile beside one of the trees, figuring they'd have to take their chances and just hope that no one would steal it before they could come back for it. Sango climbed onto the twin-tail's head but Sango could easily see him shaking. They set off towards the valley, and the dark clouds seemed to follow them overhead. Sango tapped Miroku's arms and he let go of her waist long enough for her to slide Hiraikotsu into her lap. She had a bad feeling about all of this. It took her a moment to realize why.
"How did they know where we were?" she asked.
"That's what I've been wondering as well," Miroku sighed. "They must have been watching us – but then why now? It's been months."
As they continued on, it began to rain. At first it was just cold and unpleasant, but as they passed over forests and encountered the first rocky cliffs of the valley, the winds began to pick up. They had to cling to each other to keep from falling from Kirara as she was buffeted from side to side. Bolts of lightning began to strike around them, coming far too close for comfort.
"Find a place to land!" Sango shouted to her over the howling gusts. "This is no good!"
Kirara grumbled and slowly veered down to a cliff-side path, her muscles tensed to snap to keep from being flung about. As soon as she touched down, the others hopped off her back and she transformed, exhausted. Sango scooped her up and shot the others a worried look.
"I'm guessing that the thunder demons gave the weather a helping hand," she muttered.
"Are they trying to slow us down?" Miroku wondered, glancing up the valley. "There's a fairly strong youki coming from up ahead. Everyone be on your guard."
"Where in the valley do they want us, do you suppose?" Inuyasha said, squinting through the rain. "Maybe Hiten and Manten's castle?"
"You know where that is, right Miroku?" Shippo asked, tugging at his sleeve.
"Mhmm," he said thoughtfully. "It's at the very top of the mountain on the other side of the valley. It's quite a climb, and I don't know if we can make the last portion on foot at all."
"We'll get as far as we can," Inuyasha grumbled. "Hopefully this Souten will show up before we have to trek all the way there."
Another lightning bolt struck the path behind them as they began to move. Shippo froze on Miroku's shoulder for a moment, but then he scrambled to the ground and bounded past Inuyasha, taking the lead. Inuyasha eyed him incredulously for a moment, then shrugged. They continued on, hunkering down against the howling wind and the occasional bolts of lightning which struck all around them.
"What're they doing?" Inuyasha muttered. "We won't make it to the meeting place by sundown at this rate."
A bolt of lightning struck the ground between him and Shippo and he leapt back, flinging out an arm to catch Miroku and Sango. Another bolt hit the cliff far above them, and large chucks of rocks immediately began tumbling down towards them. Sango swore and leapt off the path, and Kirara transformed and ducked under her. Inuyasha grabbed Miroku by the waist and dragged him back. As more and more rocks fell, driving them further back along the path, Miroku jumped onto Kirara's back as well. Inuyasha waited until he'd gained his balance before he hurled himself after him, snagging onto Miroku's outstretched hand as he dragged him up behind him. As soon as he was on, Kirara bounded through the air, dodging the still-falling rocks.
"Do you see him?" Sango asked, flattening herself over her back to reduce drag.
"There!" Inuyasha called out, pointing at a pink blob floating over the edge of the cliff.
Kirara started towards him but a huge gust of wind shoved her back. A bright red blur shot towards Shippo and threw a net around him. He transformed down and struggled against the thick ropes, but it was no use. They saw the blue flash of his foxfire, but the ropes were so sodden from the rain that they refused to catch alight. Inuyasha swore and leapt from Kirara's back. He landed on the pile of rocks which shifted dangerously beneath him and he sprang towards Shippo. The small red demon was dragging him higher and higher into the air. Inuyasha chased them up to the top of the cliff and then leapt, his youki flaring around him to propel him even higher. It wasn't enough. Another gust of wind flung him back, over the edge of the cliff and towards the ravine below. Kirara broke off her pursuit to dive after him. He crashed into Miroku and Kirara dipped even lower in the air as she struggled against the storm, which was gaining intensity with every moment. Inuyasha could just make out Shippo's cries for help fading away.
"Damn it!" he swore viciously, his eyes flashing red.
"Kirara, run along the ground," Sango instructed. "Keep as low as you can."
She tore after them as fast as she could, but lightning kept on striking all around them, and even Inuyasha could barely hear them over the sound of the wind. It didn't take long to lose the trail, but they continued on in the direction of the Thunder Brother's old home, since that seemed to be where the demon was taking him. As they pushed passed the barren landscape, the youki grew thicker in the air. The lightning increased, striking around them in rapid succession, coming dangerously close. Kirara slowed, landing on one of the rocky outcrops. The castle was barely visible, blending in with the surrounding cliffs.
"Split up," Inuyasha said. "That lightning can't get all of us. Sango and Kirara, you scan from the air, see what you can find. We'll break in from the ground."
At Sango's nod, he grabbed Miroku and threw them onto a nearby boulder. They both ducked as a bolt of lightning cracked the rock Kirara had been standing on. After one last worried look, Kirara shot into the air, weaving back and forth to try and avoid being struck. Miroku climbed onto Inuyasha's back and they took off as well.
"The main entrance is around the side," Miroku said. "It's the hardest to get to – it opens out over a sheer drop. I think you can only get there by flying."
"Can we make it in a jump?" Inuyasha asked.
"I wouldn't risk it," Miroku said. "There was a room before that had a window to the outside. It was small, but we can access it from the ground."
He directed Inuyasha along the path he'd seen when Manten had been carrying him off all those months ago. He'd only seen a small amount of the castle, but it was enough to get them inside. They reached the room where he'd woken to find Manten making his potion. Inuyasha leapt at the window and punched through the bamboo bars, breaking it open. He stuck his head inside and listened intently before nodding. Miroku boosted him through then grabbed the offered hand, dropping down onto a wooden cot. They carefully crept further inside.
xXx
Sango clung to Kirara as they climbed higher and higher into the sky, trying to see where light might be shining from the small windows along the fortress-like walls. The lightning had faded a little, but the storm continued on full force.
"Down there," Sango shouted, pointing at a large pair of double doors situated seemingly in the middle of the castle wall, opening out over a deep ravine.
Kirara dove for them and came up alongside them, stopping to allow Sango to press against them experimentally. They were made from heavy wood but didn't appear to be barred, as they moved slightly when she kicked them.
"I'm going to use Hiraikotsu," Sango said. "Pull back."
Kirara was just beginning to move away when an explosion burst through the doors, ripping them open. One of the heavy wooden slabs caught Kirara broadside and sent them both tumbling to the ground. Kirara careened wildly to the side, crashing into a nearby ledge rather than falling further down the ravine. They struck the ground hard and skidded to a stop as Sango was thrown from Kirara's back. She gasped, the air knocked from her lungs and black spots danced before her eyes. She pushed to her hands and knees, blinking hard to try and clear her vision as she peered at Kirara, who was struggling to her feet. A rumbling came from overhead and boulders poured from the open doors, crashing down towards them. Sango shoved herself back as the first began to tumble around her, most rolling off the narrow ledge and into the ravine below. She dodged as best she could, but they were driving her precariously close to the edge, and she still couldn't reach Kirara, who was pressed back further to the cliff face behind her. She couldn't walk properly yet and the rocks were threatening to bury her alive.
One particularly large boulder struck right beside Sango, and the ledge began to break apart. She shouted and tried to leap forward, but it was no use. The ground crumbled beneath her feet and she began falling down the cliff. Sango tore Hiraikotsu from her back and dug it deep into the wall of the ravine, jerking herself to a stop.
"Kirara!" she called out. "Kirara, are you alright?"
She waited anxiously for a response – she had no idea if Kirara had been injured in the initial fall or if any of the rocks had struck her, or if she might be trapped beneath the debris. After a long moment, a chirp came from above, and Kirara, transformed down into her smaller form, wriggled out from a tiny gap between the rocks. She poked her head over the edge of the cliff and mewed balefully down at Sango. Her fur was plastered with dust and mud, but she seemed unharmed. Then a dark shape dropped down from the double doors and a small iron cage slammed down over Kirara. She hissed and scrabbled against it with her paws, but the confines prevented her from transforming.
A laugh came from overhead.
A tiny red dragon flew down the length of the chain reaching from the doorway to the cage. He landed on the ground and looked over Kirara thoughtfully before he peered down at Sango.
"Sorry, human," he smirked. "We can't have you interfering."
He snaked around the chain once and shot back into the air, disappearing back into the hallway leading from the double doors. A moment later, the chain pulled taut and began dragging the cage with Kirara up towards the castle. It stopped once she was dangling precariously over the ravine. Sango met her panicked gaze and growled softly. She had no idea if the dragon was planning on dropping Kirara into the ravine – she wouldn't survive if he did. He'd disappeared for now, but that didn't meant that he wouldn't be back. Sango grimaced. It was up to her.
xXx
"I can hear him talking," Inuyasha said quietly as they moved through the halls of the castle. "I can't make out the words, but at least they haven't killed him yet."
They moved as quickly as they could, wary of lingering for too long. They were winding their way deeper and deeper into the heart of the castle, and were a long way from a path of escape if the need arose. Inuyasha kept one hand on Tessaiga's hilt and the other snagged on Miroku's sleeve. He could smell the unease rolling off the monk, and it made him nervous. As they approached the muffled voices, he drew his sword and nodded to Miroku. He kicked down the door and burst into the room where Shippo was being held. He honed in on the kit first, who was crammed inside an iron cage. He looked unharmed, and there was no smell of blood in the air, but his eyes were wide with terror.
"Look out, it's a trap!" Shippo shouted.
A red blur shot towards them and Inuyasha and Miroku leapt back. When nothing immediately life-threatening presented itself, Inuyasha leapt after their assailant and snatched the dragon from the air. They growled at each other for a moment before Inuyasha snorted.
"So much for that," he said, glaring at the dragon, which was barely the length of his arm. "You're just a glorified snake!"
"How dare you!" the dragon squawked indignantly. "I am a proud member of the-"
"Shut up," Inuyasha instructed, smacking the dragon on the head before calling out "Shippo, you okay?"
"She's trying to kill me!" Shippo yelled, wildly pointing back to a far corner of the room that was shrouded in darkness. Inuyasha frowned, his ears swivelling as he picked up another heartbeat.
"His life is ours!" the dragon said, thrashing around wildly in his grip.
"I said shut it!" Inuyasha growled, hitting him again.
"Show yourself!" Miroku called out, raising his staff as spiritual power shone along the head. No one emerged from the darkness. They exchanged a wary look and Inuyasha took a step closer before the dragon bit deep into his hand he cried out angrily in surprise and pain and shook the creature off him. The dragon immediately shot into the air.
"No you don't!" Inuyasha growled and jumped after him, striking him to the ground. To his utter astonishment, the dragon began to laugh.
"You fool!" the dragon shouted as smoke began to swirl around him, quickly spinning into a shroud until he was completely obscured. He rose into the air, his body transforming into a tiny thundercloud. Lightning crackled around him. Inuyasha swung at him with Tessaiga, but the sword passed harmlessly through the cloud.
"What the-" Inuyasha spluttered, rearing back.
"Oh no…" Miroku muttered.
A blinding white light burst from the cloud for a moment before arrows formed from sizzling lightning shot towards them. Inuyasha swore and threw himself in front of Miroku, shielding him with his body as the arrows struck the ground around them. A heartbeat later, a barrier sprang to life as Miroku dragged them back. The arrows dashed to pieces against the barrier with a flare of light, but the barrage didn't stop. The wooden floor was scorched around them and the tips of the arrows began to break through the barrier. Inuyasha wrapped his arm around Miroku's waist and threw them both back as Miroku dropped the barrier. They landed on the other side of the room and Inuyasha lifted Tessaiga. But then the ground disappeared from beneath their feet in an instant. He barely had time to make out the trap door as they fell through it.
They landed hard and Inuyasha immediately curled around Miroku, bracing for what was to come. There was scuffling from above them and he glanced up just in time to see the dragon pushing a large bag towards the trapdoor. He tipped it over, sending the chalky grey power showering over them and then slammed the trapdoor shut behind it. Inuyasha gasped then coughed as the poison filled his lungs and stung his eyes, making his head swim. He gagged at the nausea which instantly rolled through him. Miroku's hands were scrabbling at his chest, and he struggled to understand what he was doing until the mask pressed against his face. He sucked in a breath but it didn't make a difference – he couldn't see, he couldn't breathe, and he felt like he was dying. He could hear Miroku gasping for breath as well and desperately hoped that he was okay.
xXx
Sango plunged her sword into the rock and dragged herself up a little further, tugged Hiraikotsu free and slammed it further above her head. It only took a few more pulls to haul herself to the base of the double doors, and she finally dragged herself inside. She lay on the ground for a moment to catch her breath before she caught hold of the chain and pulled the cage towards her. Kirara was trilling and chirping insistently, butting the iron bars with her head.
"I know, I know," Sango said, sliding her sword between two connecting pieces of the cage and busting it open. Kirara flew into her arms and rubbed frantically against her chest. Sango sighed and flopped back down for a moment. Her muscles were shaking with exertion and she was drenched in sweat. Kirara purred frantically against her for a bit and she chuckled wryly. She stared up at the ceiling and sighed. "What do you suppose the chances are that the others didn't land in some kind of trap?"
Kirara snorted and Sango pushed herself to her feet. Kirara transformed, stretched deeply for a moment, and then they took off down the halls. Sango followed Kirara, whose ears continually swivelled as she searched for a sign of the others. Eventually she slowed and sniffed the ground. She chuffed and changed direction, following a scent trail deeper into the castle. It didn't take long before Sango could make out the sound of raised voices. She drew her sword and ran faster. Movement down the hall drew her attention, and the dragon from before walked from the room where Shippo was.
"Uh-oh," the dragon said as he caught sight of them, scrambling back. "Souten, what do I do?"
"Koryu, the backup plan!" a high-pitched voice sounded from inside the room.
The dragon scrambled back inside and emerged a moment later, rolling a barrel towards them. Sango and Kirara skidded to a stop, taking up a defensive position. The dragon summoned a small orb of lightning in his hand and threw it at the barrel, which exploded. Sango turned her back to the explosion and covered her head, but to her surprise, a thick black tar splashed over her. She straightened and looked around in confusion. Kirara was equally covered in the stuff, but was more peeved than anything else. The tar had covered the floor and much of the walls. Sango stared at the dragon for a moment, who was watching them smugly. She gripped her sword tighter and took a step towards him. She instantly fell to her knees, the tar sticking her to the ground.
"Oh, no…" she grimaced, glancing at Kirara, who was similarly stuck.
"I told you!" the dragon said haughtily. "You won't interfere!"
"Why you-" she growled, shoving her sword back in its sheath and hauling Hiraikotsu over her head. She plunged it into the ground and used it to push herself back to her feet. She ripped it back up and threw it at the dragon, who easily dodged. The weapon struck the wall and stayed there. The tarlike substance was already hardening, gluing everything it touched. Kirara mewed and transformed down, chirping pointedly at Sango. She nodded and shifted as close to her as she could. She wrapped her arms around Kirara's body and pulled. The tar slowly peeled off her paws, leaving behind a good chuck of fur, but she was free. She sprang from Sango's hand and transformed, careful not to touch any of the sticky substance coating the walls around her. Sango dug her fingers into the thick fur at her neck and hung on tight as Kirara pulled her free in turn. One leg got loose as the tar holding it finally snapped, but her other foot was stuck firm.
"Souten!" the dragon shouted, running into the room. "They're coming!"
"Kirara, go!" Sango shouted, frantically kicking off her boot and hauling herself onto the twin-tail's back. Kirara landed outside the room and bounded inside. What they saw made them freeze. Shippo was trapped inside an iron cage, and standing outside was the dragon and a thunder demon child, no older than Shippo, dressed in full armour and expensive clothes. She stared at them with wide eyes, one hand holding a short pike raised in front of Shippo's cage.
"Sango, look out!" Shippo shouted. "Multiply!"
Dozens of Shippo-copies filled the cage and the demon child stumbled back before her face twisted in anger. "I told you not to do that!"
She struck at the cage with her pike, which shot a wave of lightning into the mass of Shippos, causing all but one to vanish. It also left two of the bars partially melted. Shippo threw a ball of foxfire at her and she leapt out of the way. He immediately threw himself against the bars, pressing against them until the hot metal bent out of shape and he slipped free. Sango ran for him but the dragon dove at them, hissing ferociously. Kirara growled and pounced at him, but he quickly struck himself on the head three times and transformed into a cloud. Bolts of lightning in the shape of tiny arrows immediately shot towards him, and Sango and Kirara jumped back. One of the arrows struck her hand and a light jolt ran up her arm. And that was it. She paused and stared at the dragon's cloud in surprise. Another arrow struck Kirara on the head and she snorted before blinking back at Sango.
Meanwhile, the thunder demon lifted her pike and called a ball of lightning to the tip and threw it at Shippo. He surrounded himself in foxfire and the lightning sizzled into nothingness around him.
"You may be strong, but you can't defeat me!" the thunder demon shouted. "Falling daruma!"
A giant daruma toy appeared in front of her, and her pike shifted into a large hammer. She hammered each section of the toy with a fierce swing, sending it flying towards Shippo.
"Smashing top!" he shouted, throwing his own giant toy at her. It crashed into the daruma and both crashed to the ground.
"Thunder lizard!" the demon said next, throwing a wooden figuring at Shippo, which transformed into a large image of itself, crackling with lightning. Shippo pulled out his wooden snake toy and threw it at her. The snake wound around the lizard but the lizard bit into the snake, and both dissolved into smoke as the toys clattered to the ground.
Sango was left staring at the spectacle, trying to understand exactly what she was seeing. The dragon was still hurling lightning arrows at them, but she'd just started ignoring them at this point. She watched as Shippo flung himself at the demon, tackling her to the ground. He tried to bite her but she pushed him away, swatting at him with her pike.
"You won't get away!" she shouted, summoning more lightning to the tip of the weapon.
"Give up, Souten!" Shippo yelled back. "You won't hurt my friends!"
Sango blinked. "I'm sorry, what?" she asked, pushing between them and looking at Shippo. "This is Souten?"
"Sango, stay back!" Shippo shouted. "She'll kill you!"
Sango looked down at the thunder demon, who was glaring back at her. "I really don't think she will."
"She killed Inuyasha and Miroku!" Shippo said, tears in his eyes, tugging at her leg. "Her dragon poisoned them!"
"Koryu, now!" Souten shouted, jumping back.
Sango glanced up in time to see the dragon dragging another barrel of tar towards them. He summoned an orb of lightning to his hand but Kirara pounced on him, knocking him to the ground and pinning him there. She growled menacingly and he whimpered.
"Release him!" Souten cried out, grabbing Shippo's arm and pressing the pike to his throat. "Do it now, or he's dead!"
Kirara immediately lifted her paws and the dragon wriggled free. He flew to Souten's side and hissed at Sango. He snatched up an empty bag which lay on the ground beside them and held it up threateningly while Souten shifted Shippo further back.
"Stay where you are, human!" the dragon said menacingly. "I'll kill you, too!"
"No!" Shippo shouted, and foxfire burst to life around him. Souten cried out and stumbled back. Sango immediately grabbed Shippo from the ground and tossed him at Kirara. She then pressed her mask to her face and snatched the bag of poison from the dragon, ignoring his cry of protest.
"You've got to be kidding," she sighed upon inspecting it. She saw Shippo staring at her and rushed to reassure him. "This isn't deadly. It isn't even really poison. It's an irritant that slayers have used for generations to chase away pests. Hell, the children at my village used to throw it at each other as pranks. Too much can make you feel sick, but it would hardly kill anyone."
"But it did!" Shippo said, jumping onto her shoulder. "Koryu dumped it on Inuyasha and Miroku and threw them in the cellar and they haven't come out yet! They must be dead!"
Sango followed his wild gestures to a trapdoor in the middle of the room. She braced herself and tossed it open. Miroku immediately stumbled back, almost tripping over Inuyasha, who was on his hands and knees behind him. He stared blearily up at Sango with bloodshot eyes.
"Who's there?" he asked, his voice raspy and weak. Inuyasha wretched behind him.
"Oh, you two," Sango sighed before she called down to them. "Are you both alright?"
"Sango?" Miroku rasped. "Is that you? Are you hurt? You have to find Shippo! The demon was holding him prisoner!"
Sango ran a hand down her face. "Yes, we fixed all that. Hold on, I'm going to find a rope or something."
"No way in hell I'm waiting for that!" Inuyasha wheezed, and he sounded even worse than Miroku had. He hauled the monk onto his back, stumbled a little, then jumped out of the trapdoor. They landed in a pile on the floor, and the ragged sound of their breathing filled the room. Sango knelt down before them and winced sympathetically.
"They did something to us," Inuyasha gasped, blinking hard. "Everything's fuzzy. Everything hurts."
"Don't worry, that will fade now that you're out of the cellar," Sango sighed, patting his head.
Miroku squinted at her. It could be the poison still blurring his vision, but he could just make out large clumps of shiny black goo all over her, most of which seemed to have sprouted patches of Kirara-coloured fur. Her hair was frazzled and lightly singed, and one of her feet was bare.
"It's no use resisting!" Souten called from across the room, levelling her pike at them. "Now that I've gotten you all together, I can kill you just as easily!"
Sango ignored Miroku's shocked expression as she stepped between him and the demon. "You have to realize that's not going to happen. It's over. You've lost. Just give up."
"I won't!" Souten said, stomping her foot. "Shippo, stop being a coward and come fight me!"
Shippo jumped down from Kirara's back but she instantly snagged the scruff of his neck in her jaws and growled ominously.
"No one's fighting anymore," Sango said firmly.
"It's a matter of honour, Sango," Shippo insisted quietly. "I have to fight her."
"It's not honour!" Souten snapped before Sango could respond. To their surprise, there were tears in her eyes. "You killed my brothers! They were all I had left. I can't let you get away with it!"
Sango froze and stared between Shippo and the demon child. Slowly, Kirara lowered Shippo to the ground, though he made no move towards the others.
"I'm sorry," he muttered, staring at his feet. "But I had to fight them. They killed my father."
It was Souten's turn to freeze, and she stared at him uncomprehendingly for a moment. "What?" she finally spluttered, looking struck. "You went after them for revenge? Well, what am I supposed to do with that?"
"You know we're not gonna let you kill Shippo," Inuyasha said quietly, pushing to his feet and shuffling to Sango's side. "And you know you can't beat us. If you try to take revenge on him for your brothers, it's just gonna continue forever."
"What about you?" Souten snapped, whirling on him. "They didn't kill anyone of yours, did they?"
"They abducted him and threatened to kill him," Inuyasha said, jerking his head over at Miroku.
Souten hissed a breath through her teeth. "They stole your mate?"
"He's not-" Inuyasha started and then stopped and sighed. "Look, the point is, they tried to kill us for the Jewel shards that we had. We were only defending ourselves. You can blame us if you want to, but we didn't ask for a fight."
The tears began to spill down Souten's cheeks, and she rubbed at them with a clenched fist. "But I have to do something!"
Sango sighed and knelt down in front of her. "You tried. We can all see that you tried – but Shippo doesn't deserve your hate. It wasn't his fault that your brothers attacked him, just like it's not your responsibility to try and seek revenge."
"Besides, it's not like you could win against us," Inuyasha huffed. "Did you really think you could kill us?"
"Shippo was the only one I had to fight," Souten muttered, kicking at the ground. "I hoped the rest of you would just die in the avalanche." She looked up at them petulantly. "I spent months planning this all out! I set traps for each of you in case you survived! I worked so hard on this!"
Inuyasha grimaced. "You're just a kid. You're not supposed to be able to beat us. It's not your fault that your plan was stupid."
Sango subtly kicked him.
"Yeah, well, Koryu was the one who said that stupid powder would kill humans," Souten grumbled.
The dragon huffed. "They're humans. Everything kills them! And I thought the hanyou would be the same."
Inuyasha looked over them both with a scowl. "So, what, you two kids have just been living here on your own for months? You don't have any other family?"
"Yeah, well, what did you expect?" Souten growled, crossing her arms. "I'm the last of my house! So is Koryu!"
"I don't have any grudge against Shippo, though," Koryu added quietly. "My nest was destroyed by other demons."
"So you two help each other," Shippo said, taking a few tentative steps closer to them. "Just like how my friends help me. Souten, this has to end. We're both the last of our family left. We shouldn't have to carry on their battles, otherwise we're both going to end up dead."
Souten looked away and bit her lip before she sighed. "Fine. I won't come after you again."
xXx
No one felt good about leaving her there, but she'd adamantly refused their offer of help, insisting that she'd be fine on her own. With a castle at her disposal and powers that were impressive for her young age, they hoped that she was right. Kirara flew them all back to the lord's mansion from that morning – they figured that they could barter at least another night off of him. As it was, he graciously accepted them in and immediately led them back to their room. Inuyasha and Miroku both slid off Kirara's back and onto the ground, moaning pathetically.
"You look after those two," Sango told Shippo. "Kirara and I need a bath."
Kirara growled low in her throat as she transformed down, but Sango was having none of it, and she scooped the twin-tail up into her arms. Kirara didn't stop growling once through the bath as Sango methodically scrubbed the tar from her fur, using oil to help work it free and dousing her in the water several times.
"I don't know why you're complaining," Sango said eventually as she rinsed herself off. "It's not like you've never been swimming before."
Kirara curled her lip at her and began furiously grooming herself. Sango handed off her travel clothes to one of the lord's vassals to be washed and returned back to their room. Inuyasha and Miroku hadn't moved. She sighed and knelt down beside them, grabbing a basin of water that had been delivered and dipping a cloth in it. She turned Inuyasha over and began dabbing gently at his eyes, cleaning the remnants of the poison from them. He whined softly but didn't move. She rinsed out the cloth and placed it on his brow before glancing over at Miroku, who was still sprawled face-down on the ground.
"Miroku, you doing okay?"
"Death is near," came his muffled response.
"Okay, then."
She washed the poison from his eyes as well and stripped them both down to their underclothes, sending their robes off to be cleaned as well. She ordered food to be brought to the room and stoked the fire to life. As she passed him, Inuyasha's hand shot out and snagged on the hem of her robes.
"Sango," he whispered, his eyes still scrunched up. "I want you to kill me."
"Good gracious, you two are a mess!" she exclaimed, shoving his head back down. He groaned loudly and flopped over onto his belly. She went to fetch them both some tea, nudging Miroku with her foot at she did so. "It's your fault that you've made him as melodramatic as you are."
Despite how hard he tried to hide it, she could see his smile. Satisfied, she continued on her way.
It took quite some time to coax them back to the land of the living, and they both grumpily ate the meal delivered to them. The various people who attended them graciously didn't mention that they were sitting there in nothing but their hadagi and fundoshi, and none of the group were too fussed about it. Shippo had been quiet all evening, but after a few gentle questions, the others decided that it was best to leave him alone. As they filled each other in on their various adventures, they couldn't help but smile at Souten's attempts at masterminding the traps. They had to admit that some of them might even have worked in the right circumstances. They grew somber, though, when they thought about her reasoning.
"How many others do you think are out there?" Miroku asked, giving voice to their thoughts. "How many orphans are surviving on their own because of us?"
"Most of the demons we fight aren't the kind to look after their offspring," Inuyasha shrugged. "A lot of demons will go it alone as soon as they're born. As for the others, it's like we told the kid – we didn't ask any of the demons to try to kill us. If they're leaving behind kids, that's on them."
"And it's not as though we can stop in the middle of a fight to ask," Sango pointed out, though she still looked grim. "It's the reality of any battle, I suppose. There's nothing we can do."
"Souten planned that out for a long time," Miroku said thoughtfully. "She knew who each of us were, and had something in place to trap or kill us. She had to have been watching us."
"Odds are that twerp of a dragon was her spy," Inuyasha huffed.
"So why didn't we notice him?" Miroku said quietly, and the others grimaced. "We need to be more careful. We were lucky that the threat wasn't real, but next time we might not be so lucky."
Inuyasha smirked. "We didn't notice him because he's not powerful enough to be noticed. If anyone that's actually a threat tried to come at us, no way we'd be caught off guard."
Miroku hummed, unconvinced.
"And it's what we do, right?" Shippo spoke up finally, looking between them. "We don't start fights, and we only fight people who are trying to kill us."
"Right," Inuyasha said firmly. "Souten realized that, and that's why she backed down. You know that none of that was your fault, Shippo."
The kit sighed and looked gloomily into the fire. "Yeah, I know."
xXx
Miroku waited until the quiet breathing of the others filled the room before he began pressing kisses along Inuyasha's neck. His partner's eyes immediately opened and he grinned secretively. Miroku's hand had been sneaking towards his ass ever since they lay down. They traded easy kisses for a while before Miroku's hands began to wander further, pressing them against each other. Inuyasha stifled a moan and nipped at his lips. He followed Miroku when the monk clambered to his feet and, after one last glance to make sure that everyone was asleep, they stumbled through the mansion together to another empty guest room.
"Been planning this, have you?" Inuyasha asked, unable to hide the smile in his voice.
Miroku hummed and buried his hands deeper in Inuyasha's robes, dragging him into the room, keeping their mouths connected as they moved against one another. Inuyasha followed enthusiastically, his hands running along his chest and hips. Once they slid the door shut – still close enough to rush back to the others in case of trouble – Miroku manoeuvered Inuyasha around and pushed him back against one of the wooden posts on the wall. He could feel Inuyasha's hardness pressing against his leg, and this time he knew exactly what he wanted. Working his hands into Inuyasha's hadagi, he caressed and tugged until his chest was laid bare. He latched his mouth on Inuyasha's jaw, pressing kisses along the bone before sucking at his neck. Inuyasha breathed out a curse and tugged him closer. Miroku smirked and continued moving downward, grazing his teeth along the hanyou's collarbone and mouthing down his chest. As he moved further still, Inuyasha's finger moved into his hair, tugging back gently and making him look up. There was a puzzled question in those amber eyes. Miroku's smile grew and he dropped to his knees.
"Shit," Inuyasha breathed, eyes widening as he realized what was going on. "Oh, shit."
"Is this alright?" Miroku asked, his fingers resting on the bottom edge of the hadagi.
"Fuck, Miroku-" His fingers tangled deeper in his hair. "Are- are you sure?"
"Inuyasha, I've been thinking about this ever since you first found out about it. I'd like to show you, if you're interested."
Inuyasha snorted, betrayed by the lust burning in his eyes. "I think it's more than fair to say I'm interested, monk. But I thought you felt like shit?"
"I feel like death," Miroku countered easily. "Which is why I figured we could both use a little distraction. What do you think?"
A long whine answered him, and Inuyasha's fingers clenched against his scalp.
"Well then," Miroku murmured, a wicked look spreading across his face.
He quickly rid Inuyasha of the rest of his clothes. His hardness hung hard and heavy between his legs. Miroku ran his fingers over its length, slow and teasing. Inuyasha whined. He gripped it tighter, cradling it in his hands. But as much as he wanted to drive Inuyasha to the edge from this alone, Miroku was not a patient man when it came to such matters. He'd been dreaming of what Inuyasha tasted like for months and he wanted to find out. Pressing his lips to the underside, he kissed and nuzzled as Inuyasha groaned. Fingers tugged at his hair, not too hard but rough enough that he knew his lover was not entirely in control. When he reached the head, Miroku pressed a gentle kiss to the sensitive skin before taking the tip into his mouth. He revelled in the taste, the weight of it on his tongue. Inuyasha's fingers clenched in his hair.
He set a slow pace at first, bobbing up and down to a constant stream of curses from Inuyasha. He let everything else fall away, just melting into the sensation, the sparks of pleasure that shot through him from the noises his partner was making. He braced one hand against Inuyasha's thigh and used the other to play with him, teasing along sensitive skin. Inuyasha groaned deep in his throat and his hips jutted forward, trying to go deeper. Miroku smirked and pressed him back against the post, keeping him still. He then swallowed him down in one go. Inuyasha cried out before his hand flew to his mouth, stifling the sounds that he couldn't hold back. Miroku picked up the pace, feeling Inuyasha begin to tremble. His other hand was still wound tight in Miroku's hair, seeming to hold on for dear life.
Inuyasha gasped as he came, and Miroku kept up a gentle rhythm throughout. As soon as he finished, all the energy seem to flee from his body, and he slid listlessly to the floor. Miroku was smiling at him and he moaned plaintively, reaching out a hand to drag the monk down to him. He gasped breathlessly against his lips for a while, mildly peeved that Miroku seemed so well put-together. He could only watch as Miroku quickly finished himself off in his hand. He tried to help, but his limbs were leaden and unresponsive. Once he'd finally caught his breath, he glared half-heartedly up at his partner, who was still smirking.
"Smug is not a good look on you."
"Every look is a good look on me," Miroku countered immediately, pressing a kiss to his lips. "So?"
"Yeah," Inuyasha said faintly. "I can see the appeal."
Miroku chuckled and buried his face in his partner's neck. Inuyasha finally gained enough control over his arms to wrap them around Miroku and hold him close. As soon as he could walk again, they'd slink back to rejoin the others and pretend like nothing happened – maybe sleep in the next morning. After all, with all that had been going on, they deserved a bit of a rest. And for now, at least, they had the chance to do so.
I know the episode for this was a nonsensical filler that didn't make much sense, but I couldn't resist a deep-dive into the potential for both stupid and introspection that the canon provided
Sex for this chapter: Miroku gives Inuyasha oral