Warnings for this chapter: threats of violence and death, child abductions, abusive family dynamics, misogynistic and racist language, reflections on past trauma and abuse

Inuyasha shoved the dried meats into Sango's carrying cloth and glanced over at where Tessaiga was soaking in oil again. "Myoga, tell me exactly what we're in for."

"The colony of Demon Bats lives in the bay at southern Kansai, near a village about a day's hop from Osaka. Their nest is protected by a guardian demon who upholds an impenetrable barrier. This guardianship is passed down through the generations, and that power is exactly what Tessaiga must feast upon."

Inuyasha grimaced. "You're not painting a pretty picture here, Myoga."

"After you have killed the guardian demon, you must les Tessaiga drink its blood." The old flea shrugged. "I've spoken to Totosai. We have agreed that your skill with the sword has improved enough that you might be able to use this technique. If so, it will give you the strength to strike down any barrier, even Naraku's."

Inuyasha eyed him skeptically. "So this technique, was it something that you always knew about? Just what else can Tessaiga do?"

"Theoretically, the sword cannot even do this yet," Myoga pointed out. "Master Inuyasha, you realize that we have no idea what techniques you may need or may be able to use in the future. These methods of acquiring new power are not tailored to you or Tessaiga."

"What?"

The old flea chuckled. "Do you really believe that Totosai designed the sword with the Bat colony in mind? Tessaiga was made to contain the power of the Wind Scar, and the Backlash Wave by extension. Any other powers that the sword might absorb could be taken by any sword strong enough to handle them, and any sword wielder skilled enough to use them. The power which lies in the Demon Bat Clan is strong enough that it will transfer to Tessaiga, but do not flatter yourself in thinking that it could only apply to you."

Inuyasha picked up the sword and shook off the oil before examining the blade thoughtfully. "So what, I can learn even more techniques? Why haven't I been doing that, instead of running around not collecting Jewel shards and not fighting Naraku?"

"If the pathway to any new technique were easy, someone would have done it already," Myoga explained a little wryly. "And while I must admit that you've done very well with Tessaiga, you are still very new to wielding a sword. There is no telling how well any of the techniques may serve you." He paused and shuffled around uncomfortably. "And there is no telling how they will affect your youki. Anything you do will involve channelling your aura through the sword, and if the techniques do not work correctly, it could pose a danger. You know the Wind Scar and the Backlash Wave – we know them, Totosai and I – but we do not know the others. If you activate your youki like that and then are unable to use it, with your transformations still so close at hand…"

"I get it!" Inuyasha snapped, though there was no real force behind it. "So I'll get used to this technique first and see if I end up losing control and killing everyone. Fine."

"Don't worry, master," Myoga said, patting the side of his neck gently. "I have great confidence in you. After all, I thought that the transformations would have completely taken over by now! Why, I was convinced that you were going to kill your own pack with Ryukotsusei, and…"

He trailed off at the force of Inuyasha's glare. The hanyou huffed and blew Myoga off his shoulder before he slung their travel supplies over his shoulder. He glanced up to see a large yellow shape flying overhead, and smiled to himself as he followed the demon's path back to the hut sitting at the edge of the volcano. Hachi had already plopped himself down and was chatting with the others by the time Inuyasha arrived. He nodded at the tanuki and dropped the bundle of goods beside him before he stepped to Miroku's side.

"Hey," he greeted softly, wrapping an arm around the monk's waist.

"Hey," Miroku echoed, pressing a quick kiss to his lips. "Are we ready to go?"

"Should be set," Inuyasha shrugged. "It'll take, what, a day to fly all the way down to Osaka?"

"To Osaka?" Hachi spluttered. "Miroku, you said this would be a short trip!"

"Don't worry," the monk said placatingly. "You won't need to take part in any of the fighting with the Demon Bats, you can rest for however long we're down there, and we'll be sure to feed you well."

Hachi sniffed delicately and glanced significantly at the bundle of dried meats. "I suppose… But it will take two days at least!"

"Whatever," Inuyasha said. "I'll take care of things once we get there."

"You talked to Myoga?" Miroku asked.

"Yeah. It's fine – it'll work," he shook his head, casting aside the gloomier parts of their conversation. "I mean, it's just another demon hunt. I'll kill as many of those Bats as I need to, to make Tessaiga stronger! And then Naraku had better watch his back."

xXx

They took turns sleeping throughout the day as Hachi flew them along the coast. They passed over many human villages, and so told Hachi to stay higher than usual to avoid any chance of a stray arrow hitting them. It meant that the winds were much stronger and colder, and Miroku and Sango wrapped themselves in blankets and hunkered down. Inuyasha refused the blanket that they offered him, but then Kirara climbed into his lap instead and curled up tight. He kept one hand buried in her fur while he held Tessaiga in the other, focusing on transforming it and channelling his energy into the sword again and again.

Myoga hadn't said anything since they set off, and instead was sleeping on Miroku's shoulder. He had insisted on coming along with them, and Inuyasha was grateful for the help, but the old flea's words had made him nervous. It was just another thing to worry about, especially with his transformations already weighing on his mind. But he couldn't give up. He had to be able to break through Naraku's barrier. His pack was counting on him!

"How much longer do we have to go for the day?" Hachi's words startled Inuyasha from his thoughts. "It's getting dark."

Inuyasha blinked over at the setting sun in mild surprise. He hadn't realized how long they'd been going. He glanced back to Miroku and Sango, who were leaning against each other and watching him quietly.

"How much farther until Osaka?" Miroku asked when Inuyasha hesitated. "Do you think we could get there tomorrow if we stopped now?"

"If we leave early, sure," Hachi said. "And I'd rather do that than push through the night."

Inuyasha winced in sympathy, especially at the thought of his pack being stuck in the air for much longer. He realized with a pang of guilt that they were probably cold and stiff from sitting still all day. "Yeah, take us down, Hachi."

They landed at the edge of a forest along the coast, overlooking a sandy beach. Miroku and Sango slid off Hachi's back and groaned as they stretched their legs, confirming Inuyasha's suspicious.

"You all set up camp," he said. "I'll get the firewood and look for something to eat."

Hachi paused, his hand already on top of the bundle of dried meats. "Something else?"

"It's probably best to save this for later," Miroku said. "In case we don't have time to find any food in between fighting a colony of Demon Bats." He glanced over at the beach and hummed thoughtfully. "Besides, we might as well take advantage of what we can find here."

Lying at the water's edge was a hollowed-out turtle shell. Miroku picked it up and smiled, a plan already forming in his mind. He led the others along the shore, smiling as they came upon a cluster of rocks poking out from the surface. He handed his staff over to Inuyasha and the shell to Hachi, and reached into the water to pull out a large crab. Hachi's eyes almost bugged out of his head. Miroku grinned and placed the crab in the turtle's shell before he stripped off his robes until he was in nothing but his fundoshi. Inuyasha quickly followed suit and followed him into the shallow water. They caught a few crabs and a fish or two while Sango and Kirara dug up clams and kept Hachi from eating the growing pile of food. Miroku took the opportunity to splash Inuyasha once or twice, earning himself a playful growl and a snail being thrown at his head. It was well worth it to see his partner laughing again.

Miroku sent Inuyasha off to build the fire while he gathered pieces of seaweed and several small rocks from the shallow water. He brought everything over to the fire and dropped the stones into the flames before setting the turtle's shell full of water down on the ground. Inuyasha glanced at him in confusion. "So we're cooking…the rocks."

Miroku grinned. "Yes, seeing as we don't have a cooking pot and I'd rather not have an exploding turtle shell."

Despite this, they still skewered the fish and set them to roast around the fire. The others watched as the rocks heated until they were glowing red, and then Miroku directed Inuyasha on how to scoop them from the fire with Tessaiga's blade and drop them into the water in the turtle's shell. They set the crabs and clams in to cook as the water heated from the rocks. Inuyasha made a soft noise of interest and began monitoring the process, adding in more rocks as needed, while Miroku and Sango spread the seaweed along the edge of the fire to roast as well. It took quite some time for the crabs to finish, being a rather arduous heating process, but no one could complain as they dug in.

Everyone was full to bursting by the time they lay down for the evening. The air was a little warmer so far south, but they still stayed close to the fire. Hachi immediately drifted off, followed shortly thereafter by Myoga, but none of the others were so eager to let the day pass. Miroku could still feel the tension coming from Inuyasha, so he quickly lured him and Sango into a game.

"This one," Sango said, pointing at a long, thin scar running down the inside of her upper arm.

Miroku hummed thoughtfully. "It has to be something very thin. I'm going to say cat claws or bull's horns."

Inuyasha snorted. "No way claws or horns could make something that clean. It's gotta be from a sword or knife."

"Uh-uh," Sango shook her head. "The stinger of a hornet demon."

Inuyasha groaned and Miroku cheered wryly before holding up his left hand. "This one," he said, pointing at deep lines on the edge of his palm before pointing at Inuyasha. "You're not allowed to guess."

Sango frowned, leaning in closely to inspect. "Sword?" she asked after a moment. "A really sharp one?"

"A strand of hair from a possessed adornment comb of the dead which came to life as a youkai woman who tried to cut off our heads," Inuyasha said casually.

"No shit," Sango said, almost impressed. "Alright, how about this one?" she said, gesturing to a jagged line that ran over her right shoulder and across her collarbone."

"Claws," Inuyasha said. "Bear or wolf, maybe?"

"I second that," Miroku nodded.

"Kirara," Sango grinned, playing with the twin-tail's ears affectionately. "Training accident."

"This," Miroku said, pointing at one of his big toes, which Inuyasha only just realized stuck out at a slightly odd angle.

"You had to have kicked something pretty hard to break it like that," Sango mused. "A shield?"

"A rock," Inuyasha countered.

"The ass of a boar demon chasing me," Miroku said proudly, and the others chuckled appreciatively.

"This one," Sango lifted up her skirt to gesture at a deep gouge in her thigh.

"Bear claw," Miroku guessed.

"The stinger of some insect demon," Inuyasha guessed.

"A drunken human," Sango told them. "We were at his village slaying a group of macaque demons that gained a taste for human flesh. This fool tried to help us and missed."

The others nodded, slightly less enthusiastically than before. Miroku looked over his collection of scars, trying to find another one that had a fun story attached rather than tragedy. He'd already covered the Noh bite on his forearm, the burn along his side from when he'd accidentally flirted with a fire kami, and the puncture wound in his leg from when a farmer and his sickle hadn't taken kindly to Miroku propositioning his wife. Nothing else was quite as entertaining.

"Hey, Miroku?" Inuyasha said glumly. "This game is depressing."

xXx

They set off at dawn the next day and made fast progress. By late afternoon, they could see the borders of Osaka in the far distance, but Myoga directed them to a much smaller village sitting on the beach further south. Hachi settled down in the forest out of sight of any of the houses and Inuyasha crept forward cautiously, already catching the sound of raised voices coming from that direction.

"You lying bitch!" an angry man's voice was shouting. "I should have known better than to trust you!"

"You promised that we'd be safe," another man added. "But more people have been killed! It's no better than before!"

"She has to be in league with those monsters," a third chimed in. "Fucking blood traitor, you are! I told you she'd sold her soul to them! Why else would she give them her child?"

Inuyasha took off at a run, keeping low to the ground until he could jump onto the roof of the closest house. He continued from roof to roof, following the increasingly angry cries towards the beach.

"She's not even human anymore," the first man was saying. "She belongs to the Bats. She deserves no mercy. Let her have it!"

Inuyasha saw it then, three men gathered around a woman who they'd pushed to the ground. One of them was rushing at her with a spear raised above his head. Inuyasha leapt and skidded to a stop in front of the men, grabbing the spear as it descended. The men instantly froze in fear.

"Wh- Who the hell are you?" one of them gasped.

They all watched in visible terror as Inuyasha tugged the spear free from the man's hand and deftly snapped it in two. "You mentioned the Demon Bats. Tell me where I can find their nest."

The men took a step back, glancing wildly between Inuyasha and over to where Miroku, Sango, and Kirara were running towards them, Hachi trailing behind. They came to a stop beside the woman, and Miroku knelt down to ask if she was alright, while Sango stood protectively in front of her, Hiraikotsu raised.

"As if we would know where those monsters roost," one of the villagers muttered viciously.

"Ask that woman!" another hissed. "She dares call herself human, but she threw her lot in with the Bats and bore their filthy spawn."

Inuyasha's head snapped around to stare hard at the woman, who was glaring at the ground with an indescribable expression painted across her face. Demon spawn, huh? That one was familiar. He turned back to the men and growled. "Get lost. Don't bother her or any of my companions while we're here, or I won't be so nice."

The men scrambled away without a word, shooting worried looks over their shoulders as they disappeared through the houses. Inuyasha turned to the woman as she pushed herself to her feet, shrugging off Miroku's hand on her arm.

"My thanks for your help," she said, eyeing all of them warily. "What can I do to repay you?"

"There is no need for that," Miroku answered when it was clear that Inuyasha wasn't going to. "We have come here in search of the Demon Bat Clan. Perhaps you could tell us a little about them?"

The woman sighed, still looking unconvinced, but she gestured towards a small hut which stood some ways away from the rest of the village. "Please, follow me."

The hut was small and run-down. Though the inside was well-kempt, there were few possessions lying around. The woman looked over each of them in turn as they sat down around the fire.

"Why do you want to know where the nest is?" she asked quietly. "I don't mean to be rude, but you don't seem like…the usual travellers who come through these parts."

"We came here to take out the colony," Inuyasha said, eyeing her carefully to gage her reaction. "I'm going to destroy the nest."

"Inuyasha," Miroku said softly, adding a slight shake of his head once he caught his eye. He turned back to the woman. "They said something about your child?"

The woman pursed her lips as a pained expression flashed across her face. "For generations, this area has been home and hunting ground to the colony of Demon Bats. They prey on humans and livestock, and feed on their blood. They had always been our enemy – I grew up knowing to fear them – but Tsukuyomaru was different." She lifted her eyes and met them with a hard gaze. "My daughter's father was a good man."

Inuyasha was the first to look away. So, that was it, then.

"Tsukuyomaru didn't kill humans," she continued. "He was always kind to me. And after Shiori was born, the other Bat Demons stopped attacking our village. I assumed he convinced them to do so. For the first time in centuries, our people were at peace. Tsukuyomaru told me that he would always be there to protect us."

Miroku nodded slowly. "But it didn't last?"

"Tsukuyomaru died," the woman whispered. "Just a few months ago. Then there was no one to stop them."

"I assume the villagers knew about your relationship with Tsukuyomaru," Sango said. "Did they hold you responsible for the attacks?"

The woman sighed. "They had never truly accepted me after they found out about him – and especially not after I had Shiori."

"And where is Shiori now?" Miroku prompted gently.

"A few weeks ago, Tsukuyomaru's father, Taigokumaru, came to see me. He promised to leave the village alone if I gave him my daughter." She closed her eyes, and a few tears slipped down her cheeks. "He needed her. Taigokumaru and Tsukuyomaru were the guardians of the barrier which protected the colony. It was a duty passed down through the generations, and as Tsukuyomaru's daughter, Shiori inherited his powers."

Inuyasha sucked in a harsh breath through his teeth. He could feel the eyes of his pack on him, and Myoga jumped from Miroku's shoulder onto his. He ignored the flea.

"But why did Taigokumaru need her?" Sango asked slowly. "If he had the guardian power already…"

"Their power to create the barrier wanes with age," the woman sighed. "And once the power is duty on to the next generation, the old guardian loses all power."

Miroku frowned. "So Shiori is the only one who can form the barrier now?"

The woman looked away, and her hands clenched into fists where they rested on her thighs. "I didn't do it for Taigokumaru. Shiori…she was never accepted by any of the villagers. They treated her horribly. The other children always tormented her. And I knew she was trying to keep it from me – she didn't want me to worry, and she always hated to see me cry."

Her voice broke and she pressed the back of her hand against her mouth. Miroku and Sango shared a worried glance. Inuyasha refused to look at any of them. It was so painfully, heart-wrenchingly familiar. It hurt all the more to hear it from a mother's perspective. He remembered that feeling so vividly, the desperate attempts to keep his own mother from knowing about the children who'd shove him or throw rocks at him, or the adults who'd kick him away or chase him from their sight. For the longest time, he had run to his mother for comfort. But as the years went on, and he'd learned that it would never end, he'd decided that he would be able to spare at least one of them the pain.

"I didn't know what to do," the woman continued in a fragile voice. "I knew that Taigokumaru would never stop attacking the village if I didn't give him Shiori. And I also knew that the villagers would never trust her, never leave her be. So I sent my girl to her grandfather. He gave me his word – he swore that he would protect us! And Shiori…" She sobbed. "My poor baby didn't want to go. She had been so brave up until then, but when Taigokumaru came to take her away, she tried to stay. It was the villagers who convinced her to go with him."

Miroku hummed thoughtfully. "And the Demon Bats were willing to accept a half-demon into their colony?"

"If she has power, they'd put up with her," Inuyasha scoffed, venom in his voice. "But she'd have to be pretty damn useful for them to let her stay."

The woman looked at him for a long moment, a bone-deep sadness in her eyes. "I can see that you are a half-demon as well. You should know better than anyone that she isn't accepted by either of her people."

Inuyasha growled softly. "Keh."

"Shiori had ample power to fulfil her duty," the woman sighed. "I thought that, at least with the colony, they wouldn't try to hurt her. And if it would save our village, well, I didn't have a choice. But the Demon Bats didn't keep their word. The attacks haven't stopped, and now Taigokumaru won't let me see my daughter."

Silence descended on the hut, heavy with swirling thoughts and emotions. No one knew what to say. And then Inuyasha shot to his feet, his hands clenched into fists. "Take me there," he snapped. "Take me to the old man, whatever his name is."

Miroku was immediately pushing himself up as well. "We'll all go."

"No!" Inuyasha snapped. "I can handle this alone. The rest of you need to stay here and protect the village in case of another attack." He shook his head slightly. "I'm the only one who needs to see them."

Miroku watched as Inuyasha and the woman walked down to the beach and slowly disappeared from view. Sango stood beside him, her fingers tapping anxiously on her sword.

"Should we go after them anyway?" she asked eventually.

Miroku sighed. "I don't know. There's obviously more going on. I don't think any of us expected to find another hanyou here."

"A hanyou who's protecting the barrier," Sango added. "Please tell me that's not the exact person that Inuyasha came here to kill."

Miroku ran a hand down his face. "He can't. We both know he can't."

"He won't give up on being able to break through the barrier, either," Sango said gently. "You know he's been obsessed with it ever since Musou."

"I think he has something planned," Miroku shrugged. "That's why he wanted to see Taigokumaru. I also wouldn't be surprised if he wanted a moment alone with Shiori's mother."

Sango glanced back down the beach one more time. "Do you know if he ever met any other hanyou, besides Jinenji?"

"I don't think so."

"I hope he's doing alright."

"So do I."

xXx

Inuyasha eyed the woman as they stepped off the beach onto a narrow path on the side of a rocky cliff overlooking the ocean. She was moving stiffly, and he wondered how much those villagers had kicked her around before he'd gotten there. Her clothes were worn and frayed at the seams, but he didn't think that was just from today. Her situation with Shiori looked closer to Jinenji and Kura's than his had been with his mother. Sure, they all lived away from the rest of the village, but even though his mother had been disowned by her family after she met his father, she had been able to hold on to some of her possessions and money. She had been lucky enough that they could afford to survive on their own. Money had been one thing that they hadn't constantly worried about. Kura at least had a farm. He had no idea how this woman got by.

"Hey," he called out softly. "What's your name?"

She gave him a funny look before she answered. "Shizu. What's yours?"

"Inuyasha."

She gave him a small smile before turning back to the path. "I'm guessing your mother came up with that one?"

He growled softly. "So what if she did?"

"I thought of naming Shiori something similar," Shizu said. "Something to show the world that she was proud to be who she was. But when I saw her for the first time, all I saw were these big lilac eyes staring back at me. They were the exact same shade as her father's."

Inuyasha swallowed hard. He had to ask. "Why a demon? Why do that to yourself and your child?"

That caused her to stop. She regarded him evenly. "You can't control who you love. I will always love Tsukuyomaru. I love my daughter more than anything else in this world. I will never regret that I had her."

Inuyasha sighed. "I hate to tell you this, but it doesn't get easier. People will hate her wherever she goes, and she won't always have you there for her."

"But she will find others," Shizu said simply. "And she will find herself, as you have."

He sighed but followed her. He didn't know what kind of hell that kid might be facing in the colony, but he knew it wouldn't be good. He'd grown up knowing that humans hated him, but it hadn't been until after his mother's death that he'd found out about the demons. How they went out of their way to try and kill him. How they hunted him for sport. He wasn't stupid enough to think that Shiori would be better treated amongst her own family, even if they needed her. Hell, it had taken two centuries and several potentially fatal fights for him and Sesshomaru to be able to stand next to each other without trying to kill each other. Jinenji had been lucky to have Kura for as long as he did, and to be able to build something approaching friendly relations with the other villagers while he could. Shizu looked young enough that Shiori might still have her for another few decades, but hanyou aged slow. She would still be a child when her mother died. And she would be on her own.

"What's on your mind, master?" Myoga asked from his shoulder.

"Just thinking of old times," he shrugged, before he stopped dead. "Myoga, what the hell are you doing here? Who said you could come?"

"Why not?" the flea aske flippantly. "It's not like I'm in the way."

"I told you, I'm going alone," Inuyasha growled. "Go back and wait with the others."

"You may need my advice once we get to the nest," Myoga said more firmly. "The situation is more complicated than previously anticipated."

Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "Yeah, you don't say?"

"I can assess our next move," he insisted once more.

"Whatever. It's your life."

He continued following Shizu along the cliffs, further and further away from the village. Eventually, they came across a few small islands rose vertically from the water just off the coast, one of which had a large cave visible on the side.

"It's that one there," Shizu said, pointing. "Where it's glowing."

Sure enough, a faint red sheen had covered the cave mouth, swirling with powerful energy. Inuyasha could feel the youki from where they were standing. He could see someone kneeling just inside the cave as well. She was a young girl, maybe around ten in human years, but he knew better than to think she was human. Her silver-white hair and bright lilac eyes stood out in sharp contrast to her dark skin. She was dressed in a white ceremonial robe, but it was dirty at the bottom, and her long hair was loose and tangled. She was staring at them as though she'd seen a ghost. She cried out, and though her voice barely carried over the crashing waves, he could clearly hear her pleading shout of "Mommy!"

"Shiori!" Shizu gasped. "Inuyasha, that's her! Oh, my baby."

"Myoga," Inuyasha growled softly. "What exactly do I need to do to make Tessaiga stronger?"

"There is no doubt," Myoga whispered back. "You must kill the girl."

A rumbling sent ripples across the water, and a giant shape emerged from the darkness of the cave behind Shiori. A gigantic Bat Demon appeared, standing more than ten times the height of any human. His long white hair framed either side of Shiori as he leaned over her, and his large circular eyes blinked across the water to the cliffs. His laugh rumbled across the ground.

"I was wondering what all the ruckus was about," he said in a breathy, rasping voice. "It seems we have some uninvited visitors."

Inuyasha grimaced. "Is that him?"

"That's him," Shizu said, before she stepped forward and shouted out at the Bat Demon. "Taigokumaru, you lied to me!"

"Whatever do you mean?" the old demon asked, grinning predatorily.

"You swore to leave the village alone in return for Shiori!"

Taigokumaru threw his head back and laughed. An eerie chattering echoed from inside the cave behind him. "You really believed it? As if I would keep a promise made to a human!"

Shizu's face hardened and her jaw clenched. "Then return Shiori to me!"

"I will not," Taigokumaru snapped, all trace of good humour gone. "Shiori will remain the guardian for the rest of her life. It is what her late father would have wanted, after all. And she is doing a fine job." He grinned once more as he stepped over Shiori, right to the edge of the cave. "It is difficult to believe that she has a human for a mother."

Shizu scowled, and she looked like she was more than ready to fling herself off the cliff and swim all the way over to the island to give the old demon an ass kicking. Inuyasha could agree with the sentiment, but he stopped her from doing anything stupid with a hand on her arm.

"We're going to have to get your daughter back by force."

"What?" she said, surprised. "Can you? Will you?"

"The old bat's standing in front of Shiori," he said, unsheathing Tessaiga. "If I attack now, I can get him without hurting her. Just stand behind me, okay?"

He lifted Tessaiga above his head and poured his restless youki in the sword before he hurled the Wind Scar at Taigokumaru. It raced across the water and slammed into the island, where the barrier immediately flared bright red and stopped the blast dead in its tracks. Inuyasha snarled. Damn it! He should have known. He wouldn't be able to break through the barrier on his own. He'd need to lure Taigokumaru out somehow.

"You there," the old demon's voice rasped across the water. "Who are you?"

"It doesn't matter who I am!" Inuyasha snapped. "Give Shiori back!"

Taigokumaru chuckled. "So, the mortals sent you. How quaint. I thought they'd given up standing against me. I suppose I shall have to be clearer in my message!"

He heaved in a deep breath and dropped his jaw, letting loose an ear-splitting shriek. It was so loud that it caused a sound wave to fly towards them, shifting the ocean in its wake. It cracked the cliffs as it struck them. Inuyasha dropped to his knees and slammed his hands over his ears, Tessaiga clattering to the ground beside him. The barrage seemed to last forever. Once it finally died down, his ears were ringing and his vision was swimming. He glanced up just in time to see Taigokumaru heaving in another gargantuan breath. Inuyasha spun around, snatching up Tessaiga and Myoga from the ground, and wrapping an arm around Shizu's waist. She was bracing herself hard against the cliff face and breathing rapidly. Inuyasha steadied himself for just a moment before he launched them all into the air, flinging them over the top of the cliff before Taigokumaru let out another dizzying shriek.

"Damn him," Inuyasha gasped, blinking hard to clear the black spots from his vision. He couldn't hear anything, couldn't balance properly, and it was sending the rest of his senses into turmoil. As the shrieking finally faded once more, Inuyasha could barely hear another voice crying out.

"Stop!" Shiori was screaming. "Please stop, Grandfather! Please don't hurt my mommy. I promise to guard the barrier. I swear I'll be good! Just please don't hurt her!"

Inuyasha snarled and glanced at Shizu, grateful that she couldn't hear the words. He was pretty sure it would break her heart. Taigokumaru looked down at Shiori for a moment before he smirked, turning back to face Inuyasha.

"Did you hear that?" he called. "This child has far more sense than either of you!"

"Save it for someone who cares!" Inuyasha shouted back.

"Let me ask you this," Taigokumaru hissed. "Do you really think that Shiori will be happy back in that rank human village? I have seen it all, boy. The humans ostracized her because she is half-human. They didn't hesitate to sacrifice her life for their own. How could I return my precious granddaughter to such selfish creatures?"

Inuyasha growled, but that was all he could do. He wouldn't be able to get anywhere near Taigokumaru. He couldn't even move properly, his head still swimming. And he needed to get Shizu and Myoga out of there. He reluctantly sheathed Tessaiga, hauled Shizu over his shoulder, and took off back towards the village, the sound of Shiori's crying ringing in his ears.

xXx

Sango wrung the water from the cloth and placed it on Shizu's brow. She was still frighteningly pale, and she hadn't said a word since they got back. Inuyasha had been silent as well, as he sat in the doorway of the hut and watched the setting sun. The only sound was the crackle of the fire and Hachi snoring from the corner.

"So it didn't work," Sango said. "What now? What do we try next?"

"It's no use," Shizu whispered. "I should give up." She shook her head at their surprised faces. "What Taigokumaru said was true. The people here will never accept either of us. Shiori is better off there, being with her family."

"You don't know anything!" Inuyasha snapped, though he kept his back to them. "Demons never accept half-demons, even if they're related by blood. They'll use her until they can't, and she'll be miserable the whole time."

"But," Shizu said, glancing significantly at Kirara, Myoga, and Hachi. "You've found some that do."

"I protect them," Inuyasha grumbled. "Only Myoga's mine, anyway. Kirara and Hachi both ended up in my pack through the humans in the group."

Kirara made a highly offended noise at this and curled her lip at Inuyasha when he deigned to meet her eyes. Myoga, meanwhile, hopped down from Inuyasha's shoulder and landed on Hachi's stomach across the room.

"Our purpose for coming here was to strengthen Tessaiga," the flea said. "We still have a chance to complete our goal."

"I know that!" Inuyasha snapped.

"But how?" Miroku asked carefully. "We can't proceed with our original plan."

There was no answer forthcoming. Miroku glared into the fire, trying to work out a solution. Taigokumaru was a threat to all the humans in the village, and they would have to deal with him one way or another, but that wouldn't give them what they needed. As Shizu had said, he no longer retained the guardian powers. Shiori was the only one who did. Tessaiga had to absorb the blood of a guardian demon. Even if it didn't mean killing her, that wasn't a line that they could cross.

Besides, Miroku had an uncomfortable pressure in his chest, warning him that things were far from over. He doubted that Taigokumaru would let Shizu remain alive, as someone with sway over Shiori. Unless they were intent on keeping the girl trapped in the colony by force indefinitely, they would have to convince her to stay, and that would be much easier without her mother around. He didn't want to see how far Taigokumaru would go to ensure Shiori's cooperation.

xXx

Inuyasha sat on the beach, letting the gentle roll of the waves calm his tattered nerves. His mind was in turmoil, memories rising which he'd long since tried to forget. It felt like he was right back in the old home he'd shared with his mother, on the outskirts of the village. Every snide look, harsh glare, muttered insult, and threat burned into his skin as much as it had back then. He hadn't known any better. For the longest time, he hadn't known why they hated him. And then the day, when he first heard the word "half-breed." He'd run back to his mother to ask her about it, to try and figure out what'd he'd done wrong and how he could fix it. He remembered her eyes filling with tears when he asked. That had been the moment that he'd decided not to ask again.

And he remembered when she'd gotten sick, when he'd forced himself to go crawling back to the village after avoiding it as much as possible. He'd begged for their help, because he'd known that she was dying but he didn't know what to do. He had only been a child then, after all, and though he'd learned to fight, he couldn't fight against something like that. They had refused to help him. When he broke into the apothecary and stole whatever herbs he could get his hands on, they had chased him all the way back to his house. And he remembered his mother dragging herself upright, talking them down even though she could barely stand. He remembered the promises that she couldn't hear, muttered as the villagers walked away, swearing that once she was gone, they would get him.

He remembered the first few years on his own, a desperate struggle for survival at every turn. He'd known that human villages were no longer safe, but he had never imagined how dangerous the demon world could be. He remembered hiding on the highest branches of trees or crammed between two rocks, trying to lose his scent in frigid rivers and learning how to avoid being noticed whenever possible. He remembered running for his life more often than not, picking himself up whenever he fell, pushing through the pain to find sanctuary in some cave or burrow or any safe place. He'd had to learn to sleep as lightly as possible, to scarf down whatever food he could find in case something appeared to chase him away. The early years had been the worst of his life, before he'd grown a thick skin and built a wall around himself that he hadn't thought anyone would be able to break through.

He hadn't let himself care about anyone else for a long, long time. He'd almost managed to convince himself that he was happier alone. Kikyo had been the first person in more than a century to make him question that. Kaede had wormed her way in there, too – the bratty little kid who'd talked back to him and told him that he'd better be nice to her big sister. But he'd still been so unsure, refusing to trust any gesture of goodwill because every instinct was shouting that it would be a trap. It was how Naraku had ended up manipulating him so easily, the first time. He hadn't thought twice when it was suggested that Kikyo had betrayed him. He hadn't doubted her before, but he sure as hell believed that it was too good to be true.

But now things were so, so different. He had his pack, people he cared about so much that it hurt. It truly, honestly scared him how much he cared about his new family. He had what he never thought he could – and not just with his pack. He had a home that accepted him, people who wanted him around. And that more than made up for all the others who wanted him dead.

But Shiori didn't have that. She had her mother for the time being, but she was still at the start of her journey. She would still have to fight tooth and claw to make a place for herself, to find people who would accept her. Because for the first time in a long, long time, Inuyasha truly believed that it was possible. The thought of bringing her and Shizu back to Kaede's village had already crossed his mind more than once. But they still had to find a way to get to Shiori first. And that was going to be one hell of a fight.

Soft footfalls on the sand behind him startled him from his thoughts, and he looked up to catch Miroku's eyes. The monk smiled down at him, warm and loving, and sat down beside him. "Thinking about Shiori?"

Inuyasha huffed. "Not just her."

Miroku wrapped an arm around his shoulders and tugged them closer together. "You have a good heart, Yash."

Inuyasha's lip curled dismissively. "Yeah, right."

Miroku watched him with a careful expression. "You do. I know this is hard for you. I can't imagine what you must be feeling right now. But Inuyasha, you know that I – and not only me, but Sango, Kirara, Myoga, Hachi, Shippo, Kaede – you know we're all here for you."

Inuyasha sighed, blinking up at the stars against the stinging in his eyes. "I know."

Miroku rested his head on Inuyasha's shoulder and held him close. Inuyasha closed, letting the steady beat of his partner's heart drown out everything else. At least, until he picked up a scent in the air. He shot to his feet, squinting into the night sky. Dark smudges between the clouds began to materialize into dozens of Demon Bats. Inuyasha gasped. The entire colony was heading straight for them!

A short chapter this week to make up for last week. Next week's chapter is most likely going to be a day late as well (posted on Saturday PST) because I have five assignments due between now and then. Fun times. Uploads should be back to regular after that!