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

"You have the power to do it," Kagura continued, a little more forcefully. "Once you kill Naraku, all the Jewel shards he has gathered will be yours."

Sesshomaru stared at her with hard eyes, his expression set. Kagura pressed her open palm further towards him.

"Let's use these shards and give ourselves a little amusement," she tried again. "Just think of all you could do with them."

"You intend to betray Naraku?" Sesshomaru asked, voice flat.

Kagura laughed humourlessly. "It's not as though I ever chose to be under his command." She shook her head, and her eyes bore into his. "What do you think, Lord Sesshomaru? It would be of mutual benefit."

He sniffed in derision. "Unfortunately, I have no interest in the Sacred Jewel. If you wish to become free, use those shards yourself and destroy Naraku."

Kagura blanched in cold fury. "Are you afraid of him?"

"I am under no obligation to assist you," Sesshomaru said simply. "And I see no reason why I should."

Kagura glared at him, her first curling around the shards. He met her gaze coolly.

"If you lack the resolve to do it yourself, don' even think about betrayal," he advised.

"Why, you coward!" she hissed. "How can you call yourself some powerful daiyoukai when you can't even defend your territory?!"

Rin and Jaken both gasped loudly at this statement, but Sesshomaru kept his face impassive as Kagura tore a feather from her hair and threw it into the air, escaping on a strong gust of wind. Sesshomaru watched her leave as she shouted "Fool!" down at him one last time.

"How dare she?!" Jaken gasped in vexation. "How dare she presume to make you her protector? Talk about gall. The nerve! The audacity!"

"Lord Sesshomaru," Rin said, running to his side. "You're so strong, you don't even need the power of the Jewel!"

Sesshomaru eyed her carefully, wondering how much she actually understood about the situation. He had been attempting to keep her from such things – they did not concern her. Kagura's proposal had surprised him, though. Was an incarnation of Naraku truly intent on fighting against him? Surely, it had to be some kind of trap, some attempt at manipulating him once again. Though, if it was truly her desire to defeat Naraku, he wondered if she would be able to do so. Two shards would hardly make a difference against such an opponent. He supposed it didn't matter either way – if she defeated Naraku, then he wouldn't have to. If she died, it made no difference to him. He turned and walked away. If Kagura did decide to attack Naraku while his scent was in the air, he had no desire to be involved.

"Lord Sesshomaru," Rin said again, keeping pace by his side. "Do you think that Kagura's lonely?" He glanced down at her in surprise, but she was staring straight ahead, earnest but not solemn. "I used to be lonely, but I'm not anymore. I wonder if she's trying to find someone to make her not lonely as well."

Sesshomaru turned his gaze back to the forest before them. Yes, he would not attack Naraku this night. He had more important things to focus on.

xXx

The wolves were still hovering anxiously around Kouga as Miroku and Sango finished stitching the last of the wounds on his legs and began bandaging the smaller slashes made by the whirlwind of bones. None of them were life-threatening, but he wouldn't be able to run very well for a few days. Miroku tied off a bandage on the wolf's thigh and tried to ignore the fact that Kouga was staring at him.

"Is it too tight?" he asked, ripping off another bandage for his arm.

"No, not at all," Kouga said in a silky voice. He grabbed Miroku's hand and held it tightly between both of his. "Because it's you, I can barely feel the pain."

"Mm," Miroku hummed as he pulled his hand free to continue wrapping the wounds.

From where he stood some distance away, Inuyasha snorted. "Just leave him be, Miroku. He's half-dead already."

Miroku, for his part, wasn't particularly in the mood for either of their antics at the moment. Just having Inuyasha standing outside in his mortal state so soon after an attack from Naraku made his skin crawl. The sooner they could get Kouga on his way or safely tucked away somewhere, the better.

"Should we try to find Kagura and reclaim the Jewel shards?" Sango asked, glancing between them.

"I have to go!" Kouga insisted, already trying to push to his feet despite the protests coming from his pack. "I can't let her get away with that!"

"You should be grateful she didn't kill you already!" Inuyasha growled. "Run on home while you still can!"

"Oh, like you can talk!" Kouga snapped. "Standing there all weak and mortal – you can't say shit about the state I'm in!"

"At least I'll be changed by sunrise!" Inuyasha shot back. "There's no cure for stupid!"

"If you two can focus on the issue at hand for a moment," Sango drawled. "We need to figure out a plan before Kagura returns the shards to Naraku. We also need to decide whether or not we want to attempt to find the castle tonight."

"I don't think that's where she's headed," Miroku said softly. "The Jewel shards are heading away from the direction of Naraku's youki."

Inuyasha crouched down beside him with a frown. "What the hell is she doing that for? Is Naraku sending her somewhere else?"

"It's possible," Miroku shrugged. "It's fairly odd that Naraku would send only her to guard the castle when we've seen the armies he's had at his disposal in the past."

"But surely she couldn't be acting against his orders," Sango said, then paused. "Could she?"

"She's always appeared to follow Naraku's command in the past," Miroku said slowly. "As did Kanna and Goshinki – but Juromaru was completely outside of his control, and we never knew about Kageromaru. It's not impossible that she could be acting on her own volition, but it seems unlikely."

Kouga glanced between them. "And is that a good or bad thing for us?"

"She could mess up his plans," Inuyasha muttered after a while. "But I wouldn't count on it."

"I'm more concerned about the barrier," Miroku frowned. "Why can you suddenly pick up the scent of the castle? Kagura's attack was far from formidable enough for it to be some new scheme of Naraku's. I have to wonder if his powers have weakened, somehow."

Inuyasha growled softly as he glared down at his blunt fingernails. "Yeah, whatta time for that."

Miroku swallowed, choosing his next words carefully. "It may be a similar phenomenon. If he's a mixture of demons and a human, he would be a created hanyou just as Tsubaki was."

Inuyasha looked are him with guarded eyes, frowning.

"He might have a period of vulnerability just like you do," Miroku finished quietly.

"He has a weakness too?" Inuyasha asked hopefully. "You really think he's mortal right now?"

"I have no idea," Miroku admitted. "I had never heard of a human combining their bodies with demons the way he has, and I knew very little about hanyou from my studies. If he is in a period of vulnerability, it could present in any number of forms."

"Well I'm not gonna let him get away with this," Inuyasha said decidedly. "We gotta go track him down!"

Miroku and Sango exchanged a glance. "Can it wait until morning?" Sango asked.

"It's almost light out, anyway," Inuyasha said. "The sooner we get going, the better. I'll be transformed before we get to the castle."

"And I'll be healed enough to walk soon," Kouga added.

"You really think you're coming with us, you mangy wolf?" Inuyasha snarled.

"They're my shards, Naraku's my enemy, and you can't pretend like you don't need all the help you can get!" Kouga snapped.

"So we're going to the castle, not after Kagura?" Sango clarified, slinging Hiraikotsu over her shoulder.

"If she's acting on Naraku's orders, odds are she'll return to the castle to defend it as we approach," Miroku said. "And if she doesn't, then Naraku won't have gotten them yet, either, and we can try to get them back later."

"You two aren't going to be able to run," Sango said, eyeing Inuyasha and Kouga. "You'll have to ride Kirara."

"What about you both?" Inuyasha asked as he climbed onto the twin-tail's back.

"We're going to run," Miroku shrugged, like it was obvious. Shippo immediately climbed up onto his shoulder.

"Don't worry," Sango winked at Inuyasha's guilty face. "You can hold Hiraikotsu for me."

They took off ahead of Kirara in the direction of Naraku's youki. The wolf pack immediately flanked Kirara protectively on both sides, with most of the wolf demons bringing up the rear. Inuyasha glared at the ground speeding past them, occasionally glancing up at Miroku and Sango as their breathing became audible. He was impressed with their speed – it wasn't often that they had to flat-out run, but they were keeping up with the wolves fairly well – but it was also humiliating. He absolutely hated being so useless, especially when they were finally so close to getting Naraku! Time really wasn't on their side. He glanced up at the sky, which hadn't even started to lighten yet.

"I can smell Kagura!" Kouga suddenly exclaimed, and he unceremoniously jumped off Kirara's back. He stumbled a little but then caught his footing and began running, not nearly as fast as before, but faster than anyone had been expecting with his injuries. He nodded at Kirara and grinned "Thanks for the ride!" before speeding off past everyone else.

"Kouga!" Miroku shouted after him, but the wolf didn't slow down. The rest of his pack immediately picked up the pace to head after him.

"Damn it!" Sango swore. "He's in no state to fight her"

"Especially not without his Jewel shards," Miroku added worriedly.

Sango sighed and glanced between him and Inuyasha. "Fine, you stay with this idiot, I'll go after that one."

Kirara skidded to a stop and Inuyasha hopped off her back, looking nervous. He passed Hiraikotsu up to her with a frown, but could only watch as she and Kirara took off. By some silent communication, Ginta and Hakkau along with four of the wolves also slowed to a stop around them, while the others continued on after Kouga.

"Damn," Inuyasha growled, staring after them as they disappeared. "The idiot. He'd better not let them get hurt!"

"They'll be fine," Miroku assured, though he glanced around nervously. Through the dark clouds above them, he could just make out movement. As soon as he realized what it was, he tossed Shippo at Inuyasha and quickly pulled his kesa from where it was tucked into his koromo. As Inuyasha stared at him incredulously, he threw the purple cloth over his head, completely covering the long black hair just as a swarm of Saimyosho flew down from the clouds above.

"Shit," Inuyasha muttered, pulling the kesa tighter around himself.

The wolves growled at the approaching insects and pressed in closer around Miroku and Inuyasha.

"What do we do?" Ginta asked them nervously. "Should we wait here for Kouga to come back?"

"Like hell I'm gonna let that asshole take all the credit!" Inuyasha shouted as he took off running in the direction that the others had gone, ignoring Miroku's shout of protest.

xXx

Kirara was quickly approaching Kouga, his speed greatly diminished with his Jewel shards gone. Sango lifted Hiraikotsu – she could feel a demonic aura spreading out before them. Kagura dropped down from the cover of some clouds, circling slowly on her giant white feather. She was eyeing Kouga. Sango threw Hiraikotsu at her. The weapon struck her feather and Kagura fell with a startled cry. She landed just in front of Kouga.

"Kagura!" he shouted as he ran for her, a fist raised.

"Oh, what now?" Kagura snapped, pushing to her feet and raising her fan. "What do you want, wolf?"

"Give me back my Jewel shards!" Kouga snarled, still reaching for her. She easily jumped back, dodging the blow.

Kagura's eyes darted to Sango and Kirara. "And you're relying on Inuyasha and his lackeys for help?" She held up the two shards mockingly. "Are you too scared to fight without them?"

Kouga growled and charged at her, but she easily batted him back with a gust of wind. Sango lifted Hiraikotsu again but Kouga threw out an arm. "Stay back! I'll beat Kagura alone. Don't interfere!"

Sango stared at him incredulously. Really? At a time like this? Kagura smirked and lifted her fan. A volley of blades shot towards Kouga. He swore and jumped back – not fast enough. One of the blades caught his shoulder and threw him to the ground. He was obviously struggling to fight, not only injured but having gotten used to the power of the Jewel shards. Sango tapped her foot on Kirara's side and they dove, landing between the two demons as the barrage died down.

"You think you'll fare any better?" Kagura snapped, lifting her fan again. This time three twisters shot forward. Sango flung herself off Kirara as the twin-tail shot into the air, avoiding being sucked up in the swirling winds. Sango crept along the ground, fixing Hiraikotsu over her back and pulling out her sword. She couldn't see Kagura through one of the twisters between them, so hopefully that meant that Kagura couldn't see her, either. She pulled a small bag of poison powder from her robes, just in case. As the wind died down, Sango threw the bag, which Kagura sliced through with her fan. She was instantly showered with chalky white powder which burned into her skin. She gasped and stumbled back, dropping her fan to claw at her eyes. Sango ran at her with her sword. Kagura leapt into the air to avoid the swinging blade and rushed forwards as soon as she landed, snatching her fan. She flung a volley of blades at Sango, who pulled Hiraikotsu over her shoulder to block the attack.

Kouga rushed forward, leaping over the slayer to get to Kagura. He may be slowed down, but there was no way in hell he was gonna let a human die defending him! He raked at her with his claws, catching one of the sleeves of her kimono and shredding it but not much more. She slashed her fan through the air, and a gust of wind lifted him off his feet and flung him back into the slayer, who had plunged her weapon into the ground and was holding on tight.

"Circle around her from the back," Sango said, pushing him to his feet. "She can't face an attack from all sides."

Kouga eyed her for a moment but complied. He raced around Kagura in a wide arc, aiming for her back while Sango lifted her sword once more. Kagura saw them coming. She began to whip a stream of air around herself, and the poison powder lifted off her skin and clothes to swirl in a poisonous cloud around her. As Kouga got close, she sent the twister out in all directions. Kouga swore and leapt back, the poison stinging at his eyes. Sango pulled on her mask and shut her eyes as she leapt back. She felt Kirara's jaws snag on the back of her tunic and she blindly hauled herself around and up onto her back.

Kouga growled as he retreated to a safe distance. Damn it all, he couldn't even get close! He glanced behind him to see half his pack running for him, fangs bared at Kagura. His mouth pulled into a grim smile. The human was right – even with her wind powers, Kagura couldn't defend from everywhere at once. Not for long enough, at least. He felt eyes on him and saw Kagura glaring at his approaching pack.

"Just hurry up and die!" she shouted, sending another blade attack at him and the approaching wolves. He leapt back, feeling the movement pulling at the stitches in his legs. He was already slowing down. He had to end this quickly. Kagura threw more and more blades at them, only pausing when the slayer threw her weapon and Kagura had to jump and dodge.

"Surround her!" he shouted at his pack. "Attack in waves!"

A warning shout from Aka made him spin around just in time to see another volley of blades flying at him. He leapt into the air but couldn't get high enough, and one of the blades sliced deep into his thigh. He crashed to the ground. Kagura smirked and raised her fan again. Haiiro leapt in front of him, her jaws closing around his arm as she pulled him out of the way of the next attack of blades. At the same time, the twin-tail dove for Kagura and knocked her to the ground. She sprang out of the way as Kagura sent a twister out. The edge of it caught the twin-tail and slayer and flung them to the side.

Kagura grimaced. This wasn't looking good. She could've killed that pesky wolf in no time, but now she was dangerously outnumbered. She would have to kill a lot of them to be able to use their bodies in a Dance of the Dead. She glanced down at the two Jewel shards, which shone alluringly in her hand. Sesshomaru's words echoed in her mind. Fine. She would use them! She'd kill this lot and damn Naraku!

A slight buzzing from behind her made her pause. Before her, the wolf pack froze. The Saimyosho dropped from the clouds, blanketing the sky overhead. They were quickly followed by the rest of Naraku's army. Several hordes of demons poured from the cloud cover, all racing towards her. She heard the slayer shout a warning, the wolves growling, but Kagura could only stare. What the hell was Naraku playing at? Hadn't he realized that she'd tried to betray him? Or…was this army meant for her?

"Brace yourselves!" Sango called down to the wolves before muttering to Kirara. "He always sends so many."

Kagura growled in agreement and rose to meet the approaching demons. Sango threw Hiraikotsu through the first wave, forcing the main horde to pause and split up. She glanced down to see Kouga racing towards Kagura, claws raised.

"What're you staring at?" he challenged, slashing at her and forcing her attention back on him. She dodged again and flung him back with a gust of wind, but as soon as he skidded to a stop, he rushed forward again. She raised her fan but he sprang at her, aiming for the Jewel shards he could see in her hand. A demon dove at him from the sky and knocked him away. He twisted around as its jaws clamped over his arm, punching it in the face to try to get it to release him. His wolves sprang at the demon, tearing it to shreds with snapping jaws and fanning out around him. The human and cat were hovering just above them, driving the demons back and preventing them from attacking from above. Kouga tore his was through demon after demon, dodging the wolves which flung themselves at opponents all around him. He tried to fight his way to Kagura, but more and more demons blocked his path. It was no good. He couldn't fight properly without the shards!

Sango threw Hiraikotsu again as she eyed the situation below. It wasn't dire, yet, but they wouldn't be able to reach Kagura for some time. The wolf pack was not only low in numbers but sorely missing Kouga's usual speed and strength, while she had to contend with a mass of demons without Tessaiga or the wind tunnel. She looked at the horizon, where the sky was only just starting to lighten with approaching dawn. They just had to hold on a little longer. This was far from the worst situation they'd ever faced, after all. Help would come.

Kouga pointed and the wolves attacked, ploughing through the demons between him and Kagura, forcing the attacking horde back. He leapt at her and she caught him in a twister, flinging him to the ground. He felt the slayer looking at him and sent her a nod. A heartbeat later, her weapon flew at Kagura, which she deflected with another gust of wind. Kouga seized his chance. He flung himself at Kagura and punched her hard in the face. She was flung back by the force of it, and the two shards fell from her hand. Kouga froze then ran for the shards – yes!

Kagura gasped and hurled another twister at Kouga, throwing a wave of youki inside of it. The Dance of the Dragon sliced into him, cutting into his hands as he reached for the shards. The wolf cried out in pain, but continued to push forward regardless, still grasping at the Jewel. Kagura snapped her wrist to the side, and the twister flew over the wolf, driving him into the ground. The demons swarmed around her and forced the pack away as she pinned their leader down.

xXx

"It sounds like they're in trouble!" Hakkaku said as he picked up the pace, passing Inuyasha and Miroku easily.

"We have to go help them!" Ginta said apologetically.

"Damn it!" Inuyasha growled, pushing his tired human legs further. "I knew it would come to this!"

"You have to stay back once we get there," Miroku said firmly, keeping pace close beside him. "Stay hidden until the sun rises."

"I'm not gonna sit back and do nothing while everyone else fights!" Inuyasha growled. Miroku immediately dragged him to a stop with a hand fisted in his robes.

"It's not just that you're vulnerable," he said, his piercing gaze fixing Inuyasha in place. "If Naraku finds out about the new moon then he will use it to kill you. I'm not going to let you die from this!"

Inuyasha's mouth opened and closed a few times before he huffed, staring at the ground. "Fine. I'll wait."

Miroku pressed their lips firmly together before they both took off running again. As they approached the battle, Miroku lifted Shippo from his shoulder and passed him over to Inuyasha, tugging his kesa further over his partner's hair as he did so. He left them at the treeline as he followed the rest of the wolves into the fray. Inuyasha watched him as he fought his way towards the wolf demons, shouting something up at Sango, though Inuyasha couldn't hear the words. Kagura's twisters were flying around in all directions, flinging wolves from side to side and keeping anyone from reaching Kouga, who was struggling to rise to his feet only to be knocked down again. Miroku cut through one of the twisters with his staff, purifying it with spiritual power. Kagura's eyes snapped to his.

Miroku saw her scowl as her fan raised. He immediately crouched down and raised his staff, pulling a barrier in front of himself as she threw a wave of crescent blades at him. They dashed to pieces against the barrier but he was still shoved back at the impact. And then the demons dove for him. He was forced to drop the barrier and dodge the remaining blades as he cut through the demons with his staff, taking them out before they could mob him. He could see the Saimyosho flying amongst the demons, knew that he couldn't risk using the wind tunnel. Not for this. Not unless he'd exhausted all other options. He braced himself against a snake demon and pushed it back, shooting a worried glance over at Kouga, who was caught in another of Kagura's twisters, his youki blazing to try to stave off the attack.

Miroku tried to reach for him, but the demons were swarming him. Kirara and Sango dove for him, but Kagura hurled another twister at them, which caught Kirara and flung her away. She roared and Sango cried out as the youki in the twister crackled along their skin. And Inuyasha watched them struggling, and he knew that he couldn't just sit back and do nothing. Kagura was walking towards Kouga now. The twister on top of him was gone but he wasn't moving, wasn't getting up. She was going to kill him.

"Stay here," Inuyasha told Shippo, pulling him from his shoulder.

"Inuyasha, you can't!" the fox said, grasping at his arm. "She'll see you!"

"I don't care!" he snapped. "That stupid wolf can't even fight. I have to go save his sorry ass or I'll never hear the end of it!"

He had to. He had to keep Kagura from getting the Jewel shards. He had to keep her from escaping again. Kagura lifted her fan and threw another twister at Kouga, who cried out in agony. Inuyasha picked up the pace. He couldn't just stand around and watch! He couldn't do nothing! He sent a silent apology to Miroku. He knew that he was breaking his word. He felt Miroku's kesa slip away as he ran, leaving him exposed, but there was no time to worry about that. Kouga's screaming was cutting through the air like a knife. He caught the moment that Miroku saw him, the way his eyes widen and a look of genuine fear flashed across his face. Inuyasha knew that Miroku could never understand. He and Sango were fighting so hard, always pushing themselves to the limit even though they were mortal, even though they could be hurt or killed so very easily. And Inuyasha couldn't let them do it alone. They believed in themselves, trusted in their own human strength. He had to do the same.

"Just give up!" Kagura shouted, bearing down on Kouga further. He had stopped struggling.

Inuyasha shoved himself in front of Kouga. He could feel his youki pulse. The twister on top of Kouga dissipated, and Inuyasha growled as Kagura came into view just as the sun rose. She was lifting her fan to finish him off when she saw him. He bared his teeth and drew Tessaiga. There was a chance she hadn't seen. If he didn't acknowledge it, she might not know what she saw.

Kagura stared as Inuyasha's shape emerged from the cloud of dust. For just a moment, she could have sworn that his hair was black. His presence, too, had changed as sunlight spilled into the valley. What the hell was he playing at? Her eyes narrowed. What was he trying to hide?

"It can't be too much fun, killing a half-dead wolf," he drawled, levelling Tessaiga at her. "I'll take you on now!"

Miroku darted forward and dragged Kouga away from Kagura, pushing down his own emotions. What was done was done. He had to focus on staunching the flow of blood spilling from Kouga's chest. The wolves flanked him, keeping the demons away as he wrapped a role of bandages around Kouga's torso. The other wolf demons kept on shooting him worried looks. He stoically ignored them. Kirara landed behind him and Sango quickly knelt by his side. He could see his own distress mirrored in her eyes.

"That idiot," Kouga panted, staring at Inuyasha as the hanyou leapt at Kagura. "What was he thinking, bursting in like that?"

"You're lucky he did," Miroku snapped. "And later and you'd be dead! You should be thanking him, not criticizing him!"

Kouga shrank back a little from the intensity of Miroku's glare. "You can't say that it wasn't a stupid move," he muttered. "He knew he'd be discovered."

Miroku ground his teeth and tugged the bandages tighter, saying nothing.

A slow smile spread across Kagura's face as she sent another twister after Inuyasha. "Well, well," she cooed. "You can't even manage being half a demon, can you?"

"Says you!" Inuyasha snarled, slashing through the twister and running at her, only to be blocked by a barrage of blades. "I'm more than ready to chop off your head, Kagura!"

"I suppose it doesn't matter," she agreed, tapping her lips with her fan. "Since you're going to die now anyway!"

She threw a giant twister at him, youki crackling along its length. He swore and leapt back, the Wind Scar that had been growing in his mind dissipating in the flash of her demonic aura. He cut through the twister but another soon took its place, driving him further and further back. The wolves scattered around him, avoiding being sucked into the swirling winds, while the demons were gathering overhead once more.

Miroku snatched his staff and, at Sango's nod, ran to Inuyasha's side. They needed to end this, and fast. He summoned a wave of spiritual power to the head of his staff and flung it at Kagura. Inuyasha grinned as the youki dissipated, and he flung the Wind Scar at her.

Kagura froze – there was no way she could get away in time. Instead, a shriek filled the air as all the remaining demons flung themselves between her and the blast. Their bodies disintegrated under the force of it, while Kagura was flung back as the remnants of the attack hit her. She rolled to her feet as the ground smouldered around her.

"No, she's getting away!" Inuyasha shouted, leaping at her, but he could only catch a flash of red and blue as she flew upwards on her feather, her kimono singed. She disappeared into the clouds, a dozen or so Saimyosho following her.

"They used their bodies as shields," Miroku sighed, watching the demon parts rain down.

"Damn it all," Inuyasha growled as he spun around and stalked towards Kouga. "Listen here, you idiot! I hope this taught you never to interfere in my fight with Naraku!"

Kouga shook his head in disbelief, his mouth pressed into a tight line. He had crawled forwards a few paces and ignored Inuyasha in favour of digging through the packed earth until a jolt of power rushed up his arms. He snatched the shards from the ground. "Yes!"

"Hey!" Inuyasha spluttered, rushing for him. "Give those back!"

"No way!" Kouga scoffed, shoving a Jewel shard back into each of his legs. "You're not the only one who has a claim on Naraku's life, you stupid mutt. Besides, now I gotta make sure I can defeat him on my own, since he's gonna kill you the next full moon."

"Not if I get to him first!" Inuyasha growled, pulling Tessaiga from its sheath. "I'm going to track down his castle! This ends today!"

"The castle's gone!" Kouga shouted, whirling on him. "The scent disappeared as soon as those demons showed up. It's not my fault that you were too stupid to realize!"

Inuyasha froze. He tentatively sniffed the air. Kagura's scent was fading. There was no hint of Naraku's scent in any other direction – definitely not to the extent that it had been just the previous evening. The most prominent smell in the air was demon blood and the sharp panic rolling off Miroku and Sango. He glanced at them and saw them both watching him, expressions pale and drawn. Oh, what had he done?

Kouga nodded grimly and set off, his wolves limping and stumbling after him.

"Wait!" Miroku called out to him, and he slowly turned. He met Miroku's eyes evenly and after a long moment, shook his head slightly. Miroku's shoulders sagged and he watched the pack disappear into the forest.

"Do you think he'll tell?" Sango asked quietly.

"It wouldn't serve him in any way," Miroku sighed. "He wouldn't throw away an ally's life like that. The problem is Kagura."

Inuyasha stared at the ground and ignored the others' careful looks. What had he done?

xXx

Kagura circled around the castle once on her feather before she landed in the courtyard. The air was still and the grounds deathly quiet, as always. She glanced around uneasily and stepped into one of the corridors. Naraku couldn't have known what she had been doing – what she's tried with Sesshomaru. Otherwise, he wouldn't have used the demons to save her. He must have been convinced of her loyalty, of her attempts to defend the castle from those weaklings. He must have been! But she couldn't stop the creeping dread in her mind or the prickling at the back of her neck. She glanced behind her instinctively, but there was nothing there. She turned around again and was only mildly surprised to see Kanna watching her.

The pale girl blinked at her with wide, black eyes for a moment before she turned, walking silently down the corridor. Kagura followed her warily. Naraku wasn't back yet, she was sure of it. So what did Kanna want to show her? Where was she going? She thought back to Kanna's earlier words, urging her not to go after the wolf. Had she been worried for her? Kagura honestly couldn't tell. She followed Kanna to a staircase, and down the steps into the cellar. But Kanna didn't stop – merely continued on several paces into the dark room before she turned and stepped to the side. There was a wooden door on the floor of the cellar. Kagura frowned. Who the hell put a room under the cellar?

She crept forward and knelt down in front of the door. After one last glance at Kanna, who watched her impassively, she grasped the iron handle of the door and pulled it open, surprised to find no resistance. There were no steps leading from the door – it simply opened up into a giant hole beneath the mansion. The inside was pitch black, but she could almost sense something moving down there. The hair stood up on the back of her neck as a cold hard of dread formed in her stomach. She had no idea what was in there, but it was bad. But she didn't even have time to pull away before a fleshy pale tentacle shot from the darkness and wrapped around her neck. She gasped and struggled, but the tentacle began to drag her down into the space below.

There was the definite sensation of something moving all around her, though she still couldn't see what it was! She dug her nails into the tentacle slowly crushing her throat. It squeezed once before dropping her on the compact dirt floor. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Kanna materialize beside her, watching as blankly as always. Kagura coughed, trying to catch her breath, when a silky voice made her freeze.

"Kagura," Naraku said calmly, shifting slightly so that his face was visible in the light streaming down from the cellar above. "Did you enjoy yourself outside?"

Though his face remained in its vaguely human form, from the neck downwards, his body was comprised of dozens of writhing demon parts. The bulbous, misshapen form stretched out in all directions, and she was certain that it encompassed the entire room around her. He must have been replenishing his form! She froze as everything fell into place. He had been weak! His barrier had diminished! He had been hiding under the castle the entire time and-

Kagura unconsciously glanced at Kanna. He must have known. She must have been showing him everything that Kagura had been doing with her mirror. But had it been everything? Did he know about Sesshomaru?

"Kagura," Naraku said again, his voice dangerously low. "You left the castle while I slept, didn't you?"

A tentacle shot out and wrapped around her throat once more, another circling around her torso, and dragged her to him. She struggled even though she knew it was no use – the sight of his face looming over her sent pure, animalistic panic shooting through her.

"Kagura," he said for a third time, though this time his voice was firmer, more insistent, and his eyes were blazing. "You are still a part of me." Tentacles and insect legs rose around him and the space where his chest should have been gaped open. "Would you like to return to my flesh again?"

"No," she gasped, thrashing. "Please, wait! I promise I won't do it again!"

The tentacle squeezed around her throat one last time before dropping her back to the floor. Naraku stared down at her with visible disgust.

"There is no second time," he warned.

She stared at him for a long moment, but he didn't move again. She slowly climbed to her feet, feeling his gaze on her the entire time, and she leapt out of the room to the safety of the cellar. She didn't dare close the door, though she longed for nothing more than to shut him away forever. Naraku had known – maybe not everything, but enough. She was in as much danger as she had ever been. She would not be able to try anything to escape. And Kanna… She was Naraku's tool, just as she'd said. There was nothing more to that girl than Naraku's influence, his servant and his spy. She would only ever be loyal to him. At least Kagura knew now that she couldn't trust her.

No, she was on her own.

She thought of Inuyasha, staring her down with his stupid sword. She thought of the glimpse she'd had of dark hair and mortality. No, she wouldn't reveal his secret. Not yet. She had to keep something to herself to offer Naraku later, to prove to him that she could be useful. And, if he never found out, so much the better. It was possible that the half-breed wasn't as useless as she'd thought. And if he'd really teamed up with the wolf, they might just be able to create a force strong enough to kill Naraku. They were more motivated than Sesshomaru, that was certain. She knew that she'd have to fight them again eventually, as soon as Naraku demanded it, but there was every chance to leave them alive – maybe even lead them back to the castle.

She shook her head. All this scheming made her sick to her stomach, but as much as she was absolutely loathed to be anything like Naraku, he did have a point. Sometimes a bit of trickery was for the better.

xXx

Even though they were all exhausted, they knew that they couldn't risk returning to the storehouse to rest. Kirara had flown them deep into the forest and then they continued on foot, giving her a chance to rest and recover after the battle. No one spoke. Inuyasha stared hard at the forest path and tried to ignore the misery swirling around his pack. It made him feel sick.

"We're going to have to be more careful from now on," Miroku said solemnly. "We won't be able to simply wait out the new moon as we have before."

"We can find a cave or something," Sango suggested. "Barricade the entrance, keep anyone from getting in."

"I think the new sutras to paralyze demons are almost ready," Miroku said. "Although the ones directed at particular types of youkai still need some work. I should be able to keep up a spiritual barrier all night if need be."

"I can make some more powders that will mask scent, maybe some new poisons as well," Sango said. "And you and I can train more. We'll need to get stronger."

"You two can just relax!" Inuyasha scowled. "It doesn't matter that Kagura knows! I'm the one who always comes through when it matters the most. You don't need to protect me!"

Miroku and Sango exchanged a startled look, and understanding flashed across both their expressions.

"You know, there's nothing wrong with depending on your friends from time to time," Sango said, bumping her shoulder against his, her tone forcefully lighter than it had been just moments before.

"We're here for you no matter what," Miroku added with painful sincerity.

"That's not the problem!" Inuyasha snapped. "This is my mess – I'll clean it up."

Miroku sighed and pulled him into a strong embrace, ignoring his startled noise of protest. It didn't take long for Inuyasha to hold him tightly in return, his nose burying into the monk's neck and his fingers clutching along his back. Shippo quickly jumped from Miroku's shoulder onto Inuyasha's and wrapped his arms around the side of the hanyou's head. Sango and Kirara soon joined in, the twin-tail nosing in between all of them and purring against Inuyasha's throat.

"We'll get through this," Miroku whispered. "Alright?"

"I'm sorry," Inuyasha muttered. "I just… I still can't believe that I have people I can rely on."

"Well you do," Sango said firmly. "We all do. That's why it's going to be okay."

He pulled back and looked over each of them in turn. "How am I supposed to let you put your lives in danger for me if I won't do the same?"

Miroku and Sango shared a tired, wry smile.

"I don't think any of us are very good at taking care of ourselves," Sango sighed. "Just promise you won't go flashing your human form to every demon we meet from now on?"

Inuyasha shuddered. "That's a given." Then he paused. "But I'm not going to hide myself away when I could be helping you."

"We're going to have to avoid all battles on the new moon," Miroku said with a shrug. "We'll all keep ourselves safe so that nothing like this can happen again."

"Right," Sango nodded slowly. "Because we can control that."

"Yes," Miroku said flatly.

"Yeah…" Inuyasha sighed. He tugged the humans closer and pressed a kiss to the top of both their heads. Only time would tell what his mistake would cost them. For now, he would do everything within his power to keep his pack safe.

Alternative title of this chapter: how high can we get Miroku's blood pressure?