Warnings for this chapter: threats of violence and death, gruesome imagery, misogyny, dynamics of toxic and abusive relationships, toxic masculinity, and vague suicidality

Kirara dove for Musou's tail and bit deep into it, trying to tear it in two. Musou shouted wordlessly and thrashed his tail back and forth, flinging Inuyasha free. Kirara immediately abandoned Musou and ripped after Inuyasha, barely managing to snag his robes in her jaws. Miroku ran forwards and caught him as Kirara lowered him to the ground. As soon as she dropped him she took off, back towards Musou. Inuyasha's eyes were wide open in shock, his body rigid. Miroku stared at the wound, the hole which went through the entirety of his partner's chest. The small part of his mind that was still working forced him to pull off his kesa and wrap it tightly around his torso several times, pulling tight lest he bleed out. Miroku's hands were already painted red. He glanced up at Sango, saw the horror in her eyes being pushed away under the weight of experienced professionalism.

"Keep him still," she told Miroku, throwing Hiraikotsu at Musou before pulling out her sword. "Just wait a moment."

She rushed forwards to help Kirara, who had been taking on the incarnation alone – although she had been steadily ripping off his limbs one-by-one, and didn't seem in immediate danger. Miroku felt Kaede come to a stop beside him, was vaguely aware of her saying something, but most of his attention was fixed on wondering what they were going to do. It was far from the first time that something had gone straight through Inuyasha, but none of those occasions were ones he wanted to repeat. He pressed one hand firmly on either side of the wound, forcing a ragged gasp from Inuyasha.

"Hey," Miroku muttered, framing his face with his hands. "Hey, look at me. Look at me! You're going to be alright. Just hold on. We'll think of something."

Inuyasha's eyes met his momentarily before slipping to the side, and his breathing was becoming rapid and shallow. Miroku froze as he realized that Inuyasha might actually be dying. The thought was simply…impossible. It wasn't the new moon. He wasn't bound to his vulnerable form. This was Inuyasha. He couldn't… He couldn't die. His youki wouldn't let him die! That was the whole point of the transformations, wasn't it?

Miroku's eyes fell to where Tessaiga lay in Inuyasha's limp hand. He glanced at Musou and the swarm of Saimyosho which were still steadily disappearing into his body. He looked up to the rocky outcrop where Kagura was still watching them. They had to risk it. Inuyasha's eyes were slipping shut, his head lolling against Miroku's chest. He tangled his hand into Inuyasha's hair and pressed their brows together. He whispered an apology before he lowered him gentle to the ground.

"Miroku?" Kaede asked, watching him carefully.

He shook his head firmly and pulled Tessaiga from Inuyasha's grasp.

"Get back and stay away from him," Miroku ordered Kaede before he turned to where the others were battling Musou. "Sango! Clear away any remaining Saimyosho!"

Sango shot him a wary look, her eyes darting between him and Inuyasha before she leapt away from Musou and threw Hiraikotsu through the gathered insects. As she did so, Miroku rushed at Musou, pulling an immense wave of spiritual power to the head of his staff. He cut through all the limbs which struck at him, viciously going on the offensive. Even Musou seemed taken aback, the smug smile falling from his lips as he pulled more and more demon arms from his body. Miroku dissolved each and every one with a blast of spiritual power, forcing any Saimyosho that Sango had missed to dive for him and merge with his body. Miroku didn't lessen the attack, instead driving Musou further and further back, relying on Sango and Kirara fighting by his side.

Miroku wasn't at all surprised when a tentacle shot out and wrapped around him, dragging him off his feet and lifting him into the air. Sango immediately cut through the limb and helped tear it off him, but the distraction caused Kirara to be caught in one of Musou's crablike claws. She yowled as it slowly started crushing her, and both Miroku and Sango rushed to her aid. As she wriggled free, Miroku chanced a glance back at Inuyasha. The hanyou's eyes were opened to narrow slits, but he'd pushed himself over so that he was lying on his side, and he was watching them blearily. His ears were pinned back and his eyes were flashing red. Miroku clenched his jaw and returned to the fight. But then Musou caught Sango with another tentacle, and Kirara as she dove for her. Sango cried out as the appendage tightened around her, drawing fresh blood.

And Inuyasha roared.

He flung himself at Musou, elongated claws trailing power as he sliced deeply into him. He tore off all the limbs in his reach, freeing Sango and Kirara and ripping Musou down to barely a torso. As the body dropped to the ground, already beginning to reform, Inuyasha stood above him, breath ripping ragged from his lungs and red eyes wide. He wasn't entirely transformed, the purple markings still absent from his face, but his youki was swirling around him. Miroku slammed into him, immediately pressing Tessaiga against his chest. Inuyasha rocked back and stared at the weapon, blinking harshly a few times. He raised a clawed hand defensively, ready to strike out, but gradually he stilled and slowly lowered his hand to rest on the sword. Tessaiga pulsed with energy and Inuyasha's youki faded back down.

Amber eyes were looking up at him, swirling with confusion and pain. Miroku immediately tugged away his kesa where it was wrapped around Inuyasha's chest and carefully pulled apart the torn robes. The wound was still bleeding sluggishly, but it had sealed itself shut. As he re-wrapped his kesa, he could feel Inuyasha staring at him. Once he tied off the purple fabric once more, Miroku stepped back and looked up at him. He opened his mouth to say something. Instead, a tentacle slammed into both of them and wrapped around them. There was a soft thus as Tessaiga dropped to the ground.

Miroku began thrashing, cutting through the tentacle with his staff to try and get free as Inuyasha's eyes flickered red and stayed there. Sango was rushing for them, slicing through the tentacles with Hiraikotsu once more as Kirara leapt at Musou. Kaede's arrow also struck the incarnation's body, forcing him to stumble back. But as soon as Inuyasha dropped to the ground he was rushing forwards, leaping over Sango's head and throwing himself at Musou.

Sango dragged Miroku up by his arm. "This was your plan?"

"Not this part," he said, snatching Tessaiga from the ground. "Come on!"

As they ran, Miroku glanced at where Kagura was still watching. She seemed utterly intrigued, if not a little horrified. Miroku grimaced. He had desperately hoped to try and disguise the transformation so that she might not recognize what she was seeing, but as Inuyasha tore into Musou, it was impossible to hide. They would have to rely on her discretion once more, and it made him feel sick. At least there were no Saimyosho left around.

Sango leapt on Kirara's back and they placed themselves firmly between Inuyasha and Musou, causing Inuyasha to leap back with a snarl of frustration. Before he could try to attack again, Miroku tackled him to the ground, still pushing Tessaiga against him. Inuyasha thrashed under him, one clawed hand flashed out and wrapped around Miroku's upper arm. They barely bit into the skin, but Inuyasha still froze. Miroku shoved the Tessaiga into his other hand and wrapped his fingers around it.

"Come back," he said quietly, pressing his other hand against Inuyasha's cheek. "Come on, we need you to come back now."

The red drained from Inuyasha's eyes and he gasped out "Miroku?"

"I'm here," Miroku promised. "You need to use the Wind Scar on Musou. Come on."

He stood and Inuyasha came with him, still seemingly in a bit of a daze. His eyes darted to Musou and the rest of his pack, and he silently adjusted his grip on Tessaiga.

"Kirara, get out of there!" Miroku called out, and she immediately nodded, bounding up to Sango and taking off as soon as the slayer was on her back. Musou whipped around to stare at Inuyasha, his eyes narrowing.

Inuyasha ran with a shout, lifting Tessaiga above his head as the blade glowed amber. He threw the Wind Scar at Musou, and the six lines of power tore him apart. He lowered the sword and struggled to catch his breath. His fangs still felt too large in his mouth, though not as disproportionately large as they had been. His youki was still swirling around him, refusing to be trapped in Tessaiga. He blinked at the ground, trying to piece together what had happened. He knew he'd transformed – that much was obvious – but the specifics were still blurry and impossible to reach.

Miroku watched the pieces of Musou slither back together, looking for some sort of pattern. And then he found it. The spider mark on his back was mostly intact, and it was pulsing ever so slightly. All the other pieces were being drawn towards the hunk of torso, which wasn't moving.

"That's it!" Miroku exclaimed, whirling around to tell Inuyasha before he froze. His partner was rooted to the spot, eyes wide and lost, flashing red as he looked at the reforming body. "Hey," Miroku said softly, rushing to his side. "Hey, love, look at me."

Inuyasha shook his head minutely. "I can't. He's- He's not- It just won't stop!"

"It will!" Miroku insisted, bracing his hands on Inuyasha's arms. "Look there. You see the spider mark?"

Inuyasha nodded slowly, his eyes narrowing as he put the pieces together. Musou looked back at them, his body reforming into a shape resembling a scorpion even more than before, and spikes protruded down his spine.

"I told you," Musou smirked, raising the giant claws attached to his forelimbs. "You cannot defeat me!"

Inuyasha snarled and took a step towards him before Miroku's hand on his arm held him back. His mind was swirling with a mixture of power and pain and frustration and despair. The Wind Scar wasn't enough! Curse him! He couldn't kill this monster! And he couldn't even use the Backlash Wave – Musou wasn't using any attacks with his youki, just brute strength. Hopelessness was draining the strength from his limbs and causing desperation to take its place, and he was struggling to keep himself under control.

"Inuyasha," Miroku's voice broke through the fog in his mind. "The spider mark draws everything else back to it. I don't think you've gotten a direct hit on it so far – it must be where his heart is!"

Inuyasha's eyes honed in on the mark, still visible on Musou's back, and he nodded. He lifted Tessaiga before any of the others could attack and hurled yet another Wind Scar at the incarnation. He leapt before the pieces had even landed, Tessaiga raised above his head, ready to plunge down on the mark. Instead a volley of blades shot at him, and he barely dodged in time. He landed heavily and spun around to see Kagura floating on top of Musou on her giant feather, fan raised. She hurled another wave of blades at Inuyasha, who swore and jumped back.

A faint buzzing sounded from behind them, and he spun around to see a swarm of Saimyosho rising from the forest on the other edge of the field, heading towards them. He swore and lifted his sword, aiming at Musou, but the Wind Scar refused to form in his mind. He snarled viciously at Kagura. Damn her!

"Why block me now?" he growled. "What's the point? Why tell us where to find him in the first place if you were going to keep us from killing him?"

Kagura sighed, pointed her fan meaningfully at Sango and Kaede, who were aiming Hiraikotsu and an arrow at her respectively. She then turned back to Inuyasha and shrugged. "Just following orders."

The Saimyosho swarmed around her and she lifted into the air on her fan. The insects grasped onto the pieces of Musou's flesh, but this time they didn't dissolve. Instead they lifted Musou's body up with them as they began to fly away.

"No you don't!" Sango shouted, throwing Hiraikotsu after them. Kagura flicked her fan forwards, and a twister shot down and caught the weapon in its path, flinging it far away. Inuyasha snarled, raising Tessaiga and preparing to fly at them.

"Inuyasha!" a voice sounded from the same direction the Saimyosho had come, and he spun around.

Shippo was flying towards them in his pink orb form. Inuyasha swore and ran for him. Neither the Saimyosho nor Kagura seemed to take any interest in the fox, but he wasn't about to risk it. Shippo transformed down as he reached him and immediately flung himself at Inuyasha's chest. Inuyasha curled around the kit and glanced nervously up at the procession flying above them, heading back in the direction that Shippo had come.

"Inuyasha, you have to hurry!" Shippo was saying anxiously, tugging on his sleeve. "Kikyo's meeting with Naraku!"

"What?" Inuyasha gasped. "What do you mean- Where?"

"Deep in the forest!" Shippo reported. "It seems like she was looking for him."

"You followed her there?" Inuyasha asked incredulously as the others caught up to them. "You left the village and followed Kikyo after Naraku?"

Shippo scowled. "Hey, you told me to keep an eye on her! So that's what I did!"

"What happened between them?" Miroku asked, cutting off Inuyasha's angry retort. "What did they say?"

"Kikyo told Naraku that he couldn't kill her, and it looked like she was right," Shippo said quietly. "He tried to grab her and his hand went all weird. And then he left. I don't know if she went after him."

"Shit," Inuyasha growled. "We have to go after him! Sango, follow Kagura and Musou, see where they end up and kill either of them if you can. Kaede, take Shippo back to the village and make sure everyone is safe – I don't trust that bastard not to try and attack. Miroku, come on."

He didn't wait to see if they would listen to him before he took off through the forest, following Shippo's path and the vague scent of Kikyo that he could detect in the air. He could hear Miroku running after him but he couldn't afford to wait. He could smell Naraku nearby. Naraku and Kikyo were together. Naraku had cast out Onigumo's heart because he was keeping him from killing Kikyo. Was that still the case? Or was Naraku free now?

Inuyasha's heart was in his throat as he honed in on the fresh trail of Naraku's scent. What was the plan this time? Musou couldn't be just another incarnation – Naraku wasn't letting him die. He was obviously different from the disposable others like Goshinki, Juromaru, and Kageromaru. But he cast Onigumo out! Musou was a liability, but he still had Kagura protect him! None of it made sense! And now what was he up to? The buzz of Saimyosho above his head had faded away. He had no idea where they might be taking Musou, but his gut told him it was nothing good. What plans did Naraku have for him? What purpose did he serve? Did… Did Naraku still need Onigumo in some way?

xXx

Sango ground her teeth and hauled Hiraikotsu back over her shoulder before vaulting onto Kirara's back. "Form a barrier around the village," she called down to Kaede as Kirara took off. "We can't take any chances!"

"Wait, I can help!" Shippo shouted after her, and she shot him a glare.

"You are going to keep yourself safe!" she said sternly, and he shrank back against Kaede.

They followed Kagura, and Sango frowned as her path began to diverge from Inuyasha's. Wasn't she delivering Musou to Naraku? But no, she veered off further and further to the side. Sango grimaced but didn't tell Kirara to change course. She would play her part. It was unlikely that Naraku would come all this way without a plan. She would make sure that whatever Kagura and Musou's role was, they wouldn't be able to achieve it. She just hoped that her idiots wouldn't get themselves killed facing Naraku alone.

Kagura suddenly banked sharply around on her feather, while the Saimyosho holding Musou continued on in the direction they'd been heading. Sango barely had time to wonder what was going on before a volley of blades flew at her and Kirara from Kagura's fan. Kirara dodged to the side and Sango held on tightly. Kagura kept on towards them, lifting her fan and sending a twister careening towards them. Kirara took off, avoiding the twister crackling with youki as it followed them.

xXx

Musou stared at his reflection as he washed the grime from his limbs. He had no idea how he'd gotten there, to this pond in the middle of the forest. But as he looked upon the face that wasn't his own, memories swirled in his mind. Memories that Naraku had wanted him to forget. He remembered crawling out of the cave in his new demonic form, running through the forest, fighting against himself. He'd been desperate to find Kikyo, now that he could finally, finally move again, but a dozen other voices were telling him to kill her. He remembered watching Kikyo from afar as she spoke to two others – Kaede and Tsubaki, his mind supplied. Kaede had disrespected him, and he would have to kill her for it. Tsubaki…he knew he'd had his revenge on her. He remembered watching Kikyo leave the village in secret, picking her way through the trees. He'd wondered why she couldn't sense him. He had been keeping his distance, but surely such a powerful priestess should know he was there.

He'd had his answer when he saw her rush to the half-breed's side. She was smiling, carefree for once. Nothing like he'd ever seen her before. And it made him want her all the more. But that half-breed… They hadn't realized yet, what was between them, but he'd known. He had known that this Inuyasha was stealing his Kikyo away, and that was exactly what was making her so weak. It was exactly what would allow him to kill her.

He'd watched them all day. Saw them lying in a field together, as Kikyo told the half-breed of the Jewel's power. As she offered to turn him human, to free herself from her post and him from his mangled hanyou form. And he'd known that the Jewel should never be used in such a way. It needed to be his. He was the only one who could use it for its true purpose, its true power. He would be the only one able to wield the souls trapped inside. The half-breed had said he'd think about it. He'd watched them part ways.

He watched them that evening, standing on a dock. He saw the half-breed catch her as she stumbled, heard the promise that he would be human. He'd watched in indescribable anger as they stole their first kiss. He'd vowed to himself that it would be their only one.

They were to meet at dawn. That was when he'd decided to strike. He'd had little idea of his body back then, of what his new form could offer, but something deep inside him had known what to do. He felt himself shifting into the very woman he loved, taking her on as his weapon. He had waited for the half-breed that morning. The half-breed had smiled at him, and he'd been so tempted to kill him then and there. But he couldn't. He needed the Jewel. He needed it bathed in blood. So he'd broken the half-breed instead, laughed in his face and told him that he was a pathetic food. That he, meaning Kikyo, could never love a monster like him.

And he'd taken the half-breed's vile form. He, Onigumo, had only wanted to show Kikyo that her infatuation was pointless. That he was a better match, the only one for her. But the rest of him, Naraku as he began to form, had said otherwise. And he'd watched his hand with the half-breed's claws slash through her, mocked her pain and told her that he had no desire to become human. He took the Jewel and felt it pulse with hatred and betrayal, but it wasn't enough. So he took it back to the village in Kikyo's form, left it there for the half-breed to find, and sat back to watch the show. He'd watched Inuyasha break into the shrine and take the Jewel. Saw Kikyo shoot him down, pinning him to a tree forever.

But then she had died.

And he had broken free, his grief overpowering everything the demons were shouting at him. His woman was dead! She was dead before he even had a chance to have her! And he'd run, far away, struggling to regain control over his body. He had no idea how long he'd fought with himself. But once it was done, he'd stumbled back to the village. To her grave. She was dead, and the Shikon Jewel was gone. And Naraku had taken over. And he'd fled.

The rest was a blur. He remembered searching for power wherever he could. He'd found countless demons and absorbed them into himself. He'd found a woman who granted wishes, and she'd torn away his power. He'd found a monk who insulted him and he'd cursed his life. He'd gotten stronger. He'd become unstoppable, but he was not Onigumo. He was Naraku.

Musou slammed his fist against the ground. Damn that Naraku. He'd stolen everything from him! And that Inuyasha…. He'd been so close. He'd almost killed him! He didn't understand how he hadn't. No matter. He would track him down and tear him apart. This new body of his wasn't just powerful, it was his own. It was free. He would kill Inuyasha, and then he would kill Naraku.

Footsteps came to a stop behind him. He spun around and came face-to-face with a figure in a baboon mask. Musou frowned. He knew that demon.

"Onigumo," the figure purred. "Or, should I call you Musou? Imagine seeing each other like this."

Musou growled. "I know you. You're Naraku!"

Naraku laughed, seemingly unsurprised as Musou staggered to his feet and stalked towards him. "Did you enjoy your romp in the outside world?" Naraku asked, silky smooth. "Has it changed much in fifty years?"

Musou burned with anger. "Fifty years! You should never have let me out, Naraku – now there is nothing that will stop me from killing you!"

Naraku sighed dramatically. "I suppose that's true. Either way, you are correct about me letting you go. Are you ready to come back inside me once more?"

Musou scoffed. "You must be joking!"

Naraku smirked. "Believe me, the thought repulses me as well, but you were released too early, I'm afraid. You must come back to me now."

"Too early?" Musou spluttered. "You kept me locked up for half a century! I was trapped for most of a human lifetime! And you… You used my body for your own purposes. You killed Kikyo!"

"Ah," Naraku said easily. "I was wondering if you would remember that. I would warn you about laying the blame on me, however. You were the one who summoned demons to your side. You were the one so consumed by greed that you let them devour your flesh." He grinned. "Musou, your fixation on Kikyo is what caused us to kill her."

Musou shook his head frantically. "It was your desire, not mine! Never mine!"

Naraku smiled. "That was not me. I was not there, yet. I am Naraku. You should know that."

"Shut up!" Musou shouted, preparing to throw himself at the demon. "I only wanted her to be mine!"

"And now is your chance," Naraku said, halting Musou in his tracks. "You've seen her. You know that she has been resurrected."

"I don't understand it," Musou said, squeezing his eyes shut. "She was dead! And you didn't- It wasn't-"

"The details aren't important," Naraku cut him off smoothly. "All you need to know is that she is not the same as she once was. You cannot have her as she is now – her hatred of us runs too deep. But that can change."

Musou eyed him cautiously, his hands curling into fists.

"I can use the Jewel to bring her back," Naraku said. "I can make her yours. Would you like that?"

Musou shook his head frantically. "Where is she? Tell me, demon!"

"I can take you to her," Naraku said. "You only have to come back to me now."

Tentacles burst from Naraku's body and shot for him. Musou leapt back, dodging them as they continued to reach for him. Never. He would never return to that monster! He would find Kikyo himself and he would make her love him. If she resisted, he would lock her away until she saw reason. She would be his. She would be!

Naraku appeared in front of him, though Musou hadn't seen him move. Tentacles wrapped around him, dragging him forwards. Well, Naraku wasn't the only one with that trick. Spines burst from Musou's body, tearing through the tentacles. He stretched out his arms into his own fleshy whips and threw them at Naraku.

"You persistent bastard! Leave me alone!"

Naraku easily caught Musou's arms in his own. "Not this time."

Musou shouted angrily and attacked, trying to rip this demon apart. But Naraku dodged every blow effortlessly, wrapped a tentacle around him once more and flung him into a tree, pinning him there.

"You will return to my body," he purred.

Inuyasha burst into the clearing and froze, his mind trying to catch up with what he was seeing. Both Naraku and Musou's eyes were on him, and he growled, flexing his claws. "What's going on, Naraku?"

Naraku smirked, tightening his grip around Musou's throat. "Inuyasha. How very inconvenient of you."

"Why try to take back a human heart?" Inuyasha asked, slowly shifting forward. "You can't have any use for him."

Naraku sighed forlornly. "I thought that Musou would be able to kill you, but he failed miserably at his task. Don't worry, I'll tuck him away for safe keeping and try something else next time."

Inuyasha growled. "Nothing's ever that simple with you. You messed up, didn't you? Something got mixed in with Onigumo that it wasn't supposed to. Otherwise why take him back when you went through all the effort of casting him out in the first place?"

"My, my," Naraku hummed. "Inuyasha, don't tell me you actually use that head of yours to think?"

He released his death-grip on Musou and stepped back, presenting Inuyasha with a clear path to him. He looked pointedly at Musou and smirked.

"What will you do, Inuyasha?" he asked mockingly.

"I can destroy Musou anytime," Inuyasha growled, unsheathing Tessaiga. "I'll get rid of you first!"

He leapt at Naraku, swinging Tessaiga over his head. Immediately, a dozen tentacles burst from Naraku's body and wrapped around the sword, blocking the blow. Inuyasha slashed with his claws, sending pulses of youki through the blade to burn off the appendages, but more and more kept coming. This was bad. He was already drained from using the Wind Scar so many times, and his wounds were slowing him down. He didn't know if he would be able to do this alone.

Musou watched interestedly. He could feel the injuries along his body from Naraku's tentacles sealing themselves shut. Naraku seemed fairly distracted, as did Inuyasha. Well, now what was he supposed to do? The two people we wanted to kill most in the world were busy killing each other. What should he do? He shook his head. He wouldn't intervene. He could kill whichever one survived later. For now, he needed to get away from Naraku. He backed away slowly before he turned and ran, away through the forest. He glanced back once, just enough see Naraku staring after him.

xXx

Kagura growled and hurled another volley of blades after the slayer and neko. What a tiresome battle this was becoming. She had them both constantly on the run, but she couldn't land a hit on either of them. How long did Naraku expect her to keep this up? It was so boring. She lifted her fan, ready to send a wave of twisters after them. But then she paused. A buzzing was coming from behind her. She turned to see a Saimyosho flying for her. It stopped beside her and bobbed meaningfully before turning around and speeding back in the direction it had come. She sighed. Well, at least it was a change. She threw the twisters at the duo, driving them back into the forest, before she took off after the Saimyosho. She had no idea what Naraku wanted her to do now, but she knew that she had no choice but to obey.

She flew over the monk, who was running through the forest. She flew over Inuyasha, who was tearing Naraku to shreds. She slowed down but didn't stop. The Saimyosho was still leading her onwards, so she followed suit. She quickly came upon Musou, who was wildly rushing away from the fight. She frowned. What the hell? She dove down for him and easily jumped off her feather to land in front of him. He skidded to a stop.

"Who the hell are you?" he asked, raising an arm threateningly.

"Save it," she snapped. "What do you think you're doing? Running away?"

Musou growled. "I will not let Naraku take me back."

Kagura eyed him for a moment before she sighed. "You really think you have a choice?"

"What would you know about it?" he snapped.

"You think you're his only incarnation?" she said angrily. "You're no different than I am. You may think you're free, but you can never escape while Naraku is still alive!"

He stepped back, his eyes darting over her. "You're…like me? But how- I don't-"

"I'm no human castoff," she hissed. "But I am a part of him, just as you are."

He looked at her for a long moment. "You've tried to escape?"

"It's pointless," she retorted sharply.

He nodded slowly. "So long as he's still alive."

She opened her mouth to ask what the hell he was going on about, but he quickly spun around and started running back in the direction he'd come. Kagura leapt onto her feather and followed him from above, eager to see what he was thinking. What the hell…?

xXx

Inuyasha snarled and thrashed as the tentacles wound tighter and tighter around him. His youki was flaring around him even as he gripped Tessaiga tighter. Then he heard footsteps heading towards him, a pounding heart, and he began to struggle even harder. He slashed through the tentacles and tore them away from himself. Purple miasma burst from the wounds and he leapt back, just in time for Miroku to run up behind him. The monk came to a stop beside him, breathing harsh, eyes darting over the scene.

"He's trying take Musou back," Inuyasha panted, grasping at Miroku's arm with his free hand. "Musou ran." He turned back to Naraku. "It made you weak, didn't it, Naraku?"

Naraku's face twisted in fury as his claw-tipped arms shot at Inuyasha. They both leapt back, safely out of the way, but Miroku's mind was whirling. Naraku was weak? This may be their only chance. Inuyasha was rushing forwards, the Tessaiga glowing amber as he shot the Wind Scar at Naraku. But Naraku leapt over the blast of power, laughing as he landed.

"Don't presume to underestimate me, Inuyasha," he sneered.

"I wouldn't get so cocky, Naraku!" Miroku called to him, mind whirling. "Don't think we don't know about your weakness!"

Naraku's eyes snapped to his, while Inuyasha was staring at him.

"You're hardly recovered from before, are you?" Miroku goaded. "We saw your barrier failing. Anyone with a keen sense of smell could track down your castle. You couldn't want that to happen again, could you?"

Naraku had and was watching him carefully. After a moment, a smile spread across his face. "Ah, I see. Monk, you're trying to see if I have a period of vulnerability, aren't you? Like all half-demons?"

Miroku kept his face carefully blank. "I know you were weak."

"But why would I reveal that to you?" Naraku asked mildly. "Such a time is a hanyou's deepest secret, is it not?" He smirked. "Inuyasha, I'll tell if you will."

Inuyasha growled and Miroku stepped slightly in front of him, holding him back. So Kagura hadn't told him. She might not tell him about his other transformation, either. But he had been weak. If he could just provoke Naraku the right way…

"Don't strain yourself too hard, monk," Naraku sneered. "You might hurt yourself. I'll save you the trouble in any regard. You will never discover my period of vulnerability. I hate to disappoint, but I am not the same as you, Inuyasha. I can choose my time myself."

Miroku and Inuyasha both rocked back in shock.

"You're lying!" Inuyasha shouted.

"I am far from your pathetic half-breed form," Naraku spat. "When my body fails me, I experiment. What is strong, I make stronger. I cast out what is weak. I come forth better than ever before! That is why I must thank you for making such excellent recipients of my tests."

"Damn you!" Inuyasha shouted, lifting Tessaiga.

A tentacle burst through Naraku's chest and snapped him into the air. Miroku stared in shock as Musou wrapped more and more appendages around Naraku, quelling his struggles. Musou laughed. Miroku's stomach dropped. It couldn't be. Had he actually just killed Naraku?

"Fool!" Musou crowed. "You didn't think I'd let you get away, did you?"

The baboon pelt was being ripped away. Naraku's head twisted around, and a grin spread slowly across his face. The triumph bled from Musou's face and his eyes widened. Naraku flew towards him, landing right in front of him. It didn't take long to see that Musou's tentacles were being absorbed into Naraku's body.

"No!" Musou screamed, thrashing. "Let me go, you monster!"

"You saved me the trouble, Mousou," Naraku smiled. "Come back to me now."

Inuyasha's grip on his arm was as hard as iron as they both stared at the horrific scene. Naraku's body was splitting in half, opening up to envelop Musou, who was still screaming. Miroku shook his head. He ripped his arm free from Inuyasha's grasp and reached for his mala beads, but a solid wall of Saimyosho dropped between him and Naraku.

"Miroku-" Inuyasha started.

"We can't let him get away!" Miroku shouted. "It's our last chance while he's still weak!"

Musou's cries were getting ever more frantic. "Let me go! I must see Kikyo! Kikyo!"

Naraku laughed. "The bitterness. The desire. The greed. Give up, Musou. Kikyo is just like you – made of clay and bones. Her soul is just a phantom of the past."

"No!" Musou shrieked.

"Damn it!" Inuyasha shouted and he leapt, Tessaiga raised above his head. He was half-way to Naraku when he slammed into a barrier, which flared to light as it hurled him back. Naraku laughed. Inuyasha snarled and had barely landed before he hurled the Wind Scar at Naraku. It cut ineffectually across the barrier's surface.

Miroku's heart sank. Naraku had never been that powerful before. And he would be more powerful still, once he had finished reabsorbing Musou. The incarnation was already being dragged further and further inside of him. This was their only chance. Their last chance. But Tessaiga was useless against the barrier. Inuyasha's eyes were flashing red. If he transformed now, if he broke through the barrier… Naraku was absorbing Musou. He had absorbed Tsubaki before, too. If Inuyasha managed to strike him, would he be absorbed as well? Would Naraku take his power into himself? Inuyasha's youki was flaring. He was about to charge. So Miroku grabbed his arm, dragged his partner behind him, and opened the wind tunnel.

The Saimyosho, which had begun to disperse, immediately dove for him. Naraku's eyes widened. His barrier pulsed harshly, the wind tunnel dragging at its surface. Miasma began to emerge from the barrier, swirling towards Miroku in a cloud as the first Saimyosho disappeared into his hand. A roar came from behind him and Inuyasha grabbed his arm, dragging him off balance as he shoved the mala beads back over his palm. As the wind tunnel disappeared, Naraku, surrounded by his barrier, began to rise into the sky, more and more miasma pouring from him. Musou had all but disappeared. Kagura flew to Naraku's side, easily passing through the barrier before a swirling vortex surrounded them, joined by dozens of Saimyosho and a cloud of miasma. By the time the sky cleared, they were gone.

"The fucking hell was that?" Inuyasha asked, dragging Miroku closer to him by an iron-clad grip on his upper arms. "You could have gotten yourself killed, you idiot!"

"I almost had him!" Miroku shouted back, twisting to free himself from Inuyasha's grasp. "I could have ended this!"

"At the cost of your own life!" Inuyasha tugged him closer again, ears flattening against his skull. "You're the one who's always going on about not giving up our lives for one fight. There's always another day – that's what you said! So why the fuck did you do that, Miroku? What were you thinking?"

"I could have ended this!" he repeated, blinking back angry tears.

"We don't throw our lives away in this pack!"

"I do mine!"

Silence fell, harsh and sudden in the evening air. Miroku's eyes were blazing with a hidden fire, and Inuyasha was struck into silence. Miroku blinked a few times, as though clearing his mind. He was breathing raggedly, shaking from the intensity.

"You and Sango and the others," he finally said, voice barely above a whisper. "You have your whole lives ahead of you. I don't. If I don't destroy Naraku, then my life is forfeit. I'm not throwing my life away when I fight him, because I don't have a life to throw away. I'm living on borrowed time."

"Bullshit!" Inuyasha growled, tightening his grip. "The curse doesn't make your life any less valuable than ours. Don't you dare throw it away like that! Don't you do that to us. Don't you dare."

"I had to try," Miroku said quietly. "We were so close…"

Inuyasha snarled and dragged him into a crushing embrace. He could feel Miroku shaking against him, and he squeezed his eyes shut and held him tighter as the monk's fists curled into his robes. The crushing feeling of letting Naraku get away wasn't new. The absolute, heart-wrenching terror at Miroku's actions was. He held on to his partner and refused to let go, even as he heard Kirara touch down behind them, felt eyes on him.

"What happened?" Sango asked in a hollow whisper.

Miroku gently pushed away from Inuyasha, though his partner's hands stayed firmly on his arms. "Naraku absorbed Musou. They all got away."

Sango looked between them in concern, but didn't ask the questions clearly visible in her eyes. Inuyasha pulled Miroku forwards and pressed their brows together before following him onto Kirara's back. She flew them all to the edge of Kaede's village, where a barrier halted their progress. Shippo, in his pink orb form, was floating high about the houses inside the dome. His eyes widened when he saw them. He shouted something down at the people below him, and the barrier dropped away almost instantly. Kirara landed in between two houses and the villagers were immediately rushing for them, asking if they were alright, if the danger had passed.

Kaede elbowed her way through the crowd and took in their tight expressions. She cleared a path back to her hut, and they all sat down heavily.

"Alright," she said, assessing them carefully. "Who is the most injured?"

"Miroku needs something for the poison," Inuyasha muttered immediately. "He drew in miasma and a couple Saimyosho."

"What?" Sango asked, her head snapping around to glare at the monk. But Miroku was staring hard at the floor and didn't say anything.

Kaede wordlessly set a pot over the fire to boil while Shippo fetched the necessary herbs. While the kit prepared the medicine, Kaede sat down beside Inuyasha and pulled Miroku's kesa free from around his chest. The purple cloth was soaked with blood. However, the injury underneath was barely bleeding anymore. The various wounds scattered around his body from his fight with both Musou and Naraku were barely more than scars, with only a few still scabbed over.

"How is this possible?" she asked, looking between them. "How can you have healed from such a wound? His stinger went straight through you."

Inuyasha swallowed hard and avoided her gaze. Miroku didn't look up from the floor. Sango glanced between them, lips pressed together.

"You were acting strangely during the fight, Inuyasha," Kaede pressed when none of them answered. "I saw similar behaviour when we fought against Tsubaki, though then I did not notice the change to your eyes. What happened?"

"I transformed," Inuyasha muttered. "It happened the first time a couple months ago after Tessaiga broke. My youki takes over to keep me alive. After the first time, it happens whenever my pack or I are in too much danger."

"How many times has this happened?" Kaede asked in a hushed whisper.

Inuyasha shrugged, not meeting her eye. "A few. It's not important."

"The hell it's not important!" Kaede snapped, startling them. "You cannot hide these things from me!"

"I'm learning to control it!" Inuyasha countered defensively. "I can't control what happens once I've transformed, but I'm getting better at keeping it from happening." He frowned. "But I don't get what happened this time. Everything's too blurry. I had Tessaiga…"

"I took it," Miroku admitted quietly. "I caused you to transform."

Inuyasha rounded on him, eyes wide with hurt and betrayal. "What? You- You made me transform on purpose?"

"The wound from Musou was killing you," Miroku said softly. "I didn't know how else to save you."

Inuyasha didn't say anything, just kept on staring, trying to sort through the dozens of emotions slamming into him.

"It's a risky move," Sango said instead. "Naraku can use that against him."

"He didn't see," Miroku said firmly. "I made sure there were no Saimyosho around, and Kagura… She's already keeping the new moon a secret. I know it's risky, but what choice did I have?"

"You can't just use my transformations like that!" Inuyasha cut in harshly. "I could have gone after any of you!"

Miroku looked away and didn't respond. Sango sighed and answered instead. "You've never gone after your pack so far, Inuyasha, especially not with such an obvious enemy as Musou around. And you were right before – you're getting better at controlling it. The transformations themselves aren't as much of a danger anymore, at least not to us."

Kaede sighed heavily and pressed a cup of medicinal tea into Miroku's hands. "So the transformations healed you, did they, Inuyasha?"

"Enough to keep going, at least," Inuyasha grumbled, crossing his arms.

"Speaking of transformations," Miroku said wearily, running a shaking hand down is face as the effects of the poison started reaching him. "Naraku said that he can choose his time of vulnerability. I don't know whether he turns human or not, but he said that he uses the time to experiment and make himself stronger."

"What?" Sango exclaimed. "There's no way of knowing when he'll be vulnerable again?"

Miroku shrugged. "He could have been lying."

"He sounded too smug for that," Inuyasha muttered.

"If that's true, then we're in real trouble," Sango said, sitting back on her heels. "We'd have to stumble into the time by chance. That's…that's almost impossible."

"You must be careful," Kaede said, shaking her head as she pulled out a needle and thread. "Naraku is more fearsome than ever before."

"Tell us something we don't know!" Inuyasha spat, and stalked outside. The others watched him go and sighed.

"He's stronger as well," Miroku said, sipping the tea and wincing. "As he left, he had a barrier around himself, and it withstood the power of the Wind Scar."

Sango closed her eyes. "How are we ever going to face him?"

Miroku sighed, rubbing his forehead. "I don't know. We'll figure something out, I suppose."

xXx

Kikyo disappeared into the old shrine, finally making her escape from the injured warriors. They had all been ecstatic at her return to the camp, asking where she had gone. She hadn't answered any of them. She couldn't. She glanced up at the sky, visible through the open doorway. A faint smudge of purple miasma had spread across the sky. Naraku had escaped, then, and was returning to his castle. She had expected as much. She knew little of what the future would hold, but Naraku still had a part to play. As did she.

She was Kikyo, still. The heart of Onigumo still yearned for her. And yet, she knew that she was not the same Kikyo that he had fallen for. She could feel herself fading, a little more each day, eroding away as the tide of time washed past her. She supposed that there was enough of her left that Naraku could do nothing against her. And…was she still herself? Her own heart remained captive to Inuyasha. No matter what else happened, that had not changed. She knew that she would never be free of him, just as she could not escape the tendrils of fate that had woven around each of them.

The eyes of the dead saw what the living could not. None of the others had noticed how they were intertwined. How the tides of time were turning once again, sweeping them all up in their wake. She would continue her wander of the world, for she knew that sooner or later, she would be drawn back into the tangled web of fate once more.

xXx

Miroku tugged his koromo back up over the various bandages that Kaede had smothered over him. His kesa was still drying by the fire. Kaede had told him to rest, and he couldn't disagree with her – the few Saimyosho he'd sucked in were far from debilitating, but they had left him stiff and drained. But much worse was the image of Inuyasha that was seared in his mind, of his partner staring at him like he'd been stabbed in the back. Like he didn't know whether he could trust Miroku. That couldn't stand. Miroku had to fix this. He carefully pushed to his feet and made his way silently towards the doorway. A hand reached out and snagged his, pulling him to a stop.

"Sango," he whispered. "Let go. I have to go talk to him."

"Not yet you don't," Sango growled, pulling him down beside her. "Not until I've said my piece."

He sighed and looked away. "You don't need to yell at me. I know I messed up."

"Which part?" she snapped. "I don't think that taking Tessaiga was necessarily the best idea, but I can see why you did it, and I can't blame you for it. Inuyasha will understand that you were doing it to save his life. That's not the problem. The problem is that you opened the wind tunnel even though there were Saimyosho around!"

"I didn't have a choice," Miroku muttered. "It was our last chance to defeat Naraku."

"I don't care," Sango said sharply. "We can kill him another day. We can't bring you back from the dead." She scowled. "Come on, Miroku! I thought you got this already!"

He sighed, and his shoulders slumped in defeat. "Do you know how many times we've let him get away already?"

Her eyes softened but she didn't relent. "That doesn't matter. It just takes one time. And I get it! You think I don't feel guilty for letting myself get blocked by Kagura? You think that Inuyasha's not out there right now, blaming himself for not killing Naraku before you got there? All of us are carrying this, Miroku. But how do you think we'd feel if we knew that you got Naraku by destroying yourself?"

"I just can't stand that he keeps on winning," Miroku shrugged helplessly. "I can see it wearing us all down. And I'm tired of it."

"I know," she said, pulling him into a hug. "And it's not fair. But this? This isn't the way to do it, Miroku."

"I know," he murmured against her neck, and squeezed his eyes shut.

After a long moment, they pulled apart. "Alright," Sango sighed. "Go after that hanyou of yours."

He sent her a broken smile and slipped out the door. He wandered through the village for a while, checking the various rooftops and trees, but found no sign of Inuyasha. There were a few other places that his partner might be, so he started heading back through the houses, making his way through the forest in the direction of Onigumo's cave. He'd barely lost sight of the houses behind him before Inuyasha dropped down through the canopy and landed in front of him. His ears were pinned back and he was staring at the ground.

"I'm sorry," Miroku said softly. "I promise, I didn't mean to break your trust."

"I just don't get it," Inuyasha said, studying him with furrowed brows. "How can you play with your life like that? How…"

"I was wrong," Miroku admitted. "I can see that now. I'm sorry."

Inuyasha tugged him against his chest and held him tight. They slowly sank to the ground, and Miroku wound his hands into Inuyasha's hair and robes. They breathed each other in for a long time.

"Promise me you don't do that again," Inuyasha murmured eventually. Miroku opened his mouth to do so immediately, but Inuyasha wasn't done. "Promise me you won't throw your life away."

Miroku pressed his lips together and stared out through the trees, dark with night. "I promise."

"I'll get stronger," Inuyasha said into his shoulder. "I promise, I'll do better. Just let me kill him."

Miroku pulled back and met the amber eyes sadly. "That's not the deal, love. You don't get to take everything onto yourself."

Inuyasha shook his head, jaw tight. "How else-"

"We'll figure it out," Miroku said, pressing their brows together. "I don't have the answer right now – none of us do – but you're right. None of us can do it alone."

Inuyasha huffed a breath. "I hate this."

"I know."

"I can't lose you."

Miroku wrapped his arms around Inuyasha again. "You won't. I promise I'll be better about proving that to you."

Inuyasha snorted softly. "Yeah, you'd better."

Miroku pressed a gentle kiss to his lips. "I love you."

"I love you, too."

They huddled against one another for a long time, bracing against the cool evening air. They looked up at the stars, barely visible through the forest canopy. There was such a long way to go, such an uncertain path ahead. But for now, they were still together, and they would live to fight another day.