Part 6

Sesshomaru gave it some thought and weighed all the pros and cons about Naraku's offer, but the conclusion he ultimately settled on was the right one. He took a slow breath. "I'm ready," he said. "But how will I recognize this marker of which you speak?"

"Look for a bright, dwarf star above the ground," Naraku said, "that will be it."

Naraku transferred the ability to see the marker to Sesshomaru, and in a flash, like a sudden gust of wind blowing across his face, Sesshomaru felt the power envelope him. He clenched his teeth, it was overwhelming. But he fought its intensity. He would not let Naraku in further, dig deep into his consciousness, if this was indeed a trick to reach into his mind.

With the transfer successful, Sesshomaru knew this only a fraction of the demon's power and influence. He was very tempted, albeit for a second, to use Naraku's own power against him, but bringing back Inuyasha and his companions was more important. As Naraku said, there was strength in numbers.

Sesshomaru looked for the bright, dwarf star above the ground that Naraku had described. He approached it with the Tenseiga. And for a moment he looked into the eye of the bright, dwarf star and wondered if he was doing the right thing.

Were the Shikon Jewel shards safer in the void, he thought, and were the lives of Inuyasha and his friends worth the risk of Naraku getting his hands on them in the future?

And yet, could not retrieving the jewel be more harmful than good? The Shikon Jewel was the key to defeating Naraku. Sesshomaru was left to weigh his options once more.

He had to decide quickly, because when he looked back at Naraku, he felt a great impatience growing inside of him. Connected to Naraku by a small portion of his power, he could feel and sense things about him that Naraku would never reveal to anyone.

He sliced the Tenseiga across the opening of the void—the bright, dwarf star above the ground—and began to enlarge and pulsate.

Sesshomaru stepped back, and without warning Inuyasha and his friends were vomited out of the void, hurled like trash, and each landed with heavy thuds to the ground.

Miroku immediately clenched his fist and had the fortitude to wrap his hand up before the wind tunnel engaged again, sucking them all in.

Inuyasha was the first to get to his feet.

Sesshomaru helped him get his bearings back, but as soon as Inuyasha realized who he was, he immediately went on the defensive, and reached for his sword. But it was not there.

Bankotsu had it.

"W-what the heck is goin' on?" Inuyasha demanded with a growl and bared his fangs. "But I can see the party's grown by a few more people!"

"I'll explain later," Sesshomaru said. "At the moment, you must trust me."

"Trust you? Ha!" Inuyasha said dismissively. "You must be crazy!"

Inuyasha looked around and the rest of his friends began to orient themselves.

Almost immediately Shippo began to cry out in pain. Shippo clutched his stomach, a large gash was bleeding, caused by a sharp blade. Sesshomaru went over to him and swiped the Tenseiga across Shippo belly and brought the pain under control, eventually sealing the wound.

Shippo looked at Sesshomaru unsure what had just happened, but smiled. "Thank you," Shippo said, and Sesshomaru nodded a reply. "Um, what's going on?"

"That's what I'd like to know!" Inuyasha said. "But we're back and that's all that counts!"

Miroku was the next to cry out in pain, clutching his right wrist. Naraku was the cause of the pain, and the originator of the monk's cursed wind tunnel, Sesshomaru knew, and his prayer beads were not working to inhibit its effect now. The wind tunnel had begun to draw air again. "Help me! I can't control it!" he pleaded.

"Inuyasha, come with me!" Sesshomaru said, saying it like an order.

But Inuyasha would not come. "I'm not a dog!" he said defiantly.

"And I'm not treating you as such, I only wish to convey a sense of urgency to help Miroku," Sesshomaru said. "Come help me. I'll explain everything in a moment."

Inuyasha grumbled under his breath. "Yeah, you'd better! Fine, whatcha want me to do?"

He followed Sesshomaru to Miroku. "Hold him," he told Inuyasha. "This won't work if Miroku thrashes around." He then looked at Sango. "You, grab his right arm and hold it up, but away from the rest of us, so the wind tunnel doesn't ingest us."

Both Inuyasha and Sango took their respective places. "What do you intend to do, Sesshomaru?" Sango asked, her voice worrisome. Sesshomaru held up the Tenseiga.

Sango immediately panicked. "Wait! You're not going to cut his hand off, are you?"

"No," Sesshomaru said. "I'm going to take away the pain. The Tenseiga can heal, that's how I was able to rescue you all from the void—from within inside Miroku's wind tunnel. I can't heal Miroku's wind tunnel, that can only be done by Naraku, but I can take away the pain inside Miroku's hand away and remove the curse Naraku has placed upon his prayer beads."

"But how could you know about that?" Sango asked.

"I know things you," was all Sesshomaru explained. "Now do what I tell you."

Sango and Inuyasha exchanged bewildered glances, but relented. They held Miroku.

"Sango! Inuyasha! Don't get close or you'll be sucked in!" Miroku warned. "Get as far away as you possibly can, if this is my fate to die today—the way my father and grandfather did—then I don't want to take anyone with me into the void! Get away, now!"

But Miroku's cautionary words were suddenly short lived and unnecessary.

Sesshomaru sliced through the air with the Tenseiga across Miroku's right hand, a half-moon glow followed the move, and to the amazement of everyone, and with a short cry from Mirkou probably fearful that he would lose his right hand, Miroku seemed to faint—but alive.

Sango quickly sealed Miroku's palm with his glove and wrapped his prayer beads around his hand and wrist to seal it off. She then knelt down and laid Miroku's head on her knees.

"When and how did Naraku manage to curse Miroku's prayer beads?" Sango wondered. Then her eyes widened with a realization. "Miroku had not been his self sense our last encounter with Naraku. Some time during that fight, it must have happened."

Sango brushed loose hair out of Miroku's eyes and sweat-drenched face.

Inuyasha looked at Miroku. The young monk looked very peaceful. Inuyasha looked up and stood in awe of his brother. "How come?" he asked.

Kagome and Kirana ran over to the others. Kagome looked at Sesshomaru with awe and even surprise. Shippo approached, too.

"Will Miroku live?" Shippo asked. "He won't be taking about dying anymore, will he?"

Sango smiled. "No, I don't think he'll be labouring those thoughts anymore," she said, with a look of joyous relief on her face. Her face was just beaming with a happiness, thankful that someone she cared for deeply had just survived a traumatic and near-death experience.

Miroku began to nestle his head deeper into the crevice of Sango's legs, and then smiled, his eyes still closed. He then began to mutter something than caused Sango to blush. He was talking unconsciously, his true feelings coming through. And yet, she already knew them.

Sango caressed Miroku's cheek, she would normally be smacking it for some of the lewd and offensive comments he'd make or actions done—but not this time.

"I know…you idiot," she said softly but affectionately in response.

Sesshomaru watched this moment of affection between the pair, their love for one another was apparent, and perhaps one day, they would compensate their feelings as lovers do. But then turned his attention away.

A series of claps echoed the glassy plain. "Very impressive, Sesshomaru," Naraku said.

Kohaku suddenly ran over and snatched the Shikon Jewel shards from their resting place on the ground and brought them back to his master. They had dropped unattended when Inuyasha and company had been ejected from the wind tunnel by Kagome.

Naraku took them in hand and held each up like a trophy. "You should've used the power I gave you to strike me down, Sesshomaru, and you may have succeeded. You've grown soft. I have taken the power away, so you are no more a threat to me."

"What's Naraku talkin' about?" Inuyasha asked. Sesshomaru told him everything. After hearing the events, Inuyasha got angry. "You used it to save us? Why didn't you destroy him! Now with the Shikon Jewel shards are in Naraku's possession. He's an even bigger threat than he ever was before! You idiot! You have gotten soft, Sesshomaru! You would've never done somethin' like this before and let all of us die to keep Naraku from getting the upper hand!"

Sesshomaru looked at Inuyasha, but his reasons were his own.

Sesshomaru turned to Naraku. "Naraku…" he addressed. "I have seen inside your soul and its emptiness. Miroku's wind tunnel resides from there. The transfer of power yielded much more than you realize and you revealed secrets to me very few others know."

Naraku cocked his head slightly. "I doubt that," he said with dubiety. "I'm done playing games with you. I have what I came for. Time to end this! Kill them!" He ordered his minions.

"Miroku!" Sango said, slapping him on his face. "Wake up!"

"Just five more minutes in heaven," he murmured. "Sango, pass the honey."

"Honey?" Sango looked at him curiously. "What kind of dream are you having?" She shoved Miroku off her and he rolled.

Miroku snorted awake. "W-what's happening?"

"We're under attack!" Sango told him.

Miroku looked around quickly and got to his feet. "Naraku!" he sneered. Then he saw two members of the Band of Seven and Kohaku, Sango's younger brother, and Sesshomaru, Inuyasha's older brother with his accompaniment of Rin and Jaken.

Sango handed him his Pilgrim Staff, as she readied her favourite weapon of choice, what she referred to as a Flying Return Bone.

They readied themselves for combat.

Sesshomaru, however, remained indifferent.

To be continued...