Warnings for this chapter: threats of violence and death, mass casualties in war, abusive family dynamics, emotional manipulation of children, reflections on past trauma and abuse

Inuyasha shot to his feet, staring at what must have been almost the entire colony of Demon Bats flying towards them. A rustling came from the hut behind them, and Sango and Kirara emerged. The sight of them spurred him into action.

"Don't just stand there gawking!" he shouted, unsheathing Tessaiga. "Let's go!"

One shape stood apart from the rest. Most of the demon bats were barely taller than a human, though their long wings spread out wide on either side of them. But at the back of the dark cloud of bodies was Taigokumaru. He was more than four times as tall as any of the other demons, and his wings practically blocking out the stars. And as they approached, Inuyasha could see a small figure dressed in white cupped in his giant hands. Shiori was still in her ceremonial robe, a strange red sphere held between her own hands. Taigokumaru was hanging back, but the rest of the demon bats were diving towards the village. Inuyasha took off running.

It was the middle of the night. Most of the humans were still asleep until the roofs were ripped off their huts, or the screams of their neighbours or horses woke them. Inuyasha met the demons as soon as they landed, cutting through them one by one, Tessaiga's blade glowing amber as he poured all his energy into the sword. The bats were spreading out in all directions, making it impossible for him to hit more than a few at a time with the Wind Scar. Kirara shot overhead, Sango on her back, Hiraikotsu flying. They drove the bats who hadn't landed yet back up into the air, keeping them from swarming the panicking villagers. Inuyasha continued jumping from house to house, trying to save as many humans as he could. But the demons were still gathering.

"Help!" a man shouted as he cowered just outside his house, an ax held ineffectually in his hands. "Please, you have to help us!"

Inuyasha growled and didn't respond. That's how it always was, he supposed. The villagers would probably have killed him themselves until he was the only thing keeping them alive. He cut down another bat and moved on to the next hut.

"Sango!" Miroku shouted, throwing another handful of sutras onto the walls of the houses, trying to ensure that the demons wouldn't be able to land. "Try and herd them together!"

Sango nodded and Kirara veered to the side, letting some of the stragglers go in favour of chasing the bulk of the demons higher into the sky. Miroku jumped and dragged himself onto the roof of one of the houses, lifting up his staff with a glow of spiritual power. The few demons still within the village spun around, some charging for him, others turning and flying away. He cut through the demons who dove for him, watching carefully as Kirara made one final pass around the bats before soaring away.

Inuyasha growled as he picked up Shiori's soft voice on the wind. Even after the humans had treated her like garbage, she was still worried about them. Taigokumaru's rumbling laugh filled the sky.

"They don't deserve your sympathy," the old bat rasped. "Not after they treated you and your mother so poorly."

Inuyasha seethed as he sliced the head off another demon. He couldn't exactly argue with the sentiment, but he knew that Taigokumaru wasn't about to leave it at that.

"Just protect the barrier with me," the old bat said, his eyes fixing on Inuyasha and narrowing. "And I will spare your mother's life. Do as I say."

The bats were chattering and shrieking, a few of them trying to go after Kirara, the majority hanging back, confused at the odd battle tactics. That was when Miroku opened the wind tunnel. An ear-splitting shriek rose from the colony as they were drawn towards the void. They scattered in all directions, some flying to the sides, but the most were heading straight back towards Taigokumaru and Shiori. Miroku moved the wind tunnel slowly across the sky, trying to catch as many as he could, but he wouldn't risk catching Shiori as well. The majority of the bats found sanctuary around Taigokumaru, and as Miroku made one final pass as close as he dared with the wind tunnel, a giant red barrier sprang to life around the old bat.

Taigokumaru was laughing again. Miroku caught Inuyasha's eye and nodded before he jumped down to the ground, shoving the panicked villagers back inside their houses. Inuyasha lifted Tessaiga above his head and hurled the Wind Scar towards one side of the colony, safely past both Taigokumaru and Shiori. The attack slammed into the barrier, causing it to flare once more, but it couldn't break through.

"Give up, hanyou," Taigokumaru called down to him. "A little nuisance like you cannot touch me!"

He shrieked loudly, and a smaller wave of bats flew through the barrier, apparently able to pass through from the inside, and dove towards the village once more. They spread out once again, and Inuyasha was forced to go on the defensive. Sango leapt from Kirara's back and onto one of the roofs several houses down from him, throwing Hiraikotsu at the approaching bats while Kirara faced them head-on. Inuyasha pulled the Wind Scar to his mind again and threw it at the approaching bats, taking out only a handful as the rest scattered. He ground his teeth and leapt from house to house – these slippery bastards knew what they were doing. He could hear their high-pitched chirps as they spoke to one another in a language he didn't understand. But they were organized, and they were clearly used to raiding human villages, if not with this level of interference. Inuyasha leapt again, and a bat crashed into him from the side, knocking him to the ground. Tessaiga fell from his hand.

Inuyasha whirled around and slashed his claws through the bat demon which dove for him. One advantage of demons with beating wings was that he could hear them coming. He tore through three more bats before he snatched Tessaiga off the ground. He could feel his youki itching under his skin, but he poured it into the sword and leapt once more. Sango was taking out most of the bats which approached the village, while Miroku was handling the humans, but more and more of the colony were emerging from the safety of the barrier to fly at them. Soon they wouldn't be able to keep them all back.

Miroku appeared by his side. "We need to find a way to draw Taigokumaru out from inside the barrier."

Inuyasha huffed. "We need to get Shiori away from him first."

They both ducked as Taigokumaru shrieked loudly, and suddenly his bats scattered to all sides. He dropped his jaw and shot a wave of youki at the village with another, much louder cry. Inuyasha gasped and fell to his knees as the sound pierced into his ears, so loudly that his vision whited out and the world spun around him. Miroku's hands were on him, shoving him aside as Taigokumaru's blast struck the houses behind them, smashing them to pieces and killing whoever was inside. Inuyasha barely found his feet before he grabbed Miroku and threw them both further away from the village just as a second blast hit the ground behind them. Inuyasha felt something sticky spread over his lips, and when he swiped at them absently with his hand, it came away covered in red.

The villagers were screaming and running in all directions, their houses largely destroyed. One of them crashed into Inuyasha and grabbed desperately at his sleeves.

"Please, you have to save us!" he was begging. "Please!"

"We'll all be killed!" another gasped raggedly. "You have to kill that bat!"

Inuyasha snarled, and he could taste blood in his mouth. "Don't go asking me for favours. I'm gonna destroy Taigokumaru either way, but I can't just keep swinging at him. I'm gonna save Shiori first."

"The demon spawn?" one of the villagers asked incredulously. "You must be mad!"

"She's on their side!" the man closest to Inuyasha insisted loudly, still tugging on his sleeve.

Inuaysha's lips curled back, exposing his teeth. "You want me to kill her, too? Kill a kid?"

The villagers were struck into silence for a moment. "I-It can't be helped!" one of them finally insisted.

Miroku's gaze was hard as granite as he pushed past Inuyasha with a hand on his shoulder. "Use your nets," he told the villagers firmly. "When the bats attack again, pin them to the ground. We can't do this all on our own."

Inuyasha's eyes darted to the line of fishing boats along the shore of the beach – smart. Hopefully the villagers would be able to put up enough of a defense that they could focus more on Taigokumaru. He grabbed Miroku and swung him onto his back, leaving the villagers gawking behind him as he brought them over to Sango in a few short bounds.

"We need to keep Taigokumaru from attacking like that again," Sango was saying as soon as she saw them. "Shiori's the one controlling the barrier, right?"

"You both stay here," Inuyasha said instead of answering. "Keep the people safe."

He deposited Miroku on the roof next to Sango and then took off, back across the houses. Sango watched him go with a frown. "He's still going to protect the village, huh?"

"He won't let humans die if he can help it," Miroku shrugged, reaching into his robes to pull out another few sutras.

"I don't think there's anyone that he despises more than people like these," Sango sighed, eyeing the villagers, who were currently gathering their nets and tools, muttering about stinking half-breeds.

Inuyasha landed on the roof of the hut closest to the colony and glared up at Taigokumaru. "Shiori!" he called up to them. "I know you heard what these humans are saying about you. So what do you want to do?"

Taigokumaru's expression twisted into shock and anger, and he opened his mouth, but Inuyasha shouted right over him.

"If you go back to the village, they're not gonna treat you any better," he said solemnly. "But if you decide to come back, then I'll help you get there."

"You fool!" Taigokumaru screeched. "Do you think you can defeat me? You are nothing! You are no one!"

He dropped his jaw and shot another sound wave towards Inuyasha, who leapt away even as he felt the house he'd been standing on crumble under his feet. He landed hard on the ground but rolled back up immediately. He couldn't let himself show any weakness – not to the old bat, and not to Shiori.

"My name is Inuyasha," he called out, keeping his voice level. "And I'm a half-demon. Shiori, I'm just like you."

Taigokumaru laughed. "Of course you're a half-breed! Your stench in undeniable."

"Shut up, old man!" Inuyasha shouted. "Shiori, listen to me. You don't have to stay with them! I know the people here told you that you had to go to the bats, but your grandfather's right – you don't owe them anything! But you don't owe the bats anything, either."

"Insolent whelp!" Taigokumaru screeched. "I'll kill you!"

"Make up your mind, Shiori," Inuyasha said quieter, knowing she would still be able to hear. "Do you want to go back to the village or not?"

Shiori's eyes darted to somewhere further along the beach. "I want to go home to my mommy," she whispered.

Inuyasha glanced over his shoulder to where Shizu was standing, holding one of Miroku's sutras, her eyes fixed on her daughter.

"He's lying to you!" Taigokumaru snarled. "You cannot go back, girl. If you don't stay and protect the barrier with me, your mother will die! You understand that, don't you?"

Shiori made a soft sound of pain and her gaze dropped back to the strange red crystal in her hands. Inuyasha snarled.

"Listen here, you mongrel!" Taigokumaru shouted down to Inuyasha. "Don't fill the child's head with nonsense! Don't confuse her when she knows where she truly belongs!"

He could hear Shizu moving towards him. He held out an arm warningly and unsheathed Tessaiga. "Shiori, look out for yourself!"

He pulled his youki to the surface and launched himself up at the barrier. Hiraikotsu whizzed around him, chasing away the bats which dove for him. He struck at the barrier as hard as he could with Tessaiga, but he couldn't make so much as a scratch. But he could feel it, hot and solid and humming with life beneath his hand, reeking of youki. It was too powerful for just one person. He began to fall back down, and his aura flared around him to slow his fall before Kirara ducked under him. He grabbed onto the ruff of fur around her neck and hung on tight as she sped off. Above them, he could hear Taigokumaru praising Shiori, who didn't respond.

The barrier was impossible to penetrate from the outside – but Shiori was letting anything from the inside go back out. If he could just lure Taigokumaru out, even just a little, he would be able to chop off whatever poked through. Would Shiori be able to adjust the size of the barrier? Kirara landed and Inuyasha jumped off her back. He turned to eye the barrier thoughtfully, but instead he was faced with a line of a dozen white orbs growing on the red surface, crackling with energy. Taigokumaru's eyes were glowing as well, as the orbs continued to grow larger and larger.

"Look out!" Inuyasha screamed. "Get out of the way!"

Each orb shot forward into a line of sound waves and demonic blasts, raking through the village and the beach. The screams of several villagers cut off sharply as they were caught in the blast. Inuyasha barely caught sight of Miroku tackling Sango off the roof of the hut before a line of power swept past them. The village was all but destroyed, many of its people dead. The houses that still stood were on fire from the blasts, driving the survivors out into the open. Inuyasha unconsciously reached out and snagged an arm around Shizu's waist as she rushed forward. His mind was a blur but he didn't know what they could possibly do to face such a powerful enemy – not when they couldn't even reach him! He could hear the humans screaming, begging for help. Their pleas rang hollow in his ears.

"I have no use for this village anymore," Taigokumaru was saying to the bats still hovering around him. "Destroy them all."

A chattering sound rippled across the colony and they dove. Inuyasha lifted Tessaiga and hurled another Wind Scar at the approaching demons. A moment later, Miroku and Sango burst through the burning houses. Miroku skidded to a stop in front of Inuyasha and opened the wind tunnel. The bats screeched and scattered, but many of them merely circled around to the side and flew into the village that way. Many of them bit down into the first villager they came upon, sucking their blood, while others began to lift their prey into the air. Inuyasha jumped, crashing into one bat and dragging the human away from it before he tore through it with his claws. He landed on the beach and shoved the villager away before leaping for another.

Sango had vaulted onto Kirara's back and they were tearing through as many of the demons as possible. Miroku still had his wind tunnel open, aiming it at the bats still flying towards the village, but he wouldn't be able to keep it open for much longer. Shizu had been helping guide the fleeing villagers along the beach, towards the forest on the other side of the village, but then she spun around and began running towards the colony.

"Taigokumaru!" she shouted. "I beg you to stop this! Stop it now!"

Miroku swore and closed the wind tunnel, chasing after her as Taigokumaru's eyes fixed on her.

"Please!" she begged. "This village was safe from your attacks while your son was alive. Tsukuyomaru protected us! We were at peace! Your son wanted Shiori and I to live happily. Please, for him, stop this pointless killing!"

Taigokumaru's eyes narrowed dangerously, but Shiori was staring openly at her mother.

"Please!" Shizu cried out. "I beg you to honour your son's wishes."

"Honour his wishes?" Taigokumaru screeched, then he threw back his head and laughed. "How absurd! Tsukuyomaru was a traitor and a fool! The moment he gave his heart to a mortal, he was no longer my son. He should have known that such an act would only hasten his demise."

Shizu froze. "What do you mean…?"

"As you said," Taigokumaru sneered. "He swore to protect this village. He said that, unless we abided by his wishes, he would abandon his duty as guardian of the barrier and leave the colony. He had been poisoned against his own blood by human filth. That's why…"

Inuyasha leapt down from the huts and landed beside Shizu, eyes blazing.

"Why what?" she asked hesitantly, voice barely there.

Inuyasha growled. "Don't tell me you killed your own flesh and blood!"

Taigokumaru laughed. "He couldn't stop me – not when he'd already given so much of his power to his squalling child. He should have known that, as long as I had Shiori, he was of no use."

Shizu sank to her knees, her hands pressed firmly over her mouth. Inuyasha snarled and raised Tessaiga.

"Taigokumaru, you don't deserve to live!" he shouted.

"Try it, if you dare," Taigokumaru smirked. "If you strike me, you will also take the girl's life."

Inuyasha gnashed his teeth, his ears pinned to his head and his youki swirling around him. Damn him! He couldn't do it – not with a risk like that.

"What's the matter, fool?" Taigokumaru taunted. "I thought you were going to try to kill me? Have you given up already?"

"Shut up!" Inuyasha snapped. "I'm not playing games anymore!"

"Oh, so you were just playing before?" Taigokumaru scoffed. "Then let me see your power! Prove to me that you are more than nothing!"

He dropped his jaw and shot another sound wave at Inuyasha. He glanced back to see Miroku dragging Shizu back and out of harm's way. He would have just enough time to follow them. But he'd seen the shimmer around the barrier as the attack came through. There would be a weak spot there. He stood his ground, lifted Tessaiga and let the Wind Scar crackle around the incoming blast. He leapt and met the attack in the air, cutting through it with Tessaiga and throwing the Wind Scar in its path. The Backlash Wave hurled the blast backwards and carried it back towards Taigokumaru. It crashed into the barrier and dashed to pieces against it. The barrier flared but didn't fall. Inuyasha swore. Damn it, he'd been a heartbeat too late!

"Fine work, my sweet girl," Taigokumaru grinned. "Keep it up."

"Get out," Shiori whispered, barely loud enough for Inuyasha to hear. She turned around and glared at Taigokumaru. "I will avenge my father!"

Her eyes flashed with a pulse of youki, which then shot towards Taigokumaru and threw him out of the barrier. Shiori flew from his hands and began to fall as well as the barrier dissolved around them. Taigokumaru righted himself and flew high into the air. Inuyasha lifted Tessaiga. Taigokumaru's eyes fixed on him and he dropped his jaw. Everyone moved at once. Shizu had been running for Shiori, but Miroku tackled her to the ground, rolling them both out of the way. Inuyasha leapt into the air, meeting the blast head-on, and cutting through it with the Backlash Wave. Sango and Kirara shot towards Shiori, but the entire colony of Demon Bats threw themselves between them and the girl. The Backlash Wave raced through the air and struck Taigokumaru, ripping through him mercilessly. He fell from the air towards the ocean below. Sango cried out in frustration as fear as the bats kept them from reaching Shiori. Inuyasha landed and crouched to jump towards her, but he didn't know if he'd be able to fight through the bats to get to her.

"Damn it!" a voice sounded from further down the beach, and then Hachi flew into the air, transforming as he did so. He barrelled through the bats, ignoring them as they clawed at him, and caught Shiori before veering to the side. Kirara immediately flanked him as she and Sango protected their retreat. And then Taigokumaru's body crashed into the ocean. The water bent awkwardly before exploding in all directions, showing the village with a large wave.

Hachi flew down and settled on the beach in front of Inuyasha. Shizu immediately tore herself free from Miroku's grasp and ran for them, snatching Shiori into her arms. Inuyasha looked away from the tearful reunion, instead eyeing the sky warily. The remaining bats had scattered, and were quickly disappearing from view.

"Oh Shiori!" Shizu was sobbing. "I'm so sorry, my love. This was all my fault!"

Inuyasha huffed and sheathed Tessaiga. "I guess that's it, then."

"What do you mean?" Myoga's voice suddenly sounded from his shoulder, and he stared down at the flea in disbelief. "Have you forgotten our reason for coming here? You have to kill the barrier demon! Make up your mind! Do you want to make the sword stronger or don't you?"

Shizu was staring at him, her arms tightening around her daughter. "Wh- what does he mean?"

"The blood of the guardian demons is supposed to be able to strengthen my sword." Inuyasha grimaced. "Relax. I'm not gonna kill a kid. We didn't know about her when we came here." He shrugged. "I'll just find someone else with an even stronger barrier, and kill them instead!"

Miroku smiled tiredly and whispered to Sango. "Because that sounds like such an easy time."

"You've changed, master," Myoga was busy wailing. "You weren't like this before!"

Inuyasha growled down at him. "And what does that mean?" He shook his head, pushing past Myoga's answer as he turned back to Shizu and Shiori. "Look, we're gonna stick around for a little while, make sure the villagers don't try and pin this on you. But after that, we'll head out. We won't bother you again."

"Wait," Shiori said, wriggling free from her mother's grip. She held out the strange round crystal still clenched between her hands. "Take this."

Inuyasha eyed it suspiciously. "What's that thing?"

"This blood crystal is the heirloom of the barrier guardians," Shiori said quietly, gazing down at it. "It's what allows us to maintain such a strong barrier. Each generation puts a little of their power inside of it. If you break it, it might be able to make your sword stronger, like you wanted."

Inuyasha frowned and crouched down in front of her. "What will that mean for the colony? And for you?"

"I don't know," Shiori whispered. "But I won't protect the colony any longer. Not after they attacked the village like this. Once it's broken, they won't have a reason to try to take me again."

"But won't you still have powers from being the guardian?" Miroku asked gently. "They may still be interested."

"I won't let them near her," Shizu hissed.

"You won't be safe so long as the colony survives," Inuyasha sighed, looking at the crystal. "But we can start by destroying this evil thing."

Shiori placed the crystal on the sand and stepped back. Inuyasha raised Tessaiga, but a sudden burst of youki swirled around the crystal, forming a crackling red barrier around it. The youki only grew stronger and stronger, and Inuyasha's own aura flared in response. He glanced over at the rest of his pack, who grimaced as the power of the crystal made them nauseous. He should have known that it wasn't going to be easy. Inuyasha let out a long, slow breath and focused his youki into Tessaiga, and the sword immediately began to glow. He lifted it above his head and slammed it down onto the crystal, but the barrier stopped it dead. Power shot from the sphere and wrapped around Inuyasha, throwing him back. He skidded to a stop on the sand. Miroku instantly rushed to his side.

"You alright?" the monk asked, helping him to sit up.

"Fuck," Inuyasha wheezed quietly. The barrier faded back around the sphere, which began to spark and shimmer, and then began to vibrate.

"Shiori," a rasping voice emanated from the crystal. "As if I'd let you go so easily!"

A dark red smoke began to emerge from the sphere, curling into itself until it formed Taigokumaru's face. Shizu immediately snatched Shiori and began pulling her away.

"You cannot leave the colony," Taigokumaru hissed, glaring at them. "Even if you break the crystal, they will not let you go."

He lifted into the air and began rushing towards them. Inuyasha leapt and brought Tessaiga down on the old bat. His sword passed through the spectre without harm. But then Miroku was running forward, throwing another sutra at Taigokumaru. The old bat shrieked as it stuck to him, and the spiritual power began to crackle along his body. Miroku swung his staff at the ethereal form and it connected solidly, throwing Taigokumaru to the side but not destroying him. Taigokumaru shrieked, and the crystal exploded with life. Orbs began to lift from the crystal, all balls of concentrated youki trailing wisps of different coloured smoke. Some of them formed into the faces of other Bat Demons, while some remained intangible shapes, likely too faded to take proper form. The all flew around, some getting alarmingly close to Shizu and Shiori.

"Watch out!" Miroku warned. "They're spirits left behind from all the former guardians. You won't be able to fight them unless they're tied to this world!"

He was already pulling the last remaining sutras from his robes and passed a few over to Sango to put on Hiraikotsu. He then darted to Shizu and Shiori and threw the sutras at any of the spirits that came too close. Inuyasha and Kirara tore into those ones, breaking them apart as much as possible – but they couldn't kill them completely.

"They're still connected to the crystal," Miroku said, glancing back at the sphere, which had lost all of its colour. He turned back to Shiori and his eyes widened. "Look out!"

A light blue orb was hovering above her and Shizu, and before he could stop it, it transformed into the body of a Bat Demon. He placed his hand on Shiori's head, and an orange aura flared to life around her. She glanced up at him, her eyes shining.

"Father?"

A shriek emerged from several of the orbs and they flew at Shiori. They bounced off the barrier which burst to life around her and Shizu, swirling with a mixture of blue and orange energy. But the spirits of the other bats were enraged, and they began attacking with renewed vigor. Miroku sliced through as many as he could with his staff, Tessaiga and Hiraikotsu flashing around him.

"We're getting nowhere!" Inuyasha growled, watching the spirits continue to crash into Shiori's barrier.

"We won't be able to destroy them while they're still getting their power from the crystal!" Sango shouted, grabbing Hiraikotsu from the air and throwing it again.

"And if we keep on like this, all the power will be gone from the crystal," Miroku said thoughtfully, eyeing the sphere. "Shiori, are you still able to connect with the energy inside of it?"

"I can," she frowned. "But grandfather and the others are angry. They won't let me control it for long."

"Alright," Miroku nodded. "Do you think you'd be able to draw the others back inside and drop the barrier? Just long enough for Inuyasha to cut through it."

"No!" Shizu said immediately, shaking her head. "I won't let you put her in danger like that!"

"It's okay, mommy," Shiori said reassuringly as she rose to her feet. "I can do it." She glanced up at the ethereal form of Tsukuyomaru which stood behind them. "Father, can you protect my mommy while I'm gone?"

Tsukuyomaru smiled down at her and nodded. Shiori stepped away, and a blue barrier remained fixed around Shizu while Shiori's own aura swirled around her. The spirits flew at her angrily, but none of them could break through. She crouched down and picked up the crystal once more. Her eyes glowed as the orbs all began to fly back into the sphere, each with an ear-splitting screech. The crystal began to glow an angry red, and was vibrating in her hands.

"Hurry," she whimpered.

Inuyasha leapt forward and cut cleanly through the crystal. The two halves fell to the sand, and the light around them immediately faded. It began to swirl around Tessaiga instead, tighter and tighter until it settled into the blade, staining it a deep red before that, too faded away. The two halves of the crystal were left transparent, no power left inside them as they slowly crumbled to dust.

"It worked!" Inuyasha spluttered, feeling the new energy humming within the sword. "I can't believe it actually worked."

"Thank you," Shiori said softly.

Inuyasha snorted a laugh before he could stop himself. "I'm the one who should be thanking you! You saved me! Hell, Shiori, you just saved all of us."

"I didn't do it alone," she said, looking back at the spirit of her father, who was slowly fading away.

"Tsukuyomaru," Shizu whispered, a few tears slipping down her cheeks. Shiori ran to her mother's arms and the two embraced.

"Your father wanted you to be free as well, Shiori," Miroku said.

"He did?" Shiori said, frowning slightly. "But he gave me the guardian powers. Wouldn't he want me to protect the colony? They're my family, too."

Inuyasha knelt down in front of her. "Well, kiddo, it's up to you, now. What do you want to do?"

She frowned and glanced back at the village. "I can't stay with the colony anymore…"

Inuyasha shrugged. "You still have some power. You're the only one who could put up a barrier for them, so they might let you hang around."

Shiori then turned her gaze to her mother. "But they won't accept humans."

"No," Inuyasha agreed softly. "Probably not. And if I'm being honest, they're not likely to accept you, either. Not entirely. Not without a lot of work."

Shiori regarded him solemnly, thoughtfully. "You found people to accept you, though."

"Yeah, but I've been kicking around for a lot longer than you have," he grimaced. "I met a lot of people, human and demon, who didn't want me around. It's definitely possible, but it's not easy. And it's a lot to put on a kid."

"I don't want to stay in the village," she admitted quietly. "I want to be with my mommy, but I don't want to be here. I want the villagers to like me – I always tried so hard to fit in! But they never wanted me. There's just no place for me."

Inuyasha swallowed the lump in his throat. "There can be, but you're gonna have to make it for yourself. And no matter what anyone else says, it's your choice where that place is gonna be."

Shizu stepped forward and knelt down beside her daughter. "We have nowhere else to go. We can't survive on our own. At least here, we have a home."

Inuyasha huffed. "So, what? You're gonna leave your daughter to the mercy of two groups of people who hate her? Leave her to be used by the colony?"

"No!" Shizu shook her head frantically in denial. "I'll protect her!"

"You don't have to do all this alone," Inuyasha said softly, and he glanced back at Miroku and Sango. "There's nothing left for you here. You can come back with us, if you want to."

"What?" Shiori asked. "To where? Is there a place that will let us stay?"

"Yeah," Inuyasha breathed. "There's a village full of humans that will accept you. You see, they were afraid of half-demons for a long time, too. But then they got to know me. They learned that they didn't have to be afraid of me – because that's what it is, Shiori. The humans don't understand us, so they fear us. But they can learn that they're wrong. The people at this village, they learned not to fear some demons, as well. All my pack, human or demon or hanyou, are welcome there."

Shiori just stared at him, struck. Shizu wrapped her arms around her daughter. "Can we really go there with you? Would they let us stay?"

"'Course," Inuyasha shrugged, pushing to his feet. "You're both tough. You'll be able to fit in there just fine."

"But what about the colony?" Shiori asked quietly. "Will they let me leave?"

Inuyasha scowled. "You'd know better than I would, but I'm betting it's not likely."

"I can go talk to them," she said slowly. "I guess I'm their leader now, after all."

"Shiori," Shizu said warily. "You don't need to put yourself in danger like that."

"It's okay," Shiori insisted, sounding much more confident. "I'll just talk to them. They can't force me to stay. And I can protect us if they attack."

"Where would we even find them?" Inuyasha asked.

"They will have gone back to the roost," Shiori said.

"Well, okay then," Inuyasha nodded. "Kirara, d'you mind taking us over there?"

"We can all go," Miroku said, but Inuyasha shook his head.

"You'll need to go check on the villagers. I can't imagine they're doing great after everything that happened."

He climbed onto Kirara's back behind Shiori and Shizu, and she took off into the air. Shizu directed her along the cliffs until they came upon the island with the Demon Bat's cave. She approached cautiously, but while the bats were clinging to the walls and ceiling of the cave, none of them attacked. Kirara landed at the mouth of the cave and the others climbed off her back.

"Listen to me, everyone," Shiori called out to them. "I know that you have lost many people today, but so have the humans. You must not attack them again." An angry chatter rippled across the gathered bats. "My grandfather is dead. The blood crystal is broken. I am no longer the guardian of the barrier. You cannot stay here any longer."

"There's no one to protect you anymore," Inuyasha added, glaring at the bats who shifted uneasily. "And the humans are going to want their own revenge. They know how to fight you, now."

"You must find somewhere else to live," Shiori said. "You must find a new home where you can hunt without harming humans."

Several angry screeches came from the demons, but none of them said anything. Instead, through some silent communication, all the remaining bats suddenly took to the air. Inuyasha gasped, reaching for Tessaiga, but none of them attacked. Instead, the entire colony flew into the night sky, and circled around to head inland. Inuyasha watched them go until they had disappeared from sight. They climbed back on Kirara and made their way back to the village.

As soon as they landed, Inuyasha knew they'd made the right choice to get Shizu and Shiori out of there. Miroku and Sango were speaking to a group of villagers, and both of them looked as pissed as he'd ever seen them. Hachi was hiding behind Miroku's legs and trembling. As soon as the villagers caught sight of Shiori, their faces twisted in rage and they began pointing at her.

"It's her!" one of them shouted. "She's come back to drink our blood!"

"This is all your doing!" another hissed at her, raising a spear threateningly.

"Enough of this!" Miroku barked, and the villagers shrank back. "We've already told you that Shiori was the one to save this village. You should be thanking her!"

One of the men spat on the ground. Miroku scowled, and Sango looked like she was about to start throwing punches.

"It doesn't matter what you think of her," Inuyasha growled. "You're wrong either way." He turned back to Shizu. "Is there anything you need from your house?"

"Just a few items," she said softly. "We never had much."

Inuyasha trailed her and Shiori back to their hut and stood guard outside, glaring back at any human that glared at him. He didn't know if any of them had seen Shiori defy Taigokumaru, or if it would have made any difference to them if they had. As soon as Shizu had gathered up their sparse possessions, Inuyasha herded them both onto Hachi's back. They took off without a word of goodbye to the villagers.

As they sped through the air, Inuyasha could feel Shiori's eyes on him. He shrugged off the uncomfortable feeling that came from a stranger staring at him and shot her a lopsided smile instead.

"I've never met another half-demon before," she said quietly, cuddling back into her mother's arms. "You're so strong!"

"Yeah, well, all half-demons have to be strong to survive," he shrugged. "You're just as strong as me, you know. Maybe even stronger. I would never have been able to face your grandfather like that, especially at your age."

"Do you have family left?" Shiori asked.

"A half-brother," Inuyasha shrugged. "Both my parents died a long time ago."

"Does he accept you?"

"No." He wasn't gonna lie to the kid, though he hated to tell her. "He doesn't like that I'm a half-demon. I don't know if he'll ever really accept me. But the rest of my family does."

Shiori followed his eyes to where his pack was sitting. Miroku and Sango were leaning heavily against each other, blinking tiredly, while Kirara was purring away on Sango's lap.

"And you're sure your village will let me stay?" she asked softly, worry in her eyes.

"They'll love you," Inuyasha promised. "There's this kid there, Shippo, he's a fox demon. I think you're gonna be great friends with him. And there's this old miko named Kaede who will let you stay with her until they figure out a house for you and your mother."

Both Shiori and Shizu looked remarkably more at ease after that. Shiori blinked down at her hands for a bit, but he could tell that she had more to say. He couldn't blame her. If he had met another half-demon when he was a kid, he'd have been all over them.

"What's your demon half?" she asked after a while. "Does that…change what it's like to be a half-demon? Does it make a difference?"

He hummed thoughtfully. "Not really. I mean, it changes your instincts and what you can do, but it's not gonna change how others treat you. I'm part dog demon, and if anything, other dog or wolf demons just hate me all the more. But we have this weird mix of demon and human powers."

"Can you hear better than humans?" Shiori asked, a little more excitedly. "Everything is so loud to me!"

"Yeah," he grinned. "I can only imagine what hearing a bat demon has. My ears are pretty good, but my nose is even better."

"What about your eyes and hair?" she asked next. "Do all half-demons look like us?"

"I guess not," Inuyasha said thoughtfully. "I've only met one other, and he looks pretty different from us. I don't think any of us look exactly like humans, though. Most humans think we're demons, and most demons take a while to realize we're half."

Shiori frowned. "And do you have this…this time were you turn-"

"All half-demons do," he cut her off quickly. "But listen, that's something you need to keep hidden. You're vulnerable when you're human. Do any of the colony know when you transform?"

"No."

"Good. Don't let anyone find out."

"Not even you?"

Inuyasha sighed. "Look. You can trust me, but I don't want you going around trusting everyone you meet. It only takes one."

Shiori was quiet for another long moment. "Does it ever get easier?"

"Easier," he echoed softly. "Never easy, but easier."

Shiori seemed to be out of questions for the time being. As Hachi continued to fly up the coast, with the sun rising over the ocean, Shiori curled against her mother. Shizu wrapped a blanket around them both as Shiori slowly drifted off to sleep. Inuyasha pushed to his feet and walked back to Miroku and Sango. They both greeted him with soft smiles and warm looks. He sighed, rubbing a hand down his face.

"All things considered," Sango said after a while. "It went pretty well."

Inuyasha huffed a short laugh and dropped his head onto Miroku's shoulder. "I guess."

"They'll be treated well back at the village," Miroku said, petting Inuyasha's ears softly. "Kaede will look after them."

"Yeah, she's good at that," Inuyasha smiled.

"Why bring them?" Miroku asked. "I mean, I agree, but why make the offer?"

"They needed to be safe," Inuyasha shrugged.

"And that's not something that Shiori needs to find for herself?" the monk pushed gently.

Inuyasha sighed. "She's just a kid. I know I wanted Jinenji to toughen himself up, but he won the humans over his own way. Shiori didn't have a chance to do that. And…" he shook his head. "We've made something good with Kaede. We've made a place where hanyou can live in peace. What the hell is the point of fighting so hard all the time if I can't use that to make sure that others don't have to fight the same battles? We gotta look out for one another."

Miroku hugged him close and pressed a kiss into his hair. Inuyasha closed his eyes and just let the cold morning air wash over him.

xXx

The villagers greeted them as they saw Hachi approaching. A few of them looked surprised as he landed on the outskirts of the village and they saw Shiori, but most of them took it in stride, asking how their journey had been and if anyone was hurt. It didn't take long for Shippo to burst out from one of the houses and barrel into the first person he saw, which happened to be Sango. He chatted excitedly, asking them how Totosai had been and what they'd been up to. It didn't take him long to notice Shiori, at which point he froze.

"This is Shizu and Shiori," Miroku said pointedly. "They're going to be moving into the village."

"Hi!" Shippo said enthusiastically, immediately scampering over to them to introduce himself.

Inuyasha watched them with a smile until he felt a familiar glare land on him. He braced himself and turned to face Kaede as she stalked over to them.

"Do ye care to explain just what you have here?" she asked flatly, eyeing the pair.

"It's a bit of a long story," Inuyasha muttered. "Which would go great with some food? We've had a long few days."

Kaede shook her head, and he could see fond amusement mingling with her exasperation. "Fine, fine. Just tell them to be well behaved. And do not let Hachi eat our entire food supply again."

Inuyasha ducked his head to hide his grin. He dutifully followed after Kaede, the rest of his pack trailing behind him at varying speeds. He could still hear Shippo yammering on behind him, and a few of the villagers had stepped forward to introduce themselves to Shizu as well and welcome them to the village. There were still a few uncertain faces around them, but he was sure that as soon as word got around that Shiori was no threat, they would be accepted without an issue. And that was something that he still had trouble wrapping his mind around. He had a home here. His pack had a home here. The people trusted that he wouldn't bring them anyone that was a threat, and so they welcomed demons and hanyou with open arms. He wondered briefly about Jinenji and Kura, if their village had also shifted their views. Even if they hadn't, even if Kaede's village was the only place in the world where hanyou were at home, that was okay. It was still more than he'd ever expected to have. And it was something that he was determined to protect.