Warnings for this chapter: threats of violence and death, threats of ritual sacrifice, very angry people, gratuitous backstory
The walls of the castle changed from wooden to stone the deeper the cat demons drove him. Miroku tried to keep track of every twist and turn, but it was difficult, his mind still sluggish after Shunran's spell. He tried to fight back when he saw his staff in the hands of one of the cat demons, but two others were holding him fast, and there were many more around. He didn't think that he would be able to use the wind tunnel in such close quarters without bringing down the entire castle on top of them. Besides, Tōran was following them down, the Jewel shards still clutched loosely in her hand.
They pushed him towards a small room lined with iron bars on the outside. As he began to struggle, they shoved him inside and closed the door firmly behind him as he landed on his hands and knees. He turned around to see Tōran surveying him coolly through the bars.
"I don't suppose you'll tell me what you want with me," he said. "Surely it can't just be to lure Inuyasha here."
"Oh, it is," Tōran said easily. "You wouldn't be worth the trouble, otherwise."
"And what about Sesshomaru?" Miroku prompted. "He has no interest in Inuyasha or myself."
Tōran smirked. "I'm not worried about him."
Miroku frowned at the edge of fondness in her voice. He'd thought that cat demons and dog demons hated each other?
"What do you want from them?" he found himself asking.
Tōran through her head back and laughed. "To kill them, obviously! What did you think?"
"I thought maybe some light gloating?" Miroku suggested, earning himself another chuckle.
"Well, you're not wrong."
The other cat demons were shifting behind her, ears twitching as they picked up on something from elsewhere in the castle.
"Now stay put and don't do anything foolish," Tōran said, already walking away. "I'll be back to fetch you later."
The rest of the cats followed her as she left. Miroku slowly pushed to his feet, keen not to make too much noise and give himself away. He ran a hand down the bars, judging their strength. Perhaps. Inuyasha would no doubt expect a trap, and Miroku was certain that he would be coming anyway. It would be much safer for both of them if he found his way out of the castle before his partner arrived. Odds were he'd leave the others behind as soon as he caught Miroku's scent, and try to take on the cat demons alone.
A quiet shuffle behind him made him spin around. The majority of the room was cast in dark shadows, but as his eyes adjusted, he could make out dozens of shapes in the gloom. He crept towards the figures, which he quickly realized were humans. Some wore tattered farmer's clothes, others had more expensive robes, but everyone from elders to young children was huddled along the back of the room.
"The demons brought you here?" he asked quietly, and received several nods in response. "Do you know why?"
"They took us from our homes," one of the old men said mournfully. "They're going to kill us."
"For food?"
"No," a woman said. "Something else. They've been keeping us here for days, but they haven't killed anyone. They've been giving us food and water. They want us for something specific."
Interesting. Perhaps there was more to his imprisonment than being used as bait. "Where did you all come from?"
"We built a town nearby," one of the men answered. "Many of us came here after our homes were destroyed in war. We were safe for many years."
"The demons only came here a few days ago," another added. "And they took over the castle and began bringing everyone here. Some of us tried to fight them, but they seemed careful to not kill us."
Miroku nodded to himself. "I'm going to see if I can get us out of here, but you must trust me and do as I say. We may not be able to all leave at once."
One of the older townsmen regarded him suspiciously. "You're a monk?"
"And I fight demons," Miroku said, kneeling down in front of the iron bars once more. "Is anyone here from the castle?"
"I was," a young woman spoke up. "I served the lord here several years ago, before he was driven out."
"Do you know if there are any ways to get outside from this level? Some way to bypass the demons?"
The woman shuffled forward and crouched down beside him. "There might be something. The castle is in such disrepair that parts have started collapsing. I can show you."
Miroku pressed his hands along the bars. He might be able to break them with the wind tunnel, but he would have to press his palm right up against them to do so, and that wouldn't give the broken ends enough time to shrink into the void. He didn't relish the thought of sharp iron slicing through his palm. Instead he had all the villagers stand back and hauled himself up to the wooden plank above the door. He prayed that the castle wasn't falling down enough as to bring the whole thing crashing down on top of them as he sucked a good portion of the ceiling into his hand. He then knelt down on the floor and pressed his hand onto the worn wooden planks. The bars began to sway.
"Push them over but make sure they don't fall," he told the townspeople quietly. "Cats have good hearing."
He instructed them to stay put while he crept down the hallway, keeping an eye on the various stairways leading down to the dungeon. He could sense the cats above, but thankfully none came close enough to pick up on his scent. He returned to the townspeople quickly and told them what they needed to do.
xXx
The cat demons darted away on all sides as Inuyasha leapt into the air, Tessaiga singing as it unleashed a red-tinted Wind Scar into the supposed dead end. The power raced along the ground and crashed into the rocks, which shimmered unnaturally before a hole appeared in the middle, quickly spreading as the illusion dropped. The ravine opened up into a valley, with dense forest beyond. The smell of cats and the faintest hint of Miroku's scent immediately washed over Inuyasha. He huffed in satisfaction and sheathed Tessaiga, watching as the red slowly drained from the blade. He took a step forward, and then a twister shot past him.
"Nice work, mutt!" Kouga shouted back to him as he raced into the forest. "Not bad for a mongrel like you!"
Inuyasha growled, more so as the rest of Kouga's pack followed him, calling for their leader to wait up. Damn him. He glanced back to see Kirara bounding towards him, Sango alone on her back. He frowned. "Hachi?"
"He bolted as soon as he saw the cats," Sango reported. "I'm glad to see the Tessaiga works on barriers."
"Yeah, it's great," Inuyasha said flatly. "Now we need to get moving. Those bastards' castle has to be somewhere in the forest."
"Can you track Miroku's scent?" Sango asked.
"Well enough," he said, taking off at a run. "It'd be easier if this place didn't stink of cat and wolf!"
He heard Kirara's protesting grumble and shot her a vaguely apologetic look as she took off after him. Every moment that they wasted was a moment too long. He was keenly aware of the sky darkening above them, of the sun dipping down below the horizon. He kept telling himself that the cats wouldn't have bothered to bring Miroku all the way out here if they were planning on killing him right away. They had to want him for something besides the Jewel shards. They'd told Inuyasha to meet them, though he had no idea what interest they might have in him. He didn't even know them! Although they appeared to know him.
He raced through the trees, keeping his senses open for any other living thing. He knew the wolves were just ahead of him, following Miroku's scent as keenly as he was. He shoved down his anger and frustration towards them and tried to see them as tools, if not allies. It took longer than he thought to make their way through the forest, until finally he caught a glimpse of the first huts through the trees, the dark shape of a castle looming in the distance. There were more and more houses the deeper they moved into the town, all of the structures fairly new looking, but all empty. He slowed his pace as he peered inside some of them, seeing Sango and Kirara do the same.
"It looks like a regular town," Sango remarked. "All built around the castle."
"There must have been lots of people here," Inuyasha muttered, looking over the food left rotting on one table, the old remains of a fire in the irori of another. "They left all their stuff behind. Either they left in a hurry, or they were taken."
"The cat demons must have something planned," Sango said, one hand sliding along the strap of Hiraikotsu.
Inuyasha stopped, his ears swivelling as he picked up the sound of a scuffle deeper in the town. He nodded at Sango and Kirara and started forward, only for Karan to appear on the roof of the house in front of them, a dozen other cat demons around her. She eyed them casually, a slow grin spreading across her face.
"So that's where you've been hiding," Inuyasha growled, unsheathing Tessaiga.
"Took you long enough," Karan drawled.
He leapt at her, and she and the other cats all dodged to the side, scattering to the surrounding roofs. She snapped her fingers and then the cats were attacking. Sango jumped off Kirara's back and threw Hiraikotsu as Kirara charged at the demons. Inuyasha cut through one of the demons and the rest leapt back, assessing. He barely had a moment to wonder what they were up to before a ball of fire nearly crashed into him. He blocked it with Tessaiga and glared up at Karan, who looked significantly less amused than she had a moment before. Inuyasha hurled a Wind Scar at her, unsurprised as she jumped nimbly out of the way. The sounds of fighting from across the town were growing louder, and he was willing to bet that the wolves were having a rough time of it as well.
He kept an ear on the surrounding huts, listening for the heartbeats of both demons and any potential humans, but the latter never appeared. The town had been completely taken over by the cats, their scent washing out most of what had been there before. He began using the Wind Scar more and more, only hitting a few of the cats but driving the rest further and further back. Sango began to do the same with Hiraikotsu and a few choice poisons, while Kirara leapt from rooftop to rooftop, clearing a path for them. Inuyasha followed after her as they made their way towards where Kouga was fighting. But then another ball of fire crashed into the roof in front of him and he was forced to scramble back.
"How rude of you!" Karan snapped. "You're far too impatient, dog. There was no need to barge in here like that!"
"I disagree," he growled. "Where's Miroku?"
"He's safe," she shrugged.
"Answer me!" he barked, his eyes flashing red. Karan's expression twisted into something scornful and mocking.
"Just wait until the moon is overhead," she instructed, glancing up at the half moon beginning to creep across the sky. "Then he'll be sacrificed with the others."
"What?" Inuyasha gasped.
"Don't worry," she grinned. "You'll be joining him – you all will. The more souls, the better."
Inuyasha roared and threw himself at her. She immediately leapt out of range and he didn't bother going after her, just carried on to where he could see Kouga jumping between the houses, throwing cat demons off of himself. Kirara leapt through first, tearing some of the demons off of him before Inuyasha and Sango reached him. They had brought a fair few demons coming after them as well, but Kouga still shot them a toothy grin when he saw them.
"Took you long enough," he called, punching a cat demon away. "These fuzzy bastards are turning into a real nuisance!"
"What, the wolf demon can't handle a few cats?" Inuyasha mocked, swinging Tessaiga.
"You don't have this asshole coming after you!" Kouga snapped.
Inuyasha turned to see what asshole he was talking about, and then Shūran slammed into him, knocking him off balance. He rolled to his feet and kicked at the other demons which immediately swarmed him, but to his surprise, a wolf jumped and tore one of the cats off his back. He turned to see another fighting by Sango's side. A warning shout came from one of the wolf demons before Shūran's lightning struck at Kouga, who easily evaded it, but was met with even more cats. Inuyasha felt eyes on him and dodged as Karan threw another series of fireballs at them. Inuyasha blocked the first few with Tessaiga and she began aiming them at the wolves instead. The demons were able to dodge without a problem, but the wolves weren't quite as nimble. Inuyasha watched Kirara knock one of the wolves out of the way, and grudgingly pulled another out of the path of a spurt of fire. The wolf gave him an odd look before jumping back into the fray.
They were getting nowhere in the fight. The cats were very intent on keeping them from crossing past the edge of the town and into the forest between them and the castle. It didn't take a genius to see that the cats were also going to decent lengths to keep from killing any of them. A few of the wolf demons had scratches and a few of the wolves had been bitten, but nothing life-threatening. Inuyasha kept a careful eye on Sango to make sure that she wouldn't be overwhelmed, but she was keeping them at bay with Hiraikotsu, which she'd coated with poison. The wolves were giving her an increasingly wide berth as well.
Inuyasha saw Kouga trying to catch his eye and followed his gaze to where the two lead cat demons were standing on a roof. Inuyasha nodded in understanding and hurled a Wind Scar at them, separating them. He leapt after Karan while Kouga chased after Shūran, using his speed to overwhelm the larger demon while Inuyasha pushed through Karan's flames. He followed her jump for jump around the houses, not letting her gain any distance. He watched her expression shift in increasing frustration as they went, and fully expected the fireball which eventually struck him in the chest, knocking him down. He scrambled to his feet just in time to see Karan give some kind of a signal. Instantly, all the cat demons leapt onto surrounding roofs as a thick black smoke began spewing from Karan's hands. It filled his nose with an acrid scent, coated his tongue and burned his eyes. He tried to lift his sleeve to cover his nose but found his arms stiff and unresponsive.
He glanced around in dismay as he saw Kirara and all the wolf demons slowly becoming stuck in place, their bodies refusing to obey their commands. The wolves were faring slightly better, apparently untouched by the paralytic effects, but they were hacking and gagging at the thick smoke. Sango had crammed her mask onto her face and was rushing towards him. She reached into his robes and pulled out his own mask, securing it over his face before making her way towards Kirara. The smoke had grown so thick that she quickly disappeared from view. He tried to move after her but his knees threatened to buckle, and he could feel his youki struggling against the poison.
Sango pulled a strip of silk from her robes and quickly tied it over Kirara's nose. She could see dark shapes moving through the smoke above them, keeping their distance. This wasn't good. If the cat demons decided to attack, there was no way she could stand against them on her own. And she didn't have enough spare cloth for even a quarter of the wolves. She caught sight of Karan sitting on the closest roof, smiling down at her as she casually swung her legs over the edge.
"Better watch out for your puppies," she drawled, in a tone which made it impossible to tell how sarcastic she was being. "This stuff smells rank even to us, so I can't imagine how they must be faring."
"You're trying to trap us, right?" she asked. "Or at least Inuyasha?"
"He's the main target, yeah," Karan shrugged. "We weren't expecting the rest of you lot to show up as well. Things haven't exactly been going to plan."
Movement out of the corner of her eye drew Sango's attention to the surrounding roofs, where the cat demons were aiming spears at the wolves. She sprang into action, hurling Hiraikotsu out at them to drive them back before she grabbed a handful of bags of poison powder from her robes. She began throwing them at the cats indiscriminately, earning several yowls as they were forced to move further and further away. She caught Hiraikotsu and threw it again, clearing out some of the smoke with the weapon as she did so. But this wouldn't last for long. She cast an urgent glance over her shoulder to see Kirara struggling towards her, Inuyasha bracing his hands on his knees. Most of the wolves were already on the ground.
And then one of the huts behind them exploded.
Sango spun around, unsheathing her sword and aiming it at the newcomer in a single fluid movement. It took a moment to see who it was, and once she could make out his features, she didn't know whether things had gotten better or worse.
"Sesshomaru?" Inuyasha exclaimed. "Oh, what the fuck?"
"Karan," he greeted, soundly ignoring the rest of them. "What is the meaning of this? Tōran said that you had business with me. I see no reason for these weaklings to be involved."
"Your timing couldn't be better, Sesshomaru," Karan drawled, talking right over Inuyasha's shouted insults. "Sons of Tōga, we'll be waiting for you at the castle. Feel free to leave the dead weight behind."
Sesshomaru watched as she and Shūran disappeared into the forest beyond, their minions following them. He turned his attention back to the demons and mongrels picking themselves up off the ground. Their scents slowly reached him as the smoke cleared. Inuyasha's was the easiest to identify, the closest to his own, and he knew his brother's pack by association. But the others, they were oddly familiar as well.
"Sesshomaru?" one of the wolf demons said, eyeing him haughtily. "I've heard about you. I never thought I'd have the displeasure."
"And what makes you think I'd take any notice of you?" Sesshomaru asked coldly. "Other than your stench, you mean nothing to me."
"Good to know you're a condescending prick to everyone," Inuyasha grumbled, pulling the mask from his face. "Come on, Kouga."
"No, I don't think I will," the wolf said, crossing his arms defiantly. "This slimy bastard has been skulking around for far too long. I don't know what he thinks he's doing here, but I'm not letting him get past me alive. Not after everything he's done."
Inuyasha frowned, an odd strangled feeling rising in his chest at the threat. "Back off, Kouga. He's not worth it."
Kouga growled softly, sniffed deeply, and then his eyes widened. "Wait, don't tell me you're related to this monster!"
"Not by choice," Inuyasha grumbled, his ears flicking back.
"No way!" Kouga exclaimed, his voice rising. "You're the son of Tōga? No way! No fucking way!"
Sesshomaru ignored the yelping and focused on the wolf's scent. He wasn't in the habit of marking such lowlife demons in his mind, so for this one to have made an impression, there had to be a reason. Clearly, he'd never met the demon in person. So what had been so provoking as to-?
The scent of Rin's blood cut through his mind like a knife, mingled with the scent of wolves. These wolves. With this demon as their leader. His vision flashed red and he was moving before he realized what he was doing. He had the wolf by the throat and was squeezing, hard.
"What are you doing?" Inuyasha snapped, shoving between them and pushing Sesshomaru back, shocked at the cold fury he could see in his brother's eyes before a detached mask slid back over his features.
"Leave, now," Sesshomaru told Kouga flatly. "Or I will not be so lenient in the future."
"I don't take orders from you," Kouga snarled, holding his wolves back with a hand. He pointedly turned his back and took off through the forest, heading towards the castle with the rest of his pack. Inuyasha shot Sango an exasperated look and shoved at Sesshomaru's chest.
"What the fuck was that about?" he asked. "I know you're a dick, but you've never gone out of your way to kill anyone as lowlife as a wolf!"
"Do not," Sesshomaru bit out. "Touch me again."
Inuyasha huffed and obediently stepped back. "What are you doing here?"
"Just what I was going to ask you," Sesshomaru said, eyeing him, Sango, and Kirara. "Leave, while you still can."
Inuyasha's lip curled. "What are you going on about now?"
"This is my war," Sesshomaru snapped, a bit more force behind his words. "I won't let you interfere."
"Shove it," Inuyasha hissed. "I don't care about your stupid war or whatever you have going on with the cats. They took Miroku so I'm going to get him back!"
"You are such a fool. You're throwing yourself blindly after that monk."
"And what of it?" Inuyasha asked, pressing hard into Sesshomaru's space. "He's more to me than you could ever understand, you heartless bastard!"
Sesshomaru roared, eyes flashing red as Tokijin appeared in his hand. Youki sprang from the blade and slammed into Inuyasha, flinging him back and sending him crashing into one of the houses. He gasped in pain as the house began to fall down around him, showering him in debris. He clawed his way out and shot a fiery glare at his brother.
"What the fuck has gotten into you?" he spat.
"Silence, Inuyasha!" Sesshomaru hissed, and he looked furious. The markings on his face stood out brighter than before, and his eyes had a definite red glow. His hair rose around him as his youki flared, creating a deep blue aura around him.
Inuyasha shrank back slightly. What the hell…? He met his brother's eyes solidly, refusing to look away, and watched as the anger slowly bled from his expression, as his youki settled around him. Sesshomaru calmly sheathed Tokijin. Inuyasha nodded almost unperceptively, still holding his brother's gaze as he saw Sango slowly lower her own sword out of the corner of his eye.
"Remember your past, Inuyasha," Sesshomaru said in a much calmer, more detached voice. "You lost your heart to a mortal once before, and look where it got you. Now you try to get yourself killed for this one as well. You are not worthy of this battle. I shall take care of things."
He turned and began walking towards the forest. A dark shape by one of the houses detached itself and revealed itself as Jaken as he scrambled after him. Inuyasha watched them go in shock.
"That was certainly surprising," Sango commented, stepping to his side. "I didn't know that he was capable of…emotion."
"Neither did I," Inuyasha breathed, before he shook himself. "I don't know what that was about, but I don't really care. We should follow after Kouga."
"Right," Sango said, climbing up onto Kirara's back and offering him a hand up after her. He hesitated before taking it. He was still anxious to get to Miroku as soon as possible, nervous energy thrumming through his limbs, but the combination of Karan's smoke and whatever the hell was going on with Sesshomaru had subdued him a little. Kirara rose into the air and began flying over the trees. The castle stood out in the distance, still too far away for comfort. Inuyasha glanced up at the sky – Karan had said it would be when the moon was overhead. The time was quickly approaching.
"Faster, Kirara," Inuyasha said, wrapping a hand around Sango's waist as Kirara sped off.
"Inuyasha!" a voice sounded from behind them, and a dark shape soon passed overhead. Inuyasha growled and leapt from Kirara's back onto Hachi's.
"What are you doing here?" he asked. "I thought you ran off!"
"I tried to!" Hachi sighed forlornly. "But I can't just leave Miroku to die. Besides, someone else had something to say about it."
"Master!" Myoga exclaimed, bounding onto Inuyasha's cheek. "I've finally caught up to you!"
"What are you doing here?" Inuyasha asked as Kirara and Sango landed down beside him.
"I've come to lend my assistance," Myoga said, settling down in his hand. "I heard about the return of the leopard cat demons and I figured you'd find a way to get involved. You really are your father's son."
"Yeah, the cats seemed to have some feud with my father," Inuyasha said. "But I don't know how. He was already dead, the last time they showed up."
"Your father's rivalry with the leopard cats spans centuries," Myoga told him firmly. "He waged war with them for the better part of a thousand years."
Sango shared a glance with Inuyasha, impressed. "So not fifty years ago?"
"Of course not!" Myoga said indignantly. "It began when Lord Tōga was still ruling the western province, before he moved into this region. Lord Oyakata was a powerful enemy, and began to move into Lord Tōga's territory. They tried to conquer all other demons in the area, but Lord Tōga gathered his forces to stand against him. Their battles lasted for months at a time and cost many lives. Why, Sesshomaru led Lord Tōga's army for the majority of the war!"
"What?" Inuyasha exclaimed. "How come I never heard about any of this?"
"Oh, the last battle was about a year before you were born," Myoga said dismissively. "And Sesshomaru was no longer fighting alongside your father, at that point. Lord Tōga was forced to face Lord Oyakata head-on, and killed him in battle. That was supposed to be the end of it, and it was, until Lord Oyakata's followers returned fifty years ago. They had sworn vengeance on Lord Tōga and all of his heirs, in retribution for their dead master. That was when Sesshomaru met them in battle with his own army, and drove them off. That was the last anyone saw of him, for a while."
"No wonder they have it out for him," Inuyasha said. "Though I don't see why they had to drag me into this, as well."
"It is your father's legacy!" Myoga said, hopping up and down for emphasis. "It is your inheritance!"
"Yeah, yeah," he sighed. "So what were you doing when all this was going on?"
"Watching over your father's home and estates while he was away, of course," Myoga said haughtily.
"Typical."
"It's strange that Sesshomaru was so adamant about wanting you to leave," Sango said thoughtfully. "I would have thought that he would want your help."
"Ha!" Inuyasha scoffed. "That asshole is too proud to ask for anyone's help. Besides, he's probably still too stuck-up to admit that a hanyou could be part of his bloodline. He's probably worried that I'll embarrass him in front of the cats."
"I suppose so," Sango shrugged.
"But you must join in the battle this time!" Myoga insisted. "Imagine, the two sons of Lord Tōga, fighting alongside one another to uphold their house and their father's memory!"
"Not likely," Inuyasha growled. "He was set to kill me when we fought Menomaru, and he sure doesn't want me around now. Besides, the feeling's mutual. I don't want anything to do with him or my father. I just need to find Miroku and get back the Jewel shards they took."
"Such a pity," Myoga said, already bouncing down Hachi's back. "Well, let me know how it goes!"
Sango watched him go. "That can't be a good sign."
Inuyasha heard a slight whistle in the air a heartbeat before the first fireball crashed into Hachi's belly. He shrieked in pain and fear and began jerking from side to side, trying to avoid the assault. A few more strikes and he transformed down, sending them all plummeting towards the ground. Kirara flew under Sango and caught Hachi by the scruff of the neck, while Inuyasha's youki flared amber around him as he landed on the tallest branches of one of the trees and bounded down to where Karan and a half a dozen cat demons were waiting for him.
"Damn it," he growled. "I thought you were going to leave us alone?"
"It's not my fault you decided to take shortcuts," Karan said, gesturing at Hachi. "Now, are you going to go crying to your big brother for help?"
Inuyasha sneered as he drew Tessaiga. "Not likely!"
Two giant balls of fire formed around Karan's hands and she shot them at him, forcing him back. She lifted up a hand, possibly to signal the cats, possibly for another strike, but instead threw herself to the side to avoid Hiraikotsu. Inuyasha lunged before she could regain her balance and punched her hard in the face, knocking her to the ground. Then the cats pounced on him. He tore them off himself and threw them away, nodding thanks to Kirara as she ripped more away from him. Sango was on the ground as well, and Hachi had disappeared again. Inuyasha swung Tessaiga in wide arcs, cutting through more and more cats as the blade glowed amber. They couldn't afford to get stuck here yet again! Not when the moon was creeping ever further overhead! Karan was specifically trying to slow them down, and he wasn't having it! He sliced through the cats and leapt at her, hurling a Wind Scar at her and forcing her back as he gave chase.
Sango swore quietly as she saw Inuyasha disappear through the trees, leaving more and more cat demons between them as reinforcements arrived. Sango lifted an arm as Kirara darted past and swung herself onto the twin-tail's back. She pulled one last bag of poison powder from her robes and threw it down at the cats, buying them a few moments to chase after Inuyasha. But then a large figure shot from the trees below them and tackled them both from the air. Sango flung herself off Kirara's back and rolled across the ground to avoid Shūran's powerful fists, which crashed into the space where she'd been lying a heartbeat before. Kirara rammed into him, head-butting him away from her as she charged back towards Sango. Shūran roared and gave chase, and Sango met him with her sword. He danced out of range but she lunged at him, not letting him out of her sight. She could hear the other cat demons approaching, knew that they couldn't afford to let themselves get swarmed again.
"Kirara!" she shouted, and snatched onto the ruff of Kirara's fur as she shot past.
"No you don't!" Shūran cried after them. Sango glanced over her shoulder to see crackling lightning gathering around her hands. She shouted a warning at Kirara but it was too late. The blast slammed into them both, burning along their skin and knocking the air from their lungs. The last thing Sango was aware of was the feeling of the wind on her face before darkness claimed her.
xXx
Kouga frowned as he tried desperately to catch Miroku's scent in the air. It was impossible to catch anything through the overwhelming stench of cats. He could have sworn that they were heading in the right direction, that they should have come upon the castle by now, but they were still surrounded by nothing but trees! Where could those rotten cats have taken him? What the hell were they up to?
"Hey, Kouga," Hakkaku said softly, glancing uneasily through the trees. "This is the heart of the cats' territory, isn't it? Do you really think we should try and take them on all alone?"
Kouga's eyes narrowed. "Just what are you suggesting?"
"It's pretty dangerous for us to be out here," Ginta came to Hakkaku's defence. "Maybe we should head back and find Inuyasha and his pack before we actually get to the castle."
Kouga scowled as he looked over his pack. They were bloodied and tired from their battle with the cats, and none of them looked too enthusiastic. The wolves were as willing as ever to follow him wherever he wanted them to go, but the demons were a different story. None save for Ginta and Hakkaku had any reason to care about Miroku at all. He knew that he was asking them to risk their lives for something that wouldn't benefit them.
"Look," he growled. "You all remember what happened the last time the cats appeared in these parts. We can't let them get a foothold here, or else they'll spread like wildfire. We need to take them on here and now!"
Aka stepped forward as the others shifted uncomfortably. "We just don't know if this is the best time," she said softly. "We're long overdue back at the den. We could go home and gather the rest of our people – maybe even call together the other packs, attack when we're stronger."
He shook his head. "We don't have time. Whatever they're planning is happening tonight. We're all we've got."
"Then we should at least go get Inuyasha," Hakkaku said, and held up his hands placatingly as Kouga turned on him. "He'll need our help! He still hasn't caught up."
"That whelp is on his own," Kouga muttered. "I'm not fighting alongside any son of Tōga."
"It doesn't sound like he has much love for the rest of his family," Ginta pointed out.
"Drop it," Kouga said, a little more forcefully. "We don't need his help, and we're not giving him ours. I'm not as helpless as you lot seem to think I am! Now, come on."
"And what about Miroku?" Ginta asked, despite Hakkaku's quelling glare. "Shouldn't we do whatever it takes to get him back? Especially when we know that Inuyasha will work just as hard as we will?"
Kouga took two short steps and was face-to-face with Ginta. "Don't you dare challenge me again," he growled, causing the other wolf to shrink back submissively. "This is about more than Miroku, now. Inuyasha and that monster Sesshomaru are as much our enemies as the cats are, and I don't want to hear another word about either of them."
He turned and stalked away. He ignored the sounds of discontent coming from the rest of his pack as he lifted his nose into the air, trying to trace a scent. There was still nothing. Even the scent of cats was beginning to fade, and they'd been going in circles for far too long.
"Haiiro," he snapped. "Lead out a patrol. Find this castle."
The large grey wolf gave him a weary glance as she set off, a handful of wolves following her. Kouga listened to their progress as they ran, spreading out and yipping to each other to stay in contact. None of them could pick up the scent. None of them could find the castle. Kouga ground his teeth and took off again. He leapt into one of the taller trees and climbed to the top before springing from the branches, bringing himself high into the air. Finally, he could see what the problem was. A barrier stood between them and the castle, barely visible from his vantage point but hidden from the ground. This was advanced sorcery! He could just see one of the leaders of the cat demons standing behind the barrier with a good two dozen other demons.
Kouga's youki flared around him as he dropped back to the forest floor and took off running. He heard Aka call the rest of the pack to come after him. He ignored them. They had fallen right into another of the cats' tricks, and he wasn't about to waste any more time! As he approached the barrier, which looked like just more forest from his vantage point, one of the lead cat demons stepped through and smiled sweetly at him. He didn't slow down, but instead lunged at her. She laughed as she danced out of the way.
"Greeting, wolf demon," she smiled. "I see you have a couple of Jewel shards."
Pink petals burst from her hands and flew towards him. Kouga stumbled back, feeling lightheaded. He shouted a warning to the rest of his pack as they approached – they didn't need to deal with this, after having already suffered from that other cat's smoke. Kouga leapt high into the air and sucked in a deep breath before he dove for the cat, lunging again and again as she moved effortlessly out of the way. He pulled on the power of the shards in his legs and flung himself at her, slicing through her with his claws. Her body shattered into hundreds of flower petals. He skidded to a stop, shocked. So, she was the one behind all the tricks. He took a cautious breath. The air had cleared, but it was thick with the smell of flowers. He couldn't smell anything else! He pushed forward regardless, and was met with a dozen angry cats.
xXx
"Master!" Jaken called as he scrambled after him. "Are you certain that we should be proceeding alone? Wouldn't it be better to ask Inuyasha for help?"
"Silence, Jaken," Sesshomaru snapped. "He will not be a part of this."
"Yes, but if he's here already," the impetuous imp continued. "He would bring the power of Tessaiga – not that you need it, of course, with Tokijin and all – but last time we had an army and we still required his aid. And it's not like he can get himself sealed away again-"
Sesshomaru spun around and snarled, letting his eyes flash red. Jaken yelped and scrambled back, muttering frantic apologies and pleas for forgiveness. Sesshomaru continued on his path, drawing Tokijin as he heard some cats approaching. He focused on the blade, watched as it glowed a deep blue. He sent a wave of power at the cats, cutting through them easily. More appeared in the trees around him, but they were keeping their distance. He paused as a light blue ball flew towards him and set down on the ground, transforming into Tōran. Her scent emerged as she stepped forward, no longer hiding herself. Sesshomaru lowered his sword.
"You summoned me to see your so-called master," he said before she could open her mouth. "I grow weary of these interruptions. Bring me to Lord Oyakata."
"All in good time, once the preparations are complete," Tōran said easily. "In the meantime, won't you stay here with me? It will be just like old times."
Sesshomaru pointedly lifted Tokijin. "That depends on what times you're referring to."
She laughed delightedly. "You really are a sore loser, aren't you?"
He growled softly, and Jaken scrambled forward. "Let me take care of this impudent weakling, Lord Sesshomaru!"
He lifted his staff, one of the heads spewing fire. Sesshomaru forced himself to stand back and watch, unsurprised as Tōran lifted a hand, sending a wave of ice out to meet the flames and quickly overcoming them. The ice caught Jaken and flung him back. Tōran closed her fist and the ice formed into long, thin shards which shot at Jaken. He scampered back to his feet and scurried away, spluttering.
"Conniving wench!" he shrieked at Tōran, and Sesshomaru swallowed down a growl.
Tōran flicked her wrist and the ice shards flew towards Sesshomaru, and he easily deflected them with Tokijin as the blade hummed in response. He saw her smile as her eyes flashed. She held out a hand, a duel-bladed staff growing out of ice in her palm.
"I see you got yourself a new toy," she said lightly. "Daddy's toothpick not working out for you?"
He met her solidly as she attacked, her staff colliding with Tokijin. He sent a pulse of power through the blade and the ice immediately began to crack.
"Oh, very nice," she purred. "Such memories this brings back. But I warn you, you won't be lucky enough to escape with a draw this time."
"I wouldn't call that a draw," he said, low and dangerous. "You retreated in defeat!"
"And you left!" she snapped, a hint of real emotion in her voice. "Did you think I wouldn't hear about it? Do you have any idea how many of your forces we slaughtered after you disappeared to save your sorry skin? It's a disgrace!"
He cut through her staff and flung a wave of power at her, which she dodged. It shattered the tree behind her. She threw a volley of icicles at him with such intensity that he was forced to move to avoid the attack. He forced himself to calm, to not rise to her biting words. He had no desire to relive those memories – seeing her again after a century and a half, fighting her even though he could tell that she was holding back, and then Jaken arriving with a cry of 'terrible news!'
"Things are different now," she said, much quieter than before, a serious edge to her voice. "Back then, I wasn't looking for a fight! You know that. But now I have to revive my master."
"You will make yourself a slave to him once again?" he growled. "And you speak of disgrace."
"You know nothing," she hissed, before she smirked. "You were your father's golden boy for centuries! Don't pretend like you didn't gather his forces and fight us because of him."
"Someone had to stop you," he replied. "And unlike you, I am able to act on my own volition."
"You certainly did that," she said fondly, and he knew that she wasn't referring to fifty years ago. He bared his teeth, and she laughed. "I'll never forget the look on your father's face when he realized you hadn't shown up to that last one. He'd never wanted to fight Lord Oyakata one-on-one."
"And look how that turned out," he said pointedly.
She shrugged, no anger in her face. "And which one of them is going to stay dead after tonight?"
Several more cat demons leapt at him, and he easily cut through them all, not taking his eyes off of her. Her eyes were cold, challenging. She had always stood her ground, for as long as he had known her. It was what had made her stand out from the faceless others he had slaughtered. He remembered the first time he took notice of her, some half a millennia ago. The first time she had almost killed him. The first time he had almost killed her.
Sesshomaru pulled his youki around himself and sent it out in a blast, catching all the cat demons and Tōran and flinging them away. He leapt at her before she touched the ground and swung at her with Tokijin, the blade glowing red. Her own aura flared to life and she spun out of the way before she condensed down into a ball of light and shot into the air. He transformed himself in kind and shot after her. He would not let her escape again.
xXx
"Easy," Miroku warned, helping an old woman through the hole in the wall. "Everyone stay together."
The townspeople huddled against the outer wall of the castle, looking around wildly for any cat demons that might materialize. Miroku had no idea how they had gotten even this far, but he guessed that something must have called most if not all of the demons away. He didn't want to think about what that might mean for those coming after him. For now, he had to concentrate on getting the people as far away from the castle as possible. As the last of them disappeared through the wall, he glanced behind them once more and followed suit. The night air was cold and clear, and they would be able to make their way through the surrounding buildings by the light of the rising moon.
But then an angry shout sounded through the hole in the wall, from the direction of the dungeons. Well, so much for that. "Everyone run!" Miroku instructed in a loud whisper. "I'll hold them off for as long as possible."
"Monk, you can't!" one of the townspeople hissed. "They'll kill you!"
"I won't give them the chance," he promised. "Now go!"
As the people began to scramble away, Miroku turned and pushed himself back through the hole, lifting one of the iron bars that they'd pried free. The cat demons hadn't actually discovered the empty cell just yet. Rather, one had tried to enter the hallway, likely to check on them, and had been caught by the barrier created by the sutras he'd placed along the walls. He watched as more and more cat demons gathered on the stairs, growling and pushing past each other only to be forced back. It was possible that they wouldn't be able to pass for some time, but he had no doubt that the alarm had been raised across the castle. Better to cause a bit of a scene now and draw attention away from the fleeing townspeople. Besides, he still had to find the Jewel shards they had taken from him, and his staff if he could.
Miroku rushed forwards, through the barrier to meet the cat demons head-on. They leapt back as he swung the bar at them like a staff, but they were crowded on the stairs and struggled to get away. He opened the wind tunnel and sucked in as many as he could before the rest scattered. Then he charged. He cut through them with his weapon, spiritual power swirling around him as he cast out his mind to try and locate the Jewel shards. He felt something at the very edge of his consciousness and took off in that direction. More and more cat demons poured in from every direction. He reached into his robes and pulled out a small cloth bag that Sango had given him. He threw it in between two cats and jumped back as it exploded on impact, sending a noxious smoke through the air which overwhelmed the noses of the demons and blocked him from their view. He dashed down a connecting hallway under the cover of the smoke and ducked into a room, placing a barrier around himself to hide while he tried to figure out what to do next. He could hear the cats yowling and hissing, and then a loud, booming voice asked what was going on.
Miroku peered through a rip in the paper screen of one of the walls to see Shūran looming in the hall, something draped over his shoulder. Miroku's stomach dropped as he realized that it was Sango. Kirara was tucked under Shūran's other arm. The cat demons scrambled towards him, explaining warily that their prisoners had escaped.
"What?" Shūran shouted. "You idiots! The time for the ceremony is almost upon us! We have to get them back."
Miroku swallowed. He wouldn't be able to fight Shūran – not alone, without his staff, and without using his wind tunnel. But he couldn't leave Sango and Kirara on their own. The cats needed them, for whatever this ceremony was, which meant that they would be interested in keeping them alive. So he crashed through the wall and rammed into Shūran, knocking him bodily to the side. He was instantly set upon by all the surrounding cat demons, and he let them force him to his knees.
"Feisty one, you are," Shūran grinned, eyeing him. "But that was a stupid move. Take them to a room for safekeeping."
Miroku didn't resist as they shoved him through the halls, Shūran following behind. They pushed him into one of the rooms and told him to stay put. Shūran tossed Kirara at him and then dumped Sango on the floor. The cats had already taken Hiraikotsu, but they pulled out her sword and several knives from around her person and carried them off.
"Get the dungeons ready," Shūran ordered the other cats. "I don't care how you deal with those sutras, just do it! And you," he said, turning back to Miroku. "Don't cause any more trouble, or nothing will stop me from decorating the floor with your guts."
As soon as they left, Miroku rushed to Sango and knelt by her side.
"Sango," he whispered, shaking her shoulder. "Sango, come on. You have to wake up."
Her face twisted in pain and she blinked up at him blearily. "M'ku?"
"Yup. Are you alright?" he asked, helping her sit up. "What are you doing here?"
"We're rescuing you," she said, smiling faintly.
"Ah. Well done."
She glanced around. "We're prisoners?"
"For now. Are you hurt?"
She looked over herself, thinking hard. "That bastard shot us with lightning."
Miroku sucked in a breath and hissed in sympathy. "Do you think you'll be able to walk?"
"Just give me a moment," she said, squeezing her eyes shut. "They said something about sacrificing you. Do you know what they're after?"
"No," he said. "But they got many people from a nearby town as well. They've been holding them for a ceremony happening tonight."
"We saw the town," Sango said, gathering Kirara into her arms. "The cats have completely taken over there."
"Is Inuyasha on his way?"
"He should be," she sighed. "The cats have been giving us a run around. Kouga and Sesshomaru are here as well."
"And no one's killed each other yet?" he grinned.
"Not yet, but it's gotten close."
"Come on," he said, helping her to her feet. "We're going to get out of here."
The door to the room slid open, revealing Shūran. "Well, you're right about that," he smirked. "You're coming with us."
The cat demons grabbed onto their arms and pulled them apart, another one snatching Kirara away from Sango.
"You should consider yourselves lucky," Shūran continued as they were forced down the hall. "Your lives are serving a greater purpose. You will bring our master back to life! You and your Jewel shards."
xXx
Inuyasha swore as he slowed to a stop. Those stupid cats had been leading him on a run-around for far too long, and he'd lost Miroku's scent again! His youki was prickling under his skin and he refused to slow down, intent on finding anyone or anything who would get him to the castle. Every so often, more of the cats appeared and he ripped through them and then followed their scent until more attacked him. There was no sight of Karan, and he realized after a while that he'd lost track of Sango and Kirara as well. He didn't have time to go looking for them. The moon was almost overhead!
He took a deep breath and caught a familiar scent. It wasn't one that he particularly enjoyed, but at this point he wasn't going to be picky. He took off, quickening his pace as he heard the shrieking. He tore through a group of cat demons and dodged a wave of fire which shot at him. Once they were all dead, he turned to Jaken, who was staring at him with wide, bulging eyes.
"Inuyasha!" the imp gasped. "I'm surprised to see you're still here."
"Save it," he growled. "Have you seen any of my pack around here?"
"No," Jaken admitted. He looked like he was going to say something uncomplimentary, and then quickly changed his mind. "Do you happen to know where Lord Sesshomaru is?"
"How would I know and why would I care?" Inuyasha grumbled, stalking through the trees and sneering as Jaken scrambled to keep up. "Besides, what is he even doing here? He's not one to go out of his way just because some demon jeered at him."
"How dare you!" Jaken said furiously. "How dare you insult my lord and defile your father's memory, you unfilial son!"
"Don't you start," Inuyasha sighed. "I've already heard about how my father fought the cat clan for however long, but Sesshomaru wasn't even in that last battle! I heard he got bored and gave up!"
"My master had his reasons, you ingrate!" Jaken insisted. "Besides, Lord Sesshomaru led your fathers forces against the leopard cats when they came seeking revenge! They fought a vicious battle and killed many of your father's old followers, but you weren't there to help!"
He growled. "What do you mean?"
"Lord Sesshomaru thought that you were too cowardly to come, but I thought that perhaps you hadn't even heard of the cats' return, so I went to fetch you. But instead you got yourself sealed to a tree by some mortal woman and you were as good as dead! Do you have any idea how easily we would have won if we had Tessaiga's power?"
"I didn't even have Tessaiga back then," Inuyasha muttered, but something had caught his attention. "Sesshomaru actually wanted my help?"
"My lord would never stoop to asking you for aid," Jaken scoffed. "But I thought that you might have had some loyalty to your kin, you ungrateful son! Lord Sesshomaru even deigned to go see you after he found out about your stupidity, because he has a sense of honour!"
Inuyasha didn't know what to say to that. Sesshomaru had visited him when he was sealed away? Why? Why hadn't he killed him while he had the chance? Why had his brother even cared? It didn't make any sense. He wondered if it had something to do with why Sesshomaru was so insistent that he stay away this time. Was his brother just being pissy about it?
He skidded to a stop as Karan stepped out from seemingly nowhere in front of him.
"Sorry, half-breed," she said, hands on hips. "You won't be going any farther just yet."
He growled and drew Tessaiga. "Get out of my way."
Fire swirled around her hands and began travelling up her arms. "No can do, puppy."
He roared and leapt for her, forcing her towards the barrier. The castle had to be just past her! He struck again and again but she dodged every blow. She jumped high above him and threw a wave of fire at him. He pulled his youki around him which staved off the worst of the flames. He shot a glance behind him to see Jaken scrambling out of the way. Karan sprang from tree to tree, moving faster than he could hit her with Tessagia. He tried to push past her, to take on the barrier, but then she dropped onto his back and yanked him to the side, her claws piercing through his robes and raking down his shoulder. He spun around and caught onto her arm, flung her away as she tried to smack him in the face with a ball of fire. He was about to give chase again when the barrier suddenly dropped.
They both froze, Karan seeming as surprised as he was. Shūran stood there, looking unperturbed.
"It's time," he called out to Karan. "You take over from Tōran so she can start the ceremony. I'll handle things here."
Karan grinned fiercely. "About time."
She shot through the trees before Inuyasha could catch her. Shūran was running for him barely a heartbeat later. Inuyasha growled and met him head-on, slicing at him with Tessaiga and blocking the bolt of lightning which struck at him. Shouts were coming from behind him, and Shūran began to laugh. Inuyasha kicked the cat demon in the head and spun around in time to see a wolf tearing through the trees. From the sounds of it, the rest of the pack weren't far behind. Inuyasha growled and leapt in that direction, drawing Shūran after him. It didn't take long for him to catch sight of Kouga.
"Hey!" he shouted. "We gotta get going! They're about to kill Miroku!"
"Back off, mutt!" Kouga growled, otherwise ignoring him in favour of looking warily around the forest. "I don't want anything to do with you or your kind."
"Give it a rest, will ya?" Inuyasha growled as Shūran burst through the trees. "I never even knew my father, and Sesshomaru and I hate each other! You need to get over it!"
Kouga snarled but darted forward to slash at Shūran with his claws, and he landed back at Inuyasha's side. "They've been keeping us from reaching the castle."
"Figures," Inuyasha huffed, drawing the Wind Scar to his mind. "Who's been keeping you?"
"They have a sorcerer," Kouga said. "She's the one controlling the barriers, and she can cast illusions. She's been popping up all over the forest but it's never the real her!"
As if on cue, a young, long-haired cat demon dropped down from one of the trees and smiled at them. One of the wolves instantly barrelled into her, and she dissolved into petals with a laugh. Shūran cackled from the other side of the pack.
"Well done, Shunran!" he called out into was looked like thin air. He turned to Inuyasha and Kouga. "Son of Tōga, you'll be meeting our master soon enough. Wolf, you'd better get going. This has nothing to do with you!"
"Shut up! It has everything to do with me!" Kouga shouted, springing after the demon. Inuyasha followed suit, but then the other cat demon, Shunran, appeared in front of him. He swung at her, unsurprised when she disappeared into petals, filling the air with a cloyingly floral scent. Shūran kicked Kouga away and sprang back, standing between them and the castle. Shunran appeared from seemingly nowhere and floated down beside him. Inuyasha and Kouga growled, as Jaken and the rest of the wolf pack gathered behind them. Inuyasha lifted Tessaiga, and the blade was swirling with amber light.
"Get out of my way," he snarled. "This is the last time I'll ask."
xXx
Sesshomaru stalked through the trees, towards the gate he could see looming overhead. He couldn't believe that Tōran had gotten away from him. At least he would have the pleasure of ripping her master apart in front of her. He stepped onto a bridge leading up towards the castle's main gates, a deep raving filled with water set around the outer walls. There was a slight sound behind him, then Karan leapt from the trees, over his head to land on the bridge in front of him.
"So the elder brother gets here first," she grinned. "It will be so good to get to fight you properly again, Sesshomaru."
"I will not waste my time with you," he said coldly. "I have business with Lord Oyakata. Should you try to stop me again, I will kill you."
Karan's smile grew wider. "I was hoping you would say that."