Yeah, so I know I already have one fanfic I owe to update, buuuuut, I've been having this idea in my head for a while and really wanted to give it a try…

Chapter 1

The hate and the innocent

Inuyasha thought at the beginning that he was having a nightmare. He knew he rarely slept on his human nights even after Kagome returned after their 3-year separation. Yet, here he was in his home, their home, surrounded by thick smoke and aggressive shouts could be heard from the outside of the hut. It was almost midnight.

"KILL THE HALF-BREED."

"DESTROY THE TAINTED MIKO."

"GET RID OF THE DEMON'S SPAWNS."

Having his senses dulled, Inuyasha didn't hear the silent angry mob until they were close enough to put in practice their evil plan. They moved fast and before Inuyasha could consider he heard something outside, he smelt the smoke. The villagers set his hut on fire. With him and Kagome inside and their 2-day born son, Kitaro*.

Before he had a chance to wake her up, Kagome stirred and asked sleepily, probably as confused as he was:

"Inuyasha, what's happening?"

Kitaro, woken by the increasing sounds, woke up and started crying and Kagome turned her attention to the little half-demon baby fussing while his nose was wrinkling and his ears were moving in high alert.

"Kagome, I think we need to leave this flat. And fast."

Kagome finally started to discern some of the noises from outside and her face was clouded by horror. She hugged her son to her body and starred into Inuyasha's golden eyes.

"Inuyasha, I…"

"I know you are still recovering after giving birth and your powers are useless against humans, so don't worry, I'll find a way to get us somehow out…" He tried to sound reassuring, but his voice was trembling.

'DAMN! From the voices, they seem to be quite a lot of them, I wouldn't be able to fight them all and make sure Kagome makes it out. The fire is growing and…'

THUD.

A rock made it in their house, barely missing Kagome's head. Inuyasha's heart skipped a beat as he launched himself on Kagome, protecting her from the new wave of stones.

"AAAAAA!" A high-pitched scream erupted, which only seemed to enthuse the angry mob outside into throwing more stones and feeding the growing blaze.

'DAMN, I almost forgot about her' Inuyasha cursed as he watched the little girl clinging to him and Kagome in fear.

Sango received a letter from her brother a few days ago. Kohaku had fallen for a girl from the new demon slayers village he had moved to. And since Sango was his only family member left (well and Kirara and now her husband Miroku and the kids), he wanted his sister to meet this girl and give them their blessing, so they can marry. Sango replied promptly that she was thrilled for her brother, but she will only leave after her friend gave birth. So, after Sango helped with the delivery of Kagome's firstborn, she left to visit her brother. However, Sango insisted on bringing their children (the twins and their brother) with them because she wanted to show them how a demon-slayer village look like (and while there, maybe teach them some skills), so Miroku joined as well. He couldn't let his wife with three little kids on the road. The next day after their friends departed, Kaede was called to help in the nearest village with a very ill patient, so she had to leave. Since she was old and could barely care for herself than another soul, she let young Rin in the care of Inuyasha and Kagome. After all, they could use some help with the newborn. Inuyasha protested initially because he knew his human night was approaching, but Rin's pleads that she didn't want to be left alone and his wife's encouragement to trust Rin, made him agree with the new arrangement.

So that's how Inuyasha ended in this life-threatening situation without any allies other than his brother who was no guarantee will come as he recently visited just before Kagome gave birth and he usually came after at least one or two weeks. For once in his life, Inuyasha hoped his brother would have been in the nearby, but he knew luck wasn't on his side that awful night.

"Inuyasha, we have to get out of here, the smoke's increasing and it will be hard to breath shortly" Kagome expressed her concern.

"Here, take my fire rat, I'll knock down the wall in the back and create a distraction in the front, while you, Kitaro and Rin should be able to run."

"ARE YOU INSANE?!" Kagome shouted panicked and the baby began crying louder. "Do you want to be killed?! Come with us, there's no way I'm leaving you behind playing hero."

"Woman, LISTEN TO…OUCH!"

Inuyasha started rubbing his head and found something wet. Kagome and Rin left out a gasp as they saw blood on his hand.

"They hit you!" Rin exclaimed horrified.

Inuyasha was running out of time and now he was also hurt. Giving up on arguing with his wife, he put the fire rat on Kagome and ignored her protests about his own safety. Then Inuyasha knocked the back wall and tore it with Tessaiga. Finally creating a hole big enough for them to fit outside, he helped Kagome with the baby and Rin out. But unfortunately, it seems the villagers had some man around the hut too, so when they saw them try to escape, they called the others. They were surrounded.

Inuyasha realized they were about 30 people with torches, sticks and stones, looking angry and shouting blasphemies at them. Inuaysha acted quick and placed the Tessaiga as a barrier for Kagome and the children and he started fighting with them.

"INUYASHA NOOOO." Kagome screamed, but she found herself cornered by the villagers trying to break the barrier.

The baby was crying and Rin was screaming as well for Lord Sesshomaru.

Inuyasha fought his best, but he realized fast that he was outnumbered, so when he started to fill dizzy from the blood lost (he got injured by the villagers) he retreated inside the barrier. He managed to knock down quite a few of the villagers or inflict some pain, but more seem to be always coming. Like the whole village turned on them.

Inuyasha's mind became blurry and the last thing he remembered was hugging his wife in a last attempt to protect her and the children.

"I'm sorry I failed you…"

Inuyasha passed out and Kagome watched in horror as sword's barrier started to fad while at the same time their hut collapsed from the fire. The villagers cheered as the fire engulfed the barrier around the small family, covering it whole. They were too close to the hut not to have it fall on them.

"The ABOMINATIONS have been killed!" The villagers cheered.

They watched for another short time how the fire was eating whatever it was left of the hut. Then they put down the fire with the buckets they brought and carried water from the nearest river. The last thing they needed was that fire to grow through the forest and eat their huts in the village (Inuyasha and Kagome's hut was at the end of the village).

The villagers were just making their way back, when something vicious attacked them and murdered them in cold blood. It wasn't a swift, fast dead, but a slow one. Hits came out of nowhere, letting them howl in pain in the ground, watching as the others were hurt as well. Then one by one, got a final deadly blow and the path between the village and Inuyasha's hut was soaked in blood.

"Cowards…" Sesshomaru said as he studied his bloody claws with his expressionless face, yet his slow tremor in his hands betrayed his anger.

He was as usual, not too far from the village patrolling the lands, when he spotted a thick column of smoke rising. As he had nothing better to do, he left Jaken sleeping on Ah-un and made his way to it. By the time, he reached, he found his brother's house in pieces.

If there was something Sesshomaru couldn't stand, it was dishonourable cowards. He knew about his brother's weak nights, so he put two and two together and followed the villager's path. He was probably about half an hour late or so? He really didn't care about that as much as teaching those cowards a lesson. If someone should kill his HALF-brother, that should be him, so he took his anger on the filthy humans for taking his choice. Of course, for no other reasons. He hated his HALF-brother, yet he was intrigued and mildly curious to see his nephew. And this choice was also taken from him. And then there was his HALF-brother's wife. An interesting human, yet another waste because of some cowards.

Sesshomaru returned to the place and watched the remains of the hut. Before he went for the villagers, he felt something weird about the place, but upon blinding rage, he decided to come back afterwards. He approached the wood remains and noticed the weird feeling was caused by something tickling his senses. Like it was trying to burn him, hurt him.

"Useless…" He muttered and was just about to leave, when he made a U-turn and his eyes grew wide, probably the most expressive he's been in three years.

Sesshomaru approached were the weird feeling was coming and started digging with his bare hands despite the uneasy burn to his hands. He knew that feeling, he felt it before. It was what demons felt upon being purified. And he was right, after barely removing the damaged wood away, he found a small barrier, enough to protect someone lying on the ground. He removed the rest of the wood and then the barrier, faded, revealing his brother on top of his wife and unconscious baby.

"Please, save us…save them…" Kagome muttered weakly before she passed out, having used all her remaining energy to keep her family safe. Upon recognizing Sesshomaru's demonic aura, she finally gave in, hoping he'll help them.

'They're alive' Sesshomaru realized and then the air left his lungs because his smell registered the fourth smell. His eyes moved with horror and finally spotted HER.

Rin was lying unconscious, almost hidden under the fire rat and Kagome's protective embrace. Sesshomaru reached her and was relieved upon listening carefully to realize she was alive. Rin was well.

'WHAT IS SHE DOING HERE'. His mind raged but tried to focus on the people lying there.

His half-brother was the worse and there were still a couple of hours until dawn. The baby was unconscious, yet he was breathing, his father's blood keeping him alive and strong enough to overcome the previous events. His brother and his wife protected and managed to save Rin despite their situation. He owned them. Yes, he killed the villagers, but that didn't seem to be a paid debt in Sesshomaru's mind. And if there was something that he hated as much as dishonourable cowards, it was being in debt. To his brother. The brother that HE, the mighty Sesshomaru decides when he dies. And he decided that now it wasn't the time. Nor for him or his family.

* Kitaro (name meaning) -happy boy

Not sure how well or unwell this turned, so lovely readers, please let me know in your comments. Was it angsty? Too rushed? Or you actually enjoy it?

Enjoy your weekend!