Chapter 20

Please read! Notes: Before reading this chapter, I'd advise reading my fanfic "Inuyasha, Come What May." For it explains the backstory I am using for Sesshomaru and the Tetsusaiga. If the story isn't read, in the future, some chapters may seem confusing.

The sun had gone down over the horizon, casting shades of dark reds, oranges and purples across the sky. Even from where I sit inside the inn, with the porch doors slid open on two sides, I can still watch as the sun slowly disappears. Inuyasha sits in the corner, ignoring the prepared food that was made for us as he grumbles to himself.

He's infuriated that the reason why we are here to begin with is due to Miroku. Not only were we offered free food, but free rooms and access to the bathes as well – all because Miroku sensed an evil presence at this inn. It's a loud of crap – I sensed absolutely nothing when we came, but it gave us room and board so I can't really complain.

Frowning, I watch Inuyasha. His stomach growls loud enough for Shippo and I to hear, but he's too busy huffing in the corner by the two sliding doors to give into the food.

"Inuyasha, it's okay, have some food." Shippo offers with a wide grin as he chomps down on some beef.

He growls out something incoherent and crosses his arms, turning his head away from us so we can't see the expression on his face.

From the door to the right of Inuyasha, and directly in front of me, Miroku enters the room with a wide smile on his face. Obviously, everything went well with the 'exorcism' he did for the innkeeper.

"So, how'd it go?" I ask half sarcastically. His smile just grows. He sits down next to Inuyasha and is about to answer when Inuyasha gets up into his face with a suspicious look in his eyes.

"Hold up, Miroku. I'm still puzzled about your powers. Whenever we're looking for a place to bed down, you suddenly detect an ominous cloud hanging over whatever seems to be the finest tavern in the area. How is that?"

Leave it to Inuyasha to be oblivious to the monk's antics.

"You noticed?" Miroku looked astonished but a part of his lips were twitching from potential laughter. "They say, a falsehood is sometimes the expedient path."

"There never was any black cloud?" Yells Shippo at my side.

I roll my eyes.

"You're shiftier than I thought!"

A nasty feeling starts to grow in the pit of my stomach. It is unsettling, churning in a way that makes me sit up a little bit in hopes the feeling will just roll over. When I do, the ground starts to shake. The empty plates and bowls tip and fall from their wooden surface they sit on.

"What was that?" Shippo asks.

But I have no answer. Maybe it was an earth quake? Then suddenly, I hear the faintest of whispers. "Help me…" The voice is feminine and familiar. It is the sound of the voice of the jewel shards. Lifting my head, I search the surroundings for any sign of the jewel and off in the distance outside I can see a brilliant light beaming from around a cliff.

"There is a shard coming." I mutter, pointing in the direction of the light, at which they cannot see.

"Whatever it is, it is big." Miroku comments, eyes searching the cliff side. The ground rumbles again, causing us all to get to our feet unsteadily.

"We've never had them bring us the jewels before!" Inuyasha chuckles.

From up above the cliff a large three fingered hand comes out from the other side, lowering until it crashes into a towered shrine that sat upon the cliff, smashing it to bits with ease. Soon follows a massive head that is all too familiar. It is Sesshomaru's gigantic troll demon. It growls, rounding the cliff as its red shining eyes searches down at the inn directly at us. Upon its shoulder is a silver white speck, whom I assume must be Sesshomaru.

"Sesshomaru!" Inuyasha confirms what I suspected.

Miroku and Inuyasha race out of the inn from the porch and head for the front of the village to meet the demon away from the citizens. Quickly, I follow, with Shippo at my side trembling at the sight of the beast he's never seen before. We all run down a pair of stairs just in time for Sesshomaru to leap off the shoulder of his beast, his right hand glowing a familiar toxic green. He throws the green essence down towards us, causing all of us to stumble back just in time for a complete circle of poison to destroy the land where it lands. Sesshomaru lands on the opposite side of the circle from Inuyasha, who now covers his nose and coughs from the still rancid smell of the poison.

Avoiding the smell of the poison, Shippo, Miroku and I all race behind a boulder to get away from the stench and away from the two soon to be battling brothers. We watch from around the rock.

"To what do we owe this visit!" Inuyasha shouts.

"Spare me the feigned innocence. I'm here for the Tetsusaiga, of course."

"Haven't given up on it yet?" Inuyasha spits, grasping the handle of his sheathed blade.

"They know each other?" Miroku asks at my side.

"Yeah, that's Inuyasha's older brother. He's a full demon, and a powerful one." So powerful that it has me wondering why he needs a jewel shard in his left arm?! When did he get another arm? The last time we met, Inuyasha cut off Sesshomaru's left arm and he left without one! The nasty feeling, I had before grows larger in the pit of my stomach, and I can almost taste the vile.

"Draw your sword, or will you surrender it now without the need for a battle?" Sesshomaru says coolly.

So he is still after his father's sword. But he couldn't even hold the sword before without being electrocuted. My eyes narrow at the demon's new arm suspiciously.

"This time I'll take off much more than just one of your arms!" Inuyasha does exactly what Sesshomaru wanted, drawing the Tetsusaiga and leaping up into the air with the blade over his head as he readies his attack. But with every move Inuyasha uses to attack his brother, Sesshomaru is a step ahead of the game, always too fast, and always somewhere just a little off limits.

"Such a pity. I see you have yet to unleash the full power of the Tetsusaiga."

Inuyasha roars, "We'll see about that!"

He swings the blade up once again, bounding for his brother but again, the full demon is faster. Sesshomaru reaches out and grabs Inuyasha's right wrist that holds the blade tight in his grip, stopping the attack from happening altogether.

"Such pitiful swordsmanship. The little man is having trouble holding his sword!" Sesshomaru coos. His grip tightens, and the green essence starts to smoke from the palm of his hand. Beneath his touch, Sesshomaru burns Inuyasha's flesh. "Your wrist, or the sword, which will be the first to drop?"

Unable to pull his wrist from Sesshomaru's stronger grip, Inuyasha claps the bottom of the handle with his left hand and groans, "It won't be the sword!" He thrusts the sword down and pushes forward, overpowering Sesshomaru briefly. The full demon releases his brother and jumps back away, once out of reach he releases a green whip-like attack that clashes with the Tetsusaiga throwing the blade far from Inuyasha's hold.

Sesshomaru lands next to the sword. From underneath his sleeve, he reveals the whole new hand, at which he uses to grab the handle of the now not transformed Tetsusaiga. But no electricity shoots out, instead, he's able to lift the blade up out of the ground; it transforms into its larger form and he swings it gently, discharging three massive beams of light that destroy everything in their path as they stretch towards Inuyasha.

Inuyasha jumps out of the way just in time for the attack to pass by and destroy the forest behind him.

"Impossible!" Inuyasha yells, his eyes wide with surprise.

"He shouldn't be able to do that…." I mutter, earning a confused glance from Miroku. "Something's not right with that hand."

"I'm the Tetsusaiga's rightful owner. Stand back as I demonstrate its true power. I shall summon all the demons down from the mountain. Go forth!" Sesshomaru commands.

And just so, his massive troll demon lifts up its arm and slams it down against the mountain side, disturbing the land and the forest, as hundreds of spirits and demons come flying out from the interrupted mountain.

"Witness this and learn from a master. With one stroke, I shall slaughter 100 demons!" As he says this, Sesshomaru swings the blade back just as before and with an easy stroke, three beams of light explode from the sword and charges at the hordes of demons, annihilating them all in quick shreds. But it doesn't just destroy the demons, the blast also takes out a chunk of the mountain leaving nothing but a red fiery mess of a missing mountain behind.

"No, that can't be!" Inuyasha says in shock.

"The mountain…" Shippo whispers in awe.

"He slayed the monsters, but also split the mountain!" Miroku also says stunned.

But somehow this doesn't surprise me. It is not that I'm apathetic too what has occurred, but I sensed the power of the blade when I was trapped underneath the bone sludge back in Inuyasha's and Sesshomaru's father's stomach. The blade has power, untouched and unheard of. Devastating power. Deathly power. Why would Inuyasha's father create something so catastrophic?

"Now do you see? This sword, forged of our own father's fang, reigns supreme. Made for ultimate power. The Tetsusaiga cannot choose its owner. But perhaps now you, a mere half breed, realize that you can never master it!"

The vile in my stomach bubbles and bursts. I can no longer sit still. Getting to my feet, I run around the boulder and for Inuyasha's side.

"Keara! Wait!" Miroku yells.

But I don't listen, I am by Inuyasha's side in seconds, my fists tight at my side. Behind me, I can see Miroku rushing after us, and once he reaches us, he stands in front of the both of us.

"Truly, a fitting end to have your blood stain this sword." Sesshomaru monotones.

"I can listen to this no longer. I must end this foolish sibling rivalry." Miroku states.

"My Lord!" Shouts a nasally voice. Up above, on top of the gigantic beast shoulder is the tiny little demon that follows Sesshomaru around like our flea. "Allow me to finish the monk off! No sense wasting your energy on such a feeble opponent!"

"As you wish. I shall observe."

Jaken beats the beast's neck with the butt of his staff, "Onward! Crush them all!" The troll demon growls, stepping to us with one foot shaking the world below it, and then reaching its massive three fingered hand for us.

Unafraid, Miroku takes a few steps ahead of us towards the oncoming demon and lifts his right hand. "Stay back!" He warns us, as he unleashes the beads that keep his wind tunnel concealed. The wind picks up and the tunnel starts sucking up debris from all around us. Sesshomaru responds by slamming the Tetsusaiga into the ground and holding his position. But as the troll demon still approaches his arm is quickly drawn into the vortex of the wind tunnel. Slowly, the demon is pulled in with the screaming Jaken dancing frantically on its shoulder.

"You show him, Miroku!" Shippo says, swinging Miroku's staff about in glee.

From a distance I can see Sesshomaru take something out from his sleeve, a round brown ball, that he throws up in the air. I glare at him shiftily, but as the ball reaches its peek it shatters out humongous sized bees. Without a second to pass by, this swarm of bees comes flying into Miroku's wind tunnel, being absorbed in a kamikaze attack.

The longer Miroku holds against the bees the more he starts to sweat until he can't take it any longer. He pulls his wrist back and covers his palm, letting out a groan of agonizing pain. He falls back onto his butt, "Inuyasha, you'll have to take over."

"Miroku, what've they done to you?!" Shippo asks with worry.

The ground shakes uncontrollably, I have to reach out for Inuyasha in order to keep on my feet. The troll demon collides with the ground, missing a part of its ugly face as it lands. But it is not over with the bees, they start to swarm us; forcing Inuyasha to pull from my grip and swing his claws at the incoming attacks, destroying them with ease now.

Kneeling down next to Miroku, I look over his pulsating arm. Both the arm and hand are swollen, and the veins are easily noticeable. He holds on tight to his right arm, sweat dripping down his forehead. "The insects have poisoned me with their venom."

"Shit…." I reply. There is nothing I can do here and now, not with his arm being poisoned and me, not having a remedy.

"Foxfire!" Shippo shouts as he releases his blue flames onto some incoming bees, destroying two in the process.

"Come on, Miroku! Help me, here!" yells Inuyasha, pries.

"Sorry, the venom, has gotten to me. How could insects have blocked the use of my hand?" Miroku groans.

There has to be something I can do. Getting back up, I run up the stairs and back for the inn in search of anything that can help us.

"Does anyone have a poison antidote?!"

But no one answers. The rooms and halls are empty. I race along the porches for my own room at the corner and head directly for the big yellow bag. Opening it, I pull out the first aid and rummage through the contents. There are tiny bottles, wraps, bandages, and sharp tools for cutting but nothing that could help with bee stings or poisons. I wasn't expecting any but one can hope. Cursing to myself, I shove the first aid back into the bag and frantically look around the room.

Meanwhile, the sound of battle can be heard from all the way up here, along with the ground shaking from Tetsusaiga's deadly attacks. At any moment I could be killed if Sesshomaru just happens to be aiming in this direction.

Standing back up, I circle briefly. Feeling like an idiot, I pause and notice that my hands are shaking in fear. The nasty, vile feeling has never left me, and now I am afraid. Sesshomaru is a scary opponent to fight against. One I haven't seen a weakness in at all, except for when he lost his hand. Lifting my hands, I look over my palms. 'No. Stop being afraid. You've fought against him before. Just now he has the Tetsusaiga.'

Tetsusaiga…. The blade has protected me before. Now it is my turn.

Nodding to myself, I clench my fists until they start glowing their brilliant purple light and then head back out the inn and down the stairs. Below, Inuyasha is kneeling in front of Sesshomaru; he looks to be exhausted. Shippo and Miroku are busy trying to avoid Jaken's fiery blasts from his staff, going from boulder to boulder.

"So, one more strike and it's over." Sesshomaru announces with the smallest smile at the corner of his left corner of his lips.

Something in me cracks when I hear him say this, and all around me, things start to glow red, and my heart pumps fast in my chest.

"No you don't!" I shout, earning their attention. Lifting up my right palm, I release the pent up energy behind my hand and discharge the purple beam of light that collides with Tetsusaiga. The beam engulfs the blade, I can see it vibrate from here, and as the beam slowly disintegrates around the transformed sword, the blade itself then reverts back to its weaker form. "Drop it!" I threaten, raising up my left hand that still glows with a purplish light. "Or else, you're next!"