Chapter Ten - One Dead, One Almost Dead

As soon as the picnic was over, Kagome gathered the children up, ready to return them to their homes. She did a quick head count and frowned. A frown that deepened after doing two more counts just to be sure.

"Where's Tai?" She asked.

The children looked around in confusion. "He was just here."

"Damn! Inuyasha, stay with the children." She grabbed her bow and moved off towards the forest.

"Oi! Where are you going, wench?" the hanyou demanded.

"Where do you think?"

"I'll go look for him."

She glanced at him. "Stay with the children. If I need you, you'll know."

Ignoring the rest of his protests, Kagome continued towards the forest. She crouched near the edge searching for signs of the boy. After a moment, she found small tracks entering the woods. She cursed silently before heading in, following the boy's tracks. She was a couple hundred yards into the forest when she sensed a youkai nearby. She burst into the clearing at the same time as the boy did. A large white dog demon was right on Tai's heels. Kagome immediately let fly an arrow. It thudded into the creature's side, just below its ribs. It spun on her and she noticed that the thing only had three legs. It didn't necessarily mean anything, but she took a chance.

"Leave the boy alone, Sesshoumaru!"

It glared at her and charged. She easily leapt out of the way. Notching another arrow, she fired. It hit him in his hind leg.

"Come on, Sesshoumaru! Don't tell me you're afraid to fight me face to face."

The dog demon snarled. He leapt at her, but she ducked below him. Spinning around, she fired a third arrow. It struck him just above his tail and he howled in pain and rage. As he turned, he transformed into the shape she knew best. His cold eyes narrowed.

"It took you long enough," Kagome said. "Since when do you chase innocent little children. I thought you only went after innocent men."

"I thought you went back to where you belong," he said in reply.

"I came back. Deal with it." She snapped. "And go away before I forget that you're Inuyasha's brother."

Sesshoumaru snorted. "I'm not afraid of you."

"It was nice knowing you, Fluffy." She used the nickname she'd given him long ago just to bug him one of the last times she had seen him.

He snarled and charged. The miko jumped out of the way, but not before he caught her in the side with his claws. She gritted her teeth against the pain and fired an arrow. Knowing he would jump out of the way, she aimed it so that it hit him in the foot. They went about the clearing in that manner, her hits finding their marks more often than his.

"Give it up, Fluffy. I know all of your tricks, but you don't know mine. You won't come away from this alive."

He shrugged. "If you say so. But in case you haven't noticed, you're almost out of arrows."

She snorted. "Believe me, I could end this any time I wanted. I'm just trying to get you to come to your senses. I don't want to kill you, Sesshoumaru."

He leapt forward, slashing at her. She dodged the blows easily. A frown creased her brow. It was almost as if he didn't want to hit her. She knew that some of those blows should have hit. What was he up to?

* * *

Inuyasha was watching the children as Kagome had ordered when a very, very familiar scent reached his nose. He jumped up and started running towards the forest. He shouted for Shippo to take the children back to the village. Speeding through the trees, he followed the scent to a small clearing where he saw Sesshoumaru swiping at Kagome with his claws. The little boy she had been looking for cowered by a tree, trying to appear as small as possible. Drawing Tetsusaiga, he stepped into the clearing.

"Sesshoumaru!" A red mist edged his vision.

Both of the combatants turned at the very pissed sound of his voice.

"Inuyasha, how good of you to come. Join the fun."

His brother turned his attention to him. Kagome tried to jump in, but Inuyasha pushed her out of the way. He heard her grumble something, but he was too busy to pay attention. He ducked below a slash for his throat and sliced at his brother's stomach. They slashed and dodged for quite a while, neither of them gaining ground. The hanyou's eyes narrowed suspiciously. He knew his brother. He was a good fighter and he should be having an easier time at this then he seemed to be, even against him. What was he up to?

Kagome watched the brothers fighting. Concern and suspicion ate at her gut. What was Sesshoumaru trying to pull? He was a much better fighter than this. Then, all thoughts of that flew from her mind when Inuyasha stabbed his brother through the chest. She sighed in relief. It was over. They never had to worry about him again. Her relief was short-lived, however, when Sesshoumaru stepped back from the sword, still alive and kicking. He looked down, shock on his usually emotionless face. Clearly he had expected to die right then. Seeing that the wound was already beginning to close, his eyes flashed with rage and. disappointment. Before she could move, he leapt towards Inuyasha and plunged his hand into his chest.

"Inuyasha!" She cried out.

"Kill me!"

A stunned expression came to her face at the order. "W.What?"

"Kill me!" Sesshoumaru repeated. "I know you can do it. If you can kill Naraku you can kill me."

"No, Master!" A small voice shouted. "You can't."

"Shut up!" Sesshoumau snapped at his small, annoying servant, Jaken. "I ordered you to leave."

"But, Master." he closed his mouth as his master glared at him.

"Now," the youkai said. "Kill me!"

The miko blinked. "B.But."

"Kill me or I'll rip his heart out!"

To emphasize his point, he moved his hand slightly and Inuyasha shrieked in agony. Her blood ran cold. She'd never heard him make a sound even remotely close to that before. Snatching an arrow from her quiver, she notched it and leveled the weapon at his heart.

"Release him first!" She shouted.

"It doesn't work that way."

"Oh, yes it does. Don't think I don't know what you're doing. I'm not an idiot. You want to die, but you also want to take him with you. The weight of you falling will bring his heart, a heart that belongs to me, with you."

"If you don't kill me he'll die anyway."

She shook her head. "I could easily shoot your arm off and leave you further maimed, but alive to suffer. Now, release him!"

Throughout the whole thing Inuyasha's hands gripped his half- brother's arm. It was the only was he supported himself. His legs had almost no strength left in them. As it was, he fought to stay conscious, but something she said cut through the fog briefly, giving him hope. She had said his heart belonged to her. Kagome stood with her bow ready. It was up to his brother where she aimed.

"What'll it be, Sesshoumaru?"

He could see the uncertainty written in the other man's eyes. His desire to die battled his desire to see the hanyou die. Suddenly, the hand that held his heart loosened. As it withdrew from his chest he felt his brother's claw nick an artery, before he sank bonelessly to the ground. As the archer drew back on the bow, he tried to shout out, to tell her what the youkai had done. He couldn't form the words. His jaw worked, but no sound came. The arrow sang through the air. Jaken, that stupid toad thing suddenly leapt in its path, as if to try and stop it. The arrow went straight through him and sunk into his brother's chest.

Kagome dropped her bow and rushed to Inuyasha's side. She sank to her knees and gently turned him onto his back. Noticing just how much blood came from the wound, she cursed. That bastard must have cut an artery or vein or something to make sure he died. Bending her head, she murmured an incantation. Inuyasha would not die. The spell would keep him from bleeding to death before she could get him back to the village. The flow of blood immediately slowed, almost to a stop. She looked over to the boy that cowered nearby.

"Tai, go back to the village and get Miroku. Bring him here."

The boy nodded wordlessly and dashed off. The miko carefully wrapped a makeshift bandage made from the edge of her cloak around the hanyou's chest. Tenderly, she touched his face a moment before getting up and going over to Sesshoumaru. To her surprise and pleasure she found that he was still alive. Barely. He watched her as she knelt beside him.

"Why? You had sworn to leave us alone. Why try to kill Inuyasha? I warn you, if I don't like your answer I can make sure you live for a couple more centuries just the way you are."

"He k.killed Rin. Someone saw.him. only just found. out."

She shook her head. "Naraku killed Rin in Inuyasha's form. He was trying to make me hate Inuyasha. He knew I wouldn't abide by anyone harming a child like that. The rage I felt at that is what finally enabled me to kill the bastard."

He closed his eyes. "Perhaps. he will. forgive me when. I meet. him. in. the afterlife."

"That won't be for many, many years." He stared at her. "I won't let him die."

He seemed pleased by this. "You. haven't asked. why.I want to. die."

She smiled sadly. "For the same reason I came back and why I won't let Inuyasha die. You loved Rin. Maybe in a different way, but you loved her."

Sesshoumaru's eyes grew distant. "I'm coming, daughter. I'm coming, dear Rin."

The youkai breathed his last staring at something only he could see. As she gently closed his eyes, she realized that it was the first time she had seen a genuine smile on his face. It almost made him look as good as Inuyasha. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Shayril: Okay, guys, in case you're incredibly dense, our old "friend" was Fluffy.er.Sesshoumaru. This chapter was sweet and somewhat sad. And I betcha didn't expect him to do that. Did ya? Did ya? Did ya? ... Smiles triumphantly ... I believe I have sufficiently shocked the shit out of everyone. The tin man now has a heart..... Grimaces ... Sorry for the Wizard of Oz reference. Before you ask, he didn't use the Tensaiga to bring Rin back because he couldn't find her body. Kagome managed to bring it back to the future and bury it there. Anyway, now you're wondering what's going on with Inuyasha and his wound and everything. Well, I don't have anything left to say right now so I should probably get to work on the new chapter....