This was certainly a different type of flying. Kagome had experienced the stomach-dropping sensation of taking off in an airplane. She had become accustomed to Kirara over the years; the flying cat's soaring movement was similar to that of a horse. As long as you had strong leg muscles and a good grip on Kirara's fur, you were okay. Traveling with Sesshoumaru on his terms, however, had none of the security of Kirara or a modern aircraft, and plenty of the height.

She squinted her eyes open and they were immediately stung by long strands of silver hair that were whipped back by the wind to poke at her like sharp needles. A quick glance down told her that they were now even higher than the last time she had checked. The treetops looked like a vast, dark carpet across the landscape. Despite the fact that he had certainly mellowed out some since she had first met him, Kagome was not at all comfortable with the idea of Sesshoumaru's left hand being all that stood between her and a long, nasty fall.

"And you're … you're sure this arm is … well-attached?" she asked as delicately as she could over the wind, coughing as she found herself inhaling a mouthful of hair. She instantly regretted the question.

The hand that was clamped onto her leg loosened its hold and immediately Kagome slid off his back with a shriek of surprise, hands flailing futilely outward to get a stronger grasp on his sleeve. Her fingers slipped past cloth and she found herself in what felt like a year's worth of open air before that hand circled her wrist, leaving her to dangle for several mean-spirited, purposeful seconds before pulling her back up.

"I'm sure," he replied without even the barest flicker of expression.

Kagome responded by clutching onto him like a spooked cat, her fingernails instinctively clawing into his neck and shoulder until he briefly considered dropping her for good.

"Jerk," she muttered behind his ear.

Rin looked over at Kagome from her perch behind his right shoulder. "Okay, Kagome-chan?" she called. She was aware that Sesshoumaru had a dark sense of humor and, though it did not show itself often, was generally amusing only to him. This was one of those times.

She had been surprised that he had suggested this means of locating Inuyasha and Ashrem. Sesshoumaru almost never lowered himself so much as to allow others to use him as a mode of transportation; he had commented before about how Inuyasha had degenerated into Kagome's "pack-mule". The fact that he had been willing to travel this way tonight gave her a clue as to his hurry.

The entirety of the last two days seemed so far-off and surreal. The one she was holding onto now had that familiar warmth once more, created by a body that was far more efficient that any human's could ever be. She was having difficulty reconciling the memories of watching his death with how very alive he was now. This simply did not happen among humans … and he was acting as though nothing out of the ordinary had occurred at all. But, then again, he was not human and so the permanence of death did not carry the same weight for him as it did for her kind.

There was a dull fear within her that was rapidly growing as they approached the immediacy of a battle, but it was something she was able to push back with the security of one fact: he was wearing Tenseiga again. She had returned it to him as soon as she had gotten over the shock of his sudden revival, and he had accepted it wordlessly. At least she could be certain he wouldn't throw it away again. No matter what, Tenseiga would take care of him. It always had.

Her head came up when a bright arc of light shot up in the distance, pushing back the dimness in a brilliant display of energy that must certainly have come from a fight between demons. Rin realized now exactly why Sesshoumaru had been motivated to take to the air: not only was it faster, he had known Tetsusaiga would lead them to the battle more quickly and efficiently than following Inuyasha's scent.

Sesshoumaru instantly dropped into a descent, sending Rin's insides into a sudden jerk that went along with the controlled freefall. Within moments, there was a light scraping of tree leaves and branches against her sleeves and legs, before all forward motion came to a halt. Rin and Kagome dropped off of his back, both watching as he eyed the black forest that encapsulated them like a cave.

"Why did you stop so far out?" Kagome questioned with an anxious frown. "We should hurry. He's already found them!"

"What do you intend to fight with?" Sesshoumaru asked her in return.

"I … ," Kagome trailed off as she recognized that, indeed, she had nothing with which to contribute to the battle, save six jewel shards. Her bow and arrows had been abandoned within the shambles of Sesshoumaru's home.

"Precisely," Sesshoumaru replied. "Stay here until we return for you."

Rin kept her mouth shut, but did not at all like the idea of losing sight of him. He would not appreciate being held up by her worries and so she kept them to herself. The sky above the treetops lit up with a yellow-white light that signaled another attack. He peered up at it, too, and then glanced back down at her. Apparently she was not nearly as good at keeping the anxiety off of her face as she was at squashing it into silence.

"This won't take long," he said for her benefit, then turned and all but dissolved into the growing darkness, leaving them behind with the thin, skeletal trees and the distant rumbling of a battle.

The girls peered around at their surroundings for a moment, neither saying a word until Kagome finally declared, "If he thinks I'm just going to stand here, he's wrong."

"He does expect that," Rin replied, looking nervously over her shoulder as a light scratching sound came from behind her. She would trust his senses. Obviously there was nothing dangerous nearby or he would not have left. "I'm not sure that we should go find them, Kagome. I think we would distract them," she said, the image of Ashrem coming to mind even as she finished the sentence. She would not be another diversion.

"We'll stay out of the way," Kagome answered, sounding as though her mind was already made up. "I'd just like to be a little closer than this. The Shikon no Tama is involved, Rin. I can feel it." She turned an intent, brown-eyed gaze on Rin, her face set with the decision. "Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru may have the weapons, but they don't have the ability to see those shards."

*****************************************************************************************************

Inuyasha did not even take the time to watch as the Bakuryuuha disintegrated one of his opponents, instead he whirled around with barely enough time to block against another attack, this one from a demon with frost-white hair and an expression that had lost some of its cockiness after witnessing pieces of his comrade litter the ground in gory clumps.

Kaze no Kizu was not working well against this varied group of demons and Inuyasha had a suspicion that that was because they were making use of Shikon shards. He had been forced to step up his own attacks, not a great situation to be in as it meant that he would wear out more quickly. He just had to make certain that he did not wear out before he had finished the rest of them.

Instinct told him to leap out of the way as a clawing attack from a cat demon cut through the air, one that was not well-aimed as it nearly took out the snow demon instead. A double-bladed weapon slashed just past his neck, making the air whistle with the slicing motion. He turned to meet this weapon, Tetsusaiga clashing loudly against it, the reverberations of the impact crawling up his arms. Out of the corners of his eyes, he could see others lurking, waiting.

He was suddenly not so sure that he'd be back with the girls by dark, especially now that the sky was turning a heavy purple. He was aware that Ashrem had not left this time; Inuyasha caught split-second glimpses of the human man, who was standing in the distance, arms crossed in full expectation of another death. Inuyasha did not know if Ashrem was actually intent upon fulfilling his bargain to fight once his demon defenders had been destroyed, or if he was waiting to see if they would finish what he had incited them to start. Nor did it matter overly much. Ashrem's head was going to roll for this.

Though Inuyasha was quite aware that the odds were stacked fairly well against him in this fight, he absolutely refused to die like this. There was no way in hell he was going to let Sesshoumaru's enemy beat him. If he could outlive Naraku, he could certainly do the same with this guy. He and Kagome were finally together again, and a few short months didn't make up for a lost four years. They owed each other a lot more than that, especially after all the difficulty the Shikon no Tama had brought to their lives. Kagome was not going to have to experience Rin's loss. 

Inuyasha dove out of the way as a spear-like weapon was thrown at him, embedding itself with exceptional force in the grass where he had been standing. Tetsusaiga came up to collide with the sword of another, creating a deafening clang. He had stopped trying to discern exactly what sort of demon he was fighting at any given instant, they were all a whirling, assorted mix of leering faces and cold eyes, attempting to deliver a fatal blow with an enthusiasm matched only by his own retaliation.

Tetsusaiga locked with a blade that flashed dangerously, as though possessed, and Inuyasha found himself looking into the face of its owner, one who was eyeing him with a corpse-like calm that only made him angrier. 

He was going back to Kagome.

He was going to take care of a burial.

And he was damn well going to have ramen for dinner. 

Inuyasha shoved violently against his opponent's stalemated sword, knocking the demon slightly off-balance and taking that moment of weakness to fire off another Bakuryuuha. The demon's attempt to escape the blast turned out to be futile and he was reduced to smoldering parts before Inuyasha's eyes.

The hanyou whirled again to face those that had been lingering behind him, the smug smile crossing his face again.

"Four down, seventeen to go."

******************************************************************************************************

From a safe distance Ashrem looked on as the hanyou fought Shinosuke's demon allies with an impressive viciousness. It spoke highly of him that he was doing so well; the human blood that ran through his veins seemed to have abdicated to that which had come from Inutaisho. It was not overly surprising, merely interesting. Inutaisho had been exceptionally strong; it was logical that even his half-breed child would be a match for most youkai. But not for all of them, he thought with certainty.

It had not been his intention for Inuyasha to die; if nothing else, Ashrem felt slightly sorry for the half-demon. He could still well recall Inutaisho's tendency to involve himself with human women, a despicable character flaw that had eventually resulted in the birth of the pitiful creature that was currently fighting to preserve his own life. Half-demons experienced both sides of the war between humans and demons; they were persecuted by both species until they were either destroyed or found a way to defend themselves.

And that had been the purpose of Tetsusaiga. Inutaisho had been aware of exactly what he had done, what harm he had inadvertently brought to the boy through his own thoughtless lust and selfishness. That sword had been forged to allow Inuyasha to protect himself when his father was no longer there to do it. Sesshoumaru had wanted to take even that from him.

And yet Inuyasha still rises to his dead brother's defense, Ashrem mused. It was inexplicable. Or perhaps that was what had come from Inuyasha's mother; the human ability to forgive, to exceed differences when a situation such as this arose. Ashrem had underestimated Inuyasha's heart. From the years he had spent within the Shikon no Tama, the things he had seen, heard, felt … he would never have credited such a reaction to Inuyasha. But, apparently, there were still remnants of that half-breed pup who had made the poor decision to admire his older brother during those first years, that small segment of time before Sesshoumaru had made it glaringly apparent that Inuyasha's worth, or lack thereof, was directly related to the misfortune of his human ancestry.

It was pathetic, really. If the situation had been reversed, Sesshoumaru would not have purposefully sought out his brother's killer. Inuyasha's death would have been of little consequence. To throw away your life for needless revenge on behalf of someone who despised you, Ashrem thought. That is far more human than even I am capable of. Strange.

Shinosuke materialized swiftly beside him, looking slightly disheveled from the battle. "He fights like a trapped animal," Shinosuke complained, turning to watch Inuyasha from a safer distance.

"This is taking too long," Ashrem commented. "With so many, why are you not all setting upon him at once?"

Shinosuke's expression turned icy, and Ashrem could almost swear that the temperature around him had suddenly dropped. "That sword has to be taken seriously. No one wants to be in its path when he swings it, Shikon shards or not. There's no reason to rush. We're just waiting until he wears himself out, then we'll end it." The cold look melted into something bland and unreadable. "Then I assume that the jewel shards belong to me, correct?"

"Of course, Shinosuke-sama," Ashrem agreed readily. "We have made a deal, after all."

"And it appears that that deal is about to be closed," Shinosuke responded, having turned his attention back to the battle. Inuyasha was leveled to the ground by an attack from behind and this time he was much slower to rise.

"Half-demons … " Ashrem said quietly. "They are such pathetic crea---" He stopped when he noticed that Shinosuke's head had come up sharply, that perfect face contorting into a frown of disbelief as though something beyond Ashrem's senses had just been registered.

"Ashrem, it seems that you have exaggerated the news of your enemy's death," he hissed angrily, eyes narrowing to snake-like slits as he whirled on the human man, long, pale fingers clenching into fists.

Ashrem's own face darkened as he looked up into the distance to a plum-colored sky that hung ominously over a grove of trees. A streaking, star-like ball of light was shooting toward them with appalling speed. It descended amidst the group of youkai in an explosion that threw the battling demons backward in a flailing mix of arms, legs, and weapons.

Even from his safely distant perch, Ashrem could feel the ground underneath his shoes shudder and shake. His serene confidence evaporated when the glare of light morphed into a physically whole, obviously furious Sesshoumaru. All Ashrem could do was watch this unexpected arrival with tense astonishment.

"I cannot explain," he murmured, more to himself than the wrathful Shinosuke. "How many lives does that creature have?"

He tuned out Shinosuke's scathing response, watching with sick anticipation as the assembled youkai army got back to their feet and reclaimed their weapons. They seemed caught for a long instant in an internal debate as to whether or not the jewel shards would be worth battling a youkai lord and a hanyou that had proven himself to be far more adept than they had expected.

They cannot leave, Ashrem ranted in a petulant silence. He was not at all agreeable to the idea of facing Sesshoumaru on his own. It seemed he would have to break his agreement with Shinosuke a little sooner than he had planned.

He looked on as the dog demon's smoldering gaze swept up to him, and Ashrem was suddenly certain that if looks could kill, he would have just been reduced to his body's most basic components. With a calm, almost imperceptible movement, Ashrem's hand went to the jewel that hung around his neck.

Shinosuke's tirade stopped. Ashrem looked over at the snow demon, gratified to see the blue mark that stood out on his forehead, a repercussion of the trust Shinosuke had placed in both Ashrem and that Shikon shard.

Ashrem spoke quietly to his now slack-expressioned accomplice. "You have a battle to attend to, do you not, Shinosuke?"

***************************************************************************************************

Inuyasha's sight fell on another cat youkai, one who seemed to be silently stating a personal challenge with her fierce stare and her fluid, feline movements. She stepped forward, slowly at first, as though judging him as rigorously as he was studying her. When she came at him this time, it was to repeatedly throw her flame attack at him, putting him completely in a defensive posture, one that distracted him from whatever it was that struck him in the back with an impact that forced the air out if his lungs.

The cat youkai jumped clear as he was flattened to the ground by what felt like an immense weight. He was slower to get up this time, but as he did push himself back to his feet he lashed out with Tetsusaiga, sweeping out with an attack that was unfocused and did little else but briefly scatter his opponents. Something tugged at his senses then, a warning of impending destruction, but before he could even turn to see what was coming at him, it swooped overhead, an oddly familiar ball of blinding light that descended between him and his youkai opponents, impacting the ground like a stick of dynamite.

Inuyasha was thrown backward by this explosive arrival, finally rolling to a stop. He quickly picked himself back up, readjusting his hold on Tetsusaiga as he glared at the intrusion … and immediately wondered if he had just been hit harder than he had first thought. Dumbstruck, he tried to blink away the image of the demon that was stalking toward him with an expression of intended murder. And, for once, it seemed that look was not meant for him.

"Sesshoumaru!" he exclaimed in amazement, though he felt quite certain that this was the first time he had ever even approached being pleased to see that face showing up to stick its nose in his business. "You lazy mutt! Were you going to leave all of this to me?"

Sesshoumaru regarded him with his usual emotionless stare; only the slight rise of his eyebrows showed that he had registered Inuyasha's words as he approached his brother. "Not if I wanted to see it done correctly."

"I don't do anything half-assed," Inuyasha retorted. "But I can't say I'm surprised to see that hell threw you back out. They didn't want to put up with you either, eh?"

Sesshoumaru's eyes moved from the disheveled Inuyasha to the youkai that were encircling them, noting that some seemed to be far less interested in the fight now that the odds of death had just escalated. It was to their own detriment that they had not chosen to flee before his arrival. Inuyasha was the one who was known to grant survival to those that surrendered. Sesshoumaru was not nearly so lenient.

"You have my sword," Sesshoumaru scowled at Inuyasha as he reached to pull Toukijin free from where it hung at the hanyou's side.

Inuyasha smirked at him. "You found your arm."

"Leave, Inuyasha," Sesshoumaru ordered distractedly, looking up and beyond their immediate assailants to the human man that was staring back at him with a look of utter disbelief. The snow demon Shinosuke was at his side, gesticulating angrily as he apparently gave Ashrem a stern earful.

"Are you kidding me?" Inuyasha's voice asked incredulously, causing Sesshoumaru to look away from his target and instead to the obstinate hanyou. "Go take another nap. I'm busy."

"Then stay out of my way," Sesshoumaru snapped, his face contorting into something more reminiscent of a canine.

There was a build of energy that Inuyasha recognized and instinctively stepped away from. Sesshoumaru's human body morphed quickly into his true form within seconds, an enormous beast with long, rippling fur, snapping fangs, and massive legs whose claws dug into the ground with a movement that suggested a nice, long stretch. His tail whipped back and forth in a frenzy of irritation.

"Show-off," Inuyasha muttered, as he turned his exasperated stare from the overgrown dog to his enemies. The ground shook as Sesshoumaru pounced his first victim, one who was too astounded to do much to defend himself and so attacked a little too wildly; it glanced harmlessly off the massive, furred body. The unfortunate youkai was clawed into pieces with little expended effort and Sesshoumaru quickly turned to hunt down another.

Inuyasha found himself entangled once more with the female cat demon, one of the few who had seemed completely undaunted by Sesshoumaru's arrival. Not entirely surprising, considering the long-standing quarrels between the western dogs and the cats who had continually made themselves a nuisance for the past several centuries. Heh … she's probably used to the idea of trying to kill us, Inuyasha thought. The other demons did not seem to share her confidence; instead many of them hung back, reticent to rejoin the battle and face either being blown to pieces by a sword or dismembered by the claws of a gigantic beast.

Inuyasha reveled in the sudden resurgence of adrenaline that seized him. He flipped back out of the way of a wild swing and retaliated with another Bakuryuuha, one that ripped through her and took out one of her lingering companions as well. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see a trail of youkai parts being strewn across the ground as Sesshoumaru tore apart another victim. He enjoys this way too much

The other demons were apparently getting the same vibe for, suddenly, Inuyasha found himself without an opponent. He held out his arms in a gesture of invitation. "Come on. Either fight or get lost."

There was a low, feral growl from behind and a gigantic white-furred foot smashed down beside him, bloody claws fully extended and ready for another kill. "If you step on me with that thing, I'm cutting it off again, got that?" Inuyasha warned Sesshoumaru mildly as he carefully eyed the remainder of their opponents, now numbering less than half of what he had originally faced.

Apparently the point had been made because the remnants of Ashrem's demon army seemed disinclined to fight any longer. Sesshoumaru watched the confrontation drain from them and phased back into his less energy-consuming form, hand moving to unsheath Toukijin with a slow, deliberate motion. This was enough for two of the bird-like demons; they immediately took a step backward and began to change into their flight forms … an act that was suddenly and inexplicably stopped. For a moment, their bodies appeared misshapen and caught in their attempted escape before something seemed to force them back into their human guises.

It was easy to recognize the blank looks that suddenly stared back at them. Sesshoumaru watched without surprise as a familiar blue mark burned itself into their foreheads.

"He will not let them escape. They are his diversion," Sesshoumaru informed Inuyasha, looking up again at the hillside where Ashrem was tensely watching the battle.

"Well, what are you waiting for?" Inuyasha asked. "Go kill the jerk."

Sesshoumaru needed no further invitation. Loosely clutching Toukijin, he leapt easily past the line of demons and shot up to where Ashrem was working to assert his control over them. Sesshoumaru descended to within feet of him and swung Toukijin, not at all surprised to find that the attack glanced harmlessly off of Ashrem. The human man glared back at him hatefully, a sneering smile coming to his face.

"This reminds me of the day Midoriko died," he told Sesshoumaru in a voice that sounded as though he was reminiscing over fond memories. "Your father came to kill me. He prowled around me, just as you are doing. Yet, even after all of that effort, I am still here and it is he that is dead. The great Inutaisho … and not even he was successful at killing me. How do you think you can possibly measure up in his stead, youkai?"

"Do not say his name," Sesshoumaru replied, speaking in a voice that rang of death. "And don't think for even a moment that you escaped him by any other means beyond pure chance and cowardice. I am glad that he failed to kill you. It left the responsibility to me, as it should have been from the beginning."

"Both you and your brother will join him today. I have already won this, Sesshoumaru, do you not see? Midoriko's powers are mine. I could purify you where you stand."

"You have already tried that, Ashrem, and you can see that it failed." Sesshoumaru smiled with evil intent. "The girl you claim ownership over … the one you are so certain you control … was the one who sent me back to face you. I wouldn't be so confident if I were in your position." He took another step toward Ashrem, who frowned deeply at this revelation.

Ashrem eyed Sesshoumaru and then looked back down to the field of youkai that were now securely at his whim. "With only a thought, I can send all seven of those demons to destroy your brother."

"That pitiful ploy again?" Sesshoumaru sneered. "Inuyasha is not my responsibility. He can take care of himself. I am here to deal with you."

"Then what of Rin? Removing the shards did not sever my ties with her. I could order her to leap to her death, to drown herself, the possibilities are endless."

Sesshoumaru's face returned to the cool, emotionless facade. "You attempt to manipulate me through threats of those around me, but you must understand by now … ," he took another calculated step closer, but Ashrem held his ground. "I have no weakness, Ashrem," Sesshoumaru said quietly, separated from his enemy by an arm's length. "And you are about to lose your concentration."

Sesshoumaru swung out at Ashrem again, but as before, his attack rebounded and the man remained unharmed. The sounds of a resumed battle behind him told Sesshoumaru that Ashrem had just made good on his threat by ordering his demons to begin assaulting Inuyasha once more. The riotous clang of metal mixed with the sounds of Inuyasha's crude cursing reached his ears as he continued to attack the barrier that ensconced Ashrem's entire form.

As he struck out at his enemy, Sesshoumaru again wondered how it was that he was supposed to overcome this shield, this remnant of Midoriko that Ashrem commanded as easily as breath. She had not said how he should go about killing him, only that she needed him to. He was more than willing to stand here for as long as it took to fulfill that request.

A loud, rumbling blast rocked the ground and Sesshoumaru looked quickly over his shoulder to see that Inuyasha had finally been overcome by his opponents. The hanyou was crouched down and the horrid smell of burned flesh was permeating the air.

"Will you not save him, Sesshoumaru-sama?" Ashrem inquired with mock concern, though he looked as though he was poised to flee if Sesshoumaru took the opportunity to do so.

"He can save himself," Sesshoumaru repeated calmly, turning to fully face Ashrem once more. The human man's face contorted into a mixture of annoyance and nervousness, and Sesshoumaru voiced his next thought. "You cannot purify me and hold that shield at the same time, can you, Ashrem?"

"You assume so."

"You control Midoriko's powers but they do not truly belong to you. It is a constant struggle, isn't it? A tiring one, I presume? Defending against me, subverting the will of your youkai army, sending them to fight Inuyasha. If you can get me to step away, you can lower that shield and try to purify me, correct? Perhaps incapacitate me long enough to kill me again?"

"You are not nearly as smart as you think you are," Ashrem spoke back, his face dark with anger and frustration.

"Inuyasha!"

Sesshoumaru's ears picked up the call and he felt suddenly certain that if Kagome had been within arm's reach he would have strangled her. Foolish woman! he thought viciously, now becoming very aware of the two humans that had apparently gone out of their way to find this battle even after he had ordered them to remain behind. Stupidity was running rampant this day, it seemed.

Inuyasha turned his head at the sound of Kagome's voice, which rang out from the treed woods behind him. She emerged from the overgrowth a moment later with Rin in tow, but did not attempt to approach him.

Reckless idiot! he ranted silently, forcing himself back up on shaking legs as he kept Tetsusaiga situated between himself and the lifeless stares of the youkai around him. They seemed to have been paused, caught for a moment like stringless puppets as Ashrem's attention was diverted from ordering their attacks.

"Inuyasha! The jewel! It's giving off a demonic aura!" Kagome informed him, this time sounding more desperate.

"What?" he muttered, as he listened to her words. He looked past his attackers to the hillside where Sesshoumaru was still trying to bring down Ashrem's shield … and the realization struck him. The jewel was giving off a demonic aura … because Ashrem was manipulating the demons that still hovered around him, filtering their powers through the shards he was using to control them. The secret behind Bakuryuuha's ability to destroy a demon opponent was that it used its enemies' own strength to annihilate them. Ashrem had made a fatal mistake when he had linked the Shikon no Tama to those demons. Inuyasha could now make the Shikon no Tama turn on him.

As he watched the confrontation between Ashrem and Sesshoumaru, Tetsusaiga's energy began to build once more, swirling around the blade, and Inuyasha saw that Kagome was indeed correct. "Sesshoumaru!" he yelled across the distance that separated them. "I'd move if I were you!"

Inuyasha gave one last, heavy swing of Tetsusaiga, creating a massive wave of energy that exploded outward in a sweeping arc, intently seeking the source of that dark aura Ashrem had inadvertently surrounded himself with.

Sesshoumaru heard Inuyasha's warning, as did Ashrem, but the human was not nearly as quick as his youkai opponent. Sesshoumaru leapt clear as the Bakuryuuha collided with Ashrem and the Shikon no Tama, creating an explosion that sent grass and dirt flying around the valley in a shower, igniting a blinding lightshow that lit up the sky. The Tetsusaiga's attack prompted the jewel to obliterate the demons that had been connected to it, that final act shattering the Shikon no Tama to dust.

Ashrem crashed painfully back to the ground, trying to feel for the Shikon no Tama that no longer hung around his neck. His ears rang loudly as he tried to blink away the stunning effects of the attack, staring blearily up at the night sky, silently praying that Inuyasha's act had annihilated all of the demons … a hope that was proved to be in vain when Sesshoumaru came into view.

Ashrem glared hatefully up at the ever-composed face that hovered over him, wincing as the youkai deliberately knelt on his outstretched left arm in an attempt to keep him still. As if to prove a point, Sesshoumaru's hand wrapped itself around his throat, squeezing with enough strength to cut off air.

"Her protection is gone, Ashrem," Sesshoumaru whispered dangerously.

The hand loosened its hold from his neck, allowing him to inhale a breath. "Get it over with, dog. I am weary of looking at your face," Ashrem hissed at him furiously, suddenly struck with the reality that he was looking at his death. There would be no limbo for his soul this time. There would be no return.

"I will give you the death you gave her," Sesshoumaru answered quietly. With barely an effort, he shoved his hand through Ashrem's chest, the pained shriek inciting a morbid satisfaction as he grasped onto the man's heart. With a wrenching motion, he pulled the still-beating organ from Ashrem's body, tossing it away as he looked down to find that death had already frozen his enemy's features. How disappointing…they die so quickly, these creatures…

He looked up from his kill to find that Rin and Kagome had exited the forest to join Inuyasha, all three of whom were watching him expectantly. The anger he had felt at their disregard for his orders faded. It would have dragged on for much longer if the miko had not been monitoring the Shikon no Tama so carefully. Perhaps her worth was greater than the skin she inhabited, he granted, quickly wiping his hand clean before jumping back down to meet them.

"He's dead, right?" Inuyasha asked with his usual bluntness as Sesshoumaru returned.

"Soundly," Sesshoumaru replied, eyes narrowing disdainfully at the scorched Inuyasha, who reeked horribly of burned flesh and hair. "Again, it looks as though you were too slow, half-breed. You smell terrible."

"Better burnt, than dead," Inuyasha remarked sarcastically. "And if I stink it's because I had to haul your ugly carcass around all day. You're welcome for that, by the way," he added with a sneer.

"A strategically poor decision," Sesshoumaru answered smoothly. "But I am hardly surprised. At least you kept from making a complete fool out of yourself in this battle. It seems there are times when even you can be useful."

"I should have left you to the wild animals," Inuyasha muttered as Kagome took a step away from them, looking out over the hazy valley. Something was tugging at her senses, very much like the Shikon no Tama and yet … different.

"Is it destroyed?" she asked of no one in particular.

As if to answer her question, a swirling, ethereal light shimmered into existence only a few feet from her and Kagome suddenly found herself being pulled backward by Inuyasha.

"What the hell is th---" Inuyasha began to question, the hand that was not holding onto Kagome moving to rest on Tetsusaiga.

The light slowly took on a vaguely human form, that of a young woman, one that Sesshoumaru and Rin recognized quickly.

"Midoriko," Rin whispered, eyes wide as the deceased demon slayer coalesced even more into an almost solid-looking shape. Her expression was very peaceful, not at all the dream-like serenity that Rin had encountered with the girl before.

The apparition-like Midoriko extended her arms, clasping Kagome's hand between her palms. Inuyasha frowned, not really certain what to make of this sudden appearance. A comforting warmth started working its way down the arm that was holding onto Kagome, and he froze for a moment as the blistered skin on his hands, neck, and face unceremoniously repaired itself. He released his hold on Kagome, unnerved by this unexpected regeneration, and watched as Midoriko spoke quietly to her, words that not even his own hearing could pick up.

Kagome's eyes closed sleepily and she found herself suddenly looking inward, listening to Midoriko's hypnotic voice.

I cannot destroy myself, Kagome…energy cannot be destroyed. It can only be created; exchanged from one form to another. I can grant your wish to remain with him and to keep the door between your worlds open …

Inuyasha looked on as Kagome and Midoriko seemed caught in a trance, wondering if he should try to break up whatever sort of discussion this was. He was inherently suspicious of anything that had to do with that jewel, and he was staring at its creator, someone whose intentions he could not predict. But just as he was intending to move to intercept them, Midoriko looked up at him, as though hearing his thoughts.

No more sad partings, Inuyasha … came her disembodied voice, stopping him short of his intended actions as she broke contact and moved away from Kagome.

Rin found that Midoriko's tranquil face was suddenly staring into her own, a small smile tugging at her lips. She shivered lightly as what felt like a warm breeze blew past her, and hugged her arms to her body. For several long moments she tried to think of what to say, but nothing came to mind at this surreal instant. She was relieved that they had found a way to help her … and it pleased her that it was a resolution that Sesshoumaru would be content with. No more would this girl's spirit be lingering with a sword or with a jewel, no more being caught between those who sought her powers in order to enhance their own. Rin did not know what precisely would become of Midoriko now, but felt certain that it would be an improvement over being held at Ashrem's whim. She, of all people, could understand the fear and frustration that came from that.

He's gone, Rin, Midoriko's voice echoed assuringly in her ears, as though she had read Rin's thoughts. There is no more influence over you or me. A slight pause, and then an additional whisper: Decide on the path that completes your life. That is all Sesshoumaru wants for you.

Sesshoumaru watched as Midoriko materialized in front of him, wearing a contented smile. Do not let your fear keep you separate from her, Sesshoumaru. You are content when she is with you. Nothing else is as important. I hope very much that you will come to realize that. 

He frowned, mouth opening with an intent to argue the word usage of "fear", but her smile widened into something more familiar and mischievous. Farewell, my friend, she said, before he could find the words. He stopped himself and nodded, not quite certain what to say. It did not seem nearly so long since those days when he had tried to teach her to use the sword that had eventually helped end her life, but it felt almost like it had happened to two different people: a demon who'd felt as though he had too much to prove and not enough opportunity to do so, and a human girl that had not yet been weighted down by a fate that would consume her soul for two centuries. Their brief interaction with each other had placed them both on two completely divergent paths, only to meet up again in order to resolve the mess they had created together. It was a relief to know that it was ended. Perhaps now she would be able to move on to a much-deserved rest. He certainly hoped that that would be so.

Midoriko's shimmering form seemed to fade before their eyes, leaving them in a heavy silence, one that no one seemed willing to break … until Inuyasha's curiosity got the best of him. He turned suspiciously to Kagome.

"So … she had a lot to say to you. What was all that about?"

Blinking away her reverie, Kagome turned to find her three companions staring at her with great interest. Feeling an unexplained weight in her fist, she turned her hand and opened it, staring in surprise at the chain that had once held the Shikon no Tama. Instead of the familiar glowing ball, there was what looked like a small, single shard, one that was registering to her senses as being clear of any evil influence.

"She told me … that I don't have to choose," Kagome answered quietly before placing the chain around her neck again.

Inuyasha did not reply, though he continued to watch her with an inscrutable expression until Sesshoumaru finally moved.

"Then we're finished here," Sesshoumaru said briskly, turning to walk back toward the forest, Rin moving to fall into step beside him. He watched her out of the corner of his eye, wondering briefly what it was that Midoriko had said to her. He would not question her tonight, however. She was clearly weary; the last few days would have been enough to tire anyone. So he kept his silence and debated the idea of speeding up their journey … but his pondering was halted when Inuyasha decided to speak.

Sesshoumaru suddenly realized he had been spending far too much time around the hanyou lately. It was becoming entirely too easy to predict the brat's big mouth.

"You know, Sesshoumaru …," Inuyasha began slowly, casually, watching as Sesshoumaru turned a nonchalant stare on him.

"Yes?" he asked.

"For a little while there, I was the Lord of the Western Lands," Inuyasha stated with more than a hint of evil amusement.

"A sad twelve hours in its long history," Sesshoumaru replied instantly. "Enjoy those few moments, Inuyasha, because you will never see them again."

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It was almost as though none of it had ever happened. Save for the destruction that had been wrought on the front of the house and Jaken's ceaselessly chattered questions, inquiries that were quickly halted when Rin slammed her bedroom door in the little toad's face, everything resumed as it had been before Ashrem's interruption.

That night, Rin fell into a depthless, dreamless sleep as soon as she found her bed and when she woke the next morning, she found that Kagome was huddled under a pile of blankets nearby. Cheerful beams of sunlight were pouring in from the window, declaring that that day was going to be clear and beautiful. If nothing else, the incident with Ashrem had renewed her appreciation for a lot of things, some she had come to take for granted

Rin rose and got dressed, combed her hair, and then quietly left the room, but she had gone not more than ten steps when Jaken's short form appeared, fixating on her with a beady yellow stare.

"I demand to know what went on when I was so carelessly left behind!"

"'Do you, Jaken-sama?" she questioned in return, listening as his small feet shadowed her down the hallway. "And what has Sesshoumaru-sama told you?"

"It is not for me to question him," Jaken replied snobbishly.

Rin did not want to discuss it with him, either. In fact, she wanted nothing more than to just forget it all entirely. But there were only two ways to get rid of so curious a creature as Jaken. Sesshoumaru often preferred the route of violence, but Rin decided to take the other, kinder way.

She whirled suddenly and knelt so that she was on his level, surprising him enough that he skidded to a halt.

"He fixed it," she said. "Just like he always does."

"And your appalling behavior? Was that rectified as well?" Jaken scolded. "Exactly what went on between this Ashrem and Sesshoumaru-sama?"

Rin smiled sweetly. "I missed you, Jaken-sama."

"Eh?" Jaken asked, eyes bulging at the sudden expression of affection. She doubted she could have shocked him more if she had slapped him. "Sesshoumaru-sama indulges you and your sentimental nature far too often. You are a strange little girl, Rin," he sniffed, but her words had the desired effect, discomforting him enough that he all but fled from her.

She got back to her feet, relieved to have put a stop to that interrogation. Loud banging and thumping sounds reached her ears, echoing through the walls from the outside. She followed the noise, eventually wandering outdoors and into a blissfully sunny day. It seemed even nature was set on celebrating their victory with them. The racket was soon accompanied by two familiar voices and she walked around the side of the house until she came to an enormous pile of ruined stone and wooden beams, apparently the remains of the ruined front foyer.

Rin knew that this had been her doing as well, but could not recall what exactly it was that she had done to create such an appalling mess. The last thing she remembered from that day was Sesshoumaru waving her away from her fight with Elif, dismissing her back to the house. She squashed down the nervousness that came from recalling that brief conflict. Something told her that Elif was still a problem that needed to be resolved … and Rin seriously doubted that the woman would settle for an apology. Shoving this dark thought aside, Rin clambered carefully around the shattered rock and wood splinters, and in so doing, found the owners of the voices.

Sesshoumaru was looking on in disdain as Inuyasha attempted to shore up a gaping wall near the stairs, one that still looked to be in danger of collapsing outward at any given moment. The half-demon was trying to wedge a beam into place to help keep such a thing from happening, but was clearly having difficulty, since it appeared to be the wrong size.

"Pathetic," Sesshoumaru commented, sounding bored.

"Yeah? Well if you'd talk a little less and do a little more, maybe we'd be able to get this done. Not that I'm expecting gratitude or anything for helping to fix your house," Inuyasha said sarcastically, giving the large beam another good shove. 

"It is good that you don't expect it, because you won't be receiving it. If you weren't so completely incompetent, the sword would never have left your hands and my home would still be intact."

"You're saying this is my fault?" Inuyasha asked incredulously.

"I cannot fault you for stupidity, Inuyasha, as it is your lot in life to wander about with nothing between your ears save an over-inflated sense of self-worth. There's nothing to be done except to pity you for it," Sesshoumaru replied.

Rin watched as Inuyasha released the beam, allowing it to fall back to the earth with a heavy thump. He took a step toward Sesshoumaru and Rin knew well where this was going to end up. It amazed her that even after all that had happened, they were still constantly at each other's throats. But, she supposed, this was normal for them … so maybe it was wrong to become overly upset about it. She was just grateful that they had the opportunity to fight at all. The sounds of another set of feet prompted her to glance back to find that Kagome had been drawn from bed by the noise as well.

"What's going---" Kagome began to ask, but she stopped speaking when Inuyasha's snide voice issued a return insult.

 "Now I know why you're so damned heavy … it's that head of yours," Inuyasha remarked, shaking his head as though in amazement. "I can't understand how you're able to remain upright."

"You're not wearing Tetsusaiga, Inuyasha," Sesshoumaru reminded him in a tone of warning. "If you start something, I will finish it."

"Finish it? You can't even die, right, so don't give me that crap. You talk really big for a stuck-up aristocrat that doesn't want to get his hands dirty."

Rin exchanged an exasperated glance with Kagome, fully expecting the sudden build-up in the argument to instigate yet another bloody fight between the brothers. Apparently, she was not the only one who had expected Sesshoumaru to act on his threat.

"Well?" Inuyasha asked as Sesshoumaru remained still, staring dispassionately back at him. "What are you waiting for?"

Some weight seemed to flee from Sesshoumaru's posture and he relaxed slightly, crossing his arms as he answered, "I am waiting for you to grow up. You are still a child, Inuyasha. When that is no longer the case, return, and we will settle this permanently."

Rin felt suddenly certain that she had just missed something important. What was this … ? She didn't have a chance to consider Sesshoumaru's motives further because Kagome grabbed her hand and led her back toward the house, complaining loudly that she was starving.

Inuyasha's head turned to watch as the girls walked away before glancing suspiciously back at Sesshoumaru. "Don't tell me you're mellowing out."

"I can assure you that that is not the case."

Inuyasha's face took on a puzzled frown, not sure what to make of this sudden reduction in hostility. And, before he could figure out why he was saying it, he found himself gruffly explaining, "I kept my word. It just wouldn't work for me."

"I knew that it would not. Tenseiga is very selective of her master," Sesshoumaru revealed.

 "And you couldn't have let me know that ahead of time?" Inuyasha complained, finding that he was quickly becoming uncomfortable with the conversation. It was much easier and preferable to deal with Sesshoumaru with weapons, rather than words. But the prospect of a fight had suddenly lessened in appeal for him as well.

"When have I ever made things easy for you, Inuyasha?" Sesshoumaru asked wryly, eyeing the hanyou as he moved to resume working on the unstable wall once more.

"Yeah," Inuyasha muttered, not really certain what to say to that … or why he had felt compelled to let Sesshoumaru know that he had tried to keep that promise.

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When night fell, Rin and Sesshoumaru were seated near the bank of the churning river that had served as the place where Sesshoumaru had first tried to destroy Midoriko's sword. Despite everything, the blade remained whole and untouched, and had been returned to its place in Sesshoumaru's room. He had said that it was "dead", though what precisely that meant, Rin did not know. She supposed that it no longer radiated any sort of threatening energy to a youkai's senses. It had been, in effect, contained.

Kagome and Inuyasha had taken their leave earlier in the evening, a departure that had been mostly uneventful, and Rin assumed that that was because Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha had each finally gotten bored with trying to prove a point that would never be made. There was no way either of those two would ever submit to the other. Sesshoumaru had simply ordered his brother to "Go home" and Inuyasha had replied with a parting message that had contained a word Rin would not even allow her mind to repeat.

It seemed not even death could bring them together … or change them, for that matter. Rin didn't know whether to be more sad or amused by that. But, if she had to wager a guess, she would say that they appeared to perhaps despise each other a little less than before, maybe understood each other a little better. It might not be overly foolish of her to remain hopeful for them. But, then again, she was known to be overly optimistic at times.

After Kagome and Inuyasha left, Rin found herself wandering idly through the woods until she came to the river. She had not even been aware that she'd gone that far, but it stopped her forward motion, providing a tranquil scene that she decided to enjoy. She had not been at all surprised when Sesshoumaru had finally emerged from the woods to join her. There had apparently been no purpose behind his coming, as he had not said much to her, just settled not far away at the base of an ancient tree.

It was she who finally moved to sit beside him, her feet digging into the sticky sand as she walked up the sloping shore. A light breeze sifted through her hair, hinting that autumn was upon them. She sat down only inches from him, feeling suddenly brave enough to invade the personal space he always demanded, smiling slightly when he did not move away, merely glanced at her and then back at the water. They continued their silent companionship, with only the soothing sounds of the water below them breaking the quiet.

That horrible battle was so far away now. Her heart and mind seemed to have joined together in an attempt to push away as many details of that nightmarish day as possible, and Rin would let them. It was not something she wanted to dwell on. He was here with her now, and would continue to be, and that was all that mattered. Sesshoumaru appeared to be intent upon forcing the memory from their lives as well. When Jaken had finally given in to his inherent nosiness and inquired about what had happened in their absence, Sesshoumaru had been quick to tell him to mind his own business. They had returned, hadn't they? The matter was resolved. End of story. So simplistic.

How like him, Rin thought affectionately … to reduce so horrific an event to something that was not even worth his time to explain. She admired his ability to dismiss such things so easily and honestly.

But what she would not dismiss was what had spurred him to such an action as to drop Toukijin during that battle, rather then bring about her death. She could still remember that day in the cellar of the house, when he had been trying to explain his feelings for her and the restrictions their differences placed on them. He had told her that she had managed to become as important to him as himself, but that act of selflessness he had performed on the battlefield in front of Ashrem had shown her what he had really meant to say. She no longer questioned his feelings for her. As always, Sesshoumaru spoke from his heart with actions far more readily than with words.

"Sesshoumaru?" she called softly, loathe to disturb the serenity around them, but there were so many things that she felt compelled to say.

"Yes?"

"Thank you," she said, knowing that he would understand why she was expressing gratitude. 

"You are welcome."

Another silence descended, and this time Rin argued within herself as to how she could relay her feelings in a way that would not horrify him. This was where it became difficult, where their vast differences in personality prevented things from being clearly stated between them. Somehow, though, the events of the past few days allowed her the ability to voice her thoughts, something she had not been able to do before ….  He was here now … he was likely to be here for a very long time … but she had learned that nothing was permanent. There were things her heart felt compelled to tell him and she did not want to wait until he was no longer there to hear them.  

"Sesshoumaru?" she called again, this time more hesitantly.

"Yes?" he asked, staring resolutely ahead and knowing precisely what was going to come out of her mouth before she even said it. This time he did not stop her.

"I love you very much."

"Yes, I know," he said simply, taking her aback with this egocentric certainty.

She turned a wide, surprised smile on him, relieved that she had apparently not made him nearly as uncomfortable as she had thought she would. "You still deserve to hear it. Everyone does, even almighty demon lords."

"Almighty demon lords understand things without needing to hear them," he replied easily. "And that sometimes leads to their making unwise decisions."

The smile faded slightly at those words and she frowned lightly. "What unwise decision have you made?"

"One that I have no desire to correct," he revealed cryptically, turning to look at her. "Do you still intend to return to Kameko?"

Rin's expression turned to bewilderment. "When did I say that?"

Sesshoumaru seemed amused by this genuine confusion. "Never mind." Strangely, this was not nearly so uncomfortable a conversation as he had expected. He had been dreading this moment for a while now, yet it had come and gone and it had not been nearly as unnatural as he had feared. Perhaps it was because he had already been aware of her feelings, and so the words had not been a surprise. Or maybe it was because those feelings were not unwelcome.

How had it come to this? he wondered. It was as though she had become split into two different people in his mind. An impish, curious, constantly-chattering child … and then the person he had found in Kameko's village that night. Only slightly less impish, still obscenely curious … a little quieter perhaps, but still talkative enough that she often forced him out of that comfortable shell of solitude. He had known her the least amount of time of anyone else in his long life, yet he recognized that she knew him better than any of those people. Sesshoumaru was not one to easily form friendships or relationships of much depth, but he had somehow effortlessly managed it with Rin.

Rin turned so that she could look him in the face, and she saw that he was watching her curiously, as though wondering what else he could expect her to tell him. "I want you to know," she said with quiet certainty, "that I do want to stay with you." She remembered well how he had suggested that returning to a normal human life was what was best for her, but he had inadvertently set her on this path from the moment he had returned her life to her all those years ago. In a sense, she had been reborn at that moment. Fate had pushed her along in another direction, away from the normalcy of a life among humans, and she was very content with that. She studied his face for a hint as to what he was thinking, her heart fluttering anxiously.

"That is not a decision to be made lightly. I will not hold you to it," he finally answered.

"It was not a rash decision."

"You are reacting to what happened yesterday. The specter of the deaths of those around you has always been something you've feared. You should not allow it to dictate your future. Mortality is something that cannot be escaped, even in a life with youkai." He eyed her seriously. "Death finds us as well. It just takes more effort to claim us."

Rin listened, knowing that some of what he was saying about her was true, but he was wrong about one important aspect. "I knew what I wanted to do well before that battle, Sesshoumaru. If anything, what happened with Ashrem let me know that my decision was right. Whatever the restrictions, I'm content to stay with you … even if it means being a momentary distraction," she added with a slight smile.

"'A momentary distraction'?" he repeated with a frown, wondering briefly if Jaken had been speaking out of turn again. "And who told you that you were such a thing?"

"Kameko. And I can see her point. You've lived a long time. You'll probably be around for much longer. Sixty years spent with a human woman will likely only be a brief interlude in your life. I'm willing to accept that."

"Kameko said that?" he asked, and the frown deepened to a scowl. "That hanyou speaks far too much about things she knows nothing about. She told me that I would be the one to break your heart and yet she feels the need to say such things to you." He paused, as though mentally considering the scathing words he would reserve for Kameko when he saw her next. "My attention span is not held by mere 'distractions'. Be assured that she was wrong when she told you that."

"She was concerned … ," Rin weakly defended Kameko.

"I will grant that she had reason to be. She wonders how happy you will be when your life is finished and you find that it was devoid of the things that seem to make humans content."

"Those same things make demons content, I think," Rin replied, wrapping her hand around his forearm, as she added, "We are not so different, Sesshoumaru."

"Demons have far more time to seek out the things that make their lives worthwhile," he said, glancing down at the hand that was lying lightly across his arm. "Humans do not have that same luxury."

"Then I'm lucky that it didn't take me much time," Rin said with a smile, making her tone cheerful. She moved her hand to lightly grasp some stray strands of his hair, folding them around her fingers, inspecting their feathery softness as her mind considered the realization that he had yet to even tell her what it was that he wanted. Maybe he had concluded that it would be best for them both to go their separate ways? She did not know, and really had no way of knowing. He was not the type to come out and tell her such things, nor would he hurt her feelings by ordering her away. She found that she was almost afraid when she asked, "What is it that you want, Sesshoumaru?""

Sesshoumaru watched that hand as it played with his hair, vaguely realizing that there had never been anyone else who would have dared to be so familiar with him. Human or not, Rin was the only individual whose gestures of affection he would accept. There was something about that that struck him then, even as he greeted her question with a long silence. If she was willing to accept him and the life being with him entailed, then he would be pleased to have her remain with him. Somehow he had developed a deep attachment to this girl. This was the outcome he had wanted and for him it was enough to recognize that, it did not need to be stated. But … she could not read his mind, and for once he wanted to be certain to make things clear for her. He stared at her for a long moment, studying that expression that contained such heartfelt feeling for him, before finally answering, "I want you to stay with me, Rin."

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The End! Well … sort of. I've still got the epilogue to do, but it'll be a lot shorter than a regular chapter. I've got to wrap up a few more things in that, although I'm having a hard time deciding on how to go about it, since I'll be starting the next story soon and don't want to divulge a whole lot. *shrug* I don't know. First, I need to go back and do some serious re-writing. Especially on some of those first chapters. They're insanely short compared to these later ones. Completely unbalanced. I'm a little more comfortable with this "fanfiction thing", so it'll be easier to go back and add some stuff. There are some things I just forgot to put in entirely. Oops. But I'll also get to change up some painful dialogue and things.

I had a hard time with this chapter for some reason. Both Wethril and I agreed that there's something missing, but I've gone back through it and can't figure out what that is. The only thing I can think of will be covered in the Epilogue.

So, anyway, next is the Epilogue and it'll cover one more thing that needs to be resolved!

I'd like to express huuuuge thanks, hugs, and kisses to Wethril for reading all of this stuff ahead of time. She's awesome. Thanks very much, Wethril!

Also, thanks to the reviewers. It's been a lot of fun. :D

To the reviewers:

Ourania: I hope that was an appropriately bloody death for him. LOL! I thought it was poetic justice to have his heart ripped out, considering what happened with Midoriko. Sesshy takes no prisoners. *evil cackle* And that's probably why I get your sense of humor. I love sarcasm, dry humor, all that type of thing. It amuses me, because I have a very sarcastic sense of humor myself. :D

Noir12: Thanks! I thought it'd be great to have Sesshoumaru dealing with an emotionally-wrecked Rin. ;) It's fun to put him in positions that he's not terribly accustomed to being in. Seeing someone that worked up over him would probably be weird for him. LOL! And, yes, Ashrem's ass is well-kicked and deservedly so! I had the hardest time trying to explain exactly what the Bakuryuuha attack does, though. I know a lot of people haven't seen past Episode 52, so they haven't seen that attack yet. It turns a youkai's powers back on himself…very cool. I had Inuyasha's last fight with Bankotsu very in mind when I wrote up Ashrem's death.

Sesshoumaru: Sesshoumaru-sama! You have an internet connection! I'm a little freaked out by that, I've gotta admit. ;) Sorry about the whole death thing…but at least you got the bad guy in the end, right? And the girl for that matter… And something tells me I'd better type a little faster and get this thing loaded up…

Sesshoumaru'sFirefly: Thank you! Agh…don't let them read it until I fix things. ;) I can't even bring myself to read that first chapter. I had no idea what I was doing at that point. Not that I'm an expert now, but I'm a lot more comfortable with writing, that's for sure.

Silvermuse89: I'm glad you think so, because I was wondering if it was a little dark. And then I realized, of course it's dark. Someone just died. :P About Midoriko sending him back, I like the idea of keeping her abilities mysterious, what she can and can't do, that type of thing. A lot of the things I've had her do in this story have been things that the Shikon no Tama has showed an ability to do in the series. Like the whole "shield" thing…I got that idea off of Naraku. Not sure if he uses the Shikon shards to create that, but I snitched it for this story just in case. ;) The regeneration and "back-to-life" idea came from the first episode. Kaede told Kagome that they needed to get that shard out of the centipede demon or else she would regenerate. To me, that says the Shikon no Tama has some sort of healing/restorative property. That's where Sesshoumaru's resurrection came from. Nothing Goddess-like. :D

Ailian Rhys: I love that about them, too. In the series, you can see that they do both have a hard time with their feelings. Sesshoumaru especially often says one thing and then does another, which is why his real motives are usually kind of hard to discern. And lol … yeah, I figured Inuyasha would have just no idea of what to say to Rin. Tell her to quit crying, hand her Tenseiga … and there, his part in it is done, Kagome can handle the rest. ;) And nothing seems to ruffle Sesshoumaru so I thought it was best to keep him completely unimpressed by the whole "revival" deal. ;) I'm glad Rin's coming across that way, too.

Silver Spell: Wow, I'm glad you thought so, thanks very much. :D I appreciate all the sweet compliments, but believe me, if I was that great a writer I'd be able to actually figure out what I'm trying to say. LOL! I've stumbled through way too much of this story because of that problem. *throttles writer's block* Thanks for the vote of confidence there. ;)

Cyhiraeth: Thanks! You can sort of see a progression like that in the series, too. Not exactly "love/hate"…more like "blah/hate", which is a step up from "hate/kill", which is how it was in the beginning. ;) In my story, the weird way they relate to each other is a little more at the forefront, just because I think they're interesting. They don't like each other. Neither one trusts the other as far as he can throw him … but neither hates the other nearly as much as they like to pretend they do. :D And you're right. I do think that it's nearly impossible for a character to be completely good or completely evil. I think it's far more interesting to give the "evil character" qualities that make him/her sympathetic in some ways. 

New Fan: Well, that's a problem … it depends on how you judge how he should show how he cares about her. Sesshoumaru's just not one to sit her down and say "I love you!!" That was way more of a Rin thing, which is why I made her do it and then just got him to react. ;) I warned a while back that there would be no huge declaration of love at the end of this story. I'll develop them more in the next story. Still, I thought it would be a huge step for him to actually come out and tell her that he wants her to stay with him. He never made that clear before. :D

Lennex: Thank you very much! :D

Sashlea: Mission accomplished, tail is sufficiently kicked. ;)

SessRinFan: Thanks! Glad you think it's funny. ;) I wish I could keep up this story as long as I like, but it has reached its close, I'm afraid. I'll probably put up the Epilogue on Monday or Tuesday. That'll explain a few more things.