Two forces of metal clashed, powerful aftershocks spraying from the source, racking the trees of the forest. Sentai -his black-flamed arms his sword- and Sesshomaru's mighty Tokijin kissed in a ferial meeting. Pushing with their might, a force-field formed around the two, pushing the surrounding trees down to the ground with death and decomposing bark. Birds died instantly in flight to get away, dropping dead and weaker demons dissapeared where they stood.

Sentai grinded his teeth in strength as he pushed his arm harder against the tooth-made blade of the Tokijin. The face of the Western Lord, however, neither changed in his emotionless glare. But the strength Sesshomaru put out was equal to the ryu of the north.

The more they pushed, the more -seemingly- plague spread through the Western Land. Trees became black in seconds and wildlife dropped dead, including weaker demons. Ningens started to cough up blood and bleed from the inside, causing a slow, painful death.

Sesshomaru, starting to smell blood all around him, stopped the pushing and jumped a ways back, stopping the plague from spreading even more.

The Western Lord narrowed his eyes, thinking of why he smelled blood when none had been shed between him and Sentai. A small wind confirmed his guess.

It's something about this ryu's arm... it causes diseases... I mustn't be cut by his arm...

Aiming his nose towards the spread of the plague, his eyes twitched, smelling even more blood and decay. I'll have to make sure that I don't draw out his full power, either. He's already destroyed a good piece of my lands and the plague had almost spread to my home... to Tenshika...

Sentai smirked, flaming his hands even more. "I see you found the secret to my power. Yes, I'm very capable of causing sickness of a large scale if I'm pushed hard enough... the only reason your brother isn't dead was because I didn't use any of that power against him. Tells you how weak he is."

Sesshomaru scoffed, pointing the Tokijin back at the ryu. "You don't have to tell me how weak that hanyou is... too weak that I always seem to forget that he is kin to me... so your insult does nothing..."

Sentai snarled. The comment on Inuyasha was supposed to falter the Western Lord, but apparently, it would take more than a witty smite to push Sesshomaur off balance. Breathing in deeply, the ryu smirked, smelling his destruction.

"Usually I don't lust for the smell of blood, but when in the thick of battle, it seems to drive me to fight on. Don't you FEEL the extra adrenaline going through your demon veins? Doesn't it feel like you could do anything right now?" He whispered, smiling evilly towards Sesshomaru, who stared blankly at him, still pointing his weapon forward.

In truth, blood did spike the taiyokai's body. He felt more graceful, more powerful, and more capable of anything... and right now, he felt VERY capable of killing Sentai with his sword and -hopefully- his very claws...

Meditating under a tree, Miroku stood still, becoming one within his surroundings. He closed his eyes, sensing all the many creatures, good and bad, around him. He even became in tuned with the trees' heartbeats, telling their stories of many years.

What the...?

Suddenly, some of the distant trees stopped talking... their heartbeats stopped beating, and all became blank within them... and the forest became quieter by the second. More of the creatures stopped moving and more trees became heartless. Even some of the evil within the forest stopped their ways.

Highly startled, Miroku stood up to get a better look, only to see a moving blanket of death coming towards him. Bracing himself -fearing the worst- Miroku backed away slightly, hearing even more silence...

Then the silence stood still.

Uncovering his eyes, Miroku gasped again, looking to see the destruction before him... just before him. It looked like another world... where Miroku was in one... and the other was the Land of the death, where utter dead silence ruled over all. It was enough to send spiritual shivers down the monk's spine. In alarm, Miroku rushed to Kaede's village, sensing that the 'plague' could still move towards them.

"A blanket of destruction you say?"

"Yes, and of a large scale. It must have taken up at least 1/10 of the Western Lands."

Sango gasped, not able to image the sight the honshi was trying to describe to the rest of them.

"It was like... black, grey, and silence everywhere beyond the eye could see. And everything within the blanket was dead!"

"Instantly?" Inuyasha stated, his eyes widened.

"Right. It was the most disturbing sight of plague I've ever seen, and it seems to be coming from one source deep within the forest."

Kaede looked into the hut's fire, sighing. "Miroku, we should start protecting the village now, just incase the plague starts to move again."

"Right."

As Inuyasha asked more about the plague and Sango listened in interest, Kagome lay in the corner, smiling in her sleep. Lately, the young miko had been off in her own little world, day dreaming while her body still rested in recovery. She had a blush upon her all the time and even though her back was still in pain, Kagome's body seem to be in eternal bliss.

And Inuyasha had noticed this and was now asking himself... 'did Kagome really enjoy Sentai... just like my mother did...'

Watching Kagome wake from her sleep, still smiling, Inuyasha snarled slightly, his fist balling. Kagome sensed him tense and rubbed her eyes in concern.

"Is something wrong, Inuyasha?"

The hanyou nodded his head, with a scowl on his face.

"Yeah... in fact, there is something wrong. I'd like to talk to you... NOW!"

Everyone looked towards the outburst, thinking Inuyasha had lost it under pressure. However, Kagome kept her gay expression, staying up as she straightened her skirt.

"Sure, Inuyasha. Let's go."

Not faltered by her perky attitude, Inuyasha lead the way into the forest, well away from the village. All the way there, the hanyou's nerves were picked, hearing the miko humming to herself and childishly playing with her hair. Even when she wenched from back pain, she giggled it off and kept following as if everything was right in the world.

Stopping at the god tree, Inuyasha turned around sharply, his eyes full of nothing but soul. THIS caught Kagome off guard.

"A-Are you okay?"

"Tell me the truth!"

"H-Huh?"

"What's been up with you? You've been nothing but fluff since you... recovered slightly from Sentai."

'Sentai' seemed to be the keyword to activate Kagome's dorment senses. Her face was stained red even more and she slightly whispered his name; the hint off to the hanyou's suspicions.

"So, I was right... you are lusting for Sentai!"

Kagome's childish ways was broken and her eyes were small in discovery. Her voice went into a stutter.

"I-Inuyasha.. please try to understand..."

"I want to understand why you find more in that rapist than me!"

The miko winched at the word 'rapist'. "P-please..."

"Well, tell me? Why that rapist?"

Again, another winch.

"Why him!"

"HE DIDN'T RAPE ME!"

He growled as Kagome looked to the grass blades. "Don't give me that! You were broken in body and soul. You were almost killed."

Kagome had tears in her eyes and shot back at the hanyou. "I wasn't broken! I was given... exactly what I wanted."

"K..Kagome..."

The miko turn around, her eyes covered by her banes. "Inuyasha... you can't... rape the willing..."

"Y-You... were willing?"

"Yes... I saw... ferocity in his eyes that I always wanted you to have. I want to have it... the hard way. I wanted it rough..."

And with that, Kagome had confessed. She was a sadist at heart, something Inuyasha never fulfilled to her. Kagome turned around, her eyes now revealing her soul.

"Inuyasha, I love you dearly... but... that night when Sentai came to me, I was in such need to be handled roughly, I gave into him. He tore at me, clawed at me, and he took me... and I admit... I loved ever minute of it... because I wanted it the hard way."

Kagome once again looked away, expecting a harsh string of curses and a dash into the forest... but heard laughter instead. Wholehearted laughter coming from her hanyou sweatheart. She looked back at him, gasping to see him smile for the first time since she was 'raped'. Swiftly, he made his way over to her, swiftly cradled her chin, and embraced her lips.

But not like he usually would. That kiss had the same ferocity in it that Sentai had... maybe even more!

And with that, Kagome knew Inuyasha would be... a little more rough around the edges with her from now on.

Cough Cough! Well... I wasn't expecting that...

AhUh had become caught in the plague on his way to the fight. Knocked out by the forceful disease, it had collapsed, falling harshly to the ground and breaking one of his wings. Groaning slightly -still having enough strength to walk- the fire dragon ventured through the silent forest.

Sesshomaru-sama... and this other person... they have to stop fighting. The forest will die at this rate... and I don't know how much longer I have to survive... and Tenshika could be going into labor at any minute. I have to get to him...

And with that, AhUh continued its struggle towards its 'master' through the ningen born Land of the Dead.

Oh, Sesshomaru... come back soon.

Underneath most secluded Weeping Willow, Tenshika sat on her legs, panting slight as she felt them lock into position. This would be how she would birth their child, and as of now, she could feel the egg pushing its way out of her. Against her instincts, however, Tenshika held it in, waiting for Sesshomaru to return. Suddenly, Tenshika's concern spiked when she smelled the familiar scent of death and disease on a breeze's wings.

AhUh... please make it back okay... Sesshomaru... don't be doing anything stupid...