A/N: hello, this is my FIRST Inuyasha story. Please take note that I am American, so if I have a Japanese-related mistake, notify me pleas.

Warnings: pain, violence, language, drama.

Thank-you for reviewing

Disclaimer: not mine

Fight for My Shadow

Chapter Four: Oh How Fates are Woven

Tamasine was walking down the dirt path between two huts when he stopped. A sudden feeling, nerves freezing over for a split second through his mind, caused him to look out towards the sea, in the direction of Itoe's house. With vision heightening to see farther, he could make out a jutting formation, dark against the setting sun, and objects were flying towards it. Tamasine gasped and began running towards it, heedless of whom or what was in his way. All he could see where the objects, what was suspended between them. It was his they were taking, what he had been searching for. But no, they were still a good four leagues from where it… no, not again.

He stopped, eyes fixing back to normal. Looking down he saw he was almost knee deep in the water. He would have kept running until the water had consumed him, had he not stopped. Tamasine roared out in frustration, slamming his fists into the water as he sank to his knees. He knew now, from what he had seen, that the rescue would be harder than it was originally supposed to be.

He angrily stared back, his eyes glowing a fierce red as his vision heightened again. He got a good view of the cave, searched it, searching, searching, searching… he was unaware that Kano had once again reappeared, head coming out of the surface. The water dragon swam up as far as he could, his long torso appearing out of the water. Arching up until his arms and clawed feet were clear of the water; Kano watched his former young charge with consideration. The anger and frustration was literally resonating from him, and his cry of the same emotions had done no better to conceal it.

"Tamasine," Kano said, the raspy whisper causing the young youkai's eyes to lose their red glow. But Tamasine's pupils were still so wide that the iris was barely visible; his eyes were almost completely black; "Tell me what you see," Kano quipped.

"The bastard," Tamasine seethed, glaring as his fists clenched; "Has her… in the rocks… so many demons there…"

Kano followed Tamasine's gaze, his eyes staring only as clear horizon; "How far is this rock?" he asked.

"Too far," the other demon replied.

"It's Distance?"

"… Six leagues…" Tamasine closed his eyes, exhaled slowly, and fell back. Kano's tail whipped out and around to catch the young demon lord, the fin turning inward to act as a cradle. Lifting Tamasine from the water, Kano went to the beach, and gently laid his oldcharge out on the sand. Kano came onto land himself, back legs growing out and his torso shortening as he changed to fit his environment. Soon, his scales even lightened, and the luster faded slightly, as if he were a dragon of the earth. Finally, the fin on his tail receded into his scales. Kano stretched and groaned to become accustomed to his quick change.

The dragon froze when he saw a young woman out of the corner of his eye. She was dressed so oddly, and he went ahead and turned his head fully. The girl stepped back timidly, and as she turned she screamed "INUYASHA! QUICK!"

"Stupid Wench!" Kano roared; "I am not here to harm Tamasine or this pathetic village!"

But it was too late. In an instant the hanyou had appeared before her, the legendary sword out and ready in his hand. He looked at Kano, and Kano backed up to were he was standing on the other side of Tamasine, his tail swishing back and forth dangerously as steam rose out of his nostrils. Inuyasha glared, bearing his fangs.

"Get away from him, Dragon!" the hanyou warned, walking over; "Or I'll gut ya!"

"Bring your blade, Hanyou, and kill an innocent!" Kano roared back; "For I come in peace and shall leave in such!"

Inuyasha stopped; "Who are you?" he asked.

"Kano, the water guardian," Kano replied, hissing out a breath.

Inuyasha stared at him, and then put his blade in its sheath. Hand still gripping the hilt, he walked up to Kano, realizing that his head only reached the dragons shoulder. Kano snorted, and steam went into the air through his nostrils. Inuyasha glared.

"What happened?" he asked, looking at Tamasine.

"He saw what he should not have seen," Kano said; "To explain things now would not be safe, at least here."

"You're kidding," Inuyasha said, disbelief soaking his tone as he rolled his yes; "This was supposed to be a simple rescue deal! Now you're telling me there's another thing that's happening?"

Kano's eyes narrowed at the hanyou; "No wonder Sesshomaru spent his days trying to kill such a selfish mongrel."

"What'd you call me!" Inuyasha nearly shrieked, taking Tetsusaiga out and preparing to swing. But Kano's tail whipped out, struck Inuyasha's wrist, and in turn the hanyou howled in pain and dropped the sword. Kano held his foot over the now brittle blade, claws extended. He appeared about to smash it. Inuyasha's eyes widened, and he mumbled; "Never mind…"

"That is what I thought," Kano said; "Take me to a place where Tamasine might rest."

"Well you know, I would, but see here's the thing," Inuyasha said, copping up a fake attitude; "We don't have any lodging!"

"Then find the miko, you baka!" Kano said irately; "Have you no sense?"

"Stop yelling! Stop fighting, you two, I mean it!"

Dragon and hanyou turned to see Itoe shuffling over as fast as she could, waving her walking stick in the air as she shouted; "Back away from him!" she screeched at Kano, coming up and beginning to swing at his leg. Kano looked down at her, almost amusingly.

"Foolish woman," he rasped, "You think a simple stick will harm me?" he chuckled.

Itoe glared at him, "Oh, simple stick, eh?" she said, "Katana no Sei!" she suddenly shouted, and her stick glowed a powerful gold. Swinging again, she struck Kano's ankle, and the dragon roared in pain as fire seemed to ignite and spread throughout his body. Careful of Tamasine, he fell away, toppling over into the sand and breathing quickly. Roaring out again he lifted himself up, and turned angrily on Itoe.

"Lift this Curse, Miko!" he roared.

Inuyasha took Tetsusaiga up, and held it up; "Release him," he said.

"Be damned if I do!" Itoe said; "That big lizard was rude and ignorant!"

Tamasine groaned as he came to, and he looked around; "Kano!" he shouted, closing his eyes as his head throbbed.

"RELEASE ME!" the dragon roared.

"Do as he says, babba!" Inuyasha shouted; "I'm sick of his roaring!"

Itoe rolled her eyes, and waved her staff in the air. Its glow receded, and Kano quieted and stilled, only his chest moving as his eyes rolled to glare at the miko.

"I will flood this village," Kano said in a rage, getting up; "Flood it until—"

"Kano help me up!" Tamasine yelled, opening his eyes and groaning; "I can't focus!"

"Wow, what a whelp you turned out to be," Inuyasha said as he walked over and looked down at his nephew; "You know, if it was any other place and time, something could slay you like this…"

"No shit, uncle," Tamasine muttered, covering his eyes with his hand.

Kano made his way over, blowing steam on Itoe as he passed her. The old woman coughed and gagged, saying; "Ooh, bad breath, eat a peach tree!"

Kano growled as he heard that, but his mood shifted when he reached Tamasine. Inuyasha took a cautionary step back, watching the youkai warily. Kano ignored him as he sat down next to Tamasine, looking down at him skeptically.

"And why would my Lord's offspring be in such discomfort?" he asked.

Tamasine looked between his fingers and glared; "Something or someone knows of my abilities, and they have created barriers. My strength was taken, and I was forced to discontinue;" he sighed and closed his fingers over his eyes.

Kano sighed, and gently helped his charge up. Tamasine leaned against his shoulder, and looked at Itoe; "Please to not harm my acquaintances," he said to her wearily; "Especially those close to me."

"Oh, I had no idea at all!" Itoe said; "Come, I'll make it up to you. All of you," she added, looking at Inuyasha; "That was the entire reason I came, was to invite you all to take up lodging at my home."

At this, Inuyasha smiled; "That's great!" he said; "Will there be food?"

Itoe laughed; "Of course, young'n," she said.

Everyone gathered together and they moved to Itoe's, taking their evening meal on the back deck so that Kano had space to join them, though he ate nothing. Tamasine retired to an early rest. After Itoe went and treated the Foreigner, she returned to the back deck, and sighed as she sat down. Shippou had drifted off to sleep at the time, and he and Kirara lay near Kagome curled up together for warmth, though they had a fire in the pit and it was blazing.

"How is she fairing?" Miroku asked as he sipped tea, his free arm loosely wrapped around Sango's waist.

"Her fever will not break," Itoe explained; "And there are wounds that have become infected. She is lucky she made it past the oceans."

"Ah, so the golden-haired one made it?" Kano asked, sighing as he stretched out on the grass by the deck; "My servants did well, then."

"You are why she was brought to shore?" Kagome asked.

Kano looked at her; "I will not have bodies in my waters," he said; "Besides, the shipwreck was my callous brother's doing. In a way, I did it out of spite," he paused; "My brother is causing trouble quite a lot."

"Is he the dragon of the sky, I presume?" Sango quipped.

"Yes," Kano replied, his large head turning to face her; "But my family is of no importance now. I assume you all wonder about my charge…"

"Tamasine?" Miroku asked.

Kano nodded; "Yeah, actually, we do," Inuyasha said; "Start off by telling us what exactly he's searching for, and why he needs the Jewel."

Kano saw Kagome lay her hand over her chest, where he knew under her shirt was the Shikon no Tama. He had sensed it earlier on, when he was navigating the rivers. In the pits of his soul he longed for it, but he knew it was not for him. The dragon sighed before telling his tale, his onyx eyes drifting to the fire.

"Tamasine is a hybrid of two demon types," he explained; "Spirit and Dog. In a way, he is a hanyou, like you, Inuyasha. But you see, Tamasine's Etheral side, from his mother, enables him far higher powers than the average demon. Though he cannot communicate directly with the heavens, he is able to draw energy, and thus he is given unimaginable strengths, as well as weaknesses. Well, while he was under my watch, as I was his teacher and mentor, I sent him out with the task of bringing me back the root of the Sinning Tree…"

"You're kidding me," Miroku interrupted; "How old was he?"

Kano paused as he thought; "Mmm perhaps fourteen in human years," he decided with; "But anyway, as he was traveling, he saved a young demon from a certain death. Quickly he fell for her, and intended on bringing her back to marry. This task did take him many years, you see, for there is only one Sinning Tree and it was well hidden…"

Miroku snorted; "It doesn't exist!" he insisted.

"Oh, but it does," Kano said, looking at him briefly; "As I said, it was well hidden. And as it turned out, those who had hidden the tree were also relations of the one Tamasine fell for. Thus, their engagement was kept secret. I fear that only I and they knew for a time, before Tamasine finally confronted his father about what his plans were."

This time, it was Inuyasha who snorted skeptically; "Sure Sesshy was happy about that," he muttered.

"No, Lord Sesshomaru was quite apprehensive, in fact," Kano said; "He, in the beginning, forbade it, saying that Tamasine was a fool to try and ask for her hand, as apparently was his love's customs. But," he sighed; "Tamasine went anyway, and asked…"

"They said no, didn't they?" Kagome asked, sympathy lacing her tone as she held her hands together, anxious to hear.

"Of course they did!" Kano said; "Spirits are very touchy with marriage, especially when it comes to their own who fall to the earth!"

"Wait, what?" Sango said; "Spirits? I thought Tamasine fell for a demon!"

"What? Oh no his father's taste passed through to him!" Kano said with a slight smirk, showing pearly white teeth for a moment; "Yes, Tamasine fell for what you all would refer to as a Kage Youkai… a shadow demon."

"But those demons are so rare!" Sango said, gasping and covering her mouth; "They're said to be the shadows of fallen stars!"

"Well, the legends hold true," Kano said; "This Kage youkai's name was simply Kage-sei, for the demons that adopted her could not name her any other name. Now, back to my tale," he paused; "Tamasine continued to see Kage-sei and once she traveled with him as he preformed his duties.

"But of course, nothing goes unseen by the heavens and by hell, we are all aware. An evil spirit, a true demon from the fires of purgatory, sought to spite the spirits for casting him from earth. So, one day he stole up through a crack in the earth, and possessed a bear demon. He attacked Tamasine and Kage-sei, and while Tamasine was fighting him, minions of the demon stole Kage-sei away, trapping her in a glass diamond. They held her captive in an unmarked village, not too far from here, and that is where Tamasine was headed, to rescue her…"

"He thought that by saving her the Spirits would be lineate and allow their marriage, their mating?" Miroku quipped, and Kano nodded; "How interesting and complicated, no wonder he was being so unwilling to explain. He probably could not fully clarify it himself without missing something…" his voice trailed off as he became engrossed with thought.

"Oh, and then that woman had to wash up on shore," Itoe said bitterly, "Not that it's bad, but after all fo that, you would think that there would be some leeway!"

Kano chuckled dryly at this; "The Spirits play their games with us, this is just something else he will learn to handle. I cannot lead him through his life; my job with that ended four years ago."

"Why four?" Kagome asked.

"That is when my father was slain, Ryuukotsusei, and I had to take rule over both the land and the waters," Kano explained, and Inuyasha growled.

"You're lying," the hanyou growled.

"Why am I being accused of lying and fooling?" Kano asked; "I speak as only my soul knows, I am offspring of Ryuukotsusei!"

"Shh, quite, quite, there are others sleeping here!" Itoe said.

Kano blew steam on the old woman again and rested his head on the deck. Miroku looked up; "This is astounding," he said; "How we have all been pulled together for this, as if it's been…"

"Planned," Kagome finished nodding with resolution; "Like… our fates have been woven together, fitting into each other to unite to fix a tear…"

Kano blinked slowly; "You are wise beyond your years," he said, looking around; "All of you have seen more than most in a lifetime, two lifetimes even;" he closed his eyes; "Perhaps it is best that we talk of other things. My mind and jaws tire from such talk."

Itoe chuckled at this; "As if you minded," she said, gently whacking Kano's muzzle with her staff.

The dragon glared at her; "Woman, if you were not so old I would eat you," he hissed through his teeth.

Itoe laughed; "Oh, ye demons are so easy to anger," she said; "Makes me feel young and spry again to know I still have it in me to pester ye!"

Tamasine woke to hear the sound of movement in the room beside his, where the foreigner was. Rising slowly, he took up a sword, and put on his outer pants. Securing the bandages, he then exited his room, and quietly slid the door back, just an inch. The woman was moving now, and mumbling. Tamasine stepped in, and slowly walked over to sit against the wall opposite of her.

"Can you hear me?" Tamasine asked.

The young woman mumbled again, and Tamasine scooted closer; "Hello?" he asked; "Follow my voice…"

And the woman's eyes snapped open. She looked up at him, and fear struck her gaze. She was about to scream, but Tamasine shushed her quietly. He set his sword aside, and held a finger to his lips. Removing it he smiled kindly, and the woman's breathing slowed. She sat up slowly, taking the cloth from her forehead as she did.

"Do you speak Japanese?" Tamasine asked, but the woman only stared at him blankly. Sighing, Tamasine held a hand to his chest; "Tamasine," he said clearly.

The woman caught on. She did the same, saying; "Anne."

Tamasine nodded; "Do-you-know-where-you-are?" he said in his best English.

Anne shook her head; "No," she said quietly.

"You-are-in-Japan," Tamasine said, "Boat-crash-into-rock. You-wash-up-on-shore. I-brought-you-here."

Anne nodded; "Thank-you," she said, then she was silent as she looked around. Finally, she looked at Tamasine again; "Did anyone else survive?" she asked.

Tamasine's smile faded, and h looked down at the floor as he said quietly; "I'm sorry you are the only one."

"No," Anne gasped, covering her face with her hands as she bowed her head. Her tears slowly came; Tamasine smelled the salt. Cautiously, he touched her shoulder, and Anne flinched and shrugged him away. Tamasine watched her cry helplessly.

"I'll go get Itoe," he said, returning to his natural language, and he rose, taking his sword.

"Wait please, hath thy no compassion to stayest with me?" Anne said as Tamasine opened the door.

Tamasine looked at her; "I-go-get-healer," he said in broken English, and then he left.

Itoe had been telling a wild tale when Tamasine stuck his head out of the door; "Itoe," he said quietly; "the Foreigner, her name is Anne."

"What? She wakes?" Itoe asked; "Well why didn't you come for me the moment she did?" she asked as she rose.

"I did not want her to wake alone and in a strange place," Tamasine said; "I explained the bare minimum, but my English is poor so she only knows why she's here and who I am."

"Well, did you scare her with all of your markings?" Itoe asked.

"Momentarily," Tamasine said. The old miko groaned, and headed off. Tamasine turned and looked at Kagome; "Kagome, you may want to go with Itoe," he said; "She might not be so afraid then."

Kagome nodded, getting up. Inuyasha watched her leave, and then watched as Tamasine walked out onto the deck, sitting down in Itoe's former spot and setting his word down.

"Did you have that with you?" Miroku asked, motioning to the sword.

"I always have one at my side," Tamasine said; "So, I heard talking, was it about me?"

"Yes," Kano said; "But nothing of major importance," the dragon yawned — big and long; "I must make my rounds before retiring for the night," he said, rising; "I bid you all good-night and I know we shall see each other soon." And saying that he lumbered off, heading to the cove where he would dive into his waters.

Tamasine sighed, and got up; "I'll be on the shores should anything happen," he said quietly as he walked down the deck and disappeared around the corner, fast in his speed once again.

Inuyasha snorted and rolled his eyes. Miroku frowned; "What is that for?" he asked.

"Kid's too dramatic," Inuyasha said simply.

"Too dramatic!" Sango exclaimed, outraged, "Inuyasha, we just found out he's about to fight for someone he loves more than life! He might die before this is over! And because he comes out, finds out we were gossiping about him, and decides to go off and think makes him too DRAMATIC!"

Sango breathed heavily, and Inuyasha scooted back in fright from the outburst. Miroku gently patted his wife's shoulder; "Sango, I believe we get it!" he said kindly, yet uneasiness was in his voice: "How about I go with him? In case he decides to pull and rescue attempt on his own?"

"That's a good idea," Sango said, sighing; "I… think I'll just go to bed now," she started to got up, Miroku helped her, and she went inside.

Kagome quietly walked up to the half-open door that led into the room where Itoe was with the foreigner. Sighing and taking a moment to collect herself and remember every English word she'd learned in school, Kagome then poked her head in.

Itoe turned, and the foreigner looked at her from her place in the corner. She had the blanket bunched up in her fists, drawn up to her chin, her vibrant eyes wide, and hair crazy and unkempt. Kagome cleared her throat and smiled; "Hello," she said in clear English.

At once the foreigner's face brightened and she smiled at the prospect of conversation; "Thank God thou speaketh my language!" she exclaimed.

For a moment, Kagome's mind went blank. Then, she remembered a playwright she had studied in School, what was his name? Oh, Shakespeare. Yes, she talked just like one of his characters in his plays and stories. Did everyone talk like that this far back in time?

"Tell her I need to clean her wounds and re-bandage them!" Itoe said shrilly; "This is frustrating, so be quick!"

Kagome frowned at the old woman, then turned back to the foreigner; "I am Kagome," she said kindly; "What is your name?"

"Anne," the young woman replied; "What doth she want?" she asked, pointing at Itoe, who was frowning with her arms crossed.

"Oh, Itoe wants to help you with your wounds," Kagome explained; "She's a priestess; she can heal your wounds for you."

"Oh, please if she wouldst kindly," Anne said, cringing as she got up and limped over.

"Okay, okay, let me work, out!" Itoe said, shooing Kagome out of the room.

Tamasine sat down in the sands, crossing his legs and sighing. His fury was only evident in his eyes, which seemed to harbor flames themselves in the colorful orbs. His lip curled as he couldn't help but growl, eyes focused in the direction of the rock cave. Something told him that it had been moved not too long ago, by demons. The demon who had his shadow was there, waiting, sitting on a thrown, no doubt. A lowly demon lord in control of a score or so of others…

Again a growl escaped, from the depths of his chest, borne from the deepest chambers of his soul. No one would have his shadow. Tamasine's primal, feral instincts were quickly taking over his mind. But a quick snapping sound brought him back, and Tamasine looked over his shoulder to see the monk, Miroku, walking towards him in the darkness. Tamasine looked back at the ocean and sighed, staring at the ripping affects of the moon's reflection. Miroku sat beside him, staff held in his lap, leaning against his shoulder, his legs crossed, and he looked like a Buddha statue.

"You know, most demons who steal the mates of others are cowards," Miroku suddenly said; "They're using tactics meant to wrack the brain and torture the heart, so that the demon in question is as weak as they are."

"I'm not growing weaker," Tamasine said calmly.

"But you're angry…"

"Who wouldn't be?" the demon quipped, looking at the monk, who saw the passionate embers of fury in the demon's eyes.

"Ah, but yet another weakness," Miroku said; "It clouds the mind and blinds the third eye, doesn't it?"

Tamasine looked at the waters and shrugged; "Perhaps…" he said quietly.

"But then, how far would one go for love?" Miroku asked.

At this, Tamasine snorted quietly; "The ends of the universe and back," he answered; "That is the lengths you went for Sango, is it not?"

Miroku smirked and chuckled quietly, half-heartedly; "That and farther," he said, watching the ocean waters; "Tamasine, all I am saying is that if you grow angry your mind will be clouded, you will lose all sense of judgment. I know that the ferial instincts in you are growing. Inuyasha suffered from them as well. If you let them take control, you have no more hope than the moment when Kage-Sei was taken to begin with."

TBC

A/N: well, how was it?