Even Odds

Sesshoumaru knew Naiya had taken off after Inu-Yasha because of her fascination with all of them; therefore, he would allow her to see real danger and return of her own accord. In the meantime, he needed to even the odds so that this danger didn't mean their deaths. If the demon killed Inu-Yasha and the miko child again then it would take over the world without hesitation. Since Inu-Yasha and his little miko had died, powerful demons had cast off their human forms and become mist. Mist was harder to kill than a body. The only way these mists were killed was by purification. All demons knew this and mikos were becoming scarce. Sesshoumaru traveled alone for this journey; he couldn't afford Rin getting in the way; besides, this was better done alone.

When he arrived, he looked carefully around.

They're still here. Sesshoumaru thought with a smile.

He pulled Tenseiga from its sheath. Slash.

Sesshoumaru hoped the magical barriers kept the bodies well enough for Tenseiga to have an effect.

The girl awoke first.

She looked to Sesshoumaru in horror. She soon noticed Tenseiga in his hand. She knew him to be a powerful demon. He could destroy her easily if he wished. He wanted her alive for some reason.

She looked to her beaten friend. He lay on his side covered by his black hair.

The girl ran over to where he lay. His clothes were stained with his blood as were hers.

She shook her unconscious friend until he looked up to her.

Once they locked eyes her attention was diverted back to Sesshoumaru whom stood in the same position he had been in since he used his sword.

The boy staggered to his feet.

"What are you doing here Sesshoumaru?" The boy asked innocently.

"Come." Sesshoumaru told them. "See for yourself."

The two humans stood deciding whether to trust Sesshoumaru or not.

The boy finally decided to go with him.
The girl tugged on his sleeve. Doubt overwhelmed her face. The two had been through so much together, but they had never once fought at Sesshoumaru's side.

They finally concluded that he had come to them for a reason so they followed him. The boy placed his hand in her hand then led her into Sesshoumaru's footsteps.

Sesshoumaru waited for the two then took to the air carrying them.

The girl clung to the boy's robe. She wanted all the fighting to be over.

In response, he simply wrapped his arms firmly around her and tilted his head into her hair.

Her hair, which was wrapped in a tight bun with a few strands hanging loose, smelled pretty with a fragrance the boy had long forgotten.

"Here." Sesshoumaru said landing on the ground of the wolves' territory just outside the haze.

"It can't be," the girl said in disbelief.

"I…I purified THAT." The miko reinforced her statement.

"No" The boy intervened glowing white. "This is different."

"You can tell the difference?" She asked in astonishment.

"Course…" He replied then thought about it before asking. "Can't you?"

"…No…" She answered hesitantly.

He blinked in astonishment accepting this new knowledge. He shook off her stunned look before looking to Sesshoumaru. "You coming?" He inquired the demon.

"This is not my battle." The demon simply stated.

"Your loss." The boy replied rolling his eyes.

"The Shikon Jewel is in there." The girl stated.

"Are you sure?" The boy asked her.

She nodded in reply before saying. "I can feel it."

The boy's attention snapped back to something he saw in the mist. Something else from the haze caught his eye. He sneered. "Tetsusaiga!"

Growling he hopped down from Sesshoumaru's post and joined the battle with a new found determination.

"No…" She objected briefly before realizing he was already gone. She couldn't argue with him if he was already involved this battle.

"Wait up." She called running in after him.

In the meantime, most of the wolves passed out from the poisonous gas inside the haze.

Inu-Yasha fought on with a little help from Miroku. Miroku was projecting a purity barrier around the two of them trying to hold off the poisonous gas.

Kagome was trying to purify the entire field like Kiada had showed her, but her magic was too weak and failing; course, this wasn't too surprising given the youth of Kagome's magic. Koinu joined her at one point strengthening her power, but even that was not enough. With Koinu's abilities, Kagome sustained her struggle.

Kirara and Sango had taken to the sky. They were succeeding in dominating the area.

Shippo and Kohaku transformed when the battle began into their more powerful demon forms. The two had each taken the outside attack positions taking out one jouraki after another.

The haze fought back to the extent that Inu-Yasha left Miroku's barrier to get a jump on the demon behind this haze. Needless to say, they were loosing again.

Inu-Yasha sprung free of Miroku's magical barrier to attack this demon. Inu-Yasha hadn't planned what he saw.

"I'll take that." A demon yelled out stealing Inu-Yasha's second Tetsusaiga.

"Give that back!" Inu-Yasha yelled chasing after the demon that stole his sword.

Inu-Yasha jumped to strike a victorious blow.

He met a demon, not the one he was looking for, but "what the hell?" The two met in a standoff.

Miroku opened his air void pulling in some of the deadly gas before passing out.

Sango and Kirara fell from the sky not too far from where Kagome stood.

Kagome knew they would all soon relive that last battle they had if something didn't swing the odds in their favor and fast. Kagome concentrated harder. The more she tried the more the haze sapped her strength.

A bright light burst across the foothills. The haze was gone. A mysterious girl appeared from the settling dust calling the Shikon No Tama to her.

Koinu captured the Shikon Jewel in the air near the strange newcomer confused as to who this newcomer was.

Inu-Yasha squared off with…himself.

Kagome looked around for answers. The answers had to be there somewhere.

Miroku, Sango, and Kirara were unconscious as well as most of the wolf pack. Kouga and his wife still moved around; they were waking the other fallen wolves. Kohaku and Shippo were collecting the injured. A small group of youngsters stood where the light had emanated from. Their victory celebration centered about Naiya.

Kagome looked back to the girl. Her hair was pulled into a bun with a few strands hanging loose. Her clothing told Kagome that this girl was a powerful miko.

She looked familiar, but she was older than Kagome. Kagome swore she'd never seen this miko before. Her clothing… Kagome looked down at her own comparing their similarities. Her traditional yet oddly colored pants, her short white shirt, and ragged bun… This miko was… It couldn't be. Kagome searched the barrier of the woods. On Kouga's upper ledge overlooking the valley, she spotted Sesshoumaru. So this is his doing. Next question: Is this real?

"There're two of them…" Tora called out stopping short of the two mikos.

Tora comment attracted everyone's attention.

Kohaku and Shippo had been so busy that they hadn't taken notice.

Miroku came to, only to stare up at two Inu-Yashas. "I must have been hit harder than I thought." Miroku remarked rubbing his head trying to clear his vision.

"Why do you say that?" Shippo asked helping Miroku to his feet.

"I'm seeing two of Inu-Yasha."

"You're not seeing things, Miroku." Shippo reassured him. "There is two of Inu-Yasha."

"…And two Kagomes." Kohaku added glancing in Kagome's direction helping up some injured wolves.

"How is that possible?" Miroku asked.

"Anything is possible. Let's be thankful it's only them, instead of two more demons. I don't think we could handle any more." Shippo honestly told him.

"Looks like someone is trying to level the playing field." Sango said approaching Shippo and Miroku from behind carrying Kirara in her arms.

Inu-Yasha lowered Tetsusaiga placing it back in its sheath. "That would be Sesshoumaru." He said staring into the face of his younger self.

While both Inu-Yashas were identical in most respects, Kagome had aged a bit.

The elder Kagome pulled a chopstick from her hair allowing it to fall. Her same shaggy hair was longer than the other Kagome expected it to be. It fell almost to her feet.

The Inu-Yasha who still possessed his sword took an immediate disapproval to the whole situation. His eyes slightly widened at Kagome's hair then he snorted a response, "Feh," putting Tetsusaiga away.

"Who the hell are you?" Inu-Yasha yelled.

"Apparently, I am a future you."

"I don't buy it; eat this." Inu-Yasha yelled pulling Tetsusaiga from its sheath to cut the demon in half.

"Inu-Yasha!" Both Kagomes yelled at once. "Sit!"

The sit threw up a lot of dust clouding the air almost as thick as the mist. When the dust settled, there were two large craters. Each crater contained its own Inu-Yasha. Both Inu-Yashas lay in the bottom twitching.

"Well I guess it's safe to say they are Kagome and Inu-Yasha." Miroku concluded.

"Kagome!" A small voice bellowed from near by.

The younger Kagome gasped and took off running "…Kouga…I forgot…"

Kagome found Kouga at the bottom of his own crater laying face down just like Inu-Yasha.

"Kouga. I'm really sorry. Inu-Yasha, he…"

"I don't want to hear it Kagome." Kouga knew Kagome warned him that 'if either of them screws up, they both go down.'

If Inu-Yasha pushed her buttons like he always did then there was no reason why Inu-Yasha should ever get up from the ground.

Kouga's thoughts of revenge faded with the fading of the rosary's spell. Kouga hoped that in posing no threat, Kagome would remove this ever so charming charm. The concern in her face told him she really was sorry, but not sorry enough to remove this stupid lease. Leases are for dogs. Kouga pouted.

He soon left the crater to continue collecting his injured people. There was no reason why his wolves were defeated this easily…or why the children were out of the safety of the caverns. "Get those kids inside! Now!" Kouga commanded.

"Kagome?" Sango asked making headway towards her old friend.

Kagome's face caught Sango's. Both girls had aged, but since Kagome's death, time had literally stopped for her. Kagome smiled thankful that her old friend was alive. She spoke to Sango ominously. "It's me Sango. My how you've aged. Allow me to help."

Kagome hugged Sango transforming them both back into younger forms of themselves.

Sango was nearly identical to the Sango that Kagome left behind and her older self was now as young and vibrant as she was.

With her wrinkles gone, the two were identical. The elder Kagome responded by pulling her hair back into a perfect bun.

"Koinu… bring me the jewel." The elder Kagome stated.

"Don't do it Koinu." The younger defended her miko status.

Kagome tried to slow her breathing but staring into her own face was far worse than staring down a demon.

The only difference between the two was the hair. The younger Kagome pulled the chopsticks from her ragged bun and allowed her hair to hang in its shaggy natural form while the other stood pristine.

"Sango?" Miroku asked approaching the girls. With Sango young again, he might have a second chance to win her heart. One problem at a time, he thought looking at the double mikos.

"Ok. The problem is how do we tell you two and Inu-Yasha…s apart?

"Simple." Shippo stated. "Cut one of their heads."

"What?" Kohaku shouted.

"Cut one's hair off." Shippo rephrased.

"Shippo." Miroku intervened.

"By cutting one's hair we may be altering the way things are supposed to happen. Obviously this was supposed to be this way. Why and for how long, we need to figure out. Inu-Yasha...Both of you…Come here. You've always been one, well two, to think on your feet. What do you think?"

"Who's younger?" One Inu-Yasha asked.

"I am." One Kagome replied shaking her free flowing hair.

"Fine, then we're going back." He concluded grabbing a hold of her wrist.

"We've already tried that, Inu-Yasha."

"Well we'll try again. Come on."