Oh, come on, guys! Have a heart. You can even flame me if you want, but can't you just leave a comment? Please! Well...regardless of whether anyone's there, here's my 4th chapter. And like I usually say, I don't mind long reviews, and I definitely don't mind constructive criticism. Just say something.

Ch. 4

Sesshoumaru's eyes snapped open.

Sunrise, he thought. Eros will have attacked! I must lead my platoon!

He attempted to get to his feet, only to be driven down by pain. His legs, arm, and tail were badly broken.

"What's…?"

"Calm down, Sesshoumaru. You're injured pretty badly…"

He turned to Kagome.

"How…how did this happen? I can barely remember…"

"You…don't remember last night? Not at all?"

Sesshoumaru's stomach clenched horribly and his head throbbed. He clutched at his abdomen and vomited to the floor.

"I…I remember that…sound…" he said. "But…why am I vomiting blood?"

"Inuyasha said he remembered 'the sound' too. I think Eros or whatever his name is has a sort of dog whistle. That's a whistle used to call dogs with a high frequency. I think it's inhumane though, because the high frequency hurts the dogs' ears…"

"…Wench…what did I do…?"

The young demon lord was studying his claws, which absolutely reeked of several types of blood; even under the fingernail, flesh was wedged underneath. He could never remember a time when his claws would be so thoroughly soiled like this.

"Oh, Sesshoumaru!"

"Kagome threw her arms around him and cried into his shoulder.

"Y-you killed the d-d-dragons that bit you, and then…you started to kill our armies too! Inuyasha didn't have a choice but to hit the cliff with the Tetsusaiga and cause a landslide so you wouldn't kill us all…I'm s-s-so s-sorry…"

"I lost control of myself," Sesshoumaru managed to croak.

It was incomprehensible. Sesshoumaru had actually been driven insane by the whistle. He'd lost his own sense of discrimination. His soul had been partially devoured by demon intent, just like Inuyasha.

"Dry those tears, ningen. Cry not for a beast such as this Sesshoumaru," he whispered softly.

"Sesshoumaru, you are not a beast. You are one of the bravest, most powerful people with a conscience that I could ever hope to meet. Only you and Inuyasha can be like that…"

"I am like no other. I am nothing anymore…"

"But…"

"I am devoured. There is no point to war, and yet…"

Sesshoumaru's breath caught in his throat as his injuries asserted themselves.

"Hn…how many soldiers were lost?"

"Lat night, 30,000…"

"And how many by my hand?"

"I can't…" Kagome said, turning away.

She felt a weak grip on her wrist. The palm was rough and callused. She felt as if it were somehow…unclean…

"Tell me now, I implore you."

"23,000."

Sesshoumaru hissed though his teeth as he struggled for footing.

"No! You're injured and sick…" Kagome cried as he paled from the effort.

"Let me do this, woman!" he roared. She became silent.

Sesshoumaru began to limp from the tent, using the Toukijin as a crutch. Kagome followed him, head bowed.

He sniffed weakly, then turned to face the dead panther demon before him.

"You…"

Shifting his weight with a growl, he slowly and painfully drew the Tenseiga. With one swing, the youkai was restored to life.

"Eh?" the panther said stupidly.

"You are alive…"

With a groan, Sesshoumaru collapsed forward. However, he didn't stop moving.

The young taiyoukai lord gripped the Toukijin embedded in the ground. Blood sprayed from his hand as he pulled himself up. A one inch gash was dug into his palm.

"I…need to revive them…before they are killed permanently…"

So saying, Sesshoumaru stumbled from soldier to soldier, successfully reviving 15,000. All the others could not be brought back.

"I…am…sorry…"

He fainted onto the old battlefield.

Down at the Front Lines

"Kaze no Kizu!"

"Kazaana!"

Inuyasha and Miroku were giving it their all. Yesterday, Sesshoumaru had cut their ranks down, and it frightened Inuyasha. The hanyou had now seen what happened to himself when he released Tetsusaiga; he lost his mind in a bloodlust-fueled transformation.

"Miroku, on your right!"

"Thanks, Inuyasha," Miroku replied, turning the Wind Tunnel. He closed it and switched to his staff and sutras to ward off demons, panting with exertion.

Likewise, all the commanders were on the verge of collapse, whereas Eros' legions were fresher into battle.

All I need is for one to unleash energy…the Bakuryuuhaa lasts long enough…

Inuyasha leapt into the air and performed once more the Kaze no Kizu. 3 dragons and 31 snakes fell.

"Little bastard!" a dragon snarled. A huge ball of energy shot from its mouth.

"Gotcha! Backlash Wave!"

This time, the attack killed 70 dragons and 1,000 snakes.

The army pulled back a bit.

"Retreat!" the commanding dragon yelled. "Retreat to the East!"

Drink this. It'll help."

Sesshoumaru took the mug of warm milk and honey Kagome had prepared him and used it to swallow the aspirin she had also given him.

"Thank you," he said quietly.

Kagome sat next to his makeshift bed. She felt so bad that he'd been unable to forgive himself.

The instant Sesshoumaru had awakened, he'd taken to a tree and refused to see anyone, including Kagome. He was very dizzy and his leg wound was splattering blood on the ground. Eventually, he passed out and fell to the ground, but he looked so pained, pained beyond the physical injuries…

She looked into his golden eyes, having come back to the present moment.

"Do you want me to tell you a story?" she asked softly.

"If you must," he replied.

"Okay. Once, there was a mother duck that had a clutch of eggs. All but one hatched into normal ducklings. The final one was an ugly duckling.

"Because he was different, the duckling was shunned by all. Eventually, though, he grew into a beautiful swan; but he didn't realize it until a flock told him so…oh!"

Kagome was surprised to see when she looked up that the taiyoukai was fast asleep. His fingers were curled around the mug holding dregs of honey milk, but his eyes were closed, his breathing even.

A belly full of warm milk puts anyone to sleep, she thought as she grabbed the mug from him. She pulled a blanket over him, and he turned comfortably, snuggling into it. His enormous tail wagged weakly.

"Goodnight, Sesshoumaru…" she sighed. I know Inuyasha's a swan, but I want you to be too…"

R and R

Desperately yours,

Bakura's Girl88