Title: Behind the Blue Moon
Author(s): SkyFire
For Notes/Disclaimers, see part 1.

A/N 1: My apologies for the long delay in updating! At first I was waiting for my copy of the Season 2 Box Set to get here so I could see the Rin-Sesshomaru interaction for myself (I don't want them to be too OOC), and the week after that I was watching episodes over and over and over and over. Anyone have Seasons 3 and up that they'd be willing to copy for me? I'm going to buy the box set when it comes out, but I can't stand the thought of not seeing new eps for a long time! I don't have cable/satellite and my internet is dial-up so downloading is not an option. :o(((

A/N 2: I just want to warn you in advance: As far as I know, I cannot write battle scenes. I tried my best, and I think it turned out passably, but in case it didn't, I'm apologizing beforehand. Any suggestions on how to make it better are greatly appreciated. Though, as I said in the notes in part 1, any and all flames will be fed to the youkai I have chained in my basement, and what he decides to do with them is none of my business.

A/N 3: It seems FF net is eating my punctuation at the end of 'thought' lines. If you want to see the correct version, check out my LJ (link in bio).

HUGE Thanks to all my reviewers! It's very much appreciated; I love hearing from you!

:Thoughts:
Italics

Part 5: Discovery

It was, perhaps, as inevitable as it was undesired and unfortunate.

But there it was.

Naraku had found them and, as seemed to be his preferred tactic, he had sent a horde of demons against them.

Now Inuyasha, Kagome, Sango, and Miroku fought against the horde while Shippo, Rin, and Sesshomaru did their best to stay out of harm's way.

From his perch in a tree at the edge of the battle, Naraku watched the fight in open amusement as his latest incarnation --a demon that combined the attributes of both Kageromaru and Goshinki-- did battle with Inuyasha, knocking the annoyingly persistent half-breed around the clearing, even as Sango and Miroku struggled against the swarm of lesser demons and Kagome practiced her archery, arrows hitting the mark more because it would be hard to miss hitting something in that throng than because of any inherent skill.

As amusing as that particular battle was to observe, his curiosity was roused by an unexpected flash of white --barely seen out of the corner of one eye-- as Inuyasha's fight moved to another portion of the large, grassy meadow.

Ever alert to the possibility of ambush, Naraku turned his attention more fully in the direction of the distraction, crimson eyes scanning the edge of the tree line and the clusters of bushes before it for the source.

All but ignored for now the battle continued, spreading to tear up nearly every inch of the once-scenic meadow --taking out not a few trees as well-- as Inuyasha fought his latest incarnation even as Sango and Miroku held off the rest of the horde.

But where was that elusive whiteness hiding? Odd; you would think that a color so ghostly would stand out like a sore thumb against the greens and browns of the tree line.

:Where is it: Naraku wondered, extending his senses outward, trying to pinpoint exactly where, and what, and--

:Ah. Now isn't this interesting.:

Crouched in the bushes with a young human girl and a fox kit was Sesshomaru. And not just and Sesshomaru, no: this one sported a bandage wrapped around his head, a worried expression and he watched the inu hanyou and his friends battle Naraku's minions, and his armor and weaponry were nowhere in evidence.

:So. Sesshomaru is wounded, is he: A sinister smile spread across pale lips. :What a perfect opportunity for me to add his powers to my own at last:

No sooner thought than done. Naraku's tentacles shot out toward the concealed trio.

To Sesshomaru's credit, though he was wounded and yet only a child in his own mind, he managed to get the three of them out of the path of the tentacles. All three of them made brief frightened noises at the attack even as they fled to another part of the tree line, then another, and yet another as those evil tentacles found them without fail.

:Interesting.: Naraku thought as he directed the tentacles, watching as Sesshomaru --hand-in-hand with he fox and girl-- fled before him. :Why doesn't Sesshomaru destroy my tentacles? Is it because he remembers that even chopped apart they still follow my will? Or is it something more: Crimson eyes narrowed as he watched the fleeing youkai more closely, finding yet more small details that, when added together, formed a most intriguing whole. :Is he, just perhaps, more wounded that I first suspected:

oOo

There was no warning.

One moment he and the other children were running from those persistent tentacles, the next he was being hoisted up into the air by the throat by a tentacle that had come from before them, not behind.

Throwing dignity to the wind --damn the lecture his tutors would doubtlessly foist upon him if they heard of the lapse!-- he fought back like the child he was, kicking out with his feet, scratching with his claws.

To no avail.

He choked as he was pulled toward the center of the writhing mass of tentacles, seeing now the shape of a pelt-wrapped figure at its very heart.

All of which was secondary as a slow panic began to take over him, sending chill waves of fear coursing through his veins; held up be the throat as he was, he was finding it harder and harder to breathe.

oOo

Rin screamed as the tentacle came out of nowhere, grabbed hold of Lord Sesshomaru and pulled him into the air and away. "Lord Sesshomaru!" she cried. "No! Lord Sesshomaru!"

What could she do? She had to save her Lord Sesshomaru. But how? She was just a little girl! She needed help. She needed--

"Lord Inuyasha! Lord Inuyasha! The tentacle got Lord Sesshomaru! Help!"

oOo

:Finally:

Inuyasha panted slightly as he watched the Backlash Wave tear Naraku's incarnation into little bite-sized pieces. He was sore all over, covered in blood --his own and his opponent's-- but knew that he had only moments before he had to go help the others with the rest of the demons.

No help for it. A few passes of the Wind Scar should just about--

"Lord Inuyasha!"

:Rin:

"Lord Inuyasha, the tentacle got Lord Sesshomaru! Help!"

:Tentacle? Naraku:

Turning quickly, golden eyes searched for --there! He saw Sesshomaru kicking and squirming in mid-air, held up by a tentacle around his throat, face slowly turning red from lack of air.

"Naraku!" he yelled even as he charged, Tetsusaiga at the ready over one shoulder. "Let him go!"

But Naraku was ready for the attacking hanyou and, before he quite registered the danger, Inuyasha found himself being hauled up into the air by one ankle by a tentacle that had lain concealed in the grass against just such an attack.

"I-Inu--" Sesshomaru choked out, seeing his guardian captured even as he himself had been.

"Sesshomaru!" Inuyasha called as he was hauled through the air toward Naraku even as his half-brother was, barely managing to keep his hold on the Tetsusaiga. "Can you get free?"

The youkai clawed once more at the suffocating tentacle, watched as the wounds healed up again nearly instantly. "The tears... heal up... too fast," he gasped in reply.

"Use your poison claws!" Inuyasha said as he swiped at the writhing appendages with his sword, unable to put much force into the blows because he was both upside-down and in mid-air with nothing to brace himself against.

"My what?"

TBC...

Reviews/feedback much appreciated. If you have a question or a comment you want an answer/reply to, post it with the chapter in my Livejournal (there's a link to it in my bio). It might take a little while, but I will answer you!