Chapter Eight

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"That's impossible!" Jaken's nervous voice calls out, bringing my attention away from the battered sword in my hands. "If the two of them couldn't do it, how could a mere human hope to…?" Jaken trails off in question.

"Well I did, so we're going to have to work with it." I reply dryly to him, swallowing thickly.

'Mayumi, what have you gotten me into this time?!' I think frantically. I feel a meek pulse of energy as a wordless response from her.

"Hey, don't look at her!" Inuyasha shouts, and I look to see Sesshomaru still had his cold stare settled on me. "Look at me!" He exclaims as he launches towards his brother, but Sesshomaru moves away in a flash.

And suddenly he's right in front of me.

I'm immediately taken aback by the strength of his presence, his aura cold as it washes over me. Even if Inuyasha and he shared a Father, the way they felt down to their very signatures was completely different. With Inuyasha, even when he was being a dick, I had felt warmth and safety.

Sesshomaru makes me feel intimidated and on edge.

Slowly looking up to his amber eyes I take in his face in more detail. It's more angular than Inuyasha's, those purple markings on his cheek and the crescent mood on his forehead I had noticed before standing out even more starkly against his pale skin as he stood so close. His eyes widen momentarily as mine lock with his, but that cool expression of indifference doesn't break otherwise.

'He's tall.' I think weakly, my head only reaching the middle of his chest.

"What are you you and how did you draw the sword?" His gravelly voice asks smoothly, amber gaze looking from the sword and back to me.

"Sesshomaru! Leave her alone! She's not involved in this!" Inuyasha shouts from behind his brother, looking slightly panicked. I feel my worry spike even more, hearing the clear urgency in his voice.

He was afraid for me.

'Seriously, Mayumi! What now?!' I cry out to her inwardly, the tension almost unbearable as Sesshomaru continued to survey me. His eyes worked their way from my face and slowly down my form, like he was taking every detail into cold calculation.

'Concentrate your energy into the sword! Use it as your focus! It might be able to fend him off if he attacks.'

'If he attacks?! Can you not see the expression on his face?! He's going to kill me!' I gripe back, even as I do as she instructs. I already know her reasoning for honing my energy into the sword. Over our short amount of training I had found that it takes less power, and my energy will last longer, if I focus it into something physical rather than creating with it. As the sword starts to glow purple in my hands Sesshomaru's eyes widen once more, though this time a look of recognition is there.

"I have felt that power before, decades ago." He murmurs lowly, his head slowly lowering closer to mine.

'You've met him too?!' I cry out frantically to Mayumi. I know he had mentioned hearing of her before as Inuyasha's lover, but it never clicked that he might have actually met her. 'Just how many demons do you know?!'

'No comment.' Mayumi answered, her voice strained. Sesshomaru turns back towards Inuyasha.

"For some reason I was not able to draw Tetssaiga. Fortunately you were unable to draw it neither." Sesshomaru turns back to me, determination now set on his face. "It's obvious that she must die." His sentencing causes a shiver to rush down my spine as I take a step back making sure Tetssaiga, that was now glowing with my aura, remained between us.

'Be honest, how many hits could I take?' I ask nervously.

'One.' Mayumi answered with brutal honesty.

"Listen, I agree that it's weird that she could do it and we couldn't, but she's still just a human girl!" Inuyasha tries to reason. He turns to me then, looking utterly serious. "Yua, give him the sword. We don't have a choice!"

"No way!" I frown deeply, shaking my head. "If he gets the sword he's going to kill us anyways!" I correctly point out, Sesshomaru giving a soft chuckle.

"She's right." He comments lightly. "Smart girl."

"You don't know what you're talking about! Shut up and butt out!" Inuyasha yells rudely at me, my mouth falling open in shock.

After everything I've done today for this asshole, he talks to me like that?!

"I know more than you think!" I cry at him, Mayumi immediately reacting.

'Yua! That's enough!' She commands in a tone I hadn't heard from her before. She's pissed. I blink in shock, before seeing the look of confusion on Inuyasha's face.

Oh, right. He's not supposed to know about Mayumi.

"Inuyasha, your patience with this creature is astonishing to me." Sesshomaru speaks up then from in front of me, having moved only slightly to the side when Inuyasha and I had stated to yell at one and other.

Patience?!

"You protect her. Indulge her." Sesshomaru goes on, reaching back behind his ear and threading his finger into his long silver hair. "Even seem to love her." I nearly fall over in shock as Sesshomaru calmly combs his fingers through his hair. I'm equally as shocked by Inuyasha's reaction.

He doesn't deny it. Not really at least.

Instead he stands there looking extremely awkward as he tries to stutter out some sort of protest. Sesshomaru, meanwhile, turns and walks a couple paces towards him. "Certainly these feelings of mercy of yours are not something I inherited from our great and terrible Father."

'Was Inuyasha's Father more like Sesshomaru?' I frown then, gripping more tightly onto the sword in my hands.

"It must have been that Mother of your's. That human Mother," Sesshomaru goes on, his voice filled with disgust, "who cause our Father to come to his end in this ignoble place." His eyes sharpen. "Her blood affects you as well. Is it that which so endears you the them? When it comes to humans I, of course, bear no such weakness." That was all the warning I got before Sesshomaru turns sharply, raising his right hand up and allowing his poisoned energy to rush towards me.

'BRACE YOURSELF!' Mayumi exclaims. I grit my teeth, concentrating as my energy creates a barrier for me using the sword. His attack streams to either side of me as I hold the sword up with my shaking arms.

'He's too powerful. I can't hold on much longer!' I gasp inwardly to Mayumi, the power of the attack pushing me back against a rib. I could feel my aura flickering, just barely holding on.

"YUA!" Inuyasha calling out my name in distress is the last thing I hear before he's drowned out as the bone of Inu no Taisho's rib starts to liquefy and melt around me.

'You need to dig deep, Yua! Concentrate!' Mayumi pushes. I close my eyes, forcing more energy outwards to circle around me like a protective bubble as the melted bone solidifies on contact. I was getting trapped in!

The last of the melting bone adheres to my barrier before it flickers and fades away. I try to push up against the dome that had formed above me. 'I can't breathe!' I panic when it doesn't budge. I search for my aura, but try as I might I couldn't find the strength to tap into any more of my energy.

Suddenly the sword glows yellow in my hands.

"Make sure my son, Inuyasha, takes the sword…" A deep male voice echoes from the battered metal, my eyes widening in shock.

Inuyasha's Father?!

The blinding light fills the dome I had created around myself, cracks appearing as it shoots outwards. A final burst of energy from the sword sends the pieces flying away, and I sit up slowly to look at the scene before me.

Inuyasha and Sesshomaru are staring at one and other, and surprisingly Sesshomaru looks like he has taken some damage. My eyes are instantly drawn to where that large metal trap had sat on his shoulder, now gone.

Had Inuyasha done that?

"W-what?" Inuyasha stutters out, bringing my attention back to him. He looks utterly bewildered as he watches me.

"Did you actually think I was dead?" I ask in surprise, slowly climbing out from the mess around me. A spike of irritation hits me when he dumbly nods his head. "You should know by now I can handle myself!" I frown, walking over to him with the sword on my shaking legs. I hand it to him then. "You've underestimated this thing, trust me." I mutter the last part dryly, figuring now wasn't the time to tell him I had heard his dead Dad's voice. He's still looking at me in disbelief even as he accepts the sword.

"Uh…how are you alive?" He asks.

"The sword." Sesshomaru speaks up before I can answer. "The sword's spell protected you." He sounds disgusted as he comes to this understanding.

"It's true!" Myoga jumps in victory on Inuyasha's shoulder. I frown, hearing bones clanking against one and other. Looking over towards the skulls under Sesshomaru's feet I can see them vibrating. "Those claws of his have a deadly poison. It had to have been the sword, or she really would have died!" His eyes narrow in challenge. "Why not put it to the real test and try it on Sesshomaru."

"Uh, is anyone else seeing this?" I speak up nervously, pointing towards Sesshomaru. Inuyasha frowns, grabbing onto my arm firmly and pulling me behind him. I don't protest this time, knowing I really am useless now.

"Big words for such a small vermin." Sesshomaru's voice echoes lowly around us as the clanging of skulls gets louder. He starts to glow with his aura, his eyes going wide and his pupils dilating. His energy picks up, and with it the air begins to whip around him. Skulls and bones alike float upwards and swirl around the dog demon, some clashing together and breaking on contact. His strength grows exponentially.

"What's happening?" I ask with a frown as I watch from over Inuyasha's shoulder. Suddenly the skulls start to launch towards us, easily breaking apart on Inuyasha as they hit.

'He's hardly even flinching!' I think, Inuyasha's amber eyes narrowed as his gaze never leaves his half-brother. He has this look of determined resignation on his face, like he knew what was coming.

"Let's see if a half-breed can even weld the Tetssaiga." Sesshomaru meets the challenge that Myoga had proposed before.

This was all the flea's fault!

"I myself shall be the witness!" Sesshomaru continues, his eyes going wider and turning a blood red in color. I swallow thickly, my stomach churning as a sense of foreboding hits me hard.

Then his face starts to morph.

With sickened amazement I can't look away as Sesshomaru begins to transform. His face, having resembled that of a human's, suddenly grows a long snout and a wide mouth of jagged teeth. White fur erupts over his skin, taking over the flesh from earlier. His aura envelops him completely, sending him flying into the air before crashing back into the ground.

What is soon revealed is horrifying.

Sesshomaru stands above us, now to the likeness of a dog, but looking much fiercer. He stands at at least forty feet tall, white fur covering his powerful body. The very ground shakes as his large paws step down on it, blood red eyes looking down on us as he snaps his sharp teeth together in threat. The only thing that remotely resembled the demon from before were his marking, especially the crescent moon on his forehead.

"Now we know his real form." Inuyasha confirms, looking up towards the dog demon with determination. Inuyasha flashes the sword in front of him, Sesshomaru incited enough to bark at him in challenge. "Now that I'm using this I'll win for sure." He states cockily. I can't help inwardly groaning.

Haven't we learned at least one thing today? Being cocky doesn't work!

I step back with Inuyasha as he pushes backwards, Sesshomaru baring down on us.

"Yep, I'd say this battle is just about finished before it even starts." Inuyasha goes on confidently. I frown, glancing between the sword to Inuyasha, and then to Sesshomaru. Somehow, even though I personally know the sword has some kick to it, I'm doubtful. Inuyasha may still win, but this battle was long from being over.

"You should go and hide until this is over." Inuyasha speaks over his shoulder at me, before launching himself towards the large dog demon.

'Just where does he expect me to go?' I ask myself, looking around as I back up against the rib.

"Okay, let's see what you can do!" Inuyasha's voice calls out, speaking to the sword. He swings downwards, the blade hitting and grazing off of the top of Sesshomaru's head.

Leaving the dog demon to come sailing at me.

"Holy SHIT!" I exclaim, dodging to the side just in time as his paw, bigger than my own body, lands directly where I had been standing seconds ago. I fall shakily to my knees, still weak from before. Sesshomaru hardly pays me any heed now, turning to pounce on Inuyasha instead. Inuyasha dodges once, twice, and on the third time just manages to scoot out of the way of Sesshomaru's fangs as he bites down on the floor of bones. I can smell the now familiar scent of his poison filtering into the air before I see the actual damage. I frown deeply, watching as Sesshomaru turns, his drool dripping down to the ground and hissing as it melts away the skulls underneath. 'His saliva is poisonous now.'

"Yo, Myoga, what's the deal? This sword can't even bruise let alone cut!" Inuyasha questions the flea, annoyance clear in his voice.

"Well, uh Lord Inuyasha, I suppose that, um, it will make a lovely heirloom if nothing else." Myoga answers nervously. "Besides it's the thought that counts! Now if you'll excuse me." I blink in surprise as Myoga jumps down off of Inuyasha's shoulder, clearly running away.

"Hey, hey! Woah!" Inuyasha cries out in protest, looking at the cowardly flea from over his shoulder as Myoga lands on the ground.

"And don't let Sesshomaru push you around, okay?!" Myoga laughs nervously, before skirting away as fast as he could.

Seriously?

I frown, looking towards Inuyasha then as I slowly stand up, leaning against the rib beside me for support.

"Uh oh." Inuyasha mutters soon after, before he turns towards me urgently. "Yua! Quick! Get off the ground!" Its then that I notice a green haze starting to build, the source coming from the melting skulls under Sesshomaru's mouth. My eyes widen in realization.

Poison gas!

"You need to climb up! Up! Up!" Inuyasha shouts, Sesshomaru roaring in the background. I frown deeply, knowing he was right. I had to climb if I was going to live. Weakly I grab onto a crack in the rib above me, hoisting myself up with my shaking arms and legs. Settling on my hand and knees once I'm up, I breathe heavily.

'Fuck, if it took that much out of me to climb one rib right now, how the hell am I going to make it all the way up?' I think to myself tiredly, turning my head up to gaze at the top of the cavern. 'Then again, I don't have a choice.' I frown, looking around. My gaze settles on a thick vine a few feet away from me that crawls up along the spine. Shuffling along on my hands and knees I reach it as quickly as I can, using it now like a rope to climb up to the next. My chest was already feeling heavy, and my stomach nauseous from the poisonous gas as it continues to creep upwards faster than I can climb.

'This isn't good.' I groan, covering my mouth as I cough, lungs starting to burn. 'I'm not even in the thick of it.' I frown in worry, looking back towards the bottom of the pit, seeing Inuyasha still dodging his brother. 'How much longer can Inuyasha hold out?'

"Yua, you must keep climbing!" Myoga's suddenly appears next to me on the vine, looking at me with worry. "You won't last in this gas. Even demons aren't immune!"

"What about Inuyasha?!" I demand, looking back over my shoulder as I climb another couple feet higher.

'Don't worry about him. He can last a lot longer than you, especially since you're so drained. Keep climbing, Yua.' Mayumi urges weakly, obviously still drained from before as well. Myoga echoes her thoughts, before he continues to scramble upwards as well. I frown, turning back to look down once more, before continuing upwards as quickly as I could.

'My arms…my legs…this doesn't feel like exhaustion. It feels different.' A numbness has started to set in my limbs, and though I had some feeling still, I had this sensation of weighted nothingness starting to take over. I wasn't moving fast enough. I was just so tired.

Inuyasha's pained screams suddenly echo from below.

I turn sharply, eyes wide as I see he had tried to escape the poisonous haze, nearly half way to where I was now. His escape had obviously been cut short by his brother, who now held him clamped in his jaws.

"INUYASHA!" I can't help screaming in fear for him, heart racing as I tried to think of something, anything I could do before Sesshomaru takes him back down into the haze. Suddenly Sesshomaru launches past me with Inuyasha still in his mouth, breaking apart an opening in the shoulder of Inu no Taisho's remains. I climb to that opening as quickly as I can, taking in huge gulps of the fresh air once I climbed out onto my hands and knees. Sesshomaru roared overhead, his head thrashing back and forth with his eyes closed shut. Inuyasha had managed to get out of his jaws during the whole thing, holding onto the hair under his chin as Sesshomaru whipped his head about. When he could Inuyasha let go, landing on what was left of the shoulder pad to his Father's armor.

'He's alright!' I inwardly gasp in relief, slowly getting onto my feet as the feeling of numbness slowly ebbs away in my legs and arms.

"Now do you see the power of Tetssaiga? Oh yeah, you're giving Sesshomaru 'what for' I hope!" Myoga suddenly pops up in the bush in front of me. Inuyasha looks over his shoulder angrily towards us.

"Where have you been?!" He demands furiously. "This thing is about as useful as a walking stick!" He contradicts the flea.

"Oh," Myoga replies in susprise, "so maybe it isn't from your Father." Then he promptly disappears once more.

No surprise there.

"What am I going to do with this thing?" Inuyasha asks out loud, looking at the sword as Sesshomaru seemed to almost pace across the gap from him.

Then he strikes again.

Inuyasha barely misses being stomped on, jumping to the left of the large dog demon. I watch as he dodges again, before taking a stand and slashing at Sesshomaru's paws a couple times with the dull sword. No such luck.

'Maybe I had imagined that voice? But I had definitely not imagined the power I had felt when the sword broke me free.' I think to myself as Inuyasha lands near me. I had believed in that voice the moment I had heard it.

Just like I believed in Inuyasha now.

"Keep trying, Inuyasha!" I call out to him in encouragement, and he turns to me as Sesshomaru licks at his paw.

"It won't matter how hard I try, this sword is useless!" He spits out, glaring down at the battered metal in his hand. "Me, I'll be fine. You, though, you don't stand a chance." He grumbles the last bit, but I know he knows I heard him.

"Excuse me?!" I exclaim in disbelief, frowning. "What makes you think you're better than me?!"

"That's not the point!" He shouts back, his voice growing in volume…and worry. "You've exhausted yourself from fighting off Sesshomaru before! I can feel it! So get back and let me do what I have to do to protect you!" I blink in surprise, completely taken aback. Sure, Inuyasha had shown through previous actions he protected me out of a sense of duty, just simply because I'm useful to finding the shards.

The way he said it now though, it hit me far more profoundly.

'He wants to protect me.' I think, feeling warmth surge through me like a tidal wave, my heart starting to race.

"Stay here and watch." Inuyasha commands then as he rests the sword on his shoulder, Sesshomaru approaching where we were standing. He moves to go and meet him.

"You protect her. Indulge her. Even seem to love her." Sesshomaru's words from earlier ring clearly in my head, my gaze never leaving Inuyasha's back as he comes to stand in front of his brother.

Does he?

I shake my head violently, feeling a mixture of emotions rush through me at that unanswered question. Why was I even thinking about that right now? Besides, I wasn't even sure what this warmth was that I felt around him. I know that with everything we had been through so far, even after this short amount of time, I trusted him. But love him?

'And then there is Mayumi. He's still in love with her.' I think, remembering the way he had reacted to even the mentioning of her name. It was clear as day. I feel a sadness dampening the warmth from earlier.

"Yeah, yeah. Roar, roar to you too, buddy." Inuyasha scoffs as he comes to stand confidently in front of Sesshomaru. "Let's get it over with!" He snaps, swinging the sword out in front of him.

The air around us suddenly pulses with energy.

'There is that energy from before!' I recognize, eyes snapping towards the sword as it appears to almost vibrate in Inuyasha's hand. 'It's like it's coming to life!' Inuyasha looks equally as surprised as he stares down at the sword in his hand wide eyed, Tetssaiga continuing to pulse rhythmically.

"Get him Lord Sesshomaru! Bite his little head off! That's right!" Jaken cheers, and I growl lowly as I step out from behind the bush. I take his staff, the toad caught so off guard that he allowed it to slip easily through his hand.

"Shut. Up." I frown, before wailing him hard over the head with his own staff. He cries out, before falling to the side unconscious.

"Well that certain helped with some frustration." I admit to myself as I drop his staff next to him, smacking my hands together as if I was dusting them off. Sesshomaru lets out a loud growl, before pouncing once again. This time Inuyasha holds his ground, dragging the sword up along his brother's arm. My eyes widen as I see it actually cutting through the skin, the yellow aura of energy from before surrounding the sword as it dragged along. With one final cut he severs Sesshomaru's arm from his shoulder, the large dog falling to the ground in pain.

"He's done it." I gasp in excitement, Jaken coming to just in time to see it as well. I watch in amazement as he lands, lifting the sword into the air. It was larger, much larger than before, and it resembled a fang.

'His Father's fang.' I think with a smile. Sesshomaru slowly stands on the three legs he has left, glaring at Inuyasha as he swings Tetsusaiga about.

"So here we are!" Inuyasha calls to Sesshomaru then. "Two brothers fighting over Father's sword, but compared to him you and me are nothing." He states, paying tribute to his dead Father.

'The new sword must have helped his opinion of the guy.' I can't help thinking dryly.

"Don't you get it?" Inuyasha continues. "We're like a couple of fleas jumping around on his body. We'd be lucky if he didn't squash us flat." That was certainly a way to put things into perspective, and he was right. "So maybe I don't have too many memories of him, but it was me that Father chose to hide his tomb in after all. I'd rather give up an eye, than give up his sword. Maybe I'm not so worthless then, am I?!" He shouts the last bit to his brother, glaring at him. Sesshomaru obviously had enough, leaping to attack once more with a giant roar, but Inuyasha met him head on. He slices him across the chest, causing Sesshomaru to fall back, blood red eyes filled with shock. He falls backwards off of the shoulder pad, heading straight for the rocky ground below.

"No! Milord!" He calls to Sesshomaru in distress, raising up and racing towards the edge. I frown, watching as a blinding light suddenly overtakes the dog demon, and an orb takes his place. It hovers for only a moment, before disappearing up into the sky above. Jaken panics.

"Don't leave me!" He pleads, before turning himself into an orb as well and following Sesshomaru. Inuyasha's labored breathing takes over the silence that now looms over us. I rush up to him, kneeling down as he also knelt down after sticking the sword into the armored shoulder below.

"Hey, you alright?" I ask in concern, rest a hand on his heaving back. He's looking at the sword, clearly impressed.

"I take it back." He states with a chuckle. "So the sword isn't a piece of junk."

"You see?" Myoga comes out of nowhere, hopping onto Inuyasha's shoulder. "I was right! Of course, if you had listened earlier you never would have-" Myoga doesn't get a chance to finish his lecture, Inuyasha moving to squish him with his finger. Myoga stops him just in time, bracing against the finger with his four arms. "Wait, over there, see?!" He states, using the arms that weren't holding Inuyasha's finger from squishing him to point to the skeleton bird perched on Inu no Taisho's shoulder. "I wasn't running away, I was getting us a ride home." He explains, and even I can tell he is lying.

'Who am I to argue at this point, though? I'm ready to get out of here.' I think to myself, standing. Inuyasha stands as well, and I reluctantly allow my hand to slip from his strong back.

"You believe me…right?" Myota asks, now sounding unsure of himself. Inuyasha gives him a smile that even surprises me as he lifts his finger from the flea.

"Oh, so then you didn't run away?" Inuyasha clarifies, grinning down charmingly at the bug. I blink in surprise. Was he actually buying what Myoga was saying? Even I wasn't that gullible.

Myoga chokes under the pressure.

"Okay, okay, I admit it! I ran away!" Myota cries out, kneeling on Inuyasha's shoulder. I hold back a laugh, looking up towards Inuyasha then as his amber eyes lock with mine in amusement. "If I had known you'd make a comeback I'd have never left you! I'm ashamed of myself, I ought to have more faith. Please, please forgive me!" Well this was starting to sound like overkill.

And then he continues.

"If only I could make it up to you!" Myoga explains, and I hold back a snort of laughter at that. Inuyasha smirks at me, before looking back down to Myoga just as he opens his eyes to look up at Inuyasha.

"Myoga…" Inuyasha begins in a gentle voice, before it quickly turns almost crazed looking as he snatches the flea up and pins him between his index finger and thumb.

'Wow, Inuyasha has a sadistic side.' I think I amusement as I watch him squish the flea, Myoga drifting slowly down to the ground.

"Such is a flea's life." Myoga groans out as he floats down. He recovers quickly enough, instead wisely choosing to sit on my shoulder as Inuyasha sheathes the Tetssaiga. I watch in awe as the large sword shrinks back down to it's original size, Inuyasha holding onto it tightly. We walk over together to the bird and he climbs on first before extending his hand out towards me. I look at it, slightly surprised before I look up into his eyes, seeing them watching me calmly. I take his hand, warmth coursing through me as butterflies attack my stomach once more at the contact. He pulls me up in one fluid movement, and I come to straddle the bird behind him.

"Hold on." He tells me, and I just barely manage to wrap my arms around his middle before the bird takes off. It makes a steep climb up to the portal, Inuyasha standing as he balances us both on the bird's back. "Here we go." He grunts, wrapping his arm firmly around my waist and jumping up to the mouth of the vortex. It does the rest of the work, sucking us back in and through to the other side. We land together, Inuyasha letting me go the minute our feet hit the ground.

'Why am I disappointed he let me go?' I frown as the warmth disappears with Inuyasha's touch. 'Better yet, why am I letting what Sesshomaru said earlier get to me?!'

"Even seem to love her."

People don't fall in love out of the blue, and certainly not that fast.

At least, people didn't fall in love with me that quickly.

Inuyasha looks up, the black pearl reappearing now as the void shuts, drifting down to once again find its place in Inuyasha's eye.

"You doing okay?" I ask gently then as he rubs the heel of his hand against his eye.

"Actually, I feel great." Inuyasha answered honestly. "Everything is back to normal, and at least now I know the old man can rest in peace." His tone is surprisingly optimistic for him. I nod in agreement, before looking in the direction of the village, having recognized the spot that the vortex had dropped us off at. We were close, thankfully. Myoga had disappeared silently once more, scampering off to who knows where.

"Well, we should get a move on." I murmur, starting in the right direction.

"Hey." Inuyasha spoke up softly then, his hand reaching out and grabbing my arm to stop me. I freeze, heart racing at the contact. Trying to keep my cool I turn to look at him, lifting an eyebrow in confusion. "Listen, back there…" He trailed off awkwardly, before the next thing he does sends a shockwave through my entire body. He pulls me in without hesitation, his forehead leaning down to meet mine as he closes his eyes. I try not to breath too heavily, my heart racing as my hands settle on his chest. My eyes close as I feel the tip of his nose brushing against my own, sending a shiver of longing down my spine that manifested in a deep pull in my lower stomach.

What was he doing?!

"Thanks for having my back." He finally murmurs after what feels like a blissful eternity, his hands gently squeezing where he was gripping my upper arms. His warmth breath washes over my face, his scent of pine and pure male musk overwhelming my senses.

"Always." I reply, my voice shaky then as he leans back, staring down at me with unreadable amber eyes. A tense moment passes before he slowly lets his hands drop from my arms, and gently pulls away.

'He's not running away like last time.' I think in awe, half expecting him to go bounding off towards the village on his own now. Instead he offers a boyish smirk, before walking past me.

"Well what are you waiting for?! Let's go!" He calls over his shoulder, effectively snapping me into action. I turn, jogging slightly to catch up to him, before we fall into a comfortable silence for the remainder of the walk.

My heart is racing as I replay the feeling of his warm breath against my face, and his warm skin, over, and over, and over again.


Inuyasha had disappeared once he had walked me to Kaede's hut without a word, leaving me and the old woman to talk between ourselves.

"But how was it that ye, child, were able to pull the Tetssaiga?" Kaede questions after I finish telling her everything that had happened. Except for that moment between Inuyasha and I when we returned. That felt private, like it should just be between the two of us.

'And Mayumi.' I think, the guilt washing over me anew. After he had left it had hit me. She had seen everything, felt everything I had felt, and had been radio silent since. I'm not even sure if what I had felt earlier had been me, or her, but the guilt weighed in on me nonetheless.

"I must say that ye continue to surprise me." Kaede goes on, bringing me back to the present.

"My theory is because Yua is mortal." Myoga speaks up from where he sits across from Kaede and I by the fire. "Don't forget, Tetssaiga was forged by Lord Inuyasha's Father as a way to protect his mortal Mother. It was his feelings towards mortals that allowed Lord Inuyasha to weld it effectively."

"You've exhausted yourself from fighting off Sesshomaru before! I can feel it! So get back and let me do what I have to, to protect you!"

I feel warmth spread through me starting in my chest as my heart ached remembering the feelings his words had given me. I had felt safe, like I mattered to him, and I hadn't felt any of those things for a long, long time.

"You're right. It was only after he said he wanted to protect me that the sword reacted." I murmur softly, staring unseeingly into the flames as I recalled every detail in my mind.

"For someone like Sesshomaru, who could only hate humans, welding Tetssaiga was impossible." Myoga finishes, crossing his arms.

"Tis a strange story, aye." Kaede agrees. "To Inuyasha his half human heritage has been a curse. His feelings for his Mother have been tinged with shame. And yet, those same feelings are what make him different. That is why his Father chose him for his resting place. Perhaps the one that most resembles the Father is not Sesshomaru, but Inuyasha." I nod in agreement, before noticing the nearby water bowl was empty.

"I'll go and fill this for you." I volunteer, standing and grabbing the water bowl.

"Thank ye, child. I'll be starting supper shortly." Kaede smiles, my stomach growling loudly, as if on cue. It reminds me that we've been gone for two whole days, no food or sleep, and I can feel the weariness settling in. Rubbing my tummy I duck out the door and head for the outskirts of the village. Looking up into one of the trees I pause, seeing Inuyashsa sitting there and staring down at the sword in his hands.

He probably had so many things to think about after the last couple of days.


Inuyasha's POV

I frown as I look down at the sword in my hands, frustration building slowly. I hadn't been able to summon the sword like I had before when I had taken down Sesshomaru.

"What the hell is wrong with it?" I ask myself, frowning. "It's back to being a piece of junk."

"You've underestimated this thing, trust me." Yua's voice rings through my head, and I'm brought back to the moment she had emerged from the melted pile of bones. Residual fear grips at my chest tightly.

I had honestly thought she had died, and it had been my fault cause I couldn't protect her.

The rage I had felt right after, when I had attacked Sesshomaru, had been the strongest I had felt since…

Since Kikyo had killed Mayumi right in front of me.

Swallowing thickly I lean back against the tree, my mind drifting. Yua and Mayumi…once again I'm struck by their similarities, and their differences. Mayumi was calm, collected, and strong, whereas Yua was passionate, and hard-headed, but carried a strength about her that I hadn't expected. The more and more time I spent with her I even came to realize how different she even looked to Mayumi. Before I had thought them almost identical, except for her bright green eyes. Now they looked like night and day to me.

Yua's face was softer, more innocent from not having the same physically hard life that Mayumi had, had. She looked at the world around her with wonder and amazement, something that I had found a little addicting to observe. Her reactions were genuine, because she didn't hold back. Mayumi had always shown wisdom and restraint, only voicing her thoughts when she knew things needed to be said. I lean my head back against the tree, squinting slightly as the sunlight filters through the canopy above me. I felt different around Yua, yet there was this familiarity that was comforting all the same.

Closing my eyes my mind takes me back to the moment after we came back through the portal, when instinct had driven me to pull her close. I had needed to feel she was there, that she was safe. She had been hesitant at first when I had pulled her in, but had relaxed so quickly in my arms as her scent of cherry blossoms and honey calmed my nerves. This wasn't like me, not now at least. I wasn't touchy, and the fact I had nuzzled at her nose with my own had caught even me off guard. The instinct was so basic, the feeling of pack drawing me by the gut to her. I needed feel she was okay, not just see it.

What would Mayumi think of all this?

The guilt washes over me, my chest aching for a new reason. I had loved Mayumi, and she had loved me, all of me, and I'm here thinking of her reincarnation as pack? Sitting up, I frown. Maybe it wasn't what I was feeling for Yua? Maybe it was feelings I had towards Mayumi I hadn't resolved yet?

I couldn't even name the feelings I have gotten around Yua, let alone try to reason with them.

'Why is this so complicated!' I shout to myself in irritation, swiping Tetssaiga in front of me once more to no avail.

"Having some performance issues?" Yua's sly voice comes from below, and I blink in confusion.

Say what now?

"What the hell are you talking about?" I frown, not able to stop the bite of irritation in my voice. Why wouldn't this stupid sword work?!

"Nothing, don't worry about it." She giggles, and suddenly I'm filled with that warmth again hearing it.

Fuck.

"Listen, I might be able to tell you how to make it work!" She calls up from where she is standing, wooden water bowl braced against her hip. Huh.

"Since when are you an expert?" I ask skeptically as I jump down from the tree, her pretty green eyes looking slightly mischievous.

"Well, for starters, you've gotta promise me that from here on out you'll use it to protect me." Yua grins, locking her arms behind her back. I raise an eyebrow.

'That doesn't sound like her. She hates being taken care of.' I think, figuring she must be pulling my leg. Fine, I'll give it right back to her then.

"What in the world are you babbling about? Your brain is broken or something." I reply dryly, as I shift the sword to rest against my shoulder.

"Well you're the one that said you wanted to protect me." Yua brings up, crossing her arms and looking at me unimpressed. I hesitate, not having thought she'd throw that back at me.

"I didn't mean it like that!" I exclaim frantically, trying my best to beat down the feeling of manly pride and warmth when I think of her actually allowing me to protect her. "If you'll shut up for a minute I'll tell you what a sword like this should really be used for!" I go on, unable to stop myself. "Stuff like collecting jewel shards and making me more powerful!." I move away from her towards the bridge. "I sure ain't wasting it by protecting a helpless human like you!"

Fuck, even I knew that was too far. Yua was anything but helpless.

I see the look of hurt flash in her eyes, before anger quickly replaces it. She is silent as she moves around me with the water bowl towards the river, the only warning I get is a glance from her over her shoulder.

"Down boy!"

I gunt as I hit the ground hard, groaning as she continues on her way.

Okay…I may have deserved that one.


Yeah, I didn't feel like destroying the bridge for the villagers was a very good idea! Anywho, here it is! I hope you enjoyed this chapter and I'm looking forward to hearing your thoughts!

Until next time!

T.O.T.