"Sesshomaru doesn't run. He never runs." Inuyasha knew something was wrong.
"Let us take care of this!" Sango urged as she aimed.
Kenji dodged her attack and Kagome's arrows in the same instance. He and one other member of his pack raced after Sesshomaru as he continued to flee. Inuyasha cursed inwardly that he was utterly useless.
What confused him was, why is Sesshomaru not wielding Tokijin? He checked his brother's side. Yes, Tenseiga and Tokijin were there. So then why wasn't he using it?
The rest of Kenji's pack swarmed Inuyasha's friends to keep them from interfering. Shippo landed below and began to unleash his fox fire to join Jaken's fire staff attacks.
Believing that Sesshomaru can take care of himself Sango focused on the rest of the pack swarming her friends. Inuyasha couldn't tear his gaze away from Sesshomaru as he was cut off from making a getaway. The two demons circled his brother.
At first Sesshomaru held his ground using only his poison whip or claws. Inuyasha was still confused as to why his brother refused to wield Tokijin to finish the job.
He sensed the sun rising very soon. Inuyasha wished it would hurry up already. He wanted to show these demons a piece of his mind. Show them what he was capable of.
Suddenly just two minutes before the sun rose on the horizon, Kenji managed to land a powerful hit. He struck Sesshomaru's stomach with all of his power. Some parts of the armor crumbled away from the force as Sesshomaru was sent flying.
"Aniki!" Inuyasha cried out.
Sesshomaru landed on his back and didn't move.
"Get up, get up, get up." Inuyasha chanted lowly enough that only Sango could hear. She caught her weapon midair as Kirara turned towards the fallen brother.
"Looks like you'll be returning to your betrothed." Kenji snickered as he slowly approached.
"Faster!" Inuyasha urged Kirara and the sun.
Suddenly Sesshomaru howled. In a flash his form changed into his true form. The three legged dog howled into the sky in pain. Everyone stopped as the sound hurt their ears. Never had they heard such a sound resonate within their hearts of how deeply saddening the sound was.
Inuyasha blinked at the sight of blood. So much blood oozing down Sesshomaru's back legs. And in that instant Inuyasha knew.
His fury fueled him to leap off Kirara just as the sun peeked. As the rays hit him, his black wild hair gave way to white. His eyes burned golden over the brown. Tessaiga aimed straight at Kenji as he released a howl of his own.
Kenji blocked the attack with one of his twin blades.
"So, you must be the father." He stated calmly. "I suppose it's a good thing you didn't mark him. Or he to you."
"You won't get away with this!" Inuyasha swung again.
"It's inevitable. He's been promised to my brother." Kenji remained calm even as focused on the defense.
"To hell with all of your stupid politics!" Inuyasha snapped as his attacks grew faster with each hit.
In the corner of his eye he caught sight of someone running towards them. Inuyasha was too focused on Kenji to care. That was until Sesshomaru snatched the approaching demon in his jaws and shook violently until the screaming stopped.
The body was let go and Inuyasha leaped back to avoid getting hit. It fell with a clump between him and Kenji. It was in that moment the dark haired demon glanced up at Sesshomaru.
"You really won't come. Even in your weakened state where all I have to do is wait until you can't hold that form." Kenji studied both brothers for a moment.
"I severely underestimated both of you. Including Sesshomaru's stubbornness. I suppose even if I do enact the order to repay with blood, he will certainly avenge his mother then come after my brother."
Suddenly Sesshomaru couldn't hold his true form anymore. He stood weakly as crimson eyes glared at Kenji. Blood covered everywhere on his clothes.
"I won't end it with your brother. I will take the life of every man, woman and child within that damned castle. And I will make him watch before I end his suffering." He snarled.
Inuyasha shivered. It had been a while since his brother had been so ruthless. In fact ever since Rin and Kohaku became part of his pack, Sesshomaru toned himself down.
"Then how about we make a deal. You ended the life of one of my men after I took the life of your unborn pup. Say we call it even, and I will leave you and your family alone. And you will do the same with mine. I won't hunt you down ever again and I will insist my brother moves on from this deal."
"You can't be serious!?" Inuyasha didn't find this fair.
"Stay out of this!" Sesshomaru snapped.
"You're really going to take that offer? After what just happened?" He was too hurt and angry to think rationally. "Shouldn't I get a say in the matter?"
"You didn't mark me! You don't get that right even if it was yours!" Sesshomaru held firm.
"Inuyasha, I think this is a fair bargain." Kagome approached slowly. "This way no one else has to die. Think, there would be endless bloodshed that can't make up for the loss."
"But - " He tried to argue.
"Otouto." The nickname made him shake. That was the closest Sesshomaru would come to openly beg in front of others.
"...Fine." Inuyasha sheathed Tessaiga.
"So then you agree to my terms?" Kenji kept his gaze on Sesshomaru.
"Swear it. Swear it on your family name and honor you will uphold your end of the bargain."
"I swear as the second son of Lord Hiroshi of the North, who lives on with my brother Lord Asahi of the North, I won't raise my weapon against you or your kin. Henceforth the arrangement to my brother is forfeit." Kenji had no hesitation to the addition of the deal.
"Then I accept your terms. Now get out of my sight." Sesshomaru snarled.
Kenji gathered the body of his dead while the others followed his lead and calmly left. Once they were out of sight Sesshomaru collapsed to his knees, breathing rapid. Despite the fury he still felt Inuyasha ran to his side as Sango and Miroku approached.
"It's coming." He gasped as another contraction pained him.
"How close are the contractions?" Sango inquired softly.
"Less than five minutes apart." Sesshomaru replied through grit teeth.
"We can't move him until it's passed." Miroku knew they were working with very little time. And if they tried to move him then he would be injured worse.
"What should we do?" Inuyasha was trying not to panic as Kagome and the others joined them.
"Kagome, Rin, I need you both to fetch water. Lots of it. Shippo, go through all our belongings and hand me all the rags that aren't clothes. Miroku, help me guide him through this? Once it's over we need to find a peaceful spot to bury the child and perform a rite."
"What do I do?" Inuyasha asked.
"Help us remove this armor. Then afterwards just help him stay calm while I guide him through the contractions." Sango had little experience with demons giving birth, but she figured it couldn't be that big of a stretch from humans.
They all got to work in unison. Kagome and Rin used Kirara to go find water. Shippo searched and brought all the rags he could find. Even though Kohaku wasn't given the task, he searched for any herbs that might be helpful.
Ah-Un laid down behind Sesshomaru for support after the armor was discarded. Jaken passed out shortly after due to the sight of Sesshomaru exposed and heavily bleeding.
When it came down to the contractions, Shippo went to go help Kagome and Rin as they brought buckets of water. Inuyasha tentatively reached for Sesshomaru's hand. To his surprise he returned the gesture with a tight grip.
"Okay, breathe in deeply. Then right after you feel a contraction I need you to push with all your might." Sango was ever calm as she spoke.
It was all over within an hour, maybe less. Sango wrapped the small body inside a blanket meant for Shippo. The blanket was twice the size of the child that never got the chance. Sango handed the wrapped body to Miroku so she can focus on cleaning Sesshomaru to prevent an infection.
"That's a bit big for three months, isn't it?" Kagome couldn't help but ask.
"Demons reproduce at a faster rate. I'm guessing that's about the five month mark in comparison to us humans." Miroku explained.
"Lord Sesshomaru, should we give the baby a name? Even though the baby passed on?" Rin asked through tears.
"...What was it?" He referred to the gender.
"It would have been a girl." Sango answered, her voice sad.
"Inuyasha. You name her." Sesshomaru was too tired. And it was his way to make up for what he said earlier.
His white ears perked for a second. Inuyasha almost began crying. For some reason he thought of the moment he learned about the child in the same instance the sun came up. And he had a name.
"Hinata."
Sesshomaru turned away. His hand gripped Inuyasha's tightly. Soon enough the hanyou knew when his brother fell asleep when the grip on his hand weakened and his breathing evened out. Kagome saw the whole thing.
Rin chose the place. A field of colorful flowers. They buried Hinata with a makeshift small rock pile to mark the grave. Rin gathered flowers to be placed over the small mound of dirt.
Miroku spoke the funeral rite. Inuyasha remained while everyone left to set up camp. It was decided that for the moment it was too risky to move Sesshomaru somewhere safer due to the extent of his injuries.
The next morning no one batted an eye when they awoke to Inuyasha curled up next to Sesshomaru. Not even Kagome. Jaken was the only one to complain, but when no one else joined him, he went quiet.
A/N: Hinata means "sun" or "towards the sun".