Dying to Live

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha.

Hi, dear readers – This chapter still took longer than I would have liked, but excited to bring it to you faster than the previous one! Also, I was really looking forward to the particular interaction that goes on in this chapter ;)

Posting on the fly, but I still want to say thank you so much for your reviews on the past few chapters and for everybody's ongoing readership despite the delays! I want to provide some replies on reviews again soon, so in the meantime, always love to hear from you - hope everyone is staying safe and well out there. Hugs, Origamikungfu.

:::

At one time Inuyasha had been pretty much convinced that time was not on his side. Hell, he had spent 50 years nailed to the Tree of Ages while the world around him changed. He had barely had the chance to either mourn or resent Kikyo for what he had thought happened between them.

However, that Tuesday morning as the flow of Time itself wrapped around him for yet another countless time, and he fell through the Higurashi Shrine Well into the Feudal Era, he realized how much his relationship with time had changed. He felt his muscles expand and fill out his red silk haori and hakama, and the weight of his armor and Tessaiga strapped at his waist lightened. In that moment, he thanked whatever was out there again for the secrets that Time had decided to show him, as blessedly, the physical weariness of the last few days lifted off him as well.

Relieved as he was to be restored by his demonic blood and his return to the Feudal Era, which in some ways would still always be his home, it had been hard for Inuyasha to walk away from Kagome - and their family. If he had thought he had become bound to Sango and Miroku in ways that were thicker than just blood before, the past day had proved it all over again. The look on Sango's face when they finally got home and could tell her in person that her husband was doing okay, that they had finally seen him rest well - if even through the hospital room window due to contagion concerns - would be burned on his heart for the rest of his life, however long it would be.

Later in the evening, he and Kagome had bathed and put on fresh, clean clothes. Then, they had sat on the living room couch beside Sango and half watched tv until Sango started into another round of tears - of relief? Of missing her husband? Though Kagome had already hugged their friend many times that night, for once Inuyasha let himself be the one to hold his friend's wife for a few minutes, since his best friend couldn't be there to hold her himself. And as he did it, he amazed himself yet again: he had never guessed just over half a century ago that he would have people that would want to be close to him, cry with him or laugh with him, and whom he could love like this.

However, it was clear that after Miroku's ordeal, that just as much as Miroku's health and safety mattered, someone really needed to go and check on the group of their friends who were left behind with Sesshomaru…

Kagome had argued with him a bit. They had stayed up very late, taking turns discussing Miroku's situation with Sango, then Kagome's mother and Grandpa, and finally Souta who had gotten back later from an event at his school. So Inuyasha had been sprawled out on their bed with his wife for the first time in days, when he brought it up.

He had been thinking about it almost since they left the hospital that Monday evening: it made more sense for him to go to the Feudal Era, and Kagome finally had to agree. She needed a day to rest after all that had happened almost as much as Sango did, if not more.

So eventually, his fierce little wife fell asleep wrapped in his arms. Somehow unable to sleep himself though, Inuyasha stayed awake. Unusually content in the privacy of their bed after so many hours exposed to harsh unnatural light and endlessly cold metals and plastics at the hospital, in the dark he occasionally planted soft kisses to the crown of Kagome's hair and promised he would take her with him next time he went to the past.

Now it was the darkness of time travel that surrounded him, until a moment later, Inuyasha made the familiar leap out onto the other side of the Well. A bouquet of springtime fragrances and glistening sunshine flooded his enhanced senses. The unbelievably futuristic metropolis of Tokyo had become his new second home, but only the sweet, pure air of this, his forest clearing, could ease his mind in this particular way. He breathed a deep sigh of relief.

Thankfully, as Inuyasha had also hoped when he said he would go to the Feudal Era, he no longer felt any of the physical effects of having sat up night after night in the hospital waiting on his friend's condition. Mentally, he supposed it was another story - Kagome herself had been sure to warn him that even if he could 'cheat' his way out of sleep for one more day, he too would need real rest soon…

It sure is a lot harder to feel bad like this though, the dog demon thought, savoring the thrum of his demon blood. Reaching deeper down, he even felt the raw energy of the beast that prowled within him. Though still mysterious to him, he clearly sensed it, welcoming in a way that reached straight through to his bones.

Was this what ol' Sesshomaru lost, this same incredible feeling? Inuyasha suddenly reflected, finally gazing up into the bright, blue sky with his clawed fingers laced behind his neck. A breeze passed, as he let the thought of his brother linger for a minute. Above, a puffy white cloud slowly passed, and Inuyasha imagined it being as big as an Inudaiyoukai, like his brother had been, or maybe even his father?

Of course, he now knew from flying that the cloud had to be too far up for him to have a true sense of its size. Still, he thought if the wispy edges were closer, they would be soft and touchable as cotton–

KRRKKKKKKKKK!

– With a crack like lightning, an incredibly bright light suddenly cut like a blade across the blue sky in the field of Inuyasha's acute vision.

The urgent push of his beast beat through every one of his veins in an instant - with an unearthly SNAP, Inuyasha moved faster than the splay of light that had suddenly come down to strike him.

Screeching to a halt, he looked behind him and noticed the spot where he had stood beside the Well, enjoying the sun and sky only a moment before. Now, the spot looked dark and singed. The dog demon had barely taken a single breath before another rush of demonic energy quickly bore down upon him.

Looking up from a well-placed block behind the whale bone arm guards he wore, Inuyasha saw that Totosai's armor would be put to the test; behind him, the shockwave that the supernatural armor had deflected, like a blade cutting through tofu, noisily battered the earth and trees going away into the depths of the forest.

In another flash, Inuyasha rapidly had Tessaiga pulled and raised. The fang immediately burst with energy in its wielder's iron-clawed grip.

With one blindingly quick adjustment, just in the nick of time, Inuyasha braced his fang over his head: huge claws, at one glance, equally sharp and long as Tessaiga, crashed down upon the block.

Inuyasha's heart beat a million pounds per second. With a forceful push, he repelled the surprise attack and rolled to the side. Meanwhile, an unearthly wind whipped through the clearing and slashed the trees all around with deafening sounds.

Despite the cacophony, the riot of youki-stirred winds was no match for Inuyasha's hearing or sense of smell. Beginning to get a sense for his lightning fast enemy, Inuyasha avoided being crushed yet again, as he darted off the side of the Well with Tessaiga still in one hand. The repeat attack, another swipe of a dangerously massive, clawed paw would have easily plowed him into the ground - Except, Inuyasha smirked to himself, as he dodged again, I'm faster!

To draw Tessaiga was still Inuyasha's first, gut reaction as a counterattack. However, the deep call within his bones of the beast within him was becoming hard to ignore. He resheathed his fang. Kono aho! he thought eagerly, as his ligaments began to tremble. They wanna do this fast? Then, I'll give 'em my fastest! A rush of wind and energy that positively smoked with ethereal power enveloped his body. His bones rapidly began to shift and grow until…

The transformation of his body parts rearranging themselves, though eerie at first even to Inuyasha, seemed to take place faster each time he did it. All fur and teeth and claws and raw energy, Inuyasha burst from the cloud that had covered his body. As he crashed down, the trees around the clearing shook again. With his tightly muscled, canine hind legs, he pushed off, and even the upper crust of the earth cracked a bit at his departure skyward.

As Inuyasha soared up, he hoped to get physically on top of the battle. Could he catch his attacker by surprise? Red eyes darting back and forth, he wondered how his foe could have possibly outpaced his maneuver.

His hackles went up instantly on instinct - in another flash, the unmistakable hot, wet sharpness of massive fangs grazed the flesh from his left cheek to his neck.

An angry snarl tore up from his beast at the audacity of the bite - with an angry snarl, Inuyasha reared powerfully, throwing the stranger off. In the brief reprieve, Inuyasha already felt the coiling of his beast; nearly seeing red, he sniffed the air for his blood from the neck bite. Then, stopping to think and really feel, he realized it: this monster, whom he had not yet seen, had clearly avoided breaking the skin.

Confused, Inuyasha flexed his huge, muscled body around. He had to get a better look at who or what this was that attacked him.

He flipped around mid-air, perhaps a little more clumsily than he had planned. Suddenly, as he righted himself, his gaze met another set of huge, blood red eyes.

A flash of snow white fur charged him head on. A loud, ear-drum shattering bark tore from Inuyasha's throat, as his fangs snapped. The demon in his face - another white-furred Inuyoukai - recoiled but not before it swiped an enormous paw against Inuyasha's muzzle.

As blood pounded to the battered bridge of his nose, Inuyasha ignored it. Determined, he reared and battered the side of his adversary again. Several more minutes passed, as Inuyasha and the other dog demon pushed each other through the air. Matching each other pace for pace with snapping teeth and snarls, their battle easily filled the air over the clearing.

For every non-lethal bite this demon got on him, Inuyasha realized the scent of this demon was more familiar than he had first thought. More and more, he wondered, Who the hell is this anyway?

Finally, Inuyasha found his opportunity. No longer interested in the suspense, he gave a forceful shoulder check with all his might to the other demon's broad, exposed shoulder.

As intended, the blow sent his attacker tumbling rapidly toward the ground in a cloud of white smoke. Satisfied, Inuyasha wondered if she had been starting to tire after all. However, he wasn't sure, and wasn't about to let his guard down, as he too descended downward into his own transformative cloud…

:

Inukimi wasn't sure exactly what she had been expecting when she went to visit her late husband's second son.

The demoness supposed it had been rather foolish of her to assume that she would find only some limp noodle or totally bumbling idiot. He was Touga's offspring after all, and if he had used the Shikon-no-Tama, as her friend had told her, then when she thought about it, those things surely probably had added up to something.

She was now realizing that perhaps it had been more than a bit of an oversight that she had maintained such a distance from the boy over the years though. Of course, while her decision to keep her husband's half-blooded spawn as far from her mind and sight as possible had been entirely purposeful, Inukimi also was not about to admit to any sort of weakness or mistakenly insinuate guilt on her own part at this stage.

Rather, as she got up and dusted herself off from the apparent trouncing she had just received, the Lady Dowager of the West reminded herself to remain focused on the newest facts she now had about Inuyasha, which were:

He had indeed become a full Inu-Daiyoukai;

In what seemed like a matter of a very short period of time, he had apparently seized onto his new abilities with zeal and become what she supposed some would describe as "terrifyingly strong" (stronger than Sesshomaru until recent events she wasn't sure, but eventually, it might not be out of the question…);

And his cleric potentially held onto part of Sesshomaru's fate, as he had been the one to very clumsily save and effectively disable her son.

If the first fact had not already been enough, this all proved that by all means Inuyasha would no longer be a persona non grata where the Inu Clan was concerned. Indeed, he had become a demon of interest, and in spite of her prior aversions, Inukimi would take it upon herself to act on that interest - starting directly.

The dust and clouds of transformative youki were just dispersing, when a rough-sounding voice called, "Oi, sorry - did I get your nice clothes all dirty?"

Looking up, Inukimi was now close enough to see him properly. She had of course spied on him for a few minutes after her servant summoned her to the stake out point she had ordered be kept. However, it was only now as he gazed at her directly while wearing a satisfied, unapologetic smirk that she really had the chance to assess his features.

As obvious as it was that Sesshomaru had taken after his mother in his looks, then to even glance at Inuyasha, there was no denying who had fathered him. Large golden eyes set in a broad face that had seemed so open and inviting on Touga, back when Inukimi had been initially attracted to him, looked back at her now. The odd, abrupt chin-length cut of his thick white hair reminded her that the demon she faced now was not as familiar to her as his face may have seemed. Still, the effect was unsettling; hardly a novice at engagements though, Inukimi would deftly push past these distractions–

Lowering her long, light purple silk sleeve, which was now freed of dust, she fixed her gaze on the one in front of her and replied, "That is hardly a way to greet an elder, and even more so considering the level of acquaintance here."

"'Level of acquaintance, huh? That's interesting because I don't think we've ever met, and with introductions like this, I'm not sure yet whether that's been such a bad thing," he answered. "I'm used to introductions like this though, 'n I already got a couple guesses. But I'll tell ya cut to the chase, lady – tell me who you are and what you want."

Though it was lowered, Inukimi's eyes traced the blade of the fang Inuyasha kept drawn in one hand, as he waited for her response. Tessaiga - Inukimi had recognized it immediately. How long had it been since she had been this close to her husband's sword? She knew Sesshomaru would be seething at the mere sight of it, and now especially its wielder.

Inuyasha's manner was crude, but Inukimi did favor directness. "Your questions are sensible under the circumstances. This one is here to speak to you. That we bare a relation as members of the same clan likely does not require indication, though I acknowledge the likeliness that you probably know very little of our kind. I am Inukimi, Ruler of the Western Sky Palace, but as widow to the Late Inu-no-Taisho, I am also Dowager Lady of the Western Lands and mother of the current Lord of the Western Lands, Sesshomaru, who is your half-brother."

Once Inukimi had finished, she watched for a reaction. It was a moment before she got one.

Inuyasha's eyes closed, and lifting Tessaiga like it was made of no more than paper, he rested the blunt end against his shoulder. The fingers of his left hand went to his temples. Though he muttered mainly to himself, he had to know she could hear him. "Oh boy, here we go… Shoulda known someone'd turn up…"

"I understand you have had occasional encounters with Sesshomaru," Inukimi commented dryly. Having been his mother for centuries, she had seen similar reactions in others affected by proximity to her son. She also wanted to wait and see what he could have to say about Sesshomaru's situation.

Inuyasha looked up, "'Encounters' is a way to put it... I guess I should ask though - when's the, uh, last time you've seen him?"

Inukimi's eyebrows lifted with curiosity at the hesitancy in the question. "I just visited him a few nights ago. So if you are referring to the fact that my son is now human, then I am aware, as his mother should be."

The demon in front of her stared for a moment and then put away his sword. "Huh, that's a calmer reaction than I expected, I guess… I didn't think your kind were too fond of anything having to do with humans, at least in my own personal experience."

Inukimi found the reference of 'your kind' interesting, given the circumstances. "Yes, well Sesshomaru is my son, as such I would do anything for him. However the mention of our kind does bring me to a key point in my visit with you - you are one of us now."

"Does Sesshomaru know?" she asked pointedly.

From where the other Inuyoukai stood, still maintaining the same distance of a few paces between them, he looked a bit sheepish.

"Uh, there's been a few delays with that…" he said with a somewhat awkward side glance toward Inukimi and a hand to the back of his neck.

"That is fine: Sesshomaru's not knowing is a convenience," Inukimi replied evenly. "However, you can imagine how this one felt upon learning of your transformation by hearsay - and not even from a member of our own court but from an external ally from another clan."

Inuyasha returned a long look in her direction, as his hands went to his hips. "Oh I see, that's what this is about. You're pissed I didn't think to check in with the clan - - Sorry, but your 'court', or whatever, didn't exactly give two shits about my mom or me after the Old Man kicked it, so you all didn't exactly come to mind after I got my wish off the Jewel."

Inukimi thought about this to herself before she spoke. "Yes, well the clan is interested in you now. Having learned of your change, it seemed a test to confirm it - as I conducted today - was in order. However, as to how this transformation occurred, you have mentioned a wish from the Jewel - still, I do need to ask before proceeding any further: where were you the night that trouble befell my son?"

Inuyasha's expression hardened immediately. He had resheathed Tessaiga, but his hand had remained near his side." Wait a minute! The Jewel picked me even though I tried to give it back to the Shrine. I made my wish fair n' square, 'n before that my friends and I were busy fighting Naraku to the death!"

"I had nothing to do with what happened to Sesshomaru, and plenty of people can back it up, so don't even start on that, ye hear!"

Inukimi absorbed this intense reply. Deciding that she believed him, she quickly let this line of questioning drop.

"That will do then for that, but there is still the matter of your cleric." Even if he hadn't cringed visibly, the uptick in Inuyasha's vitals, which she could feel even at this distance, told her he had been dreading this topic though. "While he may not have caused Sesshomaru's initial situation, he is responsible for his current issues with… mortality," Inukimi explained.

Inuyasha sighed but looked her head on. "Yeah, not one of Miroku's smarter moments. He did it out of concern for Sesshomaru though, and both he and Rin claimed he was looking as good as dead when Miroku used the Soul-Binding Sutra…"

Inukimi considered this. She was not familiar with all the ningen magics, but despite her prejudices, she knew a handful of them could be very powerful. Those that were that potent were generally deeply rooted in the unique powers of those that cast them. The monk would be integral to eventually reversing the sutra in that case.

"...Anyway, you should know that Miroku and I have both vowed to help Sesshomaru track down his attacker and hopefully restore his youki, and if nothing else, I'll continue to help look out for him because I promised I would," Inuyasha finished.

While this loyalty from Inuyasha interested her, for to her knowledge the relationship between him and her son had been tepid at best, Inukimi put the thought aside for another time. She wanted to keep things focused for now until she knew more about Inuyasha.

"Those notions are honorable, and it appears that with cooperation, we may mutually benefit in our ability to help my son," Inukimi answered diplomatically before she continued. "Integral to this would be that you hold off revealing your new nature to Sesshomaru though. I hope to resolve this situation quickly and see no point in making his disposition tenuous in any possible way in the meantime - as, if you even know my son at all, you also know that his reactions are not always as measured as the air he likes to give off."

"Keh, you can say that again," Inuyasha scoffed, though the smirk had returned to his face. "Yeah, I agree cooperation'll get this done faster, and I plan to do my own search for clues as well. But about keeping my becoming a full-demon from Sesshomaru: I can't promise how long I can keep it from him. It's looking like someone's gonna have to take over for Miroku leading their search party because of his health. I'll have to see if they can safely stay where they are and rest for the next bit of time to regroup on a plan. After that, hopefully a couple of our friends have what it takes to lead the group in their search on their own. Otherwise, I'll have to take back over, and then keeping the secret will go out the window."

Inukimi listened and then replied, "That will have to do, but if they can remain in safety, without Sesshomaru finding anything out, then this would be most satisfactory. Naturally, if you discover any clues in your own search though, please alert me. I aim to urge the resolution," she concluded seriously before she moved to her parting thought. "A final thing Inuyasha - I will station a guard here, by this well. Despite having heard of its apparent value to you and your allies, and now by extension, to my son, I find it woefully under-protected and under-surveilled."

"What?! You can't just do th-" Inuyasha exclaimed indignantly, however, Inukimi had turned and heard not another word, as in a flash she teleported and left him standing in the clearing on his own.

:

"Geh, Kaede, do you think we should set up more of a guard for the Bone Eater's Well?" Inuyasha asked with a growl of anxious frustration. "I don't know why, I just never thought of it before, but now that others can get through it with just something of Kagome's, maybe it is dangerous. Also, now that the thing with Inukimi is over, I have to admit, I'm a little shook that she attacked me right as I came out of the well.

"What if it hadn't been me, but Kagome or one of the others? Or if I had Sango with me for some reason?" a chill ran through Inuyasha, as he pondered darker possibilities. After entering the village in a huff and finding the priestess at home cooking over her fire pit, Inuyasha had described his meeting with Sesshomaru's mother to her. Now, as they talked over recent events, he gave Kaede a hand with a heavy pot she had been about to lift off the fire. Porridge with fragrant herbs and pickled winter vegetables steamed, as she ladeled the meal out for herself.

"Hm, perhaps it is time to consider something more for the Bone Eater's Well. It was once just a local legend that relatively few knew about other than this village because we suffered time-to-time from the monsters that came out of it. While the danger from the well has died down with the presence and reputation of ye and Kagome, it's also better known across the land in general than it was because of ye. However, did yer step-mother not say that she would set up a guard? My guess is that she will not be one to mince words," Kaede observed, while Inuyasha made a dramatic false-retching sound.

"Blech, thinking of that woman as any kind of 'mother' to me is making my stomach hurt more each time I think of it now," Inuyasha complained and crossed his arms in front of his chest in signature form. The irritation of the demoness' haughty behavior and abrupt departure still freshly stung him, so that he added: "Although having met her, I think it starts to explain a bit about why Sesshomaru often seems like somebody dropped him on his head as a kid–"

"Oi, Inuyasha – I thought ye were tryin' to turn over a new leaf and be a bit more thoughtful with others," Kaede chided.

"Heh, Sesshomaru and now that mother of his might be the exceptions," the dog demon snorted, still amused by his own joke, but there were other important matters…

"You're probably right though," Inuyasha conceded. "We'll need to think of other precautions soon enough, but for now, maybe just warn the villagers to stay away from the Well. Unless they get in touch with Kagome or me first, they should avoid that area - especially if Inukimi or any goons of hers start hanging around there."

Kaede had nodded in agreement just as a certain tiny nekomata pushed her way into the priestess' hut. With her fluffy cheek, she leaned against the side of the reed mat covering the door until she squeezed through.

"Mew!" the little demon announced herself loudly, as she bounded up into Inuyasha's lap. As the little nekomata looked insistently into his eyes with her huge red-orange ones, her face mere inches from his, Inuyasha tuned into the pitch of her pulse. The cat demon was rarely this assertive with him, but feeling the little creature's nervousness, Inuyasha thought he could now guess why.

"So here you are finally, huh?" he tutted, despite plopping a huge hand on the little demon's head to give her a kind pet. "Kaede has told me now how she thinks you hid from me the last time I passed through the village, so I wouldn't get distracted and not go back to Kagome's time to help Miroku. Probably think you're pretty clever, I guess."

Kirara mewed loudly and danced a tiny impatient circle across his lap again, while she still looked up at him with huge, questioning eyes.

"Aye, clever demons nekomata are," Kaede interjected at the cat demon's display. "I had heard before how the demon slayer clan bonded with them. They are truly creatures that would do anything for the companion they bond with. Kirara was right to hide from ye though - it sounds like Kagome and ye needed each other to get Miroku through his ordeal. Inuyasha, ye believe he is in fact stabilizing under the modern care on Kagome's side?"

"Yeah, the big idiot shouldn't have let himself get so sick in the first place, but Miroku's gonna be okay, alright?" the dog demon intoned, having turned his attention mid-sentence back to Kirara, who had begun nudging his chest pretty forcefully despite her tiny size.

Despite not being able to speak as humans could like other demons, the little demon never lacked for expressiveness. So upon hearing the news of Miroku, her small body visibly relaxed, and she immediately mewed happily up at Inuyasha, before nuzzling his chest with a satisfied pur.

Inuyasha's face felt hot at the cat demon's affection. He was glad when the attention shifted from him, and Kaede unwrapped a pair of small, dried fish she had saved in some paper for the nekomata.

As he watched Kaede happily pet Kirara, while the little demon energetically inhaled her snack like the cat she was, he was again reminded of how lucky he was to have such caring friends; unfortunately, it also made the thought of how close Miroku had come to real mortal danger all the more sobering and that his health wasn't the only risk to his friends' happiness.

"Kaede, I better get going. Thanks for listening and for looking after Kirara," he said, doing his best to remember to be more grateful to the people around him. "Keep an eye out, and look out for yourself here, okay?"

The old priestess nodded warmly his way. Though Kaede had turned to inspect some herbs she had hung to dry against the wall, she smiled as she listened. The demon turned and lifted the reed mat for the nekomata, who dashed out happily with her tails in the air. "Come on Kirara, let's go see if we can take a sneaky peek at how Shippou and Kohaku are doing with my big, idiot brother," Inuyasha directed and with that the reed covering fell and they were off on their way once again.