Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha.

A/n: Sorry it took so long, everyone!

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Ch. 12

"Oh my god, oh my god, ohmygod!" Mina's ecstatic shouts and hops were mimicked by Totosai.

"Those stubborn brats finally-." Crack! Totosai hunched over in pain. "Oh! My back!"

"Come here, you old coot!" The sword-smith was enveloped in a big bear hug.

"Lady Mina, I can't breathe!"

"Oops, sorry!" She released her hold, then she put a fist up in the air. "Victory is-!...aw hell."

Myoga smiled, "This victory belongs to Katrina, doesn't it?"

"That reminds me."

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A certain cat smirked, 'Well, if it worked once, it should work again.' And with that, she began plotting her next attack. 'Next time, perhaps I will be able to bring out the beast in that half-breed.'

She noticed her spell's power was beginning to wane, so she used the shadows to disappear into the forest.

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"Oh no you don't!" Mina touched the mirror, letting a small cloud of purple haze drift into it. She turned to the others. "You wait here and watch them. I'm going to make sure that feline doesn't do something stupid again."

Myoga didn't like this idea. "But what should we do if something happens while you're gone?"

"I'll deal with it when I get back." There was a sound like electricity crackling in the air, then Mina disappeared into the mirror.

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Sesshomaru was too stunned to react. The words just kept replaying over and over in his head. "I like you too...I like you too..." He could feel it was the honest truth, and truly, he didn't need the bond to know that. Inuyasha would never lie about such a thing.

'Little brother, how long have you felt this way?' He wanted to ask, but he didn't.

Suddenly, rays of gold streaked into the cave. The demon watched as Inuyasha's hair turned into their shared silver, and the scent of his blood became that which he knew and...liked. 'That's going to take some getting used to.'

The pain was fading away, and the brothers let out soft sounds of relief in unison. All the bleeding steadily stopped, then the wounds healed in record time. Sesshomaru took off the bandages, feeling the smooth skin underneath his fingertips as he did. 'He's going to be alright.'

Inuyasha moved to get up. Something fell out of his haori, small, round and green. He picked it up and glanced at it almost accusingly. "Stupid thing."

Sesshomaru smirked, "You kept yours too?"

"Yeah," Inuyasha glared at the dream stone. 'What's nagging at me? I guess, it's cuz a witch must have given us these. Hey, wait a sec!'

"Sesshomaru!" Inuyasha shot up and put the stone in front of his brother's eyes. "That witch blabbed about how we first met her at that Mystics forest, right?"

A befuddled, "Yes."

"Then it's got to be that Mina person. The same woman who gave us the stones. She has our swords."

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Totosai clutched at his head, "Oh no!"

Myoga frantically waved his arms, "Don't panic! Don't panic! Lady Mina will fix this, I'm sure of it!" His eyes started to tear up. "Please hurry, Lady Mina!"

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Katrina growled, feeling the shift of energy coming straight for her. With a small pop and blinding light, Mina landed right in front of her. "Well, the human has come out of her little hidey hole."

"Look who's talking! Slinking through the shadows like the coward you are."

Katrina sneered at her, "You acted no differently, attacking them with acid ogres no less."

"Not on Inuyasha's human night!" Mina stomped her foot. "You don't give a damn about him at all, do you?" Her hands began to glow angry amethyst.

"Not really," Katrina's claws glowed darkly yellow. "Our Lord was foolish to love that abomination, son or not."

"How dare you!" Mina threw a ball of swirling power at her foe's chest.

Katrina dodged most of the attack, but her arm was singed. Hissing in pain, the cat cracked her fingers, then leaped into the air over Mina. "Die!" She screamed, unleashing a torrent of lightning from her talons.

Mina brought up her arms, "Shield!" The lightning bounced off the invincible defense, and went back to its creator. The cat demon screeched as the blow hit her dead on. Mina took her chance, and threw a curse upon Katrina. "Change!"

With a loud crack of thunder, the demon morphed into her smaller, animal form. She landed in a tree, growling and hissing at Mina below her.

The human crossed her arms, and simply said, "Better get comfy in your true form, Katrina, you're stuck like that for the next hundred years. Unless, of course, you can figure out how to break the curse." She turned around and walked away.

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Sesshomaru had out his dream stone, rubbing it affectionately. "This doesn't make any sense."

Inuyasha threw his up in the air, then caught it as it dropped down. "I know. She gave us these things as gifts, right? And she said she knew our father. Maybe she lied about all that, though?"

"Possibly, but I doubt that." Sesshomaru looked at his brother's stone, then his again. "Do you still remember it?"

His brother smiled at the fond memory, "Yeah, I do." He stared into golden eyes. "I'm never going to forget, you know."

Sesshomaru found himself unable to look away, "Neither will I, little brother."

"Good," Inuyasha got to his feet. "Well, enough of this. Lets go find out what that witch wants."

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