Disclaimer: Sadly I am but a poor youth, somewhere between being a teen and a woman, I am not rich...so how would it be possible that I could own Inuyasha and company? Yes, the rumors you have heard are true: I don't own any of them.

A/N: This chapter has quite a lot of action to start off with. Taikokajin has come for what she wants, and if it isn't handed over she plans on taking it by force...but Kagome is, of course, tougher than she expected. Even from Koinu I have planned some uncalculated resistence to miff Taikokajin...hehe...Also Shimo-kun and Inu have reached within scent distance of Garou's den, but Shimo-pup is hesitating, waiting for Sesshy, and you shall discover why he bothered seeking out Inu's older brother againlast chapter as well. Also, for anyone who didn't understand (I know one reviewer said that she didn't understand Shimo-kun and Kokoro's visit but I'll bet there were others) the appearance of the ghost of the monk who fathered Tsukiyume, named Kokoro, is explained in a flashback here. I deliberately left out the conversation last chapter, only saying that Shimofuri saw him. You'll see here what Kokoro had to say to his favorite "pup." Hehe...I have so much backstory here it's coming out my ears...AH! Well as usual Inu potty mouth warning...he's frustrated as usual. Anyway...I think that's it...Enjoy!

Old Ghosts

Koinu nestled against her, cooing. She'd nursed him again, which never failed to please the pup, and now thoroughly satiated, he was glad to simply cling to her as he fell slowly asleep. His ears had become an early warning system for her: they twittered and pressed against his little skull when another's footsteps came through the hall. Always the pup's ears moved before she was aware of the approaching presence, which allowed her to prepare herself for confrontation, if it came to that…

Taikokajin will come for Koinu soon. She knew this, though she tried to tell herself that she was being paranoid. Why would the dog demon try to take her child when she had two of her own, one of which was traveling with Inuyasha as a sort of prisoner…was she really so stupid? Kagome worried for Inuyasha too but she doubted, after everything she'd seen her hanyou fight over the long years, that Taikokajin, her son, or even the monster they'd been sent out to slaughter could scratch Inuyasha.

Or so she prayed.

The pup's ears moved, tickling her chin, setting Kagome immediately tense. Looking up she watched the shadows as they moved through the hall, waiting for the shape of a person in flowing, regal robes to sweep over the light. A shadow descended over the screens, a hand clasped the door, and Kagome forced Koinu's cooing baby lips against her neck, drawing her strength from him.

The night had passed since she'd openly defied Taikokajin and no punishment had come for it. But Kagome was far from fooled—it was coming. She was stronger than she had been the day before, indeed, stronger than she had been in weeks, and her confidence and her maternal instincts had both tightened like fists. Whatever monster that held her soul under the strange spell Kagome's attack the day before had weakened it—both the spell and the evil holder of the magic.

As soon as Taikokajin leaves again I'll deal with the rest of the spell easily enough.

To Kagome's brief surprise the person who stepped inside her room was not, in fact, Taikokajin, as she'd been certain that it would be. It was instead the middle-aged maid Momo, who was quickly followed by another maid whose name Kagome didn't know, but suspected it was Mitori, the maid who'd discussed Taikokajin's desire to steal Koinu away in the hallway weeks ago. When the two women knelt before her and bowed, murmuring "Lady Inuyasha," to her in unison, Kagome was sure. Their voices rang clear in her memories.

Koinu cooed against her, trying to turn his head and watch what was happening. Kagome blew into his ear, making the pup giggle and squirm in her arms. She waited, carefully ignoring them in favor of playing with Koinu. She was determined to let them expose their agendas to her, rather than let herself willingly walk into whatever lies they'd had planned. She sensed that they knew of her illness, and were surprised that she was so light and seemingly healthy…they've underestimated me…Kagome tried hard not to smile, but the attempt failed so she hid what she knew must be a smug expression—likely mimicking Inuyasha's—by nuzzling her nose and chin into Koinu's fuzzy silver-haired head.

The maids finally spoke. It was Momo who broke the silence between the adults first, but her cold tone and demeanor did nothing to "break the ice" that had frozen the room as far as conversation went. All three of them understood this was not a normal interaction, and none of them really tried to hide it.

"Our mistress is not pleased with your behavior as a guest in her home." Momo started, her face still kissing the floor in her low bow. Mitori had remained bowing as well. When Kagome had ignored them etiquette had demanded they remain bowing until she acknowledged them.

Kagome didn't bother looking up at them when she spoke, "She hasn't treated me much better than a prisoner."

The maids sat up, their faces stony. "Our mistress bid us to inform you that by now your mate has likely found the adversary he was sent out to destroy." This was Mitori's quiet voice. Unlike Momo, whose eyes shone with a dark fierceness that made Kagome's palms sweat, Mitori maintained a distant 'I-don't-care-about-any-of-this' look on her face. The look did little to pacify Kagome's rising anger.

"Does that mean she's going to start treating me better?" she looked up at them this time, trying to keep her expression dull and tired. She didn't want either of them—any of them, for she sensed that these two weren't the only ones within earshot—to know how much she had managed to recover.

Of course the maids ignored her barb. "Your mate will not survive the encounter." Momo muttered, brown eyes vicious.

For a moment there was silence, and Kagome looked between the two of them, still trying to hide her amusement. If I had a nickel for every time some idiot says that about Inuyasha…She laughed then, unable to avoid it, and when she looked up again the maids were staring at her with sudden confusion. Their expressions prompted even more laughter out of her.

"Did you want him dead…?" Mitori's quiet, baffled voice filtered into her amusement even as Momo turned to slap the other maid to silence her.

Kagome caught herself and shook her head, "You guys must be dumber than I thought!"

Both maids looked stricken stupid. They stared at her as if her head had suddenly inflated with hot air and started to fly away. Momo's eyes narrowed as she wondered if perhaps the young miko woman had been driven mad by the dark magic that haunted her soul, but she looked strong enough…that had been what had driven Taikokajin to invite the woman to dinner. She wanted to observe the young mother herself, and then, of course, she'd wanted to take the pup away from her before Garou was killed—for the moment he died the spell that kept the miko weakened would come to an end with him. Then it would be much harder to grab the pup away from her.

But Kagome had refused the offer, knowing better, and now she laughed in their faces when they assured her that her mate would soon be dead.

Momo glanced to Mitori and muttered, "She's mad…"

"Of course I am!" Kagome frowned at them, her fists bunching up, "You idiots think that you can keep me here like this and kill Inuyasha out there?" she snorted, unimpressed, "Do you know how many times someone has threatened Inuyasha that way?" she looked to the door, sensing by the way Koinu's ears were flickering against her chin, and by the way he was sniffing loudly—just like his father tended to do when scenting something—that someone else had come into their little party. Taikokajin.

"I mean how stupid is your mistress? Does she want her son to be killed? Inuyasha has a temper, believe me, I know! I can't believe you idiots!" the miko energy bubbled in her, ready to spring awake at her command, but Kagome settled it for the moment, hesitating as the shadow of the inuyoukai woman she'd been waiting for loomed up against the still open doorway…

Koinu whimpered, sensing his mother's magic rousing just beneath her skin. His ears flattened instinctively. His distress distracted Kagome for a moment, making her take her eyes away from the maids and the approaching presence of the demon woman. She cuddled and nuzzled him for a moment, letting go of the magic she'd summoned. A thought filtered through her abruptly and she smirked into her little son's hair: Is this what it felt like to Inuyasha for years and years while he was defending me from Kouga? Koinu doesn't like my magic because he's part demon so it's going to be really hard to protect him from that pink-eyed monster, but I have to do it! Just like Inuyasha knew I hated him fighting Kouga but he felt he had to do it…

"A bitch with such confidence in her mate has doomed not only herself but also her offspring." Came the dry, cold voice from the doorway that Kagome had been waiting for. The young mother jerked her gaze up, eyes wide.

Taikokajin's long, fair strands of hair flowed down past her shoulders, a waterfall of ice, as long as Sesshomaru's. The clothes that adorned her were not her usual extravagant, colorful kimonos; instead it was a warrior's garb. Like Sesshomaru she bore spiky armor that ran along her shoulders, covering her waist. Her legs were plated with carefully shaped sheet metal that gleamed even in the dim light of the room that, to Kagome, doubled as her prison. The demon woman's kimono came only to her thighs and was dark purple, almost black. Her leggings were the same color and tight as a second skin.

She looked like a cross between Sesshomaru and a samurai warrior, and for a moment Kagome gawked, unable to restrain her awe at these dog demons that she had seemingly married—mated?—herself into. Talk about not fitting in with them…but if it means I have to be a stony, murdering, heartless bitch then I'll pass.

Kagome shifted Koinu against her, trying to make sure the pup was safe even as she stared Taikokajin fearlessly, pink meeting the natural human brown. "The only one here who's acted wrongly is you." she muttered, scowling in a half-way decent imitation of her husband, "Your own son is with my husband as collateral—and when Inuyasha finds out about—"

Taikokajin cut her words short with a loud snort and then some surprisingly vicious laughter. "You little fool of a woman!" she smiled humorlessly down at Kagome, her eyes glittering with disgust, "My son will kill your mate."

"Are you sure?" Kagome drawled, returning Taikokajin's disgust with a little of her own, "I know you've heard of Inuyasha before, so I thought you wouldn't be so stupid as to pull something like this but…" she shook her head, remembering the pink-eyed demon woman's son, the seemingly calm nature, the blue-gray eyes and the blue-black hair. It didn't seem like the type to do as Taikokajin said—and he was so young…

She looked up to meet Taikokajin's eyes, frowning in confusion, "Inuyasha wouldn't hesitate to kill your son, Lady Taikokajin." The miko prayed silently that the demon woman would have enough sense to realize that risking her son in a battle with the infamous Inuyasha was just stupid, "My husband has no qualms about killing close family members that plot against him." She couldn't help but smirk as she finished the thought, "He's been trying to kill his own brother for as long as I've known him!"

The maids kneeling between Taikokajin and Kagome shifted uneasily. Mitori was gazing at Kagome with something near to respect, or perhaps the beginnings of fear. She didn't particularly fear the young mother necessarily, she was thinking of the young Shishi-sama and his welfare. Momo, meanwhile, had blanked her face, and seemed to be waiting, albeit uncertainly, for a command to be given out.

Taikokajin's face had grown tighter, drawn. She was fighting some sort of inner emotion, keeping it from her face as she stared down, past the fidgeting maids, at the young mother. When she did finally speak there was a certain edge to her voice that Kagome immediately loathed—and feared. "I know this, miko. But you fail to realize that Sesshomaru, like Inutaisho and Inuyasha himself, are all warriors before they are leaders." Her face twisted with pride and hatred alike somehow, "My son and I are diplomats before we are warriors or leaders. Shimofuri will stab your mate in the back after he has gained his trust during their journey." The shine in her eyes was one of triumph.

Kagome looked, and felt, as if she might be sick. Part of her was sure Inuyasha would pay enough attention, would trust his gut, but the rest of her feared for him nonetheless…and it was that momentary fear that Taikokajin took advantage of. She made some gesture toward the young mother and abruptly both Mitori and Momo lunged toward Kagome and Koinu.

In a second Kagome was fighting grabbing hands and her own panic. The looks on the maids' faces had become one of blind obedience, a mask, drawn tight and ugly over their features. Although they might've been human moments before, might somewhere have pitied Inuyasha's mate and child for what was about to happen, they were now careless, mindless things, bent on serving. Yet, though Kagome knew this, could see it in their faces, feel it in their clutching hands, she found herself hesitating because they were human—and women. The silent edict to spare women and children was something she believed in strongly. Miko energy leapt to her defense but Kagome hesitated as she tried to push them away, to kick at their grabbing hands and cold faces with her feet, hoping to avoid harming them permanently…

One bare foot made contact with Mitori's face, a toe scratched just below her eye. The woman cried out, took hold of her face. Her body shook. Kagome used one hand to support herself, the other to keep Koinu clutched against her, and tried to do a partial crab-walk away from the remaining maid's desperate reach.

Momo locked her grasp onto one of Kagome's knees, keeping her from crawling away. When the miko tried to bat her free with the other the maid caught that foot in her fist. With a sneer that revealed her teeth like a dog, she twisted Kagome's legs, flipping her onto her side.

Koinu started to scream.

With a snarl of her own, Kagome jerked one leg free and smashed her heel into Momo's neck with enough force to send the other woman gasping and reeling away from her. But just as she pushed herself to her own feet, trying to soothe Koinu with only one hand, Mitori reappeared, her eyes red from Kagome's previous attack. Behind her Momo was also recovering, again rising to help…

Kagome sensed movement at the door and looked up. Her heart beat frantically as the youngest maid, who'd always been so kind to her, appeared in the doorway: Nikimi. The young woman paused at the door, her eyes wide with horror. Pushing past her three men entered the room as well, drawing swords. Taikokajin waited like a spider in her web, watching the fly struggling against her hold…the corners of her lips twitched with a mixture of anxiety and anticipation…the bitch was quite enjoying the show, it seemed.

Mitori sprung at Kagome then, and the young mother knew she had no choice. Human or demon, man or woman, she wanted to live longer than this—and to raise her son, to see him grow. Koinu screamed again, sensing his mother's energy surging beneath her skin, but this time Kagome didn't stop to comfort him. Some crying couldn't be stopped; some crying wasn't all bad. Hearing her child's distress was actually better for her—it encouraged her own maternal instincts, strengthened her resolve and her will, which fed the miko power hidden within her.

Thrusting one palm out toward Mitori, Kagome focused the energy like a bullet, in a tight ball. The light in the room seemed to die, absorbed into Kagome as she drew her inner magic. The purple-blue electricity-like energy snapped and crackled, like fire and her palm glowed eerily.

Mitori, stunned, paused only a moment in shock—which was all the time Kagome needed.

The energy ball flashed out and shot at the other woman, hitting her in the chest. She fell as if it'd been a bowling ball, uttering one sharp cry as her body smashed into the floor, unconscious. The shimmering purple-blue energy didn't stop at Mitori. It crashed over her, expanding powerfully. Two of the men that had rushed into the room fell to it as well, their armored bodies slamming loudly onto the wooden floor, scuffing it and crunching a few of the smooth boards.

The ball would've taken out Taikokajin as well, but the demon woman was possessed of Sesshomaru's speed, and, like a cat, she ducked and sprang deftly out of the thing's reach. Her pink eyes glimmered with hate as she focused beyond the purple-blue orb of energy at the young mother who'd produced it. Her hands closed over the hilt of her sword. She could hoped to diffuse or parry Kagome's energy—an ability she'd had cast over the sword long ago when she'd plotted to have Tsuki's rather gifted father put to death.

One armored man, Nikimi, and Momo were all that was left of Kagome's mortal opponents. In one arm Koinu was clutching her shoulders, his face buried in her neck as he cried. His tears were cold and they were beginning to distract her as she assessed the remaining threats. She kept one palm out facing them all, her legs spread in a fighting stance that she'd picked up through years of watching Inuyasha fight. What she wouldn't give for her bow and arrows right about then!

She focused her attention of Taikokajin, her palm turned to face the demon woman who was clearly sneering at her. "I don't want to fight any of you!" she yelled, trying to cover her shaking. Forming such intense bursts of energy was tiring… "Leave us! This is between Taikokajin and I!"

Her servants threw a cautious look toward Taikokajin but didn't back down.

"You speak as if you were my equal, little miko bitch!" Taikokajin abruptly spoke, her face still set in a silent snarl, baring white fangs under her lips. "But I am the Lady of the Middle Lands, and you are a mortal who mated a mongrel! So why should I waste my time fighting with someone as pathetic as you?"

Momo and the armored man drew nearer to her, preparing to spring at the unspoken encouragement her words had fed into them. Nikimi shifted at the door uneasily, but didn't move against the young mother. Her eyes held a mournful expression.

Kagome ignored the servants, still facing Taikokajin directly. "Why should you fight me?" she demanded, the shaking in her body now no longer from the fatigue the miko energy took out of her, but from rage, "Because you're trying to steal my baby! What kind of monster are you! You're supposed to be a mother yourself!"

For whatever reason, whether it was the miko's tone, or her words, or the fierceness in her expression, this speech made Momo and the armored man pause. They looked again to Taikokajin. Nikimi, still by the door, looked as well. Kagome never saw it, but in the younger maid's eyes there was a clear disgust, open disapproval.

In the silence Koinu's crying was heard with a ridiculous clarity, making Kagome's words all the more powerful.

Taikokajin's face was twisted with hate. "You do not deserve such a child. He deserves to be raised by the inuyoukai clan, but his true family. Only then could he become the powerful creature he will need to be to survive." She glared bitterly at the mortal woman, "I am doing your pup a favor!"

Kagome began to shake again; the energy stirred once more, shaping, building. Koinu screamed. "If the clan is full of backstabbing, heartless murderers like you…" she shook her head, tears starting to stream down her face, "I'd rather die than let my son be raised by the likes of you!"

The demon woman's sword appeared, shining bright white from its scabbard. A cold cunning had overtaken her face. "That can be arranged…"

The stench of blood reached both of them at about the same time. Blood and rotting carcasses.

Inuyasha tucked one red-sleeved arm over his nose, grumbling grouchily about the obscene odor. "It smells worse than even fucking Naraku!" he gagged behind his arm, amber eyes narrowed with intense disgust.

Shimofuri stood, tall and unmoving at his side. Unlike the hanyou he refused to react. No arm was raised to cover his nose, no scowl of displeasure. Inuyasha scented only the terrible stink of death, torture, blood, fear, and rotting, soulless bodies, but Shimofuri could just barely smell something beneath all those other things…this one made his stomach broil inside of him, as if he were a hungry pup, whimpering for mother's milk. It was his sister; it was Tsukiyume, daughter of the monk he still thought of as Kokoro-sama, his childhood teacher, and surrogate father. His sister's scent undeniably carried the deceased monk's odor as well, and Shimofuri shivered inside, remembering the apparition that had appeared to him only a day before…

When he'd come to within ten feet of the ghost, shimmering in the moonlight, Shimofuri had spoken the specter's name, using the same familiarity and honor that he had when he'd last known the man before his untimely—and most unfair—death. "Kokoro-sama? Houshi-sama?"

And the spirit had turned to face him, the robes of the monk, and the staff he'd carried with him, all eerily silent, another testament to the man's true nature as deceased. But when Shimofuri had looked to the ghost's face—with its unmistakable long shape, the broad jaw and the lengthy nose with the tiny kink in it from an old battle wound—he had no doubt about the ghost's identity, whether real or fake.

He'd seen the eyes of this man, identical to his sister's: deep brown like moist, rich earth with a small circle around the pupils of purple-black…

The spirit of his old teacher nodded to him, a tiny quiver of his lips made them smile, tiny but warm. The apparition recognized him.

Without having really had any idea he was doing it, and that as a young demon heir it was completely out of place, Shimofuri found himself bowed low before the ghost. "Kokoro-sama…" he whispered again to it, but in his heart he'd called this spirit something closer, between "Father" and "Uncle." In life Shimofuri had loved the monk as a surrogate father, though he did remember his real father too, missed and loved his sire's memory…but the warmth in the monk had been unforgettable.

There had always been some guilt lodged deep within Shimofuri concerning the monk's death. Kokoro had been his teacher for three years before Taikokajin had birthed Tsuki. With the coming of a sibling Shimofuri had become obsessed with the thought of family as he'd never known it—for unlike when she had been mated with his father, Haiseishoku, Taikokajin had actually been fond of the monk. That emotion prompted the young Shimofuri to try calling Kokoro "Father." Not a week later Kokoro had died mysteriously…

For years Shimofuri had been unable to shake the thought: I killed Kokoro, I killed Tsuki's father when I called him something more than Teacher or Houshi-sama. It was my fault. Mother might've committed the crime, but I inspired it…

And as he faced to the apparition of the man he had once begun to love as a father, Shimofuri had shuddered with his guilt, his shame, but Kokoro, as if gifted in the afterlife with telepathy, knew why the young heir to the Middle Lands shook so.

"Shimofuri-sama," the spirit spoke with the same, slow, soft affectionate voice he'd used in life—but not with the same informal words. When Shimofuri had been a pup the monk had called him Shimofuri or Shimofuri-chan or any other combination of nicknames. Now the ghost had brought the inuyoukai's current age into sharp focus. "You have grown up."

"Thank you, Kokoro-sama."

"I have little time. My spirit has come from the grave only for a short time—and I am bound through most of it to Tsukiyume…" Shimofuri had not missed the sadness in the ghost monk's voice when he spoke his daughter's name.

"She has grown to be like you, Kokoro-sama. Beautiful as Mother, but with your heart…" he'd meant every word, but his voice shook, and shame still coursed through him. He couldn't bring himself to look back at the ghost. He could hardly believe the encounter.

There was a pause and when Kokoro spoke again his voice was calmer, warmer than Shimofuri thought he had ever heard it: "You blame yourself for my death. You have no reason to. All has happened as it was meant to. If I hadn't died then I would be unable to help you now in saving Tsukiyume, or the others."

"The others?" Shimofuri had forced himself to look up at the spirit. He saw the monk's staff and his silent robes move as he turned to face Shimofuri more directly.

"The others. The other hanyous. Your cousin, his mate and child. Heaven has decreed that the creature you were sent to follow and kill must be destroyed…but I have also come to attempt to save your mother's soul."

The young heir's blue-gray eyes snapped up in shock. "Save Mother?"

Kokoro's spirit dipped its head, "Yes." The eyes fell on Shimofuri heavily then, and the youth knew the ghost would say no more on the matter, "But that is not why I have come to you. My message to you concerns the nature of the beast that holds Tsukiyume hostage. This beast, the hanyou-eater Garou as he has named himself, is not bound to this earth. His body is maintained by the souls of hanyous. In fighting him, Shimofuri-sama, you will be destroying the souls of countless innocent hanyous. It will take a long time to destroy him as he will be able to regenerate himself using the souls of his hanyou prey…Tsukiyume among them."

Shimofuri gritted his teeth, his fangs cut into the corners of his lips. "Kokoro-sama," he murmured, bowing again, "What am I to do?"

"The beast will die—without being able to destroy the souls of the hanyous he has captured over the millennia—only if a sword of resurrection is used, a sword of healing. Though you likely know nothing of it such a sword, Shimofuri-sama, is right within your grasps…"

Shimofuri felt a shiver pass through him. His mother's voice, from months ago had returned to him, speaking of Sesshomaru: 'His father passed down a sword called Tenseiga, which Sesshomaru deems as virtually useless. It is able to resurrect the dead, and heal his most grievous wounds…'

"Sesshomaru's Tenseiga?" he had murmured at the ghost, hesitantly.

Kokoro nodded solemnly, and a slow, proud smile took his face as he had dipped his head to his former pupil. "You truly have grown into a magnificent creature, Shimofuri-sama…"

"Please Kokoro-sama," Shimofuri's face had grown hot, as if on fire at the deceased monk's praise and his continued use of formal, respective language through their conversation, "Call me what you did when you lived. I may have aged, Teacher, but in your presence I will always be the puppy that you reprimanded for chewing on your sandals."

Though it should've been impossible the spirit laughed, and Shimofuri glanced up at it, and his stomach had lurched when he saw that the ghost was fading fast, like stars disappear with the coming of dawn's light. "Did I scold you so harshly, Shimofuri-chan? You didn't deserve it if I did."

The young heir smiled even as the ghost completely faded away, leaving its presence alone behind. It warmed his soul, though he still cringed as he realized just what he needed to do all in one night to make sure he could save the hanyou souls…but as he'd set off into the darkness, shifting his shape into the blue-black colored dog once again, he'd been filled with mirth at the reminder of his puppy days…

Yes, my old teacher is being too kind to say I did not deserve the reprimand. He has obviously forgotten that I was fond of urinating on his robes…

"We have come to the beast's den." Shimofuri murmured, nodding his head a little, still oblivious to the stink of corruption and filth in the air. "But we must wait."

Inuyasha's amber stare flicked to him, wide eyed with something akin to horror. "What the hell for? You think I'm going to stand here and let that damn stench get to me?" his voice was a muffled growl behind his red sleeves.

Shimofuri's eyes shone with amusement. "Your sense of smell is not as strong as mine. If I can endure, you should be able to as well, cousin."

Inuyasha rocked back and forth on his heels, eyes crinkled in disgust. "Ugh!" he gagged again behind his sleeve, trying to come up with a decent string of curses to convince Shimofuri to give in. "Why the hell should we wait? You wanna rescue that wench of yours or not!" he knew that Shimofuri's comment was accurate—a full blooded demon's senses were stronger than a hanyou's, but he wasn't about to admit that he had a low tolerance for such things, and that he'd grown accustomed to smelling things that made his stomach clench up with desire rather than revulsion…things like Kagome…

"She is not my wench, Inuyasha," he corrected in a monotone, "She is Tsukiyume, my half-sister."

"Yeah, okay, fine, whatever." He grumbled, "But I'm not one to wait on anything! Besides—hasn't this thing had enough time to eat your sister already? Why the hell should we give it anymore time?"

"My sister is alive. Garou is not present currently. Only when he returns can we accomplish what we set out to."

"Damn it!" the hanyou knew that he'd complained just a little too violently when he saw Shimofuri's eyes turn to pin him, amusement openly glittering there. "What the hell you staring at, pup?" he grumped, his ears folding backward.

The smile beneath his cousin's lips was barely suppressed, "You are very sensitive for a half-demon…"

"Shut up, Shimo-kid, I'm warning you!"

"Perhaps you are worried this scent will stay with you and sour you for when you return to your human mate." He ignored the dangerous, but slightly embarrassed growl that issued from Inuyasha, "I would be concerned if I were you as well, Inuyasha." He smirked a little, breaking the solemn mask, "This smell is bad enough that even a mortal woman's nose would be able to detect it…"

"You watch yourself, pup, I may kill you yet." He snarled, still gagging behind his sleeve. "And let's get this straight—I'm not controlled by Kagome. I'm no prissy bastard like Sesshomaru. Got it?"

The gray-blue eyes of his cousin narrowed with amusement at the hanyou's insistence but he didn't answer, focusing instead on what lied ahead.

The inside of Shimofuri's nasal passages burned from the overpowering stench drifting through the forest, making him mostly immune to it by now. His clawed hands, the slender fingers, brushed against the hilt of his sword, Ribikou. He glanced about the forest, used all his senses, seeking another demon's presence—either Sesshomaru or Garou's. He felt nothing to his disappointment.

"We must wait for your brother to aid us." He announced, knowing that he'd better let Inuyasha scream his outrage at such news while they were for the most part alone.

For the first time since the stench had come Inuyasha dropped his shielding arm, the red swathe of sleeve exposing a fierce, angry grimace of white teeth and fangs. His white ears folded backward. "What the fuck did you just say?"

Endnote: YAYS! This story has gotten big! By far my biggest! (Gapes stupidly) But it's all thanks to you guys! YAYS! Credit where credit is due: THANK YOU! Hehe, in celebration I even have a preview this time around! There were so many that I'm going to try to keep this short (Don't I say that every time? (ponders))Now on to the reviewers:

THANK YOU: SomeoneInThePastOfEarth (OOh! Chocolate!(bows) Thank you!) TheDarkAngel101 (LOL! She's quivering by now b/c there are so many of you! I know I would be!) InuAndMiroku'sGirl Sango, Prophet WolfStar (Yes, you could, most definitely. But I doubt I could be so cruel as to let that happen to Koinu...he's too cute...I have an extended character planned out for him so if there are any more sequels or one-shots in the future I think everyone will adore him (smirks proudly) he may look like Inuyasha but...(snickers)) SlummyRedDragon (Thank you! (grins)) orangepencils (hehe, everyone hates poor Momo-Peach-Face too, hehe. I guess I have a knack for making hateable characters, even if they're only background characters...I must remember this...I don't think that Koinu is old enough just yet to do any direct killing himself...but he will not be totally without some little bit of defense...) Tiamath (As usual I just LOVE you! You were honest about Kokoro's visit leaving you in the dark, I apologize for that, hope I cleared it up for you and everyone else...Letting the hanyous take the final blow for revenge against Garou is simply excellent! My instinct with Taikokajin was that if I couldn't find a way to redeem her she would be dealt the final blow by Inuyasha. Not b/c Kagome couldn't do it with her own strength, but b/c Inuyasha is sybolizing her past mates who she robbed of their own pups...But I do feel that I don't really want her to be killed at the same time. As a character I've worked out her backstory pretty thoroughly...her past is one of...unfortunate miscommunication... between father and daughter. I'm going to have to sit down and write it out sometime...next chapter she throws everyone a surprise: the exact reason why she really wants Koinu...) neoelite (Thank you!) FanstasyFreak, Shikou (Thank you! I shall continue, never fear, I already have a fair amount of next chapter done as well...I'm curious, who did you draw? Inuyasha, Kagome and Koinu or the original characters? I'm actually anxious to see a reader's interpretation of Shimo-pup and Taikokajin, but I am indebted to you for even considering fanart, let alone doing it! (bows)) Yami Chikara (it's absolutely no problem for me to answer stuff here! It helps me get a feel for where the story needs to be and how the readers are feeling about it...would you be seriously opposed to Taikokajin surviving this fiction? Next chapter she throws out a surprise for all of you, if you want a hint at it go back and search in the chapter called "Soul Stone" I think, at least it's nearby that chapter anyway,look for Shimofuri and Taikokajin walking through the palace gardens and talking to each other...Shimofuri is opposed to her taking Koinu from Inu and Kagome...the hint is there, but you'll never see it coming...) Ack! The computer pulled a "This program has performed an illegal action" while I was answering these and so it ate a lot of my comments before I saved them so I'm going to apologize in mass to everyone's comments that it ate: NefCanuck, The Moonless Night, yoyo person, Simonkal of Inyu I am SO SORRY, my computer will be punished, I assure you...and Simonkal of Inyu in answer to your question, yes, Kagome's a lot stronger than Koinu at this point and although Kagome is mated to IY and he loves her, I had to keep in mind over and over again what my Sociology teacher preached to us one day: if she had to chose between her husband and her children, like say if they were drowning, she'd try to save her children first. That's a mother's answer anyway, a father's I'm not as sure about...good question... kirarakitty (Never be sorry for pointing out something that bothers you! You weren't flaming so if I were to take offense you'd have the God-given right to slap me! It's my job as a writer to accept critiscism. Your comment whipped me into shape, and made me think, so I owe you a second Thank you! (bows) And as usual you are keeping me sharp! If you'd like I'll add a little scene for where Sango, Miroku Shippo and their children are and what's going on...otherwise it's hard to add them in, but don't worry, they'll reappear by the time the story ends. Also I had thought to cover what they're doing in a story that's a collection of one-shots and backstories to the original characters here and such...and you got me...I did Kagome's dream out of memory, I know I should've watched it and taken notes, but I was lazy...ouch...I been fried...(sniggles)) QueenTatooine (Hey! Thank you! You reviewed "Hanyou" and SWFM too! Thank you! I'm glad that you can browse through all my work and tell me what you think...I usually have someone review "Hanyou" and then never hear from them again...I personally adore SWFM (somebody's waiting for me). It always seems more beautiful to me than my other stories, though I have no idea why...it's been good hearing from you!) InuObsessed o.o (LOL! I can write one-shots about them later perhaps if you want...) And now to the preview! The only hint I'm giving for the bigger plot is that the chapter is called "Taikokajin's Curse."

Shimofuri avoided meeting his cousin's eyes. "I said that Sesshomaru is coming to help us with his Tenseiga."

"And how the hell do you know something like that, Shimo-pup?" Inuyasha's ears swiveled, not together, but one forward and one backward, as if listening carefully for his most hated brother already. "And—damn it!—why would we need that old bastard's help, anyway? He'll just get all dreamy-eyed about his little girl—er—mate. We don't need that kind of crap!"

Yes, Inu is still teasing Sesshy...but of course what else can you expect? Until next time...