A/N: I know I've been slacking off on my updating duties and I'm truly sorry. I just finished an intense semester and had to prepare for my sophomore barrier (which determined the rest of my musical career), but thankfully, that's all over now. I hope you enjoy this! Sorry to keep you all waiting...

...and I still don't own Inuyasha...

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Every muscle in his body was taught with overuse as he ran along the well worn trail. The pads of his feet ached with each pounding step as he drew closer and closer to his goal, yet he refused to let it slow his travel. However, everything dulled in comparison to the thrum of his side that pulsed with each rapid beat of his heart.

It had happened miles back as the now human hanyou stopped for the first time to catch his breath and force a few wild berries into his digestive system. Voices loomed around the corner of a rather distinct tree off in the distance and Inuyasha pulled himself backwards, never standing, into the shade of the undergrowth in a feeble attempt to blend in. Had it been any other day, he would have leapt into the tree with little to no effort and merely watched the passersby with a curious eye. Thinking quickly, he relaxed against a tree praying to seem more like a careless traveler than an anxious half demon just waiting for his demise.

He noticeably flinched as the earlier event relived itself in his mind.

"Hey! You there!" cried the first wanderer upon seeing a figure crouching in the shadows, "Who goes there?"

Yawning to ensure his guise of slumber, Inuyasha stretched and scratched his head as he peered out from one eye.

"And what's it to you, old man?" he questioned with his trademark smirk.

His weakness was far from his mind as he observed the group of three men before him and sized them up. None of them seemed particularly daunting, least of all the one that had called out to him.

A hearty laughter erupted from the new arrivals. It was chilling to hear and the hanyou knew he had just made a grave mistake.

"You're not from around these parts, are you boy?" queried a man of small stature with a strong build. He wore a mud stained kimono in shades of green, making it clear to Inuyasha that he was accustomed to hunting and taking shelter in the leafy forest.

Inuyasha made to speak when the burliest man, the last of the three to speak, held up his hand and a reverent silence fell over the group. Inuyasha noticed at once that this man held the greatest amount of respect from his two tag-along companions. It was also hard to miss the scar that was etched into the man's cheek and led straight to the patch covering what must have been a wounded eye.

Inuyasha gulped at the tension that had befallen him and made to rise from his sitting position. He knew he needed to be ready to run if the time came. There was no way he was safe with these men--these thieves.

A heavy voice interrupted the hanyou's thoughts as it drifted to his ears.

"Don't move, boy," began the leader, "I think you might find it in your best interest to remain where you are..."

Inuyasha glanced warily from side to side never forgetting that Tetsusaiga was resting at his hip. However, any plan to grab said blade was quickly lost from his mind as a sharp ringing sounded from behind him and a familiar cold was pressed to his throat. He could only watch as the men on either side of this madman grinned. The leader's face remained amazingly stoic, rivaling that of Sesshomaru.

Inuyasha stumbled for a moment and brought his hand to the ground to regain his balance. His head turned in a fleeting glance behind him as adrenaline ran through his veins and only added to the fuel of his already whirling mind. Paranoia was beginning to set in without his demon instincts driving him. He gasped with a wince as his body turned to see behind him and he collapsed to his knees, hugging his side tight as if to protect himself from the pain. He growled deep in his chest as his memory continued on and he remained where he was struggling to catch his breath.

"Listen, I don't want any trouble," began Inuyasha as he pleaded for his freedom.

"You asked for trouble when you paused on our path, boy," responded the leader tersely.

There was a nod of his head and the cool touch of metal around the young man's throat was removed in a flash. The hanyou watched as the other's backed away with smiles on their lips. He knew he was in way over his head.

Inuyasha stood trembling as the man watched on with sick amusement, but made no move towards him.

"Get out of here and never come back, got it?"

Inuyasha nodded and skirted around the man never breaking eye contact. If there was one thing he had learned while growing up around dangerous men of this sort, it was that one false move--one slip of the eye--could spell more trouble than starting a fight with a full blooded demon. Men fought with vicious intent; demons fought with honor.

Inuyasha was well out of arm's reach when he removed his gaze from the man. That had been his costly mistake.

"And boy?"

The man's eye flashed full of hatred for a moment and the men of the group began whispering to each other with a hint of amusement in their voices. There was a rattle, heavy and metallic as Inuyasha began to turn his head to look at his aggressor once more; his movement was halted, however, with an unbearable pain lodging itself in his right side.

There was a heavy thud as Inuyasha fell to his knees, grasping his side and laboring to regain the wind that had been knocked out of him in the sneak attack. His watering eyes watched as a dusty trail lead back to the man as his heavy ball and chain weapon returned to its owner.

"Consider that a...parting gift, if you will. Now leave before I decide to make more drastic decisions."

"Parting gift my ass," griped the hanyou as he rose to his feet.

He was off to a slow run as he watched the sun beginning to set on another long day of travel and he knew his human body would need to rest if he were to make it to Kaede's hut by tomorrow evening. He wanted to continue, but the pain in his ribs told him he needed to rest.

"I still don't know why I'm human. The new moon is supposed to be tonight," he spouted off to no one in particular.

"Indeed it is, little brother," came a voice from behind.

Inuyasha turned, once again jarring his obviously broken rib, and dropped to his knees as he made eye contact with none other than Sesshomaru.

Of all the luck...

"What do you want this time?" Inuyasha whined out, barely masking his pain.

The elder demon stepped forward glancing at the weak form of his half brother before him. Without a moment's hesitation, his eyes were on the sky checking for any hint of the moon. The cresent of white glittered in his amber orbs and a note of confusion was shining on his features as he settled his glance upon his half brother once more.

"Human? And before your true time of weakness no less," taunted the full demon before he roughly grasped Inuyasha by his throat and hoisted him into the air. The half demon struggled to keep a grip on his brother's clawed fingers as he cut off his air supply. This was the last thing he needed today, especially with the run in he had already had earlier.

If I were up to my usual standards, I swear to God, Sesshomaru wouldn't stand a chance right now...

"Tell me, Inuyasha," he spat as his hand impulsively tightened around his brother's throat with a gag, "have you been meddling in the affairs of spiritual demons?"

The world around him was blurring a bit as the demon's words fell upon his ears. He could feel his eyes wanting to lazily shut with the lack of oxygen that he was experiencing. However, he refused to appear any weaker than he was already in front of the man currently holding his life very literally in his hands. He was vaguely aware that Sesshomaru was carrying him by the throat to some unknown area, no doubt to finish him off quickly. Instead of dwelling on his brother's intentions, Inuyasha tried to comprehend the words that were dancing in his ears.

Spiritual...demon?

A chuckle of contempt escaped Sesshomaru's lips as he continued to carry Inuyasha to the edge of a nearby cliff.

A fitting end, little brother, don't you think?

"A spirit demon. Immortal demons attracted to spiritual power? Feeds off of youkai abilities?" he taunted before the one question he knew would emotionally damage his brother the most left his mouth, "Did I mention that they slowly sap the strength of humans causing their deaths?"

He watched in grotesque amusement as Inuyasha's eyes flew open and he made every effort with his fleeting strength to free himself from the demon's grasp.

Kagome!

"Yes, you human excuse for a demon. You're woman is in mortal danger, but once she's out of the way, I can hunt for the jewel shards myself."

"You...bast...ard..." choked out the small young man in his arms.

"Die, Inuyasha."

With that, Sesshomaru flung Inuyasha into the deep ravine only listening to the echo of his scream as he plummeted into the rock bed below.

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A/N: GASP A cliffy?! I know, I know. I come back and write only to leave you all in suspense. Well, please let me know what you think. Thanks!

:0D