That Night At the Inn

Protection

"Master!" Myouga called out in worry as InuYasha threw another attacking demon away from him.

They landed in a forest, so the trees prevented the hordes of demons from converging on him all at once. But it also gave them a place to hide so he couldn't always see them before they jumped from behind a tree or a bush and attacked.

They had him completely surrounded, incredibly outnumbered, and that first surprise attack was still bleeding, draining him slowly of his strength. The demon that bit him must have had poison in its fangs because the wounds weren't healing.

Myouga had sucked out what he could but InuYasha's heart racing, his blood pumping so fast, meant that the poison had already spread a great deal. It wasn't deadly, but it was painful.

InuYasha didn't even have time to draw his newly healed Tessaiga. Every time his hand moved for the sword at his waist, a demon would come along and prevent him from unsheathing it. His right arm was already covered in a plethora of scratches, bite marks, and was slippery with blood, his and theirs.

He couldn't even run, they had surrounded him on all sides.

And, horrifically, he was getting tired.

In situations like this, he was used to having his friends. Fighting alone, unfortunately, was a practice he had become unaccustomed to.

The poison, the blood loss, and the sheer numbers of demons that surrounded him were wearing down on him. The only reason Myouga hadn't run away was because he couldn't. But the tiny, powerless flea was sitting, terrified, inside InuYasha's fire rat robe. He was wise, but almost completely useless in a fight.

"Behind you!" the tiny creature squeaked just in time.

InuYasha turned, swinging his claws down blindly, and severed the head of a striking snake demon.

And he knew the scent of this hoard of demons. And even if they didn't reek of Naraku, the attack had his signature all over it.

The problem was, InuYasha had no idea what he was planning. With Naraku, nothing was ever as straightforward as it seemed. If there was a sword at your front, you could bet money there was one at your back and a few arrows drawn at you from the sides.

A hoard of attacking demons was Naraku's way of distracting, delaying, and injuring. This wasn't the main purpose of whatever it was he was doing.

This was to keep him here, keep him busy, and keep his attention off whatever it was Naraku was really doing elsewhere.

Naturally, InuYasha's thoughts went right to Kagome. He wouldn't put it past his great foe to have figured out what had happened with her. But Kagome was safely on the other side of the well. Even Naraku couldn't reach her there.

InuYasha severely hoped.

But every part of him wanted to kill these demons, get to her, and assure himself with his own eyes that she was okay.

His hand went to his sword.

As if on cue, a frog demon's tongue shot out and wrapped around InuYasha's wrist as the acidic saliva of the demon began dissolving his skin.

InuYasha pulled against the demon.

It shot off the ground towards him and InuYasha punched it in mid-air.

His tongue loosened and InuYasha tried again.

This time, a demon about the size of a dog, except with three tails and three heads, jumped forward and rammed itself into InuYasha midriff.

InuYasha grunted as he was thrown backwards into a tree. Myouga squeaked again as he was crushed between his body and the bark.

Before InuYasha could stand up again, the three headed dog was back, sinking it's three sets of fangs into InuYasha's right shoulder, forearm, and wrist.

"Geez mutt, you can't even handle these weaklings?"

InuYasha's face was drawn with pain as he, and the other demons, looked up to see Koga standing on a tree branch.

"What do you want, flea bag?" InuYasha groaned as the dog head's started gnawing.

He drew back his left hand and punched the one on his shoulder.

That head went unconscious but the other two still glared at him as their teeth sunk deeper.

"I smelled your blood and came to see who was kicking your ass." the wolf demon smirked. "I'm surprised to see it's just a bunch of worthless, two bit demons."

"Screw you, wolf." InuYasha blocked a coming strike with his left hand.

"I guess you don't want my help then?" Koga smiled sarcastically.

InuYasha cursed as he stood, trying to shake off the dog demon.

Koga jumped to the ground. He grabbed the last two heads and ripped them off InuYasha's skin, who cried out in pain.

Koga's coming did provide him the moment he needed to draw his sword. He groaned at forcing his abused muscles to carry his sword, but he wasn't able to wield it with his left.

He and Koga automatically went back to back as they faced to demons that completely surrounded them.

"So, did Kagome finally leave you?" Koga asked, laughing a bit as the demons charged in.

"You wish." InuYasha said lifting his sword, ready to swing.

XXXXXXXXXX

Kagome floated to consciousness slowly. She resisted the awful truths of reality, struggled to hold onto the peace that the darkness of passing out offered her.

However, reality also held such glorious things as her unborn child and her beloved half demon.

Which is the only reason she let her eyes open.

She looked up at the blue sky, her mind pretty slow on catching up why she was outside, obviously in the feudal era, when she should be in the future.

The flash of memory was instantaneous and she shot up and looked around in fear.

She wasn't near the well anymore, she was in a, mostly, empty field of flowers. Empty but for the river that cut the middle and the dragon that followed Sesshomaru that lifted it's head, watching her curiously but calmly.

Kagome turned her head around but saw nothing.

A moment later, a child's voice rang out, "Kagome! Master Jaken, look, Kagome's awake."

"I see that you don't have to-Stop running!"

Kagome looked over and saw them running out of her from the tree line that surrounded the field. In little Rin's arms were a bunch of edible berries. Jaken was behind her, running to catch up with the girl he was charged with watching.

Rin reached Kagome first and offered her the berries. "Here. Eat. You must be hungry."

As if responding to her words, her stomach started growling and Kagome smiled, a bit embarrassed. Rin smiled as she dumped them into Kagome's lap. "Thanks. How long was I out?"

"About a day and a half." Rin's words were sweet and unconcerned.

"A day and a half?" Kagome looked shocked as the berry she picked up slipped from her fingers. "That long?"

"You've been quite a nuisance." Jaken said pompously, as he finally caught up with Rin.

"She has not, Master Jaken." Rin glared at him, her tiny face squishing in frustration with the imp. "Lord Sesshomaru told us to look after her."

"Sesshomaru told you that?" Kagome asked in disbelief.

Jaken and Rin nodded. "Then he flew away somewhere. We don't know where though."

Jaken sighed. "If only I didn't have to watch Rin, I could accompany my master."

"Are you still hungry?" Rin asked sweetly. "I can fetch you more food."

Kagome blinked in confusion then looked down and was surprised to see she had eaten all the berries.

"This stream doesn't have fish." Rin frowned a bit. "But Jaken and I can go get more berries and maybe some mushrooms if you like them."

Jaken glared at her for volunteering him.

"Thank you, but I really have to get home." Kagome, still hungry despite her words, stood up and looked around. "Where are we anyway?"

Rin shrugged. The little girl rarely cared where she was as long as it was a step behind Lord Sesshomaru. "I don't really know. But you can't leave."

"She's right." Jaken nodded. "Lord Sesshomaru did not grant you permission to leave. You must stay."

Before Kagome could open her mouth to tell the green thing that 'Lord' Sesshomaru had no right ordering her around, a strong wind blew from behind her.

She turned and saw Sesshomaru just as he landed not but ten feet behind her.

"My lord!" Rin looked overjoyed at seeing him. "Welcome back."

"Did you find whatever it was you were looking for, my lord?" Jaken asked.

"No." Sesshomaru's deep voice was always in a sort of monotone.

"Where did you go?" Kagome felt like those two would never ask so she did it.

"I went to look for that worthless half demon to come get you." his words lacked any real heat. "He's not anywhere near here."

"Where's here?" Kagome repeated her earlier question.

"Not far from that well you were near." he seemed slightly uninterested in the conversation.

"You saved me." Kagome knew her words were true when she saw him toss her a bit of a glare. As if it was some great insult for being accused of doing something good.

"I did not." he said with great dignity. "You saved yourself."

"Huh?" Kagome looked a bit confused. She tried to remember what had happened before her memories stopped. She told Rin to run, Sesshomaru had been pissed, that demon squeezed the orb.

Kagome looked Sesshomaru over. He didn't seem any worse for the wear.

"That." Sesshomaru looked down at her chest.

Kagome followed his gaze and was surprised to see the pendant from her grandfather. "This?" her voice was disbelieving as she lifted it. "But, this doesn't have any power."

"Of course it does." Jaken said. Kagome turned to look at him. "It must be mirror magic." he explained. "That kind of magic carries no scent and it didn't seem to create a barrier around you. More like it split the power as it approached you. Everything behind you was spared the explosion."

Which included the well, Kagome thought with relief. But if the explosion actually happened then...

"Sesshomaru, you must have caught the worst of it." she looked back at him. "That blast almost killed InuYasha."

"As if my lord can be compared to such an insignificant creature." Jaken spoke haughtily.

"Watch it." Kagome glared at him. "That's my baby's father you're talking about."

"Which is why you were looking for him, right my Lord?" Rin asked, pleased to have figured it out.

"Where is he now?" Sesshomaru asked her.

"He went to see Totosai to get the Tessaiga fixed." Kagome bit her lip in worry. "But he should have been back by now. He hasn't been here at all?"

Sesshomaru didn't bother to answer her but she got the message all the same.

"I hope he's okay." Kagome said, concerned.

"Worry more about yourself." Sesshomaru said because, immediately after she spoke, her stomach growled again. "You need food."

"I just ate." it was phrased more like a question as Kagome put her hand over her starving belly.

"You carry a part demon pup, not a human babe." Sesshomaru spoke calmly. "You're going to need more energy to support it."

Kagome thought to how much InuYasha typically ate and wasn't surprised. Maybe it wasn't him; maybe it was a dog demon thing.

Sesshomaru turned but Kagome stopped him. "Where are you going?"

"To get food." he said, turning back to her slightly. "You need meat."

"But-" Kagome didn't finished her question as Sesshomaru leapt into the air and flew away.

"Yay, fresh meat." Rin grinned, pleased.

"-why are you taking care of me..." Kagome finished her question to no one.

XXXXXXXXXX

"Hell of a fight." Koga said, pleased as one of the demons cooked over a fire, Hakaku and Ginta attending to it.

InuYasha mostly healed but for that poisoned bite on his abdomen, sat beside Koga as they waited for the food to cook.

"Hell of a fight." InuYasha agreed as he rotated his shoulder that had only just finished healing. The demon cooking was one he hadn't had in a long time. The meat was poisonous to humans; most demon meat was, so he never hunted it for his friends. However, it was fine for him and he actually enjoyed the taste.

"So, where did you say Kagome was?" Koga asked him. The atmosphere around them was calm. Fighting a hoard of demons had brought a sort of temporary truce to the two men. They were both supporting a few injuries and Hakaku and Ginta didn't seem to mind cooking for the pair of them.

"I didn't." InuYasha stretched his arms over his head. "I left her at her home. To keep her safe."

Koga paused a moment, digesting his words. "Safe? You've never worried about that before."

"Yeah, well she was never pregnant before." InuYasha said, not a little triumph in his voice as he smirked at the wolf who turned to him, his face blank in shock.

… And we thought Sango was mean . I think InuYasha has been waiting to pull that on Kouga lol. Please review!