"She is not foolish enough to come alone is she?" One of the demons asked.

The Demon ignored them, he was sure that woman his demons had captured was the Sentient student, she would come for her. Offer up a trade, then once the real Sentient was in sight, kill her, take all the Jewel shards, and ravage the village. This was proving to be easier then he would have thought. He grabbed the rope that held the girl's hand together and jerked her forward; "say something so she knows you're alive." He hissed in her ear

Akima glared at him, and tried to pull away, she was balanced on her one good leg. "I would rather die now, then have you use me go lure her out!"

The demon let go of her and laughed when she stumbled. "Corpse he hissed at her before taking another step forward.

"Sentient! Your little student is quite a handful, perhaps we would be doing you a favor by eliminating her!" His voice rose, and carried down the road. She was there; he could feel her demonic presence. The stories had been true, this Sentient was strong, he could taste her strength in the air. And she was alone; she was walking up the road alone. Foolish of her to come alone, yet it made killing her so much easier.

"Is she coming my lord?" "Is that her now?" "Can we kill the other one my lord?" the demons behind were drooling with anticipation of battle.

He didn't bother to calm them down, he wanted them ready to kill, ready to do whatever he told them to. This Sentient was going to die, and soon, so soon he would have the Jewel shards. "Sentient I am waiting!"

Of course you are waiting you big bag of guts, you have nothing better to do then wait, Takira thought to herself as she walked up the path. Hakoru was not happy with her, but he loved her enough to do as she asked. He would be there when the villagers needed him, and they would need him. She wasn't sure she was strong enough to do this alone. No she knew she wasn't which was why she was going to do the only thing she could do.

Her breath was finally back to normal, and her legs no longer felt like fire was in her veins. Her grip on the staff made her hands ache, but she needed that, needed to feel connected to Akima in any way that she could. Takira wasn't sure she could save the younger demon, but if the girl died, it would not be at the hands of those demons, she would see to that. She took a deep breath, "This is the Sentient of these villages, you are not welcome here, release my student and vacate these lands!"

The returning laughter was slightly muted by the distance, but there nonetheless. "Sentient, I want to offer you a trade, your student for the Jewel shards. Bring them here, and we will let her go, and leave."

Takira glared out into the darkness, there was a slight dip in the road, which must be where the demons were waiting. Odd that they didn't send out some to surround her, but that would fall into her plans better. She gripped the staff in both her hands, feeling the tingle of power. "The Jewel shards are gone, they do not reside in the village, there is nothing here for you!"

Not fully the truth, the Jewel shards existed in the village, and not in the village, a handy spell she had learned from an old demon kept the Jewel shards safe.

"Produce the shards, or listen to her die!"

Takira gritted her teeth when she heard the unmistakable sound of a bone snapping, followed by Akima's scream.

She could hear action behind her, the villagers. She had precious few seconds. Her grip on the staff tightened, she wasn't strong enough to fight with this, she would need her swords to be able to defeat this many demons, but she was strong enough with this staff to do one thing.

The darkness before her lightened, and she could see touches being help by demons approaching her. The villagers were running up the path behind her.

The time was now.

Focusing her power, her will, and her heart into the staff she yelled, "I claim Sentient Ground!" and stabbed the staff into the dirt in front of her. A blast of power shot from the staff to either side, creating a blinding blue light that enveloped the villages to either side of her. The light lasted only a moment and when it was gone Takira blinked against the darkness. And felt drained, as though she had been scraped clean inside. For the second time that night, she fell to her knees. All she was, now depended on the faith of those behind her.

"What was that?" the demons blinked against the sudden darkness. Several took a staggering step backwards.

"She is to powerful."

"That all came from her?"

The lead demon glared at his underlings, "fools! That was nothing, a bit of light, nothing more. She didn't attack us with it, she isn't willing to risk the life of her pathetic little student."

Akima was on the ground, both her legs now broken, but her eyes glowed with pride. Sentient ground, she had heard of the spell, ever Sentient knew how the spell worked, but she had never heard of a Sentient who was willing to use it.

"You two, carry that thing," the demon pointed to Akima, "the rest of you, Charge! Kill everyone, leave no survivors!"

The demons charged over the rise in the road, and came to a sudden halt. Staring at the woman on her knees in the road with a staff stabbed into the dirt before her. This was the Sentient? This was the creature that held so much power?

The lead demon's laugh filled the air. "Attack."

Miroku ran staff in hand, Kirara flying beside him with Kagome and Songo ridding. "What do you think is going on?" Kagome asked, as she notched arrow to bow string.

Songo looked back at her, "I don't really know, but I sense demons near by."

"A lot of demons," Miroku added as he ran.

"At least we didn't have to convince InuYasha to stay behind, those swords weren't going to let him out of the hut." Kagome commented.

"Odd behavior for cutlery wasn't it?" Songo said with a smile. They were all happy that those weird demon swords that InuYasha wouldn't let go of had a mind of their own when it came to InuYasha going anywhere near danger, they had all but dragged him back to the hut, and then refused to let him leave again.

They were traveling down the main road out of the villages when they came across all the men from the village wielding various weapons. They were standing in the road, staring ahead of them.

Takira was in the road, about a hundred yards ahead of where the villagers had stopped, on her knees. Bearing down on her were no less then a hundred demons.

"Why aren't they doing anything?" Songo demanded as she slid from Kirara's back.

"They cant." A sad voice beside them said. Hakoru approached them, his eyes filled with tears. "They are only human, they would be shredded alive by demons like that.

"That's no reason to not fight, they will be killed if they just stand there too." Kagome said as she landed next to Songo.

"What is going on here?" Miroku asked.

Hakoru took a deep breath, "Takira has claimed Sentient Ground." When they stared at him without comprehending he continued, "It is also known as sentient gamble."

"No." Miroku gasped.

Kagome stared at him until he continued. "It's a powerful spell. Too powerful, it spreads out the Sentient power, anything that attacks the area behind her or her, will have the attack rebound upon them three fold. But it only works if the villagers she is protecting have complete faith in her, if so much as one heart falters, the spell fails."

"So she could fight still rite?" Songo asked, taking down her Hiraikotsu from her shoulder.

"No casting the spell takes everything out of the Sentient, that is the gamble. If the villagers don't trust her, and the spell fails, she is as helpless as a human." Miroku finished.

Songo and Kagome stared at him in shock. "But can we still fight for her?"

"If you set foot outside of her ground, you may be attacked by her spell." Hakoru explained.

"Only if we attack her rite? So long as we don't attack her or her ground, we will be fine." Songo asked, inching towards the approaching demons.

Miroku shook his head, "it's not an exact science, I have never heard of a Sentient taking the risk. For all we know, we could get attacked just for crossing the boundary."

Songo shook her head, "I refuse to stand here and let her get attacked!" she threw her weapon strait at the approaching demons. Kagome, Miroku and Songo held their breath while the hirakiotsu flew threw the shield, attacked several demons, and flew back to Songo.

"That disproves that theory, hold on to something, my wind tunnel will clear this up in no time," Miroku's hand was on his prayer beads when Haroku grabbed his arm.

"Akima is with the demons, they took her prisoner, if she is still alive." Haroku stared at Miroku. "Where is InuYasha?" Hakoru asked, looking around for the half demon.

Kagome notched an arrow and took aim, firing into the main force of approaching demons. "Its not the best night for him to be out."

"But he has Takira's swords, she might be able to draw power from them for her self."

Kagome shoot a look at Songo, "that's where we knew those swords from. Why would she give them to him."

"Doesn't matter, can you get them?"

Songo turned to Miroku, "take Kirara, go get the swords."

"On it." Miroku jumped to Kirara's back and they flew back towards the village.

The front line of the demons continued to draw closer. Takira barley had the strength to lift her head, but she watched their approach. And took a deep breath, the spell was going to work, her villagers were going to be safe, and they would survive. Her brothers were going to be safe. Both of them were within her territory, both of them would survive the night.

The weapon flew at the demons to her left, and she watched in shock as it took out several before returning back behind the shield. An arrow followed it. But not a normal arrow, some sort of powerful arrow, a priestess power. InuYasha's friends were fighting with her, the thought warmed her, and she felt power return to her fingers. The staff before her could hold the shield. Taking a deep breathe, she held it, and felt her lungs expand, and rich oxygen flow through her, it smelled of the forest, and strength. She drank in the air, drawing in the power of the forest.

She was on her feet when the first demon crossed the line, and barreled into her. The blow to the demon knocked him to his feet, she grabbed his own sword, and drove it into his skull. Several more demons crossed the line, every one of them felt the blast of power, her spell was working. She met them on that battlefield, every one of them that crossed it fell to her, the demons slayers weapon or the Priestess's arrow. She drew strength from the ground, and air, and that knowledge that her villagers believed in her. She was fighting to protect them.

The village men ran forward when the demons crossed the line, and threw them selves into the fight. Every step that the demons took over the line was painful for them. Every blow that they cast upon a villager, or Takira, was given back to them.
Takira fought with whatever weapon she could find, a sword from a fallen demon, a pitchfork from a villager. The demons continued to pour over the line, every one of them determined to sleigh her. She stayed on step ahead of them, but could feel her strength failing. Every step felt like she was swimming in ankle deep mud, every breath was a struggle to take in. The air was thick, and held her back, slowing her movements. She kept thinking about InuYasha and Sesshomaru, needing to know they were safe, if the demons made it past her, her brothers would be in danger.

She raised the knife in her hands and blocked a blow that would have taken off her arm, her knife shattered from the blow, and she was knocked backwards several paces. Takira tripped over the body of a fallen demon, her legs getting tangled up in the demons, she struggled to write herself.

"Foolish little Guardian." The voice above her declared.

Takira couldn't see where the voice came from, her eyes were going dark, no, she had to fight. She pushed herself to her knees, and struggled to stand.

"Couldn't simply hand over the Shards could you? No you had to bring this on your village." The demon before her was hideous, and reeked of unwashed flesh. When he gestured to one side, Takira looked and fell to her knees. Her villagers were dying. The demons attacking them were dying, but she didn't care about the demons, hadn't watched them grow. She had been an integral part of every man woman and child in her villages, had held them as babies. Played with them as children, and nurtured them when they were sick. And they were dying around her.

"Call your demons off, I will give you the shards." Takira's voice cracked.

"You will give me more then the Shards, you will die, and I shall drink from your skull!" The demon raised his sword.

Takira watched the blade coming towards her, and couldn't find the strength to turn away. Her body was past its limit, her muscles no longer responded to her commands. She was helpless at the demons feet, and could to nothing but watch as he slaughtered her.

"Dragon Strike!"

A blast of blue-white lightning flashed before Takira, separating her from the demons blade for a split second. Takira watched as the lightning lanced through the demon above her, burning him from the inside out. Her reaction time was to slow; she couldn't roll out of the way of the falling blade.

The lightning devastated the attacking demons, leaving only dust, and the scent of burned flesh. A shape of a dragon lingered before fading into the rays of the fast approaching dawn. The villagers all raised their heads, and stared at the demon clad in white that had walked among them the past few days.

Sesshomaru landed next to Takira. He pushed the dead demons body off of her, and gasped. The demons sword had pierced her chest, her blood soaked the ground, Sesshomaru gently removed the sword, "HAKORU!"

Kagome and Song ran up him, and stared at Takira, the sword had gone clear though her chest. Hakoru ran up, he fell to his knees by Sesshomaru and moved Takira so that she was laying on flat ground.

"Will she live?" Sesshomaru demanded.

Hakoru ignored him, and began pulling herbs from a pouch on his back.

"Will she live?" Sesshomaru hissed.

More herbs came out of the pack, followed by dressings, which Hakoru applied to the gaping wound.

Sesshomaru held his sword to Haroku's throat. "Dam you, will she live?"

Haroku glared at Sesshomaru, and for the first time Sesshomaru saw just how strong the other demon was. "She has to want to heal, to heal. The last thing she saw before your lightning was her villagers were dying. I will do what I can to heal her, but the soul has to be willing for the flesh to heal."

Sesshomaru stared down his sword at the healer for a long moment before sheathing his sword. "What can I do to help?"

Haroku reevaluated Takira's brother; he had believed the man to be cold and unloving. But he could see the fear in the other demons eyes. They both loved the woman between them, in their own ways. "Love her, and let her know that. The last time I saw her this bad, she only made it through because she had someone there telling her she was loved." Haroku looked away from Sesshomaru, back to Takira. "My love wont be enough this time, her heart has been through to much."

Sesshomaru knelt beside Takira, leaning forward to keep this private. "She knows I care for her."

"Does she? When was the last time you told her that?" Haroku lifted the dressing, and pushed some crushed herbs on the opening, before replacing the compound.

"Why is she bleeding so much, she's a demon, this kind of wound should be nothing for her." Sesshomaru demanded, placing his hands on the compress so Haroku could have his own free.

"Normal this would be nothing for her," Haroku said off hand, as he began addressing a cut that ran down her right temple. "But she claimed Sentient Ground."

"Fool." Sesshomaru whispered. There was no condemnation in his voice, only fear. "It failed?"

Haroku glanced up at Sesshomaru, "no it worked, which is why I a am little surprised I am not tending your wounds rite now."

"I am family, she can't kill me, even with foolish thing like Sentient Gamble." Sesshomaru cupped Takira's cheek in his hand. "And I can't kill her, she shouldn't be in this kind of condition, the lightning didn't hit her." He looked to the healer for confirmation.

Haroku secured the compress to her face, before looking at Sesshomaru, "no the lightning didn't hit her. I was always told that Sentient Ground took everything out of a Guardian. But she fought, Sesshomaru, I have seen her fight before, but this was something different."

"Where are her swords?" Sesshomaru was suddenly looking all around them desperate to find her weapons.

Haroku moved his hands back to the wound in her chest, and lifted the compress. Shaking his head, "she gave them to your brother, feared he would need them to protect himself tonight.

Kirara landed next to Songo and Kagome who stood looking down at the two demon males and Takira. Miroku slid off followed by InuYasha who still held the swords. "What happened here?" InuYasha asked

Sesshomaru glared at InuYasha, "You happened here! If she hadn't given you her swords, this would have never happened."

"Now wait a minute! I didn't ask for them she gave them too me!" InuYasha declared, "She can have them back!"

Sesshomaru blinked, he couldn't be tear blind, and yet, InuYasha looked as though he had black hair, it must be a trick of the light, the sun was about to come up and the world had that odd grey hue to it.

Takira gasped, and Sesshomaru looked back down at her, "family…" was all she was able to say before coughing.

InuYasha took a step closer and found himself staring down Sesshomaru's blade. "You never valued her as a sister, you have no right to be here!"

The sun made its appearance and InuYasha felt the power of his demon blood resurface. "I have every right to be here, she's my sister too!"

Kagome smiled, that was the first time InuYasha had admitted she was his sister.

Haroku gasped as a light exploded from Takira's chest. The light left as quickly as it came and when it disappeared, there was an odd quality to the air, as though it was lighter, sweeter.

"Brothers don't fight." Takira said. She gave Hakoru the ghost of a smile, and he helped her to a sitting position, supporting her with his chest.

Sesshomaru dropped to his knees next to her, "You are all right then?"

She nodded sleepily, "I will heal brother."

InuYasha glared at Sesshomaru pointedly then knelt beside Takira on the other side. "You said they would keep me safe, you didn't say they would keep me hostage." He placed both swords on her lap. "They wouldn't let me out of the hut."

Takira laughed and coughed, "it was not safe for you to leave, they knew that, and protected you."

InuYasha reached forward and gently took hold of one of Takira's hands. "Would it have been easier for you if you had them with you?"

"No one can know. The past is the past." Takira looked up at Haroku, "Akima?"

Haroku shook his head slowly. "Her neck was snapped, both her legs were broken, she is stable, but I don't think she will ever recover enough to be a Guardian. Not alone."

Takira turned her head, and clung to InuYasha's hand, she felt stronger simply by having her swords by her again. "The villagers?"

"Some of them were lost, most had minor injuries, or none at all, Sentient Gamble worked." Kagome answered. She knelt down on InuYasha's other side, and smiled at Takira.

Takira nodded once, then fell asleep in Haroku's arms, one hand holding InuYasha's hand the other in Sesshomaru's.

Takira was still leaning heavily on the walking stick that Haroku had insisted she use a few days later when Kagome and her made the walk up to her clearing. By the time they reached the top she was huffing and puffing, and using some rather colorful words. Kagome for her part was sweating, but kept her mouth shut about not making the walk, Takira had said there was something up there for her to see.

When they reached the top, Kagome just stared at the view, it was breathtaking. The sun was about to set, and the sky was a fantastic array or oranges and pinks. Tarkira smiled and put her hands behind her back and whispered to herself. "Never at hand, but never far, bring back to me what was hidden by wishing on a star." She felt the weight of the Jewel shards and brought her hand back to her front.

Kagome turned to thank Takira for showing her the view and gasped. Takira was holding out several tainted Jewel shards.

"This was why those demons were attacking my villages. I know now that you are the priestess who fired those arrows, and that you have the purifying touch. I watched you help heal those men on the battle field. Please take them with you on your journey, you have the power to cleanse them, and perhaps the power to unite the once great Jewel." Takira was breathing heavily again, this time with the effort to resist the pull of the dark Jewels.

Kagome reached her hand out and she dropped them into her palm. Takira gasped when the Shards purified before her eyes. When her eyes met Kagome's again, there was mutual respect.

Kagome and Takira enjoyed the sunset together then began back down the mountain. They were almost back to the village when Kagome caught Takira's hand and asked the question that had been bothering her for days. "Haroku said the flesh must be willing to heal, what made you willing?"

Takira glanced up at the forest around them, as though making sure they weren't overheard, then she said in a lowered voice. "My family wanted me. I have not known the love of a family since our father died. There was a moment where I felt like we were a family again. Three siblings who could count on one another, and who loved each other. Weather it was real of just a fleeting dream; it was enough for me to want to make it a reality. I know InuYasha is full-grown and doesn't need a big sister protecting him all the time. But if he ever needs a friend, he knows where to find me. And Sesshomaru…I don't think he realizes how long its been since he said he cared for me, and not as a way to win a argument." Takira smiled at Kagome, who returned the smile.

They traveled the rest of the way to the village in companionable silence. When InuYasha and his friends left the village a few days later there supply bags were bulging, and they knew they had a safe haven if they ever needed one. Just before they left, when InuYasha thought no one was looking he gave Takira a one armed hug that warmed her heart, she gave him a quick sisterly kiss on the cheek, and wished him a safe journey, and quick return.