Freak Attraction

Chapter 6: Leverage

Mrs. Higurashi hadn't slept well for over two weeks.

When she did sleep, visions of her daughter being gagged and carried off by crazed carnival workers had her waking in a cold sweat, and every moment awake left her worriedly pacing the shrine grounds, day or night, hoping to catch a glimpse of her little Kagome coming up the steps.

Souta watched her with sad eyes as she threw herself into her house work. He knew she was trying to keep from worrying, and they both knew it wasn't working. The fact that she insisted on walking him to and from school each day was testament enough to her paranoia.

Grandfather spent his days praying for Kagome's safety – there was really little else he could do at his age and with his means, but his efforts were sincere, and Mrs. Higurashi appreciated his diligence.

Kagome's school friends came by almost every day to see if she had returned, and to offer their help around the shrine. Mrs. Higurashi wished she could be angrier with them for putting her daughter in such a situation, but the guilt was still written on their faces even weeks later, and their offers of service came from a true desire to assist the grieving family. And she couldn't help but give them her own comforting hug each time one inevitably burst into tears.

The local police had scoured the entirety of Chiarini's circus searching for the lost girl – such a disappearance could mean trouble for future interactions with foreigners – but they had turned up nothing, and it was decided that Kagome Higurashi had gone missing before ever entering the circus grounds. The police had declared her a runaway. Mrs. Higurashi didn't believe it for a moment.

But with no way to contact the girl and no leads with which to begin a search, she was stuck scouring the local news bulletin or sitting at the top of the shrine steps, waiting for her little girl to come home.

And the only clue she had was….

"Mama, you still awake?"

She looked up from her seat on the floor cushion, her chin lifting from its resting place against her fisted hand, to see her son rubbing sleepily at his eyes as he entered the small eating area.

"Souta, what are you doing up still? You have school in the morning dear."

Despite his muddled expression, Mrs. Higurashi could see his perturbed frown. "I was sleepin', but I had that dream again."

Smiling softly with a pained understanding, Mrs. Higurashi motioned her son to sit beside her, and he did so, leaning against his mother with an emphatic yawn. Rubbing her boy's arm soothingly, working hard to find her voice, she eventually managed to ask quietly "The one with your sister?"

Souta nodded sleepily against her, saying with another yawn "Yeah… her and the dog."

Had she been feeling her usual self, Mrs. Higurashi would have giggled at the oddity of the dreams Souta had concerning the missing girl; but she couldn't laugh at what was the only connection she had to Kagome anymore. "And what were they doing this time?" She asked softly, knowing her son wouldn't be coherent for much longer, "Was she playing that game again?"

"The 'Kagome' game? Yeah, well… she was sayin' the words and running in circles… the dog kept yapping at her and wouldn't join in… it sounded angry, but then," he broke off to yawn loudly "it always sounds that way. But then it disappeared and sis was in a big cage… like a bird-cage. You know, just like in the song."

She couldn't explain the shiver that ran up her spine as she listened to the boy's dream.

There wasn't anything inherently… wrong with it – it was a dream after all – but Mrs. Higurashi knew this would be yet another sleepless night, and she would not be able to look at bird-cages again for quite some time.

Three days.

It had been three damn long days since Shippo had joined them, and Inuyasha was sure if the kit was with them for another three days, there would be blood. And it would probably be his own from ripping off his ears because there was no way Kagome was going to let him hurt the obnoxiously talkative ball of fluff.

She was just too damn attached to the thing already.

He could understand it; she was naturally compassionate. Why else would she have helped him? But that thought only bothered him more, reopening doubts and worries he hadn't thought about since that first night. Was he just a charity case for her? Was he just her unfortunate charge, as the little orphan fox had become?

He wouldn't have thought so a few days ago. They had been growing closer, emotionally and physically. After the run-in with his brother, she had made a poultice and ever-so-gently tended to his injured neck, despite his protests that it would heal just as fine on its own. She'd resolutely ignored him and changed his bandages consistently, brushing his neck ever so softly each time with the tips of her fingers. He couldn't pin what was happening exactly, since his experience with positive relationships consisted of his mother and… that was it, but he was sure she had felt something towards him that went beyond simple pity. Even if it made no sense for a human to like the company of such a freak-of-nature, even if she would never actually want to stay with him, there was a certain warmth in her eyes when she looked at him that made his eyes widen and his pulse quicken and his head lighten and it had to mean something else.

And then… and then this kid had to show up out of nowhere and steal all of her attention, and he was back to wondering if it was all in his head.

Damn that kid.

"So what's this 'circus' thing anyways?"

Inuyasha looked over across the campfire to see Shippo seated happily on Kagome's lap, a curious tilt to his head. She looked back at him with soft eyes and a warm smile, and Inuyasha had to fight the urge to turn away with a huff and just pout.

"Well, I haven't really been to a proper circus myself, but I heard a lot about them." Her brow pinched as she stopped to think, absently stroking the fox's red hair as she did so. "There're lots of games and things to look at before the show, and all kinds of foods, sometimes from places across the sea! And as for the shows themselves, I've heard of people who could fly through the air, or jump through flaming hoops, and some had tamed huge, ferocious animals and taught them to do tricks!"

The grand way she spoke of it all had Shippo's eyes wide with wonder, and he said with quiet excitement "Wow, I'd love to go to one someday! Will you take me to one Kagome?"

Despite the smile on her face, Kagome was tense as she responded "Yeah, well, we'll see. I've had my fill of circuses for a while." Her smile and posture lightened as she turned bright eyes on Inuyasha, saying "Perhaps if Inuyasha joins us, we might be able to –"

"Oooh no you don't. You're not dragging me into this. There ain't no way I am ever going near another circus again."

Her expression fell a little in understanding, but she couldn't help protesting slightly "Human circuses aren't like that one. And besides, we'd be much safer with you around, and you'd be safer with us."

With a scoff Inuyasha crossed his arms and looked resolutely away. "It ain't happenin'."

Kagome sighed resignedly, ready to drop the matter, but Shippo was still full of energy and full of questions.

"So why were you in a circus then if you hate them so much?"

Kagome went rigid, her eyes darting over to the half-demon who wore a slight frown, but other than that seemed unfazed. She would let him decide what to tell the fox – she just hoped it wouldn't be anything too traumatizing.

"Keh, it was free food and shelter, plus I got to beat up weak demons like you."

Shippo's confusion only seemed to deepen as he asked "So then why did you leave?"

Inuyasha only shrugged, saying casually "Change of scenery."

It seemed Shippo realized that he would not be getting anymore in depth answers than these, for he stopped asking, but Kagome couldn't tear her gaze away from Inuyasha, wondering what he was thinking and hoping the conversation hadn't dredged up too many bad memories. She was sorry to have even brought it up, but she couldn't help being impressed by how he had handled the uncomfortable situation. She had feared he would try and spook the kit by telling him horror stories of what a demon circus was like, or that he would clam up and not talk to anyone for the rest of the night, but he had decided instead to brush it off and move on, and she guessed it was more for the little demon's sake than for his own.

Inuyasha looked up to see Kagome's soft gaze and hesitant smile directed straight at him, and involuntarily his cheeks heated up and his pulse quickened, and he was glad the little runt was preoccupied with looking at the fallen autumn leaves because even Shippo would have caught onto his sudden change of mood.

He had a hard time hiding it though when the blush returned later that night as Kagome snuggled up against him with Shippo on her lap; his flustered state soon turned to frustration however as the fox decided he would rather be snuggled in-between them.

Inuyasha really couldn't take another day like this.

Vacant eyes stared straight ahead as a young boy walked silently through the forest, his tall companion following his steady gait with a surly expression on her sharp face. Almost mechanically he felt his way through his surroundings: walk left of that tree, step over the root, cut that branch, turn right slightly; it was all done without thought, and without awareness.

Then, almost imperceptibly, the boy's awareness changed. He began to notice the orange of the leaves, the crunching shuffling sound they made as he walked over fallen ones, the slight sting of the autumn wind that met his skin as they passed under sparse canopy….

It was almost like waking up, and with that waking up came realization. 'I am Kohaku'.

He almost stopped in the middle of the forest as the revelation hit him that he was thinking; really thinking for himself and not mindlessly following orders being fed into his brain. But he didn't stop, because he had also realized that Kagura was walking behind him, and the last thing he wanted to do was alert the woman that the hypnosis had worn off. It had only happened a few times since his days as a circus lackey had begun, and he cherished every moment he was allowed to exist as himself.

Kohaku chanced a glance back at the woman behind him and found her to be looking away, glaring at something unseen and tapping her folding fan rhythmically against her shoulder.

She hadn't noticed yet.

Emboldened by her distracted state, Kohaku willed his senses to take over his traversing the forest as his mind wandered deep into the memories he so seldom got to remember.

He remembered his youth back in the small village of demon-exterminators, whose skills were in the past commissioned by Lords and wealthy villages to rid their lands of the few wandering demons who still dared venture among humans. But then the clans and Lords were disbanded, and for many years the demon slayers had lived in anonymity, until that fateful day when word of a demonic traveling carnival came to them, and the demon slayers had jumped on the chance to work again, only to find the tables turned as the demons set out to exterminate them….

If Kohaku hadn't been such a coward and run, if his sister hadn't followed, pulling him into a dark tent to hide him as she went back out to fight with Father and the others… if he hadn't left them all, perhaps they wouldn't all have died.

It had done him no good to run anyways – he was sniffed out and attacked as he sat cowering in the shadows, and was sure he had died; but he had woken up almost a day later to see his sister standing over him, accompanied by a man in monk's robes who had apparently saved her life. That was the last time he had been able to hug his sister.

It wasn't long after that Ringmaster Naraku had Byakuya put him under his spell, and all of Kohaku's memories afterwards were a jumbled haze. He didn't even know what Master Naraku made him do.

Kohaku's lips tensed in a frown as he tried to banish those thoughts, his face momentarily betraying his freeness of mind. He didn't want to spend his moments of awareness dwelling on painful memories. Instead… he would think about his sister. Sango had always been there for him, encouraging his training as an exterminator, taking him for walks in the forest, playing silly games with him even though they were both growing too old for such things… and he didn't doubt that she still looked after him. Only… now it was from afar.

Kagura was huffing impatiently about something behind him again, drawing his thoughts away from questions about Sango and her current well-being, and making him wonder what it was they were doing out here. Now that his mind was cleared, he couldn't remember why they had been sent away in the first place. He hoped he was still heading in the right direction.

Trying to dredge up memories from the past few days was painful, and he winced as he sorted through the hazy recollections of the few conversations he and his companion had shared. They were tracking someone… had someone escaped? Yes… it was the half-demon… Kohaku had vague images of having checked on the half-breed back at the circus, bringing him food and tending to his cage. The Dog-Man had never spoken to him.

So… where were they? How had the Dog-Man escaped, and how was he tracking him? Kohaku guessed that under Naraku's mind-control he had been acting on some sense implanted in his head by the demon, but now that it was gone….

Kohaku began to sweat nervously. Kagura would still be able to sense the half-demon, and if Kohaku started leading them in the wrong direction….

"Urgh, this is so irritating! You're going too slow." And with a brush of wind she was soon walking ahead of him, her pace much more brisk and urgent than his methodical steps had been.

He wondered what was motivating her sudden speed, but decided not to worry about it. She had just unwittingly saved his neck after all.

"Rrrgh! No matter how much I try to sharpen this piece o' junk, it remains useless!" Inuyasha resisted the urge to throw his new sword down the hill beside their shady spot under a tree, choosing instead to chop angrily at a nearby root with the weapon.

The sword proved to be just as dull as ever as it bounced harmlessly off the wood.

Shippo looked up from his small river fish, saying astutely "I think you put another nick in it. Looks like you're stronger than the sword is."

Inuyasha gave him a withering look, but didn't lash out. With an angry sigh he re-sheathed the sword and glared at it, holding tight onto the scabbard as he said "I don't know why I even keep this. It's just extra weight, and it's not like it'll be any use if we're attacked."

Kagome looked up abruptly, her hand pausing as it turned the spitted fish over the fire. "Inuyasha, what are you saying? That sword was a gift from your father! You can't just get rid of it!"

"Whaddaya mean 'gift'? Gifts are free, and this one cost me my voice for a whole day!"

Shippo snorted through a mouthful of fish, saying "And what a peaceful day that was!"

Growling, Inuyasha snatched the half-eaten fish from the fox and quickly devoured the rest of the meat, much to Shippo's displeasure.

With an outraged squeak, Shippo sprung up, tugging angrily at Inuyasha's sleeve and shouting "That's no fair! That was my lunch! Now what do I eat, huh? Why you big meanie! I-"

"Alright, alright, settle down Shippo." Kagome's placating gesture distracted the kit from his tirade, but his watery eyes and pouty lip didn't waiver, and with an indulgent sigh, Kagome shifted and stood. "I'll just go get you another one, alright? Just give me a few moments."

Still picking at the bones of his pilfered fish, Inuyasha looked up with a raised eyebrow. "You're going to catch a fish? How?"

Lifting her chin with a teasing look of annoyance, Kagome said haughtily "You should know by now that I'm not as helpless as I look! I've seen you catch fish plenty of times; besides, I think it's time I started helping with that chore, don't you?"

Inuyasha didn't bat an eye as he said simply "No."

Kagome paused, unsure how to respond to that. "Well… why not?"

His expression was set as he explained "'Cause that's my job. I provide the food. You cook it. No reason for either of us to do both."

Kagome didn't know whether to be angry at his refusal or… touched by his emphatic desire to 'provide' for her. He was always acting like her welfare was his personal concern and she greatly appreciated it, but she wanted to help him too.

"Look, you're still eating, and the river isn't far away, and it couldn't hurt to cook a few more fish to save for later in case we don't catch more. Don't worry! I'll be right back!"

Scoffing, Inuyasha turned away, tossing the fish bones into the fire and reaching showily for Kagome's forgotten fish which had become quite blackened. "Do whatever you want. If you wanna waste time and miss out on your own dinner, that's your problem."

Rolling her eyes, Kagome started determinedly down the hill towards the river cutting a small valley in the landscape. Inuyasha watched her carefully until she eventually left his line of sight. He could still smell and hear her, but… he preferred having her present in all of his senses. With an annoyed sigh he stuck the fish-on-a-stick back into the dirt by the fire, swatting Shippo's hands away as he reached for the discarded food.

"That belongs to Kagome, runt."

Shippo huffed, but left it alone, saying instead "Well you were gonna eat it!"

"No, I was only doin' that to prove a point."

"Well it doesn't seem like you proved it very well."

"Shaddup."

The two boys sat in silence for a few minutes, Inuyasha's ears trained toward the river and the sounds of the girl splashing around in the water. He could hear her occasional grunts of frustration as her prey evaded her, and he snorted when he caught a bit of colorful language drift up to him on the breeze.

"What're you laughing about?"

Shippo's interested face met his gaze as Inuyasha turned towards the small demon. Unwilling to share that he was listening in on Kagome (though it wasn't as if he were spying) Inuyasha scoffed, folding his arms and saying simply "None o' your business runt."

Bringing a tiny hand to his chin in thought, Shippo said in a calculating voice "Seeing as how you're always watching Kagome wherever we go, I'd say you were probably listening to her down at the river."

Inuyasha blushed far brighter than he wanted to at having been so easily found out, and raised his fist in warning, happy to see Shippo cower a little. Served the nosy imp right.

But Shippo didn't back down as he thought he would; instead his little eyebrows scrunched and his mouth turned up into a wicked grin as he said teasingly "Oh I get it – you like Kagome, don't you?"

Inuyasha wanted to deck the kid, and he wasn't completely sure why. Sure he liked Kagome. She had liberated him, saved his life, and was kinder to him than anyone should be. So… why was this kid acting like that was something to be embarrassed about? And why was he feeling defensive about it?

"Keh, what're you talkin' about, Shippo?"

Shippo's grin widened and he continued in a quieter, more conspiratorial voice "You know, you like Kagome. You're head over heels for her! You wanna hold her hand, you wanna hug her, you wanna kiss- OW!"

Rubbing the bump on his head ruefully, Shippo missed the blossoming red on the half-demon's face, and the almost scared expression in his eyes. The hand he had hit the fox with still shook, and Inuyasha found it hard to focus. He had to shut the kit up, because with every word he said, images filled Inuyasha's mind: holding Kagome's hand, hugging Kagome close to him each night, their faces getting closer and closer until –

He shook his head, unable to finish the thought. Those thoughts made him feel… strange. They made him feel things he never had. And the worst part was that he didn't really mind. Kagome had made closeness with him seem so natural, so normal, but the way Shippo talked about it made it all sound so taboo. Like something he shouldn't be allowed to have.

Inuyasha was lost in his muddled musings, tuning out Shippo's angry shouts that 'he was right' and 'he would get it once Kagome came back', when a sudden gust of wind swept across their hill, the fire pit flaring up before extinguishing with a whoosh. The minute the wind hit his nose, Inuyasha's mind was filled with a scent: a scent that made his blood boil and stomach drop. He leapt to his feet without a word, startling Shippo who began to look around wildly for the source of his friend's strange behavior.

Wind burst over their small camp once more, and Shippo was blown off his feet, sailing off with a yell until a clawed hand grabbed hold of the back of his furry vest. Shippo yelped as he was thrown high into the tree overhead, managing to grab onto a sturdy branch at the last minute. He looked down angrily at Inuyasha, ready to give him a piece of his mind for such careless treatment, but the seriousness that had come over the half-demon's face stopped Shippo short.

"Stay outta the way runt."

There was a mocking feminine laugh from the tree line before them, and both boys turned towards the sound to see a woman emerging from the woods. Her red eyes and red lips carried malicious intent, the folding fan in her hand open and poised as if to attack. Her long purple and white kimono hung off one arm, revealing the black happi coat of a demon-circus performer underneath.

Inuyasha growled low, brandishing his claws and cracking his knuckles in warning.

"Well," Kagura began in an amused tone "looks like I've finally found the 'stray'. You've wandered quite far from home, haven't you?"

"Get lost Kagura – I ain't goin' back, and if you try anything I'll only kill you."

She smirked, unfazed by his words, and responded haughtily "Oh yes, you're quite used to brawling, aren't you? I might have thought some time away would have cooled you down, but apparently not. Once a beast, always a beast."

With a snarled "I'll show you beast!" he charged her, claws raised and ready to strike, but with a single swipe of her fan he was forced back, well out of fighting range. He was back on his feet in a flash, but once again could not get close enough to strike as she sent another barrage of wind at him. He sat back for a moment, thinking quick how to outsmart the woman, but she used that window of time to wave her fan again, this time sending swirls of demonic energy against him.

The whirlwinds battered him, biting his skin and attacking directly at his own demonic energy. Kagura wouldn't have been too tough an opponent had it been hand-to-hand, but with her control of the wind he couldn't get close enough to touch her.

He jumped backwards as she sent another blast of demonic wind at him, and as he landed his peripheral caught sight of a black scabbard. Reacting before he could rethink his decision, he ducked and rolled to his left, snatching his sheath and pulling the rusty sword from it to brandish the weapon at Kagura.

She eyed the sword for a moment before laughing scornfully. "How pathetic! Do you honestly plan to fight me with such a useless scrap of metal? I'll knock it right out of your hands!"

At the next wave of demon energy, Inuyasha held his ground. 'C'mon Tetsusaiga…' he thought angrily, mind swirling between tense anxiety and budding confidence, 'show me what you've got. If you really are made from my Old Man's fang, now's the time to prove it!'

The cyclones were upon him, and Tetsusaiga swung, cutting through one whirlwind after another, each disappearing as it met the cold metal.

Inuyasha afforded himself an arrogant smirk as the attack subsided and Kagura's own smirk fell into a petulant frown. Without a word she sent out another burst of demon wind, and Inuyasha cut it down just as before.

It was strange to be holding a weapon; he had only ever fought with his fists and brute strength. He wasn't really sure how to hold the sword, but thought that as long as he treated it as another part of his arm, it would hit what he wanted it to. He glanced at Tetsusaiga as it swung a final time, the blade steaming and tinged black, as if it were burning. His own smirk fell as he wondered just how long the sword would last against Kagura's fan. All he could cut with it was air – it certainly wouldn't do any damage to a more physical opponent. And it was only a matter of time before Kagura figured that out.

"So… upping the stakes, are we? Fine."

Inuyasha tensed. There was something in her tone that sent warning bells off in his head, as if there was something he had overlooked.

Bringing her fingers to her lips, Kagura let out a high, short whistle, and there was a rustling in the brush behind her.

Inuyasha paled as from the shadows of the trees Kagome emerged, her hands held behind her back by Kohaku, Naraku's errand-boy from the circus, who had his chain scythe resting flush against her vulnerable neck. His blood ran chill and boiled all at once, his stomach dropped, his palms sweat and his temple pulsed, and all he could think was what an absolute fool he had been to let her go off alone.

Kagura's smirk returned as she watched his increasingly agitated state. "Hmm, seems I've hit on a weak spot. Tell me, what does this girl's life mean to you?"

He glared at her with absolute hatred, seething, but didn't say a word. He was no longer in a position to be cocky; not with Kagome's life on the line. Inuyasha pointed Tetsusaiga at Kagura, managing to grind out through tightly clenched teeth "What do you want, witch?"

"For you to surrender, and come with me back to Naraku."

"I told you already, I'm not being part of that circus again."

Kagura scoffed, her fan hiding her smile as she responded calmly "I never said anything about putting you back in the circus. I need leverage, and you're going to be it."

Inuyasha's eyes narrowed as he parroted "Leverage?"

Her fan snapped shut as Kagura responded "Not that it's any of your business, but I'm not any fonder of the ringmaster than you are. I'm through with letting him walk all over me."

"Well ain't that just too damn bad" Inuyasha barked, "but you're not gonna make me or Kagome your bartering chips!"

Her arrogant smile returned and Inuyasha cursed himself as she shouted out "Kohaku!", the boy responding by pulling Kagome further away, causing her to hiss as the blade pressed further against her throat. Whether by accident or design, the scythe cut a thin line in her skin which quickly grew red, tiny drops of blood beading at the wound and sticking on the edge of the sharp blade.

Inuyasha growled as he watched Kohaku's hold on Kagome tighten, but he didn't know what else to do. He knew he could overpower the kid if he tried, but… Kohaku was just a boy - just a human. Naraku had set the kid up as his 'caretaker' back at the circus, since Kohaku could be controlled and wouldn't present a threat. He was usually a mindless puppet, but… there had been times Inuyasha was sure the boy's own conscious surfaced. Sometimes he had brought a little extra meat, or snuck in a few vegetables, or brought fresh water instead of the dirty standing water he usually lived off of.

He didn't want to fight the boy.

But then a scent hit his nose, and for a moment he swore he saw red. It was Kagome's blood - she was hurt. No one hurt Kagome. Not while he was around.

'Kagome… I know I failed you… but I won't fail you again. I'll protect you!'

A sudden pulse from his hand made him pause, his rage subsiding slightly at the strange sensation. He looked down and saw the pulse seemed to originate from the sword still in his grasp. His eyes widened slightly at the phenomenon, but he remained wary; what were his odds that the rusty old thing would choose now to show some real power? He glared at Kagura, but his glance kept flickering to Kagome, her eyes closed but a tight grimace marring her lips. Inuyasha was seething, boiling… but he didn't know what to do.

There was a sudden loud popping noise and volley of high-pitched screeches as between Kagura and Kohaku an explosion of mushrooms burst into the air.

"What the – " Kagura's angry exclamation quickly turned to an enraged yell as the scythe fell from Kohaku's hands and Kagome fell to the ground before him.

Kohaku blinked, seemingly caught off guard, and Kagome took the opportunity to scramble away. Inuyasha could see the tiny form of Shippo rushing towards her, heard his yell for her to hold on tight, and suddenly the fox had vanished and in his place was a large pink toy horse, Kagome sitting astride it, her mouth agape. The transformed Shippo flew haphazardly towards Inuyasha, sailing behind him and with another pop returning to his fox-like state, Kagome landing beside him in the grass with a soft thud. Inuyasha barely spared a relieved glance back at them before turning his attention (and a triumphant smirk) back to Kagura.

She grit her teeth at the look, yelling once again for Kohaku, but before the boy could take more than a few steps there was a volley of magic mushrooms from the air. Inuyasha hadn't even noticed the fox leave, and now he could only watch in fear as the little demon charged the demon-slaying boy.

Kagome cried out for him to come back, and in his mind Inuyasha mimicked her reaction, but there was just nothing he could do: he had to protect Kagome. And besides… the fox was doing this for them. He was giving Inuyasha an opening to get rid of Kagura, and damn if he wasn't going to take it.

Using a trick to create duplicates of himself, Shippo had managed to lure Kohaku away from the battle – good. The kid wouldn't get hurt. Hopefully… Shippo would be able to escape him and… the human kid would return to himself.

Kagura moved to assist Kohaku in fighting the fox, but she stopped in her tracks as Inuyasha yelled "I'm your opponent witch! Stay here and fight!" She glared at him, but was otherwise frozen to the spot.

Inuyasha almost smiled as he saw desperation in her red eyes. He was winning.

As if sensing her own imminent defeat, Kagura snarled out "Just die already!", sending another gust of slicing wind towards him. He wondered for a moment that her aim seemed off, and then it hit him 'she's not aiming for me'.

With a roar he leapt right towards the approaching cyclones before they could go anywhere near Kagome and sliced, and the weight of Tetsusaiga was suddenly different in his hands as the whirlwinds vanished like harmless mist. Kagura gawked, and Inuyasha spared a glance away from her to see what it was he was now holding.

The blade had changed. As tall as himself and wide as a tree-trunk, Tetsusaiga shone brightly, no scratches or rust marring its surface now. This was his father's fang.

Kagura raised her fan high, swirls of demonic wind gathering around her as she prepared to attack; but Inuyasha wouldn't let her. He could feel demonic energy swirling around him and the blade as he raised it high and charged. There was a burning smell in his nose, like friction and sparks, and he could feel the clashing of his aura against hers. Instinctively he brought his sword down, ripping through the source of the scent, and through the bright blast of energy that resulted he could hear Kagura screaming.

He retreated back to Kagome's side as the blast subsided, draping himself over her to shield her from the hot wind still swirling from the impact as they waited for the dust to settle. Once it did, both stared at the deep gouges now scarring the earth – almost like claw marks. Kagura had vanished, as had Shippo and Kohaku. Now was their chance.

Inuyasha scooped up the shocked Kagome before she could protest and sped off in the opposite direction as fast as his legs could carry him. He could smell the salt of her tears as he ran, but he didn't dare stop, and she didn't try to make him. She would probably be mad at him later, but even she had to realize that there was nothing more they could do for Shippo. The little demon was on his own now.

Miroku leaned back against a tent pole, hidden safely in the shadows away from the circus attendees and angry workers. Ever since Sango's unwilling arrival at this place and first performance, he had quickly found the best spot from which to watch her act and had since never missed a show. Her lovely and determined face, her agile body, the raw power she exuded in every move was a sight he would never pass up the chance to see.

And he made sure she knew. Not just for the lovely blush that covered her cheeks at his words, but to distract her from his real purpose: to keep her safe. She was proud – a warrior at heart – and any time she felt he was 'Mother-Henning' her, she would promptly and painfully let him know how she felt about it. She thought he doubted her skills; nothing was farther from the truth. He just couldn't take the chance of these demons from hell deciding that she might just taste as good as she looked.

"Master Miroku!"

At the harsh whisper beside him, Miroku broke his gaze from the bewitching demon tamer to see a large raccoon-dog wearing a black circus coat. His demeanor was calm, if not slightly annoyed, as he responded "What is it Hachi? Couldn't this wait until after Sango's done?"

Hachi's small ears flattened against his fur as he turned sheepish eyes up at the monk, saying "Forgive me sir, but I have some news I think you'll want to hear! I know you never like to miss when Lady Sango performs, and I'm sure you'll just take it out on me in our next act, and –"

"Hachi, please, get on with it! If this news is so important, then just tell me!" Miroku was losing patience fast – not only was the raccoon severely distracting the monk from what he'd really rather be watching, but he was losing himself in tangents yet again. The two had been performing together for a few years now, playing the circus clowns as the unsuspecting human and trickster demon, and although Hachi was a gentle spirit and a good friend, he was more than a little scatter-brained. Trying to extract clear information from him was like pulling teeth – and sometimes that's what it came down to.

Hearing the warning note in Miroku's voice, the raccoon-dog quickly sobered and spat out "It's Kohaku! He's back!"

Miroku felt a weight lift from his shoulders, only to be replaced by another. It was always easier on Sango when she knew her brother was near, but it was always hard to watch her struggle to so much as see him in passing from across the circus compound. They were just as far apart when he was here as when he was away.

A thought occurred to the monk, and he crossed his arms as he said reflectively "They must have just arrived, seeing as Kagura didn't perform tonight; though perhaps our illustrious ringmaster is simply punishing her again."

"But that's the big news! Kohaku's back, but Kagura didn't come back with him!"

Miroku turned disbelieving eyes at the raccoon-dog, saying doubtfully "I'm sure you just didn't see her arrive. There's no way Ringmaster Naraku would let Kohaku travel by himself." 'It's far too great a risk to his control over the boy.'

But Hachi just shook his head emphatically, saying in as loud a whisper as he could manage "But I saw him arrive! I let him in! And he wasn't alone – he had a little fox-demon with him that he'd captured! You know, to be a new act!"

Miroku leaned back again, noting with displeasure that Sango's act had already ended, the demon tamer as usual carried off (seemingly) unconscious in the (gentle) grip of Kirara's jaws, the crowd erupting as they left the tent.

Pushing off from the tent wall with a heavy sigh, Miroku turned heavy eyes to his demon friend as he said "Well c'mon Hachi. We better go tell Sango. Though I'm still not sure what to make of all this."

"I know what you mean!" Hachi responded in a conspiratorial voice, "First that half-demon, and now Kagura! Circus acts are disappearing left and right!"

Miroku smiled grimly, not needing to voice the thought that he wouldn't mind being next.

*Author's Note:

Nothing is as it seems.

Well like... some things are, but before you get all bent out of shape over what seems to have happened here... wait until next chapter.

All will be revealed with time.

I fee like half the time I close chapters with end tied up and a pretty bow, and then sometimes I cut the action off halfway and like - I can't make up my mind which is better. I guess it's situational.

Until next time! May it be a sooner next time than this was! :P