A/N: last chap was mostly a filler but don't fret this chap is mostly action so enjoy!

disclaimer: i don't own InuYasha; my OCs belong to me.

Chapter 32: Animal: Senses, Control, Freedom

"Not even close!" An arrow coated in pink demonic aura screamed at the limb, severing the demon's hold from the wolf.

The arm fell with the would've-been-dead prey caught in it; he swiped at it with his claws, scrambling free to straighten and see a pair of blue eyes glaring past him at the hulking figure that had tried to take his shards.

Korihime aimed another arrow at the demon, bristling. "Koga, get away from him." She ordered.

The pale demon with wings grimaced as his limb regenerated, glaring at the insolent female wolf. "Wench, who are you?" He demanded.

"Princess of the Western Wolf Clan, Korihime. Judging by your stink, I would imagine you're Goryomaru… or rather who he used to be, before Naraku changed your form from that of a pathetic human aesthetic. His scent is reeking off your vulgar body, Moryomaru." She growled frostily, gripping the bow tightly out of reflex.

Moryomaru sneered as his muscles tensed. "Ah, you are the younger sister of that mongrel bitch, Getsuei; yes, Naraku has told me about you two, about how he slaughtered your pack of whining dogs so callously. He said it was as easy as crushing an insect." He extended his reformed limb, sending several appendages of the limb at her.

"Pathetic vassal, know your place!" The arrow glowed pink before it sailed at him, ripping the limb in half down the center as it ripped off his limb with ease.

Blood flew from the missing arm as she lowered her bow slightly and kept her stony blue orbs on his pained face.

"Anyone who disrespects my sister or my clan so damn callously will not survive my arrows: I'd suggest you remember that, weak bastard." Korihime growled, blue eyes dangerous as her aura had spiked with her anger.

Koga watched the she-wolf with slight surprise: since when did Kori get this strong? Her aura is almost as powerful as Getsu's, he mused.

"I once slayed many demons in the past, but none of them were as loud-mouthed and foolish as you, you wolf brat!" Moryomaru charged at her.

"Kori!" Koga barked as she aimed another arrow at him, waiting for him to get closer.

C'mon, just a bit closer…

A sacred arrow shot at the oncoming demon, surprising the wolf demons as well as the flying demon.

He glared down at the she-wolf's surprised blue stare, huffing and leaping into the air. "This isn't finished, princess." He disappeared in a swirling violet twister.

She growled and then huffed, returning her arrow to the quiver on her back. "Damn him; he's definitely cohorts with Naraku, only a coward like him would flee at the slightest hint of a sacred arrow." She grumbled, looking at the male clan head and smiling in relief. "You okay, Koga?" She stepped closer to his side.

"Idiot princess," he scolded, pulling her into a tight embrace that made her squeak.

Korihime blushed, looking at him. "K-Koga," she stammered.

"What the friggin' hell were you thinking, trying to kill that guy? You coulda gotten consumed by him." Koga demanded as his arms tightened on her waist.

She perked her ears at hearing the worry in his voice, her eyes softening. "Someone has to keep you alive if you can't do it yourself." She replied quietly.

He growled under his breath and pulled away a little to scowl into her blue eyes that almost matched his own. "Yer more reckless than back on Mt. Hakurei, y'know that?" He groaned.

She chuckled and smiled again, smacking his chest playfully. "Since when didja complain about it?" She asked coyly.

Koga smirked at her innocent playfulness and squeezed again. "Since now." She blushed and then laughed.

"KORI-CHAN!" Korihime was bum-rushed by both Ginta and Hakkaku, the aforementioned males squeezing her in a bear-hug that sandwiched her between their crocodile-teary-eyed bodies.

"I-It's great to see you guys too!" She laughed and grinned, failing to give them both a hug due to her current place.

"Oi, get off my woman, both of you!" Koga barked, shoving both male wolves away from the female, standing between them and her protectively with a growl in his throat.

THWACK.

"Since when am I 'your woman'…?" Korihime shouldered her long bow after braining him with it, watching a large bump swell on his head as she deadpanned.

"Kori-chan what brings you here? Isn't your pack lookin' for you?" Hakkaku asked, perking her ears as his pack leader rubbed his head gingerly.

She shrugged. "I caught the stink of Naraku and followed my nose; Sesshomaru and Getsu are waiting for me, so I just came to see what all the noise was about." She elbowed the male clan head. "And I caught this lummox's scent too, so of course I had to come see." She added.

He blushed and then huffed, elbowing her. "Piss off, princess."

She chuckled and smiled again, sighing. "I'd better get moving before they leave me behind." She embraced the two wolf brothers affectionately before turning lastly to the reason she had come. "See you around, wolf boy." She threw her arms around his neck and kissed his cheek with a wink before she felt him squeeze her hips and then let her slip free, turning to spirit away back to her awaiting party.

"Hey, Koga, so do you think she still likes InuYasha?" Ginta dared wonder.

Koga snorted and whacked him over the head chidingly. "Dumbass, 'course not! Kori's obviously over the mutt, and she's into me." He smirked proudly at that, looking in the direction the female had left, a soft breeze stealing past him.

If he didn't know any better, he'd think they had bonded.

::::::::oOo::::::::

"You smell like him again." She pointed out.

She blushed and then huffed, "get off my back. I can choose my own mate as I please."

He smirked slightly as her sister blinked. "I had a feeling you chose that wolf."

Her cheeks flared red and she sent him a steely glare.
THWACK.

"At least he isn't as gloating as you are, baka-inu." She cracked her knuckles.

A large bump swelled on his head.

Her sister exhaled patiently, a sweatdrop forming. Honestly, Korihime… Her mind traveled back to what she'd told them concerning the attack on Koga and she bristled, tapping her chin.
So Goryomaru, or in this instance, Moryomaru, is the keeper of Naraku's heart, she thought. If he's trying to collect shards then that means he won't be a push-over. Taking him down isn't going to be easy, but if we run into him, all three of us should be able to kill him.

She looked at the green shard in her palm, eyes sharpening as she saw that the aura was weakening.
Then that means… She closed her hand and stowed it inside her collar again. "Sesshomaru, the shard's aura is weakened." She declared, making both him and her sister stop walking.

"Look, there's a cave up ahead!" The girl piped up from riding the dragon, pointing at a cave opening yards away from them.

She sniffed the air and growled, lifting a hand to her quiver. "Onee-chan, it's him." She declared, placing an arrow in her bow and bristling.

"Stay back," he ordered them, glaring at the opening before he sent an attack from Tokijin at it, destroying the rock.

"Rin, stay close to Ah-Un." The female daiyokai ordered gently, feeling the stranger's aura spike as the dust from the blow faded out slowly, revealing a hulking gangly demon with pale skin and hair donning thick green armor on his body. So this is Moryomaru, she mused, her hand lowering to the hilt of Mangetsuga.

"You are InuYasha's older brother." The armor-encased demon mused of the male daiyokai.

He bristled, "I have never considered that lowly half-breed to be my brother."

Yer still pack regardless, his sister-in-law deadpanned.

"But the fact that you know that much means you're Naraku's heart, aren't you… Moryomaru?" He gripped the hilt of Tokijin.

"Sesshomaru, you'll regret wielding your sword before greeting me properly." He seemed to chastise him.

He bristled. "That I doubt: but you'll regret uttering InuYasha's name in my presence that much I promise you."

The air spiked with his immense demonic aura before he flew at him, the sound of metal clashing against metal ringing in the intensified atmosphere.

"His lunges aren't working, even with Tokijin," she growled, her own aura spiking angrily. "Sesshomaru, get out of the way!" She fired the arrow coated in pink aura, sending it flying at the demon.

He landed on one foot nimbly as the arrow hit, bouncing off his armor as if it were a twig.

My arrow…! She thought in surprise, perking up as Moryomaru sent three red-lined white orbs careening at her.

"Wolf's Crescent!" A jet of blue-green energy screamed at the oncoming orbs, the instant collision making the two attacks implode and send more dust into the air.

"Onee-chan," she breathed as she flicked her wrist and glared at the hodgepodge demon.

"So you are the infamous Getsuei of the West. Naraku has told me so much about your meddling ways." Moryomaru drawled, blue eyes glowering back at the irritated she-wolf, feeling her aura spike and be as dense as her mate's was.

"Did he? I'm flattered." She flicked her wrist and swung the katana to the left; a wide jet of purple energy screamed at him, being absorbed by his armor and slightly baffling her.

Mangetsuga's Blackened Wolf Fang was absorbed, he thought in surprise, his gold eyes sharpening. Moryomaru certainly will be a pain in the ass to kill, he inwardly growled.

"Mangetsuga," she began softly.

"How pathetic, I had been hoping you would be a better challenge than your mongrel sister!" The beige appendage on his right arm extended into four different heads as they flew at her.

"Onee-chan!" She barked, perking up as her mate sent another green blast careening at the appendage, making it crumble before regenerating as it retreated to his arm socket.

"Always have a contingency plan, right?" He wondered, perking her ears.

She looked at him and nodded, glaring at the demon and bristling. "Right." She watched him leap forward, sending blast after blast of green energy at him and dodging the red-lined white orbs that sailed at him in response.

Now he's really pissin' me off, she thought, cracking the knuckles of her free hand before she flew forward.

"Getsu-onee!" She exclaimed.

She flicked her wrist and sent a raging torrent of green energy screaming at the demon, forcing him to draw back from trying to hit her mate, distracting him. "Nagareboshi-kaen Taiho!" She stretched out her left hand before a wide wave of blue fire hurtled into Moryomaru, sending him flying back from the blast.

He landed nimbly as she also dropped to one foot, seeing that she was panting slightly from the exertion. "Getsu," he declared.

She looked at him and smiled, tossing her hair from her face. "I'm alright." She assured, straightening and gripping the hilt of her heirloom fang. Mangetsuga, this might be our one chance to take down Naraku, so don't spook me again like earlier, okay? She thought, glaring at the dust that had formed from her attack.

Five wide red-lined white orbs screamed at where she stood.

She quickly blocked them with her barrier, the barrier that same almost-oval shape as it had appeared back in the Borderland.

The wind whipped at her hair as she lowered the barrier and leaped back in time as Moryomaru crashed his left arm down on where she stood; she landed nimbly behind her mate, panting slightly.

Some of his armor was dented, chipped in certain spots, but other than that he remained unscathed.

Her attacks have left dents in the armor! In that case… Sesshomaru flew at him, Tokijin clashing with his armor, before he drew back for the briefest moment and then crashed the fang into the crevices of the armor on his right shoulder; his ears perked as he saw the blade crack.

Tokijin… the fang is breaking! Korihime thought in surprise as both she and her sister heard the cracking in the blade of the mighty sword.

"It won't work, Sesshomaru!" Moryomaru chuckled, perking his ears again. "I shall absorb your demonic energy." The beige appendages from his limb coiled around the daiyokai, reminiscent of a snake holding its prey.

"Sesshomaru!" Getsu shouted, gritting her teeth as she recalled that night they had critically injured Naraku at his castle. He's going to try the same thing that Naraku did! She thought, her ears twitching as a soft breeze stole past them, carrying blood-soaked flower petals with it.

"This scent," he muttered.

Kagura! She thought in surprise. This is her blood… But why is she…? It clicked. That bastard! She growled.

"So that useless woman died, did she?" Moryomaru hummed. "First she betrayed Naraku, then me, all for her freedom. And what does she do when she finally gets it? She dies in vain even of that!"

Getsu bared her teeth at his words.

Tensaiga pulsed at his hip as his eyes sharpened and his fangs grew.

"Silence!" He snarled; he broke free of the limbs, slamming Tokijin into the right shoulder of the demon's armor.
The blade threatened to break completely from the force of his blow.

"Impossible!" He exclaimed.

"Girls, NOW!"

"YOU GOT IT!"

A wave of blue fire sailed at him as another pink-coated arrow sailed forward at the armor-encased demon.

"Azure Dragon Wave!" He slammed the blade down, snapping it at last, before spiriting out of the way of the oncoming combination of attacks.

"YOU DAMN MONGRELS!" Moryomaru cried as he took the attacks, his eyes wide in shock, before they narrowed and he was consumed in a purple twister of miasma. "This isn't finished!" His twister faded into the sky.

He glared after his retreat.

Both sisters panted slightly, their shoulders slumping in relief.

Korihime sniffed the air and her eyes sharpened. "Her scent," she began.

Sesshomaru looked at his mate as she sheathed her katana. "Come on." He took off into the sky.

Getsu smiled at her sister before leaping after him until they flew side-by-side and climbed higher into the blue heavens.

:::::::oOo:::::::::

The wind blew softly in the meadow covered with white flowers.

He glanced back at her to see she'd hung back several yards from where he'd stood. "Remember what I told you, that night." He mused quietly as she stepped forward to come to his side.

She nodded, looking at the stain her blood had left on the ground and smiled a little, tucking a few locks of hair behind her ear as the wind threatened to pull her hair loose and free. "I know." Rest in peace… You can count on us to slay Naraku, to avenge you, Kagura, she thought, looking past the flowers to the blue sky overhead.

Those Nagareboshi-kaen Taiho attacks had taken a lot out of her energy…

"Getsu," he barked before catching her from collapsing into the flowers, gathering her to his chest with his arm and kneeling to pick her up, looking at her concernedly. "Getsu." He spoke softer this time.

She closed her eyes tight and grimaced, her claws reaching to bundle in the white fabric of his kosode. "Sorry, guess that fight took a lot out of me," she mumbled, smiling weakly.

Sesshomaru exhaled quietly in relief that it was just that, smiling softly. "'Guess' is an understatement, princess. You danced beautifully." He praised gently.

Getsu nodded and held onto his neck with both arms as he shuffled to his feet and carried her in the crook of his arm. "Sesshomaru," she murmured.

"Rest. We'll take a break when we get back, alright? Just close your eyes." He instructed.

She nodded again and held onto his neck, resting her cheek against his heart as she started to let unconsciousness take her.

"Sesshomaru, wait!"

He halted in starting to leave at the sound of his little brother's voice, his likewise-gold eyes scowling at him over his shoulder.

"Kagura… Did she suffer?"

"…She was smiling."

Unconsciousness finally took her into a warm dreamless sleep.

A/N: RIP Kagura.