A few days later, Sesshomaru was standing at the top of a hill, staring down into the valley filled with the orange-red light of the setting sun. Twilight would lure out the demons inhabiting the hills. Exactly what he was waiting for.

He found himself a substitute left arm. As it had belonged to a minor weak demon and he had no expectations towards it. The previous three arms were burnt by his youki after the first usage. But he needed to test this one to confirm the same result. The approaching twilight gave him a ray of hope to find a test subject, because during the day, everything was fleeing from him.

The wind changed, bringing new smells to him.

His eyes narrowed. A familiar scent tickled his nose. It was followed by a stench of over a dozen men and horses driving her towards him.

"What is it, milord?" Jaken, asked curiously.

"Nothing."

The injured, bleeding young priestess ran out of the forest and headed diagonally up the hill, not directly towards him, but past him. She didn't even look at him, yet he knew she was aware of his presence.

"There's an opening!" Someone behind her yelled. "We can let the horses run free!"

"We'll show her!"

"YEAH!"

"OI!" The one in the lead stopped at the edge of the clearing. The horse reared in a sudden halt. None of them had noticed the demon; their eyes were fixed on the girl treading her way up the hill. Her injury was slowing her down and she tripped several times.

"WHAT?!" The leader snapped at him.

"Let her run. We should get away from here! I've heard that youkai come out after dark in this area. She won't survive the night here anyway."

"Youkai? Hah!" He snorted and laughed. They had numbers. "I say we caught that young woman! I haven't had any fun in ages!" He made a vulgar, obscene gesture towards her.

"Hn? What's that?" One of them asked, noticing Sesshomaru and pointing in the direction they were heading. "Yo... Youkai?!"

Sesshomaru stood there, not moving. He wasn't impressed by the small, 17 men army staring at him. Lowly, vulgar creatures.

"Stupid idiot! That's no demon. It's a human!" The leader roared. "Let's get him first! Then find the woman!" He kicked his horse, forcing the animal into a gallop. The others had no choice, but to join in.

"We'll kill 'im and take all he has!"

Before they could even realise it, they were all dead. Evaporated by the sheer pressure of Sesshomaru's youki. Unfortunately, his "borrowed" left arm was almost destroyed too.

"Once again you made quick work of them. Very impressive, master!" The little imp emerged from high grass.

"Hnn..." Sesshomaru looked at his claws with disgust. The left arm was useless. He glanced at the priestess standing at the other edge of the clearing watching him with an unreadable expression. When their eyes met, she swirled and disappeared in the forest. Hm… Vermin is swarming there you fool...

The imp continued without noticing his Lord's dissatisfaction. "I must say, slaying that blue demon earlier and plundering his arm was a splendid idea."

Jaken's ignorance didn't pay off: "Are your eyes useless holes, fool? This arm has already been rendered useless."

The oni's arm was already rotting, burning to the bone from his youki and killing a bunch of mere humans. How useless. He casted the flesh on the ground.

"Oh dear, that didn't last very long..." Jaken replied warily.

"Go find me a more suitable demon. Note that if you don't, I will have to kill you." He looked at Jaken, who kicked the arm Seshoumaru threw away. The demon arm twitched and grabbed him. A frightened shriek echoed throughout the clearing, but Sesshomaru ignored it. "Even if I find another arm. It will also be useless after a short period."

"You seem troubled." An unfamiliar voice appeared behind him out of nowhere.

Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes at the apparition hidden in the baboon mask. Despite his enhanced senses he couldn't smell or hear the creature. A demon perhaps. The imp was quick to hide behind his leg.

"Pardon me, but if I'm not mistaken you are the elder brother of Inuyasha. Lord Sesshomaru, are you not?"

"What do you want? Should I know you?"

"I am someone who, like yourself, despises Inuyasha. Forgive me, but I happened to overhear your conversation just now. Perhaps I can be of assistance." He presented a severed arm in a humble gesture. "Might I suggest you employ this arm?"

"Have you lost your senses? Clearly, that is the arm of a human!" Jaken shrieked.

"Yes. Clearly, this arm belonged to a mortal, but it's not JUST a human arm. Embedded in it is a shard of the sacred Shikon jewel."

"Shikon jewel?" Jaken blinked, he'd never heard of it.

"Should you choose to employ this arm, the jewel shard will enable you to wield the Tetsusaiga, Inuyasha's fabled sword. The sword is known to work for the benefit of men, that present a demon, such as yourself, would be unable to even touch the Tetsusaiga."

Sesshomaru frowned. Tetsusaiga was something Sesshomaru wanted, but never formally acquired from his father. To him, it felt like he was betrayed by his father, who hadn't recognised his abilities, giving him the useless Tenseiga instead. So he decided to wield Tetsusaiga, no matter what. To prove he was the legitimate heir of the demon slaying blade. After losing his arm to Tetsusaiga, he wanted it in his possession even more. But this baboon apparition's offer was too convenient.

"You mentioned something about you despising Inuyasha. Tell me, do you intend to use me to execute your revenge?"

"Yes." The man admitted confidently as if he had nothing to lose.

"How dare you exploit my master?!"

Sesshomaru hn-ed in agreement. "Sounds interesting... I shall accept the arm from you."

Truth to be told, he just wanted to know what would happen. He couldn't lose anything either. The outcomes were either gaining the Tetsusaiga, or getting back to where he was now. He could only gain.

"Master, please! Reconsider!"

Begging of his servant was useless. Once he made up his mind, he would do as he pleased. The man in the baboon mask also gave him a hive to hinder some monk, who was travelling with Inuyasha. However, one thing still interested the dog demon. "I should know the name of the one I made a pact with."

"My apologies. Call me Naraku."

"Very well Naraku. You have yourself a deal."

Naraku vanished without a trace.

Sesshomaru attached the arm, immediately feeling the jewel shard's power in his system. Pathetically weak…

His ears twitched as he heard an angry scream and a rather interesting choice of words for a woman. Before I kill you, Inuyasha… I have to check one more thing. He spun on his heel and ran into the forest, leaving Jaken behind.

######

"To hell with you! You ugly little impotent imp!" Hotaru shouted as she kicked a small imp in the head. The sun wasn't even completely down, yet the demons were already swarming.

Her right thigh was shot through by an arrow, which she got rid of immediately. As a consequence, her vision was starting to get blurry from the blood loss and her adrenaline was wearing off. The pain she didn't feel before was settling in her leg. Her focus was too distracted to form any useful spell or a barrier.

She slammed her heavy case into another little ogre, bashing in his chest. Jewel shards?! Her head snapped in the direction of the first jewel.

"Give us your blood!" Shrieked a small flying eyeball followed by an ogre carrying a sickle.

The big one has the shard! But she had to take care of the small vermin too. Why are they cooperating to this extent? Dammit!

She hit a few snake-like demons that were trying to sneak up on her. She blocked the ogre's sickle with her case and hit his knee. It shattered with a sickening crunch, followed by his roar. In a swirl made of her staff and case, she was faring well so far.

Until one of the snakes came to, and swept her off her feet with its tail. She fell on her butt, her wooden jo (wooden staff) fell out of her hand and rolled out of reach. Naturally she pulled out her hidden tanto (a short sword) and swiftly turned around to cut down the snakes tangled around her ankles. She needed to defend herself.

The ogre laughed as he approached slowly, savouring the moment as he reached out his hand to grab her. He believed she was no threat when she was on the ground preoccupied by the snakes.

She took a deep breath, forcing her body to give her an adrenaline shot. Her life was threatened and she refused to be killed by the grotesque purple ogre using a jewel shard. Whole world slowed down, the demon was reaching for her. His movements were sluggish in her eyes. She felt power bubbling deep within her. Hers and another. She focused on hers and channelled it into the tanto. The demon's hand was almost in her personal space. She leaned back and threw the short sword right through the ogre's forehead at the last second.

Propelled by her purifying energy it split the demon's head in two and stabbed into a tree behind him all the way to its tsuba. The demon wavered backwards and blue, purifying flames spread from the wound in the head into his entire body.

The jewel shard pulsed.

"Oh no. No you don't." She whimpered, her strength fading away as the shard embedded in the demon's heart started consuming her purification and regenerating the demon.

"Filthy vermin." A voice she vaguely recognised spoke from behind her. "You can't even die with grace."

In the next few seconds, the swarm of semi-conscious demons was non-existent. They were obliterated by a swirl of white, silver and green. The only thing remaining was the ogre's heart with the jewel shard lying in the dust. It was twitching, but there was no mass to create a body, so the heart died and rotted, leaving the jewel lying on the ground.

"You freed me? Again. Thank you."

He glanced at her over his shoulder. She is smiling again. "Hn, I have not come to save you." But why did I come?

"..." She frowned, examining the silver-haired demon. His arm's different from a moment ago… A human's arm, connected by a jewel shard?! "You've come for the jewel?"

"I've got no need for such a thing."

"Yet you're using one."

"I need to test something."

The jewel had no control over him, it only served as a glue for the arm. That was a sign of true power. "You should take the other one too."

"Is it not supposed to be with a priestess?" He tilted his head, genuinely curious and slightly confused by keeping the conversation with a human.

She bit her lip and looked down on her folded hands. "Not with me. It is hard to resist the temptations of the jewel's evil spirit if one does not have a clear sense of self."

"Then leave it here. I've got no need for it." He turned back ahead and started walking away.

"Sesshomaru." He paused to hear her warning. "Be careful with your plans and wishes. The jewel might not get a chance to control you, but it is a powerful, cursed, jewel. It has its own will."

"Hn." He glanced at her one last time, before leaving her behind.

"Until our paths cross again…" She muttered to the surrounding trees and sighed. She was glancing between the jewel, her tanto and the puncture wound in her right thigh. Thankfully, Sesshomaru's outburst of youki drew away all other demons roaming in the surrounding forests.

######

Sesshomaru didn't believe the jewel could have a will, after all, he knew nothing about the origin of the jewel, never cared enough to find out. But he couldn't deny that he failed to retrieve his rightful heirloom. Again.

The half-breed was indeed a son of their father. His will to live, to protect his growing pack and survive deserved a certain level of respect. Tetsusaiga sensing that will, protected Inuyasha even after he'd received what should have been a fatal blow from Sesshomaru. He even managed to rip off part of the attached human arm Sesshomaru was using. Without the human arm, unable to touch Tetsusaiga, there was no reason for Sesshomaru to continue in a battle where the opponent was already half-dead and the sword was out of his reach, adamant on striking him down if he took any step closer.

And so he left, flying away with Jaken. The Saimyosho insect followed after them.

"How far will these cursed insects follow us?" Jaken huffed.

"Be patient. Ultimately it is the jewel they are after." He slipped the kimono off his left shoulder, uncovering the deep purple remnant of the human arm, spreading the miasma and fire into his body through the jewel. "Surely they are waiting for me to discard the arm."

"The arm is burning at the joint, master." Jaken peeped. "The fire licks at your shoulder."

"This wretched arm intends to burn me alive." He tore off the rotting and burning flesh and threw it to Naraku's hornets, fully intending to follow them after their master.

And as the dawn was slowly pushing away the darkness of the night, they led him to Naraku hiding in a swamp. The creature escaped him, using a demon puppet, taking its piece of the jewel back, but he didn't forget to encourage him:

"Lord Sesshomaru, I implore you to continue your anger. I may call on you again, should another opportunity arise to destroy Inuyasha."

"A crafty, audacious character." Sesshomaru noted calmly, almost amusedly. "So he thinks he can control me?"

Hotaru couldn't sleep well after she picked up the jewel shard. It invaded her dreams, showing her glimpses of other demons, their sensations. All the shards were connected and communicating, sharing what was happening around them like a hive mind. She wondered if the other carriers of the jewel noticed too, or if it was only her, who could hear it in her dreams.

She couldn't hear it when she was on her feet and awake, but once asleep… Dreams of mangled bodies, blood and carnage. Dreams of darkness, demons and fire. She saw her share of war in the past few months too. But these dreams were different. Once she woke up, she couldn't clearly remember what was different, but something was. As if the timeframe, the place, even the world around her was different. Maybe it was her who was different. She was different. Somehow. And not knowing for sure terrified her. Who the hell was I?

Dragging her feet, she observed heavy clouds hanging low in the evening sky promising rain later in the night. The injured leg wasn't healing right and it was slowing her down. It was risky to continue on this path once it soaked with water, so she searched for a shelter. She was sensing a shrine nearby and a surprising lack of demons, which was a good sign, as walking was becoming a difficulty and running was out of the question.

Threading through bushes, she could see smoke in the distance, but she knew she wouldn't make it to the village until sundown. At least she reached the abandoned shrine. The roof and the floor were caved in in the middle, but there was enough covered area to keep her dry during the night. She ate some herbs and mushrooms she gathered throughout the day and glanced at the sky as the first drops hit the roof.

Thank you, whoever protected this place. Please let me stay one night, I will not be a burden and soon I will leave. She prayed silently.

If her wound was to heal, she needed honey and proper rest, not nightmare threaded nights. For the third night, she, again, set up the strongest barrier she knew would hold. It felt a little flimsy, but it was the best she could do given the fever that wasn't easing up. She made sure she placed the jewel within her reach, but far enough from her body and closed her eyes, hoping for a peaceful slumber filled with gentle drizzle.

"Mama! You're back!" Two little missiles launched at her, and she let them push her back.

"I'm back!" Her arms encircled both of the children. Her children. They were laughing. The kids were nuzzling against her torso and she was planting motherly kisses on their heads and cheeks, breathing in their innocent scents she loved so much. "Oh, I missed you." She breathed out.

"We thought you weren't coming back." The boy, not older than 4, said with happiness but barely withheld tears shining in his big blue eyes. "Rei said that… that… you might be dead."

"I didn't! There's no way mama would die! You made that up!" Rei, who could be 9 at that time, protested loudly and pushed herself away from her brother.

"Oi, oi. Don't argue. I'm back now, and while I might leave once in a while, I'm never ever leaving you behind." She hugged them tighter. She hated when they fought, or when they cried. It was her fault they were silently crying now and she was aware of it. "I'll always come back to you."

"You promise?" Rei asked and looked her in the eye.

Those deep blue eyes were looking at her with understanding, but pleading nonetheless. "I promise." She answered, intended to keep that promise no matter what.

"Hotaru, you're back, my love! … Ah, Ava, Karl, are you suffocating your mama again? At least let me join! I want a hug and a kiss too."

"..." Hotaru jerked awake covered in cold sweat. She was crying.

The jewel that was a few feet from her was shining brightly through the thick leather pouch.

"A memory?" She reached for the glowing jewel and took it out. The shard was tiny, irregular, but it carried power.

'Do you wish to remember?' She felt those words inside her mind rather than heard it. She couldn't say if the voice belonged to a man or a woman or a demon or a child. It was simply there, overlapping.

"Can you make me remember?"

'Well of course, you only have to wish for it.'

"A wish is all it takes?"

'One simple wish you have to say and it will come true.'

"Is a fragment enough?"

'Do you want to break your curse?'

"So it is a curse."

'Do you wish us to break it?'

Us… She narrowed her eyes. A headache settled in. Her wound was thumping to her heart beat. As much as the dream about her children was compelling, she didn't trust the jewel. It was shining with pink purity, but when she focused, deep down under the pink layers was a black dot. Us… Only one priestess was captured within the jewel. The one who had created it.

You shall not be another. It was a warm feeling spreading in her chest. A protection, from someone stronger. The pink light glowed brighter, but the darkness within the jewel insisted: 'Do you wish to know about your family? About what's to come? All you need to do is make a wish.'

It was so easy, all she had to do was wish. Yet… That warmth gave her strength to resist. "Nothing is for free, not even a wish."

'That is correct. But the price is low for what you can gain.'

"And what is that price?"

'We do not take more than you can give. And we do not give more than we can take.'

A shiver ran down her spine and she shoved the fragment back into the pouch.

"I have to get rid of it."

The only possible solution was to return to the demon slayers and store the shard in Midoriko's shrine in the village. As Midoriko was the priestess who had created the jewel, it was the safest solution. Saki was surely able to keep the jewel pure, and she missed her. And Kou and all the demon slayers.

"And I might need Saki's help with the wound, if I don't find a beehive with enough honey they can share."

A/N: Let me know what you think but remember, reviews are appreciated but never necessary.

S.