Half-Demon's eclipse

Inuyasha sat with his ears pressed back. Time was passing, time was running out — the boy felt it with his whole being. Now his claws were starting to thin. Black strands of hair appeared.

The monkey didn't notice anything — only, giggling, stirring the fetid potion.

"What luck — the blood of a half-demon comes in handy," she muttered under her breath. "I'll become stronger right away! Not The Shikon no Tama, of course, but still good. What luck, what luck..."

Inuyasha looked around. There was nothing nearby — not even a stick. A little further in the corner there was a sharpened stone, and without thinking twice, Inuyasha carefully crawled towards it. It was still better than an ordinary fist.

"Why are you rustling there, boy?" the monkey said discontentedly and turned around.

Then she saw everything: the darkened eyes, and the hair, and the ears that had disappeared from the head.

"What are you, a normal boy?" she scratched the back of her head. "How is that possible?"

"Yes, I am!" Inuyasha said boldly, trying not to show his fear. "Take me back from where you took me, fool!"

"What a failure... Well, what can we do… I guess you'll pass like this too."

The monkey was so stupid that it didn't even know about the hanyou transformations.

"Let me go, I said!"

Inuyasha took a risk — he rose to his trembling legs and rushed to the entrance of the cave, but in vain. The monkey caught him with its long arm and lifted him like a puppy.

"Just wait, right now, right now..."

Then Inuyasha bit its paw with his teeth and pressed his feet into the hot cauldron. Tears flowed from effort and fear, but no matter how much the monkey hit his head with a ladle, Inuyasha didn't unclench his teeth. He no longer had sharp fangs and claws, but he wasn't going to die just like that either.

The heels burned from the hot metal.

"Stupid!" the monkey grabbed Inuyasha by the hair and pulled with all its might.

"Click!" a front tooth broke off.

The boy, by inertia, loosened his grip — this was enough for the monkey to throw him into the same corner. His vision darkened. Nausea rose in his throat, blood from his mouth gushed onto his chin. Inuyasha fumbled for the stone again and threw it.

It whistled over the monkey's head... and landed at someone's feet.

"Onii-san?"

Sesshomaru stood at the entrance to the cave. The still swaying strands of hair indicated a swift landing, but otherwise Sesshomaru showed no signs of excitement or haste. Tears of relief flowed from Inuyasha's eyes.

"I thought... I..."

He managed to close his eyes as the monkey's blood sprayed everywhere, including onto his cheeks. Sesshomaru had killed the demon with a simple swipe of his claws, without even drawing his sword, as he had done with the ongokuki. Inuyasha wanted to run up, but he couldn't — the soles of his feet were covered in sticky blisters. The boy held on with all his strength and fainted only when Sesshomaru landed next to him.

A human child is the weakest creature in the world. The only thing worse is a chick that fell out of the nest.

…

Inuyasha didn't want to wake up — it was very warm and cozy in his sleep. He opened his eyes with difficulty and saw the sky, generously strewn with stars. The frozen crown of a tree rustled softly above his head, the wind lifted his older brother's hair, and the fur, wrapped around Inuyasha, tickled the boy's face. This was the first time Sesshomaru hold him in his arms. The boy was afraid to move, the boy was afraid to scare him away...

Unable to think of anything better, Inuyasha decided to pretend to be asleep and closed his eyes again. His older brother's chest rose and fell, lulling. The hand holding Inuyasha seemed heavy, but also calming. The smell was bitterly familiar.

Inuyasha felt like he was in a cradle, as if nothing had happened.