Ichijou grunted as he got up from the ground. The past two days, Soumei was harsher in the practices. "What are you so annoyed about? Did you get beaten by our father?"

"Several times." Soumei said, not lying. "Real threat is the best way to learn." He grinned and pointed at the figurines. "Take them down."

"Five thousand times again?" Ichijou rolled his eyes.

"Fair enough. Afterwards, find me in the library. There is this scroll with pocket dimensions."

"Those are too advanced for your skill."

"I just want to understand how to get out of them and how to break them." He was certain Sojobo would show him too, but he was curious, testing his brother. "I am teaching you my secrets here, do you refuse to share yours?"

"Hmph. I'll meet you there."

######

"I sense the jewel, is it Kagome's? Are they close?"

Sesshomaru tilted his head and sniffed the air. Finally, he picked up Inuyasha's scent. And Inuyasha was injured. Again. It was a good opportunity to test Bokusen-Oh's theory. The bigger the threat, the sooner Inuyasha would transform. This should be quick.

Without saying anything, he leapt up and left.

"Hey! Wait! I want to go too!" Hotaru shouted after him.

"And I was left behind with you two once again." Jaken sighed. "Sesshomaru-sama! Where did you go?! How could you leave without taking your faithful retainer with you?! I know, it's because of you two! Hmmm, curses! I wish he would have abandoned you somewhere." He glared at them.

Hotaru raised an eyebrow, waiting for him to finish his rambling.

"Oooh! Wait a minute, could it be that Sesshomaru-sama has gone to find Inuyasha in order to confirm what Bokusen-Oh advised him?"

Hotaru rolled her eyes. What else?

"What is this Inuyasha like?" Rin asked curiously.

"An excellent question Rin! It's a long story, but one which must be conveyed." He cleared his throat, happy to have an audience. "As you are aware… Inuyasha is Lord Sesshomaru's younger brother. But he hardly compares in demon rank or in demon dignity. And that is because he is-"

"Okay, you finish the story I am taking A-Un. There are no demons around here." She took the dragon's reins. "Be good Rin and try to listen." She ruffled the girl's hair, knowing how boring and insulting Jaken's stories could get. "If he went to Inuyasha, I need to go, there is something I want to discuss with Kagome."

######

Sesshomaru landed near a destroyed village, in respectful distance from Inuyasha, to see what the half-demon would do. As expected, he jumped away from the stronger demon and snarled viciously like an animal.

Sesshomaru glanced at the carnage. Bodies of humans and animals were scattered around. Their blood was seeping out and drenching the soil. Covering Inuyasha's claws. Anyone who got too close to him in his rampage was dead.

"Hmm… You are nothing more than a murderous demon." He commented dryly, with a hint of a smile on his face. Bokusen-Oh was right. "Come after me, Inuyasha. I wish to test your strength, transformed as you are." He challenged, sending a surge of his youki towards the raging half-demon.

Inuyasha responded correspondingly. He charged, attacking Sesshomaru with his claws.

All Sesshomaru did was draw Tokijin and aim the tip at Inuyasha. The sword needed only a little of his youki to keep Inuyasha in the air, off of him and cause severe lacerations.

"Inuyasha!" The girl shouted in fright. The monk tried to talk sense into him: "No, Inuyasha! Don't do it! Sesshomaru's Tokijin can slay an enemy with the slightest pressure, you will be destroyed before you even reach him!"

Inuyasha seemed to feel no pain. It made Sesshomaru wonder how long he would keep trying to fight Tokijin's pressure. But then Inuyasha punched the tip of the sword away.

"Huh." Sesshomaru's eyes widened momentarily as Inuyasha landed in front of him. Maybe he stopped the sword, but he didn't get to Sesshomaru at all. And the punch only caused further damage to Inuyasha's arm, tearing his muscles. "That was foolish."

Inuyasha didn't hear him, he saw no sense. He kept attacking. Trying to reach him with only his claws, Sesshomaru kept dodging easily, throwing him off with the Tokijin's sheer pressure and hatred for the half-demon.

Inuyasha, you feel no fear, you know no pain. The demon blood coursing through your veins has taken over your soul. He thought as he dodged another predictable attack. You don't even know who you are. And you will continue fighting, until you die. I came in your pursuit to see if Bokusen-Oh's words were true.

Sesshomaru was evading. It was like a child's play to him. At a certain point it got boring and irritating. "And now, little brother, I understand." He said flatly and flipped in the air to put a greater distance between them. "You are not a full-fledged demon. All you are is a half-breed."

Inuyasha charged at him again. And this time, he was not going to wait for the berserk half-demon to reach him. He leapt forward to meet Inuyasha mid-air. "Know your place in the world! Inuyasha, a half-demon should act like one and crawl on the ground!" He hissed angrily at his brother as he swung his sword.

But he didn't slash at him. He merely turned the whole blade to throw Inuyasha off. This time it worked. Inuyasha was slammed on the ground and into unconsciousness.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome screamed in worry.

Sesshomaru walked towards him to make sure he wasn't getting up any time soon.

"Please stop!" She threw herself over Inuyasha's unconscious form, placing the Tetsusaiga she was holding over his torso. She was willing to give her life for the half-demon.

"He has finally been brought down." Sesshomaru pointed out, taking a few more steps towards them.

"Don't come any closer!" The girl shouted with tears shining in her eyes.

"If you wish him to stop, use Tetsusaiga to reverse the transformation-"

"Huh?!" She blinked at him in a genuine surprise.

"Otherwise he will continue to fight when he awakens." He finished.

I thought he wanted to kill Inuyasha. Kagome thought, when the rest of their group positioned themselves between her and Sesshomaru.

"You could have finished him off earlier if you wanted to. You could've bisect him." The monk pointed out. "Instead you merely threw Inuyasha off with your sword. Why did you stop at that?" He inquired. "You despise Inuyasha. I can't believe you suddenly found brotherly love."

His eyes narrowed at the monk, the words were something he would expect to hear from Hotaru. "I will slay him eventually." He answered. "But why kill him now, when he doesn't even know himself? There would be no point."

As if conjuring her with the sheer thought, A-Un carrying Hotaru landed next to him.

"Hotaru-san!" Sango turned to her immediately, not expecting to see her. But Hotaru was looking at Sesshomaru.

"Please, Sesshomaru, tell me he's not dead."

A shadow of distaste passed through his eyes when he was looking back at her with his mask of indifference. "Can you not tell yourself?"

She frowned. You wanted to test him… not kill him… Why? What are you proving by doing this, to whom?

Then, smelling the blood and death, she looked past them at all the disfigured bodies of humans and horses. She had felt it, but seeing it from above with her human eyes was not as severe as seeing it so close, smelling the guts and the blood and the death.

Her eyes widened in horror and several memories she couldn't fully place in time or space flashed in her mind. She had seen images like this before. She had walked and crawled through fields of bodies looking worse than this many times before. It was way too familiar. Ignoring the headache accompanying the terrifying memories flooding her, she stepped towards the horror.

An old wiring of her brain came to function again. It clicked into place. She walked through the battlefield, her eyes and senses looking around for any signs of life, certain there were survivors. She could feel them, clinging to life, too terrified to die.

"Hotaru-san!" Sango grabbed her shoulder with worry in her eyes.

She didn't know how many times Sango called out to her. "There are survivors here. I have to save them, if only for Inuyasha's sake."

"They are raiders!" One of the surviving women protested. "They destroyed the village, killed our men, wanted to violate us! They do not deserve being saved! Neither does the demon!"

"They will repair the village they destroyed. Out of fear of that very demon." She replied calmly. "Meeting with Death changes people."

"How can I help?" Sango asked.

Hotaru knew she didn't have much time, so she swirled around and counted the bodies. Slow is smooth and smooth is fast. Every second counted and she could not hesitate. She was carefully scanning the battlefield, searching. Who was alive? Who had the highest chances of survival? Who was beyond her help? She knew she couldn't save them all. Make the choice. Make the right choice.

Sesshomaru was watching her intently. At first she was horrified, he smelt her emotion and borderline panic, but then, suddenly, there was calmness. Incredible calmness. Like a frozen lake without a single ripple or crack.

In a moment she sized up the situation and pointed out those still breathing. She and Sango worked as a perfect pair. Moving in sync, each doing what she could do best.

Kagome was watching them stunned. She was itching to go and help, but she didn't want to leave unconscious Inuyasha so close to Sesshomaru. She didn't trust the daiyoukai.

"We need to help." Miroku decided, but Kagome grabbed his sleeve, stopping him. "What?"

"You have an open wound from the demon's venom on your hand. She will not let you help."

"What, why? Survivors are men, if they fight them in pain…"

Kagome shook her head and said grimly: "Then they'll die."

"Kagome-sama, but why-"

"Stay with Inuyasha, I'll go." She ordered, her eyes hardening in a resolution she came to.

"Eh?!" He was left behind with the unconscious half-demon and his ruthless brother, whom he had foolishly challenged with questions before. Well damn… I cannot leave Inuyasha here alone.

A feral shriek of one of the survivors interrupted his train of thoughts and got Sesshomaru's attention.

Hotaru barely avoided a blood spray into her eyes, but the front of her clothes, side of her face and her hair were smeared with the man's blood.

"Hold him down!" She ordered Sango and Kagome, who were bandaging another man but jumped to help her.

"What happened?" Sango asked, a little panicked.

"I nicked the artery when he moved. Dammit! I need to sew it fast or he'll bleed out." He should be dead already. How is he… I can't see properly! There's too much blood. NO!

A caw echoed in the air and a crow with dark brown, almost charcoal feathers landed gracefully by the man and transformed into a young looking man, wearing similar clothes as Soumei. The tengu gently pushed the two girls away, easily holding the man in place with an iron grip. He observed the disgusting fatal wound; he could see the guts and lungs and other organs… wondering how the man clung to life to still be breathing. And fighting.

"Who are you?" Hotaru barked, barely glancing at him.

"My name's Zenki. Let me help, I am a healer."

She had no time to question him. "You?"

"I will sustain his life, you do what you're doing." He said.

Her instinct told her the tengu had no ill intention and he was already helping. "Thanks." Her hands didn't stop moving, sewing and cleaning the wound as fast as she could. If it wasn't for the demon, the man would have bled out. Sustaining his life, huh… The tengu must also be boosting his blood production, he lost too much blood.

"Is that a real tengu? So they are real… Why is he helping?" Miroku asked out loud before he bit his tongue.

"..." Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed. He didn't know this one with a black mark peeking just above his collar.

With the tengu's help, she saved 3 more men who would have died otherwise. Unlike him, she didn't have any tricks to prolong lives or take their pain away in such a hurry. In total, they managed to save 6 people. Other 9 were killed by Inuyasha, not counting the horses and other small animals.

With a sigh she wiped her hands clean, knowing that these 6 men would survive. Her clothes were once again ruined with blood and other bodily fluids. I desperately need a bath. She sighed, but she was content with the result. She managed to save a few lives.

"You are amazing. Thank you, truly." Kagome said, knowing that without Hotaru's help there would have been no survivors. She and Sango didn't have the right knowledge.

Sango nodded, cleaning her hands too. This whole mess distracted her. As tragic as it was, she needed the distraction to stop thinking about her younger brother, Kohaku, being a Naraku's puppet and her own, almost unjustifiable actions when she had tried to kill him.

"Not really, you two helped me greatly. And you're not bad yourself, Kagome-chan. I thought you'd be scared of so much blood and wounds." She commented.

"My mom's a nurse and my father was a soldier, a medic. He didn't talk much about his 'work', I was too young, but he taught me some basic things. And lately I found his books." Kagome admitted.

Hotaru didn't miss the past-tense. "Then he must be proud of you."

"Perhaps…" Kagome smiled softly.

"Ah, young priestess…" The old man they'd helped before came to thank them and Kagome was instantly paying her attention to him, giving him some medicine for painful joints she used to carry around.

Sango caught a young girl, who looked reliable and was hammering how to treat the injured into her brain so they would survive after today; Hotaru was glad for explaining it to Sango as they'd worked. She then proceeded to instruct the villagers how to get rid of all corpses without poisoning their water sources and wells. They listened to a demon slayer more than they would to a witch who was familiar with a demon. Even so, there was no guarantee the villagers would not kill those 6 survivors later on.

Hotaru walked towards the tengu, who meanwhile went to greet Seshomaru. "Thank you." She bowed to him slightly. "But now tell me, why are you here? It surely wasn't to help me."

"My apologies. There was no time to explain in length, but I did not lie. I am a healer. Soumei-sama cannot leave the mountain these days, so he sent me to ask for another refill." He smiled sheepishly and pulled the vial from his sleeve. Empty. "Could you, perhaps, also tell me how to make it?"

"No." She was looking straight at him. "But I can refill it, as long as I have it."

"It would spare you time if you told me the recipe. And the more we come, the more in danger we put you in."

"What do you mean by that?"

"I carry a warning too." He looked at Sesshomaru. "If our eldest brother learns about her, it might be troublesome."

Sesshomaru raised an eyebrow. "...troublesome? How exactly do you mean that?" What is her connection to those demons?

"Anything from taking to killing, we do not know. He's been interested in priestesses in our territory for the past century or so, but we are not certain about his goals. Soumei-sama did not tell me, but the more we come to you, the more of us that know about you, the higher the chance he will be able to follow or learn about you."

"How come he hasn't yet?"

"You are of no importance so far, I suppose. And Soumei-sama does not share his secrets with him."

"Great. I wish I knew why Soumei is interested in me then…" Hotaru sighed.

Zenki blinked in surprise at the familiarity she addressed Soumei with. So unusual… He kept his face and didn't comment on it. "Your potion is the reason he shared it with me. But he cannot fully confide in me because I am a healer, not a fighter, and I cannot fully resist the eldest brother."

Enigmatic creatures. To hell with them all… "That potion you want is my secret. I don't really wish to share it. Besides, only a human can make it."

Zenki tilted his head. "A hanyo?"

"...when a hanyo turns human it could work. But you are not one." Her eyes narrowed in concentration. "Or perhaps…?"

Zenki's lips twisted into a crooked smile. "Not saying."

She sighed and rubbed the back of her neck. For Rin's sake… I shouldn't attract their attention. She took the vial from Zenki's hand and leaned down to her case to refill it. "What is he even doing with it?"

"Training with father." Zenki shrugged.

"And you?"

"I told you. I am a healer. Getting stronger will only shorten my lifespan." His eyes rested on Inuyasha's beaten form. With a barely audible sigh he took the filled vial and a piece of paper where she quickly scribbled the recipe for the medicine.

She didn't let go of the paper when he caught it: "Give me your word, you will keep this recipe to yourself and will not tell or show it to anyone besides Soumei. You will memorise it and burn the paper by today's moonrise."

"..." He was holding the paper, looking at her, thinking. With Sesshomaru there, he couldn't take it by force. But if he gave her his word, he would be confirming that in fact, he was a hanyo. She is clever.

"As you wish, Hotaru-sama… I give you my word that I will memorise the recipe and burn the paper by today's moonrise, and I will never deliberately share it with anyone else besides Soumei-sama. And my word is bind and honour." The words Zenki uttered sent a shiver of a bind through his body. He would not be able to break it, but he needed that recipe.

How did she know what to ask for? Sesshomaru wondered.

Zenki took the paper and slipped it into his sleeve. "It was nice meeting you, Hotaru-sama. You have a gentle heart. Until our paths cross again."

"Until our paths cross again, Zenki…" She breathed out staring after the dark dot disappearing in the sky. Then she turned to Sesshomaru: "Do you know him?"

"No."

"Can I trust him?"

Amusement shone deep in his eyes. Now you are asking? "I do not know." He tilted his head. "He was not lying. You asked for his word, giving him a very specific instruction, tell me, why?"

She blinked at him in surprise. "I thought it was appropriate…. Hmmm…" Her head was pounding. "Or maybe I remembered I should… I am not sure. I simply asked, because I knew I should."

"..." He stared at her for a moment, then turned to leave. "We are leaving." He announced over his shoulder.

"Ah! Can I stay a little longer, please? I'll catch up with you in the evening."

"Do as you wish."

It's almost as if he came to stop Inuyasha's violent behaviour. Kagome thought, staring after Sesshomaru's leaving figure. And he waited for Hotaru-sama. Oh… could they be…? No… I can't even imagine that.

Hotaru turned to Miroku; "show me your hand. If you want to help carry the corpses to the funeral pyre the wound needs to be cleaned and securely covered."

"How's Inuyasha?" Kagome knelt to Inuyasha and gently pushed his hair from his face.

"Still out. But he's already healing. He'll be fine soon." Miroku supplied, hissing when Hotaru cleaned his wound with a disinfectant.

"I'm not worried about his body…" Hotaru hummed.

"Mhmm…" Kagome nodded sadly. "Do you think he'll remember?"

"Even if he doesn't, their blood is on his hands and under his claws. He's a simpleton, but he's not stupid…"

"Right…"

Hotaru looked at both of them seriously: "You have to tell him the truth about Tetsusaiga's sealing ability. You should have told him from the start. Because if these transformations continue to happen, Inuyasha will eventually lose his soul. The transformations will be getting worse and worse. The first time he recognised you, today… I doubt it." Kagome looked at her hands guiltily and Hotaru's eyebrow went up: "I'm correct, right?"

"Yes… It was terrifying. I felt like I couldn't reach him at all." Kagome admitted. "I'm not scared of him, I just… I didn't know he was capable of such carnage."

"Humans are capable of worse in their full consciousness. He is a half-demon, he can just do a lot of damage in a shorter time. Unfortunate…" Hotaru shrugged and looked around. "He needs to master Tetsusaiga. Otherwise, the demon side of him will slowly devour his soul and heart. The beads of subjugation do have limits. They can break if his youki gets too overwhelming… And next time he turns against humans, there won't be any survivors."

"No survivors?" Miroku looked at her confusedly. "What do you mean?"

"First, I might not be around and even if I am, there will be no one to save." Her gaze travelled to the battlefield and the saved people. "Look. Where are the survivors? Where were they when he lost control?"

"Oh…" Kagome blinked, in terrible realisation of what was in front of her eyes. "His demon was learning…"

"And testing the most efficient ways to kill humans. Yes. The first ones he attacked were lucky and survived, the others…"

They were silent for a few heavy seconds. Then Hotaru patted Miroku's hand. "All done."

"Thank you, Hotaru-sama. I am going to help Sango-san with the bodies."

Kagome sighed: "What can I even do for him once he wakes?"

"You have to tell him the truth about Tetsusaiga. Then be with him. Just be there. That's all you can do and all he'll need." Hotaru said, putting her hand on Kagome's shoulder.

"Will you be okay?" Kagome asked.

"Hmm? Why d' you ask?"

"Well, today you seemed… To be exactly in your role, if you understand what I mean. Have you remembered something?"

Hotaru frowned. She is sharp. Her migraine was getting worse by the minute. Ignore it. "I am a doctor, Kagome-chan." She smiled. "I'll be fine, don't worry. I've seen worse battlefields…" Her eyes wandered to Sango. "Did something happen to her? She was off today. Like she welcomed the distraction no matter how terrible."

Kagome avoided eye-contact. "Well… we found Kohaku-kun. His life is sustained by a jewel shard, but he is controlled by Naraku, and he does not remember anything. Or anyone in his family. Sango-chan tried to… free him…"

Free him, in other words, kill him. "..." Naraku… She clenched her fists in silent anger. If she was able to let go of Kou, who was dead. She was not able to let go of Kohaku, who was alive and manipulated like a puppet. Kagome didn't seem comfortable with sharing anything more, so she decided to change the subject. "There is something I'd like to ask you. About the bone-eater's well."

The girl blinked in surprise. "What about it?"

"You see, like you, I crossed through time. So, if you will allow me, I would like to try crossing it, and…"

######

"Oh, Sesshomaru-sama." Rin jumped to her feet as she saw him walking through the forest. "You are finally back!"

"Rin, I hope you were faring well."

"Uh-huh. I was at my very best behaviour, Jaken-sama has become the most melancholy though." She pointed at the little imp curled in a ball and sulking. "And where is Hotaru-sama? She went right after you."

"She will be back in the evening."

Jaken noticed him and jumped to his feet, running to Sesshomaru with delighted laughter. "Sesshomaru-sama!" He stopped in front of him. "What gives my lord? Why did you go alone after Inuyasha?"

"..." Sesshomaru stared at him.

"Oh…" Jaken backed away. "My apologies, Master. That was most uncalled for. I hope you can forgive me."

He turned his head in Inuyasha's direction, the wind brought scents to him. Inuyasha was awake and back to his normal, hanyo form. You bequeathed him the sword, to protect his human soul, father. Yet, he cannot control it as it is now. Just what were you thinking?

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

S.