The miko had been asleep for several days, and though his initial plan had been to interrogate her the moment she woke, concern began to gnaw at Sesshoumaru's mind. It had started as a whisper, questions about their foe circulating with every ragged breath, but it had morphed into full-on guilt, increasing with each passing hour she remained unconscious.

He couldn't even call it sleep; sleep was restful and restorative. Their hands remained locked together, the flow of his youki constant as it supplied her with the means to survive.

Survive.

He'd never cared much for the word, as it meant there was a lack of power—a lack of control. He'd certainly done more than just survive each encounter with the spider, even while missing an arm. And his power had never been depleted to the point of complete exhaustion before.

Losing said arm had left him reeling, but that was more of a mental state, as much as he loathed to admit it. He'd needed the time to process being beaten by someone so far beneath him, not from blood loss. And even then, he'd had Tenseiga.

The miko's reiki was power unto itself, manifesting in bursts of light and purity. She required a conduit, but Sesshoumaru had a feeling it was a failsafe. She was likely capable of doing so without it but had been pigeonholed into thinking a bow was her only means of defence.

The muscles along his jaw clenched. Rin had no means of defence, which was why he'd been so set on removing her from her captors. She was well-versed in her training but had much to learn about weapons. He'd been right to focus on her safety instead of engaging with whomever or whatever had taken her. There would've been time for that later.

And yet… And yet… He found himself revisiting that moment again and again, wondering if he should've taken a different path. The slayers were skilled in their craft, his brother having improved since Naraku's defeat. Even the miko had taken it upon herself to focus on her power rather than the simple act of remedial healing since her return some years ago. And still, they'd been unprepared for whatever this creature had been.

They'd spoken of something akin to a dragon, though the scales and claws were where the similarities ended. Dragons were fearsome but territorial, only resorting to such tactics when someone stumbled too close to their breeding ground. They never instigated altercations, and they certainly didn't steal humans—least of all those with power.

They also travelled in groups, the 'thunders' referring to the volume of their wings when they took flight. Ah-Un was an exception, but he had been wounded at birth and abandoned. Two-headed beasts were not unheard of, but they had to be cared for, as each head had its own mind, often fighting against each other until one submitted—or perished.

Ah and Un had been evenly matched, several gauges in each neck proving their veracity, and their will to survive had outshone their need to come out on top, forcing them to work together instead of against each other.

His hands flexed. There was that word again. The dragon would always have someone looking out for them, and now that his brother had openly admitted to his want of the slayer, Sesshoumaru doubted there would be a moment she was left unguarded. Whom did that leave for the miko?

The rest of her pack had spent the morning following their altercation bandaging wounds and gathering supplies. They'd checked on the miko, though Ah-Un's gaze remained wary each time one of them got close, reluctantly admitting there was nothing left to do but wait. None of them were patient, least of all Inuyasha, who was eventually dragged off by both slayers to hunt, but so far, the miko hadn't stirred.

He knew humans required recovery time, especially with the details Kohaku had shared about her attack, but didn't she require water as well? And food? He eventually gave in, deferring to his brother, but Inuyasha gave a nonchalant shrug, having accepted his friend would wake up when she was ready.

"She was completely drained," he said. "I ain't seen anything like it before. It's like it was sucking her soul out of her body." He shuddered, his arms tightening across his chest. "I couldn't stop it."

"From the sounds of it, none of you could," Sesshoumaru mused, shifting his weight into a more comfortable position. He had to do it a few times each day to keep his limbs from going numb, but he refused to let go of her hand, continuing to supply her with youki. Her body seemed to accept it without issue, as there was a complete lack of opposing force since the transfer had begun.

Her breathing had evened out enough that the pack had stopped fussing, but their worry grew with each passing day. Colour had returned to her face, but her eyes hadn't even fluttered.

Inuyasha gave him a sideways glance, keeping his distance from the dragon on the off chance they decided he was a threat again. "Are you sayin' you being' there would've made a difference?" he asked.

Sesshoumaru sighed. The hanyou had refused to let the issue drop, needling him endlessly. "I cannot say. I have never encountered a creature of these origins before."

His scowl only deepened. "Stick around next time. She might need help again."

"You are so quick to assume her lack of power."

Silver ears flicked in agitation, and he felt the spark of his brother's youki. "I know exactly what she's capable of, ya prick!" The miko didn't move, but Ah-Un did, their scaled body rippling as they shifted between the two brothers. They kept a watchful eye on Inuyasha, making sure he didn't get any closer to their mistress as she slept.

He fumed, but Inuyasha wasn't looking for a fight, at least not right now, and he grumbled under his breath. "I know she's strong. She could beat all of us at the same time without battin' an eye. You included."

For once, Sesshoumaru didn't argue. He knew of her power and how much of it was still unexplained. The well was connected, but it wasn't the source. She was the source. There had been a shift in her power since her return, and it wasn't due to her training. If she didn't know the reason, she at least knew of the difference.

He'd felt her holding back during their encounter with the bandits, allowing the rest of the group to resort to mundane physical attacks even though a single pulse from her reiki would've been enough to snuff them out. It wasn't about human life, either. She'd hesitated. And she'd likely done the same with this creature, resulting in her current situation.

Inuyasha's hands were still stuffed into his sleeves, but he raised his elbow toward his packmate. "You've been holdin' onto her for a while now," he said.

"She requires aid."

Inuyasha clicked his tongue, and Sesshoumaru thought he might finally be rid of him, but he leaned against the opposite wall, expression pinched. "That the same 'aid' that's been makin' her meet up with you in the woods?"

He stilled, hackles instantly raising as he stared his brother down. There was no animosity—no more than had already been present—but that didn't mean he shouldn't tread carefully. "It was at the miko's request."

Inuyasha snorted. "It certainly wouldn't come from you." He finally sat down, feet crossed in front of him. "K'gome usually tries to do everything herself, so if she asked ya for help, and you're willin', I'm all for it." He waved a hand toward them. "Especially if it's makin' ya all buddy-buddy right now."

Sesshoumaru remained impassive, not wanting to give anything away, especially when the miko was not present to defend herself. He glanced down at her. Was that even the right word? There had been trepidation in the beginning, nerves causing her to pull into herself until she finally admitted how much she enjoyed his touch, but there had never been shame.

The washing that came afterwards was to avoid complications, not accusations, but even as the thought formed, it was overshadowed by the sound of her confronting his brother. The unease he'd quickly dismissed returned, and his eyes flickered between the two. She was never one to intrude on anyone's happiness, choosing instead to allow them to trample over her heart, so he still wasn't convinced her acceptance of the slayer's courtship was purely due to friendship.

If her words had been true, and there was nothing between them, why had she returned? Wasn't the modern world a better place for her? Why did she insist on coming back to a place where her life was constantly in jeopardy?

"She trusts you," Inuyasha said, cutting through the deluge of confusion.

Sesshoumaru refrained from rolling his eyes. "It is not about trust."

His brother snorted. "You trust her enough to give up your power to keep her alive. And she ain't moved since we got here."

"Because she is unconscious."

"Because she feels safe, moron." Sesshoumaru bristled, but Inuyasha waved him off again. "Glare all ya want, it doesn't stop it from being true. Humans ain't got as good of instincts as we are, but they still know when to run away. She'd have resisted whatever you were doing to her if she wasn't okay with it."

He couldn't tell what his angle was. His brother's emotions fluctuated as quickly as the miko's, but he was more likely to blow them off to openly admit to anything. "She would have accepted the power from anyone," he argued.

"No shit. K'gome's got this weird thing for charity cases—especially when they've tried to kill her before." He'd known about himself and Inuyasha, and Rin had informed him of the miko's dealings with the wolf prince, but Inuyasha made it sound like there had been others. Just how far did her forgiveness reach?

"Why are you encouraging this?" he asked, genuinely curious.

"'Cause I love her."

Sesshoumaru barely managed to keep his youki contained. The miko had given him her blessing, and he still wished for more than his share? Only her survival kept his brother's innards from spilling onto the cave floor.

When his sire had chosen a human mate over his mother, Sesshoumaru had been ready to eviscerate him. Only his mother's insistence that she'd given him his blessing had stopped his hand. He'd never understood it, as all of his teachings had shown him inuyoukai mated for life, but his mother's revelation that they had never actually been mated kept his sword clean.

They had been friends, and though affection had grown between them since his birth, they had never sought to tie the other down. The princess in the sky had required little protection, her role within the youkai council solidified due to her cunning and ambition.

The princess of the earth had none of those things.

She was soft-spoken and gentile—nothing close to the warrior the general had chosen to bear his child. He hadn't been looking for a replacement, but he couldn't deny the connection any more than she could. Izayoi had tried sending him away, more for his sake than her own, but his father was as bull-headed as Inuyasha, convincing the princess that he would be the one to protect her.

His mother was content to watch from afar, happy that he was happy. Happy to raise her son outside of the general's training. A smirk tugged at his lips. If he'd gone toe-to-toe with his father before the dragons, the older inuyoukai wouldn't have escaped unscathed.

His mother was just as skilled, but she kept it well hidden, encouraging the other council members to think she was nothing but brains and fur. If they ever thought to oust her from her position, they would find out very quickly she was more than willing to spill blood.

His gaze slid back to his brother. Was he so dishonourable that he would continue to string the miko alone even after his dealings with the undead one? It hadn't been a priority, so he never interfered, but even Sesshoumaru knew of the tears the miko shed due to his brother's indecisiveness. She covered it with her temper and trips through the well, but the hollow expression had still been present when she thought no one was looking.

Rin had often asked if she was sick, her young mind unable to distinguish between sickness of the body and sickness of the heart. Inuyasha had been pinned to a tree for fifty years, stunting his growth in every way and often leading to immature and rash decisions.

Sesshoumaru's free hand flexed. Perhaps he should remind his brother of his position in the pack. Was he delusional enough to assume he was the alpha? He brandished his sword like he was in charge, but his decisions came from the influence of others. If he'd had an original idea, Sesshoumaru would eat his pelt.

Inuyasha gazed toward the opening, claws tapping in time with the rain. "She was my first friend. I tried to kill her right from the get-go, but she wasn't havin' any of it." He snorted, rolling one shoulder. "She basically forced me to be her friend."

"She is stubborn that way."

"Glad we agree on something." The rain hit the ground uninterrupted, beating against the mouth of the cave in a cacophony of natural rhythm, muting the scents from the outside world. The slayers had gone to the next village for supplies, not wanting to chance moving the miko before she was conscious. Sesshoumaru still wasn't sure how long it would be until she woke, as she was still heavily syphoning his power, so he was inclined to agree, but humans required more than just meat.

Inuyasha was restless, shifting his position occasionally, and only the woman in his lap prevented Sesshoumaru from knocking him out to gain some peace. Did he even train?

"Has she done the same thing to you?" Inuyasha asked, still looking out of the cave.

"Done what?"

Inuyasha tilted his head, finally meeting his gaze. "Forced you to be her friend."

A pale brow rose, instincts causing him to look down at her. They weren't friends. They were… He frowned as he tried to put a label on it. Youkai were promiscuous, enjoying their more carnal desires with whoever was readily available. The miko had been a curiosity not easily sated, and he'd been content to use her since she was willing and convenient. He'd also been ready to walk away the moment he'd realized she was hiding something about Rin's disappearance.

Yet here he was, offering up his very essence to keep her alive.

His frown deepened. Did friends risk that kind of thing? He never considered the term before, as he'd never seen the point of making such connections in the first place.

Inuyasha chuckled. "Too late, ain't it?"

"I have no use for friends," Sesshoumaru replied.

"Don't matter, K'gome's never seen reason when it comes to that shit." His arms tightened across his chest as he settled back against the cave wall. "Probably why you came back in the first place."

"You claimed I should have returned sooner."

"For her sake," his brother countered. "The rest of us are fine. And as long as your magic trick works, I'll forgive ya for bailing early." Sesshoumaru started to roll his eyes, but the miko drew in a deep breath, her head turning of its own volition before laying against him. It was the first time she'd moved since the attack, and it only had Inuyasha chuckling again. "See? She trusts you. Whether ya like it or not, ya dumb prick."

Sesshoumaru scowled but didn't argue, watching the rise and fall of her chest for any other movements. She seemed more at peace than before, her breathing not as laboured, and he was chagrined to admit he was second-guessing his choice to leave them behind.

When had his brother become so insightful?