It was once said that the brothers of the fang could not be more different. For one, there was the issue of them being half-brothers, borne to different mothers of very different backgrounds.

The first wife, Kimiko of the Crescent Moon, was a queen among the heavens, a regal Inu-yokai who was arranged to wed Toga from a very young age. She was cold and perfect, elegant in all she did. Mating with him had simply been doing her duty and when she bore him a son, they went their separate ways quite quickly. As her little moon-faced boy grew, he was in turn raised as she was by her own parents. Out of mind, out of sight, and under that constant watch and scrutiny of tutors that made him into the ideal cold and calculated emperor that now ruled the West.

The first love of the Great Dog General, however, was not she who lived in the Castle Above the Clouds. That honor went to Izayoi, the princess of a moderately wealthy daimyo born 300 years after his initial joining with Kimiko. A kind, clever girl, she showed no fear when she found the wounded dog demon nursing a particularly deep wound to his ribs that hadn't healed from a nearby skirmish with some invading yokai clan. In fact, she had approached him and offered the ethereal being aid in the form of human herbs that would do no good for him. From that kindness was borne a friendship and from that friendship, something more. When the girl came of age, much as his own son had done to a human girl who had treated him with nothing but kindness at his most vulnerable (though that's a story for another time), Toga to Izayoi as his wife in the human ritual of the three nights (*).

On the third night, he made her his mate, much to the shock and horror of the daimyo. When it was found that she was with Toga's child, it was demanded that she send the child back to the kami, but Izayoi refused. When her son was born and she lost his father to a jealous man, her family to the fire that followed, she only held that little dog-eared boy tighter to her body as she wandered the Earth those first years until she found shelter with a distant cousin as a handmaid. She raised her cherished son with love and compassion, doing everything she could to take the pain of the words that were spoken, the names that were called, and place it upon herself. To raise him as well as she could, to teach him the mannerisms and skills of a prince hood he would unfortunately never ascend to in her lifetime or several after.

When she'd left the world of the living at the young age of just 25, she'd had no regrets, save the life her poor, cherished boy would have to lead without her there to take the pain away. She'd loved his father and had cherished everything she had gotten from her time with Toga, especially their son, and would never, for all her hardships, ever regret having gotten the opportunity to raise him as long as she had. She rested well in the faith that someday he might find the same love and care in another as she had during the short time she was by the Inu no Taisho in the world of the living as she descended and returned to him in the afterlife.

Two very different boys, born to two very different mothers, raised in astronomically different worlds.

But they both carried much of the spirit of the great yokai that sired them as they flew at one another, each aimed to kill. The elder was cold, calculated as he dodged the wild, vicious attacks thrown his way by his brother's claws. He had the power to overlook his feelings in a battle, and simply to flow with the fight he was given in the moment. The younger was drawing on the raw strength of their father's blood as he swiped at the taller man, blind with rage as he continued to push him further and further back. He didn't know why exactly he wanted to kill the other yokai, but he did, and that was all that mattered to the transformed hanyo as he aimed another wild strike that came nowhere near the full yokai that leaped out of the way.

Kagome watched in horror as Inuyasha kept fruitlessly trying to slash his brother in twain. She could only vaguely feel Sango and Miroku's arm's holding her steady as they all knelt by the edge of the rice patties that were stained red by the blood of the slaughtered bandits. Shippo was perched upon her shoulders, his whole body trembling as he watched the clearly one-sided battle.

How did this happen? How could they have had some petty argument that morning over a gift from the wolf demons and now he was...lost? Was that the right word for when your husband literally goes insane on the high of killing people due to his demon blood obscuring his human conscience? It was for sure what she felt when she heard Sesshomaru declare that the time had come to put Inuyasha down.

"But I was so close," she thought as her eyes stung from her salty tears, "He wasn't hurting me. He almost knew who I was. I almost got the sword in his hand! If Sesshomaru hadn't decided to show up right then..."

"Stop already!" she cried out as Sesshomaru parried a slash from Inuyasha's claws. She felt Sango pull her close, cradling her against her own body as she stroked the remains of her carefully braided hair. The monk went to work setting forth a barrier to protect them and as the orphaned kitsune looked around the adults helplessly.

Sesshomaru glanced at the huddled figure of his brother's wife. This woman had very little resolve if she were reduced to tears so easily. Perhaps what the half demon always tormented him with was correct, and that Rin had indeed made him softer, and he had put too much thought into the woman simply because she was able to cleanse the jewel.

"Pay attention to me!" The Daiyokai hummed as he leapt up and landed a few yards away from his brother who was snarling at the crater his fist had just formed.

"Why would I waste my time paying attention to your barbaric slashing?" His monotonal voice responds, flicking a claw and sending a whip out, slashing the place the hanyo had just been, missing by mere inches, "You truly have lost your mind if you think I care to even look in your direction." With a snarl, the red clothed demon jumped after his brother as they began their dance once again.

The hanyo let out another snarl as he once again landed on three limbs. His broken arm screamed at him, still not fully healed despite the way his blood was rushing through him. His cheek stung from the bleeding poisoned claw wound across it and he was panting. The other demon thought to toy with him. To challenge him and not give him a real fight was only angering his heated blood more.

"You're transformed into a mindless monster and that is the best you can do?" the larger dog demon taunted as he rose to his feet once more, "Maybe I really should kill you and end this utter disgrace to father's line."

Father? He knew no father. He knew nothing but this thrill of killing. He needed more, to feel this one's blood coating his claws. He heard the wailing as the woman in red, the one who had approached him, filling the air as she called out some unintelligible nonsense. A name maybe? It was of no matter to him, the same as she was at the moment.

He simply needed to take care of this newest annoyance, the other dog that had intruded on his hunting grounds and then, she and the others would join with the other useless lives he had cut down. He had no thought beyond that. It was simply a hunger of more blood covering his claws, filling the air with its metallic scent that made his body sing.

A pure, unadulterated intoxication.

Sango cast a worried look over at her husband as he planted his feet and struck his staff into the ground, causing an invisible barrier to come up around them. Kagome was trembling as she watched her own husband be torn apart as Sesshomaru appeared to simply be toying with the heavily wounded prince. The slayer asked the monk who knew so much more about this world with her eyes the question she couldn't dare speak with the princess nestled in her arms.

"Will he really do it? Would Sesshomaru really kill his brother to stop him?"

Unfortunately, that was a question Miroku did not know the answer to. It did appear to be a bloody battle with no holds barred, but having never seen the emperor in battle before...was that really all the strength a Daiyokai had in him?

Sesshomaru, almost as though he were sensing the mortal's questions, raised his sword towards his brother. He held it in a position of authority and stared the hanyo down as he attempted to attack once again.

"A half demon should act within his nature," He growled, "On your knees, Half-Breed!" A brilliant, blue aura enveloped his sword, pulsing with his command. It was the sword of a ruler, the fang of the alpha, pressing itself against the out-of-control youki and demanding submission. The light grew brighter and brighter, enveloping them both and forcing the onlookers to cover their eyes.

"Such terrible power," Miroku murmurs as Shippo whimpers and cuddles up under Kagome's huddled body, feeling the effects of the yokai emperor's command and trying to hide away from it.

Sango glances at the jewel in her friend's hand as she clutches it, putting all she could into keeping it from feeding off of Sesshomaru's great power. The princess looked up suddenly, her storm blue eyes glazed over and unfocused as she stared into the void of bright light.

"Kagome?" the slayer whispered, her grip on the young woman's shoulders loosening slightly. The monk and kitsune kit also looked at her but it seemed she no longer saw them. She was looking straight into the blinding light and seeing something else entirely.

Everything seemed to move in slow motion, as though she were moving through a dream. She saw them, Inuyasha and Sesshomaru both, just as they had appeared before the light enveloped them, but around them, it was just like during the battle with the Thunder Brothers. Kagome could see the yokai spirit that surrounded them.

Sesshomaru's was, as should have been expected, the same as his true form. A great dog creature of green light, snarling and dripping poison from its maw. It was commanding, demanding, authority from the one that dared challenge him. Its muscles were bunched up and ready to leap into the air as he opened his jaws to intercept his brother and bring him his end.

But Inuyasha on the other hand...

It was all wrong. The beautiful, golden dog akin to an akita, the one she had seen fighting alongside her husband before was not what Kagome saw manifesting over his snarling form. Instead, it was a perverse, beast-like version, long furred and wild eyed, with long fangs and a slobbering jaw. A rabid, red furred beast leaping towards the brilliant green one, claws and paws outstretched and horrible, snarling mouth open wide enough to rival Sesshomaru's.

The transformed Inuyasha moved down to try to slash his brother through, his image reflected in the blood red aura creature that surrounded him descending on the prone green mist-like creature that had emerged from his elder brother. Sesshomaru held his sword in an offensive position, pointed in the same upward angle as the poison youki dog's jaws.

There was one way that seemed to differ between the two of them, as she watched in her silence, whereas Inuyasha was suspended and controlled within the beast, Sesshomaru was outside it, and seemingly guiding it with his own motions and commands. It flowed with him, under his control, while Inuyasha was overcome by the red creature, becoming its puppet within the physical world.

Just as she came to that realization, the world sped back up and the sons of the Great Dog General collided.

Kagome felt a scream leave her throat as Sesshomaru's dog leaped up at and closed its jaws on the throat of Inuyasha's youki. With a roar, it pulled the red beast down and as the yokai emperor flicked his sword, the inu-youki flung his head and sent the transformed half demon flying across the field. She heard her husband's scream of pain as he was carried across the field and tumbling to the ground, the red beast fizzling away with the brilliant light of Sesshomaru's sword.

The princess used her bow in one hand and the dormant sword in the other to shove her way out of Sango and Miroku's arms, rushing forward and running across the field to her fallen love, her zori tripping off her feet and pieces of her ornate hair ornaments falling free and to the ground. She heard Sango and Miroku running after her, but she ignored them as she stumbled across the tattered ground to the streak of blood Inuyasha had left as he slid across the earth.

She fell to her knees at the broken figure's side, her hands trembling as she took in the heavily beaten body. The warm red fabric of his clothing was splotchy, darkened from bloody wounds. The enchanted fabric of his coat was still sealing itself back together over a wide slash across his middle that likely would have eviscerated a mortal.

And while that was clearly the worst, it was certainly not the only wound he had suffered. His right wrist, despite the way he had been flailing around with it, was bruised and swollen, as though it had been crushed and his arms. oh, Kami his arms.

They were covered in thin, straight cuts that resembled blades, but she knew, having seen him fight, had come from brushing against the energy of Sesshomaru's blade. She looked up at his face and let out a small whimper as she saw the horrible, twisted look. His mouth still twisted in a silent, snarling yell his eyes still bloodshot, but glazed over and unconscious, the purple stripes faded but still visible on his cheeks.

Tetsusaiga fell from her hand at his side as Kagome reached forward and clutched her hand in his suikan, right over his heart. She felt a slow, steady heartbeat against her knuckles and a sob filled sigh of relief drug itself from her raw throat. A sad smile worked its way onto her face as she reached up and touched his face, her thumb stroking across the faded purple marking, almost appearing as a bruise across his cheekbone. His eyelashes twitched a little and the wide, glaring red eyes slowly closed as his tense, injured body relaxed against her touch.

"Oh Inuyasha," She whispered, tears welling once again in her eyes, "At least you're alive."

"So, he has been brought down."

Kagome stiffened, her whole body becoming rigid as she heard the yokai lord's voice. Her fingers twisted into the fabric of her husband's kimono, and she could feel her reiki vibrating through her. As she felt the raw irritation of the poison dog's aura, her hands moved, and she slipped her bow from her shoulder. Reaching into her quiver, she pulled an arrow and moved up on one knee, following the quick, fluid movements she had worked to perfect over months of practice. She drew back her weapon, holding a protective stance over the fallen man.

"Don't come any closer!" She yelled as the Daiyokai stopped a few feet away from them. His eyes narrowed incredulously at the mortal who dared turn her weapon towards him. Sango and Miroku came to stop and stood holding their breaths as the emperor looked over their friend with his cold, calculated stare.

She was quite the peculiar sight. Her fine, red silk kimono she wore, a symbol of her station as his half-brother's wife, a queen of a mortal region and princess to the Inu no Taisho line, was desiccated and tattered, the outermost robe cut by a sword's blade up to her hip. Her long black hair had fallen from a regal "updo" as his wife would call it, and golden jewelry hung pitifully in the ratty curls that remained. Her face, which had likely at one time been carefully painted with red and black accents, was smeared and the line around her eye had been drug down her cheeks with the trails of tears.

A truly pitiful sight for a princess.

"You would dare draw your weapon on me, Sesshomaru?" He asked, his voice plain, but clearly carrying some curiosity. A makeshift snarl came upon her face as she glared at him.

"I would not think of it in any other circumstances, My Lord," she says, "But I will not allow you to kill him! Inuyasha is just as much mine to protect as I am his!"

"He is no better than a rabid beast," Sesshomaru states coldly, "When he awakens, he would not hesitate to kill you."

"I guarantee he wouldn't!" She says, "His mind may be gone, but I looked into his eyes. He recognized me; knew I was no threat to him. His soul still remains and that's all I need to bring him back under his seal." Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes at the woman and took a moment to eye her neck.

Nothing.

His brother, the foolish half-breed, had not taken this young woman as a mate. And from the scent, though she reeked of the hanyo, there wasn't any trace of coupling coming from her. Why? Why would Inuyasha not have torn this human wench to pieces if she was close enough to look into his eyes?

Eyeing the sword that rested next to his brother, he turned to leave.

"I leave it in your hands, Miko," The Emperor says, "Return Tetsusaiga's fang back to his hand before he regains consciousness, or he will continue killing. Surely you too can feel that vile creature of his stirring his way to the surface." He begins to walk away but hear the shuffling of fabric as the young woman stood, the rest of the way up, coming to fully put herself between Inuyasha's broken form and himself.

Kagome tossed her bow to the ground beside the sword, her jaw sore from being clenched so hard. This man, this yokai she had met only twice, acted as though what he had just done to his own flesh and blood was nothing. She knew Inuyasha preferred not to even talk about Sesshomaru, but this, she couldn't let her rudimentary fear of this man hold her back. She had to do something.

"Is that all you have to say!?" She called out, "Have you no feelings of remorse for what you did to him!?" Sesshomaru looked over his shoulder at the mortal woman, his eyes still half closed as he felt her raging reiki literally growling at his heels. He could see her spirit, her power, standing in front of her in the hazy form of a female dog, almost as though it was taking the role of an unseen yokai form.

It became very apparent that though no coupling had occurred, their souls had recognized one another for what their feelings were and created a bond for such a thing to occur. Intriguing, but of no real matter if the two beings who possessed the bond were too stupid and stubborn to act upon it.

"I did what was required of me," He growled, and Kagome glared at him, her hands balled into fists.

"You needlessly beat him!" She cries, "You could have just dealt the command, but you fought with him needlessly when you knew he wasn't himself."

"I need not explain myself to you, little miko," Sesshomaru says coarsely as he turned away once more, "Just as I will ask no explanation from you as to why you have not completed your task and remain a maiden nearly two seasons into a marriage of your nature. Another shortcoming of the half breed no doubt, is to not recognize what he was presented with." Kagome's face grew red, and she took an angry step towards him.

"What are you-"

"He should have been grateful that I found you and returned you to him," Sesshomaru coldly says, stopping her in her tracks, "It took fifty years, but I did as he asked me. It is not my fault he didn't act upon my gift and ground himself properly before he suffered such an embarrassing display."

Miroku stepped away from his wife, handing her the kitsune kit that had jumped into his arms. What the yokai lord was saying didn't make sense. Returned Kagome to Inuyasha? What on heaven and Earth could that possibly mean?

Unless...

"Lord Sesshomaru, are you suggesting Lady Kagome is-"

Before the monk could finish his question, a warm wind enveloped the field and the Lord of the West transformed into a ball of red light and flew off into the sky. For a brief moment, the three humans stared after it, as though hoping it might come back, but the young kitsune jumped down from the slayer woman's arms and walked slowly over to the unconscious hanyo on the ground.

Shippo sniffed a little and Kagome turned back to him. Slowly, she took the two steps back over to her husband's body and kneeled back down at his side. As the child looked up at her, he noticed the renewed tears in her eyes as she reached forward and smoothed over the hair around a white furred ear.

The aura around him was still cruel, dark as blood, and vibrating with an energy that made her nervous. It was subdued significantly, but it was stirring, trying to wake back up. Inuyasha was restless, almost feverish, his chest rising and falling evenly, but the breaths were clearly labored. The yokai energy, never meant for mortal flesh, was taking its toll on him.

"Is Inuyasha gonna be, okay?" The child whispered and the princess looked at him, her eyes sad as she gave a small smile.

"I don't know," She says softly, "I hope so, but there's no way to know until he wakes up." Glancing down at the sword at her feet, she carefully picked it up and placed it in a clawed hand, closing his fingers over the worn leather grip with her own.

She felt the energy of his youki pulse against her, swirling in time with her own energy. She closed her eyes as she held the sword in his hand and felt the angry, animalistic side being to slowly soothe, the pulse that she had felt from the sword before returning, slowly drawing the immense power of the Inu no Taisho back in check

"Miroku, look," Sango called out, causing the monk who had still been watching after the retreating yokai lord to glance at the prince and princess.

There was Kagome, kneeling over Inuyasha's unconscious form with Tetsusaiga held aloft. Both hands were clasped around his, her forehead resting against the blade as though in the most serine of prayers. He could feel the dissipation of the great demonic aura and with it, the hanyo's appearance itself was transformed.

The marks slowly faded from his cheeks, and the long, flesh tearing fangs sunk back behind his lips. The long, horrible claws shrank back, to manageable, even points. The disturbing aura that had risen around his friend had calmed, and the transformation that had occurred fully reversed.

The Lady of Musashi had done it.

Kagome's eyes fully opened as the pulsing of the blade stopped and she turned her head to look at her husband, sighing in relief as she realized it had worked and the seal had brought him back under control.

"There they are!"

A large group of the women from the village came forward, carrying weapons and garden tools. They were wary, covered in mud and blood as they ran towards the gathered nobles angry, disgruntled chatter coming from them. They stopped some ways away and an elderly woman slowly came forward frowning.

"You all need to leave," she said and there was a rumble of agreement among the others, "We wish no more interference from the likes of you."

"My Lady?" Miroku asked, coming to stand beside his wife. Kirara rose to her paws and let out a low growl.

"We want the monster gone!" A middle-aged woman holding a young child at her hip, "He claimed to help us, but he was just as vicious as that moth demon! He should be exorcized and sealed away!" Cheers of agreement accompanied her cry as Kagome turned her head to look at the mob as they moved in, "He brought forth the wrath of the emperor and soiled our lands with blood! He is a curse upon us!"

"You're wrong!" Kagome murmured, her tear-filled eyes turning to the people, her husband's people who would treat him so cruelly, call him such awful things, "Inuyasha came to protect you! He risked his life for you! How can you look at his sacrifice and call him such things?"

"The words of a demon's whore mean the same as they did when that wretch's mother walked the land of the living," The same middle-aged woman called out, "Nothing!" Kagome held a hand against her chest and Shippo looked up at his adopted elder sister. The elder woman, likely the widow of the murdered headman, pulled the outspoken mother back and set her with a hard look.

"Aiko, your father and I taught you better than this. We must show respect for Her Highness. No matter what we may judge of her union with the half-blood, she is one of the highest and most noble ladies of the land, second only to the Empress," she chided.

"But Mother," the woman with the child protested but the head woman turned back to the battle ragged nobles.

"I apologize for my daughter's outburst," she said, "But please, we want no more trouble or business with you and yours. We ask only that you leave us in peace so that we might try to honor our dead without the contamination of the rituals from yokai."

"Our lord is badly injured! How could we possibly move-"

"It's okay Sango," Kagome said quietly, her head turning to look back at her injured husband, "If that is what they wish, we will leave as quickly as we are able. My duty as well as Inuyasha's, is to the people of Musashi and if that is by leaving and setting their minds at ease, so be it."

But what Sango was bringing up was true. If Inuyasha was still unconscious, he was clearly still very hurt. The only way to try to move him would be Kirara, but even her strength had limits and carrying two men, two women, and a yokai child, was definitely going to push that limit. They couldn't leave anyone behind in a hostile village, as the head woman's words held quite a lot of warning behind them that they would need to leave before the funeral rites at Sundown

They needed to move away from Taro a lot faster than a group of physically and emotionally exhausted humans could move. Sango moved beside her friend and gently clasped her shoulder.

"Perhaps Miroku and I could stay here while you and Shippo take Inuyasha back to the Castle on Kirara?" she said, and Kagome quickly shook her head.

"No Sango," She says, "They are clearly angry with any nobles being here and I cannot risk something, anything happening to you guys due to your loyalty to Inuyasha," She glanced at where Sango held her hand on the belt of her armor, close to where her tiny, unseen child was growing, "Especially now Sango."

Miroku noticed the way the two women's looks seemed to acknowledge some secret between the two. Sango's face was flushed, and she glanced back at her husband, looking defeated.

"Yes, but it isn't as though we can force Shippo to carry us," he said, "They are sure to be much more understanding if it were two human nobles who stayed behind. I could even offer my services to them." Instead of Kagome arguing against it, it was his wife who spoke up.

"No Miroku, Kagome is right," She says, "It's too risky. It wouldn't be the first time a village had turned on those who served royalty to send a message. Besides, Buddhism isn't as well known in small villages like this. They may see it as forcing traditions of the nobles upon them if you were to offer a ceremony."

"Then what are we to do?" the monk asked, confused by Sango's instant turn of opinion. She should know that wasn't a valid reason. After all, while he was Buddhist, he was well versed in the ways of the Kami and such important ceremonies as Shinto funeral rites.

The answer to his question came not by one of the women, or even the kitsune child, but with the call of a horse.

"A horse?" Shippo asked and Kagome looked up as she felt the swirling of demonic energy around her. Lifting her head, she saw flames dancing through an odd cluster of clouds above them. A low growl rumbled in Kirara's throat, but she made no move to attack, her fur simply bushing to make her look twice as big.

There was a roar from the sky above and the cloud burst, raining fire upon the earth as a sphere centering the energy rocketed towards the earth. The flames swirled and danced as they became the form of a large, white stallion, his mane and tail made of the same flames. His red eyes blinked at the humans and demons before he slowly settled upon the woman in red.

"Gatenmaru's demon horse, Entei" Miroku said softly, his grip on the staff becoming much stronger as he prepared for another fight. Sango picked up her weapon and prepared to defend her friends but stopped as she realized something about the creature.

"His master has been slain," She stated softly. "From what I know about horse yokai, I'd have thought he'd left in search of a new warrior to be his master, but he didn't. He stayed here."

"Why would he have done that?" her husband asked her, but she set down her bone boomerang and Kirara stopped growling, sensing the calm of the humans who she served. Sango pointed in front of them as it clicked for her what had happened.

"Look!"

As the three watched, Entei approached, his flaming black hooves moving with the slow, elegant grace. His large, red eyes didn't leave the mortal princess, and her eyes didn't leave him as he turned slightly to walk around the unconscious prince and stopped beside her.

Shippo yelped and jumped back as the princess tilted her head upward to look at the towering creature. His intelligent red eyes, not unlike the fire cat who slept in her bed each night, studied her, almost like he was expecting something.

"Is he, is he trying to get me to do something?"

The horse snorted and stamped his foot, causing Kagome to jerk her hand resting just inches from the large black foot away and he tilted his head a little, as though to ask:

"Do you dare, little woman? Do you dare try to touch a flaming beast, a gift of the Kami? Do you wish to see what might happen?"

Tentatively, slender, fingers coated in drying blood reached forward, offering a flat palm out to the white horse that could kill her in a heartbeat. The animal was an imposing, fierce creature, but the energy he radiated was not threatening. He would not harm her.

"Entei?" She whispered and at the sound of his name leaving the young mortal woman he had chosen's lips, the fire emperor lowered his head and nuzzled her fingers as though he were nothing but a hand reared colt.

"He chose her (**)," Sango says softly, making Miroku turn towards his wife, "After her arrow freed him, he must have been curious about her. His kind searches for and serves those with wills as strong as their own, whether that be malicious or pure. If he saw her stand up to a Daiyokai like Lord Sesshomaru..."

"I see," the monk said, holding up his rosary wrapped hand in a motion of blessing, "It would appear it was not physical strength, but spiritual strength that he has chosen to serve this time. Can't say I blame him after having the displeasure of his previous master." Sango looked fondly at the nekomata at her side who closed her eyes and let out a soft purr as fingers started scratching her ears.

They watched as the princess stroked her hand up the flaming horse's cheek. She had turned away from the surprisingly gentile red eyes and back at the hanyo who lay beside her. Her hand slipped down and slowly came to rest upon his chest again, A shall, happy gasp left her lips as she leaned down and rested her head over it.

"K-Kagome?" Shippo whispered and she turned, a small smile on her face through fresh tears.

"He's healing," she whispered, a small smile on her face despite it all, relishing in the small victory that Inuyasha was, at least physically, going to be okay, "His heartbeat is already so much stronger." Shippo hopped around the unconscious prince and pressed the side of his head next to her hand, his green eyes lighting up as he hopped up suddenly.

"Yeah, you're right!" He said but winced a little as he noticed the setting sun, "But he's still asleep. How are you gonna get him out of here? Like you said, Kirara can't carry all of us." Kagome looked up at the fire maned horse and he blinked at her before gently nudging her shoulder.

"That's why you're here, isn't it Entei? You came to help us," The small snort that was his response made the kit leap backwards.

"Are you sure you can trust that thing?" Shippo asks as the horse lowered his head and directed a grunt in his direction, "He's looking at me like I'm dinner." Entei leaned over the unconscious half demon and snorted again, a puff of black smoke blowing in the child's face as he stumbled back, bumping into the approaching monk and his wife.

"He'll serve her well," Sango says softly, "Yokai like Entei, they are only as evil as the beings they choose to serve. They know only loyalty to the masters they become bonded to. My guess is the reason that he was even bridled in the first place was because Gatenmaru broke that trust somewhere down the line and became weak in Entei's eyes."

"I would imagine that had this yokai meant any harm to Kagome or even Inuyasha for that matter, he certainly would have done so already," Miroku adds, Shippo weaves around them and hops up on Kirara's head.

"Yeah, well, you won't catch me dead on that thing!" the child says, making Kagome chuckle and look back down at Inuyasha. Her smile withered and she reached up and stroked a pointed ear, sighing as it twitched a little against her fingers but still failed to wake her husband. The setting sun had begun staining his dirty silver hair orange and Kagome quickly went into action,

"Miroku," She said softly, her voice surprisingly even, "Help me get Inuyasha on the horse. We need to leave before the villagers come back to make sure we're gone." the monk nodded, handing his wife his staff and crouching down on the other side of the prince.

As she looked to the flaming beast, he answered the command before she even spoke it, lowering to his knees so the princess and the holy man might be able to slide the deadweight of the half demon onto his shoulders. Sango came around to the opposite side of the horse and helped guide the hanyo's legs as the two lifted Inuyasha up enough to rest slumped against Entei's neck.

The princess stroked her husband's cheek as it was warmed by the harmless flames of the horse yokai's licking across his face. He looked so innocent, yet so troubled as though he might be dreaming of the horrible things the monster that lived inside him had done.

He, she couldn't take him to the castle like this. He needed rest, away from people who would bother him with fickle things as he tried to come to terms with what had happened to him.

Leaning forward, she gently kissed his cheek and stood up to look at her friends. Her hand rested on his shoulder, and she squeezed his arm in reassurance even if he couldn't hear or see her. She would protect him, and she knew exactly where to go to do so.

"I will take him to the Gekkō ruins to rest," she said, running her fingers gently across the back of her husband's head. Sango and Miroku stared at her, wide eyed.

"Are you sure that's best?" the demon slayer asked, and Kagome nodded, her eyes becoming very pained, "What if when he wakes up, he-"

"Tetsusaiga has brought the yokai back under control," the princess replied, "And when he wakes up, I want to make sure he's somewhere calm and quiet. For a returning prince the night after a celebration like today, home isn't that place."

"Yes of course," Miroku says, "We will follow you to Gekkō then." Kagome blinked at him, her hand resting on the Shikon Jewel, and Sango gently nudged her husband, whose violet eyes suddenly went wide, "Oh, I see. You intend to travel alone." Kagome's cheeks turned red as she looked down at the hand that still rested on Inuyasha's back.

"I just, think it's for the best that he isn't bombarded by anyone when he wakes up," She says, "And besides, someone needs to go back to Musashi and tell them we will be gone at least tonight, if not a few days."

Miroku was truly touched as he saw the sad, caring way the woman looked at her half yokai husband. She hadn't, even for the briefest of moments, turned away from what he had done. She had watched each and every life her beloved took, yet had run to his side, unafraid of the danger the transformed demon could have done to her. She had faced his darkest and still loved him, still cared enough to gingerly touch the wounds he had and cry tears of relief when she realized he was not lost to her.

And now, as she gently rubbed soothing circles behind the dog shaped ears and he saw the look of peace cover his friend's unconscious, tormented face, any argument he might have had against her going alone.

"Of course, My Lady," he said, bowing slightly, "Sango and I will watch over the castle in your stead." Said woman opened her mouth to say something but Miroku looked at her gently and she relented with a small frown, watching as Kagome climbed onto Entei behind the prince, her hands gripping into the flaming mane as the white beast rose to his full height.

"Thank you," She says softly, "You are good friends to us." She squeezed her legs a little and the demon horse turned, preparing to find a place to run and take off, "Safe travels."

"Same to you," Miroku said, his hand raised horizontal and waving in a blessing, "And Lady Kagome?" Her head turned to look back at her friends, "Inuyasha cares very deeply for you. He may not have ever said so, but if he wakes up and is for some reason his crass cruel self, please remember that he cares for you as you care for him." A small sad smile crept up on her face and she nodded.

"I know," she said, barely audibly before turning back and kicking the horse. Entei let out a loud whiny and galloped forward, across the ruined field, his feet igniting into fresh flames, and he leapt into the air, dashing towards the South, where the old Moonlight Castle ruins remained.

"Miroku," Sango asked cautiously," Are you sure they'll be okay on their own?" Miroku smiled at her, nodding.

"As she said, I think it's better not only for him, but the both of them, to be away from the castle and its politics while they recover," her husband replied, "I have faith in Lady Kagome's power to protect herself should the need arise, though I doubt Inuyasha will be out for much longer anyway." Sango looked sadly at him as she pulled the strap on her boomerang tight.

"She's in love with him, Miroku," She says, "She has been a long time."

"And Inuyasha has been in love with her for longer than the stubborn fool will ever admit. Perhaps it's a good thing to get a little alone time while emotions are running so high. They may just end up fighting and blurting it out to one another." The monk chuckles, making his wife laugh.

"And I" Shippo says, dragging the two words out, "am really tired of this boring grown-up talk. Let's get home and get dinner. I'm starving." Sango's stomach rumbled and she winced a little.

"Well, I'm no dilly-dallier when it comes to feeding my woman, so I suppose it's time to go." He attempts to cop a feel by helping his wife up on the fire cat but only gets a fresh welt on his cheek for his trouble. As the two settle he rubs the red spot, "Honestly Sango, I thought we had moved past all that."

"Not even close to the time!" Sango says as Kirara roars and leaps up into the air to start home, "When we get home Hoshi, we are gonna have a nice long talk about your behavior."

"Among other things," she thought with a smile as she looked down at where Miroku had his staff looped across her waist.

Shippo rolled his eyes as he gripped fast to the back of the nekomata's head. Sometimes adults could be so foolish and make him wish he never grew up. Why couldn't they just say what they meant sometimes?

The three flew over the trees, reaching home in Musashi just as, in a burned-out castle to the East, a stubborn hanyo prince was starting to regain consciousness.

~~~~~

Notes:

Three Nights

In the Heian period, if two people wished to marry, they would spend three nights sneaking into bed together (for smexy time) to affirm that this was a joining that they wanted, often arranged and encouraged by their families. Obviously not the case with Toga and Izayoi, but we do have a general consensus that they were married from comments made in the series and being as Inuyasha was born during the Heian period, I think we can connect the dots and say Toga visited the princess three nights in a row and that's how they ended up married when obviously no yokai or human court or shrine would have conducted a ceremony. So that's how I decided to explain it in my story.

Entei

As I had Sango explain, in this canon, Entei is only as evil as the person he serves. He chooses strength in any form and is loyal to them, not necessarily a side of good or evil.