Disclaimer, in case it wasn't obvious. I don't own Inuyasha, or really any other property. Thank you.

Being Alive

Chapter I: The Last Dragons

Sesshoumaru:

The last one standing.

That was what it was to be Sesshoumaru, Lord of the Western Lands. It'd been exactly one hundred years since the death of Naraku, and he was truly the last one standing of the demons, humans, and creatures which took part in the quests and adventures that saw the Shikon Jewel destroyed finally. Time saw them all stripped from the world, one by one. Some died in the adventure itself, others found their end afterwards. Each one left their mark on the world, even if they never left a mark on Sesshoumaru himself.

The world had offered him no challenges anymore from demons of varying powers. The most powerful of them had ceased to be. A few of the weaker demons had simply bled into the human populations, melding themselves into human bloodlines. The other weaker demons, found their end at the hands of priests, priestesses, and guns. The human invention of such a radically powerful weapon as the firearm, was impressive weapon to be certain, especially when put up against demons much lesser then himself. The wilderness had shrunk as well.

He'd become the last Dragon.

Samurai warriors had sought the chance to slay the demon Sesshoumaru for years now. Each human who came, bearing his family's honour and sword, were hardly a challenge for he, Sesshoumaru. It was neither a mercy, nor a pleasure to slaughter them. It was almost a mechanical motion, killing them for having the audacity to think themselves worthy of the honour to face him.

The wind gently brushed past him as he stood alone in the long, outstretched field. It carried on into the mountains as far as the eye could see, dotted with human settlements in the greater distance. In this, the wild and untamed lands, Sesshoumaru found his thoughts, he found peace. In these fields across Japan, lay his slain enemies, and lay his kin.

Inuyasha's death came many years after the woman Kagome's, but in truth it was clear that he'd died the day she had. It was hardly his concern whether Inuyasha had lived or died, his half-brother had made his own decisions. It was painfully obvious however, that Kagome had never belonged here, with him. His brother had lured her from her own time, where she rightfully belonged. Her world was never been a place he had visited, though he knew that in several hundred years, it would be the world with which he lived in. Still, her death while bearing the third child of her and Inuyasha hadn't been something his half-demon brother had coped with.

A tragic ending, to be assured, and one which seemed to be almost wasteful. For all that their father had invested in his brother, for all he'd left him, Inuyasha lay in a humble grave next to a human woman overseeing a small village, their father's sword in his hands.

The human monk, and the demon huntress were long dead as well, having infested as much of the island as they could with their offspring. They were of little consequence in his estimation all the same, especially after the death of Naraku.

Walking into the tall grass, Sesshoumaru passed several trees, all of them familiar to him, having walked these lands for so many years. To his right he saw a tree which his most loyal of followers, Jaken, had rested against once while desperately attempting to keep up with him. The tiny demon found his own end at the hands of humans with guns, only two years ago. Compatriots of a Samurai who'd been slain in combat against him.

Sesshoumaru would never admit to having missed anyone, but there was something off putting about no longer hearing the squawking little toad following his every footstep. His journey had become almost too silent. The only thing which added any volume to his life now was the wind brushing through the trees, or the final moments of a fool's life.

The wind reminded of him of the only death he felt regret for during the quest to stop Naraku. It was ironic, considering Kagura was apart of Naraku in her own sense. Their scents were near identical, but they were hardly such. Even until this day, Sesshoumaru never admitted nor grasped what had changed for him since her death. Totosei had told him that his heart had 'changed', but that was ridiculous. It seemed ridiculous all the same. It was a subject he tried to not let his thoughts wander to often.

The one it'd most wondered to for almost fifty years, was Rin. The tiny human girl who'd been taken into his charge. The innocent child who he'd stood by and watched her whole life, from childhood to death. It was the closest thing to fatherhood he'd ever experienced, being the girl's guardian. He'd been there when she'd died for the first, and second time. He'd been there for her when Kohaku and her married, and he'd been there for her when her first child was born. She and Kohaku had died a long time ago, but they'd died old and happy. The last day of her life they'd seen one another again, and Sesshoumaru had noticed the same smile on her as the first time they'd met. For a human, despite the suffering of her early years, she had a long and happy life. She'd told him as much that very day, and thanked him for allowing her to have it.

It was a crime that the humans worthy of living, were given as little time in the world as the rest of their species. For Sesshoumaru himself, time no longer mattered in the same way. It was just a measurement of how long he'd been alive. Whatever the humans achieved meant incredibly little to him, whether it be their guns, or their ships. What challenges remained any further for him? The only things he cared for beyond merely his own power, had long since washed away in the river of time.

When the wind picked up again, Sesshoumaru noted a scent in the wind which he'd never detected before however, and one which was clearly another demon. It was different then any other youkai he'd ever sensed before however. It didn't at all smell familiar as to any demon he'd ever detected before. It was as foreign as the vile stench of Hyoga and Menomaru. It wasn't a demon from the island of Japan, this was an outsider.

The sound of feet stepping on the dirt road behind him told him as much as he needed to know. Another demon was here to challenge him, hiding his power beneath the appearance of a human being.

"I take it you're Sesshoumaru," a deeper male voice said, his Japanese was broken in its pronunciation.

Turning his head, the dog demon appraised the figure before him with scrutinizing golden eyes. Standing there was a man in the guise of one of the Europeans, he almost had an air of being Portugese. These foreign humans were the ones who first arrived, trading with the Japanese, often bringing their guns with them. He stood there in the garb of a European as well, but beneath the veneer was a demon every bit as 'human' as he, Sesshoumaru, was. Steeled blue eyes stared at him, a serious look written in marble across his face. The face itself was framed by a thick nose around the base, and pointed at the tip, through to a relatively strong brow. Tanned skin and a light beard showed time in the sun, as well as travel. Anything else he could gather, would only arrive once this creature showed its true form.

The wind blew through Sesshoumaru's long silver mane, a stark contrast with the newcomer's short black hair.

"And who exactly are you?" Sesshoumaru responded shortly, having little interest in long conversation.

Slowly, the black vest he'd worn over his shoulders disappeared into his white shirt, and then the shirt slowly morphed and faded into hardened plated layers of armour. The breast plate which formed over his chest soon showed nothing but a reef, and atop his head, a helm formed of golden light, before solidifying into a metallic silver, with golden bands trimming it. Leggings morphed into almost a skirt, before he stepped forward, moving his head to one side. Standing in front of Sesshoumaru was a foreign kind of warrior, armoured heavily, but as no Samurai would be. The armour was as magic bound as the entity which wore them.

To his left, a long thick blade materialized in its sheath, before the left arm was covered by a large circular shield, a shield made of heavy steel and its facing was decorated with the symbol of a wolf.

"My name, is Romulus. I am the last of my kind, of the pure demons from the old world. I have come to face the last challenge left in this world."

"How very presumptuous," Sesshoumaru commented, before turning to fully face the first real foe he'd seen in decades. "To think that I, Sesshoumaru, would be a challenge for you to conquer."

The iron face that Romulus still wore, didn't change.

"Said all the others for the last three thousand years. Said every fool who came in my way. I have stood for as long as the stones of Rome were put in the swamp. I am the final judgement of another demon's worth. Before we fade into the histories, I will know that I have climbed to the top of what we are, that I have become the only one of us worthy of survival in this new world of men. The first of my conquests was my brother Remus, and in the eyes of my father, the last of my conquests will be Sesshoumaru, the son of Inu no Taisho."

Narrowing his eyes, Sesshoumaru listened to the boast filled rant before preparing his plan of attack. The first thing he needed to do was find out just how strong this demon was, then how he fought. After those were discovered, it would be time for the kill. Perhaps there was some merit in what this demon said. One final battle, one final challenge and struggle, to see the future or to fade into the past. This was hardly a worthy adversary in his estimation, there had only ever been one true adversary worthy of him... his father.

Drawing the long straight blade, which Sesshoumaru would never have designated as a "Spatha", Sesshoumaru slowly drew his Bakusaiga. Green energy seemed to pulse from his own blade, as angry red energy crackled off of the other fighter's blade. It was only then that Sesshoumaru felt the tidal wave of demonic power coming from his adversary. It was like an ocean surging forward violently. Any other warrior may have flinched, though Sesshoumaru merely held his ground, not showing any outward signs of any of his thoughts regarding it.

In a flash of motion however, Romulus took off towards him, his sandal clad feet pressing intot the ground harshly before he pulled his shield up, before sweeping into Sesshoumaru with a spinning slash from his sword. As it came, Sesshoumaru raised his own blade to meet it. Staring directly into his enemy's eyes as they locked blades in that heartbeat, the two came to a full realization of the battle that was to come.

Green energy rippled from the Bakusaiga before Sesshoumaru shoved his enemy back, immediately pushing into him and striking back, only to find his blade deflected with a magnificent splash of green energy sparking off the shield itself, as the sound of a magical barrier hummed in response to the blow. It immediately made the dog demon take note, seeing just how formidable the shield was to his blows. Stepping back, Sesshoumaru dodged back the response from the shield, before swinging his blade back towards Romulus's spatha, countering another blow. Red energy flicked off of the shorter sword, cutting almost into the Bakusaiga itself.

Casting his enemy back with one strong shove of his right arm, Sesshoumaru took several steps back, seeing his enemy land gracefully on his feet, before raising his shield again. A talented and powerful adversary to be certain, but not one worthy of him. A creature in these alien clothes and armour, one clearly spoiled by weaker enemies then himself, thought himself his equal. The shield which he carried was the worst insult of all, only a coward who feared death would hide behind a wall of metal, magically enhanced or otherwise.

Holding his sword firmly, Sesshoumaru gracefully slipped one foot to the side after another as his counterpart did the same, both demons preparing to clash once again. The red energy around the sword sparked again, this time almost making the image of Romulus shift into three. The dog demon's nose sniffed once, picking up powerful energies and his eyes told him it wasn't a lie somehow. Another spark of red energy came, and before him was not one youkai, but three. Together they stopped circling as a smile betrayed all three of their faces, before they locked their shields together, and began to push towards him.

"A man, a legion, a nation, I am whatever I must be to know victory," the European demons said in a deadly tone.

One demon or three, it didn't matter.

I will not be killed at the hands of this pitiful excuse of a challenge.

Tilting his Bakusaiga, Sesshoumaru plotted out his attack around the three demons, seeing the pack acting almost as one unit. Had the demon's power been split? He wasn't quite sure, but he could see quite clearly that this was no illusion, despite the nature of the trickery.

"I, Sesshoumaru, will not be overcome by such pitiful trickery."

With that, the last of the full-blooded dog demons charged forward, feigning an attack left, only to burst right, trying to swing around the shield wall. With lightning speed he landed to their left, but in a motion even faster, the shields were faced towards him again. Narrowing his emotionless eyes at the speed of the rotation, he withheld any comment or signs of annoyance, instead making another leap and bound, trying to force the other demons onto the defensive. The result was the same, the shields and bodies shifted in the open ground, making another facing towards him.

With his left hand free, the demon lord let poison drip from his claws, before slashing up towards the shields. Whips of green energy and corroding toxins carved through the air, cleaving into the shields. The sound of hissing metal was heard for only a split second, before each shield was shown to be pristine. Gripping his sword tightly, he pulled back his right arm as green energy cascaded around it.

"Bakusaiga!"

As soon as the blade was swung forward, the beam of terrifying power carved out from the blade, cutting through the air towards them. The ground under the energy sizzled and died at the effects of the poisonous assault. When it hit the wall of steel however, it warped and fluctuated, before disappearing into the almost reflective outsides of the large round shields. The heavy defensive line then started to glow with the very power he'd just launched into it, and in a blur of motion, the shield wall broke as the two outer Romulus's disappeared into thin air and the centre one dashed towards him, striking out with his blade at high speed, attempting to catch him off guard. Blocking with the Bakusaiga, Sesshoumaru made a small noise of irritation, before Romulus swung around, slamming the edge of his shield into his face. The edge of the shield burned with his own poisons, and it was as hard as a diamond. Bones protested in his face, as the impact lacerated his skin. A bloody rift opened across his right cheek and along the bridge of his nose, as the sound of his own skin burning sizzled.

Stumbling back, the Lord of the Western lands recovered in a split second, raising the Bakusaiga to meet the coming slash from the blade again, this time using his off hand to charge his poisoned claws again. Shoving back and forcing the other demon's arm back, he slashed upwards, raking his venom across the chest plate of his enemy. A stunned look crossed the other demon's face as he entered his defence for the first time.

Any combatant who cannot see how they can be defeated, is already doomed.

His father's words rang through his mind as his confidence surged, watching the other demon stumble back, before locking his shield forward again. With a flick of red energy from his sword, his two shield-doubles appeared next to him. Locking his sword forward, feeling the warm blood streaming down his face, Sesshoumaru kept his eyes peeled forward, ignoring the wound entirely.

"Would you believe me, Lord Sesshoumaru, if I told you that your little slash did nothing to harm me?" he asked, before started to march towards him once again. "All it has done is remind me as to why you are the last of our kind to avoid me."

"Ridiculous. I, Sesshoumaru, avoid no challenge," he responded with a cool tone.

This time the shields began to glow green again, still holding the residual power they'd absorbed from his Bakusaiga. Shoving the shields outward, the same wave Sesshoumaru had sent into the three demons before, regurgitated itself back towards him. The wave of deadly green light shot towards him, and there was only one option. Leaping back, the dog demon watched as the ground in front of him melted into nothing seemingly. It was hard to even follow the other demon as he closed distance with him in the air. The cold feeling of the now depowered shield slammed into his face again, causing blood to stream from his nose. Still in the air, Sesshoumaru shifted his body at the final moment before he could be impaled on the short, straight edged sword. Instead, it slashed against the left side of his rib cage, causing his white kimono to immediately stain red.

His back hit the side of a tree, unable to control his fall, making him break through several pieces of wood. Grasping his sword tightly upon landing on his back, before rolling to his feet, Sesshoumaru lashed out with his Bakusaiga again. Another stream of green energy cut towards the other demon, who emerged from the brush only to find the counter-attack already upon him. Now it was a matter of buying time.

The shield raised itself just in time, sucking in his youkai energy once again. Though this time the dog demon had already jetted to the side, rushing head long through the trees, knowing his counterpart was giving chase. Bursting through the trees on the other side, finding himself in a lake of white flowers, he stopped, breathing heavily from his wound.

It wasn't fleeing, it was repositioning himself to defeat his enemy. Turning about, he only had time to dodge once again to the side before the blade cut past him. This time a wave of red energy came after it. The crescent arc of energy slashed through the flowers and road, before cleaving through the centre of a small village. Fire exploded from where it stood, leaving Sesshoumaru to look after it as he realized where he was.

This is the village Rin and Kohaku settled in.

Before he could make another move, the right side of his ribs stabbed with pain as the edge of the shield slammed into them. Hearing a triumphant and furious roar from Romulus, Sesshoumaru only looked ahead before he felt the sword bury itself into his guts for a brief moment. Snarling he stabbed his Bakusaiga into the now exposed leg of his new enemy. The hissing sound of the demon's flesh burning told him well before his nose did, of the success. Shoving him back, leaving a trail of blood after him from the Spatha, Sesshoumaru just breathed heavily as the wounds in his abdomen began to show themselves. The whole front mid section of his armour and kimono began to stain with blood.

Bleeding onto the flowers, he took several steps back, seeing the Roman Demon's left-hand tremble as he reached down to his leg.

"What have you done?" he hissed while looking down at his leg, before looking back up coldly at Sesshoumaru.

A wound suffered from the Bakusaiga, would never heal. The other demon would suffer the limp for so long as he lived. Sesshoumaru didn't intend for it to long.

Suddenly however, he felt hazy, almost passing out as the wounds in his chest began to fester with a vile red energy themselves.

Inside that village, were Rin's children, and grand children. The fight had to leave this valley.

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Sesshoumaru: Ten Years After the Defeat of Naraku.

It was oddly familiar, this place.

Walking through the valley towards the small village set atop the edge of the hill which represented the barrier around the grew flowing field of flowers, Sesshoumaru saw the new home of Rin, and her husband Kohaku. With his usual calm pace, and Jaken in tow, he walked towards it. There were no more then a hundred, perhaps one hundred and fifty humans living in the settlement. There was sign of livestock and the typically squalor ridden conditions that humans chose to live in.

"Lord Sesshoumaru, what are we doing in this vile place?" Jaken squawked from behind.

"Be quiet, Jaken," Sesshoumaru ordered as he walked through the entrance to the 'humble' village. "You will not speak so disrespectfully of Rin's chosen home."

The little demon froze at the remark, looking up at his master from behind. It was evident after all the years of travelling with Jaken, that it was happened at that very moment.

All around them, humans looked in shock at what was happening. A few ran for help, some of the women gasped at the sight of him, noting his appearance, and some didn't notice him at all. He preferred the latter of all of them, in truth.

It was when two men charged towards him, holding spears frightfully in hand, that he stopped moving. Demon hunters, and even they were smart enough to realize what they would face, if they chose to face him. It was a show of force, a warning, and little else.

"Stand aside," the demon-lord ordered, his voice almost frozen. "I, Sesshoumaru, have no quarrel with you."

"Demon! We know your kind! Whatever you had planned-"

"It's alright Nobu, you guys can stand down," a familiar voice cut in. "This is my father-in-law, Lord Sesshoumaru."

There was that term again. It was already hard enough to stomach when his brother's wife, Kagome, called him brother-in-law. Now the once boy, now a man, Kohaku seemed intent on irritating him as well. Rin was not his daughter; she was his charge.

"I am not your father-in-law," Sesshoumaru answered bluntly as he continued to walk forward, moving past the two stunned men, who lowered their spears once he moved through them.

There was a short laugh from the young man, wearing his simple tunic. He stepped forward with a smile all the same, not fearing him in the slightest. It was only ten years earlier, that Sesshoumaru had nearly killed this boy for attacking his charge under the influence of Naraku. Only a few months ago, the wedding ceremony had taken place, and it was very simple. Several kilometres away, lay Inuyasha's village, which was where it took place. For a human, it was a day-long journey. He'd been asked to attend, by Rin, and relented and agreed to come the day of the event.

Now Rin's husband stood there confidently before him, a smile on his face, and the only thing the demon-lord wanted to do was roll his eyes and move on. He was hardly here to see Kohaku, He wasn't here to see anyone, he'd convinced himself, he was but passing through.

"Lord Sesshoumaru! Jaken!" Rin's excited voice cut in, running to him.

In many respects, she'd not changed since the day they met. She was still innocent and caring, despite the horrors that she'd seen in her life.

"Rin," the demon remarked, inclining his head towards her ever so slightly.

"It's great to see you, my Lord. Kohaku and I were just deciding on what we were going to have for our dinner. If you like, you may stay and share in our food with us," she offered. "It isn't much, but I promise it will be good."

It was odd to hear. It was her offering him a meal in her own home, inviting him as her guest for the first time. It was a welcome show of respect, but not one which Sesshoumaru intended to take her up on. It was enough to see this village, despite his misgivings, and to know that Rin was alright. Even if he'd not intentionally made his way here.

"I was simply passing through," he answered shortly. "I have no need for your hospitality."

There was a moment where her eyes lowered at the comment. He knew, that she knew, what he had really said, but it was clear she was disappointed all the same.

"But I thank you for it," Sesshoumaru followed with a moment later. "Jaken, we are leaving."

"Of course, my lord!"

"Wait, Lord Sesshoumaru," Rin said, reaching out and grasping his sleeve. It was something he'd have killed anyone else for doing without his permission. "We found something you may want-"

"Rin-" Kohaku cut in, but she turned and stared him down. It was clear he was conflicted by what they'd found.

"Wait here my lord, just let me get prepared and I'll take you there."

Running back into her simple home, Rin came out a few minutes later, wearing the kimono that he'd given her several years earlier. It was orange and white, the same as the one he'd found her as a child. For once, he gave a very, very rare, small smile as she came to his side, smiling up at him in turn.

"This way, my lord."

She was still always respectful to him. His name was always given the appropriate title. Despite the number of times she'd been threatened, or harmed because of her connection to him, he knew this human woman loved him as the only family she'd ever known. In an odd way, he supposed that did make her something to him, beyond the idle fascination he'd always claimed. The love her felt for her, must have been close to what it would have been for a parent to feel towards their child. It was a feeling he'd never experienced for himself, and likely never would.

"Jaken," Kohaku said after a moment, sitting down on a small bench near the side of the road, and gesturing to his side.

"My lord-"

"Stay here," Sesshoumaru ordered, before feeling himself being quietly guided by his charge.

"I don't see what you could have found, that would mean Lord Sesshoumaru has to travel without me, his greatest companion!" Jaken shouted from behind as they walked out of the village.

They must have walked in silence for almost fifteen minutes, heading on their short journey. It was as familiar as this place seemed. It reminded him of the days they'd walked through the lands, if only to find new challenges awaiting him. In that window of minutes, she wasn't the woman who'd just married Kohaku, moving into an obscure village to begin her new life. Instead, she was the nine-year-old girl, walking patiently and obediently at his side, and always having faith in his every action. Every moment ever felt, was always locked in the past, and this was no different.

"Inuyasha said that you were never close to anyone but me," she said after a minute. "But I know you care a lot about Jaken, and you cared a lot about Ah-Un."

There was silence on Sesshoumaru's side, never willing to openly admit any such weaknesses. Were it anyone else, he'd have flatly denied it.

I, Sesshoumaru, care for no one.

But that'd already proven to be a lie. In some villages, he'd been called the demon which wanders with the young girl, only further showing how the truth would eventually find its way to the light. It was best not to speak of the truth, then to lie about it. Instead, he turned and stared at her, noticing the setting sun in the distance, barely touching the edge of the water. The sky turned almost orange, mixing itself in with a brilliant display of red as the light passed through the clouds and air around it.

When she looked back towards him, smiling as they arrived at the obscure location, he merely gave her a questioning look.

In the middle of a bed of flowers, not far from a small pond breaking up the sea of beautiful white flowers, Sesshoumaru saw a small stone shrine. It was perhaps only up to his waist, and showed all the signs of a hand made enterprise. It reminded him immediately of where he was. His nose drew in the scent, remembering exactly where he was standing. He'd stood in this spot ten years earlier. The question as to how Rin knew this place mattered to him, or may have mattered to him, didn't even come to his mind as he just looked at the stone shrine.

On the stones, carved with care despite its simplistic design, said a very simple phrase.

"The Wind Must be Free."

An odd sorrow crept into his heart he'd not felt in years, as he was dragged back into moments years earlier.

The light continued to dim as his golden eyes appraised the small pile of simple square stones. This was how humans remembered their past. They marked the land with their dead, and their memories. Even his father had taken on the practice in his final wishes. This shrine was the marker for the last moments in a life which may have deserved to be longer.

"We found this," Rin said, reaching into her kimono and pulling out what appeared to be an old, worn fan, with red splashed inside of it.

It answered how they knew this was the place in seconds. It was Kagura's fan.

Kagura, Naraku's detachment, the woman who would be free by any price. The woman who'd asked him to kill Naraku. The second time they'd met, she'd shouted at him furiously when he never took up her proposal. Even if he had, she'd have still met her fate. Everything tied to Naraku, died before the jewel was finally destroyed.

But even with that being the case, the slow beat of his heart didn't stop while he reached out, taking the frail piece into his hand and looking at it. It'd been damaged by water, and stained with mud, but it was certainly the same fan which Kagura had used. It was the last thing she'd carried before she died in this field.

"Kohaku told me how Kagura saved him from Hakudoshi. If it'd not been for her, he'd have died long before Kikyo could have saved him. It was important to him that we built this after he found it. He didn't want there to be nothing to remember her by. She was his friend, and I know she was your friend too. I know that..." Rin paused in her comments, looking almost choked herself. "I know you wanted to make sure everything she did wasn't in vain. So, I told Kohaku, the next time we saw you, that you should take the fan with you."

The texture on it was rough from the weather, even on the grip. It was nothing but a broken old fan, of a dead woman. It was a hollow sentiment that humans carried, taking on things of the deceased as if to somehow take on a piece of the dead with them through life. It was a ridiculous notion. Spirits carried on, and lingered at injustice. The injustice of the wind sorceress's death, was long since avenged.

"I've had enough..."

They were the last words she'd ever uttered, and they were incomplete. The only thing that finished what she said, were the eyes that stared back at him as she died, and he, Sesshoumaru, still didn't even know what they meant. It plagued him for a second time since Rin had taken him here, here to this make-shift grave.

Taking one final look at the fan, he felt himself almost say something, but what he didn't know. Looking back towards Rin, despite her own sadness, wearing her typical warm smile. She'd not just done all this for Kagura, she'd done this for him. Was it meant to be some kind of human closure? What was the purpose of all this? Normally, he didn't even desire to know why humans did the things they did, but now he had to ask.

"Kagura died, ten years ago," he remarked bluntly. "It hardly matters if anyone else remembers her."

"It does," she countered, her voice sincere. "Because she was here. People should remember her for the good things she did, and for the life she had, even if it was short. One day, when I'm gone, I hope other people want to remember me too. I hope that people who care about me have things to remember me by."

Moving his hand back towards her, brushing his thumb against the fan one last time, he gestured for her to take it.

"I am sure Kagura, will be remembered by Kohaku and Inuyasha's friends," he remarked. "I do not need the fan."

"Keep it," Rin urged, pressing her hands against it and sliding his arm back towards himself. "For some reason, I think she'd want you to have it."

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Sesshoumaru:

A folded piece of cloth, under his kimono and armour, slowly began to stain with blood. The idea that it was being ruined at all, sat unwell with the dog demon. Inside of it, lay the very trinkets he'd once rejected, a small piece of the lives left behind him. Slowly he managed to gather himself, returning his concentration to the demon in front of him. With the limp his opponent had, this would battle could finally start to turn his way.

Hobbling forward, Romulus held his shield up for a brief moment, before his two doubles appeared at his sides.

"An impressive sword, if there ever was one, Lord Sesshoumaru," he remarked. "But the Aegis provides me with a way to circumvent its power. Do you think yourself the first poison demon-lord I've faced? I've faced hundreds like you."

Instead of the centre copy moving out of the three, the one with the damaged leg, the one to the right did. As soon as he did, the other two copies disappeared, leaving only the demon with a good leg left. It wasn't as if the leg was healed, because what he'd done was just remake himself in some other frame. Narrowing his eyes as he carefully began to step back, Sesshoumaru began to realize what this Romulus had done. He'd kept him on the defensive for the majority of this battle already, aggressively pressing into him, but fighting defensively himself... aggressive war, defensive battle.

"You've never faced another demon like me," Sesshoumaru answered him.

"As arrogant as any other, I see," Romulus responded, his smile slowly growing. "In Africa, I faced down a demon such as yourself. Apep thought himself unique as well. Though he was more of a snake, rather then a dog."

Comparing him to a lowly Snake demon? How disgusting.

Before the conversation could continue further, Sesshoumaru readied his Bakusaiga for the next stage in the battle. His injuries would slow him, no matter what he thought of them. It was then that Romulus threw his left arm out, and began to spin. The force of the movement was heavy, even as far back as he was, Sesshoumaru could feel the momentum of each swing where he stood. Suddenly, the other demon threw his shield as a giant discus. The Bakusaiga offered little chance to deflect the object, and it ploughed into his chest and gut, sending him flying back. It was no short journey as well.

Sailing through the air, the dog demon found himself grasping the edge of the shield, trying to regain control, even as his now broken ribs protested. In the air he felt himself spinning with the discus as he travelled kilometre after kilometre. Finally his body came to a harsh landing, crashing legs and back first into the ground. There was no graceful roll this time as the Earth shattered around him, and his body carved a path through the soil, before bumping into the stone well behind him. Blood seeped from his wounds, slowly beginning to cover the shield which was imbedded in his gut. His eyes felt almost hollow as he looked ahead, seeing Romulus landing across from him in the small, open field.

"Sesshoumaru."

It sounded almost as if his father was speaking to him. Even in the haze of it all, the logical part of the dog demon's brain was already telling him it was very much unlikely to be Inu no Taisho.

From behind Romulus, he slowly saw the figure of a little girl emerge, wearing a bright orange and white kimono. Time almost seemed to start to slow down as he did, not even able to feel himself breathing. From other side, a tiny demon with a frog like appearance appeared. The recognition was instant, as he saw his two longest companions staring at him. Rin, and Jaken were somehow coming into his view.

"Lord Sesshoumaru."

The dead were calling him. In this vacuum he could see them, and he felt the Tenseiga pulse for the first time in decades. Dying at the hands of this Romulus made his stomach turn with disgust. He was hardly his equal, despite the direction which the battle had turned. This was his failure, more then anyone else's.

From behind the Roman however, another figure stepped into view behind Jaken, wearing his bright red kimono as always. The familiar golden eyes, a trait passed down to him from their father, told him all too well who it was. Inuyasha, his half brother, now stared back at him with the same determination he often had, despite his inadequacies as a half-demon.

From the other side, what appeared to be the last figure stepped out. Carrying an undamaged fan, and giving him a mischievous look, Kagura stood behind Rin, slowly raising her fan while looking at him. The wind sorceress smiled back at him, the same as Rin was.

"Sesshoumaru."

In the shadow of all of it, he could see his father. It was the same shadow that he'd run so far to escape from, and finally had with his Bakusaiga. All of these figures showed in his vision because he was losing too much blood, he already determined. Mild hallucinations brought on by the failure of certain parts of his body, and trauma to his head. Perhaps they were calling him to finally rest, but the sentiment was ignored.

I, Sesshoumaru, will not simply roll over and die.

Time seemed to come back alive a second later as Romulus walked towards him.

Gritting his teeth as he pushed himself up, feeling the shield pull itself out of his midsection, and fly back into the hands of Romulus, he just breathed heavily. A foe who could heal himself from the injuries created by Bakusaiga, was faster than he was, stronger than he was, and protected by a shield which could absorb his energy and throw it back at him. That was also forgetting the formidable sword as well. But even as he went through the list of problems to overcome, the idea that Romulus was his equal, let alone his superior, never came to the fore.

"You barbarians are always so amusing to watch crumble and fall," Romulus commented as he prepared himself for the final assault.

This would be the final stage of the fight, unless he managed to force the Roman to overplay his hand.

The shield.

Yellow eyes locked on to the ornate object before turning back to Romulus, narrowing.

"Did you ever learn to hold your tongue, and to fight? Or will you try to win this battle with your words, instead of your sword?"

An arrogant smirk crossed the other demon's face before he pushed his shield up, and charged towards him. The front of the large round shield was seemingly going to be used as a battering ram once again, and Sesshoumaru prepared for it. Only as he closed, Romulus swung the shield back, crashing across the left side of his face. Numbing pain immediately overtook the entire side of his head. The shield cleared past his head, before violently coming back towards him, slamming the inside of the shield into the other side of his face. Blood exploded from his nose and mouth, before the shield came back around once more in a lightning quick motion. This time the impact bruised the inside of his cheek so badly he thought the skin would breech. It didn't matter however. Moving his arm up and shifting his body to one side, he shoved his arm into the inside of Romulus's left arm, holding his shield out and in place, neutralizing it for now, and exposing his enemy to his response.

The Spatha shot in to stab his guts again, only finding the side of the well instead. The red blade bounced off the stone, something which would have surprised Sesshoumaru were it not for the bitter revenge he intended to visit upon the foreign demon. His talons glowing, and his enemy's defences averted, the dog demon slashed his claws across the right side of Romulus's face. Blood and poison splashed into the air from the five wounds as the sound of flesh hissing entered the air. In the same motion Romulus had used with his shield to bludgeon him, Sesshoumaru then swept his hand and claws back down, slashing down the other side of the face. A cry of stifled pain escaped the mouth of the other demon, before Sesshoumaru stepped into him, headbutting the other demon despite the pain in his own head. The skin around his own forehead broke from the impact, but even with his helmet Romulus stumbled back, disoriented.

Now was the time.

With a twist of his now freed right arm, and his enemy still vulnerable, Sesshoumaru gripped his blade as tightly as he could before letting energy surged through it.

"I, Sesshoumaru, am not a barbarian."

With that, he unleashed the Bakusaiga. The wave of toxic energy exploded forward before colliding head on with Romulus. The ground was swept away by it, any chunks which had come into the air burning in the haze of green power. Standing opposite the destruction, his back to the stone well, Sesshoumaru just tried to keep his lungs working. Even a demon could suffer only so many injuries before being overwhelmed, and he was no different.

As the venomous smoke began to clear in front of him, he could only hear a struggling gurgling sound at first. When finally Romulus came into view, what was left was a rotting, burning body. It trembled to stand in its melting state. Blood oozed from open wounds as his flesh and body began to eat away from the power of the Bakusaiga.

With the last embers of strength, it looked like he pushed his shield in front of himself, his entire body in agony, perhaps a last-ditch effort to defend himself. Or, Sesshoumaru realized, he was healing himself once again. Within a heartbeat the doubles appeared to his left, and right, before the destroyed body and another simply disappeared. What was left standing there was a completely refreshed, completely healed Romulus.

He was still trembling for a moment, clearly still from the after-effects of his body being bathed in the energy from Bakusaiga. Any signs of calm, or arrogance had washed away. Instead the monster in front of him snarled almost like an animal as he coped with the pain of the phantom injuries. Taking a step forward, the would-be conqueror seemed to just seethe, before slowly allowing his composure to return.

"You know, in over two thousand years, I've yet to face an enemy who has caused me nearly this much pain. I had honestly expected this battle to be much more brief. That determination of yours is truly a credit to you and your kind. Your sire must have been of an impeccable bloodline," he remarked simply. "It would have been an honour to kill any creature which could have produced a demon with your strength. It is a shame you have no siblings or offspring for me to kill as well."

It was all that shield. The shield he hid behind gave him the power to survive these assaults, and split his spirit and reconstitute his body. Disarm him of the shield, the Aegis, and he would surely fall to his blade. This would not be his final battle, he would win.

"You are a fool to expect to win this battle," Sesshoumaru uttered. "Your weakness is undeniable."

With that, he prepared himself for their final clash. The arm would be severed, or he would be severed, there was no longer any choice. With a look of confidence however, Romulus made his charge. The shield he bore lay at the heart of his motion, prepared to deflect any attack. As with every other instance, Sesshoumaru knew he had to think around what was happening. In a split second, he shifted to one side, dodging around him, only to be shoved by the shield itself a moment later. His legs caught the side of the well, and the demon-lord flipped over the side. Looking up, he only saw Romulus look down at him as he plunged to the bottom, his eyes written with disgust.

"For all my high praise, you still find a way to fail," he chuckled, before leaping the side of the well himself, plunging after him.

As soon as his back in the ground, Sesshoumaru raised his sword, deflecting the blade aimed at his chest, diving down towards him. Swiftly moving his legs and kicking out, he flipped the Roman away from him in the cramped space. As soon as Romulus's shield hit the ground and he rolled back to his feet however, the ground around them began to glow with an unearthly blue energy. It shifted in almost slow motion around them into a world of light and noise, before it felt as if the world around them was merely liquid. What had been reality once, simply bled away. In this world of darkness and light, the two of them were left helpless almost, save for the glowing shield. The Aegis seemed to burn in in the darkness, the very metal upon its surface catching fire. A rift below them seemed to swallow them up as well. It was as if nothing changed.

The well was no different, the clay and stone walling around them seemed little different.

"What... what have you done?!" the cry escaped.

Turning his head forward, his body still ravaged with injuries, Sesshoumaru looked on to see what had become of the Aegis. The steel, or in this case, Bronze, it was comprised of, had degraded. It aged a thousand years every moment, before finally dwindling into dust, leaving nothing behind of its presence. Looking up at him with murderous eyes, Romulus snarled, revealing fangs. His once almost human eyes turned into a bloody red.

Though he would love to take credit for the feat, it seemed as though the shield had done it all by itself.

"Without your shield, your weakness is apparent to all, especially to I, Sesshoumaru."

With a quick motion, Sesshoumaru bound up the side of the well, clearing the top of the well in only a moment. He needed room to manoeuvre. As soon as his feet landed on the soil outside of the well however, the nose of the dog demon picked up the world around him. It was familiar, yet changed. The smell of humans was diminished, and strong demonic energies rolled through the world around him. But there were more then just those scents in the air. Something familiar touched the edge of his nose, just as the well behind him burst with power as Romulus made his exit.

Inuyasha.

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Sesshoumaru: Eleven Years After Naraku's Defeat.

What was strength? What was it truly worth? Where did it come from?

For the dog demon Sesshoumaru, for himself, he knew very much where it came from. It came from within him, and it came from his blood. The blood passed through him by his father had blessed him with more power then most other demons could ever dream of. But that was his strength, or at least it appeared to be. His task now, showed him that not all strength was generated from within.

It'd been Rin who'd made the request of him to find his lowly half-brother. Had it been anyone else, he very much doubted he would have taken any interest in this task. Perhaps if someone else had asked him to find Inuyasha, he may have stumbled across him, if only to satisfy his curiosity. His own quest, his own quest to test himself had drive him to the furthest point north on the island chains of Japan. Another challenge for his blade had met its end, proving to him once again that the only true challenge for him had died almost a century earlier. Inuyasha had served as a poor substitute himself, but with the Tetsusaiga at least he'd held some of their father's power. The half demon had been the closest one to be worthy of challenging him.

But even his brother had fallen short. Nothing could fill the void of what he'd been denied, in losing the opportunity to face his father for himself.

Finding Inuyasha however, was not on his quest for strength, it was to try and mend together his distanced family, one which had been visited by an unexpected tragedy. To Sesshoumaru, it was in hindsight not hard to imagine. Kagome had trouble, according to his last meeting with humans, delivering her first two children. A human woman with thin hips and in his eyes, a frail look, didn't seem likely to survive labour. The dog demon's cold heart even turned heavy when Rin informed him that Kagome and her new child, apparently a girl, did not survive the event of childbirth.

The night's sky blanketed the world with stars, and the moon hung in the sky, showing only a crack of itself down to the world below. Walking with his usual slow pace, the demon had been following the scent of the half-demon for days now, but now the smell was unmistakably close. Through the trees and brush around him, golden eyes seemed to catch the glimpse of the edge of the robe of the fire rat, hanging in a barren tree. He'd found his much sought-after prey.

Stepping into the clearing, seeing the figure just sitting there on the branches looking into the sky, the half-demon just stared into the distance, looking into the sky for some kind of answer to a question Sesshoumaru wouldn't think to ask. There was no denying the younger of the two of them, knew he was there, even he would have smelled him, or heard him by now.

"Inuyasha," Sesshoumaru said, now expecting a response.

Instead, it was muted. Silence was never what his brother had specialized in, it was hardly one of his virtues. His weakness was clear and overwhelming. No amount of sorrow had crippled Sesshoumaru as this had crippled Inuyasha. The death of his father had brought on more anger, then sorrow. The death of Rin had brought him pain and sorrow, but it hadn't crippled him. Kagura's death brought him a profound sadness as well, it even still often itched at the back of his mind, but to anyone outside they would never see that.

But his brother sat in a tree, gazing at stars, and for what?

"Inuyasha," he repeated, this time his voice sterner.

It shouldn't take more then a name to get him to be addressed. It shouldn't take more then saying a name to get the creature that used to be his brother to awaken, and return to his home to look after the two children he was now the sole parent of.

"Go away," Inuyasha said finally, his voice quiet and betraying the pain he felt in that moment.

No one gave an order to him, and few had the permission to even give a request. Inuyasha was not in the latter category either. So instead he stood there, before turning his own gaze to the heavens. Oddly, as the silence overtook them, he felt the small bond they had. It was not his role to comfort his brother however, if this silent standoff happened to help his brother, that was of little concern to him.

"She left me," Inuyasha finally choked after a moment. "I thought... I thought after everything... I..."

Left was such a kinder word then what it was. She'd died. She left in the same way that Kagura left, or his brother's former lover Kikyo. He'd seen the underworld for himself, and never found any signs of what he'd expected. Their father wasn't there waiting for him, even as he purified the next life, and saved Rin from her fate there, it hardly contained anything he'd hoped for, or expected. When someone... left... they disappeared into the ether, perhaps one day to find reincarnation, as Kikyo had as Kagome. The Kagome girl had supposedly come from five hundred years in the future, how many years would any of them wait before they could see anyone who was lost? But even then, as Kagome proved, they weren't the same as they were before. It was a new life, with the spirit of the old.

"I loved her and she's gone," Inuyasha said in a hoarse tone. "We spent every night under the stars before we went to sleep, because she said wanted to see how beautiful the night was. She's just... she's gone!"

Turning in the tree almost angrily, his half brother bore his fangs towards him, tears clearly in his eyes. The red veins showing up around his yellow eyes showed the depth of his tears. He did little to conceal his sadness, normally something Sesshoumaru would have looked down on. Instead he felt a pang of pity for the half demon he'd resented for so long until near the end of Naraku's games.

He had no words of comfort to provide his brother however, the only thing he could offer him was the future.

"Your children are attended by your neighbours and grieving friends. Would you shame the woman by leaving them behind to sit in a tree and weep?"

They were the wrong words, and Sesshoumaru could see that the moment his brother heard them. His brother was trembling with anger and sorrow.

"What do you know!? You've never lost anyone you love! You don't even know what love is!" Inuyasha shouted in a sorrow fuelled rage, twisting on the branch before landing in front of him, tearing through the world around them before grabbing his older brother by his armour.

Staring back at his brother, Sesshoumaru's normal response was withheld, instead just staring into his brother's eyes impassively.

"One day," Sesshoumaru said to him in his normal, yet serious tone. "You may find her again, in this life or the next."

His half-brother had done it before. In this very life, he found Kikyo once, and then Kagome, her reincarnation. It was hardly his concern if his brother was happy however. Even as he stared back at him however, the elder of the two demons did his best to remind himself of that, though he was confused why he'd shared even one comforting word with the half-demon.

His brother seemed to pause all the same, staring back at him as his anger drained away, replaced only by a sorrow filled look. Inuyasha's tears were almost seemingly forcibly sucked back into his eyes as he struggled to restrain them. Instead of Inuyasha throwing a punch, or breaking down, he just stood across from him, reading more into his words then he should have.

"Why did you come here?"

"I promised Rin I would find you, and take you back to your village."

With those words, his brother turned around and climbed back into his tree, turning his eyes back towards the night sky, this time clearly looking towards the moon. What he saw in all of this, Sesshoumaru didn't know.

"I'll go home in the morning, you can go now," Inuyasha promised, his voice distant.

Walking under the branches where his brother sat, Sesshoumaru looked into the sky himself from beneath.

"What are you looking for in these stars, Inuyasha? What do you see?"

"I see her," he admitted quietly. "I see the past. I dunno... I already said you could go."

"I, Sesshoumaru, promised to deliver you back to your responsibilities and village. I will not go before that task is done."

The branches above him stiffened for a moment before the younger demon tensed, the implication being clear.

"Are you going to force me to go back tonight?" Inuyasha asked, sounding distant but worried for a brief second in time.

"No," Sesshoumaru answered quietly, staring into the stars himself, looking for what Inuyasha was looking for.

In the night sky, Inuyasha seemed to find his outlet for his grief, staring into the great darkness and light. For the remainder of that night, the two dog demons stood there. The entire time Sesshoumaru was there, he waited for his brother to finish his mourning, diligently not leaving his side.

Even if he never admitted to anyone, least of all himself.

Forty years later, Inuyasha found his end. But he'd met his end when the human he loved, left without him.

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Sesshoumaru:

Landing behind him, Romulus sneered again, cracking his neck from side to side before shifting his focus to the red glowing blade in his hand. The same red energy flicked off his entire body now while he prepared himself for combat. Turning about to face him, Sesshoumaru's body protested at every move. Quietly, he changed his own footing and prepared for what was to come. Many more avenues of attack were now available to him, those avenues seemed to evaporate in seconds however, as the red energy sparked around his Roman counterpart.

Eyes widening, Sesshoumaru felt the massive build up of demon energy. As soon as Romulus pulled his sword back, he knew exactly what was coming.

"Imperial Slash!"

As soon as the blade cut through the air, red power exploded into the world from the tip of the blade. The ground beneath him began to break apart seemingly at the very thought of being met by such a force. With a quick motion of his own, focusing his demonic energies, Sesshoumaru responded.

"Bakusaiga!"

The green energy cut through the air as well, before colliding with the red. The trees around them blistered at the wind generated by the two destructive aura's colliding, but only for a moment. Green disappeared into the red, before the tsunami of force rolled through towards him. Only at the last moment did Sesshoumaru dive out of the way. Behind him kilometres of forest were annihilated in a heartbeat. Human cries appeared in the distance, as well as the terrified shrieks of animals. The human village nearby would likely be kindling for the conflict between himself and Romulus.

As soon as he was able to rise to his feet, even at high speeds, he looked up only to find a harsh fist slamming into his face. It was enough to send his head spinning again before he slashed the Bakusaiga towards his foe, only to see it deflected. Within a heartbeat it was Sesshoumaru parrying Romulus's own strike. In a flurry of motion, the two blades collided, before swinging apart only to find their reunion once more. Each vicious motion lead to another terrible clang of two blades. Each time the blows came, Bakusaiga resonated unnaturally from the impact with the other blade.

There is too much demonic energy coming from the blade. I must get past his defence.

Before he could even dream of acting on his instincts, the Spatha came around once more, this time connecting with his sword's guard, cutting the edge of one of his fingers as it did. The Bakusaiga flipped into the air helplessly, freed violently from the dog demon's hand. A surprised noise escaped Sesshoumaru, before he grasped the Tenseiga, blocking the next blow. It was his father's fang which protected him again, even if only in desperation.

"You thought me defeated without my shield," Romulus breathed angrily. "Foolish dog, it just means my sword has full access to my power!"

Another crackling bolt of red energy drew up the blade, before he unleashed it once more. There was red light all around him, and Sesshoumaru felt his body almost seemingly catch fire. The dog demon's clothes burned and the remains of his armour shattered, his grip became weak as he felt the last tatters of his own demonic energy leaking away from him. A dark blue energy burst from the hilt of the Tenseiga as it desperately reached out, trying to protect its master. The fang tried its best to defend him. The last part of his father, even after all these centuries, still tried to defend him. It wasn't appreciated, as it wasn't about whether he would fall or not. It was whether he fell on his own or not.

The force wave that collided with him a moment later, blasted him from the good graces of the ground below. Carried inside the red wave, the Dog Demon flew for hundreds of metres, before slamming back first into the ground. Mud was mangled by his first impact, before he flipped helplessly twice more. When his journey ended, the noble demon was half face first in the mud, his left eye opened and staring up at the tree before him.

Even the Tenseiga was spent, save for one final pulse, as it weakly urged him forward. His will to fight had yet to die, but his body itself was beginning to betray him. His one golden eye saw what was imbedded in the tree itself. The familiar scent he'd detected the moment he emerged from the well, revealed itself to be none other then the half demon himself. It seemed impossible, given that he knew full well his brother's fate. The arrow in his chest was part of a seal, which held him in place.

How?

This was no trickery on behalf of his adversary, nor was it any sorcery from the Teneiga. Every sense he had told him that it was the half-demon, alive, and in the flesh in front of him. The pulse from the Tenseiga almost seemed to prove it all as well.

This was the state Inuyasha had been left in by the one named Kikyo. This was where he fell to her arrow because of the plot of Naraku and the Shikon Jewel. Which meant either this world was a complete illusion, or that he had been thrown into the past.

Slowly, Inuyasha's eyes seemed to open, as if Tenseiga was calling him out.

"... What the Hell are you doing here?" Inuyasha asked, looking at Sesshoumaru with angry eyes.

It'd been the Tenseiga which must have drawn out Inuyasha from his cursed slumber, reacting to the blood of the one his father desired he protect.

There was no time to answer for Sesshoumaru when he pulled himself up, soaked unceremoniously in mud. Turning his head sharply, he saw Romulus already upon him. Raising the Tenseiga to block, he felt all the power which remained in the blade, drain in one final pulse. As soon as the Spatha made contact with it, the fang which his father had given him, the broken off piece of Tetsusaiga, shattered. Fragments of the steel poured into the air as a cloud of metal, as the top half of the blade seemingly evaporated. Golden eyes looked on in shock, before the arc of the red glowing European blade cut him down the front of his chest. His kimono slit open, revealing his chest and previous wounds, blood splattered into the air as the dog demon felt himself fall to his knees, his power all but broken.

A vicious backhand followed, slapping his form into the mud.

"All my prey end this way, Sesshoumaru," Romulus said. "All of them start so high and mighty, and in the mud in the end. There is no shame in being inferior to me, as all others are... Barbarian."

The Roman reached down, grasping him by the top of his hair and pulling him back up to his knees. Sharp breaths escaped the demon lord as he looked up defiantly in his last moments, seeing the look of satisfaction on the other demon's face.

"My final conquest."

With that, Romulus pulled back his blade once more, intending this time to take his head.

The sound of feet rushing through the grass around them startled both demons. By the time Sesshoumaru's eyes shifted, he saw only a blur of red.

"Iron Reaver!"

Arcs of golden energy flicked through the air before Inuyasha blasted past the two of them. Blood saturated Sesshoumaru, but this time, it was the blood of Romulus. The arm which held his blade, at the elbow, simply fell away as it was cut free by the once bound half-demon. There was surprise written on the other demon's face as he tried to realize what had just happened to his arm. Slowly his jaw dropped before turning to look at it.

It was infuriating that his brother had intervened in his battle, but there was no time to dwell or think on it.

The moment to strike arrived.

Poison dripped from Sesshoumaru's right set of claws. With no reprisal from the Spatha to respond, the dog demon shoved his claws into the abdomen of his attacker in his moment of distraction and weakness. Toxic claws tore through the chest piece as the demonic energies which had once strengthened it, were broken by Romulus's loss of concentration. Flesh was torn through without any effort, as Sesshoumaru's hand came through the other side of the demon's chest. He struggled to keep his own arm steady at the gargantuan effort it took merely to lash out as he had. Breathing heavily, Sesshoumaru pulled himself up from his knees, blood bursting from his wounds as he moved.

"How?" Romulus wheezed as their roles reversed.

The Roman's legs gave way as he fell to his knees, struggling to breath as he just looked up at Sesshoumaru with confused eyes, unable to see how this fate had befallen him. There was a moment of understanding between the two warriors. It was the understanding of victory, and defeat.

Pulling his arm out of the chest, blood burst from the wound.

"I, Sesshoumaru, could never be defeated by a demon as lowly as yourself."

With that, and one final push, he slashed his deadly fingers towards the neck. Flesh tore and burned, and blood blasted upward as the head was cut clear from the body. The look of surprise never left the Roman demon's face as it lifted into the air, before slapping the ground without any fanfare a few meters away. The headless body bowed before him, by falling to the muddy ground below, utterly lifeless.

Breathing heavily, trying his best to even stand, Sesshoumaru painfully closed his eyes before trying to take even a few steps forward, unable to even think clearly as to what to do.

"Well Sesshoumaru, looks like your friend's all out of steam. Guess its my turn to finish you off then," Inuyasha offered smarmily from the side, grinning at the advantage he knew he held.

Turning his head towards him, now having time to remark, ignoring most of what Inuyasha had just said, the older brother made an off handed, annoying comment.

"You shouldn't... have interfered."

The amused look on Inuyasha's face however, shifted to one of a mixture of disbelief, confusion, and uncertainty. Sesshoumaru felt his balance collapse around him as he tried to remaining standing. The world began to spin and then quickly turned into darkness.

The final thought the demon-lord had was a simple one.

Where am I?

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Author's Notes:

It's been a long time since I've really touched any fanfiction with Inuyasha in it. The last time I did, as an author, I was a much bigger noob. I knew the stories I wanted to tell, but didn't really know how to present them. Now I think I'm at the point where I feel comfortable returning to this kind of story. I really wanted to tell something with a real sense of meaning to it, so I've got this story largely planned out. It will probably be long.

This story won't just focus on this Future Sesshoumaru, but the Sesshoumaru of the past, Inuyasha, Rin, Kagome, Kagura, Sango, and Miroku. I really want to make a story that to me, makes sense and has as authentic of a feel as I can put into it. I enjoy writing action, drama, and really just new things. I'm going to list the story as Drama/General, because I'm really aiming for it to have as much in it as I can. Trauma, Family, Romance, Action, Adventure, Friendship, and of course, Drama.

Though I'll be straight up, I write several other stories and I tend to update stories based off how much people enjoy them.

If anyone reads my story, The Long Road, don't worry, it's update is coming next week. :)