#and Sesshomaru is great in that

[jakotsuto]

I’ve posted before about not really caring about Sesshomaru but I actually am starting to like him on this rewatch

[aliemboyfriend]

im strictly following this manga for the SCRAPS of 1) married inukag content and 2) certified dogdad moments and boy. Boy this one Hurt Me Bad

[mariana-gd]

Had a silly chat with a friend yesterday, and this came up: "Bambi's b*tchy ass dad in Bambi II and Sesshomaru have the same vibes" I don't know if I'm crazy, but now I CAN'T UNSEE IT...

[linkueikunoichi]

Sooooo, I think I have a type.

I just don’t know what it could be…

Surely not aloof, tsundere-ish men who could easily break me in half…right?

Maybe I need to make a full list…

Because this ain’t the whole husbando corps, I got a few more that are missing.

I need Jesus lmfao

[la-hannya]

"She knows what she truly wants"

[handsomewitch]

the deep irony of hades being a game where you get to be bi and poly just as default but I find the gay romance completely uncompelling

[sunyoungpeony]

Book Recommendations To read more, visit: https://sunyoungpeony.top/i-stopped-chasing-people BONUS PART: Your guide to keep your mindset strong and help it grow in a positive way, rather than self-sabotaging your own success.

[anisaanisa]

The implication that Inuyasha is more pretentious than Sesshomaru is hilarious and a little too close to correct – if there was one person in this series that's more audacious than Sesshomaru, it's The Boy.

“I’m a half-demon, more egotistical and greedy than any other living creature — that’s what human beings are, right?”

Hello, can you sort out the "this sesshomaru" business. I know it has something to do with high speech at the time, but I have seen a lot of fans deny that he even talks that way. (knowing that it is more of a cultural thing, but it is still there) can you offer any information on that?

What is literally translated as “This Sesshoumaru” is when Sesshoumaru refers to himself as “kono Sesshoumaru”.  He only infrequently uses this phrase, typically for emphasis.  In English it would more naturally translate as “I, Sesshoumaru”, although “This Sesshoumaru” is more literal.

SESSHOUMARUまさかこんな所にあろうとは…　この殺生丸も見ぬけなんだわ。Masaka konna tokoro ni arou to wa… kono Sesshoumaru mo minuke nan da wa.To think it was in a place like this… Even I, Sesshoumaru, had been blind to it.

SESSHOUMARU父上はなにひとつこの殺生丸に遺す気はなかった…ということか。Chichi-ue wa nani hitotsu kono Sesshoumaru ni nokosu ki wa nakatta… to iu koto ka.Meaning that… Father had no thoughts of leaving me, Sesshoumaru, with even a single thing.But for the most part, Sesshoumaru refers to himself with the neutral pronoun “watashi“ (私).

SESSHOUMARU見せてみろ犬夜叉、私でなくきさまが鉄砕牙の継承者であるという証を。Misetemiro Inuyasha, watashi de naku kisama ga Tessaiga no keishousha de aru to iu akashi wo.Show me, Inuyasha.  Proof that it is you rather than I who is the true heir to Tessaiga.

Fun fact: Sesshoumaru isn’t the only character to sometimes refer to himself as “kono ______”.  Inuyasha does it, too!  At least in the anime, he does.  I don’t have the time to check the whole manga to see if he originally used that grammatical form, since it’s a whole lot easier to narrow down chapters where Sesshoumaru talks than do the same for Inuyasha. x_x  However, I do have an example handy from the audio dramas (the line translated as “Some piece of bamboo thinks it can challenge me!”).

But Inuyasha doesn’t call himself “kono Inuyasha”, instead he sometimes calls himself “kono ore-sama” (この俺様), which is arguably even MORE pretentious than “kono Sesshoumaru”.  “Ore” is a rough masculine form of the pronoun “I”, and is what Inuyasha generally uses for himself, while the “sama” suffix is typically reserved for other people of high esteem.  So he’s basically calling himself “the great and powerful me”.

On that note, people who have Sesshoumaru say “This Sesshoumaru-sama” are incorrect.  I don’t recall Sesshoumaru ever using “sama“ on himself (although if someone has an example, feel free to contradict me).

[almondmilkcleanser]

𝐖𝐈𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐈𝐀 𝐃𝐈𝐏𝐏𝐄𝐃 𝐈𝐍 𝐆𝐎𝐋𝐃 𝐂𝐇. 𝟑

𝐈𝐍 𝐀 𝐍𝐔𝐓𝐒𝐇𝐄𝐋𝐋. You're a fox youkai who's just been betrothed to be married to this anonymous demon. But is he really that anonymous? He looks.. familiar.

✥ ` ■ 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐀𝐂𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐒. f!reader x sesshomaru ✥ ` ■ 𝐒𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐘 𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒. Arranged marriage; opposites attract; ✥ ` ■ 𝐖𝐎𝐑𝐃 𝐂𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐓. my perfectionism don't like det. ✥ ` ■ 𝐋𝐈𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐓𝐎. Teresa - moments x where roses bloom ✥ ` ■* 𝐀/𝐍. — Happy holidays <3 Leave a comment to be added to the update list! ✥ ` ■ 𝐄𝐗𝐂𝐋𝐔𝐒𝐈𝐕𝐄 𝐘𝐎𝐔𝐊𝐀𝐈 - @hisokaswaifu32 all-the-thngz-i-nvr-said traumatizedgirly meontheblock002 tcapter luv-for-fictional-characters rlurvey obsessedalpaca bontensbabygirl bunniotomia

“Explain this “arrangement” to me right now!” the castle consorts hid their faces in their palm. Your brash mannerisms were nothing new. They were encouraged even by your father despite your mother’s attempt at teaching you to be a studious, demure, quiet lady. 

“Oh, Y/N. This arrangement was long arranged since before you were born. You see, Sesshomaru’s father, the great Inu Taisho-” Sesshomaru nodded his head slightly at your father, giving him the OK to continue. 

“Him and I would meet during the seasons. “Oh, my daughter!” your father clapped his hands together. A triumphant smile plastered across his face. You stood next to Sesshomaru, your face flustered, grimacing and grumbling under your breath.

“Daddy! Explain the meaning of this!” you stomped your feet against the wisteria covered steps. Your father met the two of you outside of the castle gates inside the garden. Speckles of violets and morning glories danced in the air around the two of you; bright pigments of lavender, green, sage and yellow in preparation for the spring. It was going to be a beautiful spring according to the season oracle. But none of that mattered right now-

And its through his skilled knowledge of the land that we were able to expand our kingdom into such a beautiful creation that it is today. No war. No famine. Our kingdom has been designated to aide in a kingdom’s beautification from near and far. Sesshomaru was but a child then, but we agreed that if and when i have a daughter, she would be his bride. 

“Well, what if I don’t want to be his bride!” you protested, glaring at him from the side of your eye. Sesshomaru returned your stare with a his own. Letting off a short chuckle as he looked away.

“You see, daddy! He doesn’t even want to proceed with the arrangement. And besides, he’s too soft-looking. You said it yourself that my husband needs to be a warrior!”

“Y/N, don’t be so crude, sweetheart.” your mother looked over at Sesshomaru apologetically. His expression remained neutral. “You can’t outwardly judge someone so harsh-”

“I’m assuming you’re going to blindly negate from the fact that I saved you from that large demon outside in the fields.” your father’s eyebrows shot up. “Your life was nearly over if I didn’t find you when I di-”

“I didn’t ask you to do that!” you huffed, crossing your arms as you looked away. “I would have figured out a way to take him down.”

“With a measly hand blade? I would have enjoyed watching that happen.”

“Tsk! Daddy!”

Your father pressed his fingers on both sides of his nose. He knew this wasn’t going to be an easy 1-2 process. 

“How’s this. Get to know him till the end of summer. By the time the last hydrangeas fall to the ground to welcome the winter and you still have your apprehensions, we will cancel the arrangement. And in exchange, I will let you choose whether to stay or go. Whichever you

decide.”

Your face softened. Your father must have really respected this Inu Taisho person. With a brattish glance at Sesshomaru, you took a deep breath and dropped your arms.

“Fine. But if this doesn’t work. I want that jade necklace you promised me and 2 horses for myself.” you walked off to the right towards your chambers, leaving your handmaidens no choice but to follow you.

“And he’s not staying in my room!” was the last thing you said before disappearing into the distance.

Your father looked at Sesshomaru with the deepest, most silent apology. “I promise you she’s not normally like this..”

Sesshomaru grunted in response. “If its alright with you I’ll take my stay outside of the castle. I suspect if that one demon was so close its best I linger around for a little while longer.”

“Ah! Yes! A-are there any other acquaintances of yours that we should accomoda-”

“Lord Sesshomaruuuuuuu! Wait for me!!!!!” Sesshomaru’s face showed its first expression this whole time; annoyance. A small green creature with buggy eyes and a large stick sprinted through the garden, his breath ragged and fumbled.

“Ah! My Lord! You ran away so suddenly and I- Hm? What is this place?” the creature looked around frantically, his eyes both in wonder but also in.. permanent worry?

“This is my wife’s kingdom, Jaken.”

“Your wife.” Jaken repeated. He looked around at your father and mother, the servants, and the flowers until it hit him,

“Your wife!?”

“This simply has to be a mistake. No women is worthy enough of the Great Lord Sesshomaru! Just what kind of bribery must have- OOF!” In a blink, Jaken’s face was to the floor with a large knot to his head. Sesshomaru pivoted on his heel, walking out of the castle, leaving Jaken on the floor to catch up to him.. Eventually. 

—

“Y/N! Are you crazy! You have to marry him. Do you not see him? He’s incredibly handsome.”

You crossed your arms, eyes darting bullets at your friend, Saya. Saya put her hands to her cheeks, her bright brown eyes glimmering at the inert fantasy playing in her head.

“To have such a strong demon under your arm and bear his children must be a dream come true!”

“Not for me! I don’t even know this man. He could be an absolute psycho.”

“Or a dream!” your other friend, Miko, piped up alongside Saya. You could see the soft envy in their eyes, but it wasn’t harmful. Your own friends didn’t even understand why you were so apprehensive. 

“I don’t know…” Miko sighed, rubbing her temples. “I just feel like I’m still young. Still wanting to explore the world. Or-”

“Still wanting to pickle yourself for that fool Hachiko. I’m telling you, Y/N. You’re going to get yourself hurt all over again and this time its going to stick.” Saya looked at you and Miko, who you felt was more of an older sister type of friend, with curious eyes.

“Who’s Hachiko?” Saya asked.

“Oh he’s some soldier in training in the neighboring kingdom that Y/N is head over heels about. But he’s just a peasant boy, no grounds for a pri-”

“Peasant boy or not, I love him. And no Sesshomaru is going to stand between us.” You stood to your feet to escape back into the garden.

“Y/N.” Miko piped up, her eyebrows scrunched in concern. “Just- think it over. Opportunities like this don’t come around often for women like us.”

You looked back, your mouth pressed together. Without saying much else, you walked out of your room, into your personal garden.

[shadowpuppetteer]

There are so many great Gargoyles versions of my favorite media, Avatar the Last Airbender by @youkaiyume years ago, and Rise of The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles by @straysketches, but have not seen any for Inuyasha. Well if you want something done, you got to do it yourself. So I did.

Inuyasha became "Ishiyasha" Ishi (rock or stone) yasha (forest spirit). And his wings were modeled after his hakama sleeves.

In this version I thought it would suit Kagome to be studying medicine or to become a nurse since she became more familiar with healing herbs in the original story.

Personally, I love Sango's demon slayer uniform, so I stuck with that for the design and well as having these wings look a bit more like her boomerang.

Miroku's scars around his wind tunnel are modeled after Kintsukuroi, the process of repairing broken pottery with gold filling.

Shippo is probably the smallest gargoyle here while Kirara gets to be the gargoyle beast of the team.

Of course, Kaede is the Hudson of the clan, with their missing eye and medieval accents. Tried to model Sesshomaru's horns after his crescent mark on his forehead and some of the extra shoulder spikes off his armor. And of course he likes to cover his missing arm with his wing.

It was fun to make Kikyo the Coldstone in this version. Nothing like having your ex being brought back to life as a shattered cyborg! I also added in some armor inspired by her clone's from the third Inuyasha movie. This was fun to mash up these two series that I love ❤ For a full list of elements that inspired their designs, you can check the post here.

[actually1000percentdone]

If Rumiko Takahashi wasn't so involved in Trashahime I would have given this women a fucking oscar for Sesshomarus character development.

I mean how isn't this the cutest idea that this giant, human hating dog demon becomes the father figure to TWO HUMAN CHILDREN???

This is so great because in most series or anime it happens through love interests (which is also great but with the right circumstances) and here it happened through adopting human kids and this just so beautiful.

Making Sesshomaru a adoptive dad was the greatest choice ever and Sunrise took it and threw it out the window.

[jwylea]

Reiki.

This was ridiculous. Utterly ridiculous.

She was sore from yesterday, hadn't had much for breakfast, had to deal, and is STILL dealing, with Inuyasha and with the way he kept bothering her and whining about how he didn't want her to return to her time, despite it being WEEKS.

Now she had to deal with bandits, who turned out to be demons. They had had recently abducted Shippo and would only return him in exchange for the jewels shards.

They were clearly low class level demons, going on about how they won't hesitate to kill Shippo, and possibly even eat him. Inuyasha was doing nothing but barking, and Sesshomaru was about to attack but that was when a deafening crack was heard.

All demons in the surrounding area felt a wave of spiritual energy. The young Miko looked enraged, reiki surrounding her as she also tried to keep her powers at bay as to not harm her friends.

"I am his mother!! And a miko for that matter, so if you don't want me to fry you alive, you will do well to let my child go!"

Kagome roared; her voice held power and determination, a tone even her friends had almost never heard her use. Gone was the tender voice of a high-school girl; now replaced before them was a woman, a mother, who was very much willing to attack and protect her child.

The demons didnt have to be told twice as they dropped the kit and fled. Kagome quickly rushed to his side and cradled him as he hugged her tightly with tears in his eyes.

Her suffocating reiki had died down by now, and although one could tell that bringing forth such great amounts of powers could render someone exhausted, especially for Kagome who still had a lot to learn, she kept herself from falling over.

She rose up, kit in her arms, and looked at the stunned group(Sesshomaru being and exception).

"Let's go." She said tiredly, wishing for the day to just come to an end.

Later that evening, Miroku and Sango were sat next to each other, whispering.

"You think so?.." Asked Sango.

"Mhm...think about it." Replied Miroku with a slight grin on his face.

"I guess you have a point...Sesshomaru kind of rubbed off on her." Sango commented.

"All I can say, my dear Sango, is that ever since Sesshomaru-sama came into the group, Kagome-sama seemed to have gained more confidence in herself. Even in her abilities."

Sango only nodded as she looked at her now sleeping friend, with Shippo and Rin, safely tucked between her arms.

The inu yokai in question, was sat at the base of tree in the near distance, eyes closed.

The comments almost made him smirk.

Hey guys, a couple of weeks have passed since my last post. Uni got way out of hand, and it's a period where I have to visit different family members so it will still be some time. Even because once again: 💕💘exams💕💘

Gosh.

But no worries I will always have fun sketched to post even during this exam period(which fortunately won't last as long as the previous one--)

Anyway, enough yapping, I wanted to have some fun and draw Kags in the same manner as Yor from SpyxFamily! Season 1 where she and Anya were going grocery shopping and Yor flipped(As my Queen should).

Hope you guys like it and enjoy, see you guys very soon for the next post(Also, in the next post I will give an update about Comissions and when they might possibly open so stay tuned!)

Side by side view:

[demi-pixellated]

Twin Heirs of the Great Lord Sesshomaru

[justasecretflower]

Hi!! I love reading your Inuyasha headcannons! I was wondering if you could do 💐 for a Jorogumo type reader as I've gotten really interested into Japanese Mythos. It would really make my 22nd birthday all that more special. But if that's a little bit of an unhealthy stretch for you, maybe an anthropologist sent back through time like Kagome was for the 💐 guys please?

Hope you're having a wonderful night and or day🕸️📜

A/n- hey chérie! First off happy birthday (late, if I missed it.) and ofc I can do that !:) this was actually so fun to write so thanks for the request :D

💐- The Inuyasha boys ft. A gn Jorogumo reader 🕸️🕷️

You look lost, visit my garden ?

(Jorogumo- a Japanese myth about a yōkai that can shape shift from a beautiful woman to a spider. Contains her victims in webs and eats them. Her victims are mostly young attractive men Or in this case, a person of any gender is the jorogumo)

Inuyasha

- oh he TEASES you to the max

- ..but that’s only because he’s flustered around you 99% of the time.

- oh how much you make this man flush is insane.

- you can just look at him for a longer period of time and he’s a deep scarlet and immediately like “what are you looking at you arachnid weirdo?!”

- he’s in denial.

- but he’s crazy jealous of all the attention you receive from other men, naturally you’re gonna attract other guys it just tips him off the edge.

- If you’re walking by and men look at you it’s “what are you looking at?!”

- or if you’re just chilling by the hot spring he’s on lookout, locked in the whole time.

- if he spots ANY guy he’s crashing out. “Do you need me to gouge out your eyes you freak?!”

- when he’s fighting off a male demon, he allows you to eat him at the end. So cute.

Miroku.

- now..

- you’re a huge thing he brags about. Not that he doesn’t value you, it just he values you a lot and wants to show off his beautiful arachnid yōkai partner!

- I imagine he’d be scared of spiders. Like , deathly afraid of those little things ( me too.) he wouldn’t show it so he’d appear more manly for the girls but like..miroku you’re not fooling anyone you’re slowly retreating from a wolf spider?

- you’re the exception for him.

- he’s more okay with men looking than Inuyasha but he always goes up to you and the guys and wraps his arm around your waist and intimidates them. “Oh I’m aware my spouse is absolutely heavenly, that’s why I married them.” (You guys aren’t married?)

- when he’s fighting demons with the whole group he asks you to tie demons up with your silk if they need to interrogate them.

- he asks you to have little half spider babies (even if you can’t have kids biologically)

- oh he got so lucky to have you and he brags about it 24/7.

- looks away when you eat your victims. Or is in another room. He can’t see that💀

Naraku

- he would use you as an asset for his missions

- he’d have you go out on extremely dangerous missions, patch you up and gently glide his hand on your jaw and whisper how great of a ‘little spider’ you are

- he’s not a great guy people I can’t romanticize him I fear..

- he also brags about you, he makes you wear his clothes so you can smell like him, always a hand attached to your waist if you go out, he wants everyone to know this beautiful gem is his.

- he helps you train for missions, he feeds you, ect.

- he thinks that’s all he needs to do.

- wrong.

- when he starts noticing an emotional disconnect he starts giving you affection the only way he knows how. He spoils you with money, gems, clothes, and jewelry.

- that’s all your getting from him. He also might use you for a strong offspring (if you’re a woman)

- will eat the human men WITH you. (No not eat it himself just sit right next to you and talk casually.)

Sesshomaru

- he adores your beauty, but your strength is what lures him into you.

- he doesn’t get jealous. He knows that you’re his and he’s yours.

- besides, you’d likely eat all of the guys that are catcalling you anyway.

- speaking of feeding, he retrieves victims sometimes for you. While he’s fighting something off like Kōgas pack or whatever, he’ll drop to you and let you eat.

- he gifts you a lot of jewelry that resemble spiders, like a hair pin or a webbed looking necklace.

- he isn’t grossed out by your spider form. Opposite, he thinks it’s attractive being that powerful.

- he adores you but hates your little spider friends. Get those things off. He isn’t scared of them, just very, very annoyed about how they’re tiny legs feel on him.

Kōga

- oh he’s cute.

- he’s always bragging about you and how powerful you are, and his pack basically worship you.

- he knows that some men in his pack (mostly all) have a lingering gaze on you when you walk past, or a lingering touch while gifting you something.

- he’s so open about confronting them though.

- “hands off! You did your job already. No need to be feeling up on what’s rightfully mine.”

- he means well in that statement!..

- even if it comes off as overprotective, he’s just constantly thinking about how many strong men want you because of your strength and beauty.

- he watches you on missions. He likes to see you as your spider form.

- helps you clean up after feeding, washes you, your hair, stuff like that.

Jinenji

- opposites attract, for you two apparently.

- he was always made out to look like the villain/evil and never was. You looked sweet and innocent, in reality no.

- he can’t look when you’re feeding. He just can’t. He almost threw up once.

- he needs a lot of reassurance that you love him for him, and he’s not just another victim. Because, how would he pull somebody as heavenly looking as you?

- it takes him a long time to tell his mom about what you are. He thinks she’d disprove, but in reality she doesn’t care. I’m convinced she’s a ‘cool’ boy mom.

- he gets super insecure when guys try to flirt with you, he just stands there like “🧍🏻”

- he stays silent, but he’s clingy for the rest of the night. Head in your lap and kissing your hands delicately.

- he doesn’t find your spider form weird at all, he actually finds it pretty cool how powerful you are.

- also doesn’t mind your spider friends! Thinks they’re cute and gets ticklish when they climb on him.

- he can’t spoil you with money, but he can with his affection, and trust me he tells you how much he loves you a LOT. Words of affirmation and acts of services are his love languages and he goes hardcore on both of them.

If you wanna request Inuyasha put the little “💐” with your request :D

Tags

[mama-ino]

Eh?

He'd never felt such an overwhelming feeling. He was so unsure of himself, so unlike the great Sesshomaru. He didn't exactly understand human courting. This was unknown territory.

He watched her push her sleeves up to her elbows, her attention on the laundry.

A slight tug on her sleeve gave her pause. Her azure gaze meeting a normally certain uncertainty. "Sesshomaru," she spoke about to ask if he was alright, stopping. She didn't want him to assume she thought he was weak. Would he take it that way?

Seeing her attention was not his, he finally spoke, "This one will come for you in three days' time."

"Eh?"

"At sunset," he spoke.

Before she could process his words, she joked lightheartedly, "Like a date?" As soon as the words left her mouth, she snapped her mouth shut, "Oh, um. Just kid-"

"Yes," he spoke far too sure of himself.

Eh...?!?

Hahahahaha, I spent a good 10 minutes just laughing at tiny lips and a pout because I am mature.

[loveyou-x3000]

I've had a sesskag fic on my mind, but it's very fucked up, so I'm putting it below the cut. I don't know where this nonsense comes from. I don't know if I'll ever do anything with it. But I do know I should probably book an appointment with a therapist.

Setting: Post-Shikon Jewel, main series canon, with ideas and characters cherry picked out of Yashahime. That's all Yashahime is good for, anyway.

Pairings: InuKag (to start), SessKag (to end), KohRin (is that their shipname?), and the tried-and-true MirSan. Plus your standard InuParents lore.

Tropes: InuYasha got GOT, sorry not sorry. Is it really a believable SessKag fic if InuYasha survives? Barely-friend to Lovers for SessKag.

Rin and Kohaku would be very grown (20s), which means Moroha is born much much later on.

Please remember that I said this shit is fucked. Do not continue if you cannot read violence, assualt, non-con, etc.

-

On the night of the new moon, many years after the end of the main series, a creature slips undetected into the village.

InuYasha cannot sense the danger on the new moon, but he also isn't in the village. He and Miroku were meant to be back from their job days ago, but haven't made it back.

Kagome, newly pregnant, barely three months along, senses the danger once it is already too late.

She investigates.

Her stomach bottoms out when she feels the awful flood of yoki coming from Rin and Kohaku's home.

When she bursts in, unafraid, arrow drawn, it is to the sight of Kohaku's body on the floor. His blade is bloodied, but the light is gone from his eyes. (Again.)

There is a man upon Rin, with her in her bed, and she is scratching and clawing and kicking and fighting. There is a dagger sticking at an awkward angle from the villain's eye as he assults her, enjoying it too much, reveling in something.

Kagome cannot process the terror because she must act. And act she does.

In all her years in the feudal era, only one other man has caught her arrow between his fingers in the same way this man does now.

And just as her arrow had melted away between Sesshomaru's fingers, so too does it in this man's hand. But his fingers are blackened from the strain. Either her power is stronger than it was, or this man is weaker than Sesshomaru is.

But he does not feel weaker. He feels worse and awful and black-and-purple, like the miasma Naraku used to weep, like the darkness of the corrupted jewel. As he abandons Rin—with promises to return, because he has plans for her—he towers at a height that brings back memories of Naraku's sneers and taunts.

But this man is not Naraku. He is red-haired and wild-eyed, with an aura that feels like a storm. Crushing. Powerful.

It reminds her of when she saw Sesshomaru transform in the belly of his own father, when she was just a child.

He says something to her about carrying the blood of a demon lord within her. Distantly, she knows the reference—but in the moment, she cannot dwell on it, because Rin needs her help.

The man clearly does not expect his entire hand to catch on fire when he touches Kagome. The flames are purifying and pink, leaving a blackened mass behind, but he laughs like he enjoys the pain.

Rin is muttering something as the man steps closer to Kagome. A wind catches through the red mat on the door. There is a roar in the distance.

Kohaku's blood on the wind. Kirara.

Kagome ends up on the ground with Rin. Her ankle smarts. Her body protests. The man is saying something about the great dog lords, about how they will make a pretty sight, and then there is a rusted blade sticking out the front of his chest.

InuYasha, black haired and furious.

Tessaiga, slumbering but sharp.

There is no fight to be had. InuYasha is human and Tessaiga sleeps. There is only clawed hands around his throat, his feet off the ground, a smirk in the intruder's eyes.

(Tessaiga on the ground—suddenly at her own feet, as though summoned.)

Kagome can only watch as he dies.

Kagome can only watch as his still-beating heart stops in the palm of the demon's hand, wrenched from his own chest.

InuYasha says something, even still. Stubborn even to the end.

There is suddenly nothing.

Then there is something.

Rin and Kagome are in the forest. Transported.

Tessaiga is in Kagome's hand.

Rin is in tatters.

The village is alight with flame.

They cannot return. There was nothing to return to, as far as they knew.

So instead, they must go.

Kagome knows very few people they can turn to.

Rin knows only one.

Where Sesshomaru goes, these days, is known only to Jaken. But Rin is grown and not as stupid as Jaken thinks—she's pieced it together. And Sesshomaru has told her, besides.

There is a realm of yokai hidden in this world. She'd even been to it, once: his mother's lonely castle, filled with hollow soldiers.

Sesshomaru had told her she would never step foot in his true home—and, if she did, it would be at the cost of her freedom. Her safety. Her livelihood. It was not his mother's vacant castle he called home; he had a castle of his home. Far away from here, in a place where humans weren't meant to reach.

The problem? Rin doesn't know how to reach it. Neither does she know when Sesshomaru meant to visit her next.

But Kagome has a thought.

The trek to Koga's den is long and arduous. They have little food and water, tatters for clothes, and are constantly on alert for the man's return.

Sometimes, in the dead of night, Kagome swears she can feel Tessaiga trying to soothe her.

They come across a shrine. In it, they find food and new clothes, given freely by the preistesses. The don't linger. They don't reveal their wounds.

At the base of a mountain Kagome cannot dream to climb, she opens her mouth and screams for him. Her friend. Her idiot, love-stricken wolf.

She hopes it isn't a fool's errand. The wind seems to spin up arpund them when she does, as though the universe itself meant to help carry her voice.

And it works.

Kagome knew Rin was wary of wolves, but she hadn't known how deep the fear went.

Though Koga offers them a den to sleep in, warm and safe, she and Rin find themselves laying out in the open. Gazing up at the stars.

Rin says it reminds her of her traveling days, as a child. Of feeling safe with Sesshomaru.

It reminds Kagome of better times, too.

Whether it be the exhaustion or the pain, Rin falls asleep. Koga sits with Kagome. They speak, for a time.

The invader that had haunted them this whole time had no hope of tracking them. Koga tells her that with Tessaiga, they're concealed. The barrier hides them. He'd only known they were there because she'd screamed.

"You're always welcome here. If you want. By my side or not. You can call this home."

"I have a home, Koga."

"I know."

Its driver seems less than pleased. He refuses passage to Kagome and Rin, doubly so when they say they have a message for Sesshomaru.

In the morning, a cart has come. Koga sent for it.

Its a ferry to the true realm of his people. He says there aren't many wolves in the realm of yokai. Too uppity, too stuffy. But he's still a pack leader, so the ferry still answers.

But the ferryman is suddenly more ameniable when Tessaiga explodes with a burst of yoki so powerful it knocks him into the rocks.

Sesshomaru, who would never humor humankind.

Sesshomaru, who hates mankind. Womankind even more so, or so the man claims.

And so, the two women fly.

The Gates of the House of the Moon do not have guards. They have but one scout, who stares at them oddly when they approach. Just like everyone else has.

And he, just like everyone else, refrains from doing whatever was in his mind when he sees the sword at Kagome's waist.

The sword pulses.

The Gates open.

There are guards within. Guards who do not recognize Tessaiga. They laugh at them when they say they have business with Sesshomaru.

And so they walk through.

(Tessaiga is home.)

They err towards violence, daring to take Kagome by the hair and threaten a thousand awful things that could happen to a pretty human woman.

So it's no surprise when he explodes in a burst of pink light.

His partner flees.

So they walk on.

No one stops them again. Whether they know the sword or not, Tessaiga is seething, and even Kagome can feel the dangerous roil of yoki coming from it.

Through the palace they walk.

Through the palace they wander.

Until a silent voice tells Kagome to stop, and they stand before two painted shoji. Three great dog-beasts are painted across it: two with crescent moons and the largest without.

But the door will not open when Kagome tries it. Not until Tessaiga pulses—as though the sword has a mind of its own—and an unseen lock clicks open.

The doors part and before them is an audience chamber, where Sesshomaru, still as stone, stares back at them.

(For a moment, Kagome thinks he might look surprised.)

Every demon in the large space between them is pale as a sheet, staring at her too. She realizes that the pulse of energy must have been felt by them.

Tessaiga's energy.

The yoki of InuYasha's Father.

They'd expected to see a ghost where she now stands.

But the ghost isn't here. There is only Kagome and Rin, with an audience of more daiyokai than either of them had ever seen in their lives.

She falls into the lowest bow she can manage, forehead to the floor.

"Rin," Sesshomaru says, in his flat way. Expectant. Patient.

Never angry. Not with her.

Kagome stands even so.

(The weight of their days is suddenly catching up to her. Up to the baby.

The baby.

Their baby.

Now just hers.)

Not a soul has moved. No one is speaking. There is only Rin, trying to hold back her sobs of relief. Sobs of shame. Her shoulders are shaking.

"Lord Sesshomaru, I—"

He is suddenly before them. Kagome doesn't know when he moved. But he's there, tall and cold and impassive, slowly getting on his knee—

—on his knee, in front of his court, his gentry, his people; on his knee to be closer to a human, his head below a preistess', even by accident—

—to bring Rin's face from the ground.

"What happened to you?"

She cannot say, so he does not ask again. He means to wait until she can find the words. But Kagome speaks first.

"Sesshomaru."

Just Sesshomaru. She can feel the tension in his audience.

"InuYasha is dead."

Impossibly, she holds Tessaiga out to him. He has the gall to look at her like he hadn't known she was there in the first place.

"We were... attacked."

Sesshomaru does not speak. He watches. His eyes fixate on the sword between them.

"He saved us."

Why doesn't he speak?

"We have to avenge him."