As some of you may have noticed by the summary… This fic has obtained the second place for the 2003 Fangiuld Continuing Fiction award!

And guys…. That's not all. DYT has been nominated again for best 2004 Continuing Fiction. If you want to vote for me, you can join the fanguild http : groups. yahoo. com/ group/ iyfanguild/ - - and there are a great many other great fictions that deserve getting the top knots! The voting starts on the 20th June, later on in the day!

Part 6: Three days, two nights

88888 Period 488888

88888 The Week Brefore 88888

"The way the soldiers fought during the war against youkai was very brave if you consider the fact that they had to their disposition only what technology they had obtained till then, but the youkai still had . . . ."

It was always a boring lesson. Never would it change. Even when he had been in school himself, he had taken a habit of phasing out or just plain sleeping to recover the hours he'd taken out of his sleep to play virtual reality video games with Seshoumaru. Once he hadn't spoken to Miroku for a whole week; he'd kept insisting that he had drooled. That wasn't the reason though- he'd taken a snap with his web cam and then e-mailed it to the school's entire mailing list.

Well, he couldn't drop off now of course . . . no he couldn't . . . he really . . . couldn't . . . musn't . . .

Dring ring.

Inuyasha all but jumped standing. Someone behind him spanked his ass, but when he turned around looking murderous he found it was Sango- she'd apparently noticed he had been dropping off. Phew, no lecher girl.

"Inuhiko sp-"

"Get your ass out of there!"

"What?"

"I said grab Kagome and my sister and get yourselves to the school gates! Emergency ten! Priority red!"

"Ten red?"

"WHAT!" screamed Sango, pushing herself standing "Where!"

"Where's the ten red?"

"HEADING YOUR WAY! GET YOUR ASSES TO THE GATES! YOU HAVE TO KEEP IT AT BAY UNTIL THE ENFORCEMENTS COME!"

Kohaku yelled so loud they heard him all the way to America. Of course, the rest of the class did too.

There was a hubbub of screams and a sudden general stampede to the door. The lecturer placed himself in front of the door in an attempt to calm them down. Nobody could hear but screams and yells and pleading and screaming and people crying-

"SHUT THE FUCK UP!"

The room went stone silent as it had been hysterical before. All eyes turned to a fuming Inuyasha.

"Nobody- I said NOBODY" he glared at a girl inching to the door "Is to leave the building. Someone run to the headmaster. Sensei, block all the doors except the back ones. Spread and tell all the classes to gather in the farthermost rooms from the gate"

"Who made you Lieutenant?" said Sango, to be shut up in a delicate manner when he picked her up unceremoniously and rushed to one of the windows

"Hey! It's my duty too!" said Kagome coming up, grabbing her bow and arrows from the back of the room as he rolled the window open with a kicking Sango under his arm, Hiriakotsu dangling about.

"No! you're staying safely in here!" he yelled, putting a foot on the sill. Kirara hopped away and began seeing to ushering the humans as her Inuoji had ordered.

"She'll come anyways" commented Rin from the back of the room. She was still seated at her desk.

"Fucken stubborn wench!" he screamed, offering her his back "Stay close! If you hurt yourself, I'll get pissed off"

"So much for the post injury comforting" she muttered. Batting him before climbing on. Yes Kagome, do just that. Bat your mate on the shoulder and then climb on his back while you give off your fertile scent just before he jumps down three stories. Death wish, period.

"Get MOVING" he nearly screamed that the rest of the paralysed humans. The Sensei finally found his wits as Inuyasha jumped down.

Inuyasha landed safely on the grass underneath the window, squashing half the flower bed, notwithstanding the adverse condition of a Kagome on his back. Sango immediately began stripping of her uniform to expose her exterminator outfit underneath, and Kagome lost no time to string her bow and pass a thumb along the feather tail of a couple of her arrows, then headed to the gates, Inuyasha right beside her.

A trail of screaming from inside the school told them that the news was spreading in the worst possible way, and Inuyasha turned around to see some of the students wrestling with the doors in an attempt to wrench them open. The Sensei had been in time to lock the front doors it seemed. Teacher's lift coming into use at last.

Not so the secondary door to the gym it seemed, as a steam of students began flowing out of it and running towards the main gates. Turning around suddenly, Inuyasha gave a deep-throated growl and leaped to land in front of the first of the party.

"Get back into the building you idiots, the thing is coming here any minute, and I can't risk having a bunch of you dunderheads screaming around the place and exciting whatever it is with your fear!" he yelled roughly at them

"I don't care! I don't want to stay here! And I'm not taking orders from a slave!" screamed one of the frightened girls

"You'd better do girl, and BECAUSE I'm a demon. I know what the scent of fear will do to whatever bastard it is. Now GET IN THERE before I lose it!"

He unsheathed his sword and positioned it horizontally on his side, effectively barring their way to the gate

"Get in there and obey your alphas. This is an order from a member of the NS. I'm in charge of your asses at the moment as much as Sango and your headmaster, and you'd better not find yourselves out when that thing gets here because I will most definitely find your Miko's life more indispensable than yours"

This said with a death glare and a growl all the way through. He could already smell their fear at him, and the way Kohaku had reacted didn't promise a walk in park.

The screams inside suddenly became interlaced with screams along the outside streets. He flipped around and saw something that sent his blood running cold. Their opponent was so huge that the only part of its body that was covered by high school walls were its hard legs. Eight blood red, armoured legs with an exoskeleton of the species.

A fucken bloody scorpion, and by the looks of its damned humanoid face, it even had brains behind its monstrosity.

"Fuck" was all he said. All the students turned and ran, both at the sight of the horrid thing and also by the obvious vehemence in the youkai protector's (who had just threatened them to death) blasphemy. Even they could gather it was bad.

Inuyasha totally disregarded the retreated humans and their fates as he saw the creature head in a rampage to the front of the gates. Although it was bringing down houses as it went, it did not seem interested in destroying the school wall to get at the main building. It was instead viciously heading strait for the two human girls. One taijiya, one Miko, both strong, neither strong enough.

"Oh FUCK!" he exclaimed, and leaped. But the fucking thing was too close now, and the hanyou was still in the air when the first lashing strike of pincers was already descending on the two girls.

Before Inuyasha even had the time to scream out his mate's name, the blow was down, the tarmac was cracked, the pincer had crunched into the ground and the scorpion had roared. He couldn't see what was happened in the volley of stones, dust and pieces of the ground that the blow had raised. Most of it got into his eyes as his momentum carried him inexorably right into it's midst, a few split seconds too late. His nose became clogged with the dusts as he desperately attempted to sniff out his mate and her friend. The only sense that remained fully functional was his hearing.

Hearing that allowed his to avoid a sideways swipe of the same claw that was embedded in the ground. The strong exoskeleton carried all the tarmac with it, exposing all the ground beneath as the asphalt was broken like icing on a cake under a child's finger. He leaped into the air and somersaulted onto his feet, but barely had time to land before he had to spring out of the way again as the huge pincer came down on top of his head once more. He skidded left and right and managed to avoid all the blows, getting one side of his skin and sleeve of ripped as a poor price for having managed not to retreat towards the school.

Every time he landed he looked wildly around in an attempt to spot Kagome or Sango, but he barely had time to breath, and at that moment his instincts were strictly concentrated on saving his own skin. Survival instinct, he had been taught by his father, made you disregard all when there came a limit. For females it extended to the pups, but males did not have those instincts.

At the same time, he was disparate to see that his mate was ok. His nose was beginning to free itself, but all he could smell was the dust and the retching scorpion. His ears were swerving around hysterically, on the point of have cramps at the muscles on their base, and every time he opened his mouth to try and track her scent, all he got was a mouthful of rubble as the stupid arachnid insisted on destroying more and more of the school grounds

"Stay still so I can squash you!" he finally bellowed, confirming Inuyasha's previous observation that it had an evolved brain. Not good.

"And there I thought you were stupid!" he jeered at him. Combat tactic; get your opponent blinded with rage and make him forget his original plan.

"You dirty half breed! Socialising with humans now are you!" screamed the same creature. The pincers on his huge red face clicked menacingly. He brought down the second huge crab-like claw and starting attempting to squash Inuyasha with both.

The young hanyou was nimble and fast. But not enough. Training with his father and his brother was alright, but they had always been fights that attained to certain rules and containment. Fighting for your life required a greater experience to fighting in a dojo.

Not once, but four times did he avoid the pincers but barely; the descending deadly blows, and he did not go unscathed. His left arm got caught in one of the most acerbic double attacks and broke with a sickening crunch that sounded like a gunshot.

Inuyasha nearly bit right through his tongue to avoid yelling out and so bestowing satisfaction to his opponent. As it was, he held his heavy sword in his good arm and let his other dangle at an odd angle. The pain pulsed through his body, and again warned him that he was not used to mortal battles. He had a level average of pain supportation which he thankfully had not reached yet, but things were not looking good at the moment. An injured animal had less chances of surviving when faced with a predator.

"No matter" he spat blood obstinately. He would stand until the enforcements came. He didn't know if Kagome was hurt, lightly or badly, and he mentally refused to acknowledge the fact that she may be dead. So it was his duty to save his skin and also to protect her. Not mated yet, but he only had to wait two more days to the weekend. No way he'd kick it now, so fuck off.

"What the hell are you doing dressed like a human and protecting them no less! You are indeed a dog! You are no demon, you are but a lap dog, seeking the human's hands to pet you! You and your father, nothing but dogs!"

"Wrong bastard" he suddenly growled, crouching low, uncaring of his screaming arm "No one insults my father and lives to tell it"

"Let me see you try inu cub- you're nothing but a whelp!"

Battle tactic he reminded himself to clear his rage fogged mind. He wouldn't fall for the same trick he had pulled himself a few moments ago. But rage in his case was a good fuel.

Then he saw it. The fucking bastard was stalling in order to shift his massive body. It was twisted, half facing the school, half facing to his left as the rest of his hard external armour and the street made it impossible for him to turn completely. It was trying to turn in order to be able to strike with its most deadly weapon. The bloody venomous sting on its tail. From a quick glance, he could see with sickening realisation that there was a human hanging limp and dead, impaled through the abdomen and stuck hilt deep onto the sting.

With a blood curdling cry he leaped as high as he would go and brought his transformed sword down onto the disgusting abomination. The contact of his blade with the youki was devastating. He may not have been experienced in first hand combat for survival, but he had all the technique and training to make up for it.

The natural barrier of hardened skin on the tender arachnid flesh cracked just as loudly as his arm had, but some of the powerful wind claws were deflected and bounced back towards the hanyou. He was just in time to bring the self same sword up to block with its wide blade, but was thrown several meters back and landed in the middle of the grounds.

The green ooze trickled out of the cracked exoskeleton, but the adrenaline-drugged youkai didn't seem to notice as he let out a triumphant hiss and leapt forward, destroying the building in front of the school. Now with enough space to move around, the youkai was able to manage his body better. And Inuyasha was screwed.

Both the pincers came down together and Inuyasha succeeded in holding his dance for another few minutes before the blasted thing read through his tactic and attacked him severely. It slammed the pincers on both sides of him and brought them at him inexorably, peeling the asphalt off the ground as it went and decreasing Inuyasha's living space by the millisecond. All he could do was leap upwards as all his other routs were closed off, only to be hit strait in chest by the acidic venom the bastard spat like a snake. It peeled the dragon hide, but thankfully the though fabric protected his abdomen from getting more than slightly scorched.

The pincers where up in no time. And they attempted to squash him between them like a get fly. Too bad he was ready for it this time. Too bad for the scorpion, of course.

His father had thought him mastery of the youki, and now he used a huge burst of it to push the claws back with its only force. It was his high mating time after all. His youki was at its peak.

The claws were sent whistling away, thrown apart to embed into the walls. Shrapnel and stones and dust flew all over again and he was just in time to somersault backwards as he landed to avoid a large stone. Most of the courtyard grounds were now destroyed, although the main building was nearly unscathed. And every time he had a split second to think, the only thing that crossed Inuyasha's mind was; where is Kagome!

The youkai was not stupid. Inuyasha was. Stupid and inexperienced. And distracted.

Both claws came down together and he was not in time to leap away this time. The sword came up to shield, but with his broken arm he could offer the blade little leverage. Yet, miraculously, he managed to hold, using his elbow as his dislodged and broken forearm screeched in pain. The splintered bone began slicing his flesh from the inside, increasing his agony, and yet he held on. His jaw clenched so hard a couple of his teeth cracked, but repaired themselves instantly. His tongue was already healing of the near hole he had provided it with.

But he was losing ground. The youkai was leaving one of the pincers on the sword, which already had its weight, and bringing the other down with force, alternating one pincer with the other. His feet were digging into the ground, and he was suffering from the mere recoil as his leg bones were repeatedly slammed into the asphalt. His constitution was solid, so the tarmac cracked instead of his bones, but they still suffered. In order to absorb the shockwaves of the blows he had to retreat, and the building was too close to do that.

Kagome might have escaped in there his mind screamed, even as he remembered the locked doors. But those kids had gone through that side door. . .

He could not afford distraction again. The sword was being driven closer to his chest, and as he rested his head against it to give it better support, his elbow bone made it through his skin. He wanted to scream at the searing pain, but his pride and battle tactic made him contain it. He couldn't scream, and he couldn't give off scent of fear or pain either, because the fucking bastard would get excited.

"And now I'm tired of playing, so you die bastard traitor!" said the animal.

Inuyasha saw it coming a mile away, but moving away was not an option with the two pincers crushing at him out of time of one another. The fricken stinger was spiralling towards him at full speed. All he could do was wait for the last second to leap away, hoping to avoid the swinging pincers as he went. He was readying his legs when Kami decided to look his way.

"HIRIAKOTSU!"

The white bone easily slashed the sting right off, as the perfect aim it had been thrown with made it so that it hit exactly between one plate of skeleton and another; the space required by the creature to move the sting on its socket.

The scorpion screamed- something that gave Inuyasha an immense predatory satisfaction at the thought that he hadn't, at no point of the strife. Sango sprinted beside him. She was gasping and she had broken a sweat. She had run a lot

"Where the fuck were you? Where's Kagome?" he demanded as he lowered himself into a crouch and took the occasion to undo the uniform belt and make a borrowed sling for his arm out of it. Never taking his eyes off the thrashing youkai. The golden gleam had now changed completely. His adrenaline was running wild in his veins, nearly having the same burning effect Kagome touching him had. Oh yes, survival was a fucking strong instinct alright, and he was liking this powerful feeling.

"You owe me big-time for saving your ass. So now you have no excuse not to help the math homework" said Sango, regaining her breath and Hiriakotsu, that came whizzing back to its owner. She was dragged a few steps back by its weight and its momentum, but with the same movement her body was poised ready to launch again.

"You left, I right" he said shortly. "three, two, one"

They both yelled as strongly as their lungs could without rending, giving themselves muscle power in the act of forcefully expelling air. Both had been trained to do it. The youkai looked around in time to see the bone boomerang coming strait at its face together with a hanyou that wore a murdering expression. The contentment that shone in his eyes and in his glinting fangs, shown through a smirk of pure adrenaline-high, spoke its death sentence.

The boomerang and the hanyou seemed to be heading exactly for the same direction. The youkai's mind worked at the extra speed of combat stress and reasoned that they would collide half way through. All it had to do was step back- which it did.

Now it was the scorpion that was stupid, not Inuyasha. Inuyasha was actually taking the scorpion exactly where he wanted it to be.

Just before the Hiriakotsu was within hitting distance, Inuyasha changed his body stance, offering less air resistance to the wind hitting him. His nimble form slipped by at a higher speed, just as the boomerang passed by his back missing him by calculated millimetres. And through his increased speed he plunged directly into the scorpion's youki. Fighting to keep the strong putrid stench from knocking him out, he produced one fluid swing. His body, which had been taunt, his arm raised, travelling sideways in order to be more aerodynamic, now turned to face the wind again. It slammed into him and stopped him from colliding with the target- pincer number two. Now his body facing on spot, arm raised, all he had to do was bring it on.

Or bring it down. Which he did.

Hiriakotsu connected with the left claw simultaneously with Tetsusaiga. Had the weapons been living, they would have complemented each other in camaraderie. As it was, it was up to their masters to do it.

"Where the fuck is Kagome!" asked Inuyasha as soon as he landed. Maybe not.

"I missed you too" she said sarcastically as they both jumped away to avoid being splashed in the scorpion's fluid. One could not possibly call it blood.

"Don't fuck with me bitch! Where is she!"

"She got hit in the head. Dragged her to back. Had to stay with her to press the head wound. Might have concussion. Left Kirara with her" She responded in military mode.

"One hell of a protection I am damned hell" he spat, looking at the writhing demon, or what was left of it

"Damn right" teased Sango "Now what you say to bring the bastard-"

She never finished. The thing, left with nothing to attack with, began throwing it's own maimed body around in a desperate attempt to kill its attackers. It seemed not to consider retreat.

"Its commissioned" he seethed

"What?" yelled Sango. He had picked her up in the same fashion he had in the classroom, tucked firmly under his arm, Hiriakotsu dangling at the end of her hand, its weight unnoticed.

"It's got it bad but its not retreating. Must have something worst waiting for it than death on my hands if it returns to its liar without having done whatever-" he ducked "- it was sent to do"

"Combat-high-"

"Survival instincts screw combat high. They work on them to get your ass out of it"

"You're the youkai"

"You'd better believe it"

He put her down and pushed her out of the way of another full body attach. Before the youkai could leave the ground, he latched his claws into one of his exoskeleton cracks and let the scorpion take him up with him. As the demon's body reached the peak of its arch upwards, Inuyasha let go, being thrown up in the air. He manoeuvred his tattered body, all pain gone to hell, so that he landed precisely where he wanted; on the neck segment of the humanoid head. Too bad it HAD a human neck- had it been completely scorpion it would have eliminated that body defect. Thank you Kami.

"Who do you work for! Who sent you!" he screamed, making it a point to make the pivoting eyes of the youkai see his Tetsusaiga swing upwards

"You won't know! You'll never!"

"Then you ARE working for someone! Choose! Talk or die!"

"You shall die!" his tone was riddled with despair. His commissionaire had to be a terrible youkai. Or human.

The scorpion twisted its body around and started aiming its back at the ground. It whistled dangerously close and the hanyou had the bare time to leap off. The headless tail got him however, and Inuyasha was slammed into a tree, cracking it right across and taking it with him beyond the stump.

He tried to rise immediately but all he saw was spots. His head had cracked against the school wall after being made tender by the tree bark. The school wall had crumbled in big chunks all over him as an offer to help him out.

The thing was hurtling his way, he could feel the youki, putrid by nature and rendered even more unbearable by the fear and pain scents mingled with it. Sango did her thing but missed because the boomerang landed a few paces away from his landing ground. He attempted to rise again, but only managed to shift the wall chunks off him enough to sit, and then his head gave way to swimming.

Sango seemed not to have missed, but to have brought the bone weapon through the youkai clean, but it had embedded into the ground and now she was disarmed save for a practically useless Katana. Her scent pallets would only knock him out, and the scorpion would not be minimally hindered.

He was already knocked out as he was, he realised, as the head wound was taking time to heal and was giving his balance and perception trouble. He couldn't rise to his feet if he wanted; the thing made for Sango, close at hand, green venomous saliva dribbling from its gaping mouth as the pincers clicked menacingly-

The ever familiar aura led his disoriented senses to a glowing comet seconds before it hit. The thing gave a final hiss, a scream and then exploded, showering them all, including part of the school front wall, with green black fluids.

Inuyasha nearly gagged at the strong scent. As it was he hurried himself to clean himself in the areas he was injured. At the first taste he was relieved to find that the youkai's blood at least was not venomous, so his immune system wouldn't have an addle. The back of his head was a problem, but he still attempted to stand as he saw Kagome approaching at a run.

"Inuyasha!"

She threw her bow and quiver to the ground and skidded to her knees beside him. Sango came up to stand akimbo by the tree stump.

"Don't worry Kagome, I'm fine really" she said teasingly

"I'm not" said the other, not taking it as she concentrated on the hanyou. She nearly started licking him clean, but she checked herself. What the hell . . .

As it was she grabbed her unstained uniform and began to wipe his face and his ears with it.

"Your hair looks all black" she said, trying to sound humorous and sitting back to smile at him. At which she froze in place and gaped.

Wait a minute, if my hair looks all black- oh shit! Oh HOLY SHIT!

There he was. Her night lover. She pushed all thoughts of this is not the time to ponder on that shit away and stared. Inuyasha with black hair and black ears looked like her lover. Most of his face was black where she hadn't wiped it, but she was peering at golden eyes looking at her from a face that belonged to-

"Nuya" she breathed. Her heart was coming out of her chest. It was him! That hair- matted and dirty- was black all the way and she was looking at a Nuya with golden eyes! At an Inuyasha with Nuya's hair! At she didn't know what but it was sure that this was clicking! She just wasn't getting there- the conclusion was a few paces away but she just couldn't grasp it-

The sirens finally decided to make their entrance. Inuyasha stood up abruptly, nearly falling down due to his head injury, but making sure to squeeze as much muck out of his hair as possible. Having Kagome notice was not all that a tragedy, but nobody else was to. No shit.

Many patches of white obediently appeared around he face under his ministrations, and he made his way to where he could see Yunichi coming out of the ordinance re-enforced vehicle. Looking at his watch, an obligatory part of the uniform, he cleaned the screen to see that all had happened in an arc of ten minutes. The headquarters weren't exactly a stone's throw away. Still, he was pissed at them.

"About fucking time you bloody morons!" he seethed "What were you thinking, leaving a thing like that to be handled by three individuals, two of them humans!"

"Mind your tongue kid, you might lose it" Yunichi said with humour. Inuyasha growled profusely

"I nearly lost fucking more than that! I had to take that fucking thing on my own."

"Hey, what am I, chopped liver?" asked Sango, coming up and hitting Inuyasha on the head. This generated a positive feedback loop of cursing, including 'bitch' 'idiot' 'head wound' and something like 'I've hit my head but you've lost your fucking mind'. Kagome came up and threatened to sit him if he didn't shut up, even as she began dragging him away to tend to his wounds. When the youkai specialised paramedics came along, she snatched their pro kit and bit at them worst than a youkai to fuck off- she was a Miko and knew enough about youkai, thank you very much.

Yunichi smiled. Kagome was becoming as possessive of her mate as her mate was of her. That would make for shakes- at the very least.

8888888888888888888888888

Patching him up hadn't been small fry. Both the hanyou and the Miko exchanged a set of berating for their respective injuries, until Kagome realised he felt guilty for not being there on time and just reverted to cleaning his head wound after calling him youkai no baka and giving a gentle tug at his right ear.

As always Kagome touching any part of him was enticing- but his ears sent a shiver through his body- which made him mutter a string of curses when the subsiding adrenaline and the shudder brought his attention to his arm very rudely. The paramedics had been actively diverted, but were still hovering uncertainly around as the young priestess had taken over their job. To make up for that, Kirara diligently transformed, walked up to the them, sat down and offered them a thorn on her paw. Sango ogled at the I'm the diversion tactic.

His arm needed treatment badly, and albeit the youkai healing- a very strong blood trait in his family- the bones needed to be placed correctly and the elbow bone needed to be slipped once again into place.

The answer to his worry, speaking figuratively, appeared in the form of two ticked off demons.

Inuyasha had not had the time to call home once again, and this time, the hanyou found himself with both his brother and his FATHER after his blood. Seshoumaru was looking youkai, to his credit, but his father was outwardly human and came up to him with steam coming out of his ears and an expression that promised pain to come. As if he didn't have enough of that already.

Inuyasha began inching backwards into Kagome's hands as they got closer, and she soon noticed the reason for his obvious distress and drooping ears. His head was on her chest and his body had stiffly tilted backwards, remaining in a sitting stance so that his knees were in the air. No connection with Seshoumaru bearing down on him worst than the scorpion, of course.

"Ototooooooo!" he said menacingly, looking everything like the pissed off demon he was.

"I couldn't get to the phone! Kagome dragged me here!" he said defensively, waving his good arm in pacifying movements.

"Hey" she said, pushing him off her. He cringled back onto her when he saw the Inuhiko.

"Your father referred to me that he is not pleased with you 'forgetting' to inform the family every time boy" he said harshly, his now black brow threatening him to protest

"Now why would he do that . ." sweated Inuyasha. Yunichi chose that moment to come along with that cocky grin of his plastered onto his face.

"Another yelling at from the folks Inuyasha?" he said goadfully.

"You must be Yunichi Hanta, my s-" he stopped himself just in time "slave's liberator"

"Excuse me sir" said Kagome tersely "but you stand corrected. Inuyasha had been my slave before he was freed."

"Most definitely your slave" smiled the Inuhiko. Inuyasha found the ground very interesting as a furiously hot blush starting rising up his neck to overtake all of his face at the obvious allusion.

"You must be Higurashi-san then" he continued with a smirk spreading on his face "Nuya has eaten my head out talking about you"

Inuyasha let out a growl that clearly said 'no teasing me in front of my mate! Mercy!'

"Honestly, you should have seen his mother when she read those news papers and found out that he hadn't told her he was serious with you. She hit the walls"

Inuyasha's face would be now permanently red. He was positive.

"I never meant to make Hakami-sama cross" said Kagome sheepishly

"It's not you that has to worry, Higurashi-san" he laughed "It's the young man that at the moment is hiding behind his duties to avoid coming home to face a furious mother"

"Speaking of which" said Seshoumaru suddenly, folding his arms and looking at Inuyasha "what would MOTHER say to this mess, ne ototo?"

Inuyasha's eyes bugged out

"If you tell her I'll- I'll pluck your eyes out!"

"At which I'll pluck out one of yours!"

"At which I'll cut your arm off!"

"AT WHICH I IMPALE YOU!"

"A which I use the Tetsusaiga to send you to HELL!"

"Boys, that would be enough" said the human Inuhiko

"Hai, gomen ne" they both said together, throwing dirty glances at each other.

"That's some control you have over your youkai 'slaves' Ayami-sama" said Yunichi with a knowing glint in his eyes. There was no way to confirm his suspicions, but he had a good idea that a chat with his old friend the Inuhiko in the Ayami mansion would make sure of showing the secret of the ears. The hair could have been dyed, the eyes covered with contacts (A nice original purple too), but there was no way those odd youkai ears could have been cropped into looking human. They would have regrown too quickly for that.

"You think so?" said the Inuhiko in amusement. He could smell the humour coming off his friend by the gallon. And he was pretty sure that this young human cub would come along for a nice recognition visit later during the week when he got a snatch of time. Recognition in all senses.

Unknown to Inuyasha, Inuhiko had been informed of the circumstances of Inuyasha's liberation to be a tribute of friendship of the human cub to the ancient youkai he considered his friend through the slavery laws. The Inuhiko had not been pleased of the enrolment of his son in the NS until he had heard from a visiting Yunichi (who had even sneaked a good shogi move to Himitsu while he was at it) that his second son was under his sole and direct order.

Fate had given him an ally among humans that none would suspect. He outwardly and openly demonstrated to hate youkai, and the Inuhiko knew that Yunichi did to an extent. Yunichi hated the like of the one that had just put the life of their pups in danger. His pup and Yunichi's human cub. Not to mention his son's mate. He had the right to hate those kinds. They weren't fit to be called youkai.

But the Kinds of the Inuhiko, he knew Yunichi respected. The Inuyoukai even knew that the human had greatly liked the little Kitsune cub that lived at Kagome's shrine after their first encounter. That was good of course; humans with a descent judgement were wearthy friends and strong allies. He wasn't the only one either. Miroku, just to mention another, hadn't even batted an eye when his son had told him he was hanyou. He had also fainted, but he had been young after all . . .

"Yasha, quit the small talk and tell them what you told me will you?" said Sango

"They're at the small talk, not me" he said gruffly while Yunichi threatened to burst out laughing. Inuyasha stole his brother a woof that asked 'how did you know so soon?'

Which Seshoumaru answered with an are you stupid or something look and said out loud

"Why don't you flick your ears a bit more ototo, there's still a little flesh attached to the skull you know"

'Auricular' was the word bouncing around the hanyou's mind. Along with 'you idiot' right behind it.

"What is she talking about Inuyasha?" Yunichi asked

"Huh?"

"What did you tell Sango?"

"Oh yes, sir, sorry, I have to report that" he said, shedding the friendly attitude as he was about to communicate something vital for the dossiers "I suspected this attack was a commissioned one as well and the youkai confirmed it."

"And now you tell me all the detail" Yunichi ordered

"Hai"

"Kawazaki!" Yunichi called. A young tawny NS came along at a jog, with a note pad and a pen in hand. Inuyasha was used to him by now. With the excuse that Inuyasha had to protect Kagome 24/7 he had been exempted the extra toll of writing the reports after the police actions that took place and that Kagome and Inuyasha took part in. So a report problem was solved with the young boy, Kawazaki, who could write short hand as well as Seshoumaru, being dictated the parameters of the missions and writing the report in his stead.

"The Youkai in this case attacking was a scorpion" he began

"Youkai aracnidaria" Kagome put in, watching the young men scribble the scientific name on his wad. She was of course the one who knew most theory on youkai

"Remarkable Miss Higurashi" smiled the eldest Ayami. His son gave him a miffed look that warned for no more teasing

"Arigatou"

"It approached from the west and killed at least one civilian, who unfortunately is still stuck to the sting I see" the hanyou pointed out, flinching at the sight. The NS were just reaching the severed limb and were planting numbers on the evidence and taking photos of the site, just as they had with the spider at the shrine. The forensic had obviously not arrived yet, but they soon would be hovering about with their latex covered hands and their face masks taking the samples and the measurements. The body was evidently too big to take to wherever they worked to be analysed completely, so the analysis had to be done on site. Attacks of this proportion were rare but still prepared for. The school would be open the day after without problems as the body would have been removed and the area cleaned, and the building itself had suffered no damage.

"I kept it away from the school as much as possible, but it eventually pushed me back. It destroyed the establishments in front of the school to turn around completely, due to its incapability of twisting owed to the few segments in its external body armour."

"Genetical characteristic of the species" remarked Yunichi. Inuyasha nodded darkly.

"In fact I found it hard to counter attack as the Scorpion's armour deflected the attacks of Tetsusaiga, and they would have damaged the property or hurt Sango or the re-enforcements. That is, had they come, of course" he added with a smirk

"I got you there, no need to rub in. Although I don't see why you're grumbling since Kagome's ok, and that is your main concern" said a smiling Yunichi. Talking in double meaning had always been something he enjoyed.

"Hai, I know, but things could have gone a little differently if I hadn't had a hand from Sango." He saw her give a satisfied and dignified nod. Her father still saw her as his little girl, and not the accomplished fighter she reputed herself to be

"Well, the entire struggle lasted around twelve minutes by my estimate, maybe just a couple more. After the youkai managed to adjust itself into the school grounds it intensified attack and made the damage that is present in the area immediately in front of the school. The damage by the gate was caused both by the youkai's attack to me and by the attack to Kagome and Sango."

"A list of injuries"

"I have a broken and dislodged forearm, and a head wound. Between me and Sango, we inflicted a chest wound to the scorpion, cut both front appendages, and Sango severed the tail. Kagome has a head wound."

He said the last part begrudgingly.

"I'm ok, I only got knocked out and I'll have a headache for some time. Don't even have split skin or blood" she assured all the people present as she kept at her job of dividing Inuyasha's thick hair in order to keep it out of the way while she disinfected the wound. In fact, she was worried sick and added to her worry every time her eyes happened to fall on his arm in the rough sling. She could see the paramedics still standing some paces away, obviously awaiting their kit and maybe even a try at healing the rather complex arm wound. Complex fractures were always nasty to get right. And she had no idea how to do it. AND she didn't want Inuyasha touched by anyone else. Now that made a whole carton of sense

"Well, you seem to have a bit of a problem with your arm there" said Yunichi, poking him purposefully. It got him a wince and three growls. Not to mentions a near growl for Kagome

"That's why we're here" Ayami offered "Inuyasha has been followed by the same medicator since he was born. His father ask if there could be an eye closed and let the boy here come over to the mansion to appease his worries"

"But if mother sees-!"

"Your mother is not in the house at the moment Inuyasha. I wouldn't have made it out if she were would I?" he said in a murmur

"Well, I don't see why you shouldn't be the ones to take him to the youkai hospital if you've offered so kindly to do so" said Yunichi out loud

"Dad," said Sango, taking things in stride before Kawazaki could say anything (although he'd liked Inuyasha a LOT after the youkai had saved him from his girlfriend finding out that he was seeing another girl . .) "Aren't we missing a number?"

"What do you mean Sango-chan?" Yunichi asked

"I mean- where the hell is Kouga?" she stated, putting her hands on her hips again.

"Oh him" said Inuyasha "Good riddance. He'd probably be fawning all over Kagome had he been here"

"Jealous?" asked Sango. All the males present knew the answer to that.

"Keh! He bothers Kagome, that's all" he said, looking rather silly as he attempted to fold one arm. The Inuhiko had to fight a laugh down

"I want to come with you to the- er- hospital" said Kagome, sitting up as the youkai did. He seemed a bit unsteady on his feet as he began walking behind Nuya's father and Seshoumaru, so she walked up beside him.

"HE isn't even in the school it seems today. He notified he had business to take care of up north and that he would be unavailable" grumbled Yunichi

"Up North!" said Inuyasha

"Yeah, why?" asked Yunichi turning around. Inuyasha didn't look very good as new blood began trickling down his forehead.

"Oh nothing" he said. He gave Kagome a meaningful glance as he mouthed "Chalet". Kagome got there strait on

"Oh shit" she murmured. Then she shrugged, and was just in time to support a wobbling Inuyasha

"Hey, I'm fine, let go" he said gruffly. Appearing unable to take one single youkai wouldn't be a good thing in front of Yunichi. He might think that he was not strong enough to protect Kagome. Heck, he was thinking it himself- she had been hurt!

"Ok" she said meekly. Whenever he rejected her like that in public . . . she understood of course, but still . . .

The school gates and areas were being taped as the first train of terrified and curious students began exiting the green blood stained school entrance. One of them slipped and fell in the muck.

Parked outside, surrounded by the rubble of the houses brought down and by the first people who were gathering to have a look at the scene was a huge van with blackened windows. Another car from the immense repertoire.

A lot of people recognised Kagome and her youkai, them having made it to the papers more often in the past months than Kagome had in her whole life of serving as a Miko. They bowed to her and made symbols of respect and reverence.

"You still haven't told me exactly why you though it was made up" said Yunichi

"It wouldn't retreat, even when we cut off all its possibilities of attach. And when I asked it to speak, it said it would never; hence it was commissioned" sighed Inuyasha "It never said what it wanted though" . . . the fact that it made for Kagome first . . .

And at that Inuyasha followed Yunichi's glance towards his mate, where he could see her expression darken and close over. Even to him

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The wait while the old woman patched him up was unbearable. He always strangled his yells the moment they were out of his mouth, but they were out long enough to make her flinch and cry, and give her the need to throw that door open and take him away- with her nails and teeth if needs be.

They had categorically forbidden her from entering the room. Seshoumaru had bowed to her and begged her forgiveness, but had still blocked her way even when she ordered him to move over. Nuya's father rushed away, and moments later a demon with while hair, a white beard and slave robes appeared, rushing by her hurriedly. He had entered the room and then closed the door in her face unceremoniously.

The next person to come along was a limping bent old woman, the same who had cared for Shippo last time, Kaede-obaa-san. Kagome had loved her last time. Now she suddenly hated her with a passion as she too refused her access to the room. And after she had gone in, his yelling had started.

It was always like that. Stopped, strangled, contained, but the more he contained the pain of what she was doing to him in there, that old wretched woman, the more she felt his pain.

The thought that that disgusting, dried old woman had her hands on her hanyou was-

Hanyou?

Another muffled cry from inside the room made her shudder and hug herself, even as she brushed away another falling tear. She really had no reason to react so terribly about Inuyasha being treated. But she had stopped questioning uselessly. Where Inuyasha was concerned, she was always irrational, and irrationality could never be explained with rationality. It always ended up being an endless circle of buts and what ifs and eternal doubts that didn't let you sleep at night. And she wanted to sleep at night.

Hanyou?

Hanyou didn't exist. It was clearly stated in all the scrolls that Hanyou didn't exist- because there was nothing about them. They were an anomaly that was put to death the moment they were born. Even before if possible.

Hanyou

Why had the word popped into her mind while she thought of Inuyasha? The Inuyasha in there that was now biting his tongue to suffocate his pained yells as she did whatever she had to do to him. His arm was bad, and so was his head. She had seen him limp as well and stumble, so one or both of his legs had been injured, not to mention all the cuts and bruises the security wall falling on him must have caused

Kagome shuddered again. His father had mated a human, she remembered that. A long time ago, before the slavery, she guessed. Inuyasha was only 220, and that fell in the slavery time all around. Inuyasha had also said that she had died as humans do. As humans do- his words hit her as those of an outsider, those of someone talking of something he didn't know anything about.

Of course he wasn't hanyou. Again her mind was playing tricks on her, showing her in subtle ways what she desired the most. As a hanyou he could have been both Nuya and Inuyasha, both demon and human.

But hanyou didn't exist. It was a scientific, social fact.

Again Inuyasha stopped his cry before it got too loud. She was not supposed to hear them. She knew that they were supposed to be stopped before they reached her ears. She shivered again and hugged herself tighter. But she heard them. As she heard his heart beating wildly. His or hers, she didn't know.

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Nothing had prepared him for it. During sparring, he had received innumerable wounds, but nothing would have prepared him for the way this wound was treated. Kaede-obaa-chan had come in with her jar of youkai specific antiseptic and proceeded to treat his wounds directly.

She started with his worst wound- his broken arm. Splintered arm. Or so they found after they had seen. After Kaede had split his arm right open.

Anaesthetic was not an option. Human medicine was not good for youkai. Just like Benzedrine wrecked havoc with the youkai immune system and played tricks with their youki, anaesthetic made youkai go into a neural lock- as though they had undergone a lobotomy. Brain death. Fucking sadistic bastard gave it in small doses in the prison, so that the youkai began losing themselves but knew it.

The number of times he bit his tongue to shut himself up he lost count of. The initial shock of having Kaede slice his forearm was accompanied by a sharp burning pain that brought tears to his eyes. His father and his brother were holding him down. Or holding him up. He was in a bad shape, but he could still jerk around quiet madly. He blinked the tears away fiercely.

He wouldn't yell. Not only because his father and his brother were in the room, and he didn't want them to see him give in to pain, but because Kagome was out there. She was out there and had tried to get in three times, and was worried sick. If he didn't yell she would think everything was alright and worry a little less.

The youkai specific antiseptic burned even more than the cut had. Then Kaede spread the flesh, which brought to his throat another cry he quickly swallowed. All four of them looked, and all four of them saw that the bone was beyond repair, that there was no bone left. It had been crushed to a pulp, but for certain long sharp splinters he had felt piercing his internal flesh during the battle. Even his elbow bone had hairline fractures from his use of it as prop for his sword support.

So Keade began the painstaking process of taking out the bone splinters with a long pair of pincers. It was agony. All the nerve endings she connected with screamed bloody murder every time the pincers went delicately in and out. It was a long, terrible, slow process that took all his strength. He slumped further and further into his father's embrace, as the older youkai had his arms around the hanyou's rib cage. He could see Seshoumaru's brows in front of him, as he held both his legs, one of his ankles swollen, sink lower and lower with every yell he suppressed. But he wouldn't let his head lull. Nor would he rest against his father's chest completely. He could hear both his brother's and his father's growls of encouragement and support, and the soft noise and vibration of his father's authoritative growl made him feel better. As always. Protected to a measure.

What kind of mate did he want to be if he couldn't stand a little pain? What kind of protection did he hope to be if he couldn't take wounds instead of her and then silently watch her treat him without making her more distressed by his reaction?

He had to control himself. His father was strong. His father was an Inuhiko, Lord of the Once West and East. He had been born and lived the first years of his life in a time that had been hostile to all, where there were no rules but kill or get killed. He had seen atrocities that the scrolls Ganko read about described- but he had seen them, not read them. Maybe even lived them. Maybe even dwelt them. He didn't like talking to his sons about that time often. The slavery had caught all youkai by surprise. None of them thought of joining power- they had been all too occupied warring each other for the territory and the humans caught them unawares. Gunpowder gave them 'youki powers'. The enemy was far away, but yet you threw a device and with a lot of light and noise and smell of burning the enemies- human or oni, were gone. The minor youkai didn't even need the miko powers with the gunpowder to be killed by it.

"Son?"

Inuyasha jerked up. His father held him down. He looked around at the room. He hadn't realised that he had drifted in thought away from the room, drifted to the books, his mother's diaries, as his instincts automatically made him focus over the pain.

"I'm ok dad" he replied "Getting my mind off the pain, that's all". He hated admitting he had pain at all.

"That's good son. Carry on, carry on."

His mother's diaries. She had been the daughter of a shogun. And she had been promised to a son of another shogun. But the guards had caught the Inu youkai she loved so much- the inuyoukai she knew had been the lord of her father's fathers once, had been caught looking at her through her wooden window, through the gaps that made the design to let the light in. How she had stopped them from killing him.

All the family knew this story as a sort of in-joke. But his mother didn't know the young and curious Inuyasha had found the old manuscripts, and had only learned how to read eagerly to be able to decipher them. She still didn't know. And what he had read on those diaries had baffled him then, but had remained etched in his mind for the rest of his life to define. As he grew, more and more of it began to make sense.

The feeling, the longing, the sensations. And all the conversations held with 'the inuyoukai' that left her tasting his loneliness. Loneliness Inuyasha had begun to feel himself as his body had finally began to grow into these experiences. Loneliness his mother had carefully thought him and warned him not to seek the cure for with the first who passed- with any who passed- because he would be killed for what he was if he revealed it to the wrong person. He didn't think she knew or understood the mating instinct. She did have a blood bond with his father, but her instincts hadn't chosen him, as she didn't have any. If the destined mate was human, she would love.

What had Seshoumaru said? Love and blood bond were the same thing with a different name. That made sense too now. Did Kagome, sitting out there, begging to come in with him, love him? He did. At least he thought so.

Why did his mind always dive in this direction? But it did. And ah Kagome! How he wanted her scent that meant comfort and home at that moment. No matter how distracted the mind, the body still screamed its distress.

"Thank kami mum isn't here" he heard Seshoumaru whisper. His brother was another one that had suffered for his mate. They were a different species. And Inuyasha was the first offspring of the joining. But he was healthy, and most importantly, he was not sterile. He had learned that speciation occurred when one species could not produce fertile offspring with another species, or there were other impediments to the mating. So were youkai and humans not really different species? Or was it just some youkai? Or was it just inuyoukai, who had inherited their devotion to humans from their ancestor? The other branch of their gene pool, the common dogs, had the self same devotion. And they had common ancestors in the time line. The dogs had lost their demonic powers as they became smaller and smaller to accommodate the humans' needs.

He absently saw Kaede place a trail of bones from his wrist stump bone to his elbow. The pieces instantly glued themselves together and the old woman first stitched the hole his elbow had caused when it made it through the skin and then the long gash she had done herself. He was fairly aware of the needle making its way in and out of his skin.

The cast was light and thin. No youkai would ever be seen with a cast that was as supposed to be, but the truth was Inuyasha didn't need a thick cast.

Kaede motioned the Inuhiko to move aside, and then she started treating Inuyasha's head wound. After a few seconds of moving hair aside, however, she gave a wrinkled smile and stepped back.

"I can't do anything for you here"

"WHY?" asked the Inuhiko in indigence

"Because the little human has done a perfect work of cleaning and stitching." Said Kaede. She moved to check his foot and treated it, then nodded. At that, she opened the bottom of the large antiseptic jar she was carrying and took out what Inuyasha had been brought here for.

"Now hold him" she warned them. It was a syringe. A very wide and large volume syringe containing a dark gold transparent liquid. Nearly the same colour of all three demons' eyes.

She roughly stabbed Inuyasha's shoulder, and pushed the liquid in with some difficulty. Once it was in, Inuyasha began to jerk wildly, and he tried to escape their grip ferociously and attacked them both in a mindless frenzy.

After a few epileptic minutes, he gave a wolf hearted cry and fell limply in his father's arms.

"Your family's secret is as beautiful as it is deadly" said Kaede, hiding the syringe in its customary place. The injection of liquefied youki gave both strength to heal and strength to kill.

At that moment, outside, they heard a noise of a stumbling and fall, a whimper, and finally sobs and ragged gasps. Seshoumaru looked at his father in alarm, who motioned him to see what had happened

Outside he found Kagome on the floor. By the looks of it she had slipped off her seat on the chair she had chosen and was now swallowing air as though she had been strangled and released. Her body was cramped together in a protective foetal position, even as she shook violently.

He picked her up and carried her into the lighted room. All her pain and distress seemed forgotten the moment her eyes fell on the prone form of his brother.

"Inuyasha" she called weakly, extending a hand to him. Seshoumaru place her on the wide medical bed beside him, and her arms were around his neck at once, dragging his head to her heart. His expressions softened and his features relaxed. Kagome only seemed to be semi conscious.

"What did they do to you" she murmured. Kaede looked weakly at the girl through a pale face.

"Nothing child. I would never harm one of my pups" murmured the Inuhiko in response. He pulled Seshoumaru to him, and his older pup complied without much protest. Then he noticed the old wizened woman was trembling like a child. "Kaede-"

"It's her Inuhiko" replied the old lady with trembling hands and palms sweating cold. "Oh kami-sama it's her"

"Things are so much more complicated than we want them or need them to be" sighed the Inuhiko. Seshoumaru didn't know what they were referring to, but he had a vague idea it concerned the self same package that had troubled his brother so much.

Inuyasha rubbed his cheek against her chest in his sleep. She hugged him tighter and slept on.

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Well guys, this is the last instalment of the original Period 1 of 'Three days, two nights' …. Guys… a weekend starts on a Friday, doesn't it grins evilly

C you next instalment!

Ja ne!

PS: If you have any specific questions, please don't write them on review, but leave your mail with on your review. I'll be sure to answer in that manner, but I really can't answer every individual review before my exams are over. Sorry, and thanks for those who keep following.

Mido-chan