Giddy despite the circumstances, Kagome grinned as she and Entei rounded the mountain once more. Part of her couldn’t believe she’d just stolen a kiss from Sesshoumaru—the other part of her couldn’t believe she’d actually gotten away with it. Based on the simmering disgruntlement she could sense from Entei, the horse youkai seemed similarly disbelieving.

“Sorry, Entei-san,” she mumbled, her lips still twitching in a grin.

Puffing out a thin breath of flame, the horse began to descend as they reached the leeward slope at last. On the ground near the fortress gates, she could see Kouga fighting with Kagura still, his powerful legs propelling him off the surrounding walls and ledges as he lunged and slashed, the sorceress countering his attacks with white-edged twisters and serrated blades of wind. Looking beyond them, Kagome saw the battle lines Kouga’s and Ayame’s packmates—along with Jakken and Ah-Un—had drawn toward the center of the plateau, as they fought to hold back the zombie horde’s relentless advance.

“Wench!” the imp shrilled in what might possibly have been joy–it was difficult to say when he shrilled at everything–as she and Entei soared past, her bow already strung with a flaming pink arrow.

The living wolves fell back as she released the rippling bolt of reiki, obliterating a couple of ranks of Kagura’s undead legion in one blazing swoop. As the next few scores of enemies ranged forward, her allies herded and drove them back for Kagome to purge their souls free with yet another arrow blast. She and the others continued on in this pattern for some time, until at last the far end of the plateau came into sight. Kagome breathed out a sigh of relief, her quiver running dangerously low as she dug around for one final arrow.

Summoning forth a finishing burst of reiki, she purified the last of the poor possessed corpses away, her wolf friends howling victoriously at the sight. Landing with a weary smile, Kagome found herself swarmed at once by two-legged and four-legged canines, Entei neighing futilely in protest as he was swept up along with her. Spiritually and physically exhausted as she was, Kagome’s heart swelled with triumph.

We did it…we took back the mountain!

“Miko,” the wolf Elder said with his characteristic gravity, the others parting deferentially as he approached her, “we are in your debt. How can we repay you for your service to us?”

“Oh, there’s no need for that!” Kagome blurted, waving her palms with a blush.

Ayame’s grandfather bowed his shaggy, adorable head. “I insist.”

“Well,” she said, feeling her eyes getting all misty as she looked at him, “could I maybe…scratch behind your ears for a bit?”

The surrounding wolves gaped at her in shock.

“Humans are strange indeed…” the Elder muttered, padding over to her nonetheless.

His heavy brow sagged as Kagome petted him indulgently, the rest of the wolves looking on in bewildered fascination. Only Ayame stood apart from the crowd, her green eyes glimmering in concern as she watched Kouga’s distant battle with Kagura rage on. With his natural strength and the supernatural swiftness the Jewel shards imparted to him, Kagome hadn’t even considered that he might be in real danger–until now.

“Ayame-san…?” she ventured cautiously–just before the wolf girl took off with a sudden cry.

In the wake of Ayame’s white cyclone, Kagome’s own much-less-keen eyes widened with panic a minute later–as she saw Kouga hit the ground in a spray of red.

Inuyasha © Rumiko Takahashi

Ahhh it’s part 69 and there’s no smut to be had! – I have failed you all. (cries)