InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ A Lifetime Loving You Part 2; The Path to Osaka ❯ Shame ( Chapter 9 )

Disclaimer; The original characters in the based story are not mine and the characters that are originally in the series are not mine. Characters of my own creation are added to the story; otherwise the characters belong to the original author.

A Lifetime Loving You

Part 2; The Path to Osaka

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Chapter 9; Shame

(Sesshoumaru)

I walked beside Awe and Une as Rin slept softly, her hand clinging to the junction between the two manes. She was not sleeping easily and that was plain to see as she mumbled in her sleep and tightened her shut eyes a few times. Jaken yawned and groaned many times during the night as the half moon hung in the sky.

"Milord, we should stop and rest for the night, don't you agree? We have been traveling non stop for many days and I do believe I have more blisters on my feet than one can handle. You must be tired as well, Master. Please, let us rest before we travel any further to the northern boarder?"

I stopped for a moment and looked over my shoulder at him for a moment before he swallowed hard and waited in a panic. "M-M-Master Sesshoumaru?"

I was about to voice my intentions when the wind picked up around us. I jolted my nose in a different direction, knowing that I did not want company. Rin stirred and awoke and looked around, "Why does the wind feel so strange, Lord Sesshoumaru?"

I let go of the reins I was gripping and watched the surrounding areas for a long period of time, the wind only getting stronger. I finally caught the scent in the winds eerie howl and found Kagura standing only a few feet behind my company and me.

She was dressed differently though this time. Her robes were dark blue mixed with a midnight back, and her hair hand now grown. She removed the fan from her face and grinned at us all before silencing the wind and making her way toward me. "Sesshoumaru…so here you are. I have been looking for you for nearly a month. You haven't been in your usual stocking grounds."

I narrowed my eyes and turned away taking hold of the reins and pulled the dragon along. She was shocked this time and ran up in front of me. "You are leaving? You run when the hour of triumph is at hand?"

I widen my eyes. "What are you talking about?" I said coolly.

Kagura grinned as she fanned her face and began to walk in circles around me. "Naraku has commanded that all of the strongest demons come to him in due time and join him in a revolution of major proportion. An army that no man or demon has ever seen before."

I closed my eyes and opened them again. "I have no business in battle. I work alone."

She stopped me and whispered, "But think of the glory."

I glared at her coldly. "What glory?"

She closed her fan and crossed her arms. "Naraku gathers an army of large proportions and then we retaliate against him…for you see, he threatens to kill any demon that defies his wishes. You will fight or die not joining."

I glared at her as my eyes turned red and I snarled. Kagura grinned. "So you agree that this is unjustly? Then think of the army you will acquire once we have done away with him. Demons in these lands loath Naraku for the power he has gained from the Shikon no Tama, but they fear him as well because he is the most powerful demon of all."

I hissed as the air left my lungs and I regained myself. "I have no wish to lead an army. I am leaving because of this foolishness, and so will many other demons that will not join him. They will flea to the west or the other territories."

Kagura snickered, "Then they are fools…for you see…Naraku desires power beyond the imagination. If you lead the army in retaliation against him, you could become an empire with that kind of power…and all the territories in this land will be yours."

I stared at her for a long period of time before pulling on the reins and walking past her with Jaken picking up speed to catch up with me.

Kagura sneered, "You fool! He'll kill you if you do not join him. He'll kill you all!"

I kept going, not bothering with her words. "If I wish for such power than I would go and take it myself."

Kagura grit her teeth and growled. "Then if that is your choice, than I shall carry out the sentence that comes with it!"

I turned my head and Rin gasped as Kagura drew her fan. It flamed white with her anger and hate. "I am a creation of Naraku, and I desire to be free. If you will not aid me, than you and your company shall die."

Jaken howled in fear and ran off into the bushes. I took a step in his direction, "Jaken!"

Kagura turned a let loose her daggers of wind into the forest, and in a flash of light, the area was reduced to ash, and Jaken was nowhere in sight. Only the burning staff marked his final resting place.

I turned my head to Kagura and growled ready to transform at any moments notice, until her eyes fell on Rin. She shrilled in fear as the wind came toward her. I knocked her off the dragon and on to the ground as the dragon shrilled and burst into flame.

Kagura grinned in anger. "Now, you see the power of the Shikon Jewel has passed even unto those that are of Naraku's body. Even you are powerless to stop it."

I growled and drew Toukijin I held it in defense as Rin pinned her back to a tree behind me. Kagura, however, seemed completely un-phased by the move. "You think that sword will stop me?"

I widened my eyes still keeping my cool, but not entirely sure what she meant. Kagura let the flame surrounding her flame die, showing the untouched fan under the flames.

I waited and looked at my sword, and the pulse was getting louder in the blade. The sword began to glow red and I gasped when my hands burned under the handle. Kagura sneered, "Toukijin is a sword of Naraku's body, and it will follow its true master. Now that the demon aura has been energized by the power of the Jewel, there is no way you can even weld it."

I glared at her as she extended her hand and took the sword into her grasp. "Now, Naraku will have the power to let his general defeat Inu-yasha's sword when the time for battle arrives."

I watched her, "Kagura, that sword is mine."

"Yes," she hissed, "but all heir looms of the family must go on. Naraku will give it to someone worthy of its new found power."

She then put the sword at her side in her sash as it continued to glow red. I watched and cracked my claws. "I won't let you defy me."

"Oh no, Lord Sesshoumaru," she hissed as she spread her fan and it burst into a white flame. "It is you who will not defy me."

She then ran her fan through the twisting winds and a dragon took shape in purple flame, at the ready to engulf Rin and me.

I rushed to Rin's side and put her head down and covered her with my body, and for the first time in my life I knew fear. I was calm…but I was sweating and I new that my heart was pounding.

I couldn't escape. I couldn't attack. I couldn't defend. This power of the Jewel…it was the first thing to awaken the things I never wanted to know…things I never knew I had. Things…that made my father weak in the end.

So…this was it…the weakness and taste I never thought I had inherited…the things I did not want to believe were in my blood…were now coming out…I was broken.

Flames hit my back slashing and tearing at my skin. This power…gave me pain.

Yet…yet even out of all this pain…all I could do was protect the last thing I had; the one thing that was crying in fear in my arms. The one thing I had ever allowed myself to care for and hide from the eyes of the world.

If anything was to come of this…I wanted Rin coming out of it alive.

For the first time…I was helpless.

And I accepted death with open arms.

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Then, thunder cracked and clouds rolled over head. I looked up, and realized blood was running down my face and stained my robes. Yet, the clouds above grew and cracked with a bluish white glow. Kagura stopped her attack and peered up right when a bolt of lightning touched down at her feet. She jumped away and fell on her back and watched the sky a moment longer.

Rin panted as she watched with me, and saw the clouds part in a small area and something pass through at an incredible speed.

Lighting surrounded the figure as it exploded in an illuminated array of power. I covered Rin's eyes with my bloody claws and squinted through the light until it cleared.

In the small depression of crisped ground, crouched a demoness with indigo shades of hair wrapped into two balls on the back of her head? Her robes were lavender and grey and swayed in the dissipating energy and flickered with light in placed around her body.

She stood and opened her sky blue eyes and her face now showed with two vertical stripes running from the apples of her cheeks to her jaw.

"You have crossed the northern boarder, and according to my father's law, there are no such demons like you allowed on these grounds." Her voice was solemn and straight forward. A clear warning to prove that there was death for any unwanted traveler.

Kagura ignored her and tried to slay her with the beams of power in her wind, but this demoness merely held up her hand and the beams stopped mere inches away before dissipating into the air.

Her hand then rose from her sleeve…and she cracked her knuckles in the stillness and Kagura stood bewildered. I felt weak suddenly, but continued to watch. `This being…she is a demoness…but no ordinary female…'

It was then that I saw the claws extend from her hand and turn into daggers filled with the flickering energy around them. My eyes widened before I fell into my weakened body. `This female…she is…a dog demon…"

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(Mari-na)

"Shall warn you know before your life is taken, obey my order and leave or you shall die," I growled as my claws burned with anger that such a vermin was in my lands. Her scent was filled with the smell of human blood, and I would not allow a slaughter near the human villages.

This demoness merely looked at me for a moment, snorted and pulled a feather from her hair before flying off into the clouds above. I snorted as I watched her go back into the east and relaxed my claws. I then rushed to the whimpering young woman's side where her master lay on the ground.

"Are you alright child?" I asked sweetly.

She sniffled and looked at her lord. "Please, he's hurt! Won't you help him? He's all I have. I don't want to be alone again."

I looked at the body in her arms and pulled on the shoulder until the face fell toward me. I hesitated for a moment and pulled the locks of silver hair away…and my eyes couldn't believe what they had seen.

I then turned to the young girl. "Do not worry, Miss. He's still alive. I will take him to my grounds and there you shall be feed and your master treated."

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I changed into more comfortable clothing and let my hair hang down from my shoulders when I returned to my palace, and let the young human child sit at my vanity as I combed her hair and had give her something clean to wear. "What is you name?" she asked sweetly.

"I am Mari-na, Daughter of the Sky Dog Demon Pack that used to own all of the northern terrain."

She looked at me, "Mari-na…I like your name…it sound's pretty."

I smiled and laughed. "And what is yours, young miss?"

She turned around once she knew I was finished putting her hair up into the same hairstyle mine was in only moments ago, both buns decorated with yellow flowers to match the old golden robe and white yukata I had given her. "My name's Rin and my master's name is Lord Sesshoumaru."

I eyed my door. "Lord Sesshoumaru, is he? Are you sure?"

"Yes, that is what his servant called him before he took me in."

I looked at the door a little longer. "I see…"

`So, I have a demon that slays humans in my homeland…though it seems strange that he'd be carrying this child with him as well.'

I turned back to Rin as she picked at the robes. "How old are you, Rin?"

She smiled and leaned forward, "I'm 13, but I'll be 14 this spring."

I smiled as put my butt to the floor and crossed my legs and arms in my sleeves. "Really now? And how long have you known your lord?"

She let go of the robe and played with her fingers next. "I've known him for six summers now. I've been with him since the village I lived in was attacked by wolves."

I watched the brightness in the girl's face fade. "Your parents?"

"Oh no, they were dead long before. They were killed many years back."

I nodded my head slowly in sorrow for her. "I see…and Lord Sesshoumaru is all you have left."

Rin nodded and lowered her head for a moment to look at the ground. She then slowly lifted her head back up to me. "I thought for so long that Kagura loved Lord Sesshoumaru…I guess I was wrong."

I touched the young girl's face and she touched my hand with hers as tears formed in her eyes. "Will Lord Sesshoumaru be okay soon?"

I smiled as I wiped away her tears. "Of course, dear child, he may not be up on his feet for some time, but he will be well in time."

She smiled at me and I rose to my feet slowly. "Wait here for me, Rin. I'll be back with food."

I then walked over to my chamber door and slid it open into the hall. I picked up the pace until I turned the corner to the guest room at my side and opened the door. The medicine woman looked up at me and one rushed to my side. "Mari-na, he is coming too slowly he may awake soon."

I kept my eye on the male in the bed and parted bug net curtain. "Arami, take your servants back to your home. I need to be with this one alone when he comes too."

She then gripped my arm. "Is he dangerous?"

I arched my brow as I heard him moan. "I'm not…entirely sure, but this is for the best."

Arami bowed and then gestured her maids to leave the room as I closed the door behind them and slowly walked over to the side of the bed. I looked at him for a long time before picking up the cloth in the ice water filled bowl beside me where one of the maids hand left it. I began to dab his forehead with the water until his eyes opened slowly.

"So, you don't have a fever. How fortunate," I said with no true emotion behind it.

He looked at his surroundings. "Where am I?" he groaned.

"You are in my palace in the lower north, miles away from the boarder where your friend attacked you. The young girl is safe and in the care of my hired servants. Lucky for her she only suffered small cuts on her legs and arms."

He snorted. "I have no worries if that child dies."

"Oh? Well I'm surprised then that she has survived this long at your side…Lord Sesshoumaru."

He turned to me and stared for a long moment of time as I dried my hands. "A very long time in fact…six years, maybe?"

He snorted again and looked away. I glanced at him again. "You've suffered many blows to your back and you might not be able to recover as fast as one normally does. The power that inflicted your wounds seems to be slowing the healing process down."

He didn't speak for a moment. "Did she tell you my name?"

I picked up a bottle of herbs next and examined them. "Yes and no…I knew it was you when I saw your face. The girl merely confirmed my suspicions."

He didn't say a word, and I continued. "You know many believe you're dead now a days. Most claimed to have seen you, but then they resort to telling tales of ghosts and other's just do not believe. To see you with a human child though is the most interesting concept of all for a demon with your reputation."

He then turned to me with anger burning in his eyes. "I am not shameful! I am not like my father when he met that wench of a human and had that bastered child of theirs. I am not so low."

I turned to look at him as he continued to hiss. "And who are you to judge such things? You ask humans for aid and let them live with you. You have no say in saying that I have shame."

I placed the herbs down and got to my feet. "I did not say you were shameful for having a human girl with you. There is not shame in it."

I turned to walk to the door when I heard him growl. "It makes you lower in the eyes of other demons. Human's are shameful to consort with in anyway or how!"

I then stopped in my tracks and turned to him. "It is shameful that my people are dying in slaver in the high north because of slavery and lack of nutrition. It is shameful to let wars happen and do nothing about them. It is a shame that we let children live out their lives without their parents to care for them or anyone else for that matter. It is a shame that we are dying out and your father made rouges out of the last female wind dogs!"

I knew the look on my face was filled with rage as my voice got louder with every word I spouted back at him. His eyes never looked wider in shock until that moment it seemed.

"You think you know shame? You don't even know the first meaning of the word."

With that said I stomped out slamming the sliding door behind me and stomping off back to my quarters where Rin was still sitting on the pillow waiting for me.

"Is Lord Sesshoumaru going to be alright?"

I let out a heavy sigh and smiled the best I could with sincerity. "He will…he just needs time."

Lots and lots of time…

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(Sesshoumaru)

I then looked at my hands where the bandages were patched to my skin. I then sat up with a struggle as pain racked my back.

`I'm not going to heal as fast as I usually do. This means I'll be here for a long time…with that bitch.'

It was then that I caught myself in the mirror and looked at my bandaged and broken body in horror, not being able to recognize my own face.

Then for the first time the words the female had said hit me hard in my chest…and in the reflection I saw my father when he told me to go out into the world and never return to Osaka.

Then it happened…for the first time in a long time…for the first time since I watched my father die…I cried.

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Character Profile;

Mari-na; Sky Dog princess of the northern dog tribe/pack
Nobel hearted and honorable, Mari-na up holds a promised future being the last sky dog known to be I the free lands along with her three sisters who are currently lost (most likely they are dead). Her people have been enslaved by the dragon clans in the high north. Mari-na is the last of the royal bloodlines and seeks to aid any who can aid her in return. Even those that are humans who have raised her since she was an orphaned child during an escape from the northern slave chambers where she was sentenced to be put to death as soon as they discovered she had royalty in her line.

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Okay, I know you all wanted a longer chapter, but I promise you that the next one will be longer since it has to include all the stuff for when Inu-yasha and company arrive in Owari.

I plan on going back and forth between Sesshoumaru and Inu-yasha as these changes and sudden moment of growth happens between the both of them. One trying to become the father of something that is not his, the other learning to accept something he never admitted too. Don't worry, Sesshoumaru will still be a cool talking demon. He'll just have a little more feeling behind it all that he'll be a little more open with…but only a little.

See you all soon…in Owari again!

SDR