InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ A little goes a long way ❯ Hidden Emotions ( Chapter 4 )

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the mere sparks of imagination. Characters are property of Rumiko Takahashi, VIZ Media et al. Original story idea, The Lion and the Mouse by Aesop. Excerpts of storyline taken from Manga volumes 371 onwards.

 

 

A/N: My eternal praise and gratitude for all the wonderful authors/authoress/betas who continue our love and fascination with their amazing tales. Thanks to everyone who reads it. Extra special thanks to Rowdys Girl for her encouraging words of advice - hopefully I don't let you down.

 

 

A blur of red skidded to a stop on the trampled path that was the final resting place for the nest of vipers. `This place reeks of Sesshoumaru' he scowled, his powerful sense of smell picking up the trace jyaki that remained from the daiyoukai's whip of light. There were over a dozen dead youkai littered all around him, some in unrecognizable pieces. He followed the scent left behind by his half-brother, it growing more and more violent the further he progressed. So deep in his thoughts, he didn't even hear Kirara land behind him or his friends dropping to the ground and following behind until Miroku spoke up.

“InuYasha, I am detecting a very faint remnant of reishi in the area over there” using his shakujou to point in the direction of a group of fallen trees. “It could be Kagome…” he started to add but at the mere mention of their missing friend's name, the hanyou had bound off leaving the tired humans, kit and neko to chase after him.

The closer he got to the place the monk had pointed out, the more potent Sesshoumaru's youki prevailed, then the scent of Kagome's blood entered his nose and he let loose an extremely bestial growl. Automatically reaching for the Tetsusaiga, he didn't even wait for it to be transformed before he arrived at the source of his ire. There lying on the ground at his feet was the divided head of one of the viper demons, the skull had been rendered in two halves like a ripe melon but it was the red stains around the demon's mouth that captured his attention most. Bending down to smell, he inhaled the one scent he longed for more than anything, `Kagome' his heart twisting like in a vice. Guilt immediately overtook his thoughts, `This is my fault. She left and didn't come back because of me'.

He stood up and absentmindedly followed her scent to a hollow tree that had been split much like the snake's head. In it he found the sky blue sleeping bag that his best friend had been using for the last year. Hell, he had been with her in the camping store when she bought it; continually complaining about how he had destroyed her last one during a fight with a bull youkai:

 “Kagome, how was I supposed to know that bulls go berserk when they see the color red?” he questioned, not seeing what the big deal was.

 “InuYasha everyone knows that the ONLY color that bulls can see is red, your first clue should have been the fact that he was only charging you when I was the one holding the shards. Your haori is like a giant bull target. But no, you had to use my sleeping bag as a distraction” her patience wearing thin from having to explain something so basic to him yet again.

 “Baka! It's a good thing that you told my mother it was your fault, otherwise you would have had to get a job to be able to replace it - these things are expensive” she remarked, as she held a couple different ones in her hands.

  “Feh, how much could it be for a stupid oversized blanket?” he grumbled as he grabbed the nearest tag to see for himself. “What the…are these people crazy, they are trying to rip you off. This is enough for you to buy me a hundred packs of ramen” he was stupefied by the price.

 “Actually, it would be closer to two thousand packs of ramen” she casually threw back at him

 “Whatever, if you have to have one just don't buy red again” he came back with as he picked up a bright blue one that reminded him of the clear skies back in the Feudal era.

 “Hmmph, as if I would, after that. Hey, let me see that one you're holding” she was miffed that he would throw the blame back at her, but it was expected. It was the way he showed that he cared.

 At least he had good taste as she looked over the sorairo colored bag. It was roomy enough for her and Shippou, it was waterproof and made from all-weather material and the color was dazzling - so she bought it, not taking into consideration the ¥18,000 price. It was not something she could do without especially in the coming winter months.

 He was holding it to his chest, tears threatening to fall from his reddened eyes when Sango came and put her hand on his shoulder. He above anyone else was in dire need of some comfort, no longer able to disguise his obvious guilt and pain. Sometimes it felt like everyone forgot that he was half-human too. While it was his demon half that gave him the strength to battle, it was his human half that allowed his heart to feel; it was in fact his emotions that guided him, even though he did not know how to properly express them. Sango was not given even a moment to gather her thoughts on what she wanted to say to InuYasha, before a screaming ball of orange lunged at the distressed hanyou.

“This is your fault, Inubaka!!! She left camp because of you, she stayed away from us because you don't know how and when to shut your stupid trap or when to say that you're sorry” waves of anger and grief rolled off the little kitsune as he continued to lay into InuYasha. His hold on the collar of the half-breed's haori growing tighter and tighter the more he screamed.

Sango was mortified at Shippou's outburst but she knew that it would be for the best to let the two of them have it out. There was only so much emotion a being could hold in before they exploded and it was astonishing to see that this came from the smallest member of the group. InuYasha could only stand there, ears folded downwards, while the little fox continued to attack him verbally - he knew he deserved it so he could find no fault in him or any of the others; it was clear that they were all feeling the same way by their noted lack of reaction.

“I know you think that I don't know anything because I am still young but I am a full demon and I trust what my nose tells me. Kagome was here, and she was attacked and bitten by that viper” pointing a shaky finger to the corpse at their feet “Sesshoumaru-sama showed up and killed them all. I know that, because I can smell him on the bodies and I can smell him on her sleeping bag too.” he relayed after taking a long sniff at the blue bag still in InuYasha's hands.

Sango finally found her voice then “Did Sesshoumaru-sama take Kagome? Why would he do all of this and take her?” the questions and thoughts overwhelming her so much that she practically slumped into Miroku's open embrace, unable to find the strength needed to stand any longer.

“I don't know what that bastard had in mind but I intend on finding out and getting Kagome back in the process” his frustration hitting an all-time high. `Sesshoumaru I am coming for you. You better not have done anything to Kagome or so help me, I will kill you, truce or no'.

He pried Shippou off of him and put him on the ground before folding the sleeping bag and handing it over to Sango, who held it gingerly, like it was her only link to her missing friend. InuYasha looked into Miroku's face and grumbled “Follow me; I think I know where to find that pompous ass”.

Kirara transformed at the command and the taijiya, monk and kitsune climbed aboard again. They all turned around to ask the hanyou exactly where they were going but InuYasha had already sped off down the long trail. He didn't need directions - he was going HOME.

~~~~~~~~~~

A giant ball of light appeared over the wall of the Western Citadel's main gate and in the blink of an eye, the great Western Lord himself appeared, holding something that suspiciously looked like a small onna. Before anyone could stop to question him, he sped through the doors and up to the family wing of his home. Using his foot to push open the door to the unused bedroom, he gently placed the pale, shivering miko on the futon before turning to speak to the myriad of servants who had appeared as if by sheer mind power.

“Ai, tell Misaki she is needed in here now to treat the Shikon miko for viper poisoning” his deep baritone spelled out to the slight tsuru-youkai maid.

Ai flew from the room literally, to the Infirmary in search of the Citadel's chief healer, the fukuro-youkai Misaki. The old owl had been with the Inu family since the time of Sesshoumaru's great, great, great grandfather, the very first Inu no Taisho. She had birthed and buried many generations since she came to be a healer and her loyalty to the current daiyoukai was beyond reproach. She was one of the few youkai that the Inu lord actually feared and respected enough to treat like family, aside from his young ward, Rin. So when the crane youkai landed almost breathless at her feet, she was on alert for bad news from her lord; it was not what she expected.

“Misaki-san, Sesshoumaru-sama needs you to come to the family wing to treat the Shikon Miko. She has been bitten by a viper….she was barely breathing when I saw her” she rattled off, still trying to catch her own breath.

“We must leave quickly, let me grab my bag. Ai, please grab that suture kit from the table” the owl hooted out, as she scampered around her work area grabbing various tinctures and herbs and shoving them into her bag. “Where is that damned viper antidote??” she pondered aloud, her thick eyebrows coming together. Finally finding the missing bottle that was hidden on the shelf and pocketing it, she raced out of the infirmary as fast her old legs would carry her, Ai following behind - they took to the air just outside of the doorway and headed directly for the balcony of the bedroom where the young miko lay.

Every youkai in the Western Citadel was aware of the Shikon Miko. Most had never seen her but all had heard the various stories and recollections of her struggles against the vile kumo-hanyou, Naraku and of her friendship to the other, but technically not legally recognized Western lord, InuYasha. Any miko who battled for the welfare of all and befriended youkai and hanyou was a rare find. She was said to be very gentle, kind, generous and humble - very unlike the rest of her species. Her biggest admirer was none other than Rin herself. Every time the little girl returned from another expedition with the daiyoukai, she would retell tales of how Kagome-sama had looked after her, had bathed and brushed her hair, had brought her gifts, had rescued her on occasion, had played with her…the list was never-ending. The personal servants closest to Rin all believed that she loved and adored the miko like she was an older sister. Over the course of time, the young girl had taken to acting less rambunctious and frivolously, something even Jaken had to agree was because of Kagome-sama's influence. It was not unheard of to hear her say “I want to be like Kagome-sama when I grow up” or “Kagome-sama said that young ladies do not act that way”. Her spirit and mischievous nature did not go away, just matured to an unbelievable level especially since the meetings between the two ningen females were infrequent and often quite brief.

So one would think that the news that Sesshoumaru-sama had returned to the castle a day later from his patrols carrying the Shikon Miko limply in his arms; yes, by now the entire Citadel knew that their lord had two arms again, and that he had called for the healer to come to the family wing, to the bedroom that no one had stepped foot into in the hundreds of years since his own mother had departed the castle, would have been kept from impressionable young ears but it wasn't. So no one should have been surprised when Rin bolted away from her teacher after hearing the gossiping tanuki-youkai mention the words `shikon miko'. She had no idea why Kagome-sama would come up in conversation but the fact that all the youkai around her were talking about her meant that something had happened. Sesshoumaru-sama would know and the best place to find him was usually his study. For an eleven year old girl, her speed was quite a sight, as she raced through the hallways and up and down staircases, before throwing open the study doors and finding only Jaken inside.

“Is it true Jaken-sama? Is Kagome-sama here?” she asked, her little feet itching to move again as soon as she knew where.

Jaken rolled his eyes at the young ward. “Stupid girl, why aren't you doing your lessons? Who said anything about the miko being here? As if Sesshoumaru-sama would let her filthy human self into the Citadel”. He was about to say more when a small stampede of maids ran past the open doors heading towards the family rooms. He heard snippets of their hurried conversations and what he had gleaned worried him. Unfortunately for him, Rin who had been standing just inside the doorway, heard them quite clearly as well and didn't wait for the imp to respond before she raced off in the same direction. The miko was here and she was with Sesshoumaru-sama.

“Kamis, why do you punish me so?” he squawked, looking up to the sky.

Arriving to the open bedroom door, the sight that greeted her instantly made her tense up. Misaki-sama and Ai-chan were grinding herbs and mixing something off to the side of the room, while the other maids were in the process of changing the sheets and covering up the body that lay on the futon. Sesshoumaru-sama was standing with his back to the door obviously overseeing the whole process. She could hardly make out who it was as she stepped in, no one noticing her slow deliberate pace. As she got closer to the foot of the futon, the crown of black hair became visible and she didn't wait to be greeted before she ran around to the side and climbed up to grab at the arm that lay just outside of the blanket.

“Kagome-sama, Kagome-sama” she called out, before two strong arms pulled her away.

“Rin, what is the meaning of this? Why are you not at your lessons?” the daiyoukai questioned, his eyebrow disappearing into his bangs, a visible scowl on his face

“Rin is sorry Sesshoumaru-sama but Rin heard that Kagome-sama was here and Rin wanted to see her” she answered, still concerned as to why the older girl had not responded.

“You can not be in here right now. The miko has been injured and Misaki-sama needs to look after her. You would only get in the way” he was trying his best to be gentle with his ward, knowing how attached she had become to the miko but knew that it was not something she should be witness to.

Luckily, he was still holding onto Rin because just as he was about to send her on her way, Misaki pulled the infected arm out into the open, the dreadful sight of the black puncture wound and the blue raised veins running the length of her arm to her shoulder, earning gasps from some of the other maids and a very audible cry from the little girl.

“Kagome-sama, nooooooo”

The dai had no choice but to take her out of the room then.

“Sesshoumaru-sama, what happened to Kagome-sama? Is she going to be ok? Please tell me. Please, Rin does not want her to die” the words coming out all choked up, tears streaming down her face.

`Those words again' his mind was reeling. He hated tears and he couldn't stand the sight of his ward's even more, it broke something inside of him, something he would rather forget existed. It was the same thing that constricted at the thought of the miko being injured. He knew he would have to tell Rin, it was better that he did rather than having her hear it from his gossiping staff. Obviously, there were no secrets within these walls, if she had found out about the miko's presence mere minutes after their arrival.

“Rin, listen to me”, he implored and she looked up into his face, her tears still streaming in rivulets down her cheeks. He grimaced as he broke the news to her “The miko was attacked by a viper-youkai and was bitten. Misaki-sama needs to give her anti-venom to prevent the poison from paralyzing and killing her. She is very weak and needs to rest. There is nothing you or this Sesshoumaru can do for her right now. It will probably be some time before she will wake up.”

The look on the little girl's face made him want to go out, revive and kill the whole nest of snakes all over again. He didn't anticipate what came out of her mouth next.

“Rin hopes that you killed all the nasty snake youkai. They do not deserve to live after they attacked Kagome-sama. She never did anything to them. She only does good things” her displeasure over the whole situation was quite noticeable. He had never heard her speak ill of anyone or anything before and it spoke volumes of the level of affection that she held for miko.

“Yes Rin, this Sesshoumaru did make them pay for their assault on the miko” the need to ease her troubled heart outweighing the need to be prudent. “Why don't you go out to the gardens while Misaki-sama is with the miko? This Sesshoumaru is sure that the miko would appreciate some beautiful flowers when she awakes.”

Given a new sense of purpose, she hugged him quickly and then ran off to her favorite place, leaving the Inu lord to question exactly when he started caring for not one but two ningen females. He didn't pause long before going back into the bedroom, this time giving instructions that no one was allowed to enter the room without his permission, including Rin.

Misaki had overheard the entire conversation between the young lord and his ward. She had to smile. He was becoming more and more like his father as the days went by, his apparent reluctance to leave the miko's side another sign of his blossoming heart. She had given the young onna the anti-venom and applied a poultice of charcoal, colloidal silver and indigo onto the entry wound and wrapped it in bandages before he returned and sat on the other side of the bed away from her injured wrist. Worry lines invaded his normally neutral face and she thought it best to put his mind at ease lest someone else catch onto his concern. It was apparent that he cared about the young woman.

“Kagome-sama is a strong onna. Her powers have put up quite a fight with the poison; although I dare say that you brought her here at the right time, any later and you would have needed Tessaiga to save her. The anti-venom is working its way through her bloodstream and the herbs should absorb whatever residual poison is left in her arm. I have no doubt that she will awaken before too long but she requires much rest to recover both her body and her reishi. I know you will see to it that she gets what she needs.” And with that the owl-healer flew out the room the same way she came in, leaving Sesshoumaru alone with his thoughts and a healing miko.

“Miko...Kagome, I have heeded your request. You will not die so long as this Sesshoumaru is around to protect you. You have become far too important to too many.” `Me, included' He leaned back onto the headboard and closed his eyes, trying to still his restless mind in the mere moments of solitude he had been allowed, even with his youki tingling with the sensation that something unavoidable was going to happen soon. He was too tired to care.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Outside in the gardens, a little girl sat on a small bench, crying. She had tried to be strong when her Lord told her to go pick flowers for Kagome-sama but all she could think about was the nasty wound on the miko's arm and how pale and sick she looked. In many ways, Kagome was the only female influence in her life and she truly did love her as if she were family. The miko always treated her with kindness, understanding and acceptance. It was like having a big sister, something that she never had even in her life before coming to be with Sesshoumaru-sama. The thought of losing someone so precious to her was too much for her little heart to deal with. She would have to rely on Misaki-san's abilities and Sesshoumaru-sama's words.

“Rin hates feeling so helpless. Kami please protect and heal my onee-sama. She is a good person and is needed by many, including me and Rin thinks, Sesshoumaru-sama as well” her soft prayer and gentle tears were heeded by not only the Kami but also by the quiet shadow that sat hidden in the boughs of the great red maple, not ten feet behind her.

The shadow, all dressed in black, continued to look upon the young girl below him. She had finally gotten up and began picking the flowers that she had been sent out to get. Her sobs had receded to quiet hiccups as she flitted around the garden, often asking questions to herself like `I wonder what Kagome-sama's favorite color was?” or `I wonder if there was any flower that was her favorite?' `So it was Kagome-sama that Sesshoumaru-sama brought in earlier. I am sure my onee-chan is very disturbed by her absence. I wonder what happened; it must be major if Rin-chan is so upset'. His thoughts very in sync to the young girl underneath him; who had absolutely no idea that she was being watched or, rather, admired by the most unlikely of people.

Kohaku had regained his memories months ago and had been doing his best to stay away from Naraku and his minion's watchful glare. Only Kagura knew that his memory had returned and it was on her advice that he leave Naraku's castle and go back to his sister's side. It would be the last kind words she would ever give him, as she was brutally killed by the kumo-hanyou not a day later for once again betraying him. The young taijiya was not even aware of her demise but kept his promise to her to keep moving and to try and stay out of trouble.

As much as he longed to be reunited with Sango and Kirara, his guilt was just too much to deal with. Regardless of the fact that he was being controlled by the vile hanyou at the time, he did in fact murder his father and other village warriors and inflict serious bodily wounds to his sister - he didn't know how he could go on living with the memories. He had decided that his only fate was to give up his life by trying to wipe Naraku from existence; maybe then he would die with a clear conscience and be able to see his family in the afterlife. He didn't think that there was anything left in this world worth fighting or living for. That was until he saw her again….

Rin was not the same little girl that he had abducted and almost tried to kill in one of Naraku's evil schemes three years ago. She had grown significantly and yet retained that same joy of life, something he greatly missed. Her smiles and laughter were infectious and it brought back a sense of peace to his war-torn heart. After secretly helping her when she had gotten lost from Jaken's side while on one of the daiyoukai's patrols, he had become somewhat protective of her. He knew she was in more than capable hands as long as she remained with Sesshoumaru-sama but he never did trust the little imp, who spent an inordinate amount of time admonishing the young girl, for no other reason than he thought her below him due to her humanity and unworthy to be in Sesshoumaru-sama's presence.

Seemingly after almost losing her again to one of Naraku's manipulations, the stoic lord had secluded her to a life strictly within the Citadel walls; which was why the now, fifteen year old taijiya was now forced to continually breach the Inu lord's security and spy, from the branches of the trees in the gardens she frequented, on the young girl he had unwittingly fallen in love with.  Even though he would never let her know, he never really ever left her side.

Only on the rarest of occasions, did he leave his perch, much like he did the night prior. He had overheard rumors from the guards that Sesshoumaru-sama had yet to return from his border patrols and that it was very unlike him to take this long when he was not burdened with having Rin and Jaken trailing behind him. Showing concern for his cherished one's guardian, he set off to ensure that there was nothing malevolent in the general area. The Citadel was well guarded but there was significant strife within the lands caused by roaming youkai, who deemed the current daiyoukai inept at overseeing his father's lands because of his ongoing dalliances with the weaker humans.  

He had himself passed by the same nest of vipers as they foraged the surrounding woods for food; they did not seem like a threat at the time so he left them alone. Little had he known that they would eventually encounter the sleeping form of the Shikon Miko, whom he had inadvertently been running away from for many hours through the darkness. He had been miles away from the Citadel when the faint trace of the shikon was felt, unsure as to whether it was friend or foe, knowing that Naraku possessed over three-quarters of the jewel, his self-preservation kicked in and he weaved through the woods, finally losing his tail in the Irohamomiji forest that lay deep in the Western Lands. If he had known that it was his onee-chan's best friend, he would have never left her to fend the night alone.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The mighty daiyoukai awoke from his agitated slumber `This Sesshoumaru does not even remember falling asleep' he absently thought, as he looked down and his golden orbs locked onto the still unconscious miko. Her hair was damp with sweat and stuck to her face in odd places. Feeling the need to rectify the messy coif, he gently tucked back a few random strands behind one rounded ear. That familiar constriction attacked his senses again; words to describe it still eluded him. `What is this feeling this Sesshoumaru has when you are near miko? This Sesshoumaru admits that you an intrigue but we are so very different.' Slowly running a claw down the side of her face to the part of her neck that remained outside of her blankets, he continued his inner monologue, knowing that she could not hear him even he were to speak aloud `You are soft and fragile, stubborn and tempestuous; yet, you are also independent and loyal, kind and understanding, intelligent and strangely beautiful. You put honor before comfort. Material possessions and status mean nothing to you. How unlike any other female this Sesshoumaru has ever known. You call this Sesshoumaru an ally and have shown more commitment to maintaining such, that you willingly risk your own life to save another. This Sesshoumaru will forever be in your debt.'

He had sensed the aura of the taijiya's brother nearby, it was not the first time but there was no maliciousness coming from him - it almost felt different and he silently speculated what the cause could be. He had not been witness to Kagura's betrayal of Hakudoshi, her refusal to kill the young male, who had only been kept alive by the shard that was embedded in his back. The boy had inadvertently become one of Naraku's pets and his death had already been promised to him if he ever tried to harm Rin again. It was nothing the Inu wanted to trifle with at the time, he would have been content to remain at Kagome's side until she awoke; unfortunately, his youki also picked up on the encroaching march of his half-breed half-brother InuYasha and the rest of his tachi. That made him growl, his sentient calm lost to the thought of having to have yet another altercation with the hanyou. At least this time, he was pretty sure it had to do with the young onna that lay inches from him. He had to admit that the inu-hanyou's tracking abilities had certainly gotten better since the last time they crossed paths. Not wanting to leave the miko alone while she recovered in a strange place, surrounded by demons she did not know, he quickly strode to the doorway and commanded the nearest guard to retrieve Rin from the gardens.

Within minutes, a more good-humored ward appeared in the hallway, flowers in hand. Glad that she was in a better mood than when she had been sent outside, he hurriedly instructed her,

“Stay with the miko, see that she gets her rest or this Sesshoumaru will be very cross with you. If anything changes, you are to find and tell this Sesshoumaru immediately. Do you understand Rin?”

“Hai, Sesshoumaru-sama, Rin will be very quiet and will make sure that nothing and no one bothers Kagome-sama while she sleeps. Rin promises”. She was perceptibly excited about having such a responsibility conveyed to her and would do her utmost best to live up to her two favorite people's faith in her.

Assured by Rin's guarantee, he closed her within the room, leaving the two guards to stand watch over the ningen females. “If anything happens to either of them, you will forfeit your own life” he barked to them as he walked away. They just shook their heads in agreement and stared forward, secretly wishing that they had been assigned anywhere else instead of protecting the two young women. `What could possibly go wrong within the Citadel's walls?' one of them scoffed.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The soldiers at the main gates were at odds with what they were supposed to do in the event that their current Lord's half-brother ever showed up at the Western Citadel. Most had never even seen him before, as this was the first time in InuYasha's life that he had ever returned to the place that by all rights should have been his home. Every citizen of the Western Lands knew the history of the last Inu-no-Taisho's demise at the hands of the ningen daimyo, Setsuna no Takemaru, who had killed the inu-hanyou's mother in a rage because she had fallen in love with the mighty Inu demon. Lady Izayoi had been resurrected by Tessaiga and survived the final battle long enough to give birth to InuYasha, as named by his father, before fleeing the destruction with only the Robe of the Firerat to protect her. She died from health complications early in the hanyou's life, leaving him an orphan, who was left to fend for himself due to his half-breed nature. It was a well known fact that Sesshoumaru-sama had no love for the hanyou; always commenting that his life was his to end but recently they had struck an accord when it was decided that they would team up to finally defeat the evil hanyou, Naraku.

So on this most auspicious day, after coming to terms that their great leader had somehow mysteriously regained his left arm and that the Shikon Miko lay unconscious in the rooms meant for the Lady of the Western Lands, the soldiers of the Citadel were greeted by an irate hanyou, who looked remarkably like their Lord.

“Oi Asshole, I know you are in there, I can smell you from way out here. I do not know what you planned on doing with Kagome but you can't have her, she's MINE. Come face me, you arrogant dog!” he hollered, loud enough for Sesshoumaru to hear him from whatever part of the Citadel he was in.

He didn't expect the gates to suddenly open and to be greeted by the equally agitated daiyoukai so quickly, but then again Sesshoumaru was never one to make anyone wait for a fight.

“InuYasha, your ignorant taunts could be heard by every youkai across these lands. Do you even possess any civility within that half-breed body of yours?” his answer bordered between anger and boredom and the casual flick of his hair over his shoulder was just added proof.

Not needing any further needling, InuYasha pulled Tetsusaiga from its sheath and aimed it in the direction where his half-brother stood.

“Give me back my miko Sesshoumaru” he screamed, frustration rolling off his aura in waves.

When his only response was a cold smirk, he rushed forward, fully intending on killing his brother but only ended coming up short when fang clashed against fang. The hanyou looked down at the sword arm that the Inu lord was using and could only gasp. `He got his left arm back…how could that be?'  In that one moment of hesitation, Sesshoumaru blasted InuYasha back, until he came to a landing against the flamed legs of the neko-youkai, Kirara. The Inu-tachi had arrived.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Two stories up in the tenshu that held the family quarters, a young woman was awakening to the sounds of shouting and swords clashing. She felt like she had gotten run over by an oni and was too weak to even lift an arm up. Slowly the memories of waking up screaming and the pain overcame her senses and nausea threatened to make itself known. She had the faintest memory of someone saving her, of being held in strong arms but the ringing in her head did not help matters in the least. She tried to open her eyes but the lids felt heavy and unused; it was a strange sensation. So instead she willed herself to move what she could, finally succeeding in wiggling her nose.

Rin had been seated on the chair pulled near to the bed, so she could keep a watchful eye on Kagome-sama; her little hands in the process of braiding probably the hundredth flower chain since she came to the room, when she thought she heard slight movement from the body on the bed. Looking up and not seeing anything different, she crept closer to the still form, mindful to stay as quiet as possible. Still nothing, the miko was still sleeping; but then, a nose twitched. And it kept on twitching…Kagome-sama was waking up. The child jumped from the bed and ran out of the room; the guards left with hands raised in effort to try and stop the stampeding child; but knowing better, just closed the door back and continued protecting the onna that remained within.

She had heard the voices outside the open balcony of her Sesshoumaru-sama and what sounded like InuYasha-sama. They sounded very upset and she couldn't understand why. Maybe her Lord didn't want his brother to come see Kagome-sama in fear that he would wake her up. If that was the case then they would both be happy to hear that she wasn't sleeping anymore. She raced out the main doorway, out towards the honmaru and main gates. `Sesshoumaru-sama said that I was to tell him as soon as something changed with Kagome-sama' she chanted in her head as she came to a stop not too far from him as he faced off with InuYasha-sama. He hadn't yet taken the time to notice that she was even there but she was used to waiting for him. Slowly turning her eyes away from the towering Inu, the next words she heard sent shivers down her spine.

“ WINDSCAR!!!!” as yellow lines of lightning came barreling towards her. The last thing everyone heard was her scream before a shadow in black plucked her frozen form from the ground just moments before she would have been torn to pieces.

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Translations:

Sorairo - Sky Blue

Tachi - Group

Tsuru - Crane

Fukuro - Owl

Tanuki - Raccoon

Irohamomiji - Japanese maple (tree)

Tenshu - tower (as in towers of a castle)

Honmaru - outer wall (outer ring of castle wall)