InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ A New Sibling ❯ Another Journey... ( Chapter 19 )

I seriously apologize for taking so long. *cough* Not really…*cough* Man, I must be getting a cold. Anyway, I tried for a longer chapter, so bear with me until the end, `kays? Alrighty, then! Let's get started! Oh, and just a word to the wise, this chapter jumps around a whole lot…!

And the quote of the chapter is:

"Actually, cats do this to protect you from gnomes who come and steal your breath while you sleep." - John Dobbin.

I think we all know what he's talking about, yes?

Movie quote, movie quote:

"Usually I only ask two questions: what is it, and how do I kill it." - Hugh Jackman in Van Helsing.

Words to know are:

Aniki - big brother

Imouto - little sister

Hahaue - mother

Chichiue - father

Haori - Japanese shirt

Okay, now read!!!

Oh, wait!

^^^^^^^^ = beginning of a flashback/dream sequence

######## = the end of a flashback/dream sequence

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ *~*~*~

^^^^^^^^

*Just outside the citadel*

"Aniki, help me find cousin!"

"Find her yourself!"

The young youkai turned around to go back inside only to be stopped by a small tug on his sleeve. He rolled his eyes and turned back around, gazing into overly large, golden eyes. He heaved a sigh, rolling his eyes again, but stepped of the stairs to assist the childish girl.

"You do know that you could just as easily find her yourself, right?" he said with yet another sigh.

"But you have the better nose, Aniki!" she said, tapping the side of her own nose.

She turned back to her brother, looking at him with huge puppy-dog eyes and a matching pout.

"Don't do that, Imouto. It makes you look like a little kid."

She huffed and turned back around to continue their search, calling back to him. "If you haven't noticed, Aniki, we are only 10! We still are kids, even by human standards, stupid!"

"Yes, but that doesn't mean you have to act like a child," he muttered.

She turned back to him and started to say something, but a scent wafted on the breeze to her nose, stopping her. The small child spun back around, glaring into the empty forest, searching for something.

"Do you smell that?"

The young boy walked up to her, nodding solemnly.

"We must inform Chichiue, Imouto."

He started to walk away, leaving the girl behind. She slowly nodded then followed.

########

~*~

^^^^^^^^

*Somewhere in the forest*

Smoke billowed from the small den in the forest floor. A red-headed child ran forward, yelling for her mother and trying to find a way in. She jumped over a large column that fell, landing in what was once her kitchen.

The small woman-child covered her face, trying to block the smoke. She squinted against the light of the fire and the ashes. Running into the bedrooms, she started calling for her mother again.

When she made her way to her parents' bedchamber, she gasped, taking in a lung-full of smoke and ashes. She coughed, trying to rid her body of the ash, making her way to the burnt body of what was once her mother.

The petite youkai kneeled next to her mother, her bright green eyes shining with tears. She shook the burnt corpse, trying in vain to wake it up. She sat there slowly suffocating on the ash until a strong hand grasped her upper arm from somewhere behind her.

It pulled her up, expecting some kind of struggle but taking full advantage when one did not come. The larger youkai pulled out the grieving fox before she died. He sat next to her until she caught her breath. When she had, she looked up into his pale, golden eyes. Before he could react, she threw herself on him, knocking him to the ground as she cried, staining the front of his haori with her tears.

He did not make a move to move her, but just sat there, listening to her sobs until they finally died down. He removed his hand from the small of her back and picked her up bridal-style. On his way to his castle, he listened with a heavy heart to her grieving in her sleep.

########

~*~

*Back at the citadel*

Sesshoumaru paced in the courtyard, watching the shoji door anxiously. Suzuka still sat in the grass, meditating while also waiting for the late arrival of the Inu-tachi.

InuYasha emerged, followed by Kagome and Sango. Miroku walked behind them, carrying Shippo on his shoulder as Sango carried Kelala on hers.

Sesshoumaru stomped forward, ready to rip InuYasha's throat out for taking so long. Suzuka, even in her state of meditation, sensed this coming and shot her hand out, catching Sesshoumaru's ankle. This affectively stopped him, but tripped him in the process. He went cascading to the ground, landing flat on his chest and face.

Kagome walked over, feeling sorry for him, though she couldn't figure out why. She bent down, stretching her hand out to help him up. Sesshoumaru stared at her hand suspiciously as if she were about to strangle him before brushing it aside lightly and turning blood-red eyes on Suzuka. He stood up and started to stalk toward her.

She suddenly stood up, walking away calmly, leaving a very baffled taiyoukai in her wake. Before she completely disappeared into the surrounding forest, she called back to them in her whisper-voice.

"Follow me."

They followed without question until she took off at a dead run toward the mountains.

~*~

^^^^^^^^

*In the citadel's study*

"But, Chichiue-"

"Quiet. You must stay here, children. If she is hurt, I do not want the same thing to happen to you both."

Both youkai grumbled, but complied and sat down on cushions. With a small, gentle smile, InuTaisho left toward the forest. After the door was closed, the small child jumped up angrily.

"I can't believe he made us stay here! Suzuka could be in danger, and we're stuck sitting in the study!"

"Calm down, Imouto. If she is in trouble, Chichiue will save her. He won't ever let us down."

She sat down irritably beside her brother. Wrapping her arms around him, she snuggled her face into his chest.

"What if the monster's too powerful for even Chichiue? What if it gets him, too, Aniki?"

"Chichiue won't ever let us down. We can count on him, always."

He felt her back heave with her giant sigh as sleep set in. He let her sleep on him, not bothering to remove his pained twin from his chest. The door slid open, and he looked up to see if it was his father. He looked back to the small youkai sleeping on his chest when he realized who it was.

"Maru-chan, maybe you two should get some rest. Chichiue will be back soon."

Sesshoumaru's head shot up toward his mother.

"But, Hahaue, we want to wait for Chichiue," his gaze lowered sadly to his sister again as she lifted her head, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. "He should be back soon, like you said."

Ayumu ran to her mother, wrapping her arms around her waist.

"Do you think Suzuka will be okay, Hahaue?"

Her mother reached down, picking up the obviously upset child and walking to grab Sesshoumaru's hand. She led him down the hallways toward their room. (A/N: Yes, one room, not two. Heck, they're 10, and twins!) She opened the door, setting them both on their respective futons. As Ayumu sat down, grabbing her mother's hand as she turned to leave.

"Hahaue…"

"I don't know, little one. I don't know."

Their mother left, leaving Ayumu to cry into Sesshoumaru's chest as Sesshoumaru bit his lip, drawing blood, trying to keep back the flood of emotion that threatened to take over. Just as she slipped into sleep, Ayumu reached up and brushed away a lone tear on Sesshoumaru's cheek.

########

~*~

^^^^^^^^

*Night-time in the forest somewhere*

The red-headed youkai slept soundly on top of the silent inu-youkai. He sat motionless, listening to the shallow breathing of her sleep. As she slept on, he looked into the distance at the rising billow of smoke.

`She just lost everything, everyone she cared about…'

The youkai in his arms squirmed a bit in her sleep. He gave a rare smile at her, returning his hands to wrap around her waist. He looked back up to the slowly fading billow of smoke and swore to protect her from any other harm that might come to her. He swore to stay by her side, and hold her when she needed him.

He looked down again when he heard the woman-child's breathing quicken with her awakening. She slowly opened her eyes, staring into the depths of his golden eyes. He gave her a gentle smile, and slowly lowered his head towards hers.

########

~*~

*Somewhere in the Northern Lands*

They each kept to themselves as they dashed through the trees, ducking branches, dodging trees, and jumping bushes. When they reached the foot of the northern mountains, Suzuka stopped in her tracks, looking around. Not noticing the sudden speed change, Kelala and Sango ran into Miroku, who ran into Kagome - who was on InuYasha's back - who ran into Sesshoumaru, who in turn went flying into Suzuka.

The screaming and yelling of the group rang through the crisp mountain air.

Miroku - who landed upside down in the giant tangle of limbs - reached down to try and push himself up right.

"I feel someone," he said with a sly grin on his face.

Sango and Kagome shrugged, saying, "It's not me," in unison. As Suzuka just snorted in response, getting the message across that it wasn't her either.

"That's because it is my ass, monk!"

Everyone went silent at Sesshoumaru's remark.

~*~

^^^^^^^^

*The citadel…again…*

"Aniki, wake up. Chichiue is home. Wake up!"

Ayumu was leaning over Sesshoumaru, shaking his shoulders in an attempt to rouse him from his slumber. She finally succeeded, getting a light, half-hearted smack in the face when her hair started to tickle his nose. She watched as Sesshoumaru wiggled his nose, then turned on his side and went back to sleep, never opening his eyes.

"Aniki, we need to go see Suzuka! Wake up!"

Sesshoumaru finally sat up, wiping the fog of sleep from his eyes. She helped him to stand then they both sprinted down the hall to the guest bedroom where Suzuka slept when she spent the summer with them.

They slowly slid open the door, the scent of blood assaulting their senses almost painfully. Holding their noses, they made their way to the small, feather futon on the opposite wall of the room.

Ayumu knelt beside her cousin, watching as the shallow gashes on Suzuka's side gradually healed.

"Cousin, are you well?"

Suzuka looked up into Ayumu's face which was now hovering above her. She nodded solemnly, and then looked to the other side of the room where Sesshoumaru was retreating out the door.

"Maru-chan?"

"Uh, Suzuka," he pointed toward the open door, "I'm just going to go to the study."

She slowly nodded as he left, calling after him, "Bring me back my favorite book, Maru-chan. I'll be stuck in my room for a while."

"Sure thing," was all he said as the shoji door closed with a click.

As Ayumu gazed at Suzuka's resting body, the image of the room started to fade to a pitch black.

########

~*~

^^^^^^^^

*The citadel*

The young youkai brought the red-head to his castle, setting her on a futon in the corner of the room. She had slept the entire way, and turned onto her side as soon as he set her down. He retreated to the door, leaving her to rest.

"Thank you, Lord Sesshoumaru."

He turned his head back to her as he closed the door; these images fading into a pitch black as he responded.

"Rest, Kuzume. I will return when you awaken."

########

~*~

*The mountains*

Everyone finally disentangled themselves, most still trying to hold back laughs as Sesshoumaru continued to glare at the lecher. He started to follow Suzuka, who had walked down a mountain pass moments before.

They finally got their bearings and followed the two youkai in the lead, listening as Sesshoumaru murmured something to the effect of, "call yourself a monk" closely followed by a snort of disgust. As soon as this small rant was over, no one could stand it any longer, and burst out laughing.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ *~*~*~

Okay, I couldn't resist that situation! Don't you just think that if Miroku were piled on top of several people, he would try to grope the nearest female? I just had to make him slip up!

Happy Reading,

Taiyoukai Ayumu of the Northern Lands