InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Between Heaven and Hell ❯ Forget to Remember ( Chapter 7 )

The birds chirped their awakening song melodiously as the glowing sun rose above the earth's horizon. Streams of light penetrated through the forest's tree top covering, finding their way to a serene, silver-haired being, dressed in black clothing with a pure white haori draped over his broad, sturdy shoulders.

 

Sesshomaru's eyes opened slowly, taking in the still, peaceful ambiance with one long, quiet breath. He sat there for a moment longer, regarding the bright morning with certain weariness.

 

Straightening up onto his feet, the daiyoukai squinted resignedly up past the warm rays of light streaming into the forest. The cool breeze of dawn blew softly against him, trailing his long, silver tresses lightly along with it.

 

Another day.

 

Nearly drawing out a tired sigh, the youkai headed forward, ambling past the lofty trees and their waving branches apathetically. Aimlessly wandering through the thick growth of forest, the solemn inuyoukai hardly paid any mind on where he planned to go.

 

After walking for quite some time longer, he unconsciously noted the gradually thinning number of trees. Soon, Sesshomaru was narrowing his eyes in reluctant recognition of the place.

 

The daiyoukai slowed to a halt as he reached the end of the forest. He stood near a decent sized tree, hoping to stay hidden among the shadows. Leaning casually against the rough trunk, he tucked either arm in the opposite sleeve of his kimono.

 

Sesshomaru's eyes lingered on the wooden build of a home, appearing to be able to hold a family from the look of things. A smooth, chestnut-brown roof lay across the top of the structure, sheltering those living inside from the harsh freeze of winter, yet also from the blazing heat of summer. The building looked delicate; however its support was sturdy.

 

It was a finely built home - a fine home belonging to none other than a young, human female; the young human female whom he had become more and more increasingly intrigued with.

 

Again and again, he wandered aimlessly, as he had always done since the day he decided to come to the lands of Eastern Japan. But ever since the day when that young ningen female happened upon his resting place, his wanderings had seemed to migrate towards a certain village, and towards a certain unattainable girl.

 

A day or two before that fortuitous encounter in the forest, he had been walking through the area, unfamiliar with that certain expanse of land, as well as taking inconsequential interest in the high levels of demonic aura emanating from it.

 

He remembered noting the sudden scent of human blood, the aroma of fresh carnage. The strong scent hit him in a wave, becoming even more concentrated as he continued walking. Deciding to find the source of it, he happened upon a blood-soaked man clad in armor soon after, clinging to a tree for support. Soon, the severely wounded man sank to the ground, lying in a pool of his own lost blood. The daiyoukai watched in silence as the man lie dying, becoming progressively still as his body reached the final stage of complete lifelessness.

 

Sesshomaru glanced up, spying more men, wearing similar armor to the corpse in front of him. They came fraught and frantic, retreating from a shadier section of forest, some limping, others coming to the aid of others injured as they were able. Either way, they desperately attempted their escape from death that reached out from behind them.

 

As they managed their way past his watch place among the trees, most were too concentrated on fleeing with their lives to take notice of the grave-looking daiyoukai. Those who did detect his presence were only filled with more determination to escape.

 

Sesshomaru watched for only moments longer as the last of them fled before turning on his heel to take his leave.

 

He never did intend on helping them. No, it was their fight, and their choice to run, just as the cowards they were.

 

Humans… he scoffed to himself indifferently, walking past a large, green-leaved tree. He came to a stop, raising his nose up to sniff the blood-tainted air.

 

…are useless.

 

The quick-footed inuyoukai turned swiftly, springing up into the air just in time to dodge the bloody jaws of a mangy wolf. Prompt in unsheathing his sword, Sesshomaru took it, slashing downward upon the offending creature. With ease the wolf lay dead at his feet, its yellow eyes wide and lifeless. Its spilled bowels lay spread and distorted about it, tingeing the green blades of grass as well as its tangled coat of fur a dark crimson.

 

The superior youkai looked up, a faint frown upon his face as a large pack of wolves inched towards him with deadly intent, encircling him. Among them stood a fair-haired brute, evidently the alpha mutt of the blood-lusting animals.

 

The smirking male gave out a curt laugh, as if he believed bloodshed was mere child's play, and flexed one clawed hand with an audible crack.

 

“Well, well,” he chided in a boyish, sarcastic tone, “look what we have here.”

 

Sesshomaru raised a brow at him, slightly irritated by the foolish impudence of the ookami. However, he kept his sword at bay, deciding to amuse himself for just a while longer with the wolf's insolence and naivety. Obviously the blood lust had gone to this youkai's head.

 

Next, the ookami tilted his head sharply from side to side, cracking his bones once again, seeming to Sesshomaru as if he were attempting to be intimidating. The unimpressed daiyoukai nearly would have joined the blonde-headed wolf in his laughing if he had not continued on so hastily.

 

“I was going to finish off those humans back there, but I think you'll do just fine,” the youkai mocked, his eyes narrowing slightly. With that, the blood-stained male flexed his clawed hand again in confidence. “Besides, this will be more fun…” Raising his hand to his lips, he gave his blood drenched fingers a chilling lick.

 

In an instant, the spry wolf youkai was before him, deadly claws held high above his head, ready to strike, and ready to kill.

 

But Sesshomaru was faster than the inadequate ookami. As he leaped backwards to dodge the incoming blow, he brought forth his indestructible steel sword, grazing the wolf's fur armor with lethal grace, precision and speed no average youkai could ever hope to equal.

 

The youkai continued with rapid assaults, dashing in towards the silver-haired Sesshomaru wherever he saw the opportunity. However, with his own inhuman speed and superior division, it was quite palpable that Sesshomaru could not be harmed by this single pup of a wolf youkai.

 

After a number more of efforts at the daiyoukai's life, the wolf decelerated to a complete halt, wiping the blood from his mouth with frustrated rage. Sesshomaru had battered and cut him, far from exerting himself, yet he, on the other hand, had not left a single bloody scratch on his body. The furious wolf's eyes bled a crimson red in resentment towards the untouchable daiyoukai.

 

It was then, Sesshomaru supposed, that the lesser youkai had decided to “cheat”. Though of course, this last attempt of the foolish wolf would obviously not be of any great use to him. Whoever could be able enough to defeat his likeness, even with the deceitfulness of unfair play? Clearly never such a lowly creature as this one.

 

The ookami spit the bloody contents of his mouth onto the grass beside him, smirking with certain self-assurance. Sweeping the back of his palm across his lips one last time, he called his beastly companions forth with a quick motion of his fingers in preparation.

 

Sparing no time, the imprudent youkai rushed forward once more, and alongside him, the large pack of wolves who had followed their master up until the end. But this time, the wolf demon only feigned the recurrent routine before leaping swiftly from the path of Sesshomaru's own counter swing; the ookami omitted the actual strike, unlike the other times where he had swung his claws at the daiyoukai in vain.

 

Nonetheless - never surprised in battle - Sesshomaru turned quickly to meet the hand of the beaten youkai with the edge of his sword. Deftly anticipating the demon's next move, he turned to face the oncoming sly wolves behind him, though keeping the sword against the reasonably cunning youkai.

 

With one poised twist of his wrist and unstrained use of strength, Sesshomaru easily severed the hand of the wolf youkai; the fact that the ookami was so busily taken by the self-assured thoughts of his clever scheme to slay him only made the action all the easier.

 

With a blood-curdling cry of agony, the youkai fell back, holding his gory wrist in its excruciating pain. The better youkai only continued on without a second thought to the foolish one.

 

Sesshomaru soon had the wolves at his mercy. Though they were many, they could not match the strength of a full-fledged youkai. They inched closer and closer, surrounding him, however, one by one the wolves fell helplessly at his hands.

 

Darting forward, Sesshomaru brought his hand back, preparing his sword to slay the last of them while the targeted wolf leapt forward in its own final defense. As the two neared each other, Sesshomaru repositioned his blade, gripping it tightly with resolve.

 

Then suddenly with an unexpected snarl, the young blonde-headed ookami sprung up from behind his wolf comrade, his remaining hand raised as if to deliver a finishing blow while his eyes had become a scarlet red; in his fury, his pain, his deathly intent. Nevertheless, it was either this unscathed, powerful daiyoukai, or this hampered, adolescent wolf. The outcome was quite obvious, yet the ookami still hurtled forward.

 

Sesshomaru reeled to a stop, promptly redirecting his aim towards the bloodied wolf demon. Remarkably, the blonde reengaged his previous routines, only this time, utilizing his remaining left arm.

 

The inuyoukai was undoubtedly tired of the game. Shifting the steel blade in his hand with dexterity, the lethal daiyoukai narrowed his eyes slightly. He would bring the end to this pathetic life form.

 

With one finishing strike, Sesshomaru swept through the air effortlessly with his sword, before the lesser being lay lifeless on the mossy ground before him.

 

However the seeming finality of the scene, the instant after the youkai had fallen, the last of his wolf cohorts leapt from behind him, prepared to take the place of his departed master. Its bright, piercing yellow eyes emitted its own fierceness with the incentive to take vengeance.

 

Given hardly any time to ready himself with the rapidly changing fight, the large wolf was able to induce a sharp gash on his torso, past the vulnerable and low opening of Sesshomaru's kimono. The freshly provoked inuyoukai shifted his body back, out of reach for it to deepen the wound any further. Then swiftly changing his stance, he disposed of the wretched beast with a single concluding swing of his sword.

 

As the last dropped to the ground with a dull thud, Sesshomaru lifted his arm, flicking the blood from his blade with a sharp jerk. Upon returning his weapon to its sheath, the inuyoukai paused for one, long moment, quietly observing the dead that lie before him - at least, that was what it seemed like.

 

Then with slow, lithe fingers, he reached up to the gash at his chest, touching the thick, red moisture which seeped from the four slits of his wound. Examining the crimson staining his fingertips, Sesshomaru almost smirked.

 

How long it had been since he had last seen his own blood leave him of another's own intent. He raised his fingers to his lips, tasting the metallic substance on his tongue with a light lick. The composed daiyoukai's eyelids fluttered closed for a fleeting moment.

 

…It was exhilarating - the taste of blood.

 

Without another glance towards the slaughter field, Sesshomaru walked from the bloody scene, leisurely, and with indifference.

 

A couple days later, after his injury had nearly healed, he returned to the place, wanting to explore and gain more knowledge of it, as well as to possibly seek out another challenge to color his usually dull agendas.

 

Not long after entering the seemingly youkai infested area, he was met with a dreadfully revolting beast of a youkai.

 

Its scrawny red eyes looked every which way, as if looking for something to strangle the life out of with its massive, over-sized hands, while its skeleton-like body stalked forward slowly, possibly saving its energy until a real fight appeared.

 

Soon conquering the vile creature without much difficultly, Sesshomaru paused, feeling a warm substance trickle torturously down his torso - it had taken hardly any exertion to reopen the wound from earlier.

 

Letting out an irritated breath of air in awareness, he continued forward in search of a decent place to rest. Before long, the inuyoukai found a seat against the trunk of a large, shady tree.

 

And that was how he first met that intriguing girl called Kagome.

 

Sesshomaru recalled feeling a ningen presence nearby, spying on his being; either in ill will towards him or just plain curiosity, he had not been entirely certain at the time. He beckoned the human to come forth, desiring to take sight of his shadowy watcher.

 

When she appeared, he dismissed her at first glance, knowing almost immediately that she would pose no threat towards him.

 

But instead of fleeing for her life as the average human would at the sight of a demon such as him, she only hesitated. But the girl continued to linger still, and even more uniquely surprising to him, requested to dress his wound.

 

What human in their right mind would desire to assist a youkai? What normal human would go as far as to insist on helping one, even when their aid was refused?

 

But that human, that girl - the one called Kagome - was not the “normal” human.

 

No, that Kagome, she was different. She acted as a child would, perhaps even more adolescent and innocent than that. Ignorance is bliss, Sesshomaru thought. There was no possible way that she could know the true nature of youkai and still be able to bear his presence without bitterness and spite. There was just no possible way.

 

But perhaps that was why he sought her presence unknowingly, so involuntarily.

 

…Because of her ignorance - because her bliss did something to him... something only one like her would be able to induce. One who knew so little… Someone who saw his image without the stains of blood upon him… Someone who made the burden and weight of his existence lighter.

 

…She made him forget.

 

Ever since that day he met her, ever since the day that she happened upon him and refused to leave, he had wandered the lands aimlessly, pointlessly, without any particular motive. He was a youkai; he knew that.

 

He destroyed everything, including members of his own race, all for the sake of power; killing innocents, competition, anything for survival. It was what he did, what he was. Sesshomaru could not even begin to fathom how much blood had been shed by his hands, by the claws of the youkai race.

 

However, though having knowledge of this, he had never truly regretted it. He knew he must live by his instincts - there was no helping it. Sesshomaru knew he would always continue the bloodshed, no matter if he knew it was unforgivable or not.

 

But even so, even though he was not able to fully regret, he still felt heavy with the sins he had committed, there was no denying that. Failing to regret was the only way he knew how to surpass the overwhelming weight of blood guilt.

 

For if he allowed himself to regret, the weight would overtake him. He would be filled to the brim with self-loathing - an unbearable hatred. Clearly, it was exceedingly easier for those of the thoughtless, lesser youkai and blood-thirsting animals. Indeed, unlike them, he was burdened with the heavy knowledge of their deeds.

 

But her company… it did something to him. The daiyoukai did not understand it, nor did he know exactly how it was procured, but he did know that it was that which compelled him to return to her presence like this, so routinely.

 

Yes, she made him forget everything.

 

…Everything but her.