InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Detached ❯ Chapter 2 ( Chapter 2 )

 

All Fanfics created by Draken-Korin (yours truly ^.^) were written for the sole purpose of shared entertainment and not intended for publication or sale.

 

Inuyasha Original Japanese Version © Takahashi Rumiko Shonen Sunday Sunrise Studios

 

Detached

 

By: Draken-Korin

 

Chapter 2

 

 

“Kukukuku.”

 

Sesshoumaru's eyes shot open wide and he stopped his stride, his hand moving casually to his sword, Toukijin's hilt smooth and familiar as he scanned the surrounding forest.

 

“Sesshoumaru-sama?” The sweetly soft voice distracted him for a moment. He turned his head slightly to the side, his hair flowing with the movement, until the small child just behind him became visible from the corner of his amber eyes.

 

“Rin.” He paused for a heart beat to ensure that he had her attention. “Stay back.” His normal economy of words settling a strange unease in his stomach as his eyes returned to scanning the trees for clues. His sensitive Inu-youkai nose sniffing for the loathsome scent of that pathetic accuse for a hanyou, Naraku, or one of his numerous detachments that he'd spawned.

 

His mouth tightened imperceptibly. He saw nothing. He smelled nothing. He felt nothing. The surrounding area was devoid of all traces of Naraku about him. Just an unsettling humming from Tenseiga alerted him to something being amiss as he returned his hand to his side from Toukijin.

 

He pondered the strangeness for a moment before reaching out with his youki into the unsettled fang at his side. He could feel the ebb and flow of power, the steady pulses not unlike that of a beating heart. All seemed normal on the surface, yet upon delving deeper. The power of Tenseiga appeared to wane, fluctuating for a puzzling moment as if lost. It only lasted for a brief moment before settling again at the touch of his power.

 

Though his expression revealed nothing but implacable cold dignity, Sesshoumaru was concerned. He could feel his hackles trying to rise, yet he could detect no immediate danger. It was disconcerting to say the least. However, he wouldn't allow any of his unease to show as he returned his attention back to the direction he'd been travelling before being distracted by the oddly echoing laughter, his steady stride taking him into the thickness of the surrounding trees. Without pause, he addressed his followers. “Rin. Jaken.” He heard their hurried footsteps as they rushed to return to his side. “Come.”

 

He didn't bother turning to ascertain that his retainer and his ward had obeyed his perfunctory command. He could hear them as they scrambled to follow, Rin calling out after him and laughing sweetly while Jaken ran up to his side screaming his name in that grating tone that he had been listening to for years. “Sesshoumaru-sama…” There was a minute pause. “Sesshoumaru-sama!” As usual, his retainer repeated the irritating squawking rendition of his name. “What was that back there?” The small toad-like Jaken asked humbly. Sesshoumaru merely looked at him indifferently from the corner of his eye before stopping for a moment to watch him shrink back into his standard grovelling posture with no small amount of amusement which, of course, he hid very well with practiced ease.

 

He waited a moment for the small green youkai's unintelligible stuttering to subside before speaking. “Quiet, Jaken.” Without missing a beat he continued on his way, stepping on the prone retainer carelessly, listening to Rin's laughter as she helped his servant to his feet. He took a moment to ponder on the possibilities of what kind of youkai, exactly, Jaken could possibly be, before thrusting the puzzling thought from his mind. Though the creature had been by his side serving him with surprising loyalty, he was still uncertain as to what he actually was. The closest he could come up with was a strange mixture of frog and bird, though he had yet to detect feathers or wings on the odd little youkai. He fought against the twitching of his lips…and won…as he listened to the creature squawking in a rather humorous manner as the small human child admonished him for `annoying Sesshoumaru-sama'. It was interesting…and amusing…how the roles seemed to reverse periodically. It was almost as if they took turns scolding each other for the very same offence.

 

As he walked slowly amongst the trees his golden eyes took on a slightly far away look as his mind wandered, straying from the forest he was currently walking through. His thoughts returned inexorably to Tenseiga's odd behaviour over the last moon. The most memorable of such occasions had been when the sword's power had almost failed. It wasn't a memory he was particularly fond of remembering, though he couldn't stop his mind from replaying the unpleasantness.

 

The neko youkai attacked with the suddenness of a summer rainstorm…furiously, without warning. They swarmed into the ravine, swiftly filling the area with their presence. Most of them were weak, lowly youkai, resembling somewhat the flying neko that accompanied his brother, though not nearly as competent as they could…or should…be. He felt no reason to concern himself with their aggressiveness, not bothering to draw his sword he dispatched the first wave with laughable ease. He moved with unconscious grace, darting between their marauding claws as he calmly sliced them to pieces with a whip of his youki. He his only words were directed towards Jaken, whom he had ordered to protect Rin. He didn't bother looking to see if his command would be obeyed, knowing that his retainer wouldn't dare to disobey a direct order. No sooner had the words left his lips and the Nintoujou Sesshoumaru had given him shot up the old man's mouth on the tip of the staff shooting open its wooden eyes glowing red as hot flames shot forth incinerating most of the attackers before its fury as Rin cowered behind the small green youkai with cries of “you can do it Jaken-sama!”

 

The great youkai lord of the Western Lands turned his attention elsewhere, towards the hundreds of inferior youkai spread around him. He remained expressionless as he dispatched them with cold efficiency, his keen eyes darting around the area searching for the pride leader. He knew that these pathetic youkai would never dare to attack a youkai of his standing without a leader to guide them. A sudden scream sounding behind him stopped him in his tracks and he whirled around, his hand finally moving to the sword at his side, his fingers clasping Toukijin's hilt as he took in the sight of a large humanoid neko swiping his sword through his retainer and his human. Time ceased to flow for a moment as he watched, transfixed, as the girl and his small servant for a century falling to the ground…Jaken sliced clean in half…Rin with a large gash across her small body. As she fell to the blood-soaked ground her pain-filled eyes large in her pale face sought him, her bloodless lips parting as she whimpered, voice nearly inaudible. Her tiny whisper reached the youkai lord's sensitive inu ears…“Sesshoumaru-sama…” ;

 

“Rin!” He was filled with blind rage as he darted towards her killer at such a speed he seemed to almost blur out of sight. Toukijin swept down, slicing the offending youkai clean in half from head to groin. The creature fell to the blood-soaked ground, the two halves of its body separating as it went so it fell to both sides of its last victims. Sesshoumaru kicked the two parts away from the bodies of the child under his protection and his retainer. The last of the neko youkai's followers stopped and gaped in fear before turning and fleeing into the sky. Sesshoumaru's entire being thrummed with growing fury as his eyes gleamed red in the shadows of the ravine as he glared at the retreating youkai, his normally calm features twisted in bestial rage as he watched them run, showing themselves for the cowards they actually were. Wrathful gaze fixed steadily on their retreat, he spoke almost calmly though the syllables were twisted by a slight snarl. “Shine!” He swept up Toukijin in an almost lazy gesture. “Souryuuha!” Blue energy twisted from his blade seeming to take the form of a azure dragon before slamming into the ground before bouncing into the air with an eerie howl, chasing after the neko as they attempted to flee. The resulting concussive explosion blew all of the enemy through the air and into swift death.

 

He sheathed his sword calmly his features returning to the habitual calm mask he always wore as he turned to survey the bodies of his two followers silently for a moment. Placing his hand on the soothing familiarity of Tenseiga's hilt he paused as the blade jumped in his grasp and began to tremble violently. His eyes widened in surprise as the blade as it tried to draw itself from its sheath, forcing him to exert himself to restrain it as it tried to pull him towards the rising moon. He felt his hackles rise, a low growl rumbling in his chest as sudden laughter rang eerily through the night, echoing through his head as if from a distance, causing him to half doubt his senses as he couldn't be sure if he could really hear it.

 

“Kukukuku.”

 

With considerable effort, he finally got Tenseiga under control and drew the blade. Focusing, he saw the pall-bearers beginning to appear before him…yet they were strangely transparent, not as before when they seemed solid. He glared at the sword in rising anger as he sliced at the transparent pall-bearers with no discernable effect. He swiped again and again feeling an edge of what almost seemed to be desperation creep upon him. The unfamiliar emotion reflected in his swings until finally he swiped one last time, the blade finally destroying the pall-bearers for good. He watched as Rin slowly opened her eyes and blink owlishly for a moment before pouncing, throwing herself against him, clinging desperately to his leg while crying. “Sesshoumaru-Sama!” Jaken similarly grabbed the hem of his clothing, kissing it…much to the youkai lord's disgruntlement…and congratulating his strength.

With an inaudible sigh, Sesshoumaru calmly kicked his retainer off and walked away from Rin. Without hesitation, he set off in the direction Tenseiga had pointed him in.

 

He paused, tilting his head to the side slightly as his eyes narrowed imperceptibly. Now that he thought on it, he'd heard the same eerie laughter at that time as he had in the forest. Mouth tightening into a thin line, he silently vowed to discover the connection between the two incidents and the cause of Tenseiga's odd behaviour.