InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Finding Power ❯ Chapter Two ( Chapter 2 )

Warnings: for this chapter…nothing really

 

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha, Sesshoumaru, or anything relating to either one. They are the property of the magnificent Rumiko Takahashi

 

Chapter Two

 

Sesshoumaru waited as a disformed shadow separated from the caved-in hut. As it pulled away from the darkness, the light of the moon revealed the image of a young human woman. She appeared in her mid-twenties, long black hair swinging around her shoulders and brown eyes glistening. She was dressed simply, a casual yukata and overskirt. This vision appeared to be one of any human peasant women in these parts. Except this woman's clothing wasn't worn and her countenance was healthy in this land of famine.

 

And she was smiling.

 

Humans in this godforsaken parched earth didn't smile. There was simply nothing to inspire such feelings of happiness.

 

Oblivious to her watcher, the dark-haired woman took a few more steps, her arms clutching her breast tightly and her smile taking on a soft, dreamy tenor. “Mine,” the white youkai heard whispered on the wind. “My child, now you'll be with us forever.”

 

Deciding she'd seen enough of this disgustingly touching scene, Sesshoumaru released her youki into the air. Within moments, the temperature dropped and a wind swirled around both women.

 

Finally sensing the icy strands of youki penetrating the earth and air currents, the dark-haired woman looked up at the daiyoukai observing her. Her brown eyes caught on the indigo moon marking the white youkai as a descendant of the skies. And only one of those walked on the earth.

 

“Sesshoumaru-sama,” the woman greeted in a voice lowered in reverence. Her eyes drifted down and her head declined as she awaited an answer from the powerful youkai before her.

 

“You wear the illusion of a mortal woman,” Sesshoumaru stated, wondering if this plan just might work after all.

 

“Yes, Sesshoumaru-sama,” the dark-haired woman answered, head still bowed. “This woman is now a part of me, we are one. We came to collect our child; we couldn't leave our daughter behind. It calmed the girl to see us this way.”

 

Finally, the woman looked back up. Yet instead of meeting warm brown eyes, Sesshoumaru gazed into deep black orbs. As the daiyoukai watched, the rest of the lesser youkai's façade faded away. Smooth, flowing hair tangled and became coarse, framing her now emancipated face. Sickly, pock-marked skin stretched over brittle bones until her frame was covered with torn and dirty rags.

 

“Why have you come to see us, Sesshoumaru-sama?” She asked, curious but still with appropriate reverence. “May we be of some service?”

 

Of course not, she thought sarcastically, I came because I wanted to see your ugly face.

 

“Perhaps,” the white youkai responded. “Tell me, are you able to create any illusion or only recreate the image of those you have devoured.”

 

The lesser youkai dropped her grotesque gaze in an attempt to hide her displeasure at the inuyoukai's term. Sesshoumaru, however, missed nothing.

 

“I can take on the image of those who have joined us, as well as any other form we choose. We must, however, have an adequate depiction of a woman in order to obtain her form.”

 

“Then yes,” the inuyoukai allowed a gentle, closed-lipped smile to cross her face, “you may be of some service. I have a proposition for you.”

 

~*~

 

A breeze lifted heavy strands of silver hair from her neck as Sesshoumaru stood on a cliff overlooking a stretch of flat forest. Her nerves were still slightly raw from allowing the Mu-Onna to dig around in her mind. She had been careful to only allow the lesser youkai access to memories of a certain mortal woman and the daiyoukai's mental barriers were solid, however, it was still disconcerting to have another youkai shifting through her brain.

 

It had been nearly two days since she'd discovered news of Inuyasha's awakening and there were still a few things left to do. She had no idea if the boy knew the location of the tomb or not, but she'd certainly exhausted every other option. To be frank, she'd just decimated an army because someone somewhere had mentioned they'd seen a flea in a valley. Interrogating a hanyou must be more promising that that. If the boy knew anything at all, Sesshoumaru was sure she'd get it out of him. And if he didn't, she shrugged as the thought occurred to her, it wasn't as though anyone would miss him.

 

As it was, she was pulling out all the stops. Perhaps she was going a little overboard, with the Mu-Onna and all, but at least she'd either find her answers or be sure the hanyou had none to give. Maybe she'd be lucky and get the answers, find the tomb, get the power, and destroy the hanyou all at once. She smiled and another gust of icy wind fanned her thick mane. The next day had significant potential.

 

But first she needed one more thing. And although her head felt raw, she didn't exactly need her full concentration to handle this. The stretch of forest that spread before her was far from her own territory. This part in her little play would likely be sacrificial and it wouldn't do to recruit from those who lived within her lands. Of course, she had no compulsions against compelling any youkai, including those under her protection, but it was best for the balances within her lands if she searched for her sacrificial victims elsewhere.

 

And stupid oni were so easy to find.

 

Taking a step off the cliff edge, the white inuyoukai floated down into the dark embrace of the trees below. As she gently touched the toes of one booted foot to the ground, following it closely by the next, she released strands of youki into the ground and spread them like searching roots. Power seeks power. Soon every creature in the forest would know she was here. The weak would flee, the thinking would understand they were outmatched, and the stupid would come running. Exactly the kind she wanted.

 

Within moments, there was a large rustling to her right as something made its way through the underbrush. She turned her head only slightly, knowing the deliberate noise was an attempt at a distraction since the rancid scent of several oni gathered to her left, slightly to her back. She remained still as a red oni burst through a tree and entered the valley where she stood.

 

Unphased by the ugly monster's show of strength, Sesshoumaru only watched, an ear listening for noises from behind, as splinters of the ancient oak filled the air before littering the ground. A monstrous battle cry escaped the creature's lips as it swung its oversized head to stare at her. A single horn curved from between the oni's mud-colored eyes and, as the brute located the trespassing youkai, it leveled that horn towards her.

 

Sesshoumaru stood as the beast, several heads taller than she in its two-legged stance, dropped to all fours, snorting and pawing the ground as if it were beneath even the most base of creatures. She didn't even flinch as it released another cry and feigned a charge. Only when it aborted its unresponded-to attack did it rise again to its full height and gaze at her. For a moment, the inuyoukai wondered if it did, indeed, possess some intelligence.

 

As the monster stood, staring in confusion at the still, white youkai, Sesshoumaru suddenly leapt into the air. A taloned fist narrowly missed shredding her back as a second attacker entered the field.

 

A frustrated roar escaped the belly of the grey-skinned monster that had thought to catch her unaware. Sesshoumaru landed lightly in a tree some feet away, hands folded casually in the sleeves of her kimono, as the two oni scowled up at her.

 

“I'm looking for someone to accomplish a task for me,” she remarked as the a third and fourth oni entered the impromptu battlefield. “You will be rewarded as this Sesshoumaru spares your life. Do any of you ugly beasts even possess the ability of speech?” The enraged bellows coming from the four oni filling the clearing were about the response she expected. In truth, she wasn't speaking to them anyway. She could detect the scent of a fifth creature that remained hidden, beyond the line of trees. His youki was barely stronger than these but he probably served as the leader of this sorry pack of beasts.

 

Before the ear-splitting cries silenced, the fourth oni rammed the tree containing the still-calm daiyoukai with his double-horned head. As the tree base cracked and buckled under the bull-like oni's attack, Sesshoumaru once again leapt into the air. This time, though, instead of landing lightly in some innocent spot, she raced toward the earth too quickly for these pathetic opponents to see. Only when the red oni exploded in a shower of blood, did the rest see where the white inuyoukai had landed.

 

Thick, red fluid coated the three remaining beasts as they silenced and stared at the daiyoukai standing calmly among them. Sesshoumaru took advantage of this shocked moment of silence and spun with her left claws outstretched. For a brief moment, she relished in the feel of thick, rubbery skin, muscle, and bone shredding before her hand once again met the cool night air and she leapt. The two remaining oni watched as the inuyoukai vanished before their companion's head even reached the ground.

 

Once again, the deceptively beautiful youkai landed gracefully on the other side of the clearing, her white clothing stained in the red-black blood of her two victims. Her long, silver mane hung heavy behind her, bits of viscera causing the strands to clump and stick to her back. She made an amazing sight. Perhaps resembling a fallen angel.

 

Proving that not all stupid creatures were without the instinct for self-preservation, the bull-like oni took a step back before turning and fleeing into the trees. Sesshoumaru suspected its leader would deal with it later for it cowardice. If the leader survived, that is. As of yet, the final oni had yet to make an appearance. Probably preferring to allow his underlings to wear the mysterious youkai down before attempting to finish her off himself.

 

Too bad these pathetic creatures couldn't even provide exercise, Sesshoumaru lamented as she watched the grey oni circle her, its red eyes clouded with both rage and caution. This was the same creature that had attempted to catch her while distracted by the red oni's antics. It appeared, however, it was attempting to use the same tactic again. As it drew her attention, she heard the stealthy movements of the final beast in the woods behind her.

 

Launching into a sudden charge of her own, Sesshoumaru plunged her right claws into the unsuspecting stomach of the grey oni just as the leader rushed into the gore-covered battlefield. Curling her talons around the monster's internal organs, she used the slimy grip to swing the screaming creature back into the chest of the newly-revealed leader.

 

Sliding to a stop on grass coated in the debris of three slaughtered oni, Sesshoumaru faced her new adversary. He was a hulking brute. Significantly larger than the others who all stood only a few heads above herself. This blue-skinned monstrosity stood several times Sesshoumaru's height. Dull yellow eyes shone with obsessive hatred for the one who'd slaughtered his pack. As the body of his companion slid down his massive torso, falling lifelessly to the ground at his feet, the oni bared pointed teeth and cracked massive claws, readying himself to destroy this intruder on his lands.

 

Sesshoumaru stood to her own full height, at least in this humanoid form. “You've yet to answer me, beast,” she remarked as she brushed her bloodstained hair back behind her pointed ear, leaving a trail of crimson on her pale skin from her stained claws. “Do you possess the ability to speak?”

 

An ear-splitting roar echoed throughout the forest in answer to her nonchalant question. It appeared he was insulted by her inquiry with the evidence of his pack's destruction laying at her feet and smearing her person. She narrowed her eyes at the bloody destruction promised in the monster's gaze.

 

“Would you care to join your companions,” she asked, her normally deep voice lowered more until it was merely a whispered pulse. As proof, she lifted her right hand, claws prominently displayed. In case he any additional questions, she released a significant amount of her youki into the atmosphere as well. Storm clouds immediately gathered overhead in response to her change in the environment and the temperature of the cool night air immediately dropped until puffs of condensation developed from the huge oni's panting lips.

 

After a few more moments with his sickly yellow eyes burning into hers, she saw his hunched shoulders drop in resignation. His massive arms fell to his sides and his head dropped in submission.

 

“What would you have me do?” His voice was thick and his words were difficult to decipher as if he rarely attempted to form them.

 

The stoic inuyoukai smiled as the last piece of her plan fell directly into place. It had gone smoother than she'd suspected. Assured of the massive oni's obedience, Sesshoumaru turned and floated above the trees and back toward the cliff edge she'd recently vacated. Stepping a foot on the solid ground, she answered the oni who was watching her from below. “Follow me.”

 

TBC…

 

Annoying A/N-I want to thank all my wonderful reviewers. You are the reason I got around to putting up another chapter in less than forever.

 

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I hope you're ready for a surprise

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you should see in the next chapter or so

Snowfall

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~Silence~