InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Forgotten ❯ Aftermath: The Endless Road Ahead ( Chapter 19 )

Disclaimer: I do not own Sesshomaru, Inuyasha or anyone else from the hit manga/anime series.  Rumiko Takahashi does.  I do own all OC’s and plot elements in this story.   Chapter Nineteen:  Aftermath: The Endless Road Ahead   179 years Before the Search for the Jewel Shards   Survival, that was everyone’s focus at the time, but as things quieted the realization of what was lost and what needed to be done began to weigh heavily on everyone.  I had not known then that Noriko was part of a larger force.  I thought her insurrection was my problem alone.  Kuromakaze’s grand attack had driven my people far away from the tenko.  Three quarters of a century would pass before anyone realized the two fights were the same. -Sesshomaru   Naomi and Kenmaru staggered and fell to their knees as they landed, Sesshomaru’s dead weight dragging them to the ground.  The demon lord was no longer responsive; he was barely even breathing.  The pair gasped and panted, exhausted from their flight, however, the venture had been successful.  They’d lost their pursuers at some point on the return.  How many, if any, had died during reentry neither knew, but for now they were alone and that was enough.   The wind gusted and Naomi stiffened.  They were too weak to put up a fight now; if the enemy appeared they were finished.  A cyclone descended to the ground before them.  When it faded a woman in a flower patterned yukata stood before them.  The dragoness released her held breath.  Soranoko, the wind sorceress, gazed at the trio in concern.  This grew to alarm as she took in Sesshomaru critical condition.    “What happened?  I saw the flash of light at the castle, but when I arrived all I found were scattered people,” she asked, stepping closer.   “Noriko staged an insurrection, she completely destroyed the castle,” Naomi replied, trying to rise.  Kenmaru, born with far less reserves than she, remained kneeling, appearing instead to be on the verge of toppling over.  “Please, Soranoko.  We lost our pursuers but we’re spent and Father…”  She looked down at Sesshomaru’s face.  His lips held a tinge of blue while the rest was ashy gray; his silver hair possessed more color than his skin.   Frightened by the sight, she shifted the demon lord until he lay on the ground.  Kenmaru toppled forward and remained there panting.  Soranoko knelt next to Naomi.  The dragoness placed her ear on her father’s chest.  She let out a breath when she heard the faint beat of his heart, but she was far from relieved.  It was slow and nearly silent even to her acute ears, a human would never have detected it.  She also suspected his breathing was either equally slow or non-existent.   Naomi gritted her teeth.  If only I hadn’t stopped!   When she lost track of the tell-tale signs of pursuit she had stopped in shock.  Noriko had hit them within seconds of her error.   Noriko grabbed Sesshomaru’s kimono and pulled the semi-conscious demon toward her.  Kenmaru yelped as his brother collided with him, separating him from Sesshomaru.  In an instant, he was gone from her sight, his aura parting from hers.  Naomi felt the effort to maintain her sphere triple.  Noriko’s remaining brother slammed into her and she lost her grip on her father.   “No!” she screamed as her sphere separated from him.  All she saw then were two spheres, one close, one far, through her sphere’s opaque membrane.  She kicked at the demon that held her and clawed at his face.  Yelling, he let go and she slammed him down with a double-fist hit.  As the demon fell away from her, a flash of light blinded her for a moment.  Blinking spots from her eyes, she glanced over and saw the nearer sphere stretch then split into two.  One appeared bright as the sun the other was so faint she could see the stars through it as well as who occupied it.   She rushed forward, the light from the first sphere revealing Sesshomaru within the second.  Spiritually exhausted, it was miracle enough that he could still fight Noriko, but to maintain his own sphere in the void…   Naomi reached Sesshomaru the same time as Kenmaru.  Not realizing it was him at first; she raised her arm to strike, but checked her blow in time to prevent hitting her friend.  Kenmaru was a mess.  Blood covered his entire front and claw marks stretched from temple to chin.  Glad to see Kenmaru had come out on top, Naomi smiled at him then turned and took hold of Sesshomaru.   Her father was colder than ice.  Terrified for him, Naomi turned back for their world.  They dove, the sphere turning brilliant orange when they hit air.   Sesshomaru was clinging to life.  Kenmaru was battered and exhausted.  She leaned forward and lifted her father into her arms.  Despite their homicidal start, the two had patched things up, despite her mother’s best efforts to keep them apart.  Soranoko created her giant feather and helped to place both Sesshomaru and Kenmaru on it.  Then the two women climbed aboard as well.   “Our people are gathering to the south.  Xeno and Yukihana helped round up the survivors.  Kaiyoshinju is making certain no one follows,” said the wind sorceress.   “What about Kenji?” asked Naomi.   “I don’t know,” she replied, her expression grim.  “I haven’t seen him.”   ****   Ginta and Hakaku belly flopped into the river in pursuit of the same fish, but despite the spectacular splash, the fish swam off unharmed.  The two wolf demons rose to the surface, flustered.   “We almost had him,” whined Ginta, a wolf demon with spiky blonde mohawk, though at the moment it lay limp from the water.   “I wish a boar would trot over then we would stand a better chance of catching some food,” said Hakaku, his hair two tone but slicked back.   “You idiot!  The reason why we’re fishing is because we couldn’t handle the boar we found,” snapped Ginta.   “We would have had it just fine if you hadn’t gotten all scared when it was running toward you,” snarled Hakaku.   “Oh yeah!  Well what about-” started Ginta when a snapping twig startled them both.  “Did you hear that?”   “Sure did and I’m also smelling blood,” replied Hakaku, his nose twitching.  The two swam toward the bank.  “I think I smell a wolf.”  They climbed out of the river and tiptoed into the trees.  The pair peered around a trunk.  A dark haired wolf demon in black fur staggered forward.  Gruesome gashes covered his legs and back, a trail of blood following him.  He was bent forward, holding his middle or something to his middle, the shadows of the forest preventing the two from seeing clearly.  They glanced around, sniffing for the thing that caused such horrible wounds before stepping out into the open.   “Hey, what happened?” asked Ginta, reaching toward the stranger.  The wolf demon continued forward, unresponsive.   “Here, lean on us.  We’ll carry you back to the den where you can rest up,” said Hakaku, placing a shoulder under the demon’s.   “Yeah, just take it easy.  You look terrible,” added Ginta, placing an arm around the demon’s lower back.   “My little brother,” whispered the wolf demon.   “Huh?”  The duo squawked.   “Protect…  Help…  My little brother,” whispered the demon, his voice growing fainter.  The pair looked down and finally saw what the injured wolf was carrying.  A small child turned his head toward them, his blue eyes wide with fear.   “I’ll take him,” said Hakaku and he shifted the small boy into his arm.  The child didn’t resist, he just snuggled into Hakaku’s chest.  “Now you come along, you still need to rest.  Those wounds look terrible.”   “Koga.”  The name, so faint the two weren’t sure it had really been spoken.  The boy glanced over toward his brother.  “Be strong…”  Ginta and Hakaku yelped as they were dragged down by the wolf’s sudden dead weight.  All four fell sprawling into the grass.   “Hey, what happened?” yelled Ginta.   “Are you alright?” asked Hakaku.    “Big brother!” cried Koga, crawling toward the wolf’s body.  No response.  “Big brother, wake up!  Please, big brother, say something.”  The wolf child started shaking the elder one, but his brother didn’t stir.  Hakaku and Ginta stared helpless at the two.  The wounds no longer oozed, the breathing no longer labored, the heart no longer beating.  “Big brother!” Koga screamed in denial to the dawning realization.   Hiroshi, son of Kenji and Tsubame, was dead.   ****   Keiko rocked back and forth, suppressed tears gleaming in her eyes.  In her arms she held a tiny kitten, but the comfort this small life brought did little to ease her pain.  Her parents, her sister and her brothers were dead.   After entering Sanshaku no Hinansho, she had soon found people from her home town.  She’d then separated herself from the other survivors of the Temple of Heaven and went over to see them.  The elder had been the one to tell her.  Her parents and older siblings had been among the ones to remain in the castle of the town when they had spotted the charging army.  They had known from the start they weren’t going to survive.  A hand full of warriors versus an army of demons, samurai and possibly tenko… the odds were stacked against them.  Her parents were considered excellent fighters, especially her mother, but it was hopeless.  Their purpose had been simply to buy their neighbors time to escape with the children and the old along with the town’s most precious treasure, the saber twin tales.   Keiko sat there in silent grief holding one of the treasured twin tales.  The adults were growling, pacing and excessively grooming themselves, all signs of their agitation and grief.  The twin tales were all fighters at heart with canine-like loyalties, but the saber line was prouder than most and understood teamwork.  She knew that leaving comrades behind to die while fleeing with their lives hurt.  The only reason they had accepted such a decision was because they were needed to get the children and elderly away, both human and demon.  Still they growled and paced and groomed, unable to settle their minds and their guilt.   She heard faint footsteps approaching her but she didn’t look up.  She didn’t want to speak with anyone right then.   “Keiko?” whispered a voice.  She blinked, the voice familiar.  “Keiko?  It’s me, Inuyasha.  Do you want me to sit next to you?”  She raised her head and saw the hanyou she had been chatting with yesterday.  Had really been only yesterday?  He sat down without her saying a word and she leaned against him.  His hand came down and stroked her ebony hair.   “I heard what happened,” he said quietly, “I’m sorry.”   “They only ordered the town evacuated instead of retreating to the castle,” whispered Keiko, a tear sliding down her cheek, “because tenko had been spotted among the attacking hordes.  Otherwise they would’ve held their ground.  They would’ve destroyed the invaders while everyone else hid inside the castle.”    “I know they would’ve.  It’s a pity my clan lost the knowledge of how to make things impervious to celestial influence.  Without such defenses the castle would have been a death trap,” said Inuyasha.    “Father was the one who suggested everyone use the bolt hole to escape.  That way, it looked like everyone was holed up in the castle,” said Keiko, the tears falling freely now.   “Bolt hole?”   “Uh-huh.  There’s a secret escape route beneath the cellar.  The exit is in a hill within the forest, well away from the castle and the town.  No matter how many people go through it, no one near the town would see.  Everyone had laughed when my father insisted on building it, but Father didn’t care; they were already laughing because he was building a castle.”   “Your father built that castle?  I thought it was a left over from when the land wasn’t within my clan’s protection.  Why would he feel the need to build one so far inside the border?” asked Inuyasha, trying to remember if anyone had ever told him about a new castle.  He was certain such an odd thing would have stood out in his and other people’s minds.   “Mother told me it’s because of Father’s vanity.  He’d traveled a lot when he was younger and liked the look and feel of castles.  During those travels he’d earned lots of money as a hired guard for various warlords, so he paid to have one built within his village.  But he designed everything himself.  People had laughed as the thing was being built.  They admired it afterwards for they thought it was a work of art, but still laughed because they believed it was absurd.  ‘Deep within such well protected lands, why do we need such a well built castle?  It serves no purpose.  It only stands there looking impressive,’ they said.”  Keiko ducked her head and buried her face into Inuyasha’s side.   “They’re not laughing now, that’s for sure,” said Inuyasha.  “It must have been truly impressive if it was able to hold long enough for everyone to escape.  Your father’s vanity saved many lives.  Heh, I wonder if it weren’t really divine inspiration.”   “But the castle’s gone now, my father’s gone now, my family’s gone now,” she said her voice cracking as her tears turned to sobs.  “Why couldn’t the tenko be divinely inspired to remember how to build places like Sanshaku no Hinansho?  Why can’t they be divinely inspired to recognize and deal with bad people from the start so the castle wouldn’t be needed in the first place?”   “I’m sorry,” whispered the hanyou, feeling helpless.  Keiko just sobbed into his kimono.  The kitten she held suddenly cried out in protest as her actions threatened to smother it.  She pulled back and gazed at the offended kitten.   “Sorry, Kirara.  You were so quiet I forgot you were there,” she whispered.  The kitten climbed up to her shoulder and licked the tears from Keiko’s cheek.  They were quiet for awhile, only the sounds of distant conversation and grief echoed around them.   “I got to the call crystal at the top of the tower.  I’m very certain people heard my warning.  This should prevent further deaths, ‘cause now they’ll be ready,” Inuyasha said, feeling uneasy about the silence.  “You and the others protected the treasures from the enemy.  Despite their brutal attack, they didn’t get a single one.  You handled yourself well, though that’s no surprise.  You seem to have a gift for remaining calm in terrifying situations.  Just like that incident earlier this year involving that rogue demon.”  Keiko didn’t say anything.  Inuyasha lifted the young girl and settled her into his lap.  Kitten Kirara mewed in protest to the movement but held her place.  Keiko placed her ear against his chest, his strong heartbeat comforting her, and her eyes began to close, exhaustion taking hold.   “I wonder if anyone will bother to rebuild it,” she whispered, falling into dreamless sleep; not even certain of the last thing she heard.   “I will.”   ****   Several tenko held Kenji back, uncertain of what the exhausted wolf demon might do next.  As the Guardian of the Land, Kenji could cause massive damage if he was to suddenly lash out in grief and rage, but they understood the emotions racing through him.  The wolf demon den looked more like a slaughter house.  Blood and gore soaked the ground around the caves and half demolished huts as well as the ground leading away.  None of the remains were recognizable but the scent was clear; a one-sided blood bath.  Two women knelt next to Tsubame where she curled up on the ground wailing.  Other wolves, which had been away from the den that day, were in various states of shock and disbelief.  No one could tell who was dead until all the pack gathered, but it didn’t change the terrible realization that all their children were gone.  An entire generation erased.   To Kenji’s surprise, the tenko had met him halfway.  The patrols had seen the smoke and had sent several individuals to ascertain the situation.  However, the borders had been abandoned when the call crystals had lit up, broadcasting a terrible announcement.  The battles they all felt would come never occurred except in small isolated pockets.  The rampaging army had retreated before reinforcements could arrive.   Now Kenji stared at his home.  The battles that had seemed so far away when he had left earlier had somehow reached here with little warning and swept away his precious pack.  As members continued to stagger in, he hoped in vain his sons would be among them.  That some of the wolves here had managed to escape, that not everyone was dead.  How could they be?  They weren’t weak demons!  How could it have been so one-sided?   Every muscle in his body tensed and so did the tenko.  However, all he did was throw back his head and scream.   *****   Hitomi stared at the place where the enemy army had vanished from sight.  She still couldn’t believe they had retreated.  The army had marched forward, swords out and blood lust in their eyes, when a lone rider had ridden up behind them and shouted something to the masses.  At first the men had been angered but soon gave in, disappearing after the rider.  She and the other women had held their place in their defensive positions, certain it was a trick, for hours.   The reason appeared behind them now.  Tenko warriors rode up, frantic, and called out to them.  Only then did Hitomi realize why the enemy had retreated.  They had not wanted to face their army.   Lord Kuromaru strolled up to her.  “Do you know what is going on?” he asked.  Toromaru walked up as he spoke.   “I’m afraid not, milord,” she said.  “I saw the smoke and rushed our warriors into defensive positions; however, the army retreated on orders before entering the fields.”   “On orders?”   “Yes, I saw a rider come up behind them and shout something to them as they were advancing.  They left after that.”  Hitomi wondered why the tenko lord was inquiring of her when he should have been leading his forces onward to areas the army had reached.  “Also, Lord Kuromaru,” she continued suddenly remembering, “I saw a light coming from Sanshaku no Hinansho.  It seemed to correspond with the glow coming from our crystal, though, no one was manning the tower at the time.”  She pointed to the distant peak of the mountain fortress.    “I wonder if some our people took refuge there,” said Toromaru.  Lord Kuromaru glared at his son for a minute, unnerving Hitomi.  She had been thinking the same thing as well and didn’t understand why he would be angry with Toromaru for voicing such a thought.   “I think that it is more than likely.  There is no telling how far the damage extends,” said Hitomi.  “There certainly wasn’t anyone running before the army that appeared here.  I prefer to think they fled to the sanctuary than the alternative.”  Lord Kuromaru nodded and walked away.  Toromaru hesitated for a minute looking troubled then left.  Hitomi turned back to the direction the army had come from.   Still, why did they retreat hours before help arrived?  They could have caused much more damage if they had continued.  Then again why were they rampaging in the first place?   *****   Kuromakaze rested on a large boulder, his right arm dangling over his right knee, the left leg stretched out and the glaive resting against his left shoulder.  His golden eyes took in his commanders.  His white ears twitched in time to the scattered, muted conversations around him, the notes of dissatisfaction ringing through the air.  Yamibi strolled toward him, a small smile on her lips and slight swagger in her step.   “Your allies are assembled,” she said as she sat down on the boulder next to him.  The talking died instantly.    “You’re probably wondering why I ordered the retreat before any real fighting had begun,” said Kuromakaze, his voice as smooth as oil.  Faint grunts of affirmation sounded in the pause and he continued.  “First, our primary objective had been reached.  Second, the tide was beginning to turn.  As such there was no reason to continue pushing and sacrifice more of our strength.  Not when it could be used later on.”   A samurai general stepped forward and the hanyou nodded his head, giving him permission to speak.  “Forgive me, milord, but I am having trouble understanding the two reasons you gave for the retreat.  The first, what was the primary objective and how was it reached?  The second, when we had seen no retaliatory activity by the enemy how did you deduce the ‘tide was turning’?”  Mutterings of agreement echoed across the clearing.   Kuromakaze took note of the general.  A smart general who wasn’t afraid to speak his mind but stayed polite about it was one he could use.  So long as the general didn’t become too smart.  “The primary objective was to claim territory and clear it of those who would betray us at the first chance they had.  Now we have a large amount of territory that can be farmed by our laborers and help support our troops.  Also we need some time to prepare our defenses.  The tenko army has, without a doubt, abandoned the border in response to this attack.  However, the enemy they were expecting to meet has disappeared.  They know we’re still here, but they don’t know who is leading it much less the purpose behind it.  Without that understanding Kuromaru, their lord, will be paralyzed with indecision.  The army will end up only tending to the survivors and assessing the overall damage.  He will not attack without an enemy directly in front of him.  That is why I called the retreat hours before the army arrived.”   “Pardon, milord,” called another warlord, stepping forward before being acknowledged.  Kuromakaze made careful note of him as well.  “In my many engagements with the man, Kuromaru always came across as brilliant and clever in his military maneuvers.  How can you say he will act indecisively now with us here and having caused so much death?”   “A good question.  Kuromaru may have been a fantastic commander in the military, but his flaws are about to be exposed.  He should never have taken the mantle of Tenko Lord.  He isn’t the type who can handle being at the top.  He has no insight into grand schemes and often misses the subtle indicators.  He also refuses to act when he is even the slightest bit uncertain.  His uncertainty can only be alleviated by fully comprehending the situation or by being given orders to act by someone higher.  The former has only occurred once.  He is not as confident as he portrays himself to be, however much he tries.  As a result of his attempts to look the confident leader, he refuses to take advice from anyone beneath him and will not take back decisions once given even when it becomes obvious they are terrible.  Now he is the tenko lord, no one is above him.  Even with his people in danger and an enemy within his own borders, he will not move until all the questions are answered.  As long as we remain out of sight, he will remain still.  Thus we will have all the time we need to make this portion of Tenji our own.”   The samurai general nodded and stepped back.  The warlord looked troubled but nodded his acceptance and stepped back as well.  Others looked satisfied with his answers, but still, there were some who appeared unhappy.  “I know some of you weren’t expecting this to be long campaign once we started, and honestly I hadn’t expected it to be either, but our failure at the Temple of Heaven has taken away our only chance of making this quick.  Even if they have an incompetent lord, the tenko will not fall easily.”  Angry eyes then fixed on the ones responsible for that mission while those men looked at the ground in shame.  Without the sacred treasures, ordinary people could not compete with tenko in a head-on assault.  “Enough about the past; we need to prepare for the battles of tomorrow.  Everyone needs to go and rest for things will only get harder from here.”  The crowd dispersed and soon Kuromakaze was alone with Yamibi.   “I’m afraid Noriko failed in dominating Sesshomaru,” she said.   “Does he still breathe?” he asked.  Noriko had only joined them on the condition of becoming Lady of the West, so despite his desire to be rid of the meddlesome Sesshomaru he had let her handle things her way.  He wondered if Noriko was really worth Sesshomaru remaining alive.   “Hard to tell,” she replied.  “His daughter was the one that rescued him.  However, the inuyokai have lost their home and have fled south, not east.  They’ve been separated from the tenko.”   “Then we’ll let Noriko and her people deal with them.”   “I don’t think-” started Yamibi.   “We don’t have enough people to focus on two different groups.  Noriko won’t cooperate with us as long as Sesshomaru is free.  So why not let her group entertain Sesshomaru’s while our troops focus on the real problem.  If the situation changes, then we’ll get involved.  I always thought of Sesshomaru more as a thorn then a real threat, though thorns can be fatal if they stick into the right spot.”   Yamibi snorted.  “So you’ll let him live to cause trouble later?”   “As long as he believes Noriko is acting on her own he’ll remain separate from the tenko.  He won’t want to bother them with a personal matter, especially not when they are busy with their own.”  The female hanyou got up and walked away leaving Kuromakaze to his thoughts.   Sesshomaru may not be a major problem, but his activity in the past indicates he will meddle in key moments.  However, I can’t change my focus at this time.  The real chaotic elements are Toromaru and Inuyasha.  Unlike our fool father, Toromaru can see the grand scheme and catch the subtle hints.  My spy in Kyoto informed me that he was trying to warn Kuromaru of the danger for entire year!  Even though he’s young, Toromaru would have made a much better lord, but no one else noticed Kuromaru’s flaws before the circlet was placed on his head.  Even now it would only have just become apparent.  A few more years and they’ll know for sure.  Kuromaru doesn’t acknowledge his weaknesses but buries them instead.  He won’t abdicate even when everyone demands it.   However, Inuyasha…  I know nothing about his abilities.  I don’t if he will be a fool or a fearsome warlord.  I removed his father as a factor because he would definitely interfere and he couldn’t be overthrown.  I removed his mother because she knows herself and would have made a fine tenko lord.  She would not make the mistake of ignoring important advice no matter how it made her appear.  I don’t know what Inuyasha inherited as innate skills.  If only I had been able to kill him back then.   Of all the people fighting against me, Inuyasha is the most unpredictable of all and that makes him the one that needs to die the soonest!   *****   Kaiyoshinju stood at the entrance of the caves the clan was sheltering in.  Pursuit had been more joke than serious and her appearance along had scared off even that much.  She looked up and saw Soranoko’s feather soaring above them.  She hissed, her high pitched whistling hiss of her kind, and waved at the feather.  The feather stopped then dropped down until it was floating a few feet above the ground.   Naomi held Sesshomaru against her, trying to warm his frigid body.  Kenmaru had gotten his second wind and was sitting up; his bleeding had stopped.  Naomi flinched when she saw her mother.  Kaiyoshinju didn’t know Naomi had been visiting her father.  The dragon hanyou narrowed her violet eyes and Naomi pulled Sesshomaru closer and glared back.   Naomi stepped off the feather and pulled her father’s arm around her neck.  Soranoko took up the other arm, which made Naomi grateful.  Poor Kenmaru was barely managing to remain on his feet and Naomi regretted not being able to help her friend.  The four moved into the cave where several dog demons rushed forward.   “Is Lord Sesshomaru alright?” asked a younger female.   “Of course not!” snapped another.  “Do you think our lord would allow himself the indignity of being carried if he were fine?”   Some of the male removed their outer haori and laid them on the ground then helped to place Sesshomaru on it.  A few others sat Kenmaru down and took a wet cloth in order to tend to his wounds.  Naomi was relieved.  She feared they would not accept Kenmaru because of his relationship to Noriko.  Xeno stepped forward from the shadows and held his hand over Sesshomaru torso.  An orange glow emitted from his palm as he passed the hand back forth over him.   “I can warm him but I cannot heal him,” he said, his voice low and guttural.  I can only heal those who have the energy to spare for it.  His state of exhaustion is so complete his heart may soon fail from it.”   “Can you not transfer some of your energy to him, Master Xeno?” asked Naomi.  Xeno shook his head.   “Can’t you do it yourself, Lady Naomi?” asked one of the dog demons.  Naomi was shaking her head before he even finished.   “I’ve already been doing that.  I don’t have much left as it is.”  She closed her eyes then glanced down at her hands.  “I fear the only reason why Father hasn’t perished already is because I’ve been helping, but look at him.  Despite the energy I’ve given I’ve only managed to hold him steady.  I’ve spent too much just trying to get away.”   “I could give my energy,” said Kenmaru.  Everyone turned toward the battered demon.  “I know it wouldn’t be much, but if it can save Lord Sesshomaru then maybe-”   “NO!” screamed Naomi as she flung herself around Kenmaru.  “You’re worse off than I am.  If you give anything then you’ll be the one to perish.  I’d still lose someone I love.  How could you even think of making me choose between the two of you?”  Some of the dog demons smiled at Kenmaru’s surprised look.  A disgusted “huff” from the entrance attracted everyone’s attention.  Kaiyoshinju stormed forward, snapping her staff against the rock floor.  She towered over Sesshomaru’s unconscious form and glared down at him.   “M-Mother?” squeaked Naomi, wondering what the temperamental dragon was going to do.  Kaiyoshinju raised her hand over Sesshomaru and began chanting, more like spitting it seemed to everyone.  A blue orb appeared before her palm and tiny beads of light spiraled down toward the dog lord’s chest.  His breathing deepened and color returned to his face.  The chanting cut off; Kaiyoshinju snapped her hand back, whirled around and stalked off just as Sesshomaru’s eyes fluttered opened.   “Father!  You’re all right!” cried Naomi flinging herself on him.  Sesshomaru grunted when she landed on him and opened his mouth to say something, but only sighed and stroked her head when he looked down and saw her tears.   “Where are we?” Sesshomaru whispered after some time had passed.   “A group of sea caves south of Tenji,” replied Naomi, sitting up.   Sesshomaru tried to rise but was still too weak and fell back down.  “Where’s Noriko?” he asked after catching his breath.   “Not here, for the time being,” replied Xeno.  “Is she the one that caused all this?”  Sesshomaru nodded.  “I take it then that those who are also not here are either dead or traitors as well.”  He nodded again, his lips tightening into a grimace.   “Well, we can hardly let this stand,” said Yukihana, her pure-white tail twitching as she tossed her spear between her hands.  Muttered agreement filled the cavern.   “That is a fine thing to say, but unfortunately we’re not in a position to counter-attack,” said Sesshomaru, successfully sitting up this time with the help of his daughter.  “The castle has been erased along with more than half of my loyal supporters and we have been forced south into hostile territory.  Or is everyone forgetting that the panther demon tribe never made peace with my father.  They just retreated.  Most of those here are children.  First and foremost we need to protect them.”   Everyone stared at Sesshomaru in disbelief.  Sesshomaru blinked then glared.  “And what is there to be staring at?”  Everyone shifted nervously.   One of his generals looked around then muttered, “This is where Kenji is sorely needed.  He would know what to say.”   Before Sesshomaru could respond, Naomi piped in.  “Oh you mean like ‘It’s about time spring arrived.’ Or ‘The fluff has finally rubbed off on him.’  Or maybe ‘He’s finally managed to fill out his hakama.’  What?  What’s wrong with everyone?”  The entire cave was now echoing with the sound of coughing as every adult seemed to have inhaled something unpleasant.  Kaiyoshinju was unapologetic, grinning like a fiend as she snickered.   “Naomi, was it really necessary to continue after the ‘It’s about time spring arrived’ crack,” Sesshomaru said between clenched teeth; his face flushed with embarrassment and anger.    Naomi smiled, bright and cheerful, leaned over kissed her father on the cheek.  “I love you, Daddy.”  The sounds of coughing were then replaced by sounds of choking and a few doubled over unable to contain themselves anymore.   “How can they be so gay after everything that has happened to them?” asked Yukihana, looking around in disgust.   A hand gripped her shoulder.  “Don’t begrudge them,” said Xeno.  “In my long experience, laughter can do more for people in times of war than brooding.  Being serious right now would only depress everyone.  We need people to be hopeful.”  He glanced over toward Sesshomaru and Naomi.  “This fight is neither going to be easy nor short.”   Besides, Xeno thought, focusing on Naomi, this is the first time I’ve seen Lord Sesshomaru not lose his temper over being teased.  As well as admit to wanting to protect his people.  I think this is the first time his clan has seen actually care about them.  What could have changed in the last few decades to make him more approachable?  I know Naomi has been seeing her father but I don’t think she is responsible for his improved demeanor.  Something else has happened but what could have thawed that glacier?   Sesshomaru huffed with indignation then glanced at his people.  They were tired and ragged and the laughter they were trying to hide held tears of despair.  He thought, I’ve really let them down this time.  I don’t deserve their loyalty.  I’ll find Noriko myself and I’ll make her pay with my own two hands! ________________________________________________________________ ______________   Phew!  This was a long chapter, but get use to it.  The next few at the very least will be long monsters as the brothers separate again.  The “novel” that follows this line is to fill in details that you wouldn’t get in within the story.  So read if you want or don’t; I don’t really care.  Just don’t ask me questions about things that were covered in my details because I’m not going to repeat myself.   There is a lot of history to this little expansion of the Inuyasha world.  I don’t write things well unless the world is fleshed out some so there is a back-story to everything and everyone.  For those of you who have forgotten, Kaiyoshinju is a dragon hanyou and she is Sesshomaru ex-lover.  Wanna talk about “Hell has no fury…” she is the source of that.  Naomi happens to be a free-spirited, fun-loving, independent young woman and, as you may have noticed, she disobeyed her mother and went to get to know her father despite the poor introduction.  Kenji has a reputation for pulling Sesshomaru tail just to get the raging fire ball that usually occurs.  Hence why Naomi said those things because Kenji would have said that and probably more in seeing Sesshomaru act like the concerned leader nobody thought he was.  Sesshomaru wasn’t dubbed the “Ice Prince” for nothing.   I also had that scene between Keiko and Inuyasha for several reasons.  1) Because this is my last chance to show the two being more than just acquaintances.  2) It allowed me to expand on Tenji a little more.  3) That castle, or more accurately its reincarnation, will appear again later in the story.   Also would like to point out, since I’ll never have a chance in the story, Tenji’s philosophy is “equal and casteless justice”.  In order words, justice that ignores status and species.  The tenko enforce their rules equally within their territory.  A high ranking lord who tried to force himself on a peasant girl would be punished the same as a peasant man trying to force himself on a noble woman.  Demons were equally bound and protected by the law.  That’s why the demon slayers were taken into custody and later executed for the massacre of the inuyokai that included Sesshomaru’s mother and newborn sister.   Furthermore, because of this philosophy demon variety and concentration within Tenji is very different from the rest of Japan.  Wind demons like Soranoko are more common, the saber line of twin tales like Kirara is exclusive, and earth demons that are similar to Jenenji’s father and Kenji mother.  (Yes, that is the problem with Kenji.  He is half wolf demon, half earth demon and the rest of the demon wolf tribe couldn’t stand the impurity and kicked him out.  That’s why he is in Tenji and worked for Kenhoshi because Kenhoshi was the one who gave him a purpose when he was all alone.)  Demons like those giant lizards and insects that seem to serve no other purpose but to rampage across the land and devour humans are never seen within Tenji.  The border guard destroys them before they can enter.  The kitsune, tanuki and other minor demons that rely on pranks and tricks to survive in the outside world, live peacefully in villages alongside the humans within Tenji.  They can’t pull too many pranks because that would get them in trouble with the law, but they still manage to keep things lively.  Twin tales not of the saber line, like Kuroro, do have a higher concentration within Tenji due to the acceptance of the people there.   Kenji’s tribe is a band of outcasts who didn’t like how things were done in the rest of Japan and left.  They were accepted into Tenji on the condition that they follow the rules, no attacking humans.  Which was fine for a number of them were breaking clan law and associating with humans anyway.  Some, when they arrived, already had human mates and hanyou children.  Other simply had human friends they didn’t want to see hurt so both humans and demons had moved.  However, because of their choice they were branded traitors by the elders and can’t move freely outside of Tenji.  That was the negotiations Kenji was returning from when the attack began.  He was trying to remove the traitor status from his pack.   The pack in Tenji is also different from the other wolf tribes in that they have craftsmen.  Unlike the caveman way of living the rest of the tribes cling to, the western pack actually learned trade, gardening and herding skills.  The description of the huts outside the cave was to reflect the difference in their choice of living compared to what was seen with Koga during the Inuyasha series.  Kenji’s tribe also acts as heavy enforcers when the need arises.  They help to protect Tenji from eternal criminals and troublemakers since every society will have their bad eggs.  They are welcomed in every town.  They also protect the border when the tenko enter into civil war.  So they have become a key part of Tenji society which is why they were targeted by Kuromakaze.   Soranoko and Kagura may both be wind sorceresses but Soranoko is 100 times stronger than Kagura who was created by Naraku who is nothing more than a conglomeration of low class demons one and very evil man.   Soranoko is also the Guardian of the Wind, one of five Guardians within Tenji.  Kaiyoshinju is the Guardian of the Sea, Xeno is the Guardian of Inferno and Kenji is the Guardian of the Land.  The original Guardian of Heaven was killed by Yamibi’s sister when the pair attempted to take possession of the five Jewels of Life.  Her sister was then killed by Kanzaki Jounochi, Inuyasha’s grandfather when he joined Kenji and Soranoko to reclaim the Jewel of Heaven.  The jewel has been in his possession ever since while Kenhoshi tried to find a new Guardian of Heaven.  That was the item Toromaru snatched from Jounochi after his grandfather was killed by Sagara.  Toromaru was making sure Sagara didn’t get the all powerful and dangerous Jewel of Heaven.   The Guardians aren’t really guarding Tenji as much as they are hiding one of the five Jewels of Life.  They are actually five pieces of the Jewel of Life that was created by the tenko ancestor, Shugotenshi, thousands of years ago to defeat the evil enzeru.  But the jewel proved too powerful and Kenhoshi was forced to break it before the power literally blew the world to pieces.  Kenhoshi had been looking after ever sense but after his home was attacked he realized it wasn’t safe to keep them together so entrusted one to five individuals.  The five Jewels of Life are the most powerful of all the sacred treasures and the Jewel of the Heaven is the most powerful of all.   The sacred treasures are items that were created over the years by the tenko clan or their ancestors.  Some were made to help people others are just plain evil, but all in the wrong hands can have devastating affects since even the weakest of the treasures is stronger than the Shikon no Tama.   Chapter 20: Broken Dreams   Inuyasha and Keiko have survived many years and many battles now they want to share their future as husband and wife.  However, Kuromaru wants Keiko to remain on the battlefield and forbids the couple from marrying.  Kuromakaze makes his own plans to be rid of his cousin.