InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Into the East ❯ Dream a Little Dream ( Chapter 8 )

A/N: So, I guess I didn't catch everything like I thought I did. Made a few corrections, that's all. No major changes to the story other than a new word here or there.

 

 

A/N: Ah-ha! Finally! Sorry I took so long!! Before I start, a few things:

 

First… I think it must have been late when I finished chapter 7, because, well… it just ended… I might go back later and give that chapter a little more closure - just so you know.

 

Second… I am such a fan of being done with classes… Admittedly I didn't do so hot this semester, but everyone's allowed one, right?

 

Third… This chapter was hard to get up and running. I ran into some crazy writer's block at first - seriously, I thought about this chapter for about a week before I put anything down that I liked… it was a process of write paragraph, hate paragraph, delete paragraph, write a similar paragraph, continue to hate paragraph, delete new paragraph, rinse and repeat - I knew where I wanted it to go but not how to get it there. It was really getting frustrating.[Author ID1: at Mon May 8 00:37:00 2006 ] Turned out I was trying to start out in the wrong POV. It just wasn't meant to be for Vanessa to start out this chapter.

 

Finally… I know I work really hard on trying to come up with original concepts in my story. I understand that with so many writers contributing to mediaminer.org that there is bound to be the occasional overlap in theme, but please, be respectful to other writers and don't blatantly steal ideas. It's true none of us are paid for the stories posted here, but it's just plain rude and inconsiderate to copy what someone else has worked so hard on. ~ end Rant.

 

Anyway, without further ado, I present to you, my faithful readers, Into the East: chapter 8

 

 

Into the East

Chapter eight: Dream a Little Dream

Posted: 18 May 2006

Characters/Plot originally appearing in the anime/manga Inuyasha © Rumiko Takahashi

Everything else © me

 

 

 

 

Sesshoumaru watched as Vanessa left with Rin to take a bath in the stream. She had finally been able to convince the girl - through him - that a bath really wasn't so bad. Must all children be so averse to bathing? According to Vanessa, it was just like going for a swim. The woman was certainly cleaner than most humans, and youkai for matter, that he had encountered, and for that his sensitive nose was grateful. The soaps she had used during her stay in the miko's village were pleasant-smelling and thankfully, not overly potent; he assumed the new selection would be similar.

 

The females' bath time was a welcome reprieve from the constant presence of his companions. Sesshoumaru did not mind that they traveled with him; he would not have allowed it otherwise. However, it was easier to lose himself in his thoughts when they weren't so near. They seemed to have a mutual, unspoken demand for his attention. He would wait for them within hearing distance, but until they returned, Sesshoumaru took the moment of solitude to ponder the previous night's events. Vanessa had struck a strange chord with him. It was hauntingly familiar and yet he found his own upbringing strangely lacking in such an experience. She seemed to know precisely what was needed at that moment to calm Rin. Had he himself had any fears, he was certain that they would have melted away in the strange melody that flowed from the woman. Perhaps that was the reason that he had dropped his defenses enough to crack a single joke with her earlier that morning, and he had actually held a conversation with her the night before. Other than that meager explanation, he had no idea what had come over him. Still, he was impressed that she could calm Rin so easily. It was not the first time that the child had had a nightmare. In his admittedly limited experience with children, all Sesshoumaru could do to remedy the situation was to gently try and wake her, displaying the rare tenderness of which only Rin knew he was capable and allowing her to cling to him as the last remnants of the nightmare slipped away. But Vanessa didn't even have to wake her. He had watched with cautious fascination as the woman pulled the sleeping girl into her lap, rocking gently and crooning soothing nonsense. Then she started humming that strange song. It was unlike any lullaby he had ever heard. How did she know just what to do?

 

The only natural explanation for Vanessa's ease in comforting Rin was that she must have left a family behind, and after what he felt from her toward a stranger's child, he could not even fathom the depth of her love for her own children. Sesshoumaru had never known his own mother; she died at his birth and his father had rarely spoken of her. Had the Inu no Taisho not had lands and an heir to care for, he likely would have followed her to the grave as his youki and mating bond must have been begging him to do. Instead, Sesshoumaru grew up under the care of nurses and nannies. They cared for him, as was their duty, kept him out of trouble, taught him, but none had ever loved him as their own; they had their own families so Sesshoumaru never felt the true power of a mother's love - not until he felt what he did through his connection to Vanessa. But Vanessa did not have children - she was not even married. Intriguing. Perhaps it was some instinct among women to know how to care for children.

 

Sesshoumaru was brought out of his reverie by the silence; he had not heard the usual splashing of the humans' bathing in quite some time. What could they be doing? He decided that they had been gone quite long enough and rose smoothly to investigate, setting off in the direction of the stream. As he drew nearer, he heard the occasional giggle from one or both of them and grew curious. He approached silently, content for the moment to simply observe.

 

Thankfully Rin and Vanessa were already clothed and were lying on a rock with their hair splayed out behind them to dry in the sun. They seemed to be picking shapes out of the clouds. Every now and then one of them would point and then pantomime what she saw, producing giggles from both parties as they tried to repeat the other's word for the object. The scene really was quite amusing, and Sesshoumaru wondered how long he should let them go at their little game before making his presence known.

 

After a few minutes more, Sesshoumaru decided that it was time to be on their way and approached silently to cast his shadow over them. Both Rin and Vanessa grinned up at him as they squinted against the sun at his silhouette. “Come. It is time we left,” he commanded before turning back to the camp. Vanessa took the time only to shake her curls into some semblance of order and to tie Rin's hair into her usual lop-sided ponytail before following the taiyoukai back to the camp. They ate a fast breakfast of leftover meat from last night's meal and quickly loaded up Ah-Un. Vanessa helped Rin onto his back and turned to Sesshoumaru, “I'd like to walk for a while, if that's okay.” He gave her a penetrating look before responding.

“If you can keep up, I see no problem.”

“Great! Let's go!” she said cheerfully, as she slipped on her new sandals.

 

~*~*~*~*~*~

 

Sesshoumaru certainly kept to a brisk pace, but Vanessa had little trouble keeping up. She couldn't have known that he had shortened his strides considerably for her. After nearly a quarter hour, she decided to break the silence. “Just out of curiosity, how far is it to where you live?” Sesshoumaru slowed a bit and turned to her.

“We could be there in two more day's travel. However, it is my wish to spend more time abroad before returning.”

“Ah,” Vanessa replied, giving Sesshoumaru a knowing smile. “I suppose even a great demon lord needs some time off.” He merely quirked an eyebrow at her - Vanessa thought she was beginning to figure out the multitude of meanings that this one gesture might imply. This one seemed to fall under the `confusion' category.

“Time off?” he asked. She was right.

“Yeah, time off… a break from duties, a vacation, time to relax before diving headfirst into your work again. I think the term has something to do with the time clock… `Time off the clock…' something like that.” This time she managed to confuse him to the point that his brow furrowed in his effort to sort through her strange vocabulary.

“Explain this `time clock'.”

 

Vanessa wasn't sure what sort of timepieces were available during this time period, so she had to think for a moment to find a way to explain the device in the simplest manner possible. “A time clock is a way of measuring how many hours a person has worked. Workers who are paid by the hour put a paper card into the machine and it stamps the time of day on it. It has to be stamped again before and after lunch breaks and at the end of the day so that the person gets the right amount of money from their employer. Does that make any sense at all?”

“A bit. What sorts of workers make use of this `time clock'?”

“All sorts… factory workers, restaurant workers, retail…”

“Factory? Retail? You make no sense.”

“Right, I guess those haven't exactly been created yet. A factory is a big building in which a lot of different types of objects are made. Usually they have big machines that do a lot of the work. And retail… is a store that buys products from the people that make them and then sell them again for profit.”

“I see.” Sesshoumaru was quiet for a time and Vanessa took it to mean that he was trying to sort out everything that he had just learned. She wondered if any of it made sense at all to one who was five hundred years away from experiencing anything she was trying to explain. The silence dragged on as the travelers trekked through the wilderness. They hadn't used very many roads and to Vanessa, the paths they followed were lightly used trails at best. Even so, Sesshoumaru seemed to know exactly where he was going; he didn't seem the type to easily become lost, especially when they were so relatively close to his home.

 

Finally, he turned to her again. “Tell me,” he began, “if what Kagome said is true and your nation even now has not been formed, how is it that it has grown so powerful in your time that young ones as far away as Japan learn your language?” It took a moment for Vanessa to figure out exactly how to explain American history in the simplest terms possible. Where to start…

“Well, actually it won't be an official country for almost three hundred years from now. The continent is only now being discovered and settled.”

“From where did the settlers originate?”

“Most came from Europe. On the other side of your mainland across the sea to the west is a whole other empire. Some decided that it wasn't enough and wanted to conquer more lands, others wanted freedom so they sailed across the ocean. In any case, colonies were developed, the most prominent being thirteen settled under the king of a country called Great Britain. After nearly two hundred years the settlers decided that they didn't want to be ruled by a king across the ocean. They wanted to form their own government and told the king that they would have their independence one way or another. There was a war that lasted about eight years and in the end the settlers won their independence and called their new country the United States of America. Following so far?” Sesshoumaru nodded.

“How did this king expect to control a land from so far away? It seems poor practice to try and govern a land without having a direct tie to it. However, if these settlers were strong enough to rise up against him to such a degree, then he did not deserve to hold that rule.” Vanessa smiled, starting to get an idea of the way Sesshoumaru ruled his own lands.

“That's what the revolutionaries thought. You see the king had sent his armies to govern the land in his stead. The colonies had only their own militiamen and other volunteers at their disposal while the British loyalists fought alongside trained and war-hardened soldiers. Eventually they ended up getting some help from other nations in Europe, but until then they had to work at building a unified army. The general of this army actually later became the first president, the leader of the new country.”

“As well he should after leading untrained troops to victory.”

“He wouldn't become another monarch like the king they fought against, though. From then until the time I left before finding myself here, the president has been a leader who answers to the people. He can't do anything without the approval of the representatives of each state, but at the same time, he has the power to turn down a proposal by those same representatives.”

“That seems a strange way to rule.”

 

Vanessa shrugged. “It's worked for over two hundred years now. The system was set up so that no one person would have absolute power again. As time went on the original thirteen colonies expanded until finally the country stretched from coast to coast across the continent. I wish I had a map to show you. Anyway, in the end the thirteen colonies grew to fifty states, each one having a voice in the government. I think the desire and passion for freedom is what has brought my country to become one of the world's superpowers. Other cultures don't agree with everything that my country does and battles have been fought, but still it commands a certain respect.”

Sesshoumaru made a non-committal noise in the back of his throat. Vanessa could tell that he still struggled with some of the concepts that defined her country, and it was only to be expected in a command and conquer time period. She was glad that he showed an interest, though. She had been afraid that he might not be interested in anything she had to say, but of course, as a leader himself, he would want to know how other lands had succeeded. “You seem to know a great deal about your nation's history,” he stated. She blushed slightly at the compliment.

“History has always been interesting to me, especially war times. I think the greatest changes and most defining moments have come during conflict.”

“Indeed.”

 

Sesshoumaru didn't ask any more questions after that and Vanessa let him process all that she had told him. During their conversation, however, the sun had risen high and before long it was time to stop for lunch. There was still some deer meat left over from the night before so Vanessa and Rin made a cold meal out of the remainder of that and some berries that Rin had collected.

 

After they had cleaned up and set off again Vanessa approached Sesshoumaru. “I've been thinking,” she started, “about what I could do to repay your kindness.” Sesshoumaru glanced down at her, his face devoid of any emotion.

“There is no need,” he said.

“Still, I want to do something. I was just thinking that it probably won't be too much longer now before the British visit Japan, and even if you don't care about that, it might be useful in the future to know English. I could teach you. Rin could help. It would give her something to do. If nothing else, it could help me learn Japanese.” He seemed to be considering it.

“We understand one another already, how do you propose to accomplish this?”

“I was thinking that Rin could act as a sort of middleman. She can repeat my words in English and yours in Japanese, that way we all know the meaning behind the words.”

“It is possible.” He turned and asked Rin if she would like to help and the child was only too eager so he explained that all she had to do was repeat what she heard either of them say.

 

Rin took to her new job eagerly and enthusiastically, and for the rest of the afternoon until they stopped for the night the three travelers traded words and simple phrases back and forth between the two languages. She seemed happy to finally be able to interact with both of the adults and Vanessa was eager to finally be able to talk to the girl, of only a little bit at first. Once they stopped for the night, Vanessa had a fair collection of phrases that she had mastered. She hoped that by the time they reached Sesshoumaru's palace, she would be able to at least get by on what she had learned.

 

Once again, Sesshoumaru caught and prepared their meal and afterward, Vanessa curled up next to Rin, exhausted from walking all day. Now we're getting somewhere, were her last thoughts before sleep overtook her.

 

~*~*~*~*~*~

 

An interesting day, Sesshoumaru thought as he watched the females falling into slumber. He had felt rather foolish parroting Rin and Vanessa, though what Vanessa said rang true. If her land would become an important player in the world, then it would only be to his benefit to learn the language.

 

Feeling a bit restless, the taiyoukai rose, taking up Tokijin, and walked a short distance from the sleeping humans. He had not had a good fight in a long while and having restrained himself from fighting with Inuyasha, he had a great deal of pent up energy. There were no suitable sparring partners with whom he could practice so instead, Sesshoumaru ran through exercises that had been engrained into his routine, defeating imaginary enemies to his heart's content. Sesshoumaru began slowly, letting his muscles warm up so as not to strain them and gradually progressed into more complicated moves. Sesshoumaru could feel Tokijin's power begging to be released, and even after all the time he'd had the sword, he still had to consciously keep its evil in check; this nighttime practice session was as much a mental exercise as it was physical.

 

Nearly an hour and a half passed and Sesshoumaru's skin glistened with perspiration. He felt the beginnings of a satisfying burning sensation in his muscles that came only after one had completed a good workout, but the exercise was hardly enough to wind the taiyoukai. After a particularly complicated move involving a series of leaps and spins, ending in an impressive downward strike, Sesshoumaru stopped short - he had heard a sound to his left that didn't belong in the still night. Giving no other indication that he was aware of the other's presence, Sesshoumaru stood still, listening and scenting the air. When the intruder was identified, he mentally smirked. If she thought Sesshoumaru was `showing off' after a mere demonstration of a youkai's superior speed, it would be best if she did not know that her presence has been discovered, or surely he would once again be unjustly accused of such a boastful display.

 

Sesshoumaru swung Tokijin a few times to release the tension that had come with discovering he was not alone. Now that he was aware of his audience, however, he felt his need for exercise quickly dissipating. He continued for a few minutes more, effectively cooling down before stripping off his armor so that he could stretch. Once he was satisfied that he would not be awakened by cramped limbs, Sesshoumaru secured Tokijin in his sash and gathered his discarded armor. Vanessa's scent was still strong, suggesting that she had not left yet. Curious. Sesshoumaru began slowly walking in her direction - toward the camp - to see if she would run back to her bed or wait and meet him, admitting that she had been watching.

 

As he suspected, Vanessa scurried back to the camp like a child caught out of bed. He almost laughed; his human companions really were very much alike. Sesshoumaru continued his slow, deliberate pace, allowing Vanessa time to return to her blankets and steady her breathing. What use would it be to embarrass the woman for her curiosity? What was it that she had wanted to see? Finally, he stepped into the dim circle of firelight and deposited his armor beside Ah-Un then turned to the `sleeping' pair beside the fire. Vanessa was awake; he could smell her nervousness. Rather than comment, he walked past her toward the opposite edge of their camp. As he reached the trees, he heard fabric shift behind him. He paused. “Where are you going?” At Vanessa's convincingly groggy voice, Sesshoumaru looked over his shoulder. She has had practice.

“I am going to bathe.”

“Oh.”

“There is a hot spring nearby. Go back to sleep, I will show you in the morning.”

 

Sesshoumaru waited until Vanessa resettled herself and her breathing evened in true sleep before continuing to the spring; bathing was one activity for which he most certainly did not appreciate an audience. As he approached the hot spring, he reached out with his senses to determine if he should be expecting any intruders, human or otherwise. Finding none, he quickly removed his clothing, folded it into a neat pile, and laying Tokijin on top, stepped into the hot water. With a sigh, Sesshoumaru sank down until the water covered his shoulders, his long hair swirling about him in the slight current. He leaned his head against the natural outcropping of rock and closed his eyes, letting the heat relax away the tension. It wasn't quite the same as his own bathhouse, but it would do. After soaking for a while, Sesshoumaru ducked his head under the water and scrubbed his scalp until he felt that the sweat and road grime had been sufficiently removed then resurfaced, absently running his claws through the silver strands to remove any major tangles. Sesshoumaru had always liked a good bath, hot cleansing water to relax weary muscles, undisturbed time to simply exist. The only disturbances he had now were the thoughts that plagued his consciousness.

 

What makes this one woman special? Surely, she traveled through time and space and that deserves some merit, but how is it that I feel she can see into my very soul? What might the consequences be if I continue to let her in? He knew the answer to that better than he would have liked. He knew that the simple fact that she was human would cause innumerable problems among the other youkai, but he wanted her to remain - if only to solve the puzzle that surrounded her. She had offered him her hand in friendship, no questions asked. As far as he knew, she expected nothing in return save his friendship, but how could he trust in something so simple when he trusted no one else, Rin and Jaken not withstanding? Rin was a child, his ward, and Jaken a groveling, cringing servant, too loyal for his own good. Neither could be considered true friends. So why should he cast off his barriers in the off chance that this human woman truly desired only his friendship? Because he wished to? Because he somehow knew, deep down, that he needed her? On more than one occasion he had nearly let his mask slip away for her. Why?

 

Sesshoumaru left the question unanswered when he noticed that the water had sufficiently wrinkled his fingertips and he rose from its warmth. He pulled his wet, heavy hair over one shoulder and squeezed the water out while the rest of him dried in the cool night breeze. The hot water evaporated quickly from his skin and he re-dressed before walking back to the camp. Once again within the dim circle of firelight, Sesshoumaru glanced down at the huddled forms by the fire - the two humans that have wormed their way into his life. Vanessa had turned in her sleep and wrapped Rin protectively in her arms and Rin had her tiny fists tucked under her chin. Sesshoumaru spared them a second glance and then moved to his place on the opposite side. Before he sat, however, he added another log to the fire so it wouldn't die in what remained of the night. He settled himself and fell into a light sleep to the sounds of the humans' breathing and Ah-Un's rumbling snores.

 

~*~*~*~*~*~

 

Vanessa woke and gave a languorous stretch. When she finally opened her eyes, she noticed that the sun had already risen a fair amount above the trees. She bolted upright and cast about, her eyes finally coming to rest on Sesshoumaru as he sat against a tree, gazing at her. “It's late! Shouldn't we be going?” He merely raised an elegantly arched eyebrow.

“You were up late last night,” he stated. Vanessa blanched. What will he say about my watching him?

“Ah… hehe… you knew about that?”

“Naturally.” He didn't seem angry… but then, who could tell with this one?

“I'm sorry… It's just that I heard you get up and I guess I let my curiosity get the better of me.” She looked down at her hands, still clutching the blanket and muttered, “Curiosity killed the cat, I guess.” Sesshoumaru gave her a slightly puzzled look.

“What do you mean by that?”

“Hm? Oh! It's just a saying, sort of a warning not to let curiosity get you in trouble.”

“There was no harm done. Had I known that there would be an audience, perhaps I might have put on a better show.” His words were flat, emotionless as they always were and it took a moment for Vanessa to comprehend what he had actually said. It wasn't until she looked up and saw the sparkle in his eye that she caught on. She couldn't help but to stare at him, shaking her head slightly. Is he only playful in the morning, or what? That he was playing on her accusation that he was showing off wasn't lost on Vanessa. I suppose I deserved that.

“I've really never seen anything like it. The way you moved…” It was like a dance, deadly and beautiful at the same time. “I didn't think it was possible for anyone to move like that.” She had never seen anyone move so gracefully and, just for a moment, entertained the notion of Sesshoumaru in a tuxedo waltzing around a ballroom. “Anyway,” she said, shaking the thought from her mind, “shouldn't we be going?”

“You should know that I am not just `anyone,' and no. We will remain here for the next day or two.”

“Oh.” Who was she to complain? “Well then, you mentioned a hot spring?”

“Indeed. This way.”

 

Sesshoumaru rose smoothly and began walking across the camp; Vanessa had to scramble to gather her bag and kimono and jogged to catch up. The spring wasn't very far from camp and soon Sesshoumaru left her to her bath and returned to check on Rin. It was a quiet, peaceful setting. The spring looked like a small pond surrounded by rocks and ferns. A few trees stood sentinel around the perimeter and further beyond those was a wall of bushes. It was a secluded place, but Vanessa had a hard time stripping down just then. When she had joined Kagome and Sango in a bath, she had been shielded by the cover of darkness. Now in full daylight she felt terribly exposed, especially with a man she hardly knew only a few dozen yards away. You're being silly. Convincing herself that Sesshoumaru was not the peeping-tom type, Vanessa glanced around her once more and took off her sweats and t-shirt and slipped into the hot water. It definitely felt much better than the cold stream had. She didn't want to soak too long since there were only so many waking hours in the day to get to know her demon lord guide and guardian, and she had a feeling that their time would be significantly diminished when they finally reached their destination. Vanessa quickly washed her hair and the rest of her body and left the water to sit on the edge, drying herself with her towel. She wrapped her hair in the towel and put on the violet kimono that Sesshoumaru had given her. How did I find myself here? Even after nearly a week, she still found it hard to believe that she had traveled five hundred years into the past. It wasn't supposed to be possible.

 

Finally, she ran her brush through her damp hair and scrunched the curls back into place. After packing away all of her belongings, she followed the sounds of `camp' back through the bushes to her companions. Sesshoumaru was sitting against his customary tree, his wrist draped casually over his bent knee, watching Rin play beside Ah-Un. As Vanessa approached, Sesshoumaru glanced her way. “That was wonderful, thank you for showing me.” He only nodded in response.

 

They had made camp in a flat space at the foot of a small hill. Where Sesshoumaru sat, the hill met the flat area and Vanessa joined him, reclining against the gentle slope. “This is nice,” she commented.

“What is?”

“Just… this,” she said waving her hand, “nothing but nature everywhere I look. It's rare where I come from.”

“Is there no wilderness in your time?” Vanessa propped herself up on her elbows and looked over at Sesshoumaru.

“That's not exactly it. There are just more people and bigger cities. The areas that are still wild are separated by all of that.”

“I see.”

“So,” Vanessa said, sitting up, “You said before that there was something that we needed to discuss before we got to your home?”

“Indeed. There are matters of protocol that must be observed.”

“Such as?”

“As I said before, the other youkai may not take kindly to your presence. In public you must address me as `Sesshoumaru-sama' or `Lord Sesshoumaru'.”

“I can do that.”

“I will introduce you as a visitor from a foreign land, so a certain level of formality will be expected. It will be made clear that though you are human, you are under my protection and as such, will not be harmed. You must understand that I will not have as much time available for you as I do now. However, I will show you where you will be likely to find me, should you have any questions.”

“I understand. I'm just grateful that you've given me as much as you have.”

 

With that said, Rin, Vanessa and Sesshoumaru spent the rest of the day relaxing and learning new phrases from one another. After only two days of trying to learn Japanese, Vanessa was by no means conversational, but she had built up a small arsenal and hoped that she could make herself at least partially understood. As the sun sank lower to the horizon, Rin wandered to the edge of the clearing to find some root vegetables while Sesshoumaru went in search of game. That left Vanessa to wait with Ah-Un by the fire. She was leaning against him, idly scratching his chins when he suddenly jerked his heads up and stared at a point across the clearing, a low rumble escaping his chest. Just as she heard the dull buzzing sound she glimpsed a bit of black and yellow between the trees. Now, Vanessa wasn't overly fond of normal sized wasps. Make that wasp fifty times larger and she would be more than a little bit nervous. However, before she could fully grasp what she was seeing, there was green flash like a whip and a piece of whatever had been buzzing bounced into the clearing, followed by a calmly walking Sesshoumaru. Vanessa crossed the clearing and looked down at the piece of flesh in time to see two bulbous red and white eyes before the whole thing disintegrated into a pile of dust. She looked up at Sesshoumaru as he set the rabbits that he had caught by the fire. “What was that?”

“Saimyoushou,” he responded, though to Vanessa's ears he sounded almost distracted. Before she could question him further, he spoke again, “A nuisance, nothing more. However, they are poisonous. Do not go near them if you see any in the future.” Vanessa nodded. After all, wasn't he the one who actually lived in this era? He would know better than she how to respond to the different creatures to be found there.

 

Sesshoumaru had been brooding ever since he killed the saimyoushou and Vanessa was beginning to feel a little disconcerted. After they finished their meal and Rin settled down for bed, the taiyoukai was still lost in his own thoughts. Vanessa sat beside him, the same place she had found him after her bath that morning, and watched as the last rays of the sun dipped below the horizon. Still he was silent. “What's on your mind?” she asked softly. Had he been anyone else, Sesshoumaru would have jumped at her voice. Instead, he merely slid his eyes to the side in a peculiar sidelong glance. He seemed to be studying her and Vanessa thought he might answer, but he just returned his gaze to the fire. She hadn't really expected him to divulge his secret thoughts, but he had seemed so distracted all evening, she wanted to try something. Okay… something else then… “So somber.” His eyes flashed and then as her mock-pout turned into a half-smile, they widened marginally before returning once again to the fire. What is going on up there? “There's more to that s-saimyoushou” Was that the right word? “than you're letting on, isn't there?” He gave a small sniff and straightened where he sat before turning to her.

“It would be best until we complete our journey that you do not leave my sight, and speak to no one apart from my presence.”

“As long as I still get to bathe alone, you've got yourself a deal. Besides, who would I talk to anyway? I hardly have a handle on your language.” She laughed a little at her own inadequacy and Sesshoumaru gave her another peculiar look, as though she were crazy for admitting her faults. If he only knew what he expresses to someone who's watching for it…

 

~*~*~*~*~*~

 

Ever since the saimyoushou had appeared so close to the camp - more specifically, so close to Vanessa, Sesshoumaru couldn't help but wonder what Naraku's next move would be. Obviously the spy had been sent to determine his attachment to Vanessa, but how had the hanyou found out about her so quickly? Perhaps it had been through Kanna's mirror. He definitely did not like the idea that Naraku was watching him. Insolent half-breed. How dare he presume to spy on this Sesshoumaru? Then again, if he had discovered Vanessa's presence through the mirror, why use the saimyoushou? It was almost as though he wanted Sesshoumaru to know that he was watching. Why? Normally he was not concerned with Naraku's activities, but for some reason this time he couldn't push the `why?' from his mind - even through Vanessa's insistent interruptions as the sun set. Finally he answered her, but it seemed that she wasn't ready to give up on conversation just yet.

“Sesshoumaru, will you tell me something about yourself?” she asked suddenly.

“Perhaps.”

“Come on, I'll tell you something about me if you'll tell me something about you.” Vanessa gave him a hopeful grin, which Sesshoumaru returned with a raised brow.

“What makes you think that I wish to know more about you?”

“Well… nothing really I guess…” Just for a moment, Vanessa's smile faltered, but she brightened again at Sesshoumaru's next question

“What do you wish to know?”

“Anything! How about… something from your childhood?” That seemed to be a fairly safe topic.

“That period of time spans a great many years.”

“Hmm… how about a story?”

“A story.”

“Yes! Something you did… or maybe a favorite bed time story.”

“A story…” Sesshoumaru had not thought of his childhood in a long time. He had never considered himself a great storyteller, but when one of the few memories that he held onto came back to him, he thought it might be appropriate to fulfill Vanessa's wish. He wasn't sure that he had ever even told anyone this particular tale, but he wanted to tell Vanessa. For some reason, he wanted to show this strange woman that he wasn't everything that popular belief said he was. “When I was a pup, a small child by your understanding,” he began. “I had a very dear friend. Her father was an advisor to mine so she lived at the palace with us and we did nearly everything together. One day, after our lessons were finished, we took a walk. We wanted to explore the surrounding forest, but we were still very young by youkai standards, likely no older than the young kitsune that had kept Rin occupied in the village. Our fathers would never have allowed us to leave the gates unaccompanied, so we snuck out, as we had so often done before. We knew all of the secret places to escape unnoticed.” He had since taken measures to secure those very locations - if children could take advantage of them, certainly his enemies could find them too. “We wandered far into the forest - farther than we had ever been. Eventually, evening came only to find us lost. My senses had not yet developed enough that I could scent our way home and, needless to say, we were quite frightened. We knew that our fathers would be furious with us, but more than anything we simply wanted to go home.

 

“As it grew darker, we saw a flicker of firelight in the distance and against our better judgment, we went toward it. If it proved to be a human camp, even as young as we were, we knew that we could outrun them and escape so we went to investigate. What I saw, and I think I shall never forget, only served to further my general… dislike of humans.” He paused for a moment, remembering the scene that he and his companion had stumbled upon. “There before us was a magnificent bird, five-times again as tall as I was then, with feathers of fire and eyes black and glittering like the starry sky, its talons and sharp, curved beak were like shining silver, and it was trapped - brought down by the snares of man. We were hesitant to approach, in fact my companion would have rather left it for dead, but even at my young age, I knew the value of allies. I had heard stories of the great firebirds, but had never seen one. They lived in the mountains and rarely came down from the great heights; how this one managed to become ensnared, I still do not know, but I knew it did not deserve whatever it was that the humans had intended for it.

 

“I cautiously approached, my companion remaining in the shadows, calling out the errors of my ways. I ignored her. I was more concerned with the thrashing firebird than with unwanted commentary. The firebird was distrustful to say the least. Great metal chains looped around its legs and over its back and shoulders, pinning its huge fiery wings against its body, and another held its head so near the ground that I could look it in the eye when it turned its head. The mechanics of the trap escaped me then and I know not how long the bird had been so imprisoned, but to its eyes, I appeared human. It must have been there a long time, forgotten and left to die, as humans are wont to do, for it seemed that it had succumbed completely to its instincts and did not sense that I was youkai as well. I knew that I had to coax the intelligent, rational youkai mind out of its firebird shell if I wanted it to allow me close enough to help. I was merely a pup - I knew my limits. My father would have had no trouble taking the bird to hand and forcing it to submit to reason, but I would have to get it to trust my intentions first.

 

“For a long time I simply stood there, watching the bird, reaching out with my aura and hoping that it would break into its fear and rage-clouded mind. Eventually it quieted its thrashing and fixed one glittering black eye on me. That was when I knew that it saw me as I was, not as I appeared. I slowly approached once more and told it that I only wanted to help. The acid that I could release from my claws at that time was weak, and it would take a while, but it was all I had to remove the chains. As I worked, it asked who I was and I told it my name. `Why is the young dog prince out so far from his home at this hour?' it asked. Abashedly I explained that my companion and I became lost before seeing the light of the firebird's feathers. It knew the way and said that in return for my kindness it would gladly return my friend and me to our home. `While the gesture would be greatly appreciated,' I responded, `there is no need for repayment.' Of course, my companion greatly begged to differ, but I told the firebird that all I wanted was to be remembered in some corner of its mind, should we ever need to forge an alliance when it came time for me to rule after my father. `Such honor in one so young,' the firebird commented. He - for through our conversation, I had discovered that the firebird was a prince of his clan as well - told me that it was already done, that I had only to call if I needed the assistance of the firebirds. I told him the same would be true for the inu clan when my reign began, but also that I was unsure whether my father would honor such an agreement himself. The firebird understood. Until the need arose, if ever it did, the agreement would be between the two of us.

 

“Finally I succeeded in dissolving a link in the chain over his neck and carefully pulled the heavy metal away from his fiery feathers. The firebird prince shook his head and lifted it as high as the chains still crossing his back would allow. The crest of fire rose tall and proud atop his head as he looked down on me. I was about to begin work on dissolving the chains about his legs, when he spoke again. `Sesshoumaru, prince of the inu clan, I, Karei, prince of the firebird clan, thank you.' Then he dipped his head to me in a bird-bow. To say my young mind was shocked would have been an understatement. Even bound by chains, one could see that Karei lived up to his namesake - Karei means magnificence. It so happened; that once his head was free of the chain, Karei no longer needed my help. He twisted his head around and bit cleanly through the remaining chains with his strong silver beak. The chains slid away from his body and, finally, Karei stood to his full height and stretched his wings, washing me with a warm breeze.

 

“Even though I told him that it was not necessary, Karei insisted on bringing us home. I am sure that my friend had heard our entire conversation, but for some reason unknown to me, she hesitated. It wasn't until Karei called her out of the shadows that she finally came. `Come, little eagle,' he said. Perhaps it was that he knew what type of youkai she was, or perhaps her desire to go home finally won out, I do not know, but she approached. Karei lifted off the ground and took us gently in each of his great silver claws - we might have been burned otherwise, and set off in the direction of home. He rose effortlessly into the sky and for the first time I felt what it was to fly. I did not want the experience to end and all too soon, we were touching down outside the palace gates. Karei hovered for a moment while he released us and alighted softly behind us. Scant moments afterward, the gates burst open, which was quite a feat in and of itself as they were very large and very heavy, and there stood my father in a rage of a level I had never before seen. Close behind him was his advisor, the father of my friend, likewise in a fit of rage.

 

“The force of my father's glare caused me to take a step back, right into the great silver beak of Karei. He had lowered himself into a bow to show respect to the lord of the western lands, as well as to show that he was not a threat. I admit that I gave a rather undignified yelp of surprise when my fist brushed the feathers of Karei's face, singeing my skin. In that moment, I saw exactly how much worry I had caused my father. The rage disappeared and in an instant he was kneeling before me, inspecting my hand and searching for any other injuries. The small burn I had received from Karei was already beginning to heal and, satisfied that I was otherwise uninjured, my father glanced at the firebird and then looked down on me. `What is the meaning of this?' he asked me, some of the anger returning to his voice. I told him that we snuck out after lessons, but before I could mention that we got lost, Karei interjected. `The young ones happened across me in a rather embarrassing situation, my lord,' he said, standing tall once more. `You see I was caught in a trap of chains set by a human village and your son set me free. The poison in his small claws is not as strong as it will be when he grows a bit older, so you understand that it took some time to dissolve the metal. He would not accept any sort of repayment for setting me free, but I insisted on bringing him and the eagle child home. While I cannot excuse their sneaking out of the palace grounds, I had hoped to justify the late hour and give my sincere thanks for the honor you have instilled in your son.' Once again he bowed low. I think my father must have been surprised that one as young as I had gone to the aid of an adult and succeeded. I, myself, was impressed with Karei's words. He saved me the embarrassment of admitting that I was lost, while politely chastising me for my error in judgment. He praised my honor and courage while making the point that I was still very young. I thought it very diplomatic of him. I still expected punishment for my actions, but I knew that in the end it would be worth it, if only because I saw my father's eyes shine with pride and a small amount of respect when he looked down on me again after Karei's account of the evening.

`Is this the way of things, Sesshoumaru?' he asked me and I could only nod.

 

“My father thanked Karei for bringing us home safely and the firebird left, presumably to return to his mountain home. Needless to say, it was a long time before we were allowed even as far out of doors as the courtyard without supervision, but I will always remember my encounter with the firebird prince.” Sesshoumaru let his impassive mask slip back into place. He had not intended for his tale to be so long, or so detailed, but when he turned to Vanessa, she was staring at him in something akin to awe, with a strange little smile playing on her lips. “Was that an acceptable story from my childhood?” he asked.

“That,” Vanessa began, “was amazing. If you have more stories like that, you could write a book.”

Sesshoumaru gave a small snort, “I think not.”

“Well why not?”

“It simply would not do to have the world know that there is a side to this Sesshoumaru, however small, that shows concern for other beings.” Vanessa laughed, but Sesshoumaru was only half-joking. His reputation depended on certain aspects of his character and `caring' for others would greatly diminish the impact of those characteristics. Still, he found that he was growing to enjoy the sound of Vanessa's laugher. It was sweet and musical and he hoped that it would never die. At last his thoughts returned to Naraku and what he could be planning.

“You never mentioned your friend's name.” Atsuko… He had not uttered her name since the night she died, and he didn't want to start now. Sesshoumaru looked pointedly at the sky and was surprised to note that the moon had already risen high above them.

“The hour grows late. You should get some sleep,” he said, evading Vanessa's innocent question. Perhaps another time he would have the courage to speak of the only one who had ever caused him to feel so broken, but not tonight. Sesshoumaru still had to get used to the idea of having a friend before delving so deeply into his past.

“You're right,” Vanessa said, stifling a yawn, “Good night then.” She rose from her seat on the slope and made her way to her bag where she took a few articles out and ducked behind a bush. When she emerged again, she was clad in her strange pants and shirt. Vanessa gave Sesshoumaru a small wave and a smile before settling next to Rin beside the fire. Sesshoumaru watched the fireflies dance in the surrounding foliage for a while before reaching out with his senses to check for any other youkai. Finding none, he finally relaxed enough to allow him into a light slumber.

 

~*~*~*~*~*~

 

Sesshoumaru walked through a hazy mist. He knew this place - he had only been here once, but he would never forget. His feet followed the rocky path. They knew the way. Soon, a shadow loomed dark and menacing before him, but Sesshoumaru knew that no harm could befall him. He continued on. Eventually, the mist could no longer hide the immense, shadowy figure. Sesshoumaru paused and turned his gaze upward. An enormous suit of armor contained an equally large skeleton. It seemed as large as a mountain, and indeed, sparse trees and shrubs had begun to overgrow the figure, and at the top, circling the skull, were large, skeletal, winged beings. They circled as dragons guarding a nest. Sesshoumaru knew the one who that had formerly inhabited this skeleton; how could he forget? But why was he here? His feet began moving again of their own accord, drawing him nearer to the looming skeleton, nearer to the tomb.

 

He blinked and in a flash he was inside; it didn't seem strange, rather a perfectly normal method of travel. He looked about him - everything was just as he remembered. The walls were slightly melted by the poison he himself had unleashed. There, in that corner, was what remained of a mass of poison that should have killed Inuyasha's wench, but she was inexplicably saved by Tetsusaiga. And there, on the opposite wall, was the former resting place of said fang. Even now, Sesshoumaru was mystified as to how the human had managed to draw the fang in the first place. Finally, his eyes turned to the middle of the chamber, and in the center of the floor lay the arm that was stolen by his bastard of a hanyou half-brother. Sesshoumaru's eyes flashed red at the memory, but he kept his calm. Something, rather someone else caught his attention far more even than his arm. A figure had materialized, standing beside the appendage, one whom Sesshoumaru had thought he would never see again. He stared, dumbstruck. His golden gaze traveled up the back of the figure. Black boots and white hakama, so much like his own, led to the twin tails of the pelt trailing from the figure's shoulders, shoulders encased in bone-plate armor. Finally he reached the figure's head, silver-white hair pulled into a high tail, revealing unmistakably pointed ears. Yes, he knew that figure. Somewhere in the recesses of his throat, Sesshoumaru found his voice. “Father?” The familiar visage turned to peer over his shoulder before turning fully around.

“Sesshoumaru.” His voice was just as Sesshoumaru remembered, deep and commanding.

“Why am I here?” It couldn't be real. Sesshoumaru's father was dead. He knew that. Is this a dream… or have I passed from the world of the living as well? He was slightly disturbed by his thoughts - he didn't remember dying, but there was no fear.

“I have come to speak with you, my son.” Why here? Why now? Sesshoumaru voiced his questions.

“Why have you come now, Father? After so long…” He thought of hundreds of times when he could have used his father's advice - battle, politics, ruling… Sesshoumaru was still young when he came to power, not nearly as experienced as some thought he should have been. He had had to fight fiercely to keep the title passed down to him.

“You have not needed me until now. You are a fine ruler. I knew that you would do well even before Ryuukossei. You did not need me then. Now you do.”

“I needed you. There was so much that you had yet to teach me, and then you were gone.” Sesshoumaru's voice rose slightly with suppressed emotion, be wouldn't shout, especially not before his father. “You were gone and I had nothing,” he finished softly, bitterly. He had never before admitted his insecurity at the start of his reign; it would have been detrimental to his continued rule, but now that he faced his father once again, he felt an undeniable need.

“You had your brother.”

“My brother,” Sesshoumaru spat, “is not worth my time.”

 

The former dog general shook his head sadly at his son. “Inuyasha is your family, Sesshoumaru.”

“No, Father. The half-breed is your family, the family for which you needlessly threw your life away.”

“Sesshoumaru,” his father growled dangerously, “you will not speak of your brother in such a manner. I would have done the same for you, had the need arisen.” Sesshoumaru grew silent and averted his eyes from his father's, staring at a point to the left of his shoulder. It was far beneath him to sulk, but here was his father, who after 200 years finally chose to visit his him, and he spoke only of Inuyasha.

“What of the human child?” His eyes snapped back to his father's in surprise at his change of subject and tone, but he remained silent. “I know you have come to care for the young one as much as she adores you.” Sesshoumaru frowned slightly.

“I feel noth-”

“You lie only to yourself if you do not acknowledge your true feelings, Sesshoumaru. You have hardened your heart for so long that I fear it may one day close beyond repair, but this child has been preparing you.” Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes as he asked, but he knew what his father's answer would be.

“For what?”

“She prepares you to love again, my son.” At that, Sesshoumaru looked away again.

“I cannot,” he replied softly then turned hard eyes on his father, “I will not.”

“Do you so fear the love of another?”

“No,” he snapped, “I fear the heartbreak that results from loving another.” Sesshoumaru's eyes grew wide as he processed what he had just said. He had always been able to speak frankly with his father, but never had he expected, nor wished, to voice such an admission. Sesshoumaru simply did not admit his secret fears.

“Do you still carry Atsuko with you, Sesshoumaru?” the Inu no Taisho asked gently.

“No,” he ground out, “but there will always be the sting of her betrayal.”

“It will pass if you allow it.”

“I will not put myself into a position to be used again.”

 

His father laughed, and Sesshoumaru looked at him through his cool mask, though inside he was raging at the offense. “You always were stubborn, Sesshoumaru, so caught in what you believed to be true. Sometimes, my son, you just need to let go.” He stepped toward his son, “Let it go, Sesshoumaru,” he said, reaching a hand toward Sesshoumaru's face, “Just let go,” then touching the blue crescent moon on his forehead with a clawed finger, “You must return now.”

 

~*~*~*~*~*~

 

Sesshoumaru's eyes snapped open. Father! He was breathing hard, sweat beading on his forehead; he had felt so close to him - his father even touched him! Sesshoumaru closed his eyes again, his hand coming up to his forehead to touch the spot where he had last felt his father's clawed finger, but it was no use. The dream was gone, taking his father with it. It had seemed so real, had he really spoken with his father?

“Sesshoumaru?” came a sleepy voice from beside the fire, “is everything okay?”

“Go back to sleep,” he answered curtly. She wouldn't. Instead, she eased away from Rin and moved to sit beside the taiyoukai, wrapping her arms around her knees and peering over at him. Staring into the fire, Sesshoumaru tried a firmer tone, “Return to your bed, Vanessa.” It didn't work. Impudent human. She only joined him in gazing into the fire.

“Sometimes,” she started softly, careful not to wake Rin, “when I have a strange dream, it helps to tell someone about it, try to figure out what it means - if anything. They say that dreams are how the subconscious deals with what the conscious mind cannot.” Sesshoumaru gave her a sidelong glance.

“You say such strange things.” She stared at him for a moment then shook her head, a small smile playing on her lips.

“I'm just saying that if you ever wanted to talk, I'm a good listener.” Vanessa turned back to the fire and continued thoughtfully, “Sometimes you just need to let go.”

 

Sesshoumaru snapped his head toward her so fast anyone else would have gotten whiplash, “What did you say?” he asked fiercely. Vanessa jumped.

“W-what?” she squeaked. Too quick for her to see, he turned and crouched before her, gripping her shoulder.

“Tell me what you said.”

“I-I said `sometimes you just need to let go.'”

“Why? What did you mean by that?” He could smell her confusion and a slight trace of fear, but he didn't care. How could she know?

“I just… sometimes talking helps. You can't keep everything bottled up forever or it'll eat away at you from the inside. Telling someone what's on your mind can help you let it go.” Vanessa's violet eyes caught his gold and he couldn't tear his gaze away. “Sesshoumaru…” she began, ignoring the clawed hand almost painfully clutching her shoulder, “Sesshoumaru, what's wrong?” He gave her a penetrating look and released her, turning back to the fire and resuming his seat.

“Nothing.”

“I know that's not true.” Sesshoumaru glared at her, but she only raised the wrist with the ribbon band for him to see and gave him a look that questioned his intelligence for forgetting.

“Look, I know we haven't known each other long, and you probably don't trust me. I respect that. But I also know that something is bothering you. I don't expect you to tell me, but just… think about telling someone. It might make you feel better.” He looked at her in curiosity. No one, as far back as he could remember, had been so concerned about his emotional wellbeing.

“How do you know?”

“Know what?”

“You said you think something is bothering me.” She smirked at him.

“No, I believe I said I know something is bothering you.” Sesshoumaru merely raised an eyebrow as a command for her to answer his question. “Okay. For starters, the past week, if you even slept at all, you hardly moved and certainly never made a sound, but tonight you were mumbling and sort of twitching. My guess is that you were having a pretty intense dream.”

“Hn. This Sesshoumaru does not mumble.” He was surprised at how observant the woman was. Had this dream really affected his sleep so much?

“Ah-ha!” Vanessa grinned at him, “So you admit that your dream was strange. Stranger than normal anyway.”

“I did not say that.”

“But you didn't deny it.”

“Woman, you truly are insufferable.” If anything, her grin broadened. It was almost as though she enjoyed shredding his sanity.

“Well, some of us actually need sleep.” She rose and made her way back to the sleeping Rin, but before she crawled under the blankets, she looked back at Sesshoumaru and whispered, “Just remember, I really am a good listener.”

 

Returning his gaze to the fire, Sesshoumaru thought about his father's words, and then Vanessa's. Maybe she would listen, but what could I tell her? She would never understand. He wanted to think that Vanessa echoing his father's words was mere coincidence, but Sesshoumaru did not believe in coincidence. What is Father playing at? He couldn't help the strange feeling that somehow his father was involved in bringing Vanessa to this time. Sesshoumaru had been content to live out the rest of his many days alone, but now he wasn't sure. First Rin, then Vanessa began ripping down his walls, rather forcefully if had anything to say about it, and he was letting them. He continued to suffer their presences, but he was by no means suffering. Sesshoumaru would never admit it, but he enjoyed their company. That was why Naraku's involvement plagued his mind. The humans were his companions - his ward and, yes, his friend, and he would be damned if he was going to let the hanyou take what was his. What was it about those two that made him feel so… possessive? But it really should have been easy to understand: they cared for him, truly and genuinely cared for him. It was a rare and seemingly impossible notion in his world of ice, but he knew it to be true. He would fight fiercely for the right to hold onto them, but for now his attachment could exist only within is own slowly thawing heart. No one else could know, or surely they would be used against him as Naraku had already tried with Rin. He would not let that happen again. Sesshoumaru cast a glance at the sleeping forms of the humans and closed his eyes, falling into a meditative state to allow his body to be refreshed while his mind remained fully aware of everything reaching his senses. Now that he knew Naraku was watching, he could not let his guard down for something as trivial as sleep, at least not until they passed the gates to his palace.

 

 

 

 

A/N: Yeah… sorry about that little history lesson back there… I was watching The Patriot at the time. hehe… ^_^

 

Alright, so I skimmed through this chapter and I think I caught everything, but if I've made any blatant mistakes, feel free to let me know!

 

I hope it won't take 2 weeks for me to post my next chapter. I'm still in the process of finding a summer job, so we'll see. Never fear, I will continue the story, however sporadic the updates may be.

 

Many thanks to Cochran, nessie-poo, Ina Sama, and Crystaru-chan for their comments! I hope you continue to enjoy what I write!