InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Into the Fire ❯ The Upside of Anger ( Chapter 7 )

Title: Into the Fire

Author: Chiaztolite

Rating: NC-17/M for future lemon, rape, and violence

Disclaimer: I DO NOT own Inuyasha

 

Dokkasou: Sesshoumaru's poisonous claws

Ningen: human

Nii-sama: a respectful way to address an older brother

Kugutsu: Naraku's puppet trick

 

A/N to KagSess: I'm so sorry I just read your review even though you posted it a few weeks ago. Somehow the MM website would not allow me to view what you've written. Anyway, to answer your question… In the next chapter, the romance part will start to kick in. I hate to say it, but it is not going to be about Sesshoumaru (yet). Sesshoumaru's romance will take over in the sequel of this story, so please treat this first part as a long long prelude to the real one. I cannot get straight to the point because there are a lot of OC involved in it. But please keep reading, otherwise you will not be able to understand the sequel.

 

Into the Fire

 

Chapter 07: The Upside of Anger

 

A mysterious group of four was seen walking down a path inside the Forest of No Return with faint moonlight guiding their way. The two twin cubs tailing at the back were still quite energetic, as they were engaged in a playful brawl, though it was already late at night. Their childish roar could be heard clearly in the dead silence around them, causing the elder youkai in front to glare over his shoulder.

“Shinsei, Shinzou…” he called their names with his stern voice. “Keep it quiet.”

The cubs lowered their heads in embarrassment, as they walked side by side on their tiny paws.

“Yes, Kishi-sama…” the twins answered in unison.

Their leader was quiet, leading their way at the very front of the line without any hesitation. He knew the forest like the back of his hand, as the entire sea of trees was his playground, a long time ago. His tall figure was completely concealed with a long, white cloak, his face was hidden underneath the shadows of his hood. He lifted his head when his sensitive hearing caught noises from a far. He stopped abruptly, his arm extended to the side, signaling his followers to halt their journey.

“What is it, my Lord?” the elderly youkai who went by the name of Kishi asked him, as he peered into the endless dark path before them. Yet, he neither sensed nor seen whatever had alerted his master. The leader did not answer, but kept waiting instead. Slowly, he closed his eyes, focusing all his senses to his keen ears.

“…There are two of them…” came his low voice, calm as the forest surrounding them. “Not far, and they are heading towards us…”

Kishi jerked in alarm, and right away his hands reached for the two short blades arranged to form an `X' on his back.

“Is it the dragon…?” he asked in a soft, inaudible whisper that he knew only his master could hear.

The male in the white cloak shook his head, uttering his wordless response. He glanced over to the twins and cocked his head upwards, to the tall trees around them. The younglings understood perfectly, and in an outstanding speed befitted only those of feline youkais, they climbed up to the top of the tallest tree, quietly watching. The two elder youkais kept their feet on the ground, waiting and waiting, until two figures could be seen approaching from the darkness before them. The white leader eyed the strangers from underneath his hood. One of them was taller and obviously older, with hair as black as night, and a vile smile like that of a devil on his flawless face. His aura was dark, blanketed with evilness, hatred, and gluttony for power. The other one looked like nothing but a child. White, shoulder-length hair framed his emotionless face. He might look very young and harmless, but he possessed the eyes of a ruthless assassin.

The elder one grinned wickedly before bowing his head in a mock respect.

“What an honor, Ryoushin-sama, to have you here at the brink of my new home.”

The male whom was called `Ryoushin' stared at him indifferently. If he had been surprised that the stranger knew his name, he did not show a bit of it.

“And who are you?” he asked in a rather bored tone.

The stranger chuckled before responding to his inquiry. “My name is Naraku.” He did not bother to introduce his companion, who kept staring at the white cloaked male unwaveringly.

“Naraku?” Ryoushin repeated, the name sounded unfamiliar in his ears. “What business do you have with me?”

Naraku moved one step closer, his eyes glittered like a hunter watching his prey. “I came here to offer a proposal to you, Ryoushin-sama.” His slick voice responded.

The stranger's statement caused a deep frown on Ryoushin's forehead. Once again, Naraku took a step forward. The evil youkai stared deep into the eyes that watched intently him from underneath the white hood. He could feel his heart fluttered with excitement.

`Yes, it is him indeed …I can tell by those eyes…' he mused. With a suppressed chuckle, he spoke again. “Do me a simple favor, and I shall grant your wish.”

Slowly, a thin smile curved on Ryoushin's lips, though no one could see it since his face was still hidden behind the dark shadows.

“My wish, you said?” he said in his everlasting calm tone.

Naraku smirked and nodded, slightly believing that he had his prey gripped tightly in his hand.

“Open the gate to the afterlife for me…” he started to reveal his request. “…and I shall give you what is rightfully yours: the throne to the Mountain of Gods…”

There was a silence before Ryoushin's low chuckled echoed in the night. A pair of beautiful, deep cerulean blue orbs sizzled under the faint moonlight, their sharp gaze aimed towards the youkai who had dared to offer such proposal to him.

“Fool…” he hissed. Naraku stared at him, taken aback when he saw the cerulean blue eyes turned amber, and back to its original color again.

“You dared think I would lower myself to accept help from a low rank youkai such as yourself?” Ryoushin continued. He raised his hand that was closed in a tight fist.

“Die.” He simply said. He unbound his fist, releasing a ball of blazing fire that flew straight to Naraku's unprepared body, burning him to ashes in a matter of seconds.

Ryoushin and his ward looked up as a transparent green sphere containing the two strangers raised above where they stood. Naraku gave him one last smirk.

“Think about my proposal, Ryoushin-sama.” The devil spoke. “…Until we meet again.”

Ryoushin had his eyes on the dark sky, watching the sphere slowly disappeared from his sight. Kishi kneeled in front of the pile of black ash on the very same spot where Naraku had stood, where his lord had struck him. A small wooded doll poked from beneath the mound.

“…Kugutsu?” He mumbled confusedly, causing Ryoushin to walk over and observed the discarded doll.

`A lowly trick like this…' A sour smile was on his mysterious face as he thought, `…only fits cowards such as youself, Naraku...'

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Hakudoushi peered at his creator who had an amused, yet wicked smile on his lips. They were on their way back to the castle at the peak of the Mountain of Gods.

“Is it alright to let him go, Naraku?” he asked him with a frown. “If we need him to open the gate, then…”

“Do not worry yourself over it, Hakudoushi…” Naraku cut him short. “Even he has a weakness…”

The young incarnation looked at him, not capable of hiding questions in his eyes.

Weakness…?

“Did you not notice the two cubs watching from the top of a tree?” Naraku asked the young youkai.

“Two cubs? Those are his weakness?” Hakudoushi questioned him back, feeling slightly perplexed.

“You do not understand, Hakudoushi.” Naraku responded with a low chuckle. “Those cubs are of great importance to him. It is his duty to protect them.”

“Then, are you going to…”

Naraku's smile spread wider as he cut Hakudoushi's question short, “Yes…, it is finally time to get that useless dragon to contribute something to our plan…”

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Forest of No Return…

 

Sesshoumaru growled in frustration as he lifted Shouri's limp body onto his shoulder. He could hear her muffled cry of pain when he hoisted her up. Knowing that his sister was in great pain, he slowed down and carried her in a gentler manner. He took her back into the depth of the cave, ignoring the so many stares that were aimed towards him.

He leaned her back against the rocky wall in the deeper part of the cave, the scent of her blood clung thick in the air, the same blood that had rendered both of their garments deep red. She was still conscious, as her body stirred and her long eyelashes fluttered. Yet, she said none and weakly bit her lower lips to prevent from screaming.

His exterior remained cold yet his heart cringed as he watched her suffering. Yes, he had wished to punish her, and even kill her… But after she was hurt, even though it was an accident, he felt no joy in seeing her in this state, knowing her flesh was torn into pieces by his own deadly poisonous claws.

“…Is she alright?” he heard his half-brother's miko approaching. He did not bother to respond, and remained in his half-kneeling position in front of his sister. The miko stepped closer to Shouri, her hand extended to peel off the ripped pieces of the kimono that now caked onto Shouri's broken skin. Kagome gasped in horror as she realized that a big chunk of her left shoulder had been clawed off. Fresh blood would not stop flowing from her open flesh and broken muscles.

“We have to stop her bleeding!” he could hear the miko's voice wavered as she continued to peel off the garment shreds carefully. “Otherwise, she'd die from this severe blood loss…”

He tightened his jaw at her remark. The inu race had been known for their endurance and power. If she had the same blood that ran in his veins, she would survive this pitiful loss of blood. It was the poison that he was most concerned about. A youkai of a lower class would have died in an instant once attacked by his dokkasou.

`However, even for a very strong youkai, it would still be dangerous…' He thought grimly.

“Rin,” his cold voice called his faithful young ward. The little girl came up to him with fear all over her face, blanketing her scent. She was in the verge of tears as she asked him in a low, choked voice,

“Is Shouri-sama going to die?”

He just stared at the girl, not knowing what to say.

“Even if she died, you can still save her, can you? Sesshoumaru-sama?” she looked up to him, her brown eyes were pleading, her small hand tugged at the sleeve of his kimono.

“…Yes, Rin.” He finally answered. Even though he knew he could revive her with Tenseiga should her death was inevitable, the thought of him actually killed her with his own hand left a bitter taste in his mouth. He stared deeply into the girl's eyes.

“Rin,” he called her again. “I need you to tend for her wound.”

The human child nodded with no hesitation. Blood was not a stranger to her as she had seen the gore of battles and beyond ever since he took her in his care.

“…Um…” he heard the rustles of clothing behind as the miko moved to face him. Her face looked serious and worried, which caused him to frown as this matter did not concern her.

“If it is alright with you, I'd also like to help.” She said, her eyes met him straightly. “I have some potions in my bag that may help her wound to recover faster.”

He held his gaze a few seconds longer before turning away. The thought of a mere ningen helping them, full-blooded youkais, was not at all appealing to him. However, as he laid his eyes on Shouri's broken body, a sliver of his heart melted and he allowed the woman to meddle in.

“Do as you please.” His cold voice reached her ears before he left.

Kagome sighed in relief after the youkai lord left the cave. Facing him always brought her to a different level of nervousness. It was good in a way that he decided not to stick around, so she could concentrate on her task.

 

The youkai lord went out into the cold night air, accompanied by Jyaken. Sesshoumaru could feel his heart disturbed, the battle he just fought replayed over and over again in his mind. Why on earth had she run to protect him in the middle of the fight? And he clearly heard her screaming, calling him `nii-sama', like she always had when she was younger. Does that mean that her memory had been returned to her? He shook his head as he could find no answer to the inquiring questions in his mind.

Jyaken observed his master with eyes full of curiosity. Who could tell what his Sesshoumaru-sama was thinking right now? Even though it was very vague, the small toad youkai could tell that his lord and master was disturbed and if he dared to say it, concerned about the witch's well-being.

`I guess it could not be helped…' Jyaken thought to himself as he watched the cold lord's back in front of him. `She is his sister by blood after all…'

 

Kagome went to where her school bag laid, and started digging in to find a first- aid kit box that she remembered she put inside, somewhere…

“Oy, Kagome,” she heard Inuyasha called her. “How is she?”

Kagome turned around to face him. Miroku, Sango, and Shippou were there as well. She shook her head slowly.

“She's badly wounded.” came her response, her voice laced with worry. “Her left shoulder was torn apart…”

“And don't forget the poison from Sesshoumaru's dokkasou too…” Miroku mumbled. His left hand was tucked underneath his chin, thinking hard. “Poor Shouri-sama… She was just trying to protect her brother from the orochi youkai's attack…”

Inuyasha snorted, and sat cross-legged on the cave floor, arms folded in front of his chest.

“She should've let him die!” he yelled. “That bastard's not worthy to be saved by anyone.”

“Oy, oy, Inuyasha…” The monk kneeled next to the hanyou and patted his back. “I don't think Sesshoumaru would die so easily. He would have killed the orochi youkai anyway if Shouri didn't.”

“I thought she hates him.” Sango said, as she ran her fingers through Kirara's soft fur. The fire-cat youkai had already fallen asleep on her comfortable lap. “She did try to kill him the last time. Remember? Something just doesn't sit right…”

Inuyasha laid his back on the floor, his eyes watching the cave's ceiling. He recalled his conversation with Shouri over the fire last night.

“…She got her memory back…” he told them. The rest startled and stared at him with questioning eyes. “She remembers him now.”

“Well, that explains why she called him `nii-sama' right before she ran to him.” Miroku said. Kagome pulled out a small white box from her bag. The box contained all of her first aid kit that they often needed after their fights. She rose to her feet and sighed.

“By the way,” she looked around the cave, “Where's Sesshoumaru?” The youkai lord was nowhere to be found, and so was his green servant.

“He went out with Jyaken.” Shippou answered, glad that the youkai lord was not there. “He looked really angry.” The kit added as he recalled how Sesshoumaru stormed out of the cave with jaw tightened and fire in his golden eyes.

Inuyasha snorted at the young fox's comment. He turned to lay on his side, his back was facing his friends. “Who cares about that jerk, anyway…” he mumbled. “Can't believe he just left, considering his own sister was wounded… Well, I guess that suits a selfish bastard like him.”

Kagome stared at the darkness outside the cave. “He will come back, do you think? I mean… Rin is here too, he wouldn't leave her behind, right?”

“Keh!” was his response. He stared into the night, thinking about where on earth his half-brother had gone to. He knew that Sesshoumaru could be an ass sometimes, but he was quite certain that the cold, stoic lord would not leave his ward behind.

Kagome returned to where Shouri laid her injured body against the cave wall. Rin was kneeling down next to her, wiping her body off of blood. The older human girl went closer to examine the half unconscious princess. She took a bottle of antiseptic from her box, and pour a little bit of its content onto a thick piece of cotton.

“…Shouri-sama?” she called the princess as she combed her tangled hair away from her wounded shoulder. “This might sting a little bit, but it will clean your wound and prevent it from getting an infection. So… bear with it for a while, okay?”

Shouri stirred and tried to open her eyes. She could hear the girl in the strange clothes said something to her, yet she could not quite comprehend the words. Her mouth felt dry as she tried to speak.

“…I want…my brother…” a weak, broken whisper was the only sound she could manage to utter.

Carefully and as gentle as she could, Kagome dabbed the wet cotton onto her injured shoulder. Shouri bit her lower lips hard, trying to hold back from screaming as whatever the girl put in the cotton burned her flesh like fire. She tried to shove the tending hands away but her arm flailed like a broken wing.

“Sesshoumaru-sama is not here, Shouri-sama…” Rin informed her, her tiny hand wrapped around her wrist, trying to stop her from moving while Kagome tended her wound.

Her eyelashes fluttered and slowly, she opened her eyes, only to stare at the emptiness of the cave ceiling.

“…He lied to me…” she whispered, as if she was in a dream.

Kagome and Rin looked at each other, not being able to understand what she was mumbling about.

“…He told me we would always be together…” she continued to whisper in her frail voice.

“Kagome-sama,” Rin called. “What is she saying?”

Kagome shook her head, her hands were still busy cleaning the wound. Her best bet was that the inu princess was hallucinating due to the great pain she was suffering. Other than that… who knows?

 

Sesshoumaru stood quietly a few feet away from them, his body was half hidden behind a protruding rock on the cave wall. Quietly, he watched and listened to his sister's words. Though her whispers were soft to human ears, his sensitive hearing could capture each word clearly.

`So she got her memory back, indeed…' he mused. Finally, he got a reliable answer. He knew exactly what she was talking about. It was the promise that he made on the tree 200 years ago, on the last day they were together.

“Don't worry, Shouri-sama!” he could hear Rin's high pitched voice. “Sesshoumaru-sama will definitely come back! He's not someone who would go back on his words…”

The little girl's words curved a gentle smile on Shouri's lips. Her heart told her that what the girl said was true. If her brother was still the same youkai she once knew, a long time ago, then what the girl said was indeed true…

“…Leave us.”

A sudden, stoic voice from behind startled the human girls. Sesshoumaru stood not far from them, a few bunches of herbs were clutched in his hand. His formerly pristine white kimono was now spoiled with dried blood, some parts of his immaculate face and hair were stained red. The youkai lord glared impatiently at the humans who were just sitting frozen in their spots, as if they were deaf and could not hear his command.

“Leave us.” He repeated himself, with a voice more austere than before. And this time, Rin and Kagome complied right away.

“Come, Rin.” The elder girl ushered the younger, pulling her small body away from the siblings, back to where her awaiting friends were. “Let's go and warm ourselves around the fire.”

Rin gave one last look towards her master, and the now-helpless inu princess before following Kagome to join Inuyasha and the others closer to the mouth of the cave.

Sesshoumaru waited until the two were far enough before taking a few steps towards Shouri, whom tried to straighten her back as she slowly regained her full consciousness. Her emerald eyes stared at the towering figure in front of her, so tall and powerful. Sesshoumaru dropped the herbs he had gathered onto the floor, next to where she laid. She looked at them briefly before pushing them aside, rejecting what he had brought her.

“I do not need them…” she said quietly with her gaze on her lap.

Sesshoumaru let out a deep, rather dangerous grumble. Ever since they were children, he knew Shouri could be very annoying, but he had never thought that she could enrage him continuously like this.

“I suggest you not to put my patience to the test, female.” He hissed between his clenched teeth. “You had vexed me enough already.”

“I said I don't nee…” she started to snarl at him, but soon realized she was about to do something she would certainly regret later. She held her gaze at her brother's cold golden eyes before shifting it back down to her lap.

“…I said I don't need them…” she repeated in a softer, though slightly sulking tone.

Sesshoumaru sighed, trying to hide his exasperation. “Those are for the poison from my claws.” He said each word slowly and clearly, as if she was a 10 year-old imbecile.

“Poison is a big part of our martial arts.” She explained to him. “Since I was 15, Grandfather had taught me to immune my body from all kinds of poison. All the eastern fighters can do that.”

Sesshoumaru snorted at her explanation. He would prefer not to hear anything about the blasted eastern country right now. What happened earlier with the orochi youkai and all brought enough distraction for one night. He peered at her with his narrowed golden eyes. She looked so fragile sitting there with her back against the wall, with blood all over her body and clothes. And that wound… He stared at the ghastly wound on her shoulder, the injury that he had caused. He knew she must be in great pain, judging from the way she bit her lips every time she tried to move a limb or even squirmed just a bit. At that moment, he felt an alien, unfamiliar emotion nudged his heart, which he found extremely disturbing.

`Is this what they called `guilt'?' He wondered.

Shouri caught his stare, and reflectively moved her unharmed hand, trying to cover the ugly wound that had tainted her beautiful form. She cringed slightly when her hand brushed over the broken flesh.

“I know…” she let out a rather embarrassed and uncomfortable chuckle. “It is disgusting, isn't it…?”

He uttered no response, but kneeled down in front of her and grabbed her wrist to take her hand away from her shoulder. Fortunately, her bleeding had stopped. Rin and the miko had cleaned the wound, as well as her body, from dried blood. Just like him, Shouri was also a full-blooded youkai, and therefore possessed a power to heal herself from all sorts of injuries. It might take some time, depending on how badly injured she was, but she would certainly recover.

“It will grow back…” he muttered, his hand slipped into the sleeve of his kimono and pull out a piece of clean, folded white cloth. With his sharp teeth, he ripped the cloth in pieces. He positioned one piece on top of her injury and cocked his head towards one end of the cloth, signaling her to hold it down so that he could bandage her wound. She gasped at his sudden display of kindness and compassion, but refrained herself from uttering any comment and obeyed instead.

“…You will not repeat such foolish action in the future, do you hear me?” she heard his low, somber voice so close to her ears. She said nothing and kept her gaze lowered. His hand was still busy with the cloth as he gradually covered the injured part of her body.

“Do you think I was so weak to need a protection from you?” he asked again, with a slight hint of harshness tone in his voice. It seemed that her previous action had offended him greatly.

Slowly, Shouri shook her head. “…By no means…” she whispered softly. “It's just… my body just moved on its own…”

He remained quiet and focused on his task. A few moments went by without any of them uttering any words. Shouri shifted her head even lower and felt her eyes burned and her vision blurry as moisture filled her beautiful green eyes. He frowned when he caught the scent of her warm tears. He could feel her body shook slightly, her arm trembled in his hand.

`What is it now…' he pondered as he stared at the top of her head. `Why on earth is she crying?'

His mouth was opened in a verge of questioning her when a soft, almost inaudible whisper reached his ears.

“…Why did you not come for me?”

At once, his hand stopped working as he gazed downward with his eyes widened. Not knowing what to say, he kept his mouth shut.

“…Why did you not come for me…?” she repeated, her voice was still as soft as before. “…Did you not care at all?”

Sesshoumaru felt his mouth dry and he swallowed, trying to get rid of the lump in his throat that made him so difficult to speak.

“…Shouri, I thought you and Mother were dead…” he finally answered, his voice sounded choked.

She said nothing, but he could hear a faint sob escaped from her mouth. Her wounded arm was still in his hand, and the other one moved to cover her face.

“…Maybe I should have gone after you…” he found himself continue. “But I…” he stopped, not knowing how to say what he was about to say. He closed his eyes and let the words slipped out of his mouth. “…I was weak…It was quite certain at that time that I would not be able to win against the lord who abducted you…”

Still there was no response from her, though her sobs had ceased. He opened his eyes and stared at her long, silver tresses, very much identical to his own. There was one thing left to say, that one phrase that was most unfamiliar to his tongue. He took a deep sigh, and whispered hoarsely.

“…I am sorry.”

So the first apologize he ever made in his life had come and gone, and he wished it would be his last, for the sensation that followed was highly unsettling. Shouri shook her head furiously, which made his brows knitted to form a deep frown.

`Still not enough…?' Desperation started to creep into him, as he had no strength to burst out in fury, or to attack her anymore.

`What should I say to make you understand? Shouri… tell me how to make you understand…' His heart whispered to her in despair, though she could not hear any of it.

“…It was not your fault…” Her muffled whisper stunned him.

Slowly, she raised her eyes to meet his, and for the first time after 200 years, he saw his Shouri in there. She tried to smile even though tears were cascading freely down her cheek.

“It was not your fault.” She repeated, and closed her eyes as she felt the soft pad of his thumb wiped her tears away. He wrapped his arm around her waist and awkwardly at first, he pulled her into his embrace. His palm rubbed her back in soothing, circular motions as she cried and cried, wetting his already soiled kimono with her tears.

“…Did they treat you well, at least…?” he asked softly while he cradled her under his chin.

She nodded in response and kept her head tucked snugly under his jaw line. She could feel his strong heartbeat, and for once remembered the same soothing feeling he had always provided her back then, every time she needed comfort. Sesshoumaru moved his hand to graze her silky hair and tenderly laid a kiss on her forehead.

“…I'm sorry I tried to kill you with the needles…” he heard her muffled words, and found himself grinned slightly at her apology.

“You are the only creature that I allowed to live after attempting such deplorable action.” He told her. “I should have you killed for what you did.”

Shouri lifted her head up to look at him, and saw a hint of humor flickered in his striking golden orbs. She grinned back and slapped his chest playfully with the back of her hand.

“Well, you almost had…” she reminded him. “Just a few inches lower and you would have struck my heart.”

“You made me angry.” He brought up all those wretched encounters which always ended up with one of them, if not both, fuming mad or wounded. “Those words that you threw at me…”

Her smile disappeared when she recalled all the spiteful words she had said to him. Her lips pursed and her green eyes started to well up with tears one more time.

“…How could I be so cruel…” she whispered, her fingers traced the blue crescent moon tattoo on his forehead. “Forgive me, Nii-sama…”

Gently, he pushed her back down to once again lean on his shoulder.

“It does not matter anymore…” he whispered against her hair, the scent of apple blossom filled his nostrils. “You are here now…”

She remained quiet and let herself enjoy her brother's warmth and affection. A stifled yawn slipped out of her mouth as she realized how exhausted her body was. Sesshoumaru pulled her away from him and frowned as he laid his eyes on her blood-drenched kimono.

“We should get you out of these soiled clothes before you rest.” He told her.

She nodded at his remark. Fortunately, she had bothered to take one spare kimono with her. Sesshoumaru turned away to give her some privacy as she slipped out of her dirty garbs and changed into a new ones. When she was finished, he saw her wearing a pale blue kimono with sakura blossoms embroidered on its sleeves and lower hem.

“You should get some rest.” His voice had returned to its usual cold-self, but his eyes softened as he watched her leaned back against the cave wall. He took off his fluffy boa and wrapped its length around her body to keep her from the chill night air. Shouri nuzzled her cheek against its soft texture and found that it was surprisingly warm. He grazed the side of her face with his knuckles before he rose up to his feet. He was about to leave when he felt a soft tug at the sleeve of his kimono. Shouri was staring at him with her pleading puppy eyes, no doubt begging him to stay.

“Would you not stay with me…? At least until I am asleep…?” she asked him.

A thin smile was on his lips when he sat down next to her, wrapping his arm around her shoulder. She laid her head on his shoulder, her lips curled to form a sweet smile as she finally felt content for the first time since she learnt about her past.

`Still a spoiled puppy, I see…' He mused as he watched her slowly dozed off into a deep, peaceful slumber.

 

She slept for quite a while. Slowly, her eyelashes fluttered and she opened her green eyes. She realized that she was alone, though her brother's scent still lingered in the furry pelt wrapped around her. She could hear the fire crackled, she felt the warmth.

Shouri straightened her back and looked around the cave. Her brother had lit the fire and now sat on a rock not far from where she laid, his back was facing her. Slowly, she lifted her hand to check on her injured shoulder. She sighed in relief when she found out that the wound had almost closed itself perfectly, and it did not hurt so much anymore when she touched it. Carefully, she rose to her feet. With the pelt still wrapped around her body, she approached her brother to join him in front of the fire. She had noticed his soiled outer kimono had been washed and was now drying next to him. All traces of blood had gone from his body and hair, a proof that he had went out and took a bath somewhere. She sniffed the air, and found that most of her blood scent had ceased as well.

“…You should get more rest…” He said, clearly sensed her presence even though he did not turn to look at her.

She just smiled and took her place on the floor next to his feet, and leaned her head against his knee. On the other side, his brother's wards were fast asleep, both were comfortably leaning against the two-headed dragon's body. Shouri closed her eyes as she felt his fingers running through her hair, his claws slowly scraped her scalp.

“After this is over…” he said, “You are not going back to the east. You are coming with me to live in the west.”

It was a command, she heard it clearly in his stern, unyielding tone. She did not utter any sign of agreement, though no refusal came out of her mouth either. She just sat there quietly, enjoying their moment together.

“…What happened after Father died?” she asked him with her gentle voice.

He stayed quiet for a moment before responded, “I took over the lands, and days just went by until one week ago I heard that you were still alive. And now, here we are, just the two of us...”

Shouri ran her fingers on the emptiness of his inner kimono's sleeve. A slight frown appeared on her forehead as she wondered who had done this to her brother.

“…Who did such a thing to you…?”

A sour smile was on Sesshoumaru's lips as he recalled that day when his half-brother cut his left arm off.

“Inuyasha.”

Her eyes widened in shock when she heard his response.

`The hanyou?' Soon after, her emerald orbs narrowed in despise as she thought of what that wretched half-breed had done to her brother's arm.

“Whatever happened?” she asked him.

“We were fighting over who gets to keep Tessaiga.” He told her with a dry voice. “It turned out Father put a barrier around the sword to keep me away from it. He took the sword and cut my left arm off.”

“That is just absurd!” She stared at him. “Tessaiga was to be yours and…”

“…Yes,” he stopped her. “But a lot of things had changed since you were gone, since Father mated that woman…” He took Tenseiga which was laid next to him and put it on his lap. “Apparently Father had revised his will before he died and this…” he tilted his head towards the sword on his lap.”…is what he left me.”

Shouri grazed the black sheath of the sword with her fingers. Tenseiga… Though it did not possess the power that her brother desired, it was still a very powerful sword indeed.

“What happened to Sou'unga?” she asked, as she remembered the third sword of their father's.

“…To cut a long story short, that sword is now gone from this earth, sealed in the underworld…”

So a lot of things had really changed ever since she was in the east…

She leaned her head back on his knee, her eyes watching the dancing fire in front of them.

“…What were Father's last words? What did he tell you?”

Sesshoumaru did not answer. His golden eyes stared blankly into the space, his mind replayed that night on the beach, on the border of their country. The scene had been imprinted in his mind, as he had been pondering about it over and over again. He could still hear his father's voice, echoed deep in his consciousness.

…Sesshoumaru, do you have something you wish to protect?

“He asked if I had something I want to protect…” he finally answered.

“…Is there?”

Her question somewhat stunned him. He gritted his teeth and gave her the same answer he had given his father.

“This Sesshoumaru protect nothing.”

Shouri shifted her gaze to meet his, a gentle smile was curved on her lips. She raised her hand to cup his face as she questioned him with her gentle voice.

“…Is it the little girl?”

He turned away when he heard her suspicion, yet could not hide a sour smile that was now spread on his lips. She grinned inwardly at his reaction, tough she refrained from the temptation to tease him just a little bit.

“Tell me,” she said as she laid the palm of her hand on his cheek, gently forcing him to face her. “…Is she to be your mate?”

He cocked one eyebrow at her, slightly surprised at her forward question.

“She is eight years old…” he informed her, in case she could not conclude it from the girl's childish appearance.

“In ten years she will be a mature woman, and we will not change a bit… Still young, like we are now…” Her emerald gaze burned into his golden ones. “What will you do then?”

“Shouri,” he called her name in his deep voice. “Are you telling me you have assumed that your brother will take a human as his mate?”

“The girl had grown attached to you in such a young age… What do you think will happen when she reach the age of eighteen?”

“She is my ward, nothing more.” He said dryly.

Shouri sighed, yet she kept her eyes glued to her brother's, and her fingers still traced his facial markings.

“Please do not misunderstand what I have said, Nii-sama…” she softly said. “I have no intention to oppose, should one day you decided to take a human as your mate. I love you too much to loose you again over such a thing…” she smiled. “But do keep this in mind… Her death is going to come much sooner than ours, and there is nothing that we can do to prevent that. It is a one way road that only leads to sorrow …”

He stared deeply into her eyes. Though he did not understand why she had bothered to tell him all this, he took her words and kept them in his memory.

“Do not worry yourself over something that is not going to happen, little sister…” he told her. “As I have said, she is my ward, nothing more…”

She kept on smiling and took her hand away from his face. Again, she watched the fire and silence fell between the two. A few moments went by until Shouri's quiet voice broke the stillness.

“…Nii-sama, is it so wrong to protect?”

Sesshoumaru frowned at her question. As for him, he never had any doubt in the answer. However, the fact that she even asked somehow took him by surprise.

“Creatures like us need no such thing…” he answered with his usual cold voice. His fingers moved to caress the silky strands of her hair. “We will protect each other, but that is it…”

She squirmed and he could tell by the shift of her scent that she had grown uncomfortable, if not guilty. His eyes narrowed in suspicion.

“Shouri, is there anything that you want to protect?” he asked her, still the very same question that had haunted him ever since his father's death.

She glanced over her shoulder, a portion of her face revealed. “…It's not that…”

He could clearly smell her lies, which brought him to sink deeper into suspicion and curiosity.

“What is it that you are hiding?” his voice calm, yet demanding nonetheless. “You have not told me why you agreed to help them defeat Naraku… Is that why you came? To protect someone?”

She let out a rather uncomfortable laugh, though she truly tried hard to act normal.

“Nii-sama…” her voice wavered a little. “There is no such thing…You have taken an idea and run away with it.”

He pushed it no further. It was clear to him that his sister was hiding something, and would not let him in whatever secret she kept. He made a note to himself to try to find out. But just for tonight, he would leave it at that. Just for tonight…

 

 

 

A/N: Oh my… I'm so glad I got this chapter done! Slightly boring, a mostly just talk between the brother and sister… but it was necessary. I can't believe it took me a prologue and 7 chaps to get Sesshoumaru and Shouri made up. We will certainly move on in the next chapter (YAY!!). Review please…!