InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Into the Fire ❯ Questions That Breed No Answer ( Chapter 12 )

Title: Into the Fire

Author: Chiaztolite

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

Disclaimer: I DO NOT own Inuyasha

 

A/N: You will notice in this chapter that I named Sesshoumaru's father: Sousuimaru. It felt kind of weird if I keep referring to him as: InuTaisho-sama, as I do not think that it is his name. (InuTaishou short for `Inu no Taishou'= the leader of the dogs, but he must have real name too, don't you think?) So I gave him a name: Sousuimaru, meaning `the man who leads', which I think suits him. Also, please take note that the flashback scenes on Ryoushin and Shouri had ended in the previous chapter. We are now proceeding with the real plot of the story. Enjoy!!

 

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She was raven haired…

The color of those long curls cascading down her back was a mysteriously deep, lustrous black with a hint of violet sheen. Her beautiful, shiny ringlets fanned on top of the delicately weaved tatami mat as her shivering body fell, her front was against the hard floor. A pair of golden eyes lifted up to stare back at him in palpable fear, her hand covered her throat that was spilling blood onto the ground.

“…Who…are…you…” he tried to ask, yet the voice that came out of him was nothing but broken, incoherent whispers. It was just the two of them, together inside a room that was engulfed in dancing flames. His arm extended, but she crawled backwards like a dying animal, rejecting the hand that reached out for her. Blood kept overflowing from her wasted body, from the gaping wound on her throat, drenching the floor with red stain that was almost black with intensity.

His eyes widened as he saw his own hand covered with the same opaque blood, droplets of red dripped onto the ground. He lowered his tainted limb, eyes were still watching the female that was clearly on the verge of death. Again, he tried to ask,

“…Who…are…you…”

The dying body shook, though weakly due to her expiring energy. Slowly, she lifted her head up, locks of her hair were pasted onto her face, whether because of perspiration or tears, no one could tell. Those flowing strands veiled most of her face, but he could see her lips moved ever so slightly, breathing out inaudible whisper.

“…Father…” her lips said, his eyes widened in response. “…Why…”

And he screamed…

 

 

Into the Fire

 

Chapter 12: Questions that Breed no Answer

 

 

A pair of sapphire eyes shot open to the world of reality. His exhausted body was panting, still affected by the memory of the nightmare he just awakened from. He wiped the traces of perspiration off his face, his eyes caught his own hand that was clean, unspoiled by all sorts of stains.

`…Was it the future..? Or…' he warily pondered as he covered his eyes with the back of his hand. He looked to his side and found Shouri was still soundly asleep. Her head was rested against his chest, one arm and leg were thrown over his body in a quite possessive manner. The innocent face that only appeared when she was sleeping caused a smile to curve on his lips. Little by little, very carefully so as not to wake the slumbering female, he slid his body out of her comforting embrace. His fingers brushed silver bangs off her face so that he could lay a tender kiss on her forehead, his hands moved to cover her body with his cloak so that she would not miss the warmth of his presence.

Once he was sure that she was comfortable, his nose sniffed the air, all his senses scanned the surrounding to catch any hint of danger. He heaved a sigh of relief when he found none. It was barely dawn, and his sensitive ears caught the sounds of slumbering creatures around him, there was no doubt that they came from Shouri's traveling companions, as well as the members of his own pack.

It was a misty morning, the air was filled with thick haze that unable those of lesser beings to see what was before them. Yet they provided no obstacle for a youkai of his caliber, for his keen eyes could see beyond the thick veil of fogs without difficulties. The thirsty tiger followed the smell of flowing water until he reached a small spring not so far from where they camped. He kneeled down on the ground and cupped the crystal clear water with his two hands. He was just starting to lap the refreshing fluid when a sudden, stoic voice from behind reached his ears.

“…You are good at hiding your presence, cursed one…”

The way this intruder addressed him caused a slight pang on Ryoushin's ears, yet he took his time to drink his water before responded,

“I have to say that hospitality does run thick in the race of inu.” He said, rising to his feet and turned around to face the owner of the cold voice. A familiar figure with white clothing and formal armor, thick pelt on his shoulder, and long silver tresses loomed from behind the mists.

“…I remember I have received the same generous treatment from your grandfather.” Ryoushin added with eyes piercing the demon lord before him, the one whom he had learned was Shouri's elder brother.

Sesshoumaru arched one eyebrow as he noticed a cynical hint behind the tiger's words, yet said nothing to counter. His pair of shimmering golden eyes intently observed the tattoo on the tiger's forehead. For those who were not aware of the meaning behind the tattoo, they would surely agree that it was a beautiful symbol, formed by delicate swirls that took shape into an intricate insignia.

Alas the youkai lord did not see a beautiful symbol or an interesting emblem, but a curse, a danger.

`Look passed the tattoo…' he remembered Shouri once said, the thought caused a deep frown to form on his forehead.

`How can you look passed it when the warning is right before your eyes?' He mused, unable to understand his sister's illogical way of thinking. His amber eyes narrowed into two golden slits as he hissed,

“…I do not trust you…”

It was Ryoushin's turn to arch his eyebrows at the sudden display of abhorrence. A chuckle almost escaped him as there was no need for Sesshoumaru to even inform him that he was the object of repugnance for the frosty inuyoukai.

”Yes…” he responded with eyes slightly squinted, lips moved to form a sour smile. “I can pretty much tell tha…”

The sound of metal crashing and the roar of a tiger drowned his words. Both youkais startled, their eyes wandered towards the camping site. Ryoushin gritted his teeth as he recognized the roar, for it was undoubtedly Kishi's. In a flash, he sprung on his feet, leaping back to the direction where he came from. From the corner of his vision, he saw the youkai lord also raced next to him, matching his pace. Their narrowing gazes collided as they both dashed to the camp, aiming to surpass the other with each step they took, putting their speed to the test. Sesshoumaru's eyes widened as he saw the tiger shot him a quick glance along with a coy smile.

`I'm sorry I do not have time to play with you right now, dog…' Ryoushin said inwardly and just like its sudden appearance, his smile quickly disappeared. The tiger increased his pace, swiftly moving ahead, causing flames of anger to rise within Sesshoumaru as the usually composed youkai lord watched the wretched creature advanced, leaving him just two steps behind. But a particular scent he knew just as well as his own shattered his concentration on their little competition.

`This scent…' he thought as a vivid image of a certain demoness appeared in his mind.

Slowly, unveiled by the dense leaves of the trees, two figures standing opposite each other came to their view. The male was obviously Kishi, his two blades were tightly gripped in his hands. The female was someone Ryoushin had never seen before, though her scent brought back memory of the raven haired devil who tried to do a bargain with him only a few days ago. The throne of the Mountain of Gods exchanged with his cooperation in opening the gate to the afterlife…

Just like that devil Naraku, this female also had the same jet black hair, only hers was tied up neatly in a bun. She stood still with strangely large bees floating around her. Her body was wrapped in white and purple striped kimono, her one hand was wielding an opened fan. And in her other hand, she had a leather pouch that Ryoushin knew contained the four sacred scrolls of the holy tigers.

`…So those scrolls are what you're after, Naraku…' He thought as he jumped and landed gracefully next to his vassal. `I should have guessed…'

“I congratulate you for picking such a perfect timing to attack…” he said, earning the female's attention.

She was not at all surprised to see his sudden appearance. Her bright pink eyes looked at him up and down appraisingly, a mischievous smile was on her blood red lips.

“Hmm…” She hummed melodiously. “So you're Ryoushin…? This is the first time I've seen you up-close. You're quite an interesting looking creature. I'm Kagura…”

“Spare me the idle chat, please.” Ryoushin said, opening his hand to demand for his four scrolls. “Return what you have stolen, female…Then you may go in peace.”

“Sorry, I can't do that.” Kagura shook her head, a slight pout was on her lips as she observed those saimyoushous warily. `It's not that I don't want to…' she thought to herself.

By this point the entire cast had gathered around, causing Kagura to realize that she had been surrounded by so many, yet none was on her side but those bees. The foul-mouthed hanyou's fierce growl reached her ears, and she looked at the red-clothed half-demon rather uninterestedly.

“Stay out of this.” Ryoushin's calm words had her surprised. “This is between the thief and me…” he said, locking his gaze back at her. “So, are you not going to return those scrolls?”

“I told you I can't do that!” Kagura snapped, tightening her grip on the brown leather pouch. “Naraku needs them to open the gate to the afterlife…He commanded me to steal them from you.”

A soft smile appeared on Ryoushin's lips when he heard her final answer. “…Is that so?” He quietly said, and at the same time opened his tightened fist to release a ball of blazing fire that flew directly at the unprepared female. Kagura, who had only a split second to dodge the prompt attack, quickly moved to the side to prevent the swift fire ball from burning her body to ashes. But much to her surprise, the bundle of flame turned to trail after her steps and this time, she was not as lucky as the first. Her late attempt to dodge allowed the fire to graze the side of her calve, burning her skin and flesh, causing her to drop to the ground for her injured leg was unable to support her body.

`…Damn it!' She cursed her recklessness as her wounded body laid on the earth, her teeth clenched as she tried to endure the pain she was suffering. After the ball of fire attacked her, it had flown towards the opposite direction and her eyes widened when she saw the tiger followed its path with his cool, sapphire orbs. Or, to be exact, the heated globe was the one following the path of his gaze, for the wind sorceress saw his eyes returned to her and as if it heard his command, the fire turned around and dashed towards her in a remarkable speed.

`Is this it…?' She whispered inwardly as her widened eyes watched the flame swiftly approaching, while her legs were not willing to move. Her mind screamed out but her lips stayed still, her throat choked. `Is this the end…for me…?'

Her eyes widened even more when a blur of white suddenly appeared before her, the glimmer of a razor-sharp blade met the blazing globe of fire head on. A tall, powerful figure stood before her, his sword prevented the fire from burning her body to the ground.

“…Sesshoumaru…” her shivered lips whisper.

Ryoushin stared at the Lord of the Western Lands with a frowned forehead, with questions in his eyes. His fire had disappeared, leaving the two males to gaze upon each other with unknown emotions on their faces. Yet Sesshoumaru saw questions in those blue eyes, and he growled as his response, low but clear enough for everyone to hear.

“…Do not lay a hand on this female…”

Those words he uttered caused shock to many, including the spared female herself. Ryoushin uttered no other words and did nothing more to attack Kagura, although just like everyone else at that time, he wondered what had caused the cold youkai lord to protect a follower of their enemy. Dead silence was in the air as a whirl of typhoon rose, lifting a feather boat containing the wounded female high in the air. Those on the ground could only watch her escaped. As the boat flew away, Kagura gazed upon the male who had saved her life, an apologetic look was in her eyes, whether he realized it or not.

`I am sorry, Sesshoumaru…' She whispered quietly as her hand pressed the leather pouch she had stolen closer to her chest.

“…Shall we not go after her, my Lord?” Kishi asked his master who was still watching the fading female intently. Ryoushin shifted his gaze towards the ward who had a guilty look smeared all over his face. He laid a hand on the regretful retainer's shoulder and assured him with his words.

“Just let her be.” He said. “Do not worry about this…”

Sesshoumaru had his eyes fixed on the blue sky until Kagura slowly disappeared from his sight. When his gaze was back to the earth below, he found his sister before him, her emerald globes sizzled with the flame of suppressed anger.

“…Nii-sama…” her voice was too, striving to restrain her rage. “…Why did you help that wind youkai? Why did you let her get away…?”

Even when their eyes collided, Shouri could find no answer in those golden pools of void. Her intense gaze was answered with a blank one of his own, refusing to reveal any explanation to his previous action which was irrational, at least to her. This was the first time they countered each other after their row over Ryoushin the night before, when he had yanked her hand away and went off only Gods knew where. She had planned to have civilized conversation with him to settle their dispute, but this was not how she imagined it would go. No, not even close…

“Why did you protect her, Nii-sama?” She asked again, her tone of voice had grown sharper. “She had stolen four scrolls that may enable your enemy to reach his goal… Why did you not stop her?”

Again, no answer came from those frozen lips of his.

She gritted her teeth as frustration started to rise within her, all due to her brother's cool, emotionless façade. Her pair of hands reached out to clutch the neckline of his kimono, gripping the soft silk fabric so tightly that the joints of her fingers turned white. Sesshoumaru arched one eyebrow at her daring action, taking a silent interest in her bravery for no female had dared to treat him in such fashion, though her status as his little sister by blood might have granted her the extra courage and allowed her this little liberty of manner. Her slender hand shook him but it was no surprise that his body did not budge at the paltry assault, not even a little bit. At that time she truly wished she could extend her claws to remarkable length like Ryoushin's, so that she could wrap her fingers around her brother's neck and punish him for being so emotionally detached.

A pair of eyes so much like their mother's kept delving into his, trying to dig even deeper and scraped even further for some answer, any answer. Yet as expected, she found none. She felt like a fool who tried to sap water from a long-dried well, to harvest crops from a barren land. Finally, those beautifully carved lips of his opened and his frosty voice reached her.

“Has the tiger had your mind completely deranged that you dared to behave toward your elder brother in such a deplorable manner, Shouri?”

Slowly, Shouri moved her face closer to his, until they were just inches apart.

“…It is not even about the tiger, Nii-sama…” She whispered low enough only for him to hear. “…Last night I let you know that I love him. Yes…” Her eyes narrowed into two emerald splits as she hissed. “Yes, I love him… I can repeat that over and over again…Whatever you ask, I will answer…” For once, those green depths of hers did not conceal her blatant emotion even one bit, and it repulsed him.

“There…” She continued with her verbal assault. “I have revealed what lies on the bottom of this heart to you. Yet you would not even answer one question from me… Nii-sama, your lips may call me `little sister', your hand may touch me with more gentility than it does other creatures… But your heart treats me like I am no different than those strangers…”

Still, there was no answer from him, though she could see his face hardened with each word that came out of her lips.

“…That female was one of your enemies…” she hissed again. “Yet she has seen the gentle side of you more than I have… Nii-sama, you treat me worse than your own enemy!”

Enough, he had had enough. With one push he jerked her hands away from him but still, the only emotion he showed was anger.

“Stop this foolishness!” he growled dangerously, his eyes were close to bleed red, yet he refused to lower himself and act so recklessly only because his wrath took hold of him. Even when she sensed the danger, she dared herself to say more.

“…And how dare you judge me for having an abomination as my future mate, while the one that you protect is a slave to your enemy!”

She saw it coming, yet she did not budge when his hand laid another hard slap on her cheek, the second time in less than seven days. Her head turned to the side by the force of his blow, revealing her reddened cheek and blood that slowly trickled down from the corner of her lips. She closed her eyes to help her endure the pain that was so much more than the one before, for this time it was not the flesh that suffered, but the heart.

And the second time in less than seven days, he regretted letting his heated temper engulfed his cool. The palm of his hand was too, hot and throbbed with stinging pain from hitting her so hard. He turned his stiff body around to leave her just like he often did. His steps did not halt even when she whispered ever so faintly,

“…Who are you…?”

Her voice was very dim and yet, it did not fail to reach his ears.

Who are you, she asked.

 

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A Victorious Child

 

It was early spring in the western lands, the season when lush grass just started to sprout out of the cold, sleeping ground and every bud of sakura blossoms were waiting impatiently to bloom. The sun had not even risen but the whole western palace had awakened, the air was filled with hums of busy servants for the lady of the house had just given birth to another child, a female this time.

A young youkai, only an adolescent to demons' eyes even though his age had reached 90 years old, ran down the open veranda of the palace, his small though swift legs brought him closer and closer to his parents' bed chamber. His feet were thumping noisily on the solid wood floor, causing the shoji of the chamber to slide open even without him knocking. His father, the Lord of the Western Lands, appeared on the doorway with his long silver hair tousled and dark rims underneath his eyes, yet happiness was clearly shown in his exhausted face. The handsome lord put his index finger on his lips, signaling his first born to quiet down since his mate was resting after a long, difficult childbirth.

“…Beloved…” A soft, melodiously enchanting voice called from within. “…Is it Sesshoumaru?”

Lord Sousuimaru glanced over his shoulder towards his mate who was lying on top of her futon and nodded. A bright smile appeared on her cherry lips, her cheeks turned rosy as she gestured her son to come closer. The child complied, slowly and quietly entered his parents' space. His curious golden eyes were aimed towards the small bundle wrapped in white blanket, laid on top of the plush futon next to his mother.

“…Is this…” His quiet voice asked, one finger pointed at the small, helpless creature within his mother's embrace. Lady Isha nodded, beckoning her timid son to come closer to look at his newly born sibling. Sesshoumaru kneeled next to his mother and gazed upon his little sister, a big smile appeared on his lips as she was the most darling little creature he had ever set eyes on. Unlike their mother who had silver hair with a slight tint of blue, the puppy's hair was all silver, much like their father's and his own. When she fluttered her dreaming eyes, he saw that she had inherited their mother's bright emerald orbs instead of his sun-kissed ones. Her tiny fingers curled up into a fist when she yawned and fully opened her eyes to stare at him, perhaps wondering who he was. His heart was filled with warmth as he offered his index finger to the puppy, letting her sniff him so that she knew he was her kin. After sniffing his finger all over, she reached out her small arm and wrapped her tiny digits around his, pulling him ever so slightly. His face gleamed with happiness and he turned to look at his parents who were observing them keenly,

“…She's holding my finger! Look, she's holding my…ow!” His joyous voice turned to a squeal when the little rascal bit his finger. Although she was less than one hour old, she already had a pair of fangs that could make her 90 year-old brother squeaked in pain.

His mother laughed at the sight and her fingers moved to graze his silky tresses that hung a little passed his shoulder.

“That only means that she recognizes you as her family, dearest…” She whispered softly.

Although slightly scowling, Sesshoumaru let the newly born pup had her fangs on him. He could not hold back a smile as he watched her happily biting and nibbling on his finger.

“What is her name?” He turned around and asked his parents. Lady Isha stared at her mate lovingly and laid her hand on top of his.

“What is her name, Beloved?” She asked him.

Lord Sousuimaru took his youngest into his embrace and held her close to his heart. The sun had just started to rise and its bright rays penetrated the chamber from the open shoji that faced the garden, slowly bathing the whole space with its warm glow. The taiyoukai held the child towards the rising sun, his golden eyes sparked with interest as he saw the two small magenta stripes on each of his daughter's cheeks.

`It is not common for female youkais to have stripes of nobility on their cheeks…' He thought. `But it is a good sign… She will grow to be a strong warrior princess…'

He aimed his gaze towards the shining sun, a particular name sparked in his mind, and his lips subconsciously mouthed that meaningful word, “…Shouri…”

It means `victory'.

His eyes shifted lower to his daughter, her arms waved as if trying to touch his silver hair that was very much identical to her own soft tuft. She was smiling, she liked the name.

“Shouri…” He said, a little bit louder so that his mate and son could hear him. “This child's name is Shouri…”

 

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First Blood

 

Years had gone by and the pup was now five years old, her brother was 95. She adored him and followed him everywhere he goes, much like a puppy who trailed after its master. As much as he loved her, often times he found himself irritated by her constant presence around him. His place for solace was a big tree just outside the gate of the palace where he could perched peacefully at the very top, separated from the whole world below while his sister mewled on the ground, for her young legs were not strong enough to allow her to jump so high. With her still-short claws she would try to climb up the tree, only to slide back to the earth whenever she reached a certain height. She was not a cat, or any other feline creatures after all…

A wild child, she was. Her fair and compelling beauty was a perfect mask for her mischievous nature. All those beautiful silk kimonos her mother had her worn were torn in places and soiled with dust and dirt every time she comes home from her little adventures. At the end, they had to dress her in a hakama, just like that of a boy's.

Not only that, but she was also a lazy student. Unlike her diligent brother, she skipped many of her lessons, putting the name her father had thoughtfully selected for her to shame. Just like today, she had disappeared from the palace since morning, leaving her brother to be the one who was instructed to search for the missing pup.

Though with scowls and grumbles, Sesshoumaru went to look for her. Like a child of savages, she spent a large portion of her time in the woods just outside the palace, doing Gods know what. He stood on the rim of the woods, his nose sniffed the air, carefully searching for Shouri's scent. Fortunately, her trail was not difficult to find, and he followed her trace deeper into the forest, calling her name every so often.

His search ended when he saw her sitting on the ground in front of a large cave, her back was to him. Those silver tresses that barely touched her shoulder were entangled and soiled with dirt and dried leaves. He rolled his eyes and took steps to approach the naughty child, causing her to turn around and stare at him with those big green eyes and a wide grin on her face.

“Look, Nii-sama…!” She called him with her jolly voice, her arms extended to offer him what she was holding in her hands.

He frowned when he recognized the creature she held in her arms. At a first glance, it looked like a kitten, its small size proved that it was just several months old. Its fur was a shiny coppery color, adorned with sheer black spots all over, a sign that it was not a cat's offspring, but a leopard cub. The young cub mewled in fear and struggled to free itself from the puppy's embrace. Even with all those bucking and scratching, Shouri refused to let the frightened cub go. Sesshoumaru went closer to her and dropped on his knees, eyeing the little leopard she almost strangled with her arms.

“Where did you get it…?” He asked, his tone was a mixture of suspicion and wariness.

“…I took it from the ca…”

Suddenly, her eyes widened and her mouth gaped in fear. Unable to complete her words, she was staring passed his shoulder with eyes that were almost as big as a saucer, gaze aimed at the approaching monstrous creature which she could only guess as the cub's female parent. Her arms weakened, not even care anymore when the cub freed itself from her and ran to hide behind its enraged mother.

Sesshoumaru did not need to turn around and see what had frightened his little sister to such extent, for he had sensed the creature's dangerous and alarming presence, he had heard its ferocious rumble. However, he could feel his stomach upturned as tension and anxiety started to build within him. He was a stranger to life and death battles, he had not had his first enemy, he had never shed blood before. He tried to swallow a lump in his throat and forced himself to turn around, facing the infuriated beast.

His heart sank when he finally laid his eyes on the approaching leopard. It was a large feline creature, its angered eyes glared at the two dogs who had abducted its offspring. One long fang peeked from each corner of its mouth, saliva dripped from those tusks for it was hungry, and now it had found two perfect preys to satisfy both the mother and cub's appetite.

Sesshoumaru took one trembling step backward as the leopard slowly moved forward. Beads of sweat had formed on his forehead and trickled down the side of his face.

“…Shouri…” His wavered voice called his sister who was still on her knees behind him, frozen. “…Go and hide inside the cave…”

He could hear the young pup's gasped and sensed her hesitation to obey his command. Like a frozen statue she stayed still, a pair of emerald eyes glued to her towering brother's back.

“…B-..but, Nii-sama…” She uttered a broken, almost inaudible whimper.

“Go inside the cave!!” He yelled out at her, though his eyes never left the approaching beast before them.

Shouri nodded and dragged her wobbling body backwards, hiding her presence inside the cave, although she did not go in too deep and stayed at the mouth instead. Fear soaked her entire existence as she quietly watched her brother facing the big leopard.

Sesshoumaru took a deep breath and posed his stance, claws lengthened as the beast drew near, deep rumble tore the silence of the woods. Without warning, the large cat pounced at him, which his well-trained body easily dodged. Claws that were already stretched out to their utmost potentials swung at the lunging beast, aiming at its neck. He cursed silently as he missed its vital limb just by a hair breadth, for he managed only to shred a few strands off of its fury coat. The heir to the western lands leaped backwards and landed on his two feet, eyes were still peering at his enemy charily.

The beast swiftly turned around and delved at the awaiting inu for the second time. Sesshoumaru stood still in his stance, jaws tightened as he tried to calm his heart that was pounding frantically. He knew he had to succeed, he knew he could not loose, for his sister's life as well as his own relied on the power of his claws, the strength of his fangs.

His fingers stiffened as he prepared himself for the coming attack. Once more, the leopard pounced on him and once more, he aimed for its neck. Yet the force from its two front paws fell heavy on him, causing his much smaller body to collapse on his back. He yelled out scream that was close to exasperation as his two hands struggled to prevent the leopard's head from plunging down and bit the juncture of his neck. His body bucked and trashed, yet he was far from succeeding in freeing himself for the giant cat was pinning him down with its four legs. Its gaping mouth watered at the sight of his young and delicious flesh, beads of saliva drooled upon his face, causing him to cringe in a mixture of fright and disgust.

Shouri gazed at the threatening sight in terror, fingers clutched to form a fist as she feared for her brother's life. She bent down to pick up a rock from the cave floor and hurled it towards the howling beast with a precise aim. The stone hit its head and immediately, it turned to glare at the smaller inu who had dared to disrupt its fun with its prey. She looked just as appetizing, and considerably easier to catch. Noticing the predator's bloodthirsty interest on her, Shouri slowly tottered backwards only to get her legs stumbled upon a rock and fell down, giving the hungry beast more than adequate chance to lunge at her. She covered her eyes with the sleeve of her kimono and screamed as she sensed it loped towards her, getting closer and closer for she could feel its hot breath on her skin.

One second… two second… She waited for the pain of death yet nothing happened. Her eyelashes fluttered and she lowered her arms, eyes widened in horror and mouth gasped in terror as she saw her brother before her, sandwiching himself between the leopard and her fallen body. He had his right arm rammed into its gaping mouth, into the depths of its throat. The beast tried to close its mouth on him, yet his bearing arm prevented it. Its sharp teeth sank deep into his flesh and he cringed at the agony.

“…You…are not done…with me…yet…” He growled between the searing, scorching pain on his arm. With all the strength stored in his young body, he pushed forward, driving the leopard away from the cave little by little.

Enraged by another failed attempt, it roared and swayed one large paw at him, sharp claws tearing the flesh of his chest. Sesshoumaru cried out in pain, his body was trashed away to the side by the power of its blow. Three long, deep gashes that ran from his left shoulder down to his right ribcage were leaking blood.

“Nii-sama…!!” Shouri screamed when she saw her brother fell, his blood was splattered on the ground. “Nii-sama…!!”

He laid still with his back against the hard earth, his ears faintly captured his sister's screams. He was unable to move due to all the pain his body endured, but at least he managed to get the beast's attention away from the cave, for a moment… As he expected, the leopard left Shouri alone, and now its eyes were fixed on his weakened body. Mercilessly it plunged down on him, his arms were too late to stop its sharp teeth from chewing the tender flesh of his shoulder. He screamed out from the unbearable pain as his blood burst in the air, allowing the munching beast to gulp his life-giving fluid. His arms flailed for a few moments, yet without energy to throw the cat away from him. His vision darkened as he watched the sky above, he saw nothing but dark stars that started to rip away his consciousness.

`…Dying, am I…' His mind weakly whispered as his body turned cold, fingers moving so slightly from the shaking, chomping lump of flesh on top of him. He felt his blood drained out of his body and slowly closed his eyes to surrender himself to the dark, somewhat peaceful oblivion. He was ready to accept his death when the joints of his fingers started to stiffen outside his will.

`…Don't…want…to…' His mind whispered, his fingers started to crack, his survival instinct started to awaken. `…Don't…want…to…die…' His beast whispered, his fists started to open and close, though in slow motions.

`…Get up and…' He heard another whisper, the blackened vision he saw started to disappear, exchanged with crimson sky. `…Get up and…kill…'

`…KILL…!'

He felt something inside him snapped as a surge of power he never knew he had engulfed him. A pair of reddened eyes shot open, a stiffened arm jolted up to jab into the predator's ribcage and dig for its heart. The leopard howled in pain as he wrapped his fingers around its pounding heart and smashed it with those tightened digits. Blood spilled onto him, drenching his body not only with his own, but also the creature's blood. It shivered for a second before it dropped on top of him and laid still, dead. The red, sticky fluid kept flowing out of their gaping wounds, soaking his clothing and hair, as well as the leopard's pelt in dark red stain.

He felt the warm and wet sensation when the blood of his enemy overflowed on top of him, trickling down his body to damp the earth. His fingers and arm were still coated in that crimson paint, reminiscent of its destroyed life-pumping limb were still stuck on the underside of his claws. The strong smell of blood and death sickened him, and if his body was strong enough to vomit, his stomach would have pumped out whatever it held within for he felt utterly disgusted by the alien sensation of killing.

Once again, his eyes and body failed him, for the dark vision had returned to pull him into the shadow's embrace. This time, he surrendered himself to the emptiness of unconsciousness, Shouri's muffled, faded screams were the last thing he heard…

The younger inu ran out of her hiding place towards her fallen brother. With all the strength that she had, she pushed the carcass of the leopard off of him, only to reveal his body that was broken and covered with thick blood.

“…Nii-sama…” Her wavered voice called him, her fingers grazed his pale, cold face. She called his name over and over again, yet failed to get his eyes to flutter open. She looked around with eyes that were laced with fears, and found no one to help them. Tears welled in her misty green eyes as she whimpered,

“…Father…Mother…” A faint whisper called out for those who were not there for aid. She started to wail to the sky yet her attempt was once more in vain. A curious crow answered her call, but none else came but the nosy, wretched black bird.

Faintly, she heard a roar from a far. A feline roar, not the one that came from her kind. She jerked up in alarm as she realized that the leopard cub must have run to alert the remainder of its pack. She looked around frantically, yet the trees surrounding them provided neither answer nor help. As the roar drew near, she forces her slender arms to drag Sesshoumaru's body, a futile attempt to escape for her brother was too heavy for her to transport all the way back to the palace alone.

She did the last thing she could do and transformed into her beast form. Although she was still young, only five years of age, her inu form was still considerably larger than a human's body. She nudged her brother's motionless body with her head, trying to lift him up onto her back so that they could flee before the leopards arrive. Somehow she managed to haul him on her back. Blood was still gushing out of him, wetting her silver tresses along with his unconscious body. Without wasting more time, she moved her legs as swiftly as she could, running back to the palace.

`Hold on tight, Nii-sama…' Her mind whispered to him as she raced through the trees. As if he was able to hear her whisper, his eyes slowly fluttered open to see shimmering silver mane beneath him, his fingers clutched the soft tresses before he fell back into the realm of nothingness…

 

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

 

“…Did I die…?” Sesshoumaru's raspy voice whispered. He flinched as he slowly regained his consciousness.

“No.” Another voice, so loving and gentle, answered him. He felt a familiar touch, a soft hand tenderly caressed his face. His eyelashes flapped and slowly, those beautiful golden eyes of his opened. His mother's smiling face was the first thing that he saw. He was back in the western palace, inside his own chamber, though he had no recollection of how he made it home. Lady Isha lowered her head to lay a kiss on her son's forehead, the palm of her hand was still rubbing his cheek.

“…You were unconscious for a long time that I was worried you would not awake…” She whispered between her loving kisses on his face.

“…Shouri…” He tried to straighten up his back as he voiced the first creature that appeared in his mind. He winced in an instant when sharp bites of pain attacked his still-weak body, forcing him to lie back on his futon.

“She is fine…She told us what happened.” Lady Isha said to him, her hand gently pinned his shoulder down to prevent him from getting up and reopening his wounds. She glanced over her shoulder when she heard a quiet creak of the sliding door. A smile graced her lips as she saw her youngest standing behind the parted shoji, timidly peeking through the small opening. She extended her hand to Shouri and silently beckoned the youngling to enter the chamber.

Though hesitantly, Shouri approached the futon and kneeled down next to where her brother laid. Her head was lowered in a guilty manner when she saw his injured body. His neck, shoulder, torso, and right arm were all covered in thin strips of white cloth. Lady Isha patted her daughter's head before she rose to her feet and went to fetch more concoction, leaving her children alone in the empty chamber.

After the door had closed, Sesshoumaru looked at his quiet sister and asked her in a pretend bored tone,

“…So, how did we return to the palace?”

She did not even lift up her eyes when she answered, her voice low and almost inaudible,

“I transformed and carried you on my back…”

His eyebrows arched in interest at her response. He started to chuckle, though stopped immediately for his ribcage ached at his attempt to laugh. He chose to snort instead,

“Hn…So you can do something other than weeping…” He scoffed, while his heart silently scowled, `Who would have guessed that the first time I killed a creature, it was for a cry-baby like you?'

Her head drooped even lower and he startled when her answer to his teasing words were the faint sniffs of her cry. The scent of her warm tears reached his nose as her teardrops flowed freely down her soft cheeks. Her shoulder shook almost uncontrollably with each sob that escaped her, fingers tried to wipe unrepressed tears.

For a moment, Sesshoumaru did nothing but stared at his sister, muted by her honest display of sadness. Slowly, a smile appeared on his lips as he understood why she cried, why she wasted all those tears on him. His uninjured hand moved to tousle her silver tresses, earning her attention though she would not stop sobbing.

“…Do you think this brother of yours will die from these petty injuries?” His gentle voice reached her ears. She said nothing and rubbed her tear-filled eyes. Her sobbing had ceased, leaving her sniffs behind. His index finger gently wiped traces of her tears away before grazing her wet cheek.

“You will not loose me, Shouri…” He promised her.

Finally she shifted her eyes up to meet his, and a sweet smile slowly curved on her lips. He offered her his hand, which she took within the embrace of her own pair. She rubbed her cheek against his knuckles as a gesture of her affection, the smile would not leave her now peaceful face.

Moments later, Lady Isha returned to her son's bed chamber, bearing a bowl of brewed potion in her hands. She opened the sliding door to reveal the serene sight beyond that caused her eyebrows to rise.

There her children laid sleeping. Sesshoumaru was still on his futon, while Shouri's small body curled up beside his waist. Her pair of hands was holding her brother's uninjured one, her cheek was rested comfortably against it.

Lady Isha could not hold back a warm smile at the perfect picture. She stared at the bowl she held, thinking,

`I guess this can wait…'

Still with the same smile, she gazed at her children one more time before she slid the door close in one silent, completely inaudible thump…

 

 

 

 

A/N: I have to apologize to you readers for once again I took you on another detour. There was no initial plan for Shouri to have that emotional outburst and started another fight with her brother. I did not know what got in to me when I wrote it, but it emphasized an internal conflict in her since she is not yet used to the change in Sesshoumaru's personality after 200 years. Of course, the flashback scenes afterwards were to give you more insights to their childhood, for it is something that had not been clearly described in previous chapters. I will try to finish the next chapter before this week ends. I'm starting school on Monday, and God knows I will not have much time to write once I have to deal with my projects. Hope you enjoy this chapter. Review please (maybe I should've mentioned a long time ago that I accept anonymous review? I know that a lot of people are lazy to login to the site, it's a pain in the @$$, I know… But now, you have no other reason for not reviewing, right?)