InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Of Gods and Monsters ❯ Chapter 43: Now ... and Then ( Chapter 43 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

A/N: Gotta love spring break, neh? Anyway, evil brownies to Ithilwen and Nanda both for their super-duper-speedy beta skills. Thanks to Kat Morning for being wonderful and understanding. And, as always, huge hugs and big love to Everstar for her mad alpha-reader skillz.

Chapter 43: Now... and Then

The first thing Teles became aware of was that she was warm. Safe.

Slumber had wrapped around her like wool, softening her limbs and rendering them heavy. Nothing could pierce the haze of contentment that surrounded her. She shifted sleepily, frowning in faint befuddlement when she felt the solid body against hers, the firm arms cradling her. The embrace was familiar, and yet Teles' sleep-muddled mind could not process how she had come to awaken in such an embrace; it had been so long since she had felt such warmth.

How on earth...? Blinking awake, she looked up, barely stifling a yawn. Two tawny eyes the color of an Olympian sunrise gazed down at her, glowing with an affection that transcended words. Slowly the events of that day trickled back to her; she'd thought for a moment that none of it had been real, that he hadn't found her, hadn't brought her to him...

Hadn't apologized.

A sliver of humor flickered in his eyes and the faintest hint of a smile curved at his mouth as he watched her, and soon Teles felt a familiar hand - with familiar claws - combing leisurely through her hair. "Did you sleep well?"

Teles closed her eyes for a moment and leaned into the touch, sighing as Sesshoumaru's claws scraped lightly against her scalp. "I did, in fact. And I find the world better upon waking," she added shyly, looking up at him through her lashes.

"Only because you are in it," Sesshoumaru replied softly, his thumb stroking her temple. With his words, Teles felt her cheeks warm, but his expression caused something to flutter in her stomach.

The former goddess licked her lips, searching for any lingering trace of his kisses. She wanted his taste in her mouth again. Slowly, Teles reached up and captured his hand in one of hers, twining their fingers lazily. Exhaling in a sigh, she dragged his hand to her lips, brushing a kiss across the knuckles. "I thought perhaps it had been a dream."

Sesshoumaru's lips quirked slightly. "And yet I find myself thinking that perhaps it still is."

"It is no dream, beloved," she murmured, curling against his warmth.

"So my senses tell me. I see you, feel you, hear you - even smell you. But you will forgive me, I hope, for doubting my own eyes and ears."

She gave a soft chuckle. "And what of your nose?"

"Ah," the youkai said, gazing down on her with a tranquil expression, "it is my nose that keeps me from wondering whether I've gone completely mad."

Releasing his hand, Teles reached up to touch his cheek, tracing the magenta stripes with her fingertips. "It is not madness, my mate."

The tranquil expression turning somber, he closed his eyes and nodded. Several minutes passed in that fashion - Teles felt her mate hold her securely, leaving her feeling snug in his arms. She melded against him, reveling in the contact and the intimacy that touch provided. Swallowing hard, she let her hand wander to the back of his neck, intent upon pulling him down to meet her in a kiss, but when a sudden yawn gripped her, the former goddess colored slightly and gave a somewhat sheepish smile.

"How long was I asleep?"

"Several hours," the youkai replied. "But it does not matter as long as you feel quite rested."

"I feel far better than I have in..." she paused, thinking.

"Quite some time, I'd imagine," Sesshoumaru supplied, his voice low.

Teles cleared her throat softly. "Yes, I suppose so." They slipped into silence again, both thinking more than they could possibly express in words. Teles caught him staring at her for seconds at a time before averting his gaze, as if to collect his thoughts.

When he finally spoke, his voice was soft, and there was a husky quality to it. "Teles, I have... a request."

The pregnant woman's brows twitched slightly. A request? And not an order? That was almost as good as the apology. "Anything," she replied quietly, trailing her fingers from his cheek into his hair. The silver silk parted like water under her touch and she could feel him shiver beneath the gentle ministration.

"Do not agree until you've heard what it is I wish to ask of you, beloved."

***

"Stupid promises!" Kagome muttered, her arms folded over her chest as she glowered at the ancient well. Setting her jaw, she paced the length of the shed again, pausing only occasionally to kick one scuffed loafer against the aged, splintered wood.

Six hours. Teles had been gone for six hours without so much as a phone call! Okay, so the former goddess' concept of time was a slowly developing thing. Unfortunately, it had left Kagome pacing the well-house like a mother worried over her child's curfew.

Logically she knew that Teles was - first and foremost - old enough to take care of herself. And Kagome also knew that Teles was confident - unyielding, even - in her decision to meet Sesshoumaru alone. But still, how could she possibly know it was safe to meet him?

Biting down hard on her lower lip, Kagome paused her quick, determined strides again to place her hands firmly on the well's lip, bracing her weight with her arms as she leaned over, staring down into the inky depths.

He'll be angry, she thought, furrowing her brow, but he'll be even angrier if anything happens to the pup. I have to go through. I have to get him. She could be hurt, she could be scared, she could be-

"Kagome!" Her mother's voice rang out across the courtyard like a bell, interrupting the young girl's increasingly frantic thoughts.

Kagome's head jerked up and she ran up the rickety stairs, giving the old door a hard pull, sliding it open. Jumping down the steps, she trotted across the courtyard to the house. "Yes, Mama?"

Her mother smiled down at her. "I thought you might like to know - Teles is back."

Kagome's eyes widened as relief, cool and giddy, washed over her. "She is?"

Nodding, Mrs. Higurashi moved aside, gently ushering her daughter into the house. "She's upstairs - I believe there's something she'd like to discuss with you," the woman said, offering her daughter a small smile as she toed out of her loafers.

For a moment, Mrs. Higurashi looked as if she might have liked to say more; instead, she gave Kagome a gentle nudge toward the stairway. Somewhat bemused, the teenager climbed the stairs with quick, light steps. She rapped softly on the guest room door.

Teles' voice came from within. "Come in."

Kagome eased the door open, peering into the room, an expectant smile ready at her lips. Now that she knew for sure that her concern was unfounded, she wanted to hear all about the visit. Even Kagome had to admit to curiosity regarding the youkai lord - more specifically, that youkai lord's brother. She'd often wondered how everything worked out - clearly Sesshoumaru had survived the centuries, but had Inuyasha?

Of course, if Kagome were to be completely honest with herself, she would have admitted that she wasn't sure she really wanted to know. There was no guarantee she would have liked the answer had she asked, so it was probably better not to ask. Shaking off the maudlin thoughts, Kagome blew out a breath. Not now. Don't think about that now. She stepped inside, determined to keep her mind off its current track, but the smile at her lips faded when the scene in the bedroom unfolded itself. The suitcase was open on the bed, resembling a set of jaws caught in a huge yawn. A man dressed in a black uniform stood off to the side, watching impassively as Teles transferred items from the closet and dresser into the suitcase.

"...Teles?"

The former goddess looked up, her color high, her eyes bright. "Kagome!" She turned and hurried across the room, enveloping the high school girl in a hug made awkward by her swollen belly.

Kagome returned the gesture hesitantly, still trying to take in the situation before carefully disentangling herself from the pregnant woman's arms. "Teles?" She looked searchingly into the by-now familiar green eyes, faintly surprised to see nothing of the worry or distress that had been lingering in the woman's gaze for the past few days. "Teles, what happened? Are you... packing?" The answer seemed obvious - yes, of course she was packing. The reasons why she was packing were the things Kagome didn't want to contemplate. More to the point, she didn't want to explain it to Inuyasha when he came back for her.

The former goddess' smile was brilliant. "He wishes for me to stay with him."

Kagome blinked once, then twice. It was a simple sentence, really. "He" was clearly Sesshoumaru - there was no point in asking for clarification on that. Teles was packing because Sesshoumaru wanted her to stay with him. It was simple. It was obvious. In fact, on some level, Kagome wasn't entirely surprised.

And yet she could not suppress the blurted interjection. "What?"

Teles looked faintly puzzled for a moment, but chuckled before glancing at the uniformed man and gently tugging the young miko into the hallway, closing the bedroom door. "Yes, I know. I know what you're probably thinking-"

Kagome let herself get towed out of the room, crossing her arms over her chest. "Um, I don't know about that, Teles," she replied dubiously.

The smile at Teles' lips quirked a bit and her eyebrow arched delicately. "You think I am positively out of my mind and that Inuyasha will have an apoplectic fit when he learns of this," she said matter of factly.

The younger girl was quiet for a moment. "Okay, so maybe that part was obvious." Shaking her head, she rubbed at her face. "Teles, are you sure about this? I mean, are you really, really sure? Because when Inuyasha brought you-" She stopped suddenly; Teles had placed her fingers lightly against Kagome's mouth.

"I know, my friend," she replied softly. "I remember. Believe me, I remember," she said quietly. She struggled with her words for a moment before letting her hand drop back down to her side. "Sesshoumaru believed that I left him so that I might punish him for his behavior. He has spent the past five centuries waiting for me to travel through that well so that he might atone. He waited, Kagome," she said, her voice low and urgent. "For me."

"But you left him, Teles. You left because he... he was treating you horribly." The words slid through Kagome's memory with startling clarity. 'He informed me that I was forbidden to leave the den at all -- no matter the reason. I was forbidden Rin's company. I was to eat what he gave me to eat, when he gave it to me. I was to... I was to dress in a manner befitting my "status" as his mate.' Didn't she remember that part? Why didn't she seem to remember that part?

Teles bit her lip lightly. "I... I know. But... Kagome, you weren't there. You don't know-"

"Then please, explain it," the girl replied plaintively. "Because, Teles, I can't be held responsible for Inuyasha's reaction when he hears about this," Kagome spoke as gently as she could, biting her lip for a moment before continuing. "You know... sometimes, Teles - especially in this time - a lot of the time, when women leave bad husbands, they go back. They're sure he's changed, but a lot of the time it's not true!"

The former goddess stared. Several seconds ticked by in this fashion. Teles opened her mouth to speak before stopping suddenly and blowing out a deep breath. "He wished to provoke my temper."

Kagome's brows furrowed. "He... huh?"

Shaking her head, Teles took up the end of her braid in her hands, pulling away the tie before releasing the thick locks wound around each other. "Sesshoumaru. After my transformation, he found me... changed. Submissive." Her fingers paused in their ministrations and she frowned at the length of hair she held in her hands. "I suppose in a sense I was changed. It was a great deal to become accustomed to. Compounded with the fact that I believed - even before he had returned from Olympus - that he no longer had any interest in me..."

Kagome blinked. "What? Before he came back? How could you possibly think-"

Teles looked up, green eyes burning into Kagome's darker ones. "I was a goddess," she whispered. "Divine. Immortal. Powerful. Everything that I am now not. I became something... clumsy, slow, weak." She looked away. "I am no longer what I once was. I... I suppose it frightened me. I became acquiescent so that... so that it might please Sesshoumaru. I believed that if I agreed with him, if I did all that he requested of me, he might not care about the changes I'd undergone - the parts of me that were lost forever."

Kagome tilted her head. "It doesn't sound like it worked out that way."

"Not at all." Teles blew out a breath. "He noticed that where I once disagreed with him, I now shied away from conflict. He noticed that where I once was strong, I was now subservient..." she trailed off, uttering a short, soft bark of laughter. "He gave me foolish, even cruel restrictions-"

"Exactly, which is why I think that you should reconsi-"

"Kagome, he never expected me to agree to them!" Teles cried.

Dark eyes blinked once. Twice. Three times. "...What? He never wanted you to... what?"

"I wished to please my mate, and so I became acquiescent in an attempt to please him. Ironically, this did not please him, and he began to goad me so that I might defy him - that is what he wanted. The meeker I became, the more he tried to provoke my temper. And the more he tried to provoke my temper, the meeker I became."

Kagome turned this logic over in her mind for a moment or two, amazed that two people could misjudge a situation - and each other - so completely. "He..." Sesshoumaru had done it all on purpose - and all with the goal of angering her. "Teles, I don't understand. Why was he trying to make you lose your temper?"

"In the past," Teles explained, her braid now completely released, her hair cascading past her shoulders in ripples, "Sesshoumaru... intentionally provoked my anger."

"Intentionally?" Kagome's head tilted in puzzlement. "But why?"

An unnaturally long silence followed. A flush crept up Teles' neck, coloring her cheeks and Kagome felt a similar heat warm her face. She suddenly wished she hadn't asked.

"It is..." Teles began, "the way that I understand it, it is the way inuyoukai choose their mates. A strong mate will not crumble in the face of adversity nor will she quail when circumstances grow challenging. A strong mate is a worthy mate."

Though Teles' answer wasn't exactly what Kagome had prepared herself to hear, the former goddess' explanation did not ease the blush that seemed content to make its home across Kagome's face.

"So," the girl ventured, "he... used to... pick fights with you?"

"Essentially, yes."

"And this was to..." Kagome frowned. "To test you? To make sure you were... a worthy mate?"

In an almost sheepish gesture, Teles nodded. "It was far more effective when I was immortal, I assure you." She sighed tiredly. "When he tried it after I was changed... Well. You can see the effects for yourself."

Kagome was quiet for a moment, processing the information. "You didn't know what he was trying to do - he was just... picking fights with you for no reason. He was trying to make you angry," she breathed. Teles nodded. "And when you left him..."

A humorless smile formed at her lips. "He saw that he'd quite succeeded in his endeavor."

Kagome stood perfectly still, digesting this information. Sesshoumaru - they hadn't been wrong about him, he hadn't changed his mind, he hadn't cared that he was mated to a human. He was afraid - he was worried, he was...

He was a youkai who, instead of speaking intelligently about his concerns with his mate, had intentionally provoked her temper until it snapped. He was... remarkably like Inuyasha.

Kagome clasped one hand to her forehead. All right. At least I can prepare myself for that kind of behavior now. "That was..."

"Idiotic, asinine, boneheaded?" Teles supplied helpfully.

Kagome nodded. "Good for a start."

"I know. That's why I've decided to stay with him. He... he was alone, Kagome. For the better part of five centuries, he was completely alone."

Something iced over in Kagome's stomach. Completely alone. She shook off the sensation. Of course he was alone - it's not as if Inuyasha would have-

"What happened?" The question was out before Kagome could realize she intended to ask it.

Two dark eyebrows drew together. "What... happened?"

Kagome nodded. "What happened to Sesshoumaru after you left?"

"Ah." Teles nodded once, slowly. "He was reluctant to say much about it. From what I could gather, he slowly withdrew from all company. I never returned to him."

Relief made the teenager's spine tingle, but it was followed up by a swift twinge of guilt. If Sesshoumaru removed himself from everyone's company, it was likely that he never got around to destroying the village - or harming Inuyasha. So, by Kagome's estimation, her mate would be returning for her - unhurt.

But that didn't erase the fact that Sesshoumaru had been alone for five hundred years. No one deserved that.

Teles took a thick lock of hair between her fingers and looked down at it as she twisted it slowly. "I suppose it's odd. I never left him for more than a few days, and he spent five hundred years abandoned."

"Why don't you just go back?" Kagome was still for several seconds. "You still can, you know," she said, her voice barely a whisper. "Just because you didn't doesn't mean you won't - or can't." Was time immutable? Or was it fluid - changeable?

The history surrounding the Shikon-no-Tama had already unfolded, as far as her era was concerned. And Kagome had to have faith that everything turned out all right, considering that the world still had people in it and no one - as far as she could tell - had even heard of Naraku. But surely Teles could change her mind at any time, couldn't she? Or perhaps she could, but she wouldn't, strictly because she hadn't. Kagome stopped, tilting her head as she considered what she'd just said compounded with what she'd thought. "What I mean is..." Exhaling in frustration, she shook her head. "This temporal stuff is for the birds."

But the pregnant woman only smiled, shaking her head. "I'm not leaving him, Kagome. Not again. He was alone for so many years - I can't leave him now."

"And you're sure that this is what you need to do?" Kagome asked, looking past Teles to the bedroom door.

Teles nodded. "I'm sure of it."

Kagome was quiet for a moment before taking a deep breath and offering a single, authoritative nod. "Then you'd better let me help you pack." There was, of course, still the problem of Inuyasha. Kagome had a sinking feeling that there wasn't going to be any explanation he'd be willing to accept for this turn of events.

The new moon was coming up in a little under a week. If he hadn't come through by that point, she'd go find him then and try to explain things at a time when it didn't seem likely that Inuyasha would go haring off to confront his half-brother, either here or in the Sengoku-Jidai.

***

"You know, I simply cannot believe Hera tried to go through with it."

Demeter glanced at Hestia. The raven-haired goddess held a plump red grape in her fingers and appeared to be studying it as if it held far greater knowledge than one might expect in a simple piece of fruit. Demeter sighed, shaking her head. "I'm surprised that there is anything that Hera can do that still manages to surprise you."

In a swift movement, Artemis leaned over and plucked the grape out of Hestia's grasp and popped it into her mouth. She swallowed it whole, offering a tiny, superior smile to the other goddess who appeared to be quite put out by this. "It seems to me," Artemis murmured as she crossed the salon before lowering herself onto an overstuffed divan, "that Hera does most of what she does with the belief that either we do not care about her antics or that we would agree with her behavior regardless."

"Aphrodite says that Teles was with child," Hestia whispered. "How could anyone endanger an unborn child? An innocent!"

"Mmm... yes," Artemis replied, staring at the domed ceiling. "But isn't the child half-demon?" This opened up an entirely different debate. "The rules strictly forbid gods or goddesses coupling with demons. We cannot allow a demon demi-god."

"She was stranded in that wasteland for two centuries," Demeter reasoned. "She had no one. Not even her mother."

"Demeter," Hestia replied shyly, "it's not as if she could miss something she didn't know she had in the first place."

"It doesn't matter," the other goddess said, shaking her head stubbornly. "She was in that heathen land with neither kin nor devotee. The gods know her father didn't-"

"Poseidon was petitioning the council to have Teles reinstated," Artemis said pointedly, never taking her gaze off the ceiling. Her eyes followed the veins that ran through the marble like water. "Of course that was canceled the moment he found out."

"And now she's human," Demeter murmured. Hestia nodded.

Several beats of silence passed. "At least the child's safe," Artemis said, pulling her eyes down from the ceiling to rest her hazel gaze on the other two goddesses. "This was the best thing for Teles. If she'd been permitted to remain immortal, the child..." she trailed off, looking down at her hands.

"I know," the fertility goddess said, running a tired hand through wheat-colored hair as she sighed in resignation. "I know what we would have had to do, but to do that to a child... It doesn't seem right. Half demon or not, it's still a child."

The goddess of the hearth reached out and clasped the other goddess' hand. "Those are the rules, Demeter."

"I have no problem with the fact that Hera rendered Teles human," Artemis said, sitting up and stretching. "It saved her child, and for that she is probably thankful. It's more to do with the fact that Hera did it with the sole intent of killing Teles - and her child. And without the council's approval. She cannot be allowed to wander unchecked like that. Who knows what would happen should she suddenly decide to direct her ire onto any of the rest of us?"

Nodding, Demeter pushed herself up from the plump cushion she was sitting upon. "If Hera is intent upon it, she will not stop - even if Teles is only human. Hera believes herself wronged; she will not abandon her vengeance so easily."

"Hera must first worry about finding my daughter." Aphrodite glided into the room, having caught only the last bit of conversation. It was, however, enough. It didn't take a sibyl to know what everyone still seemed intent upon discussing. "Teles is human, and was reborn in Ryujin's lands. She is none of Hera's concern."

An uncomfortable silence stretched out as Aphrodite regarded the other goddesses with a cool, assessing gaze.

"Aren't you... at all worried?" Demeter asked, worry flickering in the brown depths of her eyes.

The goddess of love was quiet for several seconds. "She is safe for now. At the moment she is exactly where she needs to be. I have faith in her mate; he will protect her."

"But he is a demon," the goddess of the hunt replied in exasperation.

"Sometimes, Artemis, it matters not what he is. Perhaps this Sesshoumaru is not who I would have chosen for my daughter, but it is she who has chosen him. I accept that she loves him and I will aid them in any way I can." At that moment, Aphrodite looked past Artemis to Demeter; gray eyes met brown, and the fertility goddess and goddess of love exchanged a small, knowing smile.

Much later, Demeter and Aphrodite found themselves alone in the latter's chambers. Demeter considered herself one of the few on all of Mount Olympus who could fully understand the situation Teles was in. She knew better than most Aphrodite's dilemma, even if the goddess of love didn't consider it a dilemma. Yes, Persephone was married to a god - one of the most powerful, in fact. But that did not erase the fact that, of gods, of Olympians, Hades was not one a mother would choose for her daughter. She was aware of the rumors surrounding the pair, and while it was true that Demeter's sorrow for Persephone's absence caused the crops to suffer, it was untrue that Hades had tricked his bride into remaining with him. For some, the obvious answer was never adequate, and it became necessary to weave fantastic tales about abductions and mystical fruit.

Demeter heaved a sigh, striding across the salon to a balcony overlooking gleaming white buildings. "What are you going to do about Hera?"

Aphrodite was stretched out upon a divan, eyes closed as a cool breeze teased at her hair and clothes. She considered her cousin's question for several seconds. "There is very little I can do. But I can find solace in the fact that Teles is safe from Hera for the time being."

The other goddess arched a dark blonde eyebrow. "Safe?"

"She is in another realm at the moment. She's beyond Hera's gaze."

"And when she returns?"

Aphrodite sighed. "Perhaps 'if she returns' might be more accurate." Closing her eyes, she shook her head briskly. "No. She must return. She and the youkai..." she frowned. "Their union is... complicated. They both have much to learn and even more to overcome. They are both proud beings, and while there is great love between them..."

Demeter nodded sagely. "They must muddle through these lessons first. I understand."

The redheaded goddess rolled onto her stomach and regarded her cousin standing on the balcony. "I have the assurance of the Fates."

"You just hope that they are not mistaken?"

A beat of silence passed.

"The Fates are never mistaken, Demeter," Aphrodite replied sardonically, a faint flicker of humor sparking in her eyes.

Demeter looked over her shoulder, a small, amused smile at her lips. "Much to most everyone's vexation, I'm sure."

"Mmm... not in this case, I'm afraid. They forbade me from interfering when I would have liked to, and now that I've done what they've told me to do, I find myself concerned. They assure me that this is part of the path my daughter and her youkai must travel. And yet..."

"And yet you find yourself hoping that they don't do more damage than good?"

A dusky red eyebrow lifted and arched. "The Fates, or Teles and Sesshoumaru?"

Demeter turned around, leaning against the balustrade. "I was unaware there was a choice. I was referring to your daughter and her husband." Her smile was a kind one. "They are only earthly beings, after all - as much as I'm sure the change annoys Teles. We can only trust in them to do what they are supposed to do. And if the Fates have assured you that this is how it is supposed to be, then perhaps, cousin, this is how it is supposed to be. You can guide them, of course, if you are particularly worried."

"I planned on it." After a moment, Aphrodite expelled a deep breath. "At any rate, they have other things to worry about beyond Hera's infantile obsessions."

"Hera's obsessions, infantile or not, can still prove to be problematic."

"I will do what I can about Hera when the time calls for it."

Demeter nodded once, the sun catching her dark blonde hair as she did. "I know you will. I only hope it will be enough."

"As do I, cousin. As do I."

***

The small toad demon stared at the closed door. Jaken was absolutely certain that the inuyoukai had already detected his presence. In fact, he knew his lord well enough to be sure beyond a shadow of a doubt that he was not to open that door. Sesshoumaru-sama was in the library - much like he'd been since his return.

Jaken still cringed when he thought of his Sesshoumaru-sama's return from the village. He'd warned Rin to remain silent - particularly after it became evident that the youkai lord had come back empty handed. His lord had never taken failure well.

But, no, the child had insisted upon charging at the mighty youkai lord, yelling at him in her thin, angry voice. Jaken's surprise had been insurmountable when his Sesshoumaru-sama merely turned and strode silently down a corridor. The library door had slid open, then closed. He had yet to emerge from that room.

Swallowing past the knot of anxiety that seemed intent upon drying his throat, Jaken shifted the tray of food in his arms and lifted one leathery hand to knock lightly on the door. "M-my lord?"

There was no answer.

"My lord, you have not eaten in f-four days..." Surely no human woman was worth this much distress.

Still, there was no answer.

The toad demon considered leaving the tray of food outside the door, but he was fairly confident that his lord would not touch it. Better to brave getting knocked on the head if it meant his Sesshoumaru-sama would not starve to death. Hesitantly, he slid the door open. The library was completely dark within; there was not a single lantern lit. Swallowing once more against the tightening knot in his throat, Jaken blinked wide bulbous eyes, trying to see into the darkness. The flickering torchlight from the corridor eased away some of the gloom, but not nearly enough. The toad could only just make out his lord's silhouette.

The inuyoukai sat on the floor, his back braced against the wall. One leg was stretched out while the other was bent slightly, pulled against his chest. The ever-present armor was, strangely, not present. Jaken could barely make out his lord's profile, but he appeared to be staring straight ahead, focusing on nothing that Jaken's eyes could see.

He looked like a specter. Such a great and powerful youkai lord, reduced to... this.

"M-my lord?" Jaken waited for acknowledgement, but none came. He cleared his throat. "My lord, it occurs to me that you have not eaten in quite some time." With shaking hands, the toad demon set the tray down on the floor. "It is most important, Sesshoumaru-sama, that you-"

The two words came in a voice that was edged with sand. "Leave me."

"Y-yes, of course. I just c-came to..." he stepped away from the tray loaded with food he hoped but did not expect the youkai to eat. "It is... it is quite d-dark in here, Sesshoumaru-sama." As he spoke, Jaken reached up to light a lantern. No sooner had the faint amber glow begun to chase away the thick shadows than Sesshoumaru's hand darted out, extinguishing the flame before knocking the lantern over with a sharp flick of the wrist. The lantern clattered noisily to the floor, and Jaken backed away instantly.

"I told you to leave me, Jaken."

Jaken obeyed his lord, scuttling out of the library and closing the door behind him. Blowing out the breath he'd been holding, the toad youkai brought one hand to his forehead, wiping away the beads of sweat that had collected there. Jaken wasn't sure how long such a black mood could last; he only hoped he'd survive it.

A/N: Also, another quick note - just thought I'd remind everyone that I am still (and have been) taking liberties with these mythologies. I don't claim to be accurate (though can anyone be accurate when it comes to mythology?), and I realize that the version of the myth you may know may be different from the one I know. Does that mean that you're right and I'm wrong? No. Does it mean that I'm right and you're wrong? Nope. It just means that I've done a little research, compounded it with what I already knew about Greek mythology, and tweaked it a little bit for my own purposes.