InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Paper Flowers ❯ An Imprint of a Memory ( Chapter 3 )

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

Chapter III: An Imprint of a Memory

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Three Years Earlier
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The sun rose with the morning, and she found herself standing in the same spot she had the morning before. Bow in hand, she spread her feet in the damp grass as droplets of dew tickled her ankles. It had become routine, she realized, to come out to that place in the morning with her mother to practice her archery. At this point, though, she had become rather bored with the monotony of her training. Not to mention the fact that, despite her constant practice, she had made very little progress.

Reaching behind her, she pulled an arrow from the quiver on her back and nocked it with ease. Taking a proper stance, her lithe fingers passed over the fletching as she pulled back. A soft, white light formed at the point and she readied herself. Putting forth little effort, and a small amount of spiritual energy, she released the arrow, which flew straight toward her target: a tall tree in the distance. The arrow hit, wedging itself in the bark of the tree as a swirl of color formed and dissipated in an instant.

She stared after it for a moment before dropping her shoulders and sighing deeply.

“That was good, Kagome,” the woman standing a short distance behind her finally said with a sort of false optimism.

Kagome turned and saw her mother, standing there with a half-smile on her beautiful face. Slinging the bow over her shoulder, she closed the short distance between them and stopped to stand before her with a frown. “Liar,” she accused.

“Of course not,” her mother argued, extending her hand for the bow. Kagome pulled it from her shoulder and handed it to her with a sigh. “You’re doing everything right,” the older woman continued, preparing to demonstrate her point as she pulled an arrow from the quiver on her daughter’s back. “You’re just not putting the right kind of effort into it.”

“The right kind of effort?” Kagome questioned, wrinkling her brow.

“Exactly,” she replied, nocking the arrow, “You must put your soul into it. If you don’t fight with purpose, then your arrows will never have any sort of spiritual effect. Fight to protect.” The woman paused to consider her words, “Fight as though your very heart depends on it.”

With that, she released her arrow with a ferocity that danced visibly around the shaft, and upon hitting the tree, pushed forward with a red-hot light that forced Kagome to shield her eyes. As the brightness finally faded, she let her hand fall. The arrow had disappeared, leaving a deep gash in the tree, scorch marks surrounding the singed bark. Kagome could only stare at the tree, mouth agape as her mother pressed the bow back into her hands.

“Your turn,” she said simply, “hit the mark.”

Her eyes widened, hand tightening on the bow as she opened her mouth to reply. “You say that like it’s so easy!” she exclaimed, “I can’t do that!”

“You can,” the woman urged, crossing her arms over her chest. “There must be something you care deeply for,” she went on, “Something important. Something you want to protect. Focus your mind on that one thing, and your arrow will do the rest.”

Kagome paused at her mothers words. Something important. Something she cared deeply for. Something to protect?

Raising the bow, she nocked an arrow and readied herself. Something to protect. Something she loved. Someone she loved. A face flashed before her mind’s eye and she smiled. The energy that seeped forth was warm as it left her, forming a white light at the head of her arrow. One eye closed, she aimed to the tree, her fingers loosening as she readied herself to launch the strong coagulation of energy. She stopped short, however, when movement in the distance caught her eye. Her mother, too, must have seen it, for she steeled herself, and her stance changed to the defensive.

Kagome hesitated as she lowered her bow. It was a man, she realized as a figure became distinguishable from the distance, walking toward them casually. Slowly, she began to make out his features and slowly, she began to realize that he was not human. The demon that approached them was tall, clad in white with a familiar face. Familiar, and yet she knew she had never met him before.

As he finally came up beside them, she felt no malicious intent. He simply stood there, looking between her and her mother until finally his hard, gold eyes fell solely on her.

“Excuse me,” came her mother’s voice, though he still kept his eyes securely on Kagome, “Can we help you with something?”

Glancing around, he raised a hand to his neck, sweeping his long hair out of the way before nodding. “Perhaps,” he said as he turned to her.

“You...” Kagome began, bringing him to look back at her. She knew who he was, and why he looked so familiar. It was because he looked so much like the person she was closest to... the person she had been thinking of just moments before. “You’re...”

She had trailed off, and whether she had intended to continue or not was unknown to him as he spoke. “I seek,” he began, his voice deep, yet gentle, “InuYasha.”

“InuYasha,” Kagome repeated as she met her mother’s eyes, shock and confusion evident on both faces.


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He had woken up that morning expecting it to be just like any other day. However, as soon as Kagome and her mother had come running toward him from the direction of their usual training grounds, he knew something was amiss.

Having been chopping firewood outside of their hut rather purposelessly at the time, he split one more block of wood in half before slinging the axe over his bare shoulder. Standing there, he waited for the two women to reach him, watching with disinterest until a third figure came into his line of sight. His eyes widened as he realized just who that person was, and he only grew more nervous at the thought of what his reason could have been for showing up there without notice.

The first two finally stopped before him, and he looked past the older woman to Kagome, who was glancing over her shoulder nervously. After a moment, she turned to stare at her hands as she wrung them anxiously in front of her. She was obviously avoiding his eye, so he turned to the other woman and asked almost hesitantly, “Akemi?”

Kagome’s mother turned to him, her eyebrows raised in question, “InuYasha, this person...” She paused, shaking her head. “He came looking for you, who is he? Are you related to him in some way?”

He nodded in response. “Yeah,” he replied gruffly, “he’s my brother.”

He took note that Kagome raised her head a bit at this. So, she knew. Of course, she would. He had told her about his brother on several occasions, so it was no surprise. The man in question chose that moment to step up behind the two women. They noticed this, and parted like the sea to allow him to pass. The tall man stepped forward, standing over InuYasha, his aura overflowing with superiority.

“Sesshoumaru,” InuYasha spoke, his negative attitude apparent in his tone, “What do you want?”

“I would have a word with you, InuYasha,” he said, his voice even and neutral. He glanced around him, and the faintest of grimaces appeared on his flawless face. “Alone,” he finished, not bothering to hide the slightly irate tone in his voice.

InuYasha only narrowed his eyes. A word with his older brother? About what? He sighed, and the heavy weight on his shoulder reminded him that he was still holding onto the axe he’d previously been using to chop wood. He was feeling less than happy about the situation as he dropped the sharp edge of the axe into the tree stump at his side.

“All right,” he tossed the word over his shoulder as he stepped away from them to pull his shirts off of a hook on the side of the house. “Akemi,” he began, glancing between her and her daughter as he pulled his arm through the sleeve of his undershirt. “You two go back to your training, it’s fine.” Pulling his sleeved arm into the red haori he often wore, he glanced up and managed to catch Kagome’s gaze as she looked in his direction. He met her eyes for an instant, and unbeknownst to anyone else present, something passed between them. No one noticed their exchange, or so they thought. Her eyes were bright and beautiful, and he hated to tear himself away but the sound of Akemi’s voice brought him to do just that.

“All right, then,” Akemi spoke, still a bit hesitant as she turned to her daughter. “Kagome, run in and grab my bow, will you? It’ll be easier if we both have one.”

“Sure,” she replied, and handed her own bow to her mother as she started toward the door, passing InuYasha in the process and catching his eye once more before disappearing behind the curtain. It took her less than half a minute to return carrying a slightly longer bow, two quivers full of arrows slung over her shoulder.

Sesshoumaru had seated himself at a bench to the side of the hut and was waiting patiently, eyes closed seemingly in thought as Akemi rushed to take her quiver and exchange bows with Kagome. Once the woman had turned with a dismissive “Let’s go, Kagome,” InuYasha cleared his throat rather unceremoniously, causing her to turn.

With a quick glance at Sesshoumaru, she ran the short distance back to him and smiled. “Good morning,” she said, and placed her free hand on his arm, “and I’ll see you later.” He blushed slightly, and smiled. She smiled in return, and with that, she turned to catch up to her mother, leaving him alone with his brother.

For a long while, they both wallowed in the uncomfortable silence that they created simply by being in each other’s presence. Sesshoumaru was comfortable sitting in the spot he’d chosen on a whim, and InuYasha simply stood, staring at the pile of firewood. Honestly, he would have preferred chopping wood to have been the highlight of his day. No matter how much of a chore it was, or how boring it could be, it was certainly better than sitting in silence with a brother he hadn’t seen in months.

“So, I take it you aren’t chopping wood for those two mikos simply out of kindness,” Sesshoumaru finally said, and InuYasha’s temper immediately began to rise. “You have quite the bad habit of getting involved with dangerous women,” he said a bit more quietly, almost to himself.

“I don’t see how that’s any of your business,” he spat out, “and I’m pretty sure you didn’t show up here to question me about my social life. Why don’t you tell me what the hell you want before I seriously get angry?”

Sesshoumaru leaned back against the house with a calm sigh. “I see,” he began, more to himself, “so, it is like that...”

“What are you mumbling about?” InuYasha questioned in a low tone.

“I believe I understand your... situation,” he explained slowly, raising his gold eyes to meet those of his brothers. “You and that miko girl are lovers, correct?”

Something about that question had rubbed him the wrong way. The way his brother had spoken, it had almost sounded like an accusation. “Wha– of course not! It’s not like that,” he sputtered, a blush rising to his cheeks, “she’s still just 15, you know. And she’s a miko!”

“Hm,” Sesshoumaru turned his gaze in the direction the girl in question had gone, “and a powerful one, at that. Her spiritual aura is incredible.”

“Exactly,” he replied, fisting his hands at his sides as he struggled to maintain a level of composure, “Do you think she would have power like that if she let herself have that sort of relationship with someone? Let alone a half-demon.” It took him a moment to realize his own words, and he winced inwardly.

“True enough,” he agreed coldly, and InuYasha felt a twinge of hurt. “But you can’t deny that you have feelings for the girl.”

There came no reply. InuYasha stood there quietly for a moment, fisting and unfisting his hands as he contemplated an answer. It was none of his brother’s business, he decided, clenching his teeth as he fought to keep his eyes to the ground. He couldn’t decide why he was having such a hard time keeping a sense of calm. Perhaps he was afraid of his own feelings. Perhaps his brother intimidated him. He didn’t know. “Why do you even care?” he asked, finally locking eyes with Sesshoumaru once again. “You know, I already told you,” he paused to swallow, “It’s none of your damn business.”

InuYasha watched his brother as he continued to sit without a reply, staring off into the distance silently. “All right, then,” Sesshoumaru conceded. “However, I think with time you will come to realize just how wrong you are.” InuYasha shifted nervously as he watched his brother stand and take two short steps toward him. “I came to you here out of concern,” he admitted, effectively changing the subject.

“Bullshit,” InuYasha shot back, almost laughing and earning himself a stern glare from the youkai.

“Think what you will,” he replied calmly, “but know that you cannot hide in this little village forever.” He paused and took another step forward, placing himself directly in front of his younger brother. “Or do you intend to protect her, this girl that you seem to love?”

InuYasha started at this, and despite the red that tinted his cheeks, he nodded.

“Then do it with honor,” he spoke slowly. They went silent and InuYasha watched as his brother reached down to pull a sheathed sword from his obi. “This is yours,” he said, and held it horizontally in front of him. “Father’s sword, the Tetsusaiga.”

He could only stare as Sesshoumaru held the object before him. After a moment, he reached out a hesitant hand and took hold of the sleek, black sheath. An energy seemed to seep forth and he tightened his grip. The sword suddenly pulsated, and Sesshoumaru released his hold. The full weight of it fell into InuYasha’s hand and he was surprised at how heavy it was. Without a word, he slipped the sheath through his obi and drew the sword, holding it vertically before him as he examined the sharp blade.

“What you hold in your hands is your birthright,” Sesshoumaru explained, “the legacy which Father passed down to you, just as he passed Tenseiga down to me.” He gestured to the sword still at his hip and InuYasha acknowledged this with a nod. “With it, you can protect that which is important to you.”

InuYasha examined the flawless blade thoroughly, liking the feel of the hilt in his hand. With one swift motion, the blade was safely sheathed and InuYasha turned to his brother. “Is this the only reason you came? To give me this?” he asked.

Sesshoumaru shook his head. “I told you,” he began calmly, “You cannot stay here in this secluded little village forever. More important, if you care for that miko girl, you shouldn’t keep her in the dark about certain issues. You know what I speak of.”

“Yeah,” he breathed, feeling an all too familiar ache rising in his chest, “I do.”

“Eventually, that girl will be faced with something she is not prepared for,” Sesshoumaru continued, “She will be hated, condemned to the life of a martyr.” He paused to study the seriousness of his younger brother’s expression as he stood there, eyes downcast. “She will be one of many,” he finished, his voice low.

InuYasha was aware of all this. In his life, he had seen things that he never would have expected he would see. He was well aware of their impending fate. He knew, because he had been there so long ago, when the flame had been lit, and the final thread had been cut. Forty-some years and the hatred was just now starting to escalate into something he never could have imagined.

“Tell me,” he began again as he leaned forward, his eyes level with and just inches away from his brother’s, “Do you intend to protect her with your very life?”

InuYasha finally lifted his head, his fiery eyes boring into those of his brothers, speaking volumes. For a moment, all they did was stare, a tenseness in the air as Sesshoumaru struggled to comprehend the vast amount of emotions that were playing across his brother’s face. Finally, his eyes fell back to the ground as he replied quietly. “Her name is Kagome,” he said, shoulders tense, “and she is my life.”

“Then that sword is in the right hands,” Sesshoumaru finished, feeling something akin to pride at the hanyou’s devotion. Though he would never speak it, as he stood there before his younger brother, he saw a great deal of himself.


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The sun made its slow decent as he sat there, atop his favorite hill, content to watch the sky melt into darkness as the little village below him lit up. A cricket chirped in the distance and he fisted his hands in the grass. Hopefully, he thought, his brother had left by now. It had taken every ounce of his strength to stay calm throughout the day, and he wasn’t quite sure if he could stand being in his presence much longer.

He wrapped a hand around the hilt of his sword, which rested comfortably against his chest. It was something he would have to get used to. He hadn’t expected the new weight to be a burden, but as he had gone about his business that day, he found his mind constantly wandering to the weapon at his side. Worse yet, it seemed that the sword itself was trying to get used to him, as well. The occasional pulsations, as well as the constant flow of energy were enough proof of that.

The sky grew darker and he glanced down at the little village. It was a tiny place, inhabited by good people. The village itself was sequestered in the center of a very large forest. Everyone was so blissfully unaware of the dangers that would soon befall them, and for a moment, he felt guilty. Aside from him, none of the people living there had ever been outside that little village. What his brother said had been true. He knew he couldn’t hide there forever, but then again, he wasn’t really hiding. He hadn’t really anything to hide from, but rather, he was protecting that little place which he had come to call his home.

His brother’s solemn words came back to him, and he grimaced. He knew he would have to tell her, and he would, when he was able to steel himself against her emotions. Of course, he was kidding himself if he thought he could ever stand by and watch her suffer. He wanted to be there for her, but was he already in too deep?

Shaking his head, he tried to clear his mind of the thoughts which plagued him. At one point, he had considered leaving and never coming back, and he hated himself for it. He couldn’t leave; he would only be hurting himself.

His ear twitched as he heard movement behind him, but he didn’t move. He knew who it was, so he simply waited. She usually came to find him at night. It was customary for them to enjoy each other’s company after dark, so as to avoid the eyes of the gossiping women of the village. Or perhaps it was their fondness of the night air. They didn’t know, but it didn’t matter.

“InuYasha,” came a soft voice, and he finally turned his head to see her approaching form, the stark white of her yukata standing out in the darkness.

“Kagome,” he said, and smiled just slightly. She walked casually toward him, a full bowl of rice in one hand and a pair of chopsticks in the other.

“Hey,” she greeted, her mouth widening in a grin as she extended the bowl, “You barely ate anything at dinner, so here.”

“Huh,” he replied gruffly, furrowing his brow, “You shouldn’t have wasted the effort. I’m not hungry.”

There came no reply as she sat at his side, setting the bowl in the grass in front of him. Her hair, tied back in a thick braid, fell over her shoulder as she leaned forward. “You’re such a bad liar, you know that?” she laughed, and he closed his eyes.

Yes, he knew it, and with a grunt, he pulled the chopsticks from her hand and lifted the bowl to his mouth.

She smiled, wrapping her arms around her legs as she turned her attention to the sky. “You’ve been sitting up here for hours,” she said quietly, “how come?”

“No real reason,” he replied through a mouth full of rice, “Just mulling a few things over.”

She was silent for a moment as she turned to him. “Did... your brother say something to you?”

He paused, and lowered the bowl to look at her, his gold eyes glowing intensely. “Why would you ask that?” he asked, his voice low.

Kagome shook her head. “I dunno. Just...” she blinked, “...a feeling...”

He hesitated, his grip tightening on the chopsticks. “He’s gone, right?” he asked, “I mean, he gave me the sword, he has no other reason to be here.”

She nodded as he turned to her. “Yeah,” she replied, glancing at said sword, which rested against his shoulder,“He left a while ago without really saying anything.” She shook her head, “He kept giving me strange looks all day, and he never once used my name... just kept calling me ‘miko’. I mean, he seemed like such a–” She turned to him and paused. He sat there silently, staring thoughtfully down at his half-eaten bowl of rice. “Uh– no, sorry!” she stammered, waving a hand in front of her, “I didn’t mean anything bad by it, I just–”

“No, don’t worry about it,” he muttered. “Say what you want about him. I really don’t care,” he finished, his voice laced with contempt. With that, he continued eating his rice. She stared at him a moment, unsure what to say. A moment later, he set the empty bowl aside and turned to her, almost expectantly.

“Why do you hate him so much?” she asked quietly, hesitantly.

For a short while, he was silent, and then, without much emotion, he answered quietly, “I don’t hate him.” His words had sounded forced, however, leaving her unsure. There was a short silence, and he glanced over at her, only to see the disbelief in her eyes. “I mean, he’s my brother,” he paused, reconsidering, “half-brother, anyway, and he’s never really done anything that would give me reason to hate him.”

“And he gave you your father’s sword, after all,” she added, smiling.

He sighed, “Still, I dunno why he waited until now to give it to me.” Shaking his head, he lifted a hand to the worn, old hilt.

After a long silence, he looked up at her. To his disdain, she was staring at him with the same doe-eyed, childlike expression that she always used when she wanted something. “InuYasha,” she started sweetly, pausing to bite her lip. “Can I see it?” she asked quickly.

He sighed, slouching, “Kagome–”

“Aw, please?” she tilted her head, “All that fuss with your brother showing up and I have yet to see this amazing sword which he so graciously bestowed upon you.”

InuYasha let out a muffled snort, “‘Graciously bestowed?’ I don’t think so. And don’t talk like that, it doesn’t suit you.”

“Don’t change the subject,” she retorted, frowning, “Come on.”

He let out a deep sigh and sat for a moment, contemplating his options and finding nothing. Finally, with another sigh, he let the sword drop from his shoulder and into his hand, extending the hilt toward her. She obviously hadn’t expected him to hand it to her in such a way, and with a hesitant hand, she reached for it, halted by his voice.

“Be careful,” he warned, “I’m not sure what’ll happen if you touch it.” She glanced up at him, and the grin that spread across his face only brought her to frown.

“You’re messing with me,” she accused, still not entirely sure as her hand hovered just above the tattered hilt.

His expression grew serious and he replied, “Not at all. I don’t think it’ll reject you, though.”

“Whaddo you mean ‘reject’?” she questioned, but he had pressed the hilt into her hand. She let out a startled gasp as a vast amount of demonic energy passed through her hand, a tingling sensation settling at her fingertips. It wasn’t visible, but the energy was there, as well as the steady pulsation that echoed through her body. She sat there for a moment, eyes wide as she held tightly to the hilt. “Woah...” she breathed, and he chuckled. “That really is... amazing.”

“You haven’t even unsheathed it yet,” he pointed out, and she pulled back, crossing her arms.

“Never mind,” she gritted out, and turned to stare at her hand, “I think I get the idea.” Her expression softened as she locked her elbows, resting them on her knees as she laced her fingers together. “Hey, InuYasha...” she started softly, her gaze resting on a single, bright star in the night sky. “You never answered me. Whether Sesshoumaru said something to you...” she trailed off.

He hadn’t wanted to talk to her about it yet. He didn’t think that he, or she, was prepared, but at that moment, he felt that he had no choice. As he sat there watching her, she already looked sad, her face aglow with nothing but starlight as she gazed idly at the night sky. It was a beautiful kind of sadness, and before he knew what he was doing, he had reached a clawed hand to her shoulder. She turned to him with a start, and he ran his hand down the length of her arm, stopping at her hand, but not taking it into his.

She was staring at him, and the tender expression that was playing about his face. When he met her eyes again, he opened his heart to her. His hand trailed back up her arm to cup her cheek, and slowly, he leaned forward. With a tenderness even he hadn’t expected, he pressed his lips to hers in a chaste kiss. It had been brief, and new, but as he pulled away, she felt her heart flutter.

“Sorry,” he muttered, carefully avoiding her wide-eyed gaze. “Yeah, so uh...” he stuttered, then glanced over at her. She was still staring at him, shock evident on her face as she waited for him to speak. “We need to...” he tried, but reconsidered his words, “I need to...” he paused, again unsure. “There are... some things I need to tell you...” he said, finally meeting her eyes.

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“Kagome,” his words were muffled, and she struggled to pull away from his embrace enough to hear, “Kagome, there are... some things I need to tell you.” His voice was strained and rough, and something about his words didn’t bode well. There, as she stood in his arms, she could feel him shaking just slightly. Something about his aura, and the feelings that he was emitting, seemed strangely familiar, and she couldn’t suppress the odd sense of deja vu that passed over her.

“InuYasha,” she murmured, finally succeeding in pulling free from his grasp. Pressing a hand to his chest, she held him at arms length as she struggled to read his eyes. His hands fisted at his sides, and for a moment, all they did was stare at one another. The tears that had stained his face moments ago were gone, and she wondered if they had ever really existed.

Finally, he lowered his head, and with a quivering sigh, muttered a faint apology.

“What?” she replied, dropping her hand and stepping toward him, “What is it, InuYasha?” She was a bit on edge, wishing only that he would explain what he wanted to explain instead of beating around the bush as he was often prone to doing. She wanted to move forward, and talk to him about simple things again. She wanted him to tell her what his brother had told him, and she wanted to tell him about Rin’s unusually strong aura. Instead, however, she simply stood and waited for him to speak.

Clenching his jaw, he gently took her hand, holding it tenderly with both of his. “I’m sorry–” he began, flinching as she cut him off.

“Please, stop apologizing,” she requested, a forcefulness to her voice.

“Oh, uh...” he stammered, glancing down at her hand with wide, apologetic eyes, “...sorry.”

Kagome shook her head, a bit put out. Sighing, she placed her free hand atop his and leaned forward, catching his downcast expression. “Talk to me...” she started softly, and he met her eyes. “Whaddo you need to tell me?”

His mouth opened, then closed, and he was not quite sure what to say. He knew she could sense it: the overwhelming fear and anxiety that he was having trouble wording. He knew she could see just how forlorn he really was through his eyes, which quickly fell to the rotted old planks of the porch.

“Did Sesshoumaru say something to you?” she ventured, and she didn’t miss his quiet, shuddering intake of breath.

He opened his mouth, wanting to say something, anything, if only a faint ‘yes’, but he stopped himself short, snapping his mouth shut. His ear twitched and he lifted his head. Raising an eyebrow, Kagome turned in time to see the aforementioned man step through the doorway.

Sesshoumaru took a step forward, and their hands fell apart. “Yes,” the stoic man said, answering her previous question, and Kagome frowned. “I was not listening,” he confirmed, noticing her expression, “I merely heard the last of it.” Turning to InuYasha, he hardened his eyes and continued. “Tell her later,” he ordered, “We don’t have the time for it now.” With that, he turned and stepped back into the hut.

A short silence followed before InuYasha turned to her and muttered quietly, “I... guess I’ll tell you later.” She looked disappointed, but it couldn’t be helped. He took her hand, and they followed, stepping out of the warm sunlight and into the cool dimness of the hut.

Sesshoumaru, they found, had already placed himself on the floor and was sitting patiently with a teacup in one hand and a pair of chopsticks in the other. InuYasha was frustrated to admit that the youkai lord looked rather out of place sitting in such a shabby little hut. The fire was nearly deadened by the teapot that hung just above it. Rin sat silently at his side as she spooned white rice, which had been cooked at some point, into a bowl before handing it to him.

“Kagome-sama,” Rin chimed, and stood to approach her, “You need to eat.” The girl paused, remembering InuYasha, and looked him over for a moment before looking up at him and adding, “So do you.”

InuYasha made a noise, and turned his head, not quite acknowledging her concern for his health. He nodded slightly, however, and moved to take a spot on the floor opposite his brother. Kagome followed suite, sitting beside him, and gratefully accepted the bowl that was handed to her.

InuYasha, at that moment, was feeling less than congenial. He was grateful for the food, this was true, but he would much rather have been talking than eating. Once Sesshoumaru himself had finished, however, he set his chopsticks across his bowl with a click and cleared his throat, drawing the attention of everyone around him, whether they were finished or not.

“InuYasha,” he began, “You and your miko are to move forward, do you understand?”

InuYasha shook his head, his eyebrows knitting together in confusion. His reference to Kagome had angered him somewhat, but he let it slide given the situation. “No, not really,” he replied.

Sesshoumaru let out a breath, having expected as much. “You are to travel North, to the Tadashii domain.”

“The Tadashii domain?” Kagome repeated, confused.

“Since when are we traveling?” InuYasha questioned, “And on top of that, where the hell is the Tadashii domain, and why would we go there? I thought, if anything, we’d head away from that direction.”

Sesshoumaru was silent for a moment as he lifted his teacup to his lips. “Look at her face,” he said slowly, gesturing to Kagome, “and tell me that you aren’t reminded of someone else. She is shockingly similar to–”

“I’m not!” InuYasha shouted, replying immediately and surprising his brother only slightly. He turned to face her, and he saw not only confusion tainting her features, but also sadness. “Kagome is Kagome,” he said, a hint of desperation in his voice, “I see nothing else.”

Despite the questions piling up in her mind, Kagome smiled, touched. The details of the events of fifty years ago still remained a mystery to her. InuYasha had told her the vaguest of stories, which did its best to justify the hatred that now tainted their country. In Kagome’s eyes, however, there was no good reason to kill based on spiritual status. There was no good reason to kill at all.

“Very good,” Sesshoumaru replied, not in the least bit swayed by his brother’s display of emotion. “Yet you cannot deny the inevitable. I’m sure you are well aware of the power she possesses.” Sesshoumaru stopped to match his brother’s golden stare, and for a time, they sat there silently, boring into one another as though they could read each other’s thoughts.

Kagome, at this point, was more irritated than anything else. The fact that they were speaking as thought she weren’t sitting right there was what bothered her the most, and she would have spoken had Sesshoumaru not continued so seriously.

“Moving on,” he began, “You will travel North until you reach Tadashii, and then you will wait for me.” He paused and shook his head, “Assuming I haven’t met up with you by then, of course.”

“Wait,” Kagome spoke, a bit nervous, “You’re not coming with us?”

“I am returning West, if only to survey the lands,” he replied, “You don’t need me with you; you’ll travel perfectly well on your own.”

“And if we run into trouble?” InuYasha questioned irately, fisting his hands on his knees, “You mentioned the Tadashii Doumei before, what about them?”

“If you should run into someone threatening, though I should hope that would not be the case,” Sesshoumaru began, and InuYasha dropped his shoulders, well aware that his brother had insulted him in a very indirect way. “Just casually mention that you are the son of the former and brother to the current Western Lord.” A wicked grin tugged at his lips as he continued, “Any man in his right mind would apologize for troubling you before running for his life.” Pausing, he drank down the rest of his tea. “And the Tadashii Doumei,” he mused as Rin pulled the empty cup from his hand, “You’ll easily recognize an official if you see one. Their uniforms are... unique. In any case, do your best to avoid them.”

“All right, fine,” InuYasha breathed, then nodded to the woman beside him, “what about Kagome?”

Sesshoumaru looked at his brother as though the answer were obvious, and nodded. “She is your wife,” he stated simply.

“What!?” two voices echoed, and InuYasha and Kagome turned to one another, only to look away quickly, a blush staining both their cheeks.

“Mikos are not wives,” he said slowly, narrowing his eyes. This statement, unfortunately, was quite true, and Kagome winced. “A wealthy young lord and his lovely wife. Under this guise, you both should be able to travel North with little trouble.”

“Do I look like a ‘wealthy lord’ to you?” InuYasha questioned, pointing at himself with a thumb.

Sesshoumaru shot him an exasperated glare. “Must you continue to question me?” He shook his head, frowning, “Kagome is not the only one I came prepared for. Your face is fine. All you need is the proper attire and a more suitable disposition.”

The three went silent as InuYasha and Kagome exchanged glances. Rin, he realized, had stood and was again rummaging through one of the boxes they had arrived with, no doubt in search of said ‘proper attire’ as Sesshoumaru continued.

“InuYasha,” he sighed, and he was slightly surprised at the softness of his brother’s voice. “This country– no– this world...,” a pause, “...this world is a terrible place in which humankind is selfish and fearful. It is human nature for situations like this to occur.” He paused again, catching and holding his younger brother’s eye with a burning fierceness that sent a shiver down his spine. “It is for this reason,” he continued, “that people like us exist.” He shook his head, then turned to Kagome, “...people like her.”

She drew in a shuddering breath, a bit overwhelmed by the intensity of his gaze, as well as the implications that his words provided.

Her thoughts were cut short, however, when the stoic lord suddenly stood. “We are leaving,” he stated as he turned to Rin, who stepped over to him, her arms filled with darkly-colored fabrics. The girl nodded, then stepped forward to set the neatly folded pile of clothing in front of InuYasha. Atop the pile was his red, fire-rat haori, which Kagome had been wearing earlier. “Keep that,” Sesshoumaru said, and InuYasha’s eyes shot up to meet his, “Don’t wear it. It may be suitable for you, but not for a demon lord.”

“Dammit...” InuYasha muttered to himself as he looked back at the pile. He felt a bit insulted, but said nothing as he stood to face his brother.

“All of that is yours,” he continued, gesturing to the supplies which Rin had begun to pack away once more, “Anything and everything you would need for travel is right there.” Stepping around the deadened fire pit, he stood before his younger brother, his face unreadable. “All you have to do is head North. You’ll know Tadashii once you reach it. If you travel at a decent pace, it should take you no more than two weeks by foot.”

“Two weeks...” he sighed in reply.

“I’ll find you as soon as I am able,” he stated, though it was only a small comfort.

Sesshoumaru stepped forward then, catching InuYasha off guard as he placed a hand on his shoulder. His brother’s razor-sharp claws grazed the back of his neck, and he flinched, locking eyes with him in a golden gaze that sent a small pinprick through his heart. If he hadn’t known better, he would have sworn that his cold older brother was sad. The youkai leaned forward, soft breath brushing his cheek as he strained to hear Sesshoumaru’s quiet words.

“We will meet again.”

InuYasha exhaled slowly, struggling to keep his breath from quivering. Sesshoumaru stepped back, and InuYasha nodded. Glancing down to Kagome, the pain was evident on her face. She had watched the exchange between the two brothers silently, and after a moment had passed, she stood, standing at InuYasha’s side.

“A–ahm...” she was hesitant to speak, but as he turned to her, she drew in a breath and resolved herself to speak. “I just– thank you. I mean, really,” she paused, and steeled herself, “Thank you.” With that, she bowed deeply to him.

“Yeah,” InuYasha said, and she felt a bit relieved as he bowed his head, as well. “Thank you.”