InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Reflected Past ❯ Revelations ( Chapter 6 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

Chapter 6 - Revelations



The loss of her brother threw Midoriko's already rather chaotic existence into even more of a tailspin. Her immediate response had been to return to the village that had been the site of his death, quickly disposing of the remaining youkai in the area with the cold, purposeful precision of a hunter. The clearing of the youkai population was met with resounding enthusiasm and gratitude by the local humans, who regarded Midoriko with open adoration. The same could not be said for the stronger demons in the area, who watched Midoriko's actions with growing restlessness and resentment. Thus far they had not deigned to lower their attention to a weak human girl and her magical sword, but when she turned from defender to purposeful exterminator, they began to take note.

With his father and Myouga situated at the southwestern border for what looked to be a long, drawn-out conflict with the tiger youkai, Sesshoumaru was left to prowl the lands closer to home, watchful and waiting for the inevitable trouble-making that always began during the western lord's absences. It was at this time that he first heard of Midoriko's vengeful rampage in that northern town, shrill complaints reaching his ears about her methodical hunt. He had not been pleased, but had not tried to stop her. He supposed that if Inutaisho had been around, the youkai lord would have gone north to retrieve her, likely taking back the sword in the process, since she had disobeyed his explicit orders to defend, not to hunt. Unarguably, Midoriko had exceeded defense.

To Sesshoumaru's relief, however, her exploits in the north ended almost as quickly as they began, due mostly to the fact that there was simply nothing left around that village to purify. All of the youkai that had made their homes in the forests surrounding the village had been either decimated by her or had retreated to avoid such a fate.

The mutterings and veiled threats against her were quick to reach Sesshoumaru's ears and he found himself unwillingly placed in an unprecedented predicament: his loyalties were being questioned, he could sense it, even if no one was brave enough to say it in his presence. The youkai around him wondered as to what his response would be if they attempted to destroy the girl. Would he look the other way? Or would he defend her? What was most infuriating to Sesshoumaru was that he knew what his instinct would be, and it bothered him.

As he was walking through the snowy woods that skirted the far edges of her village, Sesshoumaru found himself quietly considering the situation. He supposed he had given the girl too much leeway. For her own good he would have to go put some fear into her; she was becoming too confident with that weapon, and with every offensive action she took, the youkai around her viewed her as more of a threat. But Sesshoumaru knew he could not take back her sword; that would be the same as throwing her into a den of ravenous lions. No doubt there were youkai out there who were waiting for him to take just such an action, and they would waste no time in killing her. Not for the first time, Sesshoumaru cursed his father and his interference in the lives of humans.

As he walked, mulling over his thoughts, Sesshoumaru continued to take note of that lingering presence and found himself absently wondering why Rouyakan was trying to be very quiet as he approached his position. He could soundly guess that it was not because of an intention to attack. The forest guardian was rather cowardly, a big oafish youkai who kept the lesser demons in line, but also one who seemed unable to do much in the presence of the dog youkai except stutter and stick his face in the dirt. Sesshoumaru listened to Rouyakan's pathetic attempts at masking his presence, but his heavy breathing alone would have been enough to wake him out of sleep. Guessing that his visitor was gathering his courage, Sesshoumaru decided to put him out of his misery.

"What do you want, Rouyakan?" Sesshoumaru inquired, turning to face the white-frosted clump of trees and overgrowth that shadowed the being's large form from sight. There was a slight rustle of leaves, and then the youkai stumbled out from his hiding place, practically tripping over himself to bow before Sesshoumaru.

"Sesshoumaru-dono, forgive my intrusion. I am certain you are far too busy to speak with this Rouyakan ---"

"Nevertheless," Sesshoumaru broke in wearily, "you're here. Say it so that I can be on my way."

Rouyakan picked his head up from the ground, his enormous eyes practically overtaking his already overlarge head. He is ridiculous, Sesshoumaru decided. Why Inutaisho had put someone so unsuitable in charge of the forests was beyond Sesshoumaru's ability to comprehend. But then, his father had an eccentric tendency for collecting "pets", whether they be human or youkai, and Rouyakan fell securely into that category. Sesshoumaru could not understand the reasoning behind purposefully surrounding one's self with lesser beings, but no longer bothered to confront his father on the subject.

"Sesshoumaru-dono," Rouyakan began formally, "please know that I would never question your decisions or those of your great and noble father. It is not for me to judge the actions of the venerable Inutaisho-sama, however there are those in my forests who are...concerned about certain matters ---"

"Rouyakan, you have one more breath to expel any information you intend to give me," Sesshoumaru warned in an attempt to head off the beast's ceaseless prattling.

Looking pained, Rouyakan said in a great rush, "There is concern over the human girl, the demon exterminator. The youkai in my forests are growing...agitated. You've...heard of her actions in the north?"

"Yes," Sesshoumaru answered, looking displeased as he eyed the massive creature.

"She has caused many problems for us, Sesshoumaru-dono. Several of the youkai that were forced to flee from the north have settled in my forests. There have been many battles over territory and..."

"It is your job to settle those. Do what my father instructed you to do," Sesshoumaru replied irritably. He was growing weary of the whining and moaning from the demon population around him. Diplomacy was something better handled by Inutaisho, who was excessively patient, almost to a fault in Sesshoumaru's estimation. Sesshoumaru was practically desperate to trade places with his father. He had built up a lot of frustration in the past several months; there was no doubt he would be able to dispose of the tiger youkai matter in an afternoon if his father would quit attempting to coddle him by forcing him to stay close to home.

"But, Sesshoumaru-dono, it has gone beyond that. There is much talk of retaliating against the girl. It is out of deference to you that they have not struck against her yet, but it is only a matter of time until they do. You must understand that the tales told by the northern youkai have increased fear of her. There are many that wish to destroy her before she gains even greater strength."

Eyes shutting in exasperation, Sesshoumaru found that he was having to restrain himself from throttling the idiot youkai. "Have you seen this girl of whom you speak, Rouyakan?" he asked in an even tone, opening his eyes to find the tiresome beast gaping back at him.

The forest guardian blinked his huge eyes, then admitted, "No, Sesshoumaru-dono. But I have heard stories that chill the blood in my veins."

Sesshoumaru held a hand up to the middle of his chest and fixed Rouyakan with a cold stare. "She's about this tall, she usually wears a purple, flowery kimono, she has a ridiculous sense of humor, and she likes children and animals. If your fear of her is so great, pick her some flowers and go make friends," he suggested, each word dripping with open disdain. He turned and walked away from Rouyakan, his feet sinking slightly in the snow, but his visitor hurried after him.

"But, Sesshoumaru-dono..."

"The fright that you speak of in relation to the human girl is demeaning coming from a youkai. Gather the shreds of dignity that remain to you and tell your forest dwellers to do the same. Order them to leave the village alone. That will solve the matter without further complicating things. My father is rather fond of the girl and if I were you, I would not draw his return by acting out against her." Sesshoumaru's tone became more menacing then as he added, "He becomes rather perturbed when his attention is diverted from important matters because of childish squabbles."

"Of...of course, Sesshoumaru-dono," Rouyakan agreed immediately, bowing once more. "I will do as you say."

"Good. And Rouyakan?"

"Yes, my lord?"

"Go away."


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Sesshoum aru was not the only one to pick up on the growing tension between the youkai and Midoriko. From his monastery-like home, Ashrem, too, listened and gleaned information from those around him, human and youkai alike. He had always been one to listen, to keep his own thoughts within his mind instead of expelling them everywhere like a fool. And it was with great satisfaction that he welcomed the news of Midoriko's deteriorating protection. He knew that it was the prominent involvement of the dog lord that was still keeping most of the stronger youkai at bay; Inutaisho's name was respected, but not even he would be able to prevent the demons from taking what they would believe to be protective measures against the girl.

Despite his friendly "alliance" with Inutaisho, Ashrem was anxious for the entire situation to reach its boiling point. Never in his life had he witnessed so perfect an opportunity for the extinction of youkai, those abominations born with abilities that gave them a god-like sense of superiority. They viewed humans as insects, beings that should be crushed. He knew this from experience.

Ashrem was amused over the fact that a demon, one of the greatest youkai living, had created the means to his own destruction, and that of his race. The fact that he and his son had befriended young Midoriko made it all the more to Ashrem's advantage, for now he would be able to manipulate a weapon that would actually be of use, unlike the pathetic tiger youkai. Tora, the tigers' leader, had been quick to enter an alliance when Ashrem had approached him, but that had disintegrated rapidly when Ashrem had ordered the tiger demons to test Midoriko's strength. Tora had been enraged, believing that Ashrem had sent his people to their deaths, but Ashrem had convinced him, and truthfully so, that it had simply been a matter of control. Never had he attempted to manipulate so large a group before, and it had been an unmitigated disaster. They were formidable opponents, those tiger youkai, but under Ashrem's control, they had lost the ability to follow their own will and Ashrem had learned that controlling an army was difficult, if not impossible, particularly if he meant to destroy as powerful an opponent as Inutaisho. And that, of course, would have to be done if he was to see to the extermination of the rest of the youkai in the western lands.

Now, though, Ashrem had been gifted with a perfect weapon, a single girl with strange abilities that likely rivaled his own, who wielded a weapon that sucked the soul right out of a demon's body and sent it into oblivion, destroyed the very aura that granted them their powers. Through manipulation of Midoriko, he could maintain his distance and safety, while sending the girl out to do his bidding. If she was destroyed in the process, then so be it, but it would be wise to send her on the offensive now that she had riled up the youkai population against her. Ashrem had doubts as to whether she was strong enough to kill Inutaisho, or even his son, but if he waited too much longer, the interfering dog demon was likely to demand the sword's return. Ashrem had to act before that could happen.

And so...he planned.





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She really did make a desperate attempt to resume her life once she returned to her village. Midoriko continued her treks into the village nearly every day, keeping up with the villagers, visiting Lia, gratefully watching as Lia's mother's health gradually began to improve. At night, Midoriko would return to the home she had once shared with all of her family, but now that only she remained, it seemed unbearably empty. Maintaining the familiar schedule she had kept during the week of Shijin's absence had been comforting because it allowed her the illusion that he simply had not returned yet. The contact with her brother's widow and mother-in-law also helped ease some of the loneliness, but performing as simple a task as bringing in some of the firewood that Shijin had felled for her before his death brought on thoughts and memories that were still difficult enough that she preferred to keep them shoved aside.

Kirara was a comfort, but Midoriko, anxious to avoid more deaths, had taken to asking the cat to assist the exterminators with their missions. She had confined herself to her own home when she was not visiting Lia or one of the other villagers, though it was difficult to keep herself from running off to make short work of an attacking youkai. Midoriko knew that she had overstepped her bounds with her actions in the north, and was probably becoming more of a target for the local youkai, who were certain to be hard-pressed to allow a human to remain unscathed after such a blatant offensive. Midoriko knew she had disobeyed Inutaisho-sama by destroying all of those youkai, but she had been so angry, so distressed at not being able to do anything about the situation that she had reacted rashly and probably put the youkai lord in a compromising position.

Midoriko expected to turn around at any moment and find Sesshoumaru there to demand the return of the sword, and so she had decided to lie low and stay away from any youkai battles until the frenzy died down. The sword lay as it had for weeks, sheathed and untouched in her bedroom. Midoriko often found herself fighting the urge to grab it and run off to aid the exterminators, but the image of a disapproving Inutaisho-sama and an annoyed Sesshoumaru held her back.

Thoughts of the younger demon served only to reinforce her loneliness. She had not seen him since the night of Shijin's death, but wondered if perhaps his absence had spoken loud and clear. He had not stopped her from exterminating all those youkai. He had done nothing, despite many previous warnings about reclaiming the sword if she stepped out of line. It made Midoriko wonder if perhaps he approved of her retaliation and, considering his own tendency toward hostility, Midoriko was not sure whether to be reassured or appalled by that.

The urge to go find him had been the hardest of all to repress. She could no longer deny her attachment to Sesshoumaru, which had only grown with Shijin gone. Midoriko found herself thinking about him more and more. The lack of his presence now caused a physical ache, which Midoriko tried to simply explain as a desire for some sort of familiarity with the life she had had when Shijin had been alive. But, when she was honest with herself, she felt certain that it was more accurate to say that when Shijin had been alive, there had been more to distract Midoriko from her growing feelings. Now, alone and with little to occupy her time except grief, all Midoriko could do was shake her head in amazement at how strange her life had become: a human girl in sudden possession of strange abilities, given the power to kill youkai by a youkai, transformed into a demon slayer only to fall in love with a demon. It was completely insane.

And it was circular thoughts like these that made her suddenly eye her sword with a sense of desperation, practically praying for a demon to come barging through her front door just so she would have something to do.

During one particularly unbearable evening, Midoriko was forced to restrain herself from repetitiously pacing the length of her home, unable to do so outside because of the cold winds and the pristine snow that blanketed the ground. With Kirara off helping the exterminators and unlikely to return until morning, Midoriko found herself roaming aimlessly, straightening things, making tea that she promptly forgot to drink, poking at the fire with a stick. So concentrated was she on her boredom that she nearly jumped out of her skin when a knock sounded at the door.

Surprising herself at the speed with which she rushed to pull the door open, Midoriko realized that she had been half expecting to find Sesshoumaru on the other side. Instead, Ashrem stood at the threshold, his robes covered in a thin layer of ice that he brushed off as she opened the door wider to usher him in.

"Ashrem, you shouldn't have traveled in this weather. It looks as though it will only get worse," she fretted, casting a pensive glance out at the thick gray cloud-cover. It was definitely going to be a frigid night and Midoriko suddenly regretted sending Kirara off to help the demon exterminators. The fire that flickered cheerfully behind her gave off more heat than the cat's furred body, but it was decidedly less cuddly.

"Don't worry about me. You would be surprised at how strong my constitution is. I'll make it back home safely," Ashrem responded to her concern, smiling politely, but then his expression turned serious. "I came because I heard of your brother's death. I wanted to offer my help. If there is anything that you need..."

"No, there's nothing," Midoriko answered quickly. She thought how odd it was that even now, weeks later, her mind still registered a moment of shock whenever someone would mention Shijin's death. It was quite difficult for her to grasp the idea of never seeing him again. There had been a similar adjustment after the death of her parents, but, somehow, Shijin's demise had hit her harder. Perhaps because it had been so unexpected? There had been no goodbyes...

She then realized that she had gone very quiet, lost in her own mental ramblings, and looked up to see Ashrem watching her intently. "Forgive me," she apologized, "I've been very...distracted lately."

"Understandable," he nodded, following her lead as she knelt on the floor next to the fire, rubbing her hands briefly to fend off the chill his entrance had let into the small house. Mind scrambling to recall her manners, Midoriko reached for a pot and set about making tea for her visitor, who loomed quietly behind her.

Ashrem watched the swift movements of her hands, finally breaking the silence that had fallen between them. "I came as soon as I heard of his death. News travels very slowly, it seems. I happened to travel through the village where it occurred and heard the story, as well as of your rather impressive extermination of the youkai residing near the village. The people were very relieved and grateful to you."

Midoriko felt a familiar flash of guilt at his words, stomach twisting as Inutaisho-sama's face came to mind once more. "I overstepped my bounds, retaliating as I did. I promised Inutaisho-sama that I would not seek out youkai with an intent to destroy them, only to defend if they should attack first. He's probably furious with me," she whispered morosely, turning worried eyes on the darkly-clothed man.

"Ahh, Midoriko," Ashrem said comfortingly, moving to sit cross-legged on the floor, wavy black hair feathering back to dryness from the effects of the fire. "Your response to the situation was not extraordinary, considering the circumstances. You have done a service for those villagers. They will not have to worry about allowing their children to roam and play, at least, not until the youkai that were scared away decide to return." He frowned then, as though a thought had just occurred to him. "In fact, when they do return, you might find yourself wishing you had done a more thorough job. No doubt they will want revenge against the villagers for their losses."

A sick lump lodged itself in Midoriko's stomach, and she realized that she had not even considered that. Of course the youkai would return and extract vengeance, just as she had, and likely in the same manner, without thought or consideration as to who the actual offender had been. Her mind whirled with thoughts and worries and images of a slaughtered village. And what would Inutaisho-sama be able to do about it? The youkai would simply point at her own actions and say that they were defending themselves, that it had been justified.

"Ashrem, I think I made an enormous mistake,” Midoriko said in a hushed voice, expression horrified. And there was no way to repair it, nothing to be done now. All she could do was wait for it, and try to be there when it happened.

"Nonsense," he dismissed her concerns with a wave of his hand. "Simply finish what you started and you will have no regrets."

She blinked in surprise and her head rose to his face. His dark eyes glittered back at her in the firelight, unreadable, masked. "What are you saying?" she asked slowly, the suspicion she always felt in his presence creeping into the back of her mind.

"I'm saying that you should continue hunting down the youkai in this region. You're clearly strong enough. You would be a hero to your fellow humans."

Slowly shaking her head, as though trying to filter the exact meaning of his words, Midoriko eyed him and made an attempt at clarification, "You're telling me that I should simply track them all down and wipe them out."

"Precisely."

"Every last one of them?" she asked again, feeling cold, waiting for him to explain that it was not actually what he meant.

"Unless they flee these lands and never return, then yes," Ashrem agreed, his tone practically devoid of inflection. Midoriko watched as he pulled the glove off of his hand, exposing the pale skin to the glow of firelight. He massaged it absently as he watched the fire, appearing completely unruffled by the turn in conversation.

"Inutaisho-sama would never allow such a thing..."

"Then he will have to be dealt with as well," Ashrem conceded, sight locking on her with an eerie, black-eyed gaze, as though willing her to agree with him.

Midoriko unconsciously moved out of arm's reach, a silent alarm going off inside of her head. "I would never attack Inutaisho-sama or..."

"Sesshoumaru?" Ashrem finished thoughtfully, eyebrows upraised as he watched her. "Yes, I know of your affections for him, but they are misplaced, I assure you. If you think for one moment that he or his father would not kill you at their whim, you are very mistaken, my dear Midoriko. It is a matter of fact that youkai view us as a species to be stomped out of existence. You've become a bit of a pet for the western lord, but have no illusions about him. He could be planning your demise as we speak. After all, you have raised many questions as to his loyalty and that of his son."

Midoriko rose to her feet then and moved away from him, her heart beating fiercely, mind reeling. He’s telling me to lash out against them, to murder Inutaisho-sama...and Sesshoumaru.... "Is this how you repay their friendship?" she finally asked Ashrem, voice frigid with dislike, her head rising defiantly, eyes sparking with anger as he got to his feet as well.

"There can be no true friendship between demons and humans. Alliances, yes, but it ends there," he explained indifferently. "Midoriko, you must realize that you have been gifted with something that could help your people immeasurably. You must decide where your loyalty lies."

"Loyalty?" she repeated incredulously. "Friendship? Do you realize, Ashrem, that normally I share my home with a youkai cat who would claw you to bits if she viewed you as a threat to me? Were you aware that it was Sesshoumaru, another youkai, who attempted to save my brother's life?"

Ashrem's frown deepened, as though disapproving of her argument. "Their loyalties are clear to them. Do you think you will find them fighting alongside you if you did decide to destroy their fellow demons? Of course not. They are both aware that humans are their natural enemies, just as they are ours."

A furious silence shrieked throughout the small house at that, and he watched as Midoriko's face turned away from him, a shaking finger rising to point at the door. "Get out of my house, Ashrem. I don’t know what I ever said or did to give the impression that I would involve myself in such a thing, but you were mistaken. If you’re so intent on wiping out all of the youkai, then go find your own way to do it."

Ashrem exhaled his frustration, still appearing to be quite relaxed despite the obvious ill will coming off of his host in waves. "Foolish girl," he said almost fondly. "I have been searching for a way to end the reign of the youkai in the west, unsuccessfully might I add, ever since my parents and village were slaughtered. You seem to think of Inutaisho as some great, benevolent lord, an equal defender of all the beings in his dominion. But, I ask you, where was he when that demon set upon my village?" he inquired, the tone hardening some with the question. "His concern is his own kind, Midoriko, not ours."

"Get out," she repeated more forcefully, crossing the room with swift steps to open the scarred wooden door. Outside, night had fallen and there was an eerie silence pervading the area, the cold air sliding over her skin as though attempting to cool her anger.

Ashrem made a hesitant move toward the door and then stopped once more, disturbingly close as he regarded her patiently. "If it is fear that holds you back, I can help you destroy him. Once Inutaisho and his son are gone, we can make short work of the rest. You can safely retire that sword of yours, marry, have a family. Your children and grandchildren will not have to fear demon attacks. You'll never have to watch your fellow exterminators return with another body." He grasped the door with a grip so tight, his knuckles whitened. "Midoriko, you are blessed with special abilities, as am I. Sadly, mine are not particularly suitable for destroying the dog demons. Believe me, I've tried. But you...with you, I know I can do it. I thought perhaps the tiger youkai would prove suitable, but under my control they became useless. It would take a large number of powerful youkai to bring down Inutaisho, something that is beyond my abilities to manipulate. But I believe you and your weapon under my influence would be enough."

"The tiger youkai," Midoriko softly repeated, experiencing a moment of clarity as she looked up into Ashrem's face and recalled the attack that had been waged at Inutaisho's home months earlier. Ashrem was there that night...her mind flashed with sick understanding and, immediately, she turned and shot toward her bedroom, prepared to get her sword, to get any weapon she could find, but she was quickly tackled from behind. Her face connected with the floor in an impact that caused her vision to spark, and breath was forced from her lungs under Ashrem's crushing weight, pinned with an almost inhuman strength.

She felt the brush of his hair against her cheek as he spoke next to her ear. "Midoriko, I had hoped to convince you without resorting to violence. Forgive me for this, but one day you will thank me."

She tried again to roll out from underneath him, but his knee came up to wedge solidly into her back. A hand entered her line of sight and she felt his fingers press against her forehead, an oddly gentle caress, but almost immediately, a squeezing sensation seized her head, a pressure built behind her eyes, and bright lights began to spark against her vision. There was some roaring crescendo, excruciating, reverberating inside of her skull until she felt the vibrations in her teeth, her jaw, her shoulders. And, just as suddenly, it stopped, and Midoriko was left on the floor, gasping for air, blinking away the haziness that hung over her vision.

Ashrem rose calmly to his feet and moved out of sight. At that, Midoriko’s muddled brain tried to force her appendages to move, but she felt as though she had been welded into the floor. When he reappeared before her he was holding her oil lamp, face coolly aloof. Without explanation, he passed one hand over her leaden body and, immediately, the numbness began to lift.

"Sesshoumaru will be suspicious about that mark. We saw it on the tiger youkai," Midoriko breathed, trying to pick herself up off the floor but still feeling as though her arms and legs did not entirely belong to her. Even her voice sounded thick and sluggish to her own ears. "He'll know what it means."

"He won't see it, my dear, at least, not until I intend for him to. In fact, he won't even know I was here." Ashrem flicked the oil lamp away from him, allowing it to break open and spill its contents, inciting a small blaze that grew exponentially when the oil began to meld with Midoriko’s cooking fire. "How will he ever pick up on my scent amidst the smoldering ruins of your house?"

"And you think I won't tell him?" Midoriko replied viciously, not recognizing her own voice. Ashrem responded to that threat by increasing the pressure inside of her head once more, forcing her back to the wooden floor without even having to touch her, and she felt like some unwilling puppet, strings being pulled beyond her control.

There was movement once more, and she sensed that he was kneeling beside her, a hand coming to rest on the back of her head in what appeared to be a comforting gesture as he promised, "I won't let you."



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If he didn't know better, he would swear he was being watched. Inutaisho's ability to locate Sesshoumaru was uncanny, the younger dog demon decided. Even wandering as he had been for the past several days, Sesshoumaru suddenly found himself glancing up into the sky, a full moon shining down at him, exposing a crow that swooped languidly down to perch in a tree limb above his head. Immediately the bird set about pecking away at the string that bound a note to its leg. Sesshoumaru reached out a hand to grab it as it fell and the crow resumed its flight, heading back in the direction from which it had come.

Unrolling the scrolled note, Sesshoumaru recognized his father's sharply-inked characters, along with the tiny ink-stained footprints of Myouga, who had doubtlessly been harassing Inutaisho with speech even while he had been writing. The flea's hero worship for the youkai lord bordered on obnoxious, Sesshoumaru thought, as he read the words.


Sesshoumaru,


We are progressing into the southern lands with relative ease now that Furu has joined us with his people. The eastern lord finally decided that this was his business as well and arrived a few days ago, so it should proceed far more quickly. It seems the cat youkai from the Hyounekozoku tribe have thrown their lot in with Tora and his group. That ought to make matters more interesting.

From the sudden urgency in their attacks, I am presuming that we are closing in on the tigers' main tribe. I am anxious to discuss these attacks and border disputes with Tora, though I doubt he will leave the meeting with his head still attached to his shoulders. We shall see.

I have recently heard some rather disturbing news of events in the north. See to it that these matters are resolved satisfactorily and with a minimal amount of bloodshed. Do not allow her to do this again. I am certain I do not need to explain the ramifications.

Be careful. Something strange is going on, but you have, as always, my unwavering confidence.


Father



Sesshoumaru crumpled the letter in the palm of his hand, using his poison claws to dissolve it. Apparently his father had been granting audiences to youkai that had gone to the trouble of traveling that far south to complain, since Sesshoumaru had made it painfully clear that he did not give a damn. Inutaisho wasn't one to give in to pressure, but Sesshoumaru could not help but wonder what his father's decision would be, concerning the sword, if the situation continued to escalate.

The snow began to resume its fall, growing heavier, white flakes pouring down to rest on his face and in his hair. He blinked them away irritably. It was then that his sense of smell began registering the faint smells of smoke and burning wood. At first he dismissed it as some pathetic human's attempt at keeping himself warm in such unforgiving weather, but the chilly breeze picked up and blew from the east and the acrid scent of smoke grew stronger. Suspicious and unable to deny the feeling of wrongness at the back of his mind, Sesshoumaru began to follow the trail of smoke, picking up speed as he drew closer to Midoriko’s village.

The inside of her house was nearly engulfed by the time he arrived, but Sesshoumaru was spared entering the collapsing building when he noticed a human-sized form sprawled face-up in the snow not far from the front door. Quickly crossing the distance, he knelt next to Midoriko, blending in with the snowy drifts that surrounded them. The steady thump of a sleep-slowed heart told him she was alive, but he frowned as his sight picked up the subtle signs of bruising on her face, and something inside his mind told him that this was not the result of some wayward cooking fire having gone awry.

Suspicious, Sesshoumaru's head lifted and he eyed the dark landscape around them, everything lit to an eerie burnt orange from the inferno; but there was no sign of anyone else’s presence or even that someone else had been there at all. There was no scent trail; his nose was too overwhelmed by the smoke that continued to pour out of the ruined house, stinging his eyes. Not even footprints remained, so relentless was the snowfall.

Practically growling his frustration, he reached out to grab onto her shoulder, trying to shake her awake, but the girl was completely unresponsive. This was not caused by a youkai, Sesshoumaru decided, as he released his hold on her and turned to inspect the scene once more. If demons had come for their revenge, he would have found pieces of Midoriko lying haphazardly in the snow, not an intact body and a blazing house.

His ears perked up then, recognizing the sounds of several rapidly-approaching humans. Doubtlessly, Midoriko’s villagers were hurrying over to try to help her, and he realized then how the situation might look to them when they arrived: a demon hovering over Midoriko's lifeless body outside the inferno that had been her house. They would likely try to attack him and Sesshoumaru was not in a mood to play with the exterminators.

Annoyed that he would have to wait for his answers, Sesshoumaru pulled Midoriko up into his arms, her body lolling bonelessly over one shoulder, and evaporated back into the night.