InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The Story of our Lives ❯ Hana's Song ( Chapter 9 )

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

InuYasha and Sesshoumaru sat in Priestess Kaede’s small hut. It had been almost a full day since Hana left. InuYasha was beginning to seethe. Sesshoumaru sat, impassive as usual. They had received gawks and stares – because of Sesshoumaru – coming into the village. The sight of a demon in the village – other than InuYasha – was a strange one indeed. InuYasha looked out the small window at the sky; the moon was almost gone. He needed to get rid of Sesshoumaru. There was no way he was going to stay here for that night. In the middle of his scheming, a well-known scent came to him. Sure enough, Hana stormed inside holding a large box. She dumped the box on InuYasha, mumbling, “Here.” She walked to the far side of the room and sat down, her back facing the both of them. Hana looked like a child sulking after she didn’t get what she wanted. She occasionally threw death glares over her shoulder at Sesshoumaru, who would only sit there, still impassive.

The air was still and uncomfortable. It seemed as if he glares Hana sent were dares for Sesshoumaru to say something, but he remained silent. InuYasha decided to take one for the team and spoke up.

“So how was your day, Hana?” He inquired, keeping the question neutral.

Hana whipped herself around in place and stared at Sesshoumaru with blazing eyes.

“You want to know how my day was, InuYasha?” She said, still glaring at Sesshoumaru, who’s eyes were closed. “I’ll tell you. It started out fine and dandy, but with each passing moment, it grew increasingly worse. If you’d like to blame someone, I can give you a name or two.” It was obvious Hana was livid with rage. Thankfully, she didn’t take it out on them physically.

Sesshoumaru still didn’t look up, maybe because he didn’t care, or that he had fallen asleep, the latter not seeming likely.

Hana’s face dropped to a scowl. “Well, Sesshoumaru, don’t you want to know just who made me miserable?”

The demon in question still didn’t look up. Instead, he remained silent.

‘Man, I wish I could ignore her like that…’ InuYasha thought, watching as Hana’s expression turned to utter annoyance. Things were about to get loud, and he was glad Kaede wasn’t there. She was out helping the villagers. She said something about a sickness going around. To InuYasha’s surprise, Hana said nothing, but got up and crouched in front of Sesshoumaru, readying her finger to flick him.

“If you wish to keep that finger, you wouldn’t do that.”

Hana dropped her hand. “Well maybe if you had listened to what I said I wouldn’t have to resort to physical violence.”

“You resort to physical violence anyway.” He sighed.

She grunted at his response. “Is that so? Then will I have to resort to physical violence to drag you outside?”

“Just why would you want to do that?”

Hana looked indignant and crossed her arms. “Well, there’s no way in hell I’m letting that ugly bitch get you; so, in order for you to become unavailable, I have to take you. Now let’s go!” She tugged on his Mokomoko-sama.

Sesshoumaru opened his eyes and rolled them to look at her.

‘His head must be hella comfortable to not move it like that.’ Thought InuYasha.

Sesshoumaru gave a tiny smirk at her words. “Your petty words are amusing. Though, in all fairness, I haven’t the slightest idea who this ‘bitch’ is.”

Hana waved her arms. “I – er – tha – It doesn’t matter who she is! The point is, she can’t have you because you’re mine. I’ll be damned before I let you go.”

InuYasha watched with a disturbed expression. ‘Damn, possessive much? I just hope she’s like this during Mating Season only.’ The thought of Mating Season brought him back to his status with Kagome. He scooted over the box she sent and opened it. In it was a seemingly endless supply of ramen and chips. Digging through, he spotted several boxes of pocky. ‘Shippou…Sango….That stupid monk….’ Scenarios ran through his head on what might have happened. He would get them back any way he could, any way possible.

InuYasha looked back out the window. ‘Until then…’

He rested his head on his arms, staring at the food as the mostly one-sided fight behind him continued.




Hana couldn’t stand it. Sesshoumaru just couldn’t understand what was so important about doing it that very minute. ‘Much as he would have liked it, the bastard.’ She thought, attempting once more for sleep she knew would not come. Kaede had come back; all was silent, even InuYasha was asleep, though his ears twitched time and again. Sesshoumaru was out walking around, so she couldn’t burrow into the giant mass of fur on his shoulder. Hana supposed she could just go find him since she was wide-awake anyway.

Hana slid off her boots and quietly tiptoed out the door. Glancing at InuYasha before slipping out, she saw his ear turned in her direction.

‘That’s so cute how he does that. I wonder if I do that…’

She sat on the steps and slid her boots on once more. She set off following Sesshoumaru’s scent. Along the trail, Hana gazed at the stars. She saw the moon was nothing more than just a sliver, preparing to disappear. This would be the first new moon she spent with someone since she was a child.

‘Since that day…’ She thought, turning her face to the heavens. Traces of pain and dread were etched across her face. ‘Its anniversary is tomorrow…’

Hot tears stung the back of her eyes, but she refused to let them fall, reprimanding herself. ‘You’re supposed to be strong! Don’t show such a pathetic weakness! What would Kiyoshi say?’

Her youkai answered her question. ‘When have you cared what Kiyoshi thought? I thought you hated the bastard. Are you still under the illusion that he’s going to accept you one day?’

‘No, I’ve given up on that. I don’t truly care for what he thinks, since it’s mostly about power and how much father praised him. I don’t hate him exactly…’

‘Then what is it?’ Hana’s youkai persisted. ‘Do you hate him, love him, are you indifferent?’

‘I don’t hate him but I don’t love him. Not anymore. I think…I think I’m scared of him. I don’t know why he rejected me like he did. The day he turned sixteen he stopped being nice to me. I never expected him to like me in the first place, but to be so nice, and then drop me like I was infested with a deadly disease…It’s just….’

‘Men can be such pricks.’ Her youkai concluded.

‘For once I agree with you.’ Hana looked farther down the sky and noticed stars were missing.

“Not missing,” She said to herself. “Covered up.”

Hana assumed it was a rain cloud, since rain was common in April. But as she scanned the rest of the darkened horizon, the cloud seemed too large to be just April showers.

‘Figures we get a big storm right when I come back.’

It wasn’t that Hana disliked thunder storms; she enjoyed them quite a lot actually. It was just that InuYasha would want to set out soon, and by the time it got here, they would be right in the midst of it. Getting soaked wasn’t really on her agenda.

Hana stopped. She realized she had lost Sesshoumaru’s scent a few minutes ago. She had to stop zoning out like that. Hana walked back a few steps, hoping to catch his scent. Unfortunately, the wind was getting strong and was whipping away all chances of catching a scent. Hana frowned. It wasn’t likely she would find Sesshoumaru with the weather worsening with each minute. She turned and looked back at the horizon. The stars that were missing before were there, and further up the stars were covered. That “cloud” was moving at an incredibly fast pace.

‘Something doesn’t seem right about this.’ Hana thought. Just then, Sesshoumaru came out from beyond the trees.

“What are you doing out here?” He inquired.

Hana gradually broke her gaze from the supposed cloud. “I was looking for you…but it seems that I found you, so I guess I can go back now.” She went over to him and wrapped her arms around his waist, pulling herself into the fluff.

“I’m sorry about earlier.” Hana said, her words muffled by the fluff.

Sesshoumaru stood, looking down at the top of her head.

“Come, let’s go back. Something doesn’t feel right.”

‘My thoughts exactly…’ Hana thought as she let go, linked her arm in Sesshoumaru’s, then started back to the hut.





Hana awoke, the first her seeing was a fire burning brightly in the middle of the room. For her, morning came entirely too quickly. She was snuggled in Sesshoumaru’s lap, leaning against his Mokomoko-sama. She was about to compact herself into a ball again when she noticed to shutters on the window was closed. Unfolding herself, Hana sat up and looked around. InuYasha wasn’t there, but Kaede was sitting by the fire stirring something. She looked up.

“It’s about time ye woke up. Ye have been asleep for a mighty long time.”

Hana squinted her eyes at her words. “Where’s InuYasha?”

Kaede continued to stir the contents of the pot. “Oh, he went out to help the villagers. Part of the roof of a couple’s hut was blown away from the wind.”

She felt Sesshoumaru stir underneath her.

“Hmm, InuYasha went out to help. It must be that foolish human side of his.” He said.

Hana was too preoccupied with the fact it was already raining to hit Sesshoumaru for his insensitive comment.

“Rain…?” She whispered. “How bad could it be?” She stood up and turned to the door.

“I wouldn’t do that, Hana,” warned Kaede. “Ye being so thin and the wind being so – “

Hana wasn’t listening. She opened the door, stepped out…, and was swiftly blown over. She lay on her back, her feet still on the steps, and slowly pushed herself up against the wind.

She sensed someone behind her and looked up. InuYasha was standing above her, an eyebrow raised.

“You gorge yourself on four cups of ramen in one sitting, but you still weigh less than a freakin’ twig!” He said, sounding mildly outraged. He picked her up by her obscenely small shoulders and set her on her feet easily. Hana could feel her cheeks turning pink. She knew mud was on her ass and back, but that was the least of her concern. The “cloud” she saw last night was still a mile or so away. Hana looked up, rained hitting her face. There was a gray overcast, but she could just barely make out splotches of blue here and there.

“You have mud on your ass, Hana.” InuYasha pointed out.

“So I do.” She agreed. She brought her hands up to her chest to make a sideways t, and then brought them straight down, the mud on her falling back to the earth. Hana lifted her foot to take a step…and was blown back yet again. This time, thankfully, InuYasha was there to catch her. Instead of letting her try to walk again, InuYasha picked her up – bridal style – and carried her back into the hut. Depositing her in front of Sesshoumaru, he said, “I believe this is yours.” and sat down next to the fire.

Sesshoumaru looked up at Hana, who was dripping wet, and shook his head in disapproval. Hana merely flicked her ears, sending tiny droplets of water flying in all directions. She grinned and sat near the fire as well, she and InuYasha flicking their ears almost in perfect synchrony.

“Hey Hana,” InuYasha began. “Why did Kagome send back so much food?”

Hana looked puzzled. “Oh, that’s for…Oh. She doesn’t know…” She looked down. She was referring to the others being kidnapped.

“Tomorrow’s the…well, you know.” Hana said quietly.

“What does that have to do with you?” InuYasha asked.

“Well, I don’t turn human because I want to; I do it because I need to. Whatever enemies I made over the years will be looking for a weakness, obviously, and this is the best one I can fake.”

InuYasha grunted in response.

‘This is so weird. InuYasha is usually pissed off about something and almost constantly talking. I mean, Sesshoumaru is normal; he never talks. Why is InuYasha like this? Is it because Kagome isn’t here? Is it because the others aren’t here?’ Hana mulled over the ideas in her head when a loud thunderclap made her jump. InuYasha snickered and she punched in the arm.

Kaede threw some more herbs in the pot and continued to stir. Hana was peeking over the top of the large pot, sniffing its contents. She pulled back, making a sour face.

“What is that? It’s disgusting!”

“It’s medicine. I suspect some people are going to be sick from this weather, so I’m making it in advance.” She replied, throwing in something that was a strange color of yellow.

Hana was about to make another comment on the disgusting liquid when a knock resounded on the door. Her senses told her it was one person, though she couldn’t tell if it were demon or human. Getting up, Hana walked to the door and opened it slowly.

“Shit!” she exclaimed, slamming the door and running to the window in the back room.

InuYasha and Sesshoumaru stood up at her outburst and ran into the back room when they heard her shout.

Hana had her arms out the open window, but strong hands held her tight, preventing her from pulling away.

“Stay back!” Hana commanded to InuYasha and Sesshoumaru, pulling furiously to get free.

Hana stared angrily at the face that greeted her with a snake’s smile.

“Kiyoshi, you bastard. What the hell do you want?”

“Hello, sister dear.”




Sesshoumaru felt the overwhelming urge to protect Hana, regardless of her orders. He became a blur, appeared beside Hana, and struck this Kiyoshi in the face. The demon let go of Hana, and Sesshoumaru pulled her back and jumped out himself, landing a few feet in front the demon. InuYasha too, came out, unsheathing Tetsusaiga.

“Who are you?” InuYasha demanded as the demon stood to his feet.

“My name is Kiyoshi, tai-youkai of the east.” He said, the snake smile still on his lips despite the large gash on his forehead.

“What do you want with Hana?” InuYasha growled.

“My business is my own.” He replied. “Now, if I could just talk to dearest Hana –“

Sesshoumaru heard a splash come from behind. Hana walked past him, stopping just in front of him.

“Hello Kiyoshi,” She greeted. Her voice was full of malice but she was trying to hide it. Sesshoumaru could only imagine what her face looked like.

‘Let’s keep it that way.’ He thought.

“It’s strange you would come today of all days,” Hana continued. “Is there any specific reason you dragged your ass over here?”

Kiyoshi looked thoughtful for a moment before answering. “No, I just came to remind you that today is the anniversary of father’s death. It’s been four years since.”

“I know you didn’t come all the way from the east just to remind me of past happenings.”

Kiyoshi’s smile brightened, but remained like a snake. “Oh, so you’ve finally admitted to the deed, Ha-ha-chan?”

Sesshoumaru raised his eyebrows ever so slightly at the silly nickname. Hana, on the other hand, didn’t take it so lightly. Her fists were shaking with rage. Those, too, she tried to control.

“I believe we agreed we’d stop going by our childhood nicknames, Kyo-chan.” She said in a tight, controlled voice. “And I’m not admitting to any deed, because I committed no crime. Father is to blame for his own actions. Don’t try to hold me responsible for his death.”

Kiyoshi’s expression didn’t change in the slightest. “Why shouldn’t I? You caused it. Had you not been there running your mouth, father would still be alive.”

“Somehow I doubt that, Kiyoshi. I’d be damned if I would just let father get away with murder.”

The air suddenly turned still, and Kiyoshi said nothing for a moment.

“I’m so sorry you see it that way, Hana. I had hoped we could put aside our differences and get along again. I mean, You’re still wearing the boots I had made for you.” The tips of Kiyoshi’s mouth drooped.

Hana stomped her foot in the mud. “Don’t bullshit me, Kiyoshi. You’re just like father: doing whatever he can to get whatever he wants. And I know exactly what you want, Kiyoshi.”

“Don’t make me laugh, dear Ha-ha-chan. I am nothing like father. Besides, how could you possibly know what I want?”

Hana looked smug as she folded her arms. “I developed more than just one power, Kiyoshi, and you know it because it’s exactly what you want. You would sell your soul for it.”

Kiyoshi’s eyes narrowed. “I know not of what you speak, dear sister. I am surprised that you have been able to control your little powers, anyway. After all, they were drawn from you at birth. They did not develop the same as you did.” He looked at the sky and said, “I would stay longer, but certain forces have not permitted me to do so. Also, before I go, I must tell you to go fetch your sword. It is in its usual place and all it is doing is collecting dust. I won’t be there so you won’t have to worry about running into me. Farewell, Ha-ha-chan.” With that, he evaporated into the air, becoming no more.

Sesshoumaru saw InuYasha finally put away Tetsusaiga, and when he looked down, he saw he was subconsciously gripping Tokijin. Hana dropped to her knees and punched the ground.

“Damn it!” She yelled.

A long silence followed this.

InuYasha finally broke the silence with an utterly stupid question.

“Ha-ha-chan?” Hana’s shoulders drooped and her head dropped as she sighed.

Sesshoumaru shook his head. InuYasha really was very dense sometimes.





‘You know what you need to do.’ Hana’s youkai said grimly.

‘Yeah…I need to go get my sword.’ Hana stood up from the mud and blew off the sludge. She started towards the east; to her home…Of course, InuYasha and Sesshoumaru, InuYasha grabbing her arm stopped her.

“What the hell was that?” He demanded.

“It was what it was: a meeting between brother and sister. I believe I told Sesshoumaru about him.”

“Yes, that is true; though you never told me you hated him.”

“I don’t hate him,” Hana said, shaking off InuYasha’s hand. “My bond with Kiyoshi is the same as yours with InuYasha.”

“Yeah, because Sesshoumaru and I are just the best of friends.” InuYasha said caustically.

Hana cleared her head, narrowed her eyes against the rain, and flattened her ears. “Exactly. Anyway, that doesn’t matter right now. I have to go get my sword. I’ll be back.”

“How long will you be?” Sesshoumaru asked offhandedly.

Hana looked down at her boots. “I…I don’t know. I’ve got a hell of a lot of memories to sift through before I can actually get there.”

“…What kind of memories?” InuYasha asked hesitantly.

Hana started walking again before replying. “You don’t want to know, InuYasha. You don’t want to know.”




“Kyo-chan, why are we out here? I don’t want to hunt, I want to play!” Six-year-old Hana complained to her older brother.

“Be quiet, Hana, you’ll scare away the animals. Besides, playing won’t gain you survival skills. You need to hunt to eat.” Kiyoshi shifted his position in the bushes, his movement barely rustling the leaves.


Hana sighed and pouted, still thinking about playing with the new doll that was given to her. She felt Kiyoshi go still. Peeking through the bushes, she could see a black and white rabbit sniffing around the trap Kiyoshi had set. Hana suddenly feared for the rabbits’ life and watched, as it got closer and closer to the trap. She couldn’t watch anymore; she had to help it.

Jumping out, Hana grabbed the rabbit just as it was about to take the bait. Squishing it against her chest, she cried, “It’s okay bunny, you’re safe now! I won’t let you die!”

“Hana!” Kiyoshi stood from his hiding spot in the bushes and ran his hand down his face.

“I’m not gonna let you kill a poor bunny!” She proclaimed, rubbing her cheek against its furry head. “In fact, I’m taking him home and keeping him as a pet. Papa won’t mind, and neither will mama.” Hana stood and started walking down the dirt path.

“Hana! Father won’t allow you to have such a foolish pet!” Kiyoshi asserted, stomping his foot.

Hana heard a snap, and turned in time to see pain scream across Kiyoshi’s face. He had stepped straight into the trap.

While Kiyoshi pulled the metal teeth out of his leg, Hana whispered to her new pet, “See, bunny? That could have been you.” After that, she turned and skipped back to her home.



Hana watched the ghosts of her past play out a memory. She had been able to keep that rabbit, and she called him Bunny-sama.

Dispelling the ghosts, Hana continued down the dirt path she traveled on. She had been traveling for a day or so; it was still many miles until she reached her old home, and even more memories were to follow. Making a sharp turn to the right, Hana stepped between the trees, eventually reaching a great clearing that was once used as her training grounds. When she turned ten, her father told her she must learn to defend herself. That was when she received her Ring of Power.


Hana stood on the training grounds before her father twisting the ring on her left finger, the ring she received for her eighth birthday; she knew she was in for one hell of a day.

“You are to learn to fight, and fight well. Even if it means killing someone, you must fight for your life.”

Hana couldn’t even watch the cook slaughter the animals for dinner. How could her father expect her to kill an actual person? Her thoughts were interrupted when he spoke again.

“Do not think of me as your father anymore; I am not your teacher. You will address me as such and nothing else.” He bowed, and Hana bowed back.

“Now, let us begin training.”

Hana’s face turned to that of shocked terror when he rushed straight at her. In the split second she had, she knew she was supposed to use the ring’s power or something.

‘Damned if I know how to do that!’ She thought. ‘Maybe I can wing it.’

So, with everything she had, Hana slashed her hand through the air. When she saw her teacher didn’t go back, she slashed again and again. Her hand was stopped the fifth time she slashed.

“That’s not how you’re going to take down an opponent, young pupil.” Teacher said, holding Hana’s wrist. “You must feel the power flow through your veins and use it to your advantage.”

Hana nodded once, determined. She concentrated, trying to feel the power flow. For half a second, she felt it. She grabbed it and pulled it to her right hand. Hana held out her hand, and released the power there.

Hana gasped. She could feel it reaching out, pushing against her teacher. She closed her hand and the power instantly retracted.

“Very good.” Her teacher said. “Now, you must learn to draw the power faster and have it at your fingertips at a second’s notice.”

“Yes, teacher.” Hana bowed.





The next few months that followed for Hana made her who she is. She remembered training for long, excruciating days, hardly ever stopping. At that time, Kiyoshi knew what it was like, and felt an ounce of pity for her. He would wander over at five-hour intervals and talk to father, allowing Hana a short rest. After a while though, Kiyoshi stopped coming. She discovered, later on, that Kiyoshi had begun seeing a young female demon from a noble family. Father was, though subtle, happy. At times, it felt like Hana’s father loved Kiyoshi more than her. She supposed it was true. After all, Kyoshi was the first-born son. Hana, though, was merely a half-blooded product from a woman banished from her village.

Through the years, Hana’s powers quickly developed. Visions came every so often, and being hanyou felt more like first nature than second. She began to suspect Kiyoshi was jealous.

‘That could explain why he was so nice to me…or why he stopped being nice to me.’ Hana thought, her shoulders dropping and her head lowering.

Things took a turn for the worse around fourteen, didn’t it?

‘Things always get worse when you’re a teenager. You’re still a teenager and things are still shitty.’ Her youkai said in a reassuring way. ‘Just wait until you turn twenty; things are bound to get better.’

Hana’s face turned sarcastic. ‘Yeah, that’s a great thought. So I have to go through three more years of shit just for things to begin to look up?’

‘Yup!’

Hana felt her youkai was mocking her.

‘Just shut up and come out when you’re actually needed.’ She commanded.

Thankfully, her youkai was quiet. Hana subconsciously twisted the ring on her left finger, sliding it half off and back on. Being human never really bothered Hana, it was just that it was sometimes inconvenient. She would never turn human had her father not told her just how important it was to have an advantage over her enemies. As much as she disliked the man, he was right.

‘…it was hard, wasn’t it?’ Hana’s youkai asked quietly.

‘What was hard?’

‘Suddenly becoming a hanyou after eight years of pure humanity?’

‘Oh, that. Yeah, I suppose it was. I mean, for those first eight years, everybody loved me. After I had to wear my ring every day, people started rejecting me. That really hurt. I guess that’s why I became so tough.’

‘….You’re faking it.’

‘Just….just don’t talk for right now.’






Hana approached the forest that would take her home. She had turned human because the rain had seeped into her ears, though the rain had stopped a few hours before. Even with her human ears, though, she heard the sounds of axes chopping wood. An official looking man came to stand in front of her, blocking her path.

“I’m sorry,” He said haughtily. “You can’t pass through here. We’re expanding the village; I’m afraid you’ll have to go through the village if you wish to pass. Feel free to browse our little shops and stands while you’re there!”

Hana sighed. She hated passing through that village. Ever since she became hanyou, people started rejecting her right and left.

‘Guess I can go through human…Nah, they’ll recognize me anyway. I might need my demon side for self-defense.’ She thought.

Hana stood at the entrance, hesitating. Years of memories came flooding into her mind at once.

‘No.’ She thought, pushing the memories out of her head. She walked down the hill and into the village, only gaining stares from cows.

‘So far, so good.’ Hana’s youkai pitched in, sounding optimistic.

‘Yeah, so far.’ Hana retorted grimly.

Further into the village she went, the worse the stares got. She knew they recognized her; it was hard not to. Being the daughter of the tai-youkai was one reason to recognize her. She didn’t want to think about the other.

Drawing a deep breath, Hana kept walking, her head held high. Beside her, mothers reigned their children in from their play, waiting until she had passed to let them go. One lone child came to her, pulling on the long extension of her shirt. The boy was dirty, ragged, and in desperate need of food. Hana knelt beside him and said, “Hey there. What do you need?”

The boy looked bashful, like he was ashamed to ask. “S-some money, p-please, m-miss.”

Hana smiled lovingly. Since she had no pockets, she couldn’t carry money or anything else with her. Her power to make things appear at will have eliminated all need of it. So, reaching behind the boy’s ear, Hana pulled out three silver coins and handed them to the boy. He smiled big and skipped away.

Hana stood up, still smiling tenderly. What she faced though, quickly wiped it off her face. Four village men stood in front of her, the man in the middle holding a musket.

“I’ve no time to deal with you.” Hana stated, her face expressionless.

The man with the musket held it up and pointed it at her. “Murderers aren’t welcome here. You have to leave now.”

Hana raised a brow. “You honestly believe I’d want to stay here? I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t have to get something.”

The man on the end spoke up. “Yeah, well we aren’t letting you pass! It ends here!”

With those words, the man in the middle fired his musket. Hana was hit square in the stomach. She fell to the dirt in pain. Knowing the bullet had passed through her, she quickly healed both injured sides of her body. The men before her gasped and pulled back in fear.

Hana stood up, trying to work out the blood on her clothes. She could hear the gasps and screams rising from the villagers. “What did you do that for?” She asked, irritated.

The four men before her had fallen back, had run for their lives, it seemed. Hana shrugged and kept walking, still trying to work the blood stains out.

‘Okay, that was just a minor disturbance. It’s still all good.’

‘You call that good?’ Hana was outraged at her youkai’s words.

‘Well, what would you call it?’

‘I’m not even going to answer that.’

Hana eventually made it out of the village, thankful to get away from the chaos she disliked so much. She found the path and walked it. She wanted nothing more than to just get her sword and get back. She had a mate to protect, damn it!

‘Like hell I’m letting the evil blob of an incarnation get my man.’ She thought, a snarl on her lips.

‘Now, now, let’s not get vicious. I’m sure Sesshoumaru won’t be wooed by her womanly charms. She ain’t that much of a looker, anyway.’

‘Damn straight!’

Hana stopped on the path. She could see it: her home. Pangs of fear and flashes of bad memories came. She pushed them down and kept walking.

‘I have to be strong. I didn’t go through hell just so I could fall apart.’

Hana walked faster down the lane, wanting to get in and out. She reached the house and stood staring at it’s majestic beauty. Spires reached for the sky on the four corners of the home. Gardens were placed alongside streams, with tiny bridges built over them. The front doors were carved from a solid oak, swirls and patterns around the family crest. Hana pushed on those doors, the hinges creaking lightly. She stepped through the cold, hard threshold into the house. Everything still looked the way she remembered it. One thing was missing though.

‘Our family portrait is missing…I wonder what Kiyoshi did with it.’

Hana climbed the great marble staircase that she had so much trouble mastering. She walked to her father’s study, a place she had feared entering when she was a pup. The great foreboding room always put fear in her heart, not because of what was in it, more of who was in it. She never went into the room unless she had a great and pressing need to. Today, what Hana had was a great and pressing need. She needed to face the fear inside.

Hana took a deep breath and released it – it was time to go in.

“Well, here goes.” She said to no one.

Hana opened the door and walked in. The room was cold; the fireplace in the corner was full of ashes. She noticed her father’s scent that still permeated every inch of the room. She looked straight ahead. Her sword hung on the wall behind her father’s desk, next to where Kiyoshi’s sword used to be.

Hana walked carefully to her sword and stared at it. So much trouble her sword had caused her, yet it always proved faithful in her times of need. She pulled it off the wall.

She pulled it out of its scabbed and held it up, examining it.

“Jasutifai….”









Sesshoumaru watched as InuYasha dug through the box his wench had sent. InuYasha had already eaten two cups of ramen, and yet he still looked for more. He had picked out everything he didn’t want, all of which Sesshoumaru had never seen before. The strange titles on the supposed food made him wonder just where this girl came from. InuYasha eventually made it to the bottom of the box and pulled out something he called pocky. He threw a box to Sesshoumaru, thinking that he actually wanted it.

Sesshoumaru picked it up and sniffed it. Something about it didn’t seem pleasant.

‘Perhaps it’s that high amount of sugar?’ His youkai suggested.

‘I do not know, but I get the feeling it will kill me.’

“Just eat it. Shippou’s years younger than you and he didn’t get sick.” InuYasha scowled at Sesshoumaru when he just stared at the box.

‘I don’t think you should do it,’ Sesshoumaru’s youkai spoke up. ‘I think you should wait until Hana comes back and have her do a taste test first.’

‘Hana has only been gone a little over a day; I am afraid I will not last until she comes back.’

‘Then risk it. It takes a lot to kill you.’

Sesshoumaru knitted his eyebrows slightly. He supposed he should at least see what it looks like. He opened the flaps with a clawed finger. He sniffed it before carefully reaching in.

Sesshoumaru felt glass. He pulled out a small bottle. Holding it up, he could see jewel shards and a piece of paper. He shook the bottle, gaining InuYasha’s attention. InuYasha snatched the bottle from Sesshoumaru’s hand and ran out the door. Sesshoumaru quickly followed to where InuYasha ran. He came up in time to see him jump into the same well they had stopped at a few days ago.

‘That is strange. Why would the fool jump into a well?’ He thought, walking to the well.

Sesshoumaru peeked over the edge, but saw nothing but an infinite darkness.

‘Where did he go?’ He wondered.

His youkai said in a low voice, ‘There’s secrets to this well we don’t know…’