InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The Wind Beneath My Wings ❯ NOT a Hound Dog ( Chapter 7 )

[ P - Pre-Teen ]

"Nee-chan!"

"....."

"Nee-chan!!"

"...."

"NEE-CHAN!!"

Groggily, Izayoi managed to open one golden eye and stare dourly at the figure of her older brother standing in front of her. He was wearing a large, goofy grin and his golden eyes danced with mirth. "What?" she mumbled, closing her eyes again, mad for being woken up so early. No stream of light entered the living room, so she assumed it was still before dawn.

Inutaisho rolled his eyes and pinched one of her ears gently between his thumb and index fingers. He felt it twitching wildly, but didn't let it go until her chest rumbled with an unhappy growl. "Get off me, crap-for-brains." she grumbled, opening her eyes slightly to glare at him. "I'm injured, remember? Papa will tear your throat out if he catches you bugging me."

"You're faking."

"Not-ah."

"I want the couch."

"I want the Tetsusagia. Neither is going to happen anytime soon."

"Oh, bite me."

"Gladly."

She snapped at him lazily, fangs flashing in the soft starlight and her brother laughed. Mumbling under her breath, she sat up groggily, relieved that it didn't hurt to move anymore. Casting a sidelong glare at her brother, she yawned and stretched, feeling much better and rested. With a small grunt, she stood and slipped on her gym shoes and tied her hair up out of her face. She looked down at her brother, amused, as he flopped down on the couch and opened his History book, studying by candlelight. "Oi." she called. "I'll be back. Tell Mom and Dad not to worry."

"Where you going?"

"Some human has my sword and I want it. What's it to ya?"

""I thought you were hurt."

"I got better."

"That fast?" a smirk flitted across his shadowy face as he spoke. Izayoi grinned.

"Phenomenal hanyou powers."

"Sure."

Izayoi turned, snickering, and opened the door.

"Iz?"

She paused, ears flicking towards her brother. "Yeah."

"Don't die."

"Love you too."

~*~

It was a quiet night, good for hunting, he thought. But unlike his ancestors before him, this young man had no desire to hunt humans. The very stench of their blood made him want to vomit, something he's probably inherited from his parents. Some of his pack members disagreed with him, but it wasn't like they had a choice. They had to follow his lead. His and his father's and mother's.

The man stretched his arms up over his head, yawning widely, fangs glittering in the starlight. He was hungry, true, but the night was too still to do any sort of hunting tonight. Something was amiss.

~*~

"Ow!!"

Izayoi cursed and quickly yanked her arm away from the sticker bush she'd accidentally walked straight into. She'd been so focused on trying to locate Azumi's scent that she hadn't been paying attention. Now because of being distracted, three thorns protruded from the girl's forearm. Mumbling curses under her breath, she yanked them out and continued her trek.

Tracking a girl you'd never scented before wasn't easy. If only she'd lingered long enough when her powers returned to catch a whiff, this would be a lot easier. But Izayoi had been to preoccupied with trying to find Linorah that'd she hadn't even thought about her sword. Kenshuga was extremely valuable and precious to her and there was no way that she wasn't going to get it back.

She reached the place where the fight between her and the dragon had transpired. She wrinkled her nose in disgust, lifting up an arm over it. "Ew, rank!" she grumbled, golden eyes flickering over the scene. The body was gone, but blood and grime stained the area. It appeared as thought the dragon had been dragged away not too long ago, maybe a day or so. At least I didn't have to face up against whatever preyed on that huge thing.

She could faintly catch her own scent throughout the clearing, in the tree she'd stood in. The dragon's was everywhere- rotten and nauseating. She would never be able to track the mysterious girl like this.

Quickly, Izayoi looked around to make sure no one was watching. There was absolutely no way in seven hells she was going to let ANYONE see her like this. Not ANYONE.

Satisfied that she was alone, Izayoi got down on all fours and began sniffing around like a common hound.

Sniffing heavily, she crawled about, sorting about different scents until she came across one she did not recognize. It lead off into the forest in one direction and Izayoi was proud to believe that it was the smell of none other than Azumi.

She took one last sniff just to be sure and was about to stand and follow the scent when there was a low chuckle behind her. She stood up quickly, embarrassed and shocked, spinning around to face whoever - or whatever - was behind her.

~*~

It was about three-thirty in the morning and, after Inuyasha had finally calmed himself down and drifted off to sleep, Kagome tucked the blankets around him, kissed his forehead and tiptoed downstairs to check on their daughter.

But it wasn't Izayoi she found on the couch. It was Inutaisho.

"Tai?" she called, puzzled. "Where's Izayoi?"

Tai shrugged. "Gone."

Kagome's eyes grew wide. "Gone? Gone where??"

"To get her sword back."

Fear shot through Kagome like a bullet. "No... Inuyasha!!"

She turned on her heel and ran back upstairs to her hanyou husband, who sat up quickly as soon as she flung open the door. "Inuyasha!"

"What? What is it?" he asked his terrified mate and she grabbed onto his arm and tried pulling him towards the door. "It's Izayoi. She went after the Kenshuga."

~*~

"Looking for someone?"

Izayoi stared hard at the figure in front of her, eyes narrowed and claws flexed at the ready. "What's it to you?" she asked suspiciously. Who was this?

The man chuckled and stepped out of the trees, shaking his head and holding up his hands in a peaceful gesture. "I mean no hostility." he said with a smile. "I simply wish to assist you if you need it."

Izayoi crossed her arms. "Keh, You're wasting your time."

The man smiled and nodded in understanding. "So be it." and he turned to head back into the forest. Izayoi watched him with one eye open, determined not to react to him. But her curiosity got the better of her.

"You reek of wolf."

The man stopped and chuckled, turning back to look at her. "Guilty. my name is Keitaro, and I am Prince of the wolf pack." He extended a clawed hand and Izayoi stared at it for a second before shaking it quickly, then releasing it. "Izayoi. Inu-youkai."

Keitaro laughed aloud. "Ah, that would explain the sniffing around then. Tracking something?"

Izayoi's eye twitched in anger, veins popping on her forehead. "Dog YOUKAI you ingrate." she hissed. "I do NOT walk around on all fours."

Keitaro simply chuckled and shook his head. "Whatever you say. So, what were you looking for?"

Izayoi bent down to pick up a snapped twig and examined it closely, acting like she knew exactly what she was doing. "Some human has my sword." she said after a moment. Berating herself inwardly, too late she realized how weak it made her sound, Heck, Keitaro probably ate humans. She was 2/3 human herself, even while her hanyou traits were dominant, humans weren't as weak as youkai thought they were. She was always glad she had the mother that she had, and the grandmothers.

Her ears flickered towards him, waiting for him to jeer or laugh, or at least say something smart aleck. But he didn't instead, he said-

"I could give you a hand if you like. Two noses are better than one."

Izayoi blinked at him, surprised, then smiled softly at him. "I'd like that."

He returned her smile with one of his own and they stood, both looking towards the direction the scent lead towards. Izayoi looked at him for a moment, about to ask him exactly why he was out here, when a new scent assaulted her nose and a voice could be heard. "Keitaro! Keitaro!"

Keitaro cursed and sighed. "It's my dad." he said softly and, as if on cue, an almost whirlwind-like thing spun into the clearing. Izayoi hid her face behind her jacket sleeve to keep the dust away, and peeked out once the wind died down.

An older, more staturely wolf was standing there, hands on his hips. She blinked, lowering her arm all they way as she observed him - animals furs, violet eyes, tail and all. His scent was similar to Keitaro's, so Izayoi concluded that he was indeed his father.

But the wolf wasn't paying attention to Izayoi, he was too busy staring angrily at Keitaro who looked contrite. "Where have you been? You're mother's freaking out!"

"Sorry!" Keitaro said, looking at the ground. "I was just-"

His father put a hand up to silence him. Izayoi noticed that his eyes had fallen on her. She blinked. "Um, hi."

She sniffed at her, then wrinkled his nose. "Who are you? You smell like-"

"Izayoi!!!"

Izayoi groaned as her father's voice rang throughout the clearing and she slapped a hand to her forehead. "Incoming."

Keitaro looked at her quizically and she sighed. "My father." she explained and he smiled lightly.

Sure enough, within a second, Inuyasha sped into the clearing, grabbing Izayoi by the shoulders. "Izayoi! What the heck where you thinking? Going out here by your-"

"Mutt face?"

Inuyasha quickly stopped yelling at Izayoi, spinning around to look at Keitaro's father. Recognition dawned upon his face and soon it twisted into a scowl.

"Well, I thought I'd never have to deal with you again, but I guess I was wrong. What an unpleasant surprise it is to see you again, Koga."

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