InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Their Daughter's Journey ❯ Wayward Silver Hanyou, Indestructible Golden Youkai ( Chapter 11 )

Kikyou felt a twinge in her chest. Stopping momentarily, she thought back to those left behind. Her friends looked back towards her in confusion. “It's not right,” she whispered to no one in particular. She held firmly to her kimono, resting her fist against her chest. The hanyou looked down to Kazumi and Satoshi. “Something happened!”

Satoshi looked down, as though to hide this response, “We can't go back.”

She sank onto her branch, knees weak. Please be alright…

His world went dark. The pain faded to numbness. Everything felt cold. All he could think of were his father's words. They resounded through his mind. He was right. Through his rash behavior, his own life would end, and he had no one to blame but himself. He was right; they all were.

I'm a fool…

A bright green light flashed beyond his closed eyelids. Before they could open, something sent him crashing towards land. It was hard to breathe. He fell, arms locked around his neck in an attempt not to suffocate.

Thud.

The boy drifted in and out of consciousness. Two dark figures approached his corpse-like figure. One knelt at his side, tracing its fingers along the claw markings on his abdomen. Its breath was like fire against his icy skin. Squinting in a final attempt to detail the beings, he saw a human and a demon. Golden eyes watched down at him. They were the last he saw before slipping away…

“My Lord, he appears to have taken quite heavy damage from the demon you have just slain.”

“Indeed.”

The woman once more fingered at the holes in his stomach. “My…what damage…”

“He is not long for his world, then.” The man declared this with an expressionless face. He unsheathed a sword and readied its use against the child. This boy's scent was familiar.

“You mustn't, my Lord! This boy is alive. We are able to save him.” She shielded the albino with her arms outstretched. The girl stared intently at those golden, amber eyes of his. She was confident. He was not so cruel. Then she looked to the boy, again studying his wounds. “They are deep, however only punctured a few minor organs. I do not believe it intended for his death. And look,” she pulled his lips away from his canine-like fangs, not bothering with his ears, “he is hanyou. These injuries of his can be healed with time, Milord.”

The demon glared down at the child. “Pity.”

“Milord!”

“If he were to die, Tenseiga would bring life back to his corpse. This method of healing is troublesome.” He took one last look at the kid, noticing the familiarity in his features. There was no doubt that he was that man's spawn. He had caught a glimpse of the pup before, many years ago, when he came for Rin. Though the child was a mere infant then, his scent had not differed. He turned olfrom the lifeless body that lay on the ground and motioned away.

“Lord Sesshomaru, you do not plan to leave this poor boy, do you?” Rin's eyes pleaded with the demon, hands folded together in hope. She knew him well. It was not like him to leave someone on the brink of death. That was, in part, due to her influence. She knew that he preferred the less involved method of using his sword to bring the dead back to life, but this hanyou could not be abandoned at such a young age.

“The boy carries the blood of the inuyoukai, however muddled it may be. I will save him if only for that reason alone.”

Rin beamed at the man, eyes sparkling with gratitude. Was it ever any guess that he would help? Back then, he had saved her from a worse fate. He was not so cold hearted. She gazed down at the shut eyes of the hanyou that so resembled her Lord.

“You will be alright now.”

The echo of water drizzling from above sang down towards his face. He felt its cooling touch run across his cheek. Something shuffled in its place beside him. A warm touch graced his wounds, carefully applying a cool substance. He flinched. This was all too much. Somehow, this did not seem like the netherworld.

“Sorry, did I wake you?” A woman's voice resounded throughout his aching head. Shirou touched his brow, trying to relive the pain as he sat up. “I do not think you should stand right now. Relax for the moment. I am almost finished treating you.”

He groaned, laying back down and opening his eyes to the brightness of dawn. Shirou reached out his hand, trying to catch the light. The surrounding area was strange. They stayed within a cave. It was musty and old, a less then ideal location for healing injuries. Beyond the cave was a vast forest, stretching far beyond the horizon. It was immense, covering all of the area's lands. This forest was not the one surrounding his home; that was certain. Here there would be no sacred tree. The family he knew was gone.

A wet cloth brushed against his brow. The water poured over him. He turned his eyes to the cave wall away from him. A girl sat there, resting herself. She grasped tightly to a bladed weapon. Her eyes were shut with ash brown strands dancing along her skin.

“I am done applying the ointment. Now you much get some rest,” the first girl announced, interrupting Shirou's gaze.

“Who are you? And where is this place?” Rather than showing gratitude, all he could do was ask questions. Too much was going through his head. He needed answers.

The woman smiled at him as she removed the cloth from his forehead. She dipped it into a bowl full of water. “My name is Rin. My Lord and I spotted you on our way to visit my former guardian, Lady Kaede.” She wrung out the cloth while saying so.

“You know the old woman?”

“Very much so. You were at the mercy of a demon and my Lord saved your life. This place is our safe house, for the time being. It should serve its purpose well until you have recovered.”

“Who is this man you keep mentioning? And that girl…” Shirou looked again at the brunette sleeping in the corner.

Rather then answer his questions, she continued by asking one of her own. She had been pondering this for some time now, and was certain that she reached the correct answer. “You're Master InuYasha's son, are you not?” Shirou nodded, perplexed over how she knew his father. “I knew it! You look a great deal like him. I can, however, see Kagome in your eyes.”

“How…”

“Oh, milord!” Rin picked herself off the ground and dashed to a man standing at the entrance. He was tall and proud with eyes that glowed golden just as his father's did. Silver hair draped over his body as he walked nearer to the black haired Rin. The demon's features were noble. His forehead held a blue crescent marking while dark crimson stripes adorned his pale cheeks. More of those same stripes twisted around his arms, met with his sharp, demonic claws. The man held a condescending air that made Shirou shrink back.

Rin wrapped her arms around his, unafraid of his intimidating demeanor. She was brave, not showing fear when in the presence of such a terrifying youkai. She nudged the demon in the hanyou's direction. “Lord Sesshomaru, the boy has wakened!” Rin remained as cheerful as before.

“Indeed,” said the demon. His voice was deep and eerie, befitting his appearance. I can tell from his scent that he's no ordinary demon. This guy is strong. “What a troublesome half breed.” Sesshomaru glowered.

Shirou scoffed at this; he strongly tried to not act on the insult he was given. He looked behind the demon to a green imp-like creature as it scurried across the cave to the sleeping girl. It shook her gently a few times, but she did not awaken.

“What is your name, boy?” asked Sesshomaru, showing no real interest.

He glared at the man. “Shirou.”

Sesshomaru snickered. Of course the half breed would give his half breed son the name of a house pet. How fitting. That boy did not look impressive. His strength would have been on par with InuYasha at best. Not much could be expected, with so much human blood flowing through him. Still, he did not despise him as he did InuYasha. Perhaps this was also due to Rin's influence.

“I am your father's brother. If it were not for the blood of the inuyoukai that flows through you then I would not have saved your pathetic life. Know this well, boy.”

He stared up at him with enlarged eyes. He had heard it mentioned once or twice about his father's elder sibling. Never did he think he would meet that man, though. He was more impressive then Father! There was no need to see him fight to know of his strength. His aura gave warning to everyone of his might.

“Then you're a hanyou? I couldn't tell at all!”

Sesshomaru cringed. “Do not insult me with your foolish assumptions.” He turned his back on Shirou, ready to head out again. “Sae,” he called out in a low tone. Immediately the sleeping girl snapped to her feet and rushed to his side, the green imp soon to follow. As she passed, Shirou caught her scent. She, too, was a demon. Before heading out, Shirou had one last thing needing an answer.

“Wait! Uncle!”

Sesshomaru's eyebrow twitched, remembering back to the time Kagome had called him “brother” after her marriage. “Do not call me that.”

“Then, Sesshomaru, please teach me how to fight!” He stayed on his knees in an honorific fashion. He needed strength. Without it, he would be a burden to his father once more. He needed the power to protect himself and his sister.

“How dare some half breed ask the great Sesshomaru for something like that? You have some nerve!” The girl Sae's voice projected throughout the cave. She had spunk.

“Interesting.” Sesshomaru's mouth curved ever so slightly.

Jaken trembled. “Milord, are you smiling?” He was ignored.

“You should be asking such things after having proved yourself, Shirou.”

The demon and his two accomplices left, leaving Rin to tend to Shirou. The fact that he even considered it was baffling to all of them. Maybe he still had a chance.