InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ To Choose Another Life ❯ Suspicious Beginnings ( Chapter 5 )

Demoness: Sorry for the delay with the update. This chapter just would not come out no matter what I did. It was almost as if it wanted to remain dormant in my overloaded mind forever. You have authoress Weeble to thank for getting me to write this and finish it. *Receives glare from all the guys chained under her hentai rock* …I'm going to shut up now so that you can read. The same stipulation still stands: No reviews - No sixth chapter! It's now edited! Thank you SilentBystander! *gives giant plate of cookies to her*

Disclaimer: *Is being grilled by the police* But I swear, detectives, I was nowhere near the scene when the rights to Inuyasha were stolen.
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Chapter Five: Suspicious Beginnings

Shinsei wandered through the hallways and corridors of the castle, not caring where her feet brought her. Dealing with Rin brought back old memories that should have remained dormant for all eternity. Her black-clawed hand fingered the fabric collar around her neck as she remembered that day. He was there with her when they had found them. She stopped and closed her eyes, wanting the sensations and images to vanish. She felt the loss as they took the only thing that mattered to her…

She shook her head once and forced herself to forget. When she looked around to see where she was, she wasn't surprised to see the door to Sesshoumaru's study. Letting out a small sigh, she quietly opened the door, let herself in, and smiled upon seeing a very amusing sight. She crossed her arms and leaned back on the door observing the power struggle that was taking place between her brother and Sesshoumaru. Both looked ready to fight to the death if it meant proclaiming a winner in their duel.

She walked over to them and stood behind her seated brother, looking over his shoulder. "Who is winning this time?" she inquired, letting her gaze travel from Shinsetsu to Sesshoumaru.

The silver-haired demon briefly glanced at her, then back to her brother. "I am not inclined to answer that question," he stated simply.

A grin slowly formed on her face and patted Shinsetsu's shoulder. "Please do not hurt him too badly, though it is quite surprising to see that you are not the one who is losing."

For her efforts, the demoness received a jolt of energy and a scowl from her brother. She ruefully rubbed her hand as she sat down on a large pillow. "You never were any fun, Shinsetsu."

Her twin merely smiled and stared at the game before him without seeing. "This is a game of intellect and wit. It requires attention and concentration that you lack. Sesshoumaru is the only other I have found who can be considered a true rival," he chided, moving a black piece on the board.

Shinsei mentally sighed at those comments. "I just do not understand how you can sit there for hours playing shogi and not become tired of it. I suppose it takes a boring mind to play a boring game such as this."

She motioned to the small table in between their two chairs that held black and white pieces. Though she did not like the game, the demoness could clearly see that Sesshoumaru was about to win, and after a few moments, the game was done. As if exhausted, the two opponents slouched back in their chairs, wearing matching expressions.

"I commend you on your strategy, Shinsetsu. If you were playing against any other, you would have won," Sesshoumaru commented, looking into the vacant eyes of the blood demon.

Shinsetsu shook his head and smirked. "Did anyone ever tell you that you should not give compliments? They always sound like challenges, which I am happy to accept tomorrow at the regular time."

The Taiyoukai nodded his head, knowing the perception of his friend. They sat in silence, just enjoying each other's company… That was until Shinsei decided to resume speaking.

"Sesshoumaru, when are the new recruits supposed to arrive?" she asked, picking at the fabric of the pillow she currently sat on.

His piercing gaze fell upon her at the question, not knowing how she could have known. "How did you come across that information, Shinsei?"

She shrugged slightly, her black wings fluttering behind her. "Before dawn, I went to see if Hakunetsu was willing to spar, but he was…indisposed at the moment, so I just looked around his quarters and found the scroll. I left them - him - soon after, and being my normal inquisitive self, opened the scroll and read the information," she said nonchalantly.

His gaze narrowed sharply as he stood slowly. "If you removed the scroll from my General's possession, and the demons aforementioned on that parchment were supposed to arrive at dawn, how are they being seen to?"

Both twins rose at that warning tone in his voice. "Calm yourself, Sesshoumaru. They are being `broken in' by someone who is more qualified in dealing with their abilities. I do not understand why they were not given to Rin to begin with. Hakunetsu has no patience when it comes to dealing with new recruits who have knowledge of sorcery. Honestly, she is carrying a child, not suffering from some debilitating disease!"

Sesshoumaru made a move to slap her, but Shinsetsu stayed his hand. "You will regret striking her if you do. Listen to me; you know as well as anyone that my sister would never willingly put Rin in harm's way. Shinsei knows enough about carrying a child for you to trust her on this matter, Sesshoumaru," he said calmly, trying to avoid a fight.

Shinsetsu released the Taiyoukai's wrist and moved to his sister intending to calm her down as well. His glazed silver eyes looked past her as he put his hand on her shoulder. Not even seconds later, he doubled over, gripping his head as a piercing pain shot through it. He could feel hands supporting him and lowering him into a chair, but he was powerless to anything more than brave the onslaught of fragmented images. The sights and sensations assaulted all of his senses. He could hear their voices, sense their emotions, and do the very thing taken from him years ago - he could see them.

The flashes began to fade, taking the pain with them, and finally ended, allowing him to take in a much-needed breath. Shinsetsu slowly opened his eyes to the normal darkness, but he could see the outline of his sister's aura in front of him. She gripped his hands as hard has he did hers, though he knew his claws had pierced the backs of her hands. His breathing was trying to level out after his lungs had not drawn in air for a few minutes.

Shinsei looked worriedly at her bother, fearful of every time Shinsetsu had a vision. She was terrified that he would not come back from the tormenting images he was forced to endure. She brushed the bangs away from his face, trying to calm him. "What did you see?" she asked carefully.

As her question penetrated his mind, his head instantly shot to the window. "The lower barracks…Rin! You have to get her out of there!" he yelled, alarmed at what was to happen.

Shinsei squeezed his hand one last time and raced onto the balcony with Sesshoumaru in time to see the structure collapse on its occupants. Fear seized the Taiyoukai's heart for the first time in his life. He hoped that Shinsetsu's premonition was wrong as he jumped down from the balcony and headed straight for the razed building. `For once in his life, Shinsetsu is wrong.'

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A very agitated Hakunetsu and flustered Nezumi ran through the castle, making quite an uproar. The black-clad spy phased through people and objects without even thinking. Her whole mind was focused on reaching the barracks and beating the General to within an inch of his life. She glanced at said general out of the corner of her eye, locking her crimson ones with his amber.

"Why the hell did I wake up in your room this morning? Not only that, but wrapped in your arms no less!" she yelled at him.

Hakunetsu was torn between being concerned about what had caused that explosion and being extremely annoyed with Nezumi's ranting. "Wait a minute," he retorted. "You came to my room of your own free will last night, and then you fell asleep. What did you want me to do? Sleep on the floor?"

"Yeah! You are a dog and that's where you belong. On…the…Floor!" She practically screamed at him, as she phased right through the door leading to the garden.

Hakunetsu broke the door, sending shards of wood everywhere in his haste to follow her. "I don't understand why you are getting so upset about this. I wasn't even the one to kiss you first. You came onto me with those roaming hands of yours!"

"At least I wasn't the one looking at my breasts like they were a child's favorite toy, you pervert! You're such an arrogant asshole!" She chastised, rounding the last corner of the garden that lead to the training grounds.

The normally composed general looked ready to strangle her. He simply could not believe how upset she was over the whole thing. She came to his room last night, saying that Lord Sesshoumaru had ordered her to see to him, and then began fussing over him the instant she saw the blood dripping down his neck. Of course, the General did not mind that attention from her, especially when one thing led to another. Moreover, he certainly didn't mind the light exploration of each other's bodies, but it never went beyond that.

Hakunetsu mentally groaned, remembering all the feelings he experienced at the time. What did he have to do to get her underneath him, writhing in ecstasy? In the two centuries he had been pursuing women, the General could not remember ever having the amount of trouble he had now. He would have liked nothing more then to analyze every aspect of their `relationship,' but that option vanished instantly when his eyes settled on the barracks that housed the lowest ranking soldiers.

The once proud, two-story building had been reduced to a pile of rubble. Most soldiers appeared to be uninjured, with only minor cuts and bruises, and only a handful appeared to have received broken bones. Hakunetsu surpassed Nezumi using his full speed and intercepted Sesshoumaru. The General could tell something had unnerved the Taiyoukai, though to others he would appear as he always did.

Hakunetsu trailed behind the Western Lord as he calmly walked over to one of the wounded soldiers. The Private had just finished tying a piece of cloth around the gash on his arm so he could help his comrades, and unfortunately, he did not see Sesshoumaru coming towards him.

The Western Lord unceremoniously grabbed the front of the soldier's haori as he pinned him to the spot with a deadly glare. "Was Colonel Rin in the barracks at the time of the collapse?" Sesshoumaru questioned, his temper shown in the low tone of his words.

Hakunetsu's jaw dropped as the implications of that simple question registered fully. If Rin had been inside at the time of the collapse…she was still trapped underneath everything. He watched the soldier jerkily nod his head under the intense scrutiny of the Taiyoukai, who finally released him. The Private scurried away from the Demon Lord to other officers who had watched the exchange.

Hakunetsu watched his friend carefully as he climbed the heap of debris. He saw the slight flash of worry in Sesshoumaru's eyes, which he hid from all others. The General immediately set out organizing the soldiers to look for Rin. Groups formed of various soldiers, mixing ranks and abilities. Rivalries and grudges were abandoned in this combined effort to locate their Colonel, and no one was willing to stop until they found her.

Nezumi worked with Hikaru, Keihatsu, and Seidan, the training group from the other day. Hakunetsu had joined them after seeing to the total operation. All bore solemn expressions while they worked on removing the pieces and Hakunetsu knew it was not his place to offer hope when he himself was having a hard time finding it. All the soldiers were demons and could easily survive something like this, but Rin was human. Though it was often forgotten, her body was frail compared to that of a demon's. She was not able to resist illness and could not suffer sever injuries without the prospect of dying from them.

Those thoughts spurred him to work faster and harder. Hakunetsu hefted up one of the support beams from the heap and threw it onto one of the growing piles away from the former barrack. He was about to grab another piece when two figures walking towards the site captured his attention. The General slowly turned towards them, the four others he worked with doing the same. One by one, the other soldiers followed suit, as they watched the brother and sister calmly walk towards them.

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Shinsetsu and Shinsei remained in Sesshoumaru's study after he left, silently debating over whether or not they would lend their aid. All the reasons why they had hidden rose to the surface, bringing the long-buried memories with them. They escaped fifty years ago into the Western Lands and were fortunate enough to be saved by the Western Taiyoukai, Sesshoumaru. He had made sure they were taken care of and he personally housed them in his castle for all this time.

They owed a debt to him and to everyone here, especially Rin. She had removed the barriers around their hearts, and started to heal them with her innocence and energy for life. Even when their minds told them to stay quiet and not to help, their hearts overrode the will to protect themselves. The desire to save her made up their minds and they gave in.

Now they stood in front of the occupants of the castle grounds, willingly and ready to reveal themselves. Shinsetsu opened a mental link to everyone and asked for each of them to move away from the wreckage. Shinsei saw the soldiers and servants leave the areas they were clearing and huddle together on the side. Sesshoumaru tried asking them why, but Shinsei simply shook her head, halting the question.

The pair walked through the crowd to stand next to Hakunetsu's group and Sesshoumaru. With glances from the twins, they all moved back, not sure of what they hoped to accomplish with only the two of them. Shinsei wore a small smile as she turned to face her brother and him to her. A soft white aura surrounded both of them as Shinsei reached out and removed the silver circlet around Shinsetsu's head. He reached out and mirrored her actions as the glow intensified around them. With the bands gone, markings were clearly seen on their foreheads, earning gasps from the onlookers.

The center of their foreheads held a blue crescent moon that opened to the left, and was bordered on either side by a black wing. This was a royal symbol that only the rulers of the North Shore Lands bore. It was rumored that the royal family had been murdered when the war broke out many years ago, but here was living proof that they were wrong.

Shinsei smiled softly, looking to Sesshoumaru. "Thank you for doing all that you have for us, but it is time to stop hiding and come out into the open. It is time to let us help you for a change."

The pair turned their backs to the crowd and each extended a hand, palm facing the collapsed building. The rubble and debris glowed along with the two blood demons and increased to blinding proportions, causing everyone to shield their eyes. With a flash, the light vanished, along with all the debris covering the grounds from the collapse.

On the ground, lying before them was not only Rin, but Mangetsu as well. Before Shinsei or Shinsetsu could move towards the fallen figures, Hakunetsu, Nezumi and Sesshoumaru flew by them. Shinsei's heart thudded in pain as she saw Mangetsu carefully being rolled off Rin. He had obviously tried to protect her during the collapse, and in the process, injured himself.

Her brother moved closer to her and whispered in a tone so only she would hear. "Go to him. You must move on with your life and he is the one who is supposed to guide you."

He nudged her forward and she instantly complied, running and kneeling by Mangetsu's side. Shinsei brushed the dark green hair away from the Taka youkai's face and her eyes softened as his started to open. He looked up at her with eyes that reminded her so much of a perfect sunset. Varying shades of golds, reds, and purples blended in a dazzling pattern that made her heart skip a beat every time he looked at her.

His skin, lightly tanned from being out in the sun, accented his eyes and the two markings on his face. A thin, black stripe started at the edge of each eye and continued down the sides of his face to his jaw. Shinsei scanned over his body and did not see any outward signs of injury, but he could have suffered internal injuries or broken bones.

She calmly placed a hand on the center of his chest and let her energy flow into him, repairing the break in his spine and the fractures in both his wings. The Blood demoness watched as the pain and discomfort seeped from his aura, but before he could say a word, Shinsei started the conversation.

"It is nice to see you again, Mangetsu, but next time, do not make me have to dig you out from under tons of rubble," she jested, smiling down at him.

He covered her hand with his own and gave her a faint grin. "Missed…you…too," he whispered.

She moved away from him over to where Shinsetsu was treating Rin. The girl was unconscious with the upper half of her body resting in Sesshoumaru's arms. Her brother held a hand over Rin's lower abdomen, surrounded by a dark crimson aura. She came to his side and saw the extensive bruising under his hand through a large tear in the girl's black kimono. The ugly midnight color marred her skin, and Shinsei knew what could result from that type of trauma. She immediately added her own strength and power to Shinsetsu's, hoping to repair the damage before it was too late.

Sesshoumaru watched the blood demons work. He was unable to help and forced to wait and see what the outcome would be. The Taiyoukai knew that this was no accident. No, this was calculated beforehand, and carefully implemented. He could still smell the faint stench of acid, which was most likely used to melt the main supports. It made his blood boil to think that someone had invaded his grounds, concocted this scheme, and carried it out with no one the wiser.

He stared down at the woman in his arms, wishing for her eyes to open and look at him. He wanted to hear her soft, melodic voice, and would be glad just to have her yell at him, to have her accuse him of being an ignorant and obstinate demon. Anything. What he would have given for anything other than the tense silence that circled around him, encasing him in its mocking presence.

The agonizing minutes passed until the twins pulled their hands back, looking exhausted. Shinsetsu gazed at Sesshoumaru with blind eyes as a tired smile made its way to his lips. He heard the low voice in his head speaking and he focused on it, giving it his full attention.

"Rin is fine, Sesshoumaru…and so is your son."

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Demoness: This is not one of my favorite chapters. I did not do a good job at writing it and you readers deserve better of me as an authoress. I'll see if I can do better on the next chapter. I have had some of you guessing on who the traitor is, some are way off and others are right on. Keep up the guessing….

Sesshoumaru: The Demoness does not feel like talking anymore so I will finish for her. The full descriptions of Hakunetsu, Nezumi and a few others will be coming in the next chapter if she remembers, and she will try to better explain exactly what a blood demon is.

Japanese Translations:
Taka youkai - Hawk demon
Shogi - Ancient form of Japanese chess

Sneak peak of the next chapter:
How much have Shinsei and Shinsetsu truly been hiding from everyone around them?