InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ War's Shadow ❯ Disturbed Soul ( Chapter 16 )

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

Quick note to prevent confusion, especially for those of you who have not read "Reflected Past" or for those of you who read it a really long time ago. I had a scene in there where Sesshoumaru gave Rin the bow she uses and he told her where it came from. That backstory was part of what made me come up with the plot/characters involved in this story. So just to prevent confusion, I'm inserting part of that scene here so that you'll have some idea of why I went back 600 years in the beginning of this chapter. I felt there needed to be a little explanation of some things, since all of this will come into later chapters.

[ From Reflected Past, Chapter 13 – The Sword's Intentions and the Jewel's Guardian: ( Also, "Reflected Past" is currently only on FanFiction.net. I haven't put it over here yet because it needs massive re-writing )

"What is special about that bow?" Rin asked, glancing down at the weapon that was clutched in his hand. It gleamed a shiny white-gray and was apparently not made of wood, as most normal bows were. Sesshoumaru was quick to verify that assumption.

"This belonged to my father's youngest sister, Sesali. It was constructed from the bones of one of our family's greatest enemies, a dog demon named Eido. He was, at the time, the lord of the north. My grandfather was overconfident in his dealings with the northerners, which eventually resulted in their defeating our family and seizing our lands. My father and his younger brother and sister were the only ones to survive, though they were barely more than children at the time."

Rin listened in subdued silence at this story, finally opening her mouth to say, "But you are in control here again …"

Sesshoumaru smiled slightly, looking more than a little malicious as he replied, "My father retaliated. A decade later he, his brother, Kanaye, and Sesali led a war against the northern lord and killed him and his immediate family, leaving the lord's brother to ascend to power in that region. My father set about securing his position and was determined not to repeat his own father's mistakes. He made friends, demon and human alike, and he dealt harshly with his enemies."

He paused in his story and extended the bow toward Rin, who took it, examining the carvings and writings that were scrawled across the bones. "Sesali was the one to kill the northern lord. She extracted the bones from his corpse and sent the remains back to his family with a message saying that, in death, he would help her defend the lands he stole. She then used the bones to construct this bow, which retains some of its youkai power to this day." ]

So there we go! On with the chapter…

16 – Disturbed Soul

600 Years Ago …

The battlefield had been completely laid to waste, a monument to the wrath of the western lord who looked out on it with solemn accomplishment. This place now displayed the finality he felt had been achieved; the land was leveled almost to bedrock from the heated fight, most of it wrought by himself and the overconfident Lord Eido. The fool…to think that he actually believed his claim to the west was legitimate. Inutaisho rarely took pleasure in death, but the look of dumbstruck disbelief on Eido's face as his end had been handed to him had been obscenely rewarding.

And now his soul can rot…and Father's can rest.

A subtle movement materialized at his elbow and he turned to look at his sister, who was still wearing an expression of one who was not quite finished punishing their enemies; a vague dissatisfaction that it was already over. She glanced over her shoulder as though looking for something before turning back to his light frown of reproach.

"Ahh, Sesali," Inutaisho sighed with false drama. "I turn my back for one moment and you take my kill."

"I was tired of looking at him," she complained, delicate eyebrows falling into a nearly petulant expression. Her sleeves were rolled up, hands and arms covered in filth that contradicted her usual adherence to fastidious perfection.

"You were impatient."

"You should have been quicker," she remarked airily.

"What do you intend to do with Eido's…remains?" he inquired curiously.

She smiled faintly at that, looking very pleased. "I have plans for him...."

A grunted curse prompted both of their heads to swivel with an identical motion at the sounds of heavy feet slogging through the muddy, gutted earth. Kanaye was barely recognizable under the many layers of mud and grime he had collected during the fierce battle; he looked like some foreign, primitive warrior…and he was unmercifully dragging his prisoner along by the collar, jerking him back off-balance whenever the obviously annoyed youkai made an attempt to right himself and regain his dignity. As though tossing out the garbage, Kanaye threw Eizan at Inutaisho's feet.

"Now to figure out what to do with this bastard," Kanaye announced. "I've got several ideas. For starters, where's that damned dragon?" he inquired, glancing around but clearly not taking his peripheral sight off of his captive as, the moment Eizan tried to pull himself up, Kanaye squashed him back to the ground with a heavy stomp. "You are my dog. Behave like one."

"We're not feeding him to the dragon, Kanaye. The battle's over, you can shut down your psychotic side," Sesali admonished with evident exasperation.

Kanaye blinked at her as though not comprehending. "Eh? Is your short term memory failing, kiddo? Because I saw what you did to old Eido over there. That was fucking scary."

"He deserved it," she muttered darkly, her poisonous glare falling to the groveling Eizan who did his best to match her intimidating stare.

"I didn't say I wasn't proud of the result," Kanaye offered charmingly, revoking Eizan's second attempt to pull himself up out of the muck. This time Kanaye kept his foot on the youkai's neck. "If you move again, I'm going to break it," he warned mildly, as though hopeful that Eizan would not take him seriously

"Eizan," Inutaisho spoke in his low, measured tone, one that did not hint much as to the youkai's fate, "You are all that's left now. Is there a reason why I should not send you after your brother?"

"Since when did he have options?" Kanaye complained.

The pressure on his neck eased and Eizan slowly lifted his head to look up at Inutaisho who appeared very regal and removed from the entire affair while Eizan was caked in grime, his long hair coated with a layer of mud from his fight with Kanaye, a battle that had clearly not been kind to him. His eyes were dark and challenging, but he kept his tone polite as he began, "Inutaisho, I have---"

He was cut off when Kanaye's boot sent him face-first back into the ground, and this time Eizan growled a curse.

"Try that again," Kanaye suggested with wicked glee. "And this time add that pesky title you've been trying to rip away from him."

"Lord Inutaisho," Eizan ground out, sending Kanaye a look of pure malice. "I was merely following my brother's orders. You know that I have never vocally laid a claim to the west. Eido was short-sighted and greedy and I regret the irreparable harm that has been done to your people. My brother was not the most stable-minded man, something I am sure you can sympathize with," he added, casting a sly, spiteful look in Kanaye's direction. He quickly turned back to Inutaisho, all sincerity and good will once more. "All I wish to do is return home now that this matter has been settled. As you know, my mate and your intended are very good friends, childhood friends…"

"He's going to talk all night if we let him," Kanaye stated, drawing a blood-coated sword from the sheath at his waist.

"Kanaye," Inutaisho murmured warningly, not taking his eyes from Eizan.

"Don't tell me you're buying that load of shit he just shoveled out. 'Childhood friends'," Kanaye mocked in a mean-spirited, higher-pitched voice. "If you let him go, we'll hear about this later, I guarantee it."

"Stop speaking, Kanaye. Get up," Inutaisho ordered Eizan, ignoring Kanaye's warning. The muddy youkai did as he was told, rising up with an even expression, as though not willing to predict his own fate. He found it difficult to meet the western lord's imperious stare; it was disconcertingly unreadable, without either malice or kindness.

"Your mate is expecting your heir soon, correct? A boy?" Inutaisho questioned, and received a nod of agreement from his captive. "And I think you would like to see that child when it arrives." Inutaisho stopped and watched Eizan's face carefully, shrewdly, as though not entirely certain of his own decision. "The vendetta has to end somewhere and I wish to end it here. I think we've done enough to each other. Go home, Eizan."

Eizan blinked in astonishment at his sudden reversal of fortune, but wasted no time in fleeing the battlefield, leaving his captors behind to ponder the ramifications of Inutaisho's benevolent decision.

"What have you done?" Kanaye growled, his fists clenching, looking as though he was having to physically restrain himself from chasing Eizan down.

"That was exceptionally kind of you," Sesali remarked as she watched Eizan's retreat. "But someone like you can afford to be kind."

Inutaisho's face remained cool and impassive as he listened to their words. "Very little kindness was involved. I have released one who is no threat to me. Why kill something so pitiful?" he questioned in an odd tone, before taking his leave.

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The storm was roiling over the landscape, sharp streaks of lightning clawing brightly at the sky, breaking through the gloom periodically to show that there was more to come. A heavy wind was blowing in from the sea, salty and abrasive, adding to the general feeling of malaise that had seized his castle. Eizan had been able to feel the approach of Ryuujin, that wretched weapon, and knew that Kawahira had been successful in retrieving it.

He waited now, that oppressive jyaki spilling through the corridors of his home like a noxious fume, coating the place with a palpable evil. It had been so many years since he had seen that weapon, centuries, ever since his brother's death at the hands of those western dogs. He loved it for its sheer power, hated it for the fact that it had rejected him, but none of that mattered now as long as someone would be capable of wielding it against his enemies.

Eizan turned to watch as Kawahira entered the room, Eido's halberd slung over his shoulder as if it were a mere gardening tool. But for all his careless poise, Eizan recognized that dark look in Kawahira's eyes, that black, soulless craving for destruction that came from Ryuujin. He had seen it before in Eido, and clearly the weapon was responding to Kawahira.

"I see you found it," he said in a non-committal tone.

"It wasn't difficult," Kawahira explained, heaving the weapon off of his shoulder and resting it against the wall. In that moment, it was easy to differentiate the effect of the halberd on the bearer. Kawahira appeared suddenly weary and that look of death left his eyes.

"Will it reject you?" Eizan questioned, feeling that he already knew the answer and repressing the surge of jealousy that came with it.

"No. I've already used it," Kawahira supplied, but did not add the details of his apparent test. A flash of lightning streaked outside, highlighting the two youkai and the oppressive atmosphere that hung around them.

The moment was broken as light, familiar footsteps approached them. Elif stormed into the room with her usual aura of entitlement, but the young woman wore an unsettled expression. Her eyes quickly fell on the weapon that was nestled against the stone wall, then flickered up to her brother's face.

"What is that thing? It's horrible," she stated, watching Kawahira suspiciously.

"It's none of your business," Kawahira growled, reaching to retrieve the weapon once more. He hefted it onto his shoulder and Elif blinked at the strange change that instantly overtook him, nothing overtly obvious, but something…creepy…seemed to descend over Kawahira as soon as he had resumed possession of the weapon.

"What's wrong with it?" Elif asked slowly.

"Nothing is wrong with it. It hasn't been used in a while. I'll have to adjust to it," came Kawahira's short, clipped response, as though daring her to challenge him on the matter.

Elif shook her head, her long dark hair waving with the motion. "I don't think that's a good idea. Why don't you take it back to where you found it?" she suggested, keeping her tone conciliatory in an effort to offset Kawahira's sudden moodiness.

"And why don't you take your brother's advice and mind your own business?" Eizan suggested sternly.

Elif's head instantly swiveled toward her father, who was standing very casually, leaning against the low window sill. There was something ominous about all of this; Elif felt certain it was not in Kawahira's best interests to…

"That's Ryuujin, isn't it?" she questioned accusingly. "Eido's weapon?"

"Stay out of it, Elif," Kawahira warned darkly before disappearing out the door, hauling the massive halberd with him. Instantly the air in the room seemed to clear, but the mood only worsened.

"What are you doing?" Elif exclaimed, rounding on Eizan angrily. "That horrid thing drove Eido mad! Why would you ever have Kawahira retrieve it? Are you that anxious to win? No matter what you have to do? When did you become so ruthless?" she ranted at him, seized by that fear that she had experienced after Ashihei's burial, that premonition of a bleak future she had discussed with Kawahira.

"I've not changed at all, my dear," Eizan claimed, eyebrows upraised in a manner that feigned surprise at her reaction. "Your brother is the strongest of us all. He will wield it temporarily, and when all is finished we will seal it back in with Eido's remains." Eizan moved away from the window and walked closer to her, his eyes lit with a malice that sickened her. "It's enough to kill Sesshoumaru. Tomorrow night is a new moon and the hanyou will be vulnerable, unable to use Tessaiga. And when Kanaye comes for Sashe, I will conclude the fight we started a long time ago." Eizan smiled charmingly at the stricken Elif. "I am finished with cat-and-mouse games. They have destroyed too many of our people. It is time for more drastic measures."

Elif's mouth set into a firm, angry line as she hissed, "If you want to kill them so badly, why don't you take on Ryuujin instead of leaving the risk to Kawahira? Are you really such a coward?"

Instantly Eizan latched onto her arm and hauled her toward him, a barely veiled fury lighting his eyes. Elif stilled and watched his face, amazed at what she saw, because she barely recognized him.

"True cowardice is being too afraid to fight with your own people because your heart is so wrapped up in childish, romantic notions of a rabid mongrel that needs to be put down with the rest of his kin."

"As opposed to the bravery of a lord who sends his children off to die for the sake of his pride?" Elif replied, her fingers working to pry his hand loose from her arm. It was he who finally pushed her away.

"I have been lenient with you. Too much so. Make yourself scarce for a while, Elif, or that will change," he warned in a frigid, angry tone.

Elif backed out of the room, her heart pumping with an unvoiced rage. None of this was necessary and all of it was because of a centuries-old grudge, greed for something that would never belong to him. These things she had known, but she had not understood the depths he would sink to in order to achieve it. They were being sacrificed to his whim, they were expendable…just like Mother.

As she wandered aimlessly, she found herself following that oppressive feeling, the one that led her to Kawahira's room. The door was flung open, the stone floors appearing as overcast as the dreary grey evening. He was there, reading a slightly damp letter that must have recently been delivered. The halberd was resting just inches from him, its worn covering speaking of its long disuse. He looked up when he felt her eyes on him.

"What is it?" he questioned mildly.

"I'm leaving for a while. I have to get away from him," she said hesitantly, not meeting his gaze. She finally lifted her head when he didn't respond to her and she wondered if speaking to him at all had been a good move; he was so smart, he understood people eerily well.

"You shouldn't be telling me this," he finally said.

"I'm not betraying you," she said firmly.

He smiled widely at her words. "Of course you're not, little sister. Your heart was never with us in the first place. One cannot betray if they never switch sides."

Something about those words pained her, but she knew he had not meant them in a spiteful manner…and that only made it all worse. "I want to do what I can to make sure you and Keito are okay when this is over."

He nodded patronizingly at that. "And Father?" he questioned with grim humor.

"Father can go to hell," she murmured with little feeling, physically feeling her heart harden. "He's using you. Don't let him," she advised, her eyes sweeping across Ryuujin once more as she turned and left it all behind.

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"What a mess," Inuyasha said soberly as his bare feet carefully picked their steps through the charred remnants of the human town. This time it had been some sort of fort not far from a daimyou's castle, and so Inuyasha assumed the various, scattered contingents of Eizan's army were growing bored or ….

"They're trying to prove a point," Kanaye blandly assumed, unmoved by the gory display as he stepped irreverently over a fallen body. "This is Kawahira in true form as, "Hey, Sesshoumaru, look at what a badass I am. Fear my wrath."

Inuyasha looked up as Sesshoumaru made a sound that was suspiciously akin to a low, evil laugh, amber eyes narrowing suspiciously at the expression on his brother's face. "Are you smiling?" Inuyasha queried with a tone of revulsion. "Quit it, it's creepy. Besides, I'm not seeing what you think is so funny about all of this."

"It is difficult to "fear the wrath" of someone who continuously makes practice targets out of these pathetic creatures," Sesshoumaru replied. He was not particularly interested in the demise of this fort other than the fact that Kawahira was becoming repetitive in targeting these unfortunate human settlements just for the sake of showing that he could do a thorough job and be gone before Sesshoumaru discovered where he was.

"And what sort of targets do you practice on?" Inuyasha questioned sarcastically, imagining a legion of groveling Jakens willingly lining up to be sent careening into non-existence for the sake of Sesshoumaru's entertainment.

"I need no practice targets," Sesshoumaru pronounced with authority, eyes sliding coolly toward Inuyasha. "I have you, Inuyasha."

Inuyasha snorted derisively at that, ears flicking involuntarily as the wind picked up and blew in their direction. He really wasn't in the mood to start something with Sesshoumaru; this place was sucking the fight right out of him. There was something faintly depressing in a burned-out village full of deceased humans who had died because of sparring demon egos. Or maybe it was because the sun was setting, draining the youkai out of him with every passing minute, making him more sympathetic to these people who had had no way to level the battlefield against such opponents. But at least most of the jyaki had dissipated by the time they had arrived, this place seemed to have fallen victim to the same oppressive miasma that had forced them away from the mountains.

Leaping effortlessly over a few collapsed, smoking buildings, Sesshoumaru found himself in what he approximated as the center of the large town, taking note of the obvious fact that here the destruction had not been caused by fire, but by ….

What? he wondered, eyeing the wide strip of razed earth that had been cut cleanly down the middle of the village, splitting whole buildings in half and disintegrating whatever had been directly in its path. And here the remnants of that evil aura clung even more tenaciously, as though unwilling to dissipate.

Although he had yet to speak about it openly, he had a fairly good idea of what had originated this sort of destruction. He personally had never witnessed it as it had been sealed somewhere with Eido's remains before his birth, but Sesshoumaru suspected that he was looking at damage that had been inflicted by Ryuujin.

And clearly Eido's soul has been disturbed because it was unearthed and removed from him, Sesshoumaru concluded, which was the source of the release of miasma around the mountains. That must be the site where he was buried…and it explains Ashitera's description of an'evil mountain'.

He straightened from his inspection of the disturbed ground to find Inuyasha at his elbow, frowning as though not sure what had garnered so much of his attention. "What is it?"

Sesshoumaru did not reply, but looked up as Kanaye rejoined them. Inuyasha turned and eyed the elder youkai with shrewdly narrowed golden eyes. "Are there any survivors?"

"Not anymore," Kanaye replied with cool indifference.

Inuyasha's mouth fell open in disgust. "What the hell are we thinking letting you wander around on your own, you damned psycho!" Still wearing a look of revulsion, the hanyou stormed off to do his own inspection of the destroyed town.

Sesshoumaru glanced at Kanaye who appeared vaguely pleased by the accusation of mental instability. "Did you actually kill the survivors?" he questioned, somehow not convinced as it was much more like Kanaye to leave a human to suffer in such a situation than deign to expend the energy it would take to kill them.

Kanaye's eyes slid in Sesshoumaru's direction, appearing sly. "No, there weren't any. It's just enticingly easy to work the brat up into a temper. I'm quite sick of him. He's become your loud, lop-eared shadow."

"Ignore him," Sesshoumaru suggested. "You have likely seen this before, so I will ask you," he said, pointing to the deeply rutted ground. "What does that look like to you?"

Kanaye knelt and eyed it, allowing that creeping, dark aura to delve into his memories. "Ryuujin," he finally said quietly, adding a humorless laugh. "Those bastards dug up old Eido…or what was left of him…and stole the damned thing. Eizan must be pretty desperate if he's resorting to robbing his own brother's grave."

Sesshoumaru said nothing, but felt a stab of irritation at the words as he had done something similar just a few years earlier.

"That's what was used when they stole the west the first time. It's what he tried to use when we took it back," Kanaye said, mouth slowly turning up into an evil grin. "It didn't work as well for him the second time."

"Why wouldn't Eizan choose to keep such a powerful weapon?"

"Eizan couldn't wield it," Kanaye revealed. "Don't think for an instant that it was out of respect for his brother. It was to save his pride; burying it made him look like he was powerful enough not to need it and saved him from having to show that he wasn't quite up to using the thing." Kanaye paused for a moment, then added, "But now he's got Kawahira. I guess they think the boy is strong enough to wield it properly."

"Then that's what these village attacks have been about. They have been practice."

"Kawahira's playing with his new sword. I'm sure he'll wear out on using it on humans. He'll come try to test it on you pretty soon," Kanaye said, his tone deeply certain. "You've got to go back and stalk old Toutousai, because you're about to need a serious weapon, kid."

Sesshoumaru made a dismissive sound and began to move away, but his progress was halted when a heavy hand grabbed him by the shoulder. "That's a warning you should heed," Kanaye told him, eyes darkening with warning as he released Sesshoumaru. "Ryuujin caused your grandfather's death. Don't take it lightly. Claws and quickness won't be enough."

"I'll be fighting Kawahira more than Ryuujin," Sesshoumaru replied stiffly.

"I think you're a lot of things, Sesshoumaru, but stupid isn't one of them. Don't make me change my mind," Kanaye said, sounding faintly grim.

"And what do you propose? Even if I were to find a suitable weapon in the small amount of time I likely have, it would be more for their use than mine because of that human woman they have," Sesshoumaru replied, eyeing Kanaye with a frosty glare. "You picked a poor opportunity to test out the remnants of your benevolence. Next time, perhaps you'll allow your brain to make your decisions instead of leaving such things to a less logical appendage."

Kanaye barked a rough laugh, sounding more angry than amused. "You're projecting, Sesshoumaru," he said smugly. "You'd better speed things up if you want to test out that wretched little human girl before she turns to dust. Maybe you'll come off as less frustrated---"

Kanaye's words were cut off when poisonous fingertips clamped around his throat and, instantly, he retaliated in a similar fashion, wrapping his own hand around Sesshoumaru's neck in an effort to cut off access to air. They locked into a brief stalemate, each waiting for the other to progress the fight, both wearing identical expressions of malevolence, venomous looks that were matched only by the smell of poison-singing flesh.

"What the hell…do you two realize how stupid you look?" Inuyasha's voice called as he halted in the process of carrying a wrapped bundle that appeared to be a body.

Sesshoumaru, face cold and angry, finally shoved Kanaye backward with a warning, "That subject is not healthy for you, Kanaye. Stay away from it."

"Same goes for you," Kanaye replied icily. "But don't think for an instant that my feelings had anything to do with saving her. If those had been my sole motivator, she'd be decomposing instead of off causing trouble somewhere." His gaze slid to the spectator that was Inuyasha. "And what are you gawking at?"

Inuyasha shrugged and began moving toward a row of hastily dug graves. "Proof of where Sesshoumaru inherited his penchant for being so damned stupid," he called back in a sneering voice. "Why don't you two stop showing off whose is bigger long enough to do something about these people?"

Kanaye instantly turned back to Sesshoumaru. "Keep an eye on him because I'm warning you now … I'm going to correct my brother's mistake if he doesn't shut his mouth."

"You are here of your own volition," Sesshoumaru calmly reminded him, all trace of his earlier fury gone as he turned to look out at the spreading horizon. In the distance, the mountains glowed with a fiery light as sunset crept closer. There was an air of solemnity tonight, something that went beyond the grim destruction that lay sprawled at his feet. He was experiencing something rare for him, a sense of foreboding that made him certain that something was off, something that was tugging warningly at his senses.

Sesshoumaru stopped his intent scanning of the fading distance, and looked back at Kanaye, whose face had likewise fallen back to its usual neutrality, a mask for his thoughts. Suddenly, his expression became amused.

"For years you said that you were waiting for him to grow up, and then you'd end matters with our little embarrassment," Kanaye murmured, eyes raking toward Inuyasha, who was continuing the work of burying the fallen humans. "You never quite finished it, did you? That sounds a lot like Inutaisho and I…he would threaten, I would ignore him, we would beat the living hell out of each other, and then it would start over again. Strange how that worked out."

"You have no idea how many times my father seriously considered ending your trouble-making, Kanaye," Sesshoumaru grimly revealed.

"And yet he didn't. And do you know why that is? I'm his kid brother. There's a certain amount of responsibility that goes into that, no matter if you like it or not…even with you and that unfortunate mongrel. It looks like your Dad just barely managed to beat that into your head before he died."

"Do not compare us," Sesshoumaru scoffed. "My father had at least some grudging affection for you. That is what continuously spared your life. Inuyasha does not reap the same benefit from me."

"And yet there he is, wandering about as if he has a right," Kanaye's voice was cool and calculating as he spoke, nearly taunting. "Why isn't he dead, Sesshoumaru?"

Sesshoumaru was silent for so long that Kanaye assumed he was not going to receive a reply…and assumed correctly. Sesshoumaru turned to eye the distant mountains again, frowning faintly. "Should I trust you, Kanaye?"

"That's an odd question coming from you."

"I want an honest answer, because I will hold you accountable."

"Honest answer," Kanaye repeated, appearing thoughtful. "It depends on what I'm being trusted with." Sesshoumaru turned an icy stare on him and Kanaye smiled vaguely. "I have a feeling about where this is going. You'd be better off if I went with you, but you've become much too entangled with the lives of these people for your own good. You can trust me for tonight."

Sesshoumaru's glare became more pronounced. "I have little interest in any but one of the few people I am entrusting to you. But there is the matter of Eizan's goals, and those include destroying the people around me. I won't allow him the satisfaction. Once this is over, they can go to hell and I will be nothing short of pleased."

"That's very youkai of you," Kanaye congratulated in a mocking voice.

"Inuyasha becomes human tonight. I suspect we will be seeing something from Eizan to coincide with that."

"How humiliating for him," Kanaye replied, looking oddly pleased. "But it should be entertaining at least."

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The sky was awash in crimson, a disconcerting shade that only increased the bloody pall that had been cast over the landscape. Inuyasha finished piling dirt into the final grave, stopping to wipe his hands clean. It had been years since he had made a routine out of doing this, but with Kawahira's recent movements becoming more pronounced and increasingly more violent, he was becoming a little too accustomed to digging graves again. It was a good thing they had left the girls behind; though it was frustrating for Kagome and Rin, whatever Kawahira was doing to these villages was releasing a fatal amount of jyaki.

He rose from the ground, casting another unnerved look at the sky. No moon. He knew it wasn't going to appear tonight, but it was as though the back of his mind kept hoping it would surprise him.

Time to head back, he thought to himself, taking one last look around to make certain he had gotten to everyone. There was no sign of Kanaye and Sesshoumaru who, not surprisingly, had refused to do anything with the remains of the humans whose lives had ended in this place. Inuyasha had not thought it too much to at least give them proper burials. It was the smaller graves that pricked at his conscience the most, reminded him that nothing was sacred as far as Eizan's people were concerned. Children were no exception …

His thoughts flickered back to Kagome, certain that she must be working herself into a frenzy and likely giving Sesshoumaru an earful for having returned without him. He began registering that faint tingling sensation, the one that warned of a looming transformation back into his human form and Inuyasha decided that he would have to make a quick run unless he wanted to spend most of the night trekking his way back at human speed.

Intent on beating out his internal clock, Inuyasha launched himself into a sprint, tearing across the field in the direction of the forest. His sense of smell was already failing him and he was reminded of those years as a boy; when this cursed night had arrived each month and he had been faced with the problem of finding a shelter suitable for waiting out the darkness. Those had been the loneliest nights of his life, that trapped feeling of being by himself, blind and deaf by youkai standards. That had been when he had allowed himself to wallow in self-pity and that burning jealousy over the human kids in their warm little villages with parents and family and people who were older and better suited for worrying about such a basic thing as surviving.

He felt himself begin to slow a little bit as the chirping of crickets faded into the background of his breathing and the sounds of his feet slapping through the grass. Inuyasha wondered if his child would have to endure such a thing … this humiliating transformation. Or would he ... or she? … have one form that was solidly them? Maybe they would get the best out of him and Kagome, the ability to protect themselves better than a human without the darker aspects of youkai heritage. Inuyasha doubted he had ever been more desperate for anything in his life.

His lungs were beginning that slow, telling burn, which only spurred him on to a faster run. He was older now, the fear had lessened, but its remnants were still there; less because of his being scared of death itself and more because he was afraid of that fight where he would have no viable way to defend himself or those around him.

He made good time, however, because the sky was still clinging to orange by the time he approached the forest, its dark tree-line standing out like a blackening wall. He blinked his diminishing sight as he picked up the obvious glow of white ahead, briefly wondering if it was Kanaye set on starting trouble with him, but as he slowed his run to a jog and then a walk, catching his breath with each step, he found Sesshoumaru standing underneath the trunk of an awkwardly-growing tree, his arms crossed as though bored or annoyed or perhaps both.

"What is it?" Inuyasha asked gruffly.

"Eizan is aware of when you turn human," Sesshoumaru finally reminded him, recalling the day Ashihei had sent the assassin.

"And what? You're suddenly my bodyguard?" Inuyasha muttered as he trudged past him.

"Hardly. But I will not give Eizan a false sense of victory by allowing him to pick you off in such a state. If he intends to kill you, he is going to have to earn it. The timing, scale, and placement of this last attack was interesting in case you had not noticed. Kawahira was likely hoping to draw you out in human form." Somewhere in the back of his mind, Isamu's cryptic warning repeated itself, the warning that Eizan would wait for Inuyasha to turn human before trying to come after him again. This was why it was best for Inuyasha to have gone home; not because Sesshoumaru particularly gave a damn, but because that sad transformation made things entirely too easy for his enemy and Sesshoumaru's pride wouldn't stand for it. Useless wretch.

Suspicious of Sesshoumaru's motives, Inuyasha glanced over his shoulder at his trailing brother. There was something weird about the guy and he couldn't place it. He was always quiet … unless he was in the mood to be a bastard … but this was a different sort of silence, a heavier one that was dragging Inuyasha's mood down even further.

"What's with you?" he muttered, a moment of paranoia causing him to search the trees around him for possible signs of Kanaye. It would be just like these two jerks to lead him off somewhere and mess with him. Man, if they do, they're gonna pay …. But, as expected, he received no response to his question and shoved the whole thing out of his mind. He wasn't terribly convinced that Sesshoumaru was capable of much thought, anyway. There was too much conceit in that head for there to be room for a thought of any real substance.

"Inuyasha, why do you bother with such things?"

Huh? "What things?" Inuyasha asked carefully.

"Burying those humans. It was a waste of time. They were not your concern."

Inuyasha snorted a "Keh!". "How am I supposed to explain it to you, baka? It'd be like trying to describe color to a blind man."

"Perhaps so," Sesshoumaru mused, starting to sound bored.

Inuyasha stopped and planted his feet in the dirt, scrutinizing his natural surroundings one more time. "What the hell is going on? What's with the small talk?" Inuyasha demanded, feeling a nearly irrepressible urge to start a fight just to resume some normalcy. It was less because Sesshoumaru was speaking to him (Heh, even this jerk is capable of a short conversation occasionally), and more the tone, which was subdued, no arrogance, no malice. "If you're thinking of dumping me off somewhere, just know that whatever form I'm in, I'll still kick your ass."

"Are you afraid, little brother?" Sesshoumaru sneered condescendingly, stopping his forward motion as well as he regarded Inuyasha with flat contempt.

"Of you? Hell no. Fights with you are inevitable, but I'm always there for the next one, in case you hadn't noticed."

"Because I allow it."

"Oh, is that so? I guess it has nothing to do with the fact that I've completely wrecked you on several occasions."

Sesshoumaru felt his temper begin to rise, his only regret being that the boy was minutes away from reverting to human form. It would be a waste of energy to beat that self-satisfied smirk out of something so pitifully defenseless.

"Wallow in your delusions, half-breed. That is the one talent at which you excel." Sesshoumaru's head turned as his senses caught on to a familiar presence nearby, tuning out Inuyasha's rude retort as he wondered if she had come to verify his own gut instincts. "If I were you, hanyou, I would waste no time returning to the others," he advised, glancing back at Inuyasha. "I doubt that this will remain a peaceful evening." And with that, Sesshoumaru disappeared into the forest.

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She knew he was nearby; she stopped moving the moment she caught his scent on the wind, confident that he would come, that he was likely on his way even now. Her insides were fluttering with a mixture of anxiety and anticipation. Elif feared what she had done, but did not regret it yet; the possibility of regret rested entirely with him.

Pacing nervously, Elif tread over the same small patch of grass until she was acutely aware of every blade, grasshopper, and beetle. The orange-lit sky hung overhead like a warm shroud, a comforting distraction from her mind's repeated attempts to turn her thoughts back to those she had left behind. She wondered if Father knew…if he was in a rage over her actions or, worse, if he was frigidly calm, immersed in that cold anger that tended to precipitate his most frightening decisions.

Elif stopped her pacing and looked back toward the north, at the roiling, distant storm clouds, the ones that had hovered mercilessly over her home for days now. She wondered if there was something meaningful in the fact that those same storms seemed to be coming in this direction. Just like me.

She sensed him then and felt immediate relief as she turned to find him walking toward her, so eerily adept at simply appearing out of nowhere, like an apparition. A welcome one…

"Sesshoumaru…."

"You need to go home, Elif," came the curt, cold response.

She folded her hands together, feeling her nervousness increase. There was some slightly hysterical part of her brain that told her that he would dismiss her and she would end up with nothing, alone and regretful. "At least hear me," she requested, feeling certain she sounded as pitiful to his ears as she did to her own. But it didn't matter. Her feelings were what they were and it was amazing to her how irrepressible devotion to another being could so shatter one's pride.

"I can't go home," she began slowly, watching his face. "I've cut my ties there."

"Why would you do such a thing?" he questioned in a manner that suggested stupidity on her part.

"You know why," she said, smiling rather sickly. "I love you. I've never made that a secret. I…regret the manner in which I have pursued you in the past. I was so intent on making you understand my feelings because I was certain that you would return them if I could just make you see that it had nothing to do with my father or yours or any sort of grudge or grasping for power or land. None of that. My feelings existed before I was fully aware of any of those things and what they meant. But…I should have known better. I went after you as though you were a typical youkai male, one who would respond to a female who was as proud and arrogant and overbearing as you are. And it didn't work," she said with a sad laugh. "I made you seriously dislike me somewhere along the line. Or maybe you always did. I don't know, but I didn't feel that was case when we were much younger. Was I wrong all along?"

Sesshoumaru remained very still throughout her rambling speech, and took a while to respond. "There were times when we were friends…and times when we were not."

She smiled widely at him then, as though he had justified her feelings. "I knew you would be truthful with me; you are painfully honest so much of the time," she said, sounding as though she was extending a great compliment. "The day my mother died…were you just fighting my father or were you trying to save her?"

Sesshoumaru's neutral expression faded into a frown at the strange turn in subject. His mind filtered back through memories of that day, his first conflict with Eizan. The northern lord had followed his mate to Father's home, certain that her fleeing to such a place verified his suspicions of some torrid affair. Inutaisho had been away, dealing with some other problem, which had left Sesshoumaru, little more than a boy, to try to defend his home. He could easily remember the fury he had felt at having been defeated by Eizan, the execution of the woman, and Elif's terrified, pleading shrieks….

"Why does my motivation matter?" he asked her stiffly. "The outcome will not change."

"Because I never thanked you for what you tried to do. There was no reason for you to interfere. It wasn't your concern, but you did. I had never seen such a thing from a youkai before and I thought…'this boy will be just like his father'."

"You're quite adept at being wrong, aren't you?" Sesshoumaru asked wryly.

She shook her head, her smile fading into something warmer. "I was so right about that. Your personalities could not be more different, but you do have his heart buried in there somewhere. It shows itself when it needs to, but not enough to make you weak." She took a few hesitant steps toward him until she was nearly in arm's reach, feeling like a great weight had just lifted from her shoulders.

She could smell the scent of the human girl, Rin. It lingered on him, and she could not deny the jealousy it provoked. "That human girl…I know you intend to stay with her," Elif said softly, voicing the words with difficulty. "You're not like other youkai, not like Ashihei who considered them play things. I understand that, even though it took me a while. I thought you would grow tired of her, but…there is something about her that you prefer, something I don't understand, I'll admit." She lifted her head so she could meet his dispassionate stare. "I suppose you may even love her, but…she won't live forever, Sesshoumaru."

She watched something dark flicker behind his eyes and quickly added, "That's not a threat, it's inevitable. You have my word that I will dismiss any grievances I have with her, but that doesn't change the fact of her mortality." Elif paused again, gathering her words, grateful that he was at least letting her say them. "When she's gone, perhaps then you'll…you and I…"

"Elif…," came the warning.

"I'm not saying I would be a mistress," she quickly rushed. "Nothing at all like that. I know you wouldn't….but when she's gone, you don't have to be alone. I'm very patient, believe it or not," she said with a tentative smile. "Enjoy your life with her and then…perhaps you could let me have the same chance with you. I can be second as long as I get to be something."

It was he who stepped away first, preparing to end the conversation, averting his eyes from her face as though suddenly uncomfortable. "You need to focus your attention elsewhere. And I am certain that when I finish with your family, you will feel quite differently."

She experienced a stab of rejection, but was not surprised by his words. "I understand the cause of this war; I realize who is to blame for all of it. I cannot fault you for what you do, how you respond, because I want you to defend yourself. I want you to win, but I hope that you will…resolve what you need to with my father and leave it at that. My brothers only follow his orders."

"Just as your father only followed Eido's orders…and look where we are now," Sesshoumaru answered readily. He moved to turn away again, but added, "Go home, Elif."

Her throat closed for a moment, as though something in her didn't want to burn this last bridge, but she could not let him walk away to find what she knew would be coming for him. "Kawahira has Ryuujin," she blurted out, watching as he stopped and turned toward her again. "He's been ordered to come finish matters with you tonight. Father has asked him to kill Inuyasha. They're taking advantage of the new moon; they know what it means for him." She paused and took a breath before expelling the rest of what she knew. "The activity at the mountains has had everything to do with retrieving Ryuujin from Eido's grave. They buried him there because of that weapon. The miasma around the mountains was released when the burial site was disturbed. It needs to be resealed or it will only grow worse. You have a miko with you, so that shouldn't be a problem. As for Ryuujin...," Elif stopped and shrugged helplessly, "the west has stopped it before. I have confidence that you can do it again."

"You are rather suicidal, aren't you?" Sesshoumaru questioned with obvious irritation. "Now that you have told me these things, you had better hope I defeat your father because I can assure you that he will not react well to what you've done."

"I told you I've cut my ties," she said quietly. "Please be careful."

This time she did not stop him when he turned to leave.

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The landscape was passing by him in a blurred mixture of blackening woods and darkening skies. He had a very bad feeling, one that berated him for having lingered so long, listening to Elif as she had expelled a heartful of repressed, unreciprocated feelings. His place had not been with her, but with the people he was returning to now…and it was a regret that intensified when he heard the first thunderous roar, like a dragon loosed from captivity, and an unsettling, intense jyaki that increased with every step he took.

His thoughts went briefly to that human village and wondered if he was about to return to find something similar at his own home, but when he reached a clearing not far from the wooded area that shielded his home from curious view, he felt an unmistakable moment of relief as he saw that Kawahira had been detained, of all people, by the faltering hanyou.

There was a blackened streak of charred timber that had been cut through the woods just behind Inuyasha, and a thick miasma-like cloud hovered, tingeing everything to an unhealthy gray. Inuyasha was standing with Tessaiga in hand, spewing out his usual bravado in rapid sentences that spoke of a flaring temper, and Sesshoumaru found himself faintly amused at the half-breed's inability to experience intimidation. It was a quality that was likely to get him killed in the future, but not this night…the amusement faded into sheer annoyance over the fact that the boy was facing his enemy.

Kawahira drew back to swing the halberd once more and Inuyasha poised to evade the attack, but the distracted Kawahira was struck from behind by a claw sweep that forced him to take a retreating leap backward, cursing loudly as he did so.

Sesshoumaru landed gracefully beside Inuyasha, watching out of the corner of his eye as Tessaiga suddenly detransformed of its own accord. Inuyasha muttered an oath at being abandoned by his sword and sheathed it, glancing up at the sky. "I've got a couple of minutes. Let's finish with him."

"That was clearly your cue to leave," Sesshoumaru replied, but Inuyasha made no move to do so.

"Don't be so damned snobby. You don't have anything to fight him with, either."

Kawahira approached them once more, looking pleased by the sudden absence of Tessaiga. "You're really trying to cling to that sad little form, aren't you? What a pitiful creature," he sneered. He extended the halberd, watching as it caught their attention, and suddenly the weapon pulsed and expelled another wave of jyaki. "Ryuujin is feeling vengeful, it seems. It wants to finish what its owner could not."

Sesshoumaru glared in response as the aura intensified, like something creeping under his skin. "Do you think such a thing will affect me?" he asked derisively.

"Perhaps not you…but it seems to be bothering your brother," Kawahira returned.

Sesshoumaru turned his head to watch Inuyasha, who seemed frozen, mesmerized. That dark aura grew, permeating the very air, and the hanyou's claws began to lengthen, extending to true youkai proportion. His eyes flashed an eerie red and the pale beginnings of slashed, purple markings slid across the sides of his face.

"Inuyasha!" Sesshoumaru barked at him, and it was the equivalent of a slap because the sound snapped the hanyou back to himself, hand automatically falling to Tessaiga's hilt, fingers folding around it in a desperate grip.

"Go away," Sesshoumaru ordered, feeling as though he was watching the scene through a thick haze; it was unbelievable what that weapon was putting out…

"Why not let him transform, Sesshoumaru?" Kawahira called carelessly. "It will certainly make things more interesting."

"He would disembowel you and enjoy it," Sesshoumaru pronounced grimly. "And I won't let him."

"How sweet of you," came the mocking response

"There's nothing sweet about it," Sesshoumaru sneered. "I intend to kill you." He turned to watch as another presence manifested itself through the gloom in the form of Kanaye, who eyed Ryuujin and its bearer with open contempt.

Sesshoumaru nodded his head at Inuyasha, catching Kanaye's attention. "Remove him."

"Remove me?" Inuyasha repeated sarcastically, coming back to himself as the markings continued to fade. "Who the hell died and made you king?"

"Do I look like his baby-sitter?" Kanaye added, shoving the hanyou out of his way as he moved to speak to Sesshoumaru. He stopped when he was close enough to whisper low enough to evade Kawahira's ears. "You can feel that. That thing's evil and it's possessing that poor bastard. You've never fought it before. I have. You grab the kid and go be useful somewhere else. I'll take care of it."

"I'm listening for the reason you're still here," Sesshoumaru answered in a frosty, impatient tone.

"You are an idiot,' Kanaye proclaimed with a growl, turning and stalking several steps away before whirling and coming right back, adding sincerely, "You know, half of me is hoping he beats the shit out of you. You deserve it."

"And the other half?" Sesshoumaru questioned mildly, unfazed.

"Be careful of that evil aura it spews out. After a while, it makes you want to transform. You saw what it did to the half-breed and you won't be far behind. Don't allow that because it makes you a very large target. I know this from experience. Keep your speed. You're faster than he is, so if you're patient and evasive enough, I might not have to come back and reassemble you."

Both looked up as Inuyasha's internal clock gave in, a pulsing thump that pulled him out of his hanyou form, claws and ears dissolving into something dark-haired, human, and struggling for air in the thick miasma.

"You pitiful boy," Kanaye berated him. "That's what you get for not listening to people that are smarter than you." He moved away from Sesshoumaru, grabbed the human Inuyasha by the arm, and began dragging him away, pausing only briefly to stop and point at Kawahira. "I'll be right back to show you what we did to your old lord."

After Inuyasha and Kanaye disappeared beyond the cloud of miasma, Sesshoumaru turned to look back at Kawahira, who was smiling with satisfaction.

"This fight will be just between you and me," Kawahira proclaimed, swinging the halberd to point it toward Sesshoumaru. "But he's free to come back and pick up the pieces when I'm finished."