InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ War's Shadow ❯ Restoration ( Chapter 22 )

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

22 – Restoration

She should have known. Things had been going much too smoothly for Zadi. The residents of Eizan’s depressing, over-decorated home-turned-fortress had accustomed themselves to her presence. She and the youkai around her had reached a mutual state of acceptance; they ignored her, and she did not care. It was certainly preferable to the odd looks and mumbled slurs as she would pass one of those self-important creatures.

Eizan had become so used to her that he would often carry on through business as though she was not even around. No more snide looks or jeering comments; though she could admit to missing those interactions because it was always a welcome experience, putting him back into his place with one arched look. The man was terrified of her, and that was quite amusing.

Any suspicions about her had clearly been laid to rest; they accepted her as part of their movement against the west, and she found it strange that no one, save the ever-mistrustful Kawahira, seemed to question her motivation in this. No one else seemed to realize that, truly, her stake in this was gone and she was lingering for the vaguest of reasons. Clearly her acting skills were better than she had ever credited herself.

But, quite suddenly, these months of careful orchestration were all but tossed out the window like refuse, and the instigating factor was none other than the manic, unpredictable behavior of the object of her misplaced, yet rabidly-cherished affections. She simply could not suppress the look of abject horror that seized her features when Kanaye was dragged, quite literally, into the castle.

You…idiot.

She had been descending the stairs, accompanied by one of Eizan’s cronies who had been droning on about a sizeable army that was rumored to be roaming from the west, and Kawahira clearly felt the threat to be substantial, because he was outside, mobilizing his various military detachments, giving orders. The main doors had been flung open with a wood-cracking bang, and she had looked up to the sounds of that easily-recognized voice spewing a stream of curses that covered everything from his enemies’ questionable parentage to their loosely-available sisters and, if she had registered the words correctly, the manner in which said parents had conceived said sisters.

She felt her mouth drop open in surprise and her muscles froze in mid-step, perching her awkwardly on the stairs as she watched the bloody, bedraggled Kanaye being hauled mercilessly toward the dungeon via the supreme effort of a dozen of Eizan’s men. She didn’t say anything, she wasn’t sure that she could, and was more than certain that she should not, but her mind was spinning with this new development.

He turned to look her way and she must have been making her feelings obvious because he made a lunge toward her.

“You ugly bitch! I’m going to tear you limb from limb!” came the thundering threat with quite the convincing attempt to reach her.

She blinked in surprise at that, but it snapped her back to enough self-awareness that she molded her features once more into careless disapproval.

Ugly, eh? We’ll discuss that later, you brainless man.

She watched as he disappeared from sight, pulled across the immaculate stone floors to his waiting cell. He was going precisely where he wanted to go, and his captors simply had no idea. She, however, recognized this behavior as uncharacteristic for him, and knew it for the drama he had just instigated. That sort of madness wasn’t at all like him, but she knew he was doing his damnedest to live up to his own reputation. She also suspected that he had just enjoyed himself tremendously.

“You’ve clearly made an impression on him,” her companion stated humorously. “He despises you.”

“Clearly,” she agreed with a polite smile.

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He kept it up the entire way, struggling violently with Eizan’s moronic soldiers, though not quite enough to make them believe they had lost control. That simply would not do, but he kept up the charade as they pulled him roughly down the cracked, slimy stone steps, taking him deeper and deeper into the bowels of the fortress.

The place was as dark and foreboding as Zadi had described, and it reeked of dead things that made him want to add to the body count. They had put her here and left her here for weeks…months, nearly three to be exact, and it made him so furious that he allowed himself an aggressive outlet by snapping the fingers of one of the hands that was holding him, inciting a roar of pain and a retaliatory claw sweep across one shoulder.

I’ll start with you on the way out, you mindless little drone.

They reached the bottom floor and led him to a thick, wide-set door, one that smelled of rotting, wet wood and creaked unforgivingly when it was pulled open. He was thrust inside, but his attention was diverted from the restraining hands of the guards when his sight lit on a familiar form huddled near the far wall, a form that shifted and moved at the sudden commotion.

Sashe lifted her head and he was struck by how long it had been since he had last laid eyes on her…and at the euphoric measure of relief that seized him. She looked so very different, missing that vibrancy he knew, and she was pale and weary-looking, a shadowy version of herself, skinny, hair tangled and dirty, and Kanaye found himself reaching around to try to get a grip on another pair of fingers for him to break, allotting a small smile of satisfaction at the sound of snapping bones and another pained shriek.

“Father!” came the hoarse, hollow-sounding exclamation from the girl he had come for, and it felt as though it was already over. These soldiers were walking corpses; they had sealed their fate the moment he had surrendered to them, and yet they appeared to be congratulating themselves on their coming funerals. You cocky little bastards, I’ll kill you…

Kanaye said nothing in reply to Sashe, but he kept his gaze fixated on her as he was shoved against the opposing wall and quickly attached to it by thick manacles that were snapped to his wrists and ankles, and anchored into the ancient stone wall.

You had better pray these hold me, he thought as the soldiers turned to leave, chuckling over the predicament of their prisoners, and one turning to voice a parting shot before the dim light in the cell was excised, cut off by the resounding bang of the shutting door.

He listened, waiting until he had accounted for all of the sets of feet that walked away, and then he smiled at his frantic-looking daughter.

“Hello, my girl. Quite the place you have here. You look dreadful,” he said with his usual honesty, but the flippant words masked a relief he had not known he was capable of. Worn-looking or not, she appeared to be safe and healthy, and now that he was here, she would remain that way.

She smiled back tremulously, eyes brightening from dull to tearful. “I am so glad to see you. I just wish the circumstances were a bit better.”

“Better?” he repeated innocently, eyebrows rising with curiosity. “How does a situation get better than this?”

Sashe frowned at that odd statement and watched as he very methodically began pulling against the manacles on his hands, testing them by forcefully yanking, but they would not give, and, undeterred, he got as much leverage as he could and attempted to break the chains with brute strength. Again these were uncooperative, but they were made differently than the ones that had been used to bind his hands in capture. He supposed Eizan would build a cell that was capable of holding a youkai; the old dog was dense, but he wasn’t stupid.

“I’ve shown you before how to escape a situation such as this,” Kanaye said conversationally. Pulling himself free was an option, but the amount of noise he was creating discouraged continuing that line of escape. Ah, well…now for a more drastic measure. He stood flat against the wall and extended his hands over his head until one was able to grab hold of the other.

“Yes,” Sashe agreed softly, “but they got my feet as well.”

“A problem,” he graciously granted, and she flinched as he quite casually gripped his left hand with his right and crushed the bones, appearing irritated at being forced to rely on such a technique.

“Father…”

“You, my dear, were unfortunate enough not to have inherited a trait that I happen to possess…one that would have set you loose months ago,” he reminded her, struggling with the manacle until he was able to free the severely broken hand. He placed the fingers across the iron that held his right hand, and instantly the sickeningly sweet smell of acidic poison filled the air.

Kanaye allowed the poison to eat through the metal until his right hand was loose as well. He then quickly separated himself from the manacles around his ankles and stepped forward, free once more.

Sashe’s eyes burned painfully as he moved hurriedly across the cell, light and shadowy in the darkness, to begin working on the ones that held her wrists. He stopped suddenly, head turning slightly toward the door as though hearing something she had missed, but her heart was pounding raucously with worry and elation. Just the thought of breathing clean air again…

“Keep that straight,” he ordered quietly, holding her arm out and wrapping his fingers around the manacle so as to allow the poison to begin warping the metal.

“I am sorry…” she whispered in a guilt-laced voice.

“Stop that,” he muttered gruffly.

“I mean it. I...“

“Save the apologies for your mother. I don’t want to hear it.”

“Will you tell Sesshoumaru…?”

“You’re going to tell him,” he roughly reminded her, eyes flashing upward to meet hers. He was furious, she could see it, and she knew he was about to take it out on a countless number of Eizan’s people.

She bit down on her lip to keep herself from expelling a heartful of things he would not want to hear, issuing a relieved sound as her hands were freed. Instantly they reached for his arms, clinging as though convinced he would evaporate. He said nothing as he began working on the ones around her ankles, the air filling with the noxious smell, but he was highly aware of the fact that she was heading toward hysterical and he was terrible in such situations. There was too much, pent up for too long…

“Father…” and this time the word was chokingly tearful, enough so that it brought back strange memories of skinned knees and feelings injured over such slight things as butterflies harmed by the innocent capture of small, excited hands…have things changed so much? Not really…no matter what she says…she was always so sensitive...

“Sashe,” he exhaled wearily as he freed her from the last attachment, “you can’t do this now.” He rose then, his good hand latched around her arm, and her own hands were still clutching his shoulders via handfuls of cloth. “Up. Let’s go.”

She blinked, eyes brightening as though suddenly aware that she was honestly free. Instantly the air seemed less stale, the atmosphere less oppressive, and there were warm hands…the first friendly touch she had experienced in months. She looked toward the high, barred window and the first hints of starlight peeking through. How long had it been since she had seen a night that was not obscured? She did not know…could not even begin to tell how long she had been in this place.

“Can you do it on your own?”

His voice snapped her back to the moment, and she looked up at his face, feeling awash with guilt for ever having been annoyed to see him. Not so long ago she had been exasperated and angry at him, resentful of his attempts to turn her against Eizan. She had abandoned him when her place should have been with him, left his warnings unheeded. She had aided and consoled his attackers, his enemies, and as much as he was lacking in quantity of feelings that did not center on violence, there were times when it was better to have someone such as that nearby. She couldn’t think of anyone she would rather have with her.

He grasped one of her hands, detaching it from his sleeve and bringing the broken claws up for inspection with a light frown and a chiding tone, “You’re not going to be able to do much with these,” he warned.

“And you’re down to one hand,” she reminded him with a shaky smile.

The sound of a very familiar evil chuckle was evident then as he reminded her, “All I need is one hand.”


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Even with Isamu’s effortless aid, the constant tug and pull of the river’s heavy current was weighing on an already exhausted Rin by the time he began heading toward shore. She blinked water from her eyes and gazed at the oncoming shadows of looming trees and reedy overgrowth that randomly blew sideways whenever the wind would pick up. At first she thought she was seeing an assemblage of fireflies hovering near the bank, but they kept growing in size and so her mind prompted her to recognize them as torches.

As though being expelled by the river itself, Rin was gently shoved onto the muddy shore and was quickly approached by an enormous pair of booted feet. She scrambled to her knees and looked up, relieved to see Furu peering down at her as though mulling over the oddity of her sudden appearance. He glanced up and out into the water at the lingering Isamu.

“Where did you fish her out, old man?”

Catching her breath and feeling oddly chilled despite the lingering warmth of the day, Rin turned to look back at the aquatic being’s bemused smile. “Kanaye threw her in. I trust that you will see to her? Your native habitat is far more lenient toward her kind than mine.”

Furu’s voice sounded mistrustful as he slowly replied, “You look very pleased with yourself, you slimy bastard. Her moody dog is going to show up looking to beat the shit out of someone, isn’t he?”

“Certainly, but it won’t be you this time,” Isamu granted. He turned opalescent eyes on Rin. “I shall take my leave here, young lady. Forgive his poor manners. His mother was lax in that respect, I’m afraid.”

“What was that about my mother?!” Furu growled back, fangs snapping.

Isamu began to fade into the current once more, but added a parting warning, “Tell Sesshoumaru he has until daybreak. I shall clean everything up then.”

“And why does that give me a bad feeling?” Furu muttered to himself. He glanced down then, as though just remembering Rin, and extended a hand to pull her up….a hand that encapsulated her entire forearm. “Then I guess you should stick with us until Sesshoumaru comes looking for you…and don’t look so hesitant. None of my people eat humans. We’re not overly fond of them, to be perfectly honest, but even humans don’t appear to be very fond of humans, so I guess that doesn’t matter much, eh?”

“Ah…,” Rin began to reply as she fell into step to follow him away from the shore, but he started speaking again.

“I’ll tell them to be polite. Once they know who you are, it’ll be fine. I am certain they will do their best not to offend. I’m not sure if you realize, but your boyfriend is rather known for having a foul disposition.”

“Er…yes…”

 220;He doesn’t play well with others.”

“No, he doesn’t,” Rin smiled, heart giving a heavy thump as Sesshoumaru’s face came to mind. She wondered where he was, and if he was all right, and if Kagome was okay…

She followed Furu’s heavy footsteps through the tree growth until they came to a circular clearing, one that had obviously been artificially cut into the woods judging from the amount of dismembered leaves and branches. She could feel eyes on her, lingering gazes, and it made her feel uncomfortable. An assemblage of impressively large bear youkai were seated casually, some sharpening weapons, others speaking in tones that did not seem to mind being overheard, and some off by themselves.

“She’s Sesshoumaru’s. Behave,” Furu barked at the group before moving away to speak to someone, leaving Rin standing there feeling painfully awkward and not sure what to do with herself. Weariness overruled uncertainty, and she settled herself at the base of a dying magnolia tree, careful to keep her eyes averted from those around her. There was something in her that trusted Furu, but beyond that she wasn’t sure….

But now that the excitement of her unanticipated escape was finished, she could feel an ache in every muscle, her skin burned from the overexposure to sunlight, she was starving, she was thirsty, and she wondered about Kanaye and how he had fared. She certainly owed him a thank you…one that he would instantly throw back into her face, no doubt, but she would offer it anyway. And Ashitera...at least she would be safe, Rin consoled herself. She was with her own people, but they would get her back...

The evening continued to cool, a light breeze consistently brushed over her skin, and her eyes focused overhead on the heavy, swaying limbs as she half-heartedly listened to the movements and murmuring around her, conversation punctuated by explosions of laughter…and truly, she must have been exhausted, because she blinked…or thought she blinked…and found her eyes opening to the blank stare of one of Furu’s people. He appeared young, relatively speaking, and his hair was haphazardly cut, draping across his shoulders in shaggy waves. He was very brown; bronzed skin, brown hair, chocolate-colored eyes. It was a mesmerizing combination that made her feel even sleepier.

“I think I’m supposed to feed you,” he explained, appearing vaguely uncomfortable. “What do you people eat?”

Rin blinked at him, still feeling foggy-brained.

“I know you humans die really quickly if you don’t get certain things, but I’m not really sure what,” the youkai explained, as though speaking of a house plant that needed to be tested for the amount of water it required.

A heavy hand descended on the young man’s shoulder and both he and Rin looked up to find Furu hovering overhead, his massive body casting a large shadow that blocked out everything except him. Rin decided that he really did remind her of a bear in human form. His face was rather boyish, despite an acquired age that she knew to exceed Sesshoumaru’s, and he appeared to be kind behind the faintly stern expressions.

“I told you to leave her alone,” he rebuked mildly. “I’m certain that the last thing she wants is another youkai in her face, am I right, miss?” Furu turned the last part of that toward Rin, quirking a bushy eyebrow. “Do you have a name?” he added as an afterthought.

“Rin.”

“Ah…Rin.R 21; He nodded as though that was satisfactory and then dismissed her when he turned back to the younger youkai. “It’s this simple: go find something that breathes, kill it, bring it back, fling it on the fire, pull it off before it turns to ash, and hand it to her.”

“Yes, sir,” the young youkai said quickly, and then hurriedly rose to see to the task.

Rin smiled politely as Furu turned to eye her again. “Gods only know what he’ll bring back,” he warned lightly, then extended a container toward her. “We didn’t have anything with us to hold water, so I had to go steal that. Who would have ever thought I’d turn thief to please Sesshoumaru’s woman? Odd days, these are. Enjoy.”

“Furu-sama…,” Rin began as she accepted the container of water he offered. She was not sure what she intended to ask until he fixated on her with those wide, benevolent brown eyes, “Are you and Sesshoumaru…are you friends? Or…?”

“Friends,” he replied, turning the word slowly as though mulling over its meaning. He finally answered with a confident nod. “We are….amiable adversaries. Or, considering the current conflict, perhaps reluctant allies. He is reluctant…and I am his ally.”

“Then you’re here to help him?” she questioned, casting an appraising look at the number of armed youkai that relaxed around her.

“I am here to participate in ridding us all of an annoying insect. We are waiting for the western army to catch up, and then we’ll move on to Eizan’s fortress.”

Rin did not mask her surprise at that statement. “You…must be mistaken. He didn’t assemble an army.”

Furu shrugged at that, enormous shoulders rising up and down in a gesture of acceptance. “Assembled or not, they’re coming.”



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It was as though Eizan’s sudden arrival had dropped the temperature in the cavern by a dozen degrees. Already feeling slow and breathless, Kagome seemed unable to do much more than fixate on that composed expression. It was a lot like the one she used to apply to Sesshoumaru, the one she now read as being consistently in a mode of mild irritation on him, but with Eizan it looked like he was preparing to hand out a funeral. She finally found the motivation to take a few steps back when he moved to draw his sword.

“Father…,” Elif began in a warning tone, but there was a distinct nervousness in her voice.

Eizan ignored her completely, raising the sword very methodically to point at Kagome. She blinked at the sudden hostility, and in the process must have missed the movement, because by the time her eyes were back open, Sesshoumaru had moved across the cavern and was blocking her view of Eizan entirely, his own newly-crafted weapon in hand.

“I had a feeling that would bring you over,” Eizan smirked with a humor that only he saw. “I see you have replaced Toukijin. My spies are failing me, it seems.”

“Your people reflect your competence, Eizan,” Sesshoumaru replied flatly. He turned to eye the two women behind him before focusing in on Kagome. “Go do what you need to do.”

Kagome nodded, fingers clenching around the bow, then turned and hurried toward the disturbed grave, her tennis shoes echoing resoundingly off the smooth floor.

“Father, just drop it for now. She’s going to put Eido to rest. You should be grateful for that, since it was you who disturbed him in the first place,” Elif inserted herself firmly.

Eizan turned to look at her, appearing as though he was seeing through her. “I would advise you not to speak to me at the moment.” He glanced back at Sesshoumaru, shifting the hilt in his hand, as though itching to use it. “Shall we do this here, Sesshoumaru? I’ll even simplify it. Our other argument aside, if you win, the miko lives and I will overlook Elif’s involvement in bringing you here. If you lose, I kill the miko and decide what sort of punishment Elif deserves.”

“I need no incentive,” came the hissed reply, and Elif stepped back as Sesshoumaru launched himself at Eizan, inciting a painfully-loud ringing from the clashing weapons. The two youkai began hacking away at each other, sheer aggression in every swing as though having been too long denied the opportunity.

Turning to locate Kagome, Elif saw the woman kneeling before the grave as though it was some kind of altar. She wasn’t sure what it was, some vague unease, a feeling of foreboding, but something prompted her to follow the miko. Casting one last glance at Sesshoumaru’s obvious desire to behead her father, Elif turned and hurried up the steps to the raised dais.

She approached Kagome’s back, looking on curiously as the human woman did something…something she couldn’t see, but she could feel it. The air around them seemed to clear, as though washed clean, painfully clean, which prompted Elif to take a self-preserving step backward from the affair.

The bow in Kagome’s hands appeared normal once more and an eerie silence descended throughout the cavern, broken only by the clanging clashes of two demons doing their very best to annihilate each other. Elif flinched as a wayward attack struck the ceiling, loosening a massive chunk of rock that only barely missed the raised dais, chipping off one intricately-carved side and nearly pitching Kagome into the grave itself.

There was a flash of silky black hair as the miko’s head rotated, allowing her to cast a pensive look in the direction of the fighters, as though feeling her time to do this was limited. Likewise, Elif returned her attention to her father and Sesshoumaru, a whirling, flashing meld of black and white that would meet and separate with the sound of a death knell. She was sure she should feel something, but she couldn’t. Perhaps her heart would not let her. What could possibly be a good outcome in this…?

“Why are you doing this?” she murmured, and it took a moment to realize she was asking the question of Kagome.

Kagome glanced up at her, brown eyes dark and worried, “Why shouldn’t I?”

“Other than the fact that my father is going to kill you if Sesshoumaru loses?” Elif replied wryly with lifted eyebrows. This girl was either exceptionally brave…or appallingly dense.

“He won’t lose,” Kagome replied distractedly, turning back to the grave.

Blinking at the certainty of that tone, Elif turned back to watch the battle for a moment before saying almost to herself, “It is so strange to me that a human would place such faith in a youkai.”

“I don’t really see him as a youkai,” came Kagome’s slow response. “He’s just Sesshoumaru. Demon or not, he’s a jerk, but…”

“But…?” Elif absently prompted.

“He asked me for my help. I’m not going to let him down,” Kagome answered confidently.

“You’ll be helping my brother as well, you know,” Elif said almost as a warning. “He’s fighting Eido for control of Ryuujin.”

Lifting her head to catch the concern on Elif’s face, Kagome smiled cheerfully. “All the better then, right?”

“Yes…,” came the wary reply, as though uncertain whether she was being mocked or not.

Murmuring a few final words, Kagome carefully leaned forward and moved to place the bow inside the grave. But if it was peace they were anticipating, Elif quickly saw that they had expected too much.




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R 20;Are you really going to try to use that thing on him?” Kouga queried derisively as Inuyasha stood at the ready with Tessaiga. The oppressive walls of the cave closed in all around them, making the cramped space seem even tighter with the sudden addition of a non-corporeal enemy.

“Have you got a better idea?” Inuyasha snapped back. “Come on, you,” he ordered, whipping back to face the lingering, filmy spirit, “I’m going to shove you back into your grave.”

Kouga listened as that howling sound began once more, and a rush of hot air swept past his face. The walls around him expanded and contracted, as though drawing breath, and he wondered exactly how one would fight an opponent like this. Eido’s eyes were slitted and fixated on Inuyasha with an ill will that did not need to be expressed with words.

“I guess this means that Kagome hasn’t found him yet,” Kouga murmured in some relief.

“That girl?” Eido’s rumbling voice spoke up then, and the cave stilled once more. “The human? She is about to do me quite the favor…”

“What are you babbling about?” Inuyasha barked.

“She’s returning my body to me,” Eido replied. “I have played with her for long enough. Letting her believe I could not tolerate her pathetic spiritual abilities gave her the confidence to come. I knew that she would think as any miko would…return what the soul is yearning for and it will rest. However,” Eido’s eerie face developed a ghastly smile, “what if the soul does not wish for rest?”

“You talk a lot for a corpse,” Inuyasha complained, and instantly Tessaiga’s energy began swirling around the blade, a whirling manifestation of power.

“Watch where you aim that thing,” Kouga muttered, sounding faintly nervous. “You’re going to cave this place in.”

Inuyasha’s arms swept back, preparing to unleash an attack, but the tunnel suddenly filled with an unbelievable amount of jyaki, blinding him. He felt Tessaiga detransform in his hands, the heavy weight turning into something lighter and useless. He heard Kouga choke out a curse. And that feeling…like that day when Kawahira had shown up with Ryuujin in hand…it was overwhelming. His head pounded and he could feel his blood begin to heat up, to boil until it matched the horrid humidity of that tunnel. He could not see Eido, but it did not matter, because the desire to destroy was becoming so difficult to…

Claws extended. Fangs lengthened. There was low laughter echoing within his skull, making him seethe. Controlled by that killing instinct, Inuyasha launched himself blindly toward Eido, a roar he barely recognized as his own voice tearing from his throat, but he was caught…frozen within that dark cloud of spent evil…unable to move and seized by that heart-pounding desire to kill.

“What can you do against me? You disgusting creature. You will be in pieces when I finish with you. But first things first, and that would be the miko,” came the whispery taunt, but it was enough to thump a non-destructive image into Inuyasha’s head.

Kagome....






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He was never one to mind killing an enemy, but this would truly have been a pleasure…had it not been for the interference. Sesshoumaru could hear the conversation between the women at the grave, but his eyes were focused completely on his opponent. Eizan was returning the stare, unblinking, as they repeatedly met and clashed, consumed by their hatred for each other

It was a death stare, and Sesshoumaru had seen it in the man before. All those years earlier, when Father had been gone, and she had arrived with Elif. He had been very young and very confident…and quite stupid, in hindsight, but times had changed, and drastically so. Eizan was no longer the stronger one. Father had returned home and settled the affair in his own way, after the fact, but Sesshoumaru could remember that day and how, as they had buried Elif’s mother not far from his own, how certain he had been that Eizan would never be allowed to beat him a second time.

The slicing sound of a sword rent the air, sliding just past his ear. He defended…whirled out of its reach. Another clash, met wrist to wrist, and all the time, nothing from his enemy but that depthless stare, absent of a soul. But aren’t we all missing that? he thought wryly. How many times had he been told that he did not have one?

His thoughts flickered unbidden to Rin. He could hear her almost as though she was there, voice lyrical and perfect to his ears, always ready with words she fervently believed applied to him, and he was always just as certain that she was wrong. But something in him preferred the illusions she had of him, wanted her to keep them.

“You always define yourself by the bad things, but the soul clings to the good no matter what. That’s why it is so difficult to break and why true evil always loses.”

He could almost have sworn she was there with him…she was so wonderfully naïve. He rarely had the heart to argue that even those who strove to be good…Father, Inuyasha…were often weakened by those things, their lives ended by such ideals. He could not be like them any more than they could be like him.

“Do you remember the first time I fought you?” Eizan broke into his thoughts with a low, provoking tone as Sesshoumaru’s blade rebounded off of his with a violent ring. “I could have killed you then.”

“Perhaps,” came the coolly-voiced reply, “but you knew that your own death would have come from him as soon as he found you.”

“Do you really think I feared him?”

“You are fortunate he allowed you to live. I would have made a different decision…on both occasions”

Swords met once more, but this time Sesshoumaru swept out in a movement that forced Eizan off-balance in order to defend himself. Another attack slid through the unprotected shoulder, and Eizan staggered backward several steps, clutching at the arm, fist clenching around his weapon.

“I have made a different decision,” Sesshoumaru added in a deadly whisper, stepping toward his opponent like a wolf sensing an easy kill.

And it was as though the avalanche had begun once more, because a deafening roar rent the cavern, prompting the battling youkai to turn toward the grave. A malevolent rain of energy deluged the dais. Sesshoumaru caught sight of Elif turning to reach for Kagome before they were struck, and the entire raised platform crumbled as though smashed by the hand of a giant.

Sesshoumaru recognized the energy. It was just like what had come from Ryuujin. And it seemed the miko had caused some distress, because Eido was fighting back.

An eye-scarring light flashed outward. He sensed it for what it was and knew to duck, flattening himself against the pocked ground, listening as it decimated the wall behind him. Just like Ryuujin. And he could smell it, a wave of death and decay that swept through, assaulting his nose, bringing with it that unforgiving wave of jyaki, this time enough of it to cause his eyes to burn.

He picked himself back up, Eizan momentarily forgotten as he maneuvered toward the destroyed dais. There was Kagome, caught, it seemed, by that light. She was perched on the ground, kneeling, eyes closed as though in prayer, and he would have assumed this was her own doing if not for the obvious malevolence of it all.

He stepped forward, reached out to touch the barrier and instantly pulled his hand back, the recipient of a fresh burn. She was alive. He could hear her heart thumping calmly, as though she was not even aware of what had happened. But what is she doing?

His ears picked up the sound of a low voice murmuring something, and he turned his head to find Eizan steps away, bent over Elif and frowning as though in argument with her.

Sesshoumaru could judge from here that she had not fared as well as Kagome, and moving closer, he could see why. It seemed Eido had gone through Elif to get to Kagome. He was no stranger to witnessing death, and so was certain where this would end. That flashing attack, that energy, he had sensed it as being like Ryuujin, and it was, but Kagome was not free to save Elif, and Sesshoumaru was not even sure she would be able to do it.

Eido…Ryuujin…they are all but the same. Elif sensed that; perhaps that was what had motivated her to try to save Kagome.

“Sesshoumaru…”

He was jarred from his thoughts by her voice, and it was strangled, fading, just like the rest of her. Stepping forward, he made a conscious effort to ignore Eizan as he prepared to hear what she meant to tell him. Her face was coated with dust from the dislodged rocks, and she was not at all the image of the immaculate Elif he knew, but the eyes were the same; they looked at him in just the same way, and it made him uncomfortable.

“My mother and your father…,” came the rasped words, and it sounded as though she was having to force them past her lips.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Eizan’s body stiffen at the mention of those two people in the same sentence.

“…they were friends,” she went on with more difficulty, finishing the thought, and her eyes began to darken, became shadowed. Sesshoumaru realized that she was trying to clear her mother’s name.

“Yes, only friends,” he concurred, and he could admit it did give him some perverse satisfaction to rub that fact into Eizan’s face during such a moment, but no one had ever accused him of being a particularly nice individual…

Elif smiled faintly at that, appearing grateful. “Like you and I.”

He had always found it difficult to give in to that admission, but he could remember a time when that had been so. There had been late summer days when she had pestered him, following after his footsteps, wanting to do whatever he did. He would always breathe a sigh of relief when her mother would take her and depart…and would be the first to show off when she would return. A captive audience, she had certainly been that. Enamored, always.

And if it had been truthful once, why not answer for that time?

“Yes,” he said slowly, and that answer seemed to be all she needed, because within a moment she was gone.




--------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------




W hite noise. That was what this was. Kagome opened her eyes, and at first was blinded by the brightness. She squinted as her sight adjusted, the roar of that earlier sound thumping distantly in her memory. She saw rubble, a giant mound of it, and Sesshoumaru standing on the other side of this…light? He was faded-looking, like under-exposed film, watching, appearing tense. At least, she assumed that was tense for him. It was difficult to tell on one who was often so thoroughly expressionless.

But she couldn’t open her mouth to speak. She found that she couldn’t even move her arms, her legs. She was stuck in this kneeling position. And she was cold. God, it was freezing in here, and she wondered just how she was supposed to remove herself from it.

She could remember being surprised by a sudden expulsion of power, and lifting her head to see Elif blocking her field of vision, the touch of fingers on her arm, preparing to clamp down, to pull her away, and then that touch had disappeared, evaporated with everything else.

And there was still Sesshoumaru…pacing now, eyes narrowed into an unholy glare, the one he reserved for truly frustrating situations. That can’t be good….

“Give it to me…and I will release you.”

Her ears rang with that voice; ancient, weary, angry…evil. This was a familiar feeling; she had felt something similar…when was it? Outside Sesshoumaru’s home, on that day when they had been attacked. She had been outside with Rin and had felt it, and then again later, with Inuyasha, when she had been struggling with whether or not to cure him as Kanaye had instructed.

Her fingers clenched around the bow within her grasp. She meant to ask Sesshoumaru if he heard that voice as well, but her lips refused to move.

“I will release him, if you will give it to me.”

And then an image of Inuyasha, appearing frozen, and what looked to be Kouga nearby, similarly caught. Kagome’s fingers tightened even further.

Inuyasha…

“I’m here to help you…” Kagome whispered, relieved to finally feel her mouth responding to her orders. She wondered if Eido had always been this way. Or if Ryuujin had caused it? Or perhaps his resting place being desecrated? She did not know enough, she really did not, and she wondered if she had fooled herself and Sesshoumaru into thinking this was something she was capable of.

Her mind surprised her by flashing to Kikyou then, and she thought wryly, Rub it in. This would have been nothing to you. You would have known just what to do.

“Help me by returning what is mine. I can take it, if you would prefer…” came that disembodied voice again, disturbing her internal fist-shaking at the deceased Kikyou.

He’s wanted this all along. That’s why he kept seeking it out. “If you could simply take it, you would have already.” I was wrong. I should have destroyed it. It is the bow, this remnant of him that is causing him this restlessness, but returning it was not the answer. Ah, Miroku-sama, I could have used your advice on this one, she thought ruefully.

“I have to destroy it…that is the only way you will have peace,” Kagome said firmly. She did not know why, but some instinct was telling her that it would be best for all concerned if Eido’s request was not fulfilled.

“If you destroy it, I will destroy you,” came the threat, and she did not take it as an idle one.

Her thoughts went to those decimated villages and the inhabitants that had been killed because of this resurrected spirit. Inuyasha had to bury so many… She remembered what Ryuujin was capable of, and the influence Eido still had over it.

Kagome looked up as the light around her wavered, shook, and she heard a strange sizzling sound that penetrated the silence. She saw Sesshoumaru step back from the barrier, face darker than before. His lips moved, but she could not hear what he said. The blade of his newly-crafted sword flashed in the light. That sword…

“It is so strange to me that a human would place such faith in a youkai.”

Elif…

“The better question is whether or not you trust me.”

Sesshoumaru…

I told him I could do it, didn’t I? He placed faith in me, too.

“You won’t hurt me,” Kagome answered Eido’s threat. “I trust him.”

Gripping the bow in her hands, she sunk into herself, concentrating, her abilities writhing forth like a current. The bow began to vibrate, as though being seized by some outside force, and she knew she must be doing something right if he was fighting her. Kagome’s eyes closed, and her fingers tightened as though worried that it would be ripped away from her. She ignored the hateful words that voice hissed into her ears.

The words grew to a roar, and she opened her eyes once more to find Sesshoumaru standing very still, appearing ready for something. The bow began to darken, pulsate, burning into her hands, and she allowed it…because her instincts told her when to destroy it with one purifying blow.




--------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------------------------- -




It was like being slapped in the face. Suddenly Inuyasha lurched into motion, hitting the cold, rocky floor on hands and knees. He blinked bloodshot eyes. His youkai instincts quickly sunk back under the surface, and his head cleared. Beside him, Kouga inhaled a breath.

“What the hell was that? And he’s gone.”

Inuyasha did not reply. He remained with his hands against the ground and felt it build, like an eruption, shuddering beneath his palms with all the warning he needed.

“Run,” he instructed.




--------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------





Even though he had been unable to hear the one she had been speaking to, he had been able to hear her, and so he had been prepared for Kagome’s attempt to destroy Eido. Despite that, however, Sesshoumaru had not been expecting the sheer havoc that this scrawny, insignificant human woman was able to wreak via a power he could not understand.

The bow in her hands shook and shattered, accompanied by a screeching roar that brought pain to his ears and a thunderous shaking that nearly put him off-balance. He watched, and waited, the walls of the cavern shuddering around him, detaching from their very foundations. Poised, tensed, ready…

“Remove her and she can be revived,” he growled at Eizan, refusing to look at the youkai who was still bent and watching Elif, as though trying to comprehend what precisely had brought on her sudden death. She appeared so eerily calm, peaceful, and Eizan seemed reluctant to do anything at all.

Sesshoumaru continued to watch Kagome, still caught within that barrier. He glanced upward as chunks of the ceiling began to loosen and careen to the ground around him. He sidestepped one of the larger pieces, glanced at Eizan, who still seemed frozen or unwilling to move, perhaps both. Good riddance to you, and if you will not save her, then that is your decision.

His responsibility was to the bratty miko, for the time being at least, and he was about to fulfill his side of the agreement. Eido’s spirit finally gave way, as did that blinding light that had encapsulated Kagome. As the cavern continued to destroy itself, Sesshoumaru lunged forward to grab the woman, hauling her forcibly with him as he rushed back down the tunnel from which they had come. The avalanche continued, chasing at his heels, thundering over his head, and he relied on his instincts and keen hearing to find the best routes to take.

Even so, it eventually caught up with him, and the downpour of rock and dust descended, striking him, coating him, until there was the most complete silence he had ever heard.




-------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------------------------- --





As though of its own accord, Ryuujin gave a mighty thump against his back, stopping Kawahira in mid-stride. The night sky hung overhead and his sight locked on one of the dimly-twinkling stars, as though frozen. Then, uncertainly, he reached over one shoulder and detached the massive halberd, pulling it free for his examination.

It glinted benignly in the pale light, but he could feel a thrumming in the palm of his hand. It began shaking and then, with one final, violent pulse, went dead within his grip. The wind died at that same moment and he stared at the wayward weapon, feeling not for the first time that he was owned by this blade rather than the other way around.

The sounds of hurriedly approaching footsteps came at him from behind and he quickly turned, replacing the halberd in its sheath with a smooth movement. Ahead of him, the castle loomed, sprawling out to take up an inordinate amount of space, and it made his thoughts fall to the people within that mountain not so far away….

He focused his attention then on the messenger, who he recognized as being one of Commander Inochigake’s people. Shoujiro, his memory supplied, but it was the being in the soldier’s arms that captured Kawahira’s attention most. A small child was clinging to the man's shoulder, a very familiar one. A miniature Elif, really..., Kawahira mused.

“Kawahira-sama,” Shoujiro said quickly in greeting. Ashitera lifted her head at this name and twisted to peer at Kawahira with wide eyes, as though not sure what to make of the situation.

“Where did you find her?” Kawahira asked with measured calm. He had assumed her dead, and so it was off-setting to say the least to see his brother’s child whole and healthy-looking as though nothing had ever marred her world. Her face was dirt-streaked, her clothing was filthy...and she was staring back at him as though she had never seen him before.

“She was…with Kanaye,” Shoujiro lightly fibbed. He wanted to report the accomplishment of having captured Kanaye, not the mistake of having allowed the human woman to slip away.

“Kanaye…” Kawahira repeated, feeling as though this tale was turning more strange by the second. What on earth would that bastard be doing with a hanyou child? An enemy’s hanyou child. Certainly not as hostage, or they would have heard something…

“Where is your commander?” Kawahira inquired, eyes flicking from the child to her bearer. It was unusual for someone to come to him in place of their superior, and his suspicions were beginning to build.

“Ah…deceased, I am sorry to report, sir.”

“And who promoted you?” came the icy question, as always, keenly honing in on precisely what his subordinates did not want to tell him.

Shoujiro appeared faintly nervous at that, as though his brain was trying to assemble a healthy answer, because the truth certainly did not fit that criteria. “We…we have captured Kanaye, my lord,” he found himself saying quickly, avoiding the question entirely. “He awaits you in the..."“

“You captured him,” Kawahira repeated flatly, and Shoujiro seemed to hear the strange note in the tone, because he suddenly seemed unsure that he had delivered good news.

“Y-yes, Kawahira-sama…”

“And where is he now?” Kawahira continued, feeling suddenly certain that he was surrounded by complete imbeciles. He knew in his gut where this was headed, and that Kanaye was likely having a great laugh at their expense at this very moment. One did not simply capture a rabid animal; and Kawahira knew from his dealings with the youkai that Kanaye was not the type to allow such a thing. His tactics were very all or nothing, kill him before he kills you. Very simplistic.

“In the dungeon, my...“

“So you captured him and took him precisely where he wanted to go,” Kawahira snapped then, calm face turning dark and angry as he hissed a final order, “Consider yourself demoted.”




----------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------------------------- -----------





The night felt heavy, as though the clouds were pressing down on them all. Starlight had been blacked out, making the dark seem impenetrable, but despite even that, the familiar sight of Eizan’s fortress loomed ahead like a waiting giant. Just a year earlier Rin had been within those walls; Ashihei had still been alive then, had tried to charm her into the details of her relationship with Sesshoumaru for Elif. And how things changed in such a short amount of time…a short space of time for her, and likely felt as merely a moment for the youkai involved.

Now Ashihei was dead, along with Keito. Elif was a traitor, and strangely, nicer for it. And Sesshoumaru was hers, and the reverse just as true. One year. It made her wonder what the rest would bring. Hopefully something calmer, certainly…

She was distracted from her thoughts when Furu’s hand entered her field of vision. He deposited a bow into her open hands, and then a quiver of arrows, the sharpened tips shining dully in the lack of illumination. Her hand clasped around the smooth wood of the familiar weapon and instantly she felt more confident.

“I’ve heard you know how to use that. You’d do best to stay out of the way, but just in case…it doesn’t hurt, right?” Furu murmured, towering next to her like a tree as he also scanned the distance and the fortress that overwhelmed it.

“Thank you,” she said sincerely, smiling wryly as she added, "You didn't have to steal this, too, did you?"

She saw him glance at her out of the corner of his eye; the expression remained cool and aloof, but the tone was smug and humorous as he answered, "We don't carry that sort of weapon with us. It had to be...confiscated," he said, delicately choosing the word. "But along with that, Eizan's ranks now number three less. It worked out well, I think. Stay alert."

“Furu-sama,” she said quickly, catching his attention again as he moved to walk away, ” Kanaye is probably there.”

“Yes, and he’ll likely be furious that we’re getting involved; they’re all alike, those Western dogs. Cocky, ungrateful curs. Don’t worry about him.”

“And a little girl…a half-demon…” Rin added, heart fluttering anxiously at the thought of Ashitera being pulled into the middle of what she was sure would be a gruesome conflict. She was too small; she wouldn't understand what was going on.

“My people don’t kill children,” Furu tossed back at her as he moved away. “If I see her, I’ll bring her to you.”

But somehow, that just wasn't enough to ease Rin's worry.




-------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------------------------- --





It was difficult to remain casual and calm when her nerves were so on edge, waiting for the inevitable storm to come through, brewing into an explosion. Zadi's heart was twisted, mind diverted into several directions. There was Kanaye, now settled deep within the bowels of the fortress, undoubtedly securing Sashe’s release in the most violent way possible. There was also Ashitera; Zadi had been surprised to see her carried into the castle within the arms of one of Keito’s group of soldiers. Her first impulse had been to go retrieve the wild-eyed little girl, but she had held back, staying out of sight. The child had witnessed her associating with Kanaye and the others in a friendly manner; it would be difficult to explain if she should allow something to slip. Little minds had no concept of just how dangerous a misspoken word could be.

And so she slipped around a corner so as to avoid being seen by her, listening as the heavy footsteps disappeared. Ashitera would be safe within the castle, at least, although Zadi’s mind simply could not come up with a plausible scenario in which Kanaye and Ashitera would have been taken together. She wondered if something more dire had occurred…

And that was when she heard it, as though the entire eastern wall had caved in, there was a massive noise, followed quickly by rapid footsteps and shouting voices…and then, just as quickly, by screams of agony and the sounds of bodies striking the floor.

Well, he made it out…

Heart palpitating, she followed the soldiers that were running toward the chaos. Her steps were unbidden, actually, because she had been determined to stay far away from the fray when it began in order to avoid being forced into a conflict with him. The other part of her brain rationalized the act, however; it certainly would appear strange for her to be lingering casually nearby when such a thing was going on…

But as it turned out, he found her before she found him. She ran into the foyer just in time to nearly be leveled off of her feet by a flying body; only her quick reflexes and their instinct to duck kept her upright. The floor was littered with groaning, dormant soldiers…and some that did not appear to be so lucky. Kanaye towered over them, looking indecisive about whether to finish off what was left or take what he had come for…a shaky-looking Sashe…and leave.

His head rose when he saw her, and she thought he was about to say something, but he cast a look toward the far hallway, where the sounds of rapidly-approaching feet were becoming more and more evident. Before she could blink he was a hair’s width from her, breathing quickly, looking pleased, and that familiar hand encircled her throat, turning her neck awkwardly. She inhaled a surprised breath, and tried to take an involuntary step backward, but she then realized that there was no pressure behind the hold and that it was meant for show. He lowered his face so that he could speak near her ear, and her eyes fell to the side where Sashe was standing, wide-eyed and uncertain about what was going on.

“I told you I’d come,” he informed her simply and she blinked at that. “Don’t look so surprised.”

“Get out,” she ordered quietly, but her eyes were fixated on how close his face was to hers. She stared at the lips as they curved upward into a wicked smile.

“You still smell nice,” he informed her casually, as though there was no mob of soldiers preparing to run in and wreck him, “and since you owe me one, anyway, I’ll be taking this.” He dropped his hold on her and reached for the sword she had taken to keeping with her lately, pushing her away as he drew it with his good hand.

“If I see your face again tonight, you’ll regret it,” he warned her, turning to toss the sword to Sashe, who caught it but still appeared confused, unable to make sense of the situation. Kanaye gestured for her to hurry, and Zadi watched them go, wishing that she was going with them. But…there was one more thing to do…

And as Sashe ran alongside her father, feeling winded but seized by an astounding amount of adrenaline, she glanced at his profile and saw that strange look in his eyes.

“That was friendly,” she said, appearing suspicious.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he replied calmly, feigning innocence and not returning the eye contact. “I can’t stand her.”




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Getting back out was certainly much more difficult than it had been to get in. They had had to claw their way out, but Inuyasha figured he and Kouga were fortunate not to have been crushed during the mountain's implosion. It had been complete chaos, relying on instinct to pick a path that would not trap them.

As he surfaced, shoving rock aside with bruised fingers to gasp in a lungful of clean air, he figured they were probably two of the luckiest bastards on the planet, and he desperately hoped that Sesshoumaru had fared even better, because that would mean Kagome was all right.

And if Sesshoumaru was okay and Kagome was not, Inuyasha was about to ensure that dawn found him to be an only child.

He clambered up out of the hole, not even bothering to stop the avalanche of small rocks that proceeded to smack Kouga in the face behind him. He ignored the curses that were muttered, and instead focused on the surreal silence around the mountain. The jyaki is gone, that's why the air is so clean, which means...

Kagome...

And so he got to his feet and walked, not really certain which direction to go. He simply began to circle the mountain, because he had no idea where she had been inside of it, or if she even still was. But there was a dull panic that clamped down on his heart, making it beat faster. His legs picked up speed until Kouga was left far behind, calling after him to ask where he was going.

You jerk...you thought we had problems before, well just you leave that mountain without her...

He whirred past withered trees and blackened grass, all destroyed by the malevolent presence that had coated this place for so long. And he thought of that feeling, that agony that had possessed him while under Ryuujin's spell...or whatever that was...

I'd drop dead before I’d ask you for anything, but just keep her safe...

The night was hovering and completely black, no starlight, almost making it feel as though he was still in some enormous tunnel. Kouga caught up with that damnable speed of his, and there were two sets of feet hitting against the gravelly base of the mountain. Inuyasha was beyond caring that Kouga was even there. He didn’t care who found her, as long as she was safe.

And even in the dark it was unmistakable, the white figure that was seated on a boulder that had been newly slanted off of its perch, looking as though he had merely paused for a moment on his way out. That head turned, eyeing Inuyasha’s approach with a cool, golden stare, not welcoming, but not overly surprised, either.

“Sesshoumaru!” Inuyasha called, already feeling the stirrings of that fury that had brought him chasing after them in the first place.

Sesshoumaru looked away, appearing bored and careless. He tuned out Inuyasha’s voice as it kept ranting at him from afar, and continued to stare out over the valley near the mountain’s edge. The terrain had been changed. The mountain still stood, but it had spilled over, as though lying on its side to rest. It was a level of destruction he had not been surprised to see, judging from the collapse within the mountain. His ears still rang from the noise and he was coated with a fine layer of dust, but already his mind was starting to turn to other things.

And that sword, the one that was so much like Tenseiga and yet wasn’t; it was still warm where it rested against his thigh. There had been hesitation, several long moments when he had wondered if it would work, if he would be able to make it work. Not for Inuyasha. Not even for her, really. He had waited, and listened, and when that second heartbeat had stopped, his thoughts had turned to his father, strangely, and it was then that the sword had thumped to life, as though awakening from hibernation. It had seemed necessary to correct the loss, as though the child was supposed to be here, and her mother with her. Perhaps it had been some lingering desire to please his father. Or maybe it had been that this was one fight he had not been willing to start with Inuyasha. It did not matter, really. He was not one to ponder very much over his motivations.

He wondered just how responsive the sword would be when its abilities were truly tested. How strange to have a sword that could both give and take life; he assumed that Toutousai had meant some sort of lesson to go along with that, but Sesshoumaru was given to absorbing lessons that only he found to be valuable.

If he believes I will wander about and simply wave it at whatever unfortunate corpse I happen across, he is mistaken. Or, and his mind brought this forth as Inuyasha’s steps drew closer, perhaps it was returned to me because he knows that I will not do that….

“Kagome!” came the shriek Sesshoumaru had been expecting, and he turned an ireful gaze and pounding eardrums in the direction of the half-demon before lowering his eyes to regard the woman sprawled on the ground at his feet. You senseless wench. Snap out of it.

It was always a source of amusement to watch Inuyasha work himself into a hysterical fit, this time being no exception, and so Sesshoumaru was a captive audience as the panic-stricken (and pathetic) boy, dropped to his knees and reached for the limp Kagome, calling her name so loudly one would have thought they were separated by distance rather than consciousness.

“I doubt I would wish to come back to someone screaming in my face, hanyou,” Sesshoumaru murmured absently, eyeing Kouga with some surprise as the wolf demon came to a tornadic halt.

“You son of a bitch,” Inuyasha’s voice lowered to a deadly whisper, and golden eyes roamed up to his brother’s face. “I owe you for this one," he hissed, sounding anything but grateful.

“Yes, you do,” Sesshoumaru agreed with a mild smirk, and he was nearly certain that would have been enough to prompt Inuyasha to lunge at him had it not been for the rather timely stirring of the rousing miko.

“Inuyasha,” she murmured dazedly, brown eyes opening, appearing as though she had just woken up from an overly long nap. Inuyasha returned his full attention to her, forgetting the fight.

“Kagome, are you okay?” came the rushed words, and he gripped her arm as she sat up, looking around her as though she was not quite certain where she was.

“We were…,” Kagome mumbled, trying to regain her thoughts as her sight lit on the hovering Kouga, and then turned to glance at Sesshoumaru, who was still seated and staring placidly back at her. “We were trapped, and I couldn’t…” She was seized by an instant feeling of being lost in the dark, and gasping for air that was not there, and being sucked into something even darker. She frowned then as the feeling faded, and absently scratched at one arm before glancing down and finding that…

The mosquito bites. I was covered in them and scratched by the bats as well, but now...

The skin was clear, as if she had imagined the entire thing, and she froze for a moment trying to understand the ramifications of that before finally casting a suspicious look at Sesshoumaru once more.

“Did you…?”

“You did what you came to do,” he interjected in a worn tone, as though speaking to an idiot. “I fulfilled my obligation to return you in the same condition in which you left.”

“And Elif?” she said quietly, appearing sad at the absence of the woman.

“That will be Eizan’s decision.”

“What the hell are you two babbling about?” Inuyasha demanded, turning back and forth between the two as though expecting an explanation to be written on their faces. “You’re talking in a damned code.”

Sesshoumaru’s eyes flicked back to his brother. “Kanaye failed to keep you away. I will have to thank him,” came the acid promise.

Smirking for all he was worth, Inuyasha replied, one hand still latched around Kagome’s arm as though certain Sesshoumaru would attempt to drag her off again. “He was just as intent on following you as I was.”

“For what purpose?”

“Do you think he and I are chatty? I don’t know.” Inuyasha cast a look over his shoulder, as though in anticipation of Kanaye suddenly materializing. “Rin and the little girl were with him when I left.“

Sesshoumaru’s head rose then, senses alert, but he was certain if they were anywhere nearby he would have picked up the scent well before now. Kanaye’s behavior toward Rin had improved, but he was still uncomfortable with leaving them together. Kanaye’s sense of loyalty was warped and unreliable, and a very bad feeling descended on Sesshoumaru as he demanded of Inuyasha, “Where did you leave them?”



------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---






It did not take long to reach the site where Inuyasha had parted company with Rin and Kanaye. With Kouga still in step with them and Kagome perched on his back, Inuyasha quickly tracked it down, but the smell of wolf blood reached their noses first, and Inuyasha’s stomach clenched with dread, certain that they would not find everyone safe and accounted for as he had expected.

They found Aite, lost in what Inuyasha assumed had been an effort to protect Rin. The scents of Rin, Ashitera, and Kanaye still lingered, faint with the passage of time, and mingled with those familiar scents were the smells of dozens upon dozens of dog youkai.

“Kouga-kun,” Kagome murmured sympathetically as Kouga bent to take a closer look at Aite, and Sesshoumaru was quick to piece together what had happened.

Kanaye, I warned you before, came the vicious thought as he stared outward into the darkness, fingers curling in on themselves as though preferring to be wrapped around his uncle's throat. Wait until I find you…

“Can’t you bring the wolf back?” Inuyasha questioned Sesshoumaru. “Toutousai restored your sword. It’s supposed to have the same abilities as Tenseiga and Toukijin, right? Bring him back and he can help us track her down. Those scents are fading quick.”

“I don’t need him. I know where she is,” came the frosty reply.

“You just don’t know how to use that thing and don’t want to admit it,” Inuyasha growled the accusation, incensed as always by Sesshoumaru’s reluctance to perform an inconveniently selfless act.

“Inuyasha,” Kagome hissed at him in hopes of keeping him quiet, and he glanced over his shoulder to find her frowning at him in disapproval.

Sesshoumaru turned a look of such pure poison on Inuyasha that it cleared the argumentative expression right from the hanyou’s face. “You are truly stupid, Inuyasha," came the furious declaration."It seems that I owe you for something as well, and I can assure you that we will settle it later.”