Sailor Moon Fan Fiction / InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Uragirimono ❯ Chapter 11 - Noble Mark ( Chapter 11 )

Uragirimono

 

Notes: I was just bored one day so I sat down and started writing. I have no intention for this piece. I don't even know why I'm writing it when I have so much still unfinished. I guess I just need a break so I can sit down and get some fresh ideas into my head. I'll go back some day and re-watch some anime and finish some of my ficcies, but I really don't know when. I'm tired of writing the same old cliche fics and I just wanna have a lil fun again. Anyway, this'll be a Sailor Moon, Inuyasha ficcy (since that anime rox^^ I finally got to see it, fansub of course ~.^). Anyway, I really don't want to make this a romance, but if it takes that turn *shrugs* gomen. Well, that's all I'm gonna ramble on about for now. Please review or email me at pokahydee@mysticallegends.com. Also, check out my fanfiction contest on my site http://www.mysticallegends.com. There is currently no deadline until I receive more entrees. If this is good enough, maybe I'll enter it in that contest I'm a judge of *thinks and shrugs*

 

Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon or Inuyasha, they are owned by other people with alot more money than me *sniffle* The story belongs to me, though, steal and you'll have a hoard of hungry muses on your ass ready to beat the living crap outa ya and drag your beaten bloody carcass back to their master Naraku who will eat every last bite of you :P (^^; that was kinda violent ne? *blushes*)

 

Thoughts are 'italicized'
Dream Sequences are 'italicized' (thoughts in dreams aren't)
**** Change of scene, time, etc…

 

Chapter 11 - Noble Mark

 

"Have you located the rogue youkai yet?" A deep voice asked as Kagura bowed before the shadowed figure.

 

"There has been no sign of them, Naraku." Kagura said as she remained bowed. Ever since the disappearance of the two dog youkai, many more youkai had take it upon themselves to follow suit. Naraku assumed that they were building up their strength so they could use it against him and get the Shikon no Tama for themselves. He didn't expect them to be so hard to find, though. And from what Kagura told him, it seemed that Inuyasha was truly dead. That was good news to Naraku, though. Kikyo was too attached to that mutt for Naraku's liking. Whenever he was around, his scent would cling in Kikyo's clothes and hair, which was enough to turn his stomach.

 

"Find them or it will be your head." Naraku said coldly as he glared at the red-eyed detachment before him. He knew that she was not truly loyal to him, but it didn't matter. She was merely a tool that he would not miss when it lost its use. She had her strengths in battle and she was still useful to him in a few ways. She controlled the wind expertly and no human or youkai had been able to take her out. 'She won't be useful for too much longer…' He mused to himself as a sly smile spread across his face.

 

'That bastard…' Kagura thought bitterly as she rose to her feet and turned away from the taller youkai. 'He always uses me to do his dirty work.' She thought angrily as she frowned deeply. 'I have to find a way to get free. Who would be strong enough to kill Naraku, though?' Kagura walked toward the throne room exit with a deep frown on her face. There was no one strong enough to kill Naraku that she could think of off the top of her head.

 

"Kagura." A quiet voice said before Kagura left the throne room. She paused and glanced down at Kanna who had spoken. "I will help you with your mission." She said in her raspy, childish voice.

 

"Heh… So Naraku is sending you to spy on me, ne?" Kagura asked as a bitter smile crossed her lips. She turned away from the child and pushed open the arched doors and began to walk down the long, dark hallway beyond.

 

"I don't want you to die." Kanna said as she followed her sister through the doorway. Kagura glanced down at the white-haired girl and raised a delicate eyebrow.

 

"Oh?" Kagura questioned as she turned her red-eyed gaze back to her path. "Why is that, Kanna?" Kagura asked as she frowned skeptically.

 

"Because you're my sister." Kanna explained in her quiet voice.

 

"Suit yourself, chibi." Kagura said nonchalantly as she shrugged her shoulders. If the kid wanted to come along, it was fine with her. As long as the little brat didn't rat her out to Naraku if something happened. At this point if she didn't fulfill her mission, Naraku was going to kill her anyway so it didn't matter much if the brat ratted on her any more.

 

****

 

"Stupid human girl!" Inuyasha growled as he stomped his way along the sidewalk. He left that human girl on the street and was following her scent in an alleyway behind. "Does she think I'm her pet or something?!" He growled angrily as he slammed his fist into the wall on his left. It left a huge dent in the wall and he growled in annoyance as he felt a dull pain thudding in his hand. He paused when he caught a familiar scent. "Sesshoumaru…" He said quietly as something similar to a memory thudded to the surface. He fell to his knees and gripped his head with both hands as a searing pain ensued and he was thrown into a dark world that he had become all too accustomed to as of late.

 

~"Nande kuso?!" Inuyasha's voice echoed off of the imaginary walls. From what Inuyasha could tell, there was no floor… no ceiling… no walls… He was just floating in mid-air and it really freaked him out. "Hello?!? What the hell is going on?!?" He demanded angrily as she shook his fist at the air. He was getting sick of being thrust into these dark places. He knew just from simple experience that this was probably some sort of vision like the ones that he had been having recently. Though he hadn't figured out why he was having the visions yet… they were kind of like blurry memories that were trying to break through the surface or something.

 

"Inuyasha…" A quiet voice echoed on a non-existent breeze. Inuyasha closed his eyes and focused on finding the source of the strange voice. He did not recognize it… hell, he couldn't even tell if it was male or female.

 

"Who the hell are you!? What the hell do you want with me?!" He growled angrily as his hands balled into fists at his sides and a low growl escaped from his throat. He was tired of these mysterious phantoms messing with his head.

 

"You need to remember, Inuyasha…" The voice purred in his ear. This time he recognized the voice as a woman… though the voice was still unfamiliar to him.

 

"Remember what, onna?!" He demanded as he spun around to find the source of the voice. He stared off into endless blackness, unbroken by the silvery voice that sounded close to his ear.

 

"The truth…" The female voice whispered close to his ear. Suddenly he couldn't move as he felt warm breath on his ear. He tried to turn his head to see her face but his body would not obey his command.

 

"Truth?" He questioned as the angry look on his face faded to be replaced by a slightly perplexed one. "I was in love with Kikyo…" He said slowly as if he were trying to convince himself.

 

"Is that what your heart tells you?" The voice questioned as a snow-white hand reached in front of him and touched the middle of his chest. His gaze fell on the frail hand that pointed to the spot where his heart was.

 

"…." He wasn't sure how to answer the question. He had thought he loved Kikyo, but now he was not so sure. 'Have I been tricked?' He silently wondered as he tried to recall his life. Anything before his re-awakening seemed to be quite blurry. 'Is this woman trying to trick me?' He wondered as he tried to turn his head to see her face. His neck would not obey what his body was urging it to do. "You're trying to trick me… aren't you?" Inuyasha asked in an unsure tone.

 

"I am not trying to trick you." The flowing voice said quietly. The gentle sound of the voice flowed over him like warm flames and warmed him inside and out.

 

"Why can't I see your face, then?" Inuyasha asked as he ignored the warm feeling that surrounded his body. Her arms had wrapped around him loosely and he could feel the warmth licking at his arms… his chest… his stomach… his neck where he could feel her warm breath.

 

"You must remember the truth to see my face. Wake up fully, Inuyasha…" She whispered as soft lips ran over Inuyasha's neck. He felt a small shiver run through his body as his eyes closed and he succumbed to the tempting warmth of the woman's arms.~

 

"Ten… shi…" Inuyasha whispered as the white hands faded and the darkness grew light. He opened his eyes to see light blaring down on him. He was lying on the hard ground on his back staring up into the sky. The sun blared down and made him squint his eyes partially closed until he sat up. He looked around him slowly and realized that he was sitting in the middle of the alleyway he had been walking through. He gripped his head as pain pounded gently in his temples. That's when something hit him… that scent… Sesshoumaru! 'What the hell is that bastard doing here?!' He thought angrily as his eyes narrowed. He had nearly forgotten him with the coming of that strange vision. Now his full focus was put on how to deal with that little problem.

 

"Inuyasha-sama!" A voice cried that broke into Inuyasha's angry musings. Inuyasha looked around for the source of the voice but seemed unable to find it so he began to walk down the alleyway toward the main street he had left Usagi on several minutes earlier. That's when he felt a sharp pinch in his chest. He pulled open his shirt and glared down at the flea that was indulging himself on Inuyasha's blood before he simply smacked the flea and let him float to the ground as flat as a piece of paper. "Why, Inuyasha-sama…" The flea moaned as he floated to the ground slowly. Inuyasha paused and kneeled down beside the familiar insect that lay on the ground.

 

"Myouga-jiji, what are you doing here?" Inuyasha asked as he picked up the flea between the claws of his thumb and pointer finger.

 

"Your father had such sweet blood," The flea was musing to himself as he closed his eyes and reminisced. "Of course yours is diluted a little from his, but it's still very good."

 

"I'm not going to repeat the question." Inuyasha said as he just stared down at the flea. The flea, sensing his imminent danger, decided that he would get to the point.

 

"It's about Sesshoumaru-sama." Myouga said as Inuyasha held him tightly between his claws. "He's been searching for your father's grave."

 

"Weren't you the guardian of that grave?" Inuyasha asked as he raised one eyebrow down at the flea. "Let me guess, you got scared and came running to me, didn't you?"

 

"That's…" Myouga started as a sweatdrop slid down his small face slowly.

 

"Why would Sesshoumaru know about my father's grave?" Inuyasha asked in sudden confusion. He and Sesshoumaru had always disliked each other as far as Inuyasha knew, but why would the older dog demon go after the grave of Inuyasha's father?

 

"Have you forgotten, Inuyasha-sama?" Myouga asked as he raised on eyebrow at the half dog demon.

 

"Forgotten…" Inuyasha said as he tried to remember the silvery voice from the vision he had had not too long ago. "What are you talking about?!" Inuyasha demanded as he broke out of his thoughts suddenly. A look of fear suddenly came to the flea's eyes as he saw the glare he was receiving from Inuyasha.

 

“Sesshoumaru-sama is your brother.” Myouga said as he saw the brief confused look on Inuyasha's face.

 

“Brother?” Inuyasha questioned as his eyebrows raised slightly. “That certainly would explain a lot…” He said dimly to himself.

 

****

 

Kagome watched in open-mouthed shock as she saw Taiki smash the beautiful flowers she had been going to give Seiya. When she had seen him on television, at the concert, and at school, he didn't seem capable of doing something so incredibly mean, but he had done just that a moment ago.

 

“What did you do that for?” Kagome questioned genuinely as she knelt down and picked up the smashed flowers. She broke a few stems off to remove the damaged flowers and moved some of the blossoms so she could hide the new bald spots.

 

“I don't have to give you an explanation. I want all of you to leave; you do not belong here. You're the reason he's in the hospital to begin with.” Taiki said coldly as he narrowed his eyes on the dark-haired girl and her comrades.

 

“Leave them be, Taiki-kun.” A weak voice said from behind the group. Kagome and her friends turned to see a bandaged Seiya dressed in hospital robes pushing his way slowly through the parting sea of girls. “I was trying to protect Usagi-san, you can't blame my injuries on them.” He walked over to Kagome and put a reassuring hand on her shoulder. Taiki and Yaten were glaring intently on the three people that stood beside Seiya, but neither one said anything for a few minutes.

 

“We can't let you associate with them, Seiya-kun. They have something to do with those monsters that keep appearing. Can't you see that?” Yaten asked as he took a step toward Seiya and reached out to grab his arm.

 

“The way I saw it, they are just victims of them so you can't place any blame on them. She was trying to protect Usagi, the same as I was. I wasn't fast enough to move out of that guy's way, it's as simple as that.” Seiya said as he turned from Taiki and Yaten and headed back to his room. He motioned for Kagome and her friends to follow him.

 

“How do you feel, Seiya-kun?” Kagome asked quietly as she set the nearly mutilated flowers on the table beside Seiya's bed. Seiya sat on the edge of the bed and looked out at the group of people assembled in his room.

 

“You can come back later, I need to speak with them in private.” Seiya said to the swarm of girls that had followed Kagome, Sango, and Miroku into Seiya's room. “It's not as bad as Taiki and Yaten make it seem. It may scar, but it was worth it. Have you found odango yet?” He asked as a worried look crossed his face.

 

“Aa, she stayed at home today. It was safer for her there because of the barrier around the shrine.” Kagome said as she sat down in one of the overstuffed armchairs in his room. Sango and Miroku followed suit and found their own armchairs on the opposite side of the room. Seiya swung his feet back up onto his bed and leaned back against his pillows.

 

“I'm glad to hear that.” Seiya said as he released a quiet sigh of relief. “I haven't known her long, but she shines.” Seiya said as he thought of the blonde girl. He had seen the silver shine surround her when she'd saved her friend's life the first day he met her.

 

“She was supposed to meet us here, but we haven't found her yet.” Sango said as a slightly worried look crossed her face.

 

“Don't worry, Sango-chan. Usagi is always late.” Kagome said to try and reassure Sango. “Besides, Inuyasha wouldn't dare try anything with that little `collar' he has to wear now.” She finished as she stifled a giggle.

 

“Inuyasha?” Seiya questioned as he raised an eyebrow slightly at Kagome.

 

“Well, it's more of a necklace. Since he's a dog demon the word `collar' just fits better, don't you think?” Kagome asked as Miroku and Sango giggled lightly at her silly little joke. Seiya still seemed confused at her reference to the necklace.

 

“How would she be safe because of a necklace?” He questioned as he started to get up from the bed. He was about to swing his feet over the edge when Kagome approached him.

 

“Don't, you're hurt!” She nearly cried as she put her hand over his. “You need to get your rest, I promise Usagi-chan is all right.”

 

“How can you be so sure?” He asked as he attempted to bypass her and climb off the other side of the bed.

 

“Because she has the `sit' command she could use on him.” Kagome said simply as a smile touched her lips. “All she does is say one word and he has to obey her.”

 

“One thing has been bothering me, though.” Miroku said as he crossed his arms over his chest.

 

“What's that, the fact that all of the girls at Kagome's school avoid your groping hands?” Sango asked dryly as she grabbed the hand that was steadily creeping toward her chair. Miroku pouted in Sango's direction and tried to pull his hand free, copping a feel in the process. His stolen grope earned him a nice red mark covering his cheek.

 

“You're going to have a permanent red mark on your face, Miroku-sama…” Kagome said dryly as a sweatdrop appeared on her, Sango's, and Seiya's foreheads. Miroku put one hand to his mouth and cleared his throat, his attitude going suddenly serious.

 

“Once he leaves the barrier, do you think he'll leave her alone for other youkai to attack?” Miroku asked slowly. Kagome's eyes widened slightly. That thought hadn't even crossed her mind.

 

“Ack!” Kagome cried as she jumped to her feet and grasped at her hair. “How could we have been so stupid?!? It's so obvious that he'd do that!!” Kagome cried as she headed for the door with Sango and Miroku close behind her. “Gomen Seiya-kun! We have to go right now! Hope you feel better!” Kagome called over her shoulder as she and her friends burst through the closed door and began sprinting down the hallway… well, as best as you can sprint through a sea of fangirls trying to get in to see Seiya.

 

****

 

“Mff… Leemmfffee… mmouuuufft!” Usagi's muffled cry filled the air. She was unable to see anything… unable to move too terribly much… and nearly unable to breath.

 

“She doesn't even shuttup when she's wrapped up like that.” Jyaken commented to himself as he pushed his hands against his ears tightly. Ever since Sesshoumaru had lifted off the ground, the girl had been shrieking against his tail? Jyaken had always assumed it was a tail, but at times he wasn't quite sure. It sure was soft, though. And warm as well. Jyaken resisted the urge to rub his face against the soft fur with all of the will power he possessed.

 

“Mffff… cfaaanffft… mmffreeaafftthh!” Her muffled cry came again as she fought against the binds that pinned her arms to her sides.

 

“Sesshoumaru-sama.” Jyaken's voice broke the near silence. The only other sounds they heard during their journey were the wind in their ears and the muffled yelps of their kidnap victim. “I'm just wondering… Do you think Inuyasha will take the bait?”

 

“I have his mate.” Sesshoumaru said quietly as a small frown played across his lips. To think his hanyou brother would sink so low as to choose this weak creature as his mate. “He'll come.”

 

"Hai, Sesshoumaru-sama." Jyaken said to acknowledge the simple comment from his Lord. They floated through the sky in silence for several more moments before the floating trio descended to the ground on the fluffy cloud.

 

"Let me out!" Usagi screamed as she beat her fists against the fur. Of course it was useless, though. Her hands just sunk into the fur as if it were water. She was very much surprised when her binds slithered off of her as if a huge, nearly formless snake. 'He let me go?' Her thoughts questioned as she realized he was letting her go for some reason. The light stung her eyes as it hit her and she was forced to bring a hand up to shield them from the bright glare. "Nani?" She questioned as she tried to blink out the dots that were dancing before her eyes.

 

"You, walk." He ordered calmly as he turned away from her and headed into the forest they stood beside. "If you try to run away, I won't hesitate to kill you." He said coldly without turning toward her. Usagi tensed at that last comment. She had been contemplating doing that very thing… she was going to stay behind a ways and when he wasn't paying attention, she was going to run the opposite way until she found someone or saw something familiar. As it were, she had no clue where they were except that they weren't in Tokyo anymore. They were out in the country; she could tell that much just by the size of the forest and the amount of foliage. The parks in Tokyo had a few trees sprinkled here and there and maybe a couple bushes, but the ground wasn't covered with leaves like it was under these trees. She sighed deeply and followed after the tall demon grudgingly under the cover of the leaves.

 

"Where are we going?" Usagi asked as she stepped over a fallen branch. She had put on her school uniform before she'd left the house to go visit Seiya. Now she was regretting that particular move as twigs and sticks poked her legs and thorn bushes snagged her clothes and ripped her soft skin. "Mou! Why did they have to make our skirts so short?" She whined as a thorn grabbed her skirt and refused to relinquish its hold.

 

"Hurry up, human!" Jyaken said impatiently as he frowned up at the captured Usagi.

 

"Why are you so mean, Jyaken?" Usagi whined as she finally managed to untangle the short skirt from the bush. The thorns had left little holes behind and a small rip going upward from the bottom edge. "Oh no…" She said as she held the skirt with one hand. "Higurashi-mama is going to kill me! I just got this uniform!"

 

"Humph! Why should I treat you with respect?!" Jyaken asked angrily as he crossed his arms over his chest and pushed past her, nearly knocking her over in the process. "Besides, you're our hostage and bait!"

 

"Hidoi, Jyaken…” Usagi pouted as she followed the retreating form of Sesshoumaru.

 

"Chotto, Sesshoumaru-sama!" Jyaken cried as he turned to find himself alone. He took off running after the form of his master even deeper into the forest.

 

"Ne, Sesshoumaru, where are we going?" Usagi asked again as she trotted along beside him. She looked up expectantly for an answer and frowned deeply when an answer didn't come. "I asked you a question! You're supposed to answer when someone asks you something!" Usagi said angrily as she frowned deeply at him. "You're really rude." She said as a small pout touched her lips. Sesshoumaru's eyes narrowed and he grabbed Usagi roughly by the wrist. Usagi bit back a cry of pain as his claws sunk into her flesh, drawing blood.

 

"Quit you incessant talking!!" He said coldly as he gaze fixed on the wincing girl. Again the soft scent of her blood filled the air around him and he the sudden urge to do something. He wasn't sure what the strange urge was until it grew too strong and his body moved as if on its own accord. Before he could stop himself, he had grabbed the strange girl into his arms and brought his teeth down roughly on her neck. He heard a cry of surprise and pain escape her lips, but he wasn't in control of himself anymore. Her blood was too enticing… he wanted to know if it tasted as sweet as it smelled. He had never lost control of himself until he had met her. He wasn't even sure he had snatched her from Inuyasha as bait because in actuality he didn't believe her to be his mate. She didn't have the mate mark so that didn't necessarily mean she belonged to him even though his scent covered her.

 

"Iie! Stop!" Usagi cried as tears streamed down her face. Of all the things that could happen to her, she had never expected to be killed by a demon that was acting like a vampire. [A.N. Sorry, I've been reading a lot of vampire books lately ^^;]. Usagi couldn't stop the tears that stained her face from falling, nor lessen his iron grip on her. Her fear was building with every second he held her so tightly and lapped lightly at the blood that flowed from the wound. She could feel his rough tongue run across her skin and that made a blush rush to her face and her stomach to do flip-flops. Her body seemed to be filling with ice that spread out from his fangs still in her neck downward through her body. She felt something else from deep within rush to meet the ice and combat it… It felt warm… But she was forced to close her eyes as pain began to prickle where the two forces met. It was excruciatingly painful where they met… Under her closed lids she saw a blinding silver light that was so bright it overcame the pain in her body. A great noise filled her ears as she saw the blinding silver light glowing so brightly. It was like a huge gust of wind, but vaguely she could hear the screams and cries of millions of people intermingled in the sound of the wind. It sent cold chills down her back… Never had she heard such an awful sound. She could vaguely see a figure blocking the blinding light… It was a woman… She looked regal as if she were royalty and held a strange wand with a crescent moon on the top above her head. Nestled in the center of the wand was a glowing jewel that appeared to be the source of the light.

 

"Please be happy, my child…" Her lips moved with soundless words. Usagi could see a tear glitter on the woman's face and slowly fall to the ground.

 

Sesshoumaru drew back as he finally managed to get control of his instincts. He looked at the unconscious girl in his arms and realized there was something very strange happening to her. He had felt the poison seeping into her body from his fangs but something had begun to surge up from inside of her. 'Hmm… It seems her healing power is trying to save her…' He thought to himself as he pulled back from the wound. He cursed himself silently for losing control, especially because she didn't seem to have any strength besides her strange ability to cure people.

 

"Pathetic…" He muttered to himself as he went to drop her to the ground in disgust. She had gone unusually quiet and her face had paled considerably. That was something that happened to all the victims of his poison. Something caught his eye, though… There was some sort of symbol glowing dimly on her forehead. 'Is that? A golden crescent?' He questioned himself as he ran his finger over the spot.

 

"What's wrong, Sesshoumaru-sama?" A familiar voice broke into the tall Lord's thoughts. He had seen a look of surprise on Sesshoumaru's face that he had never seen there before.

 

"A mark of nobility…" He said to himself as a small smile touched his lips. He watched as the symbol faded and then disappeared. "Interesting…"

 

****

 

“Has the data processed yet?” Rei asked as she sat on the floor beside the blue-haired genius. It had already been an hour since they had come to the conclusion that the blonde girl may have a connection to their princess, who they had been searching for all this time.

 

“Not yet. It seems my computer is having a little trouble with the data I input. There may not be enough data for it to process accurately.” Ami said intelligently as she pressed a few buttons to get a read out on the progress.

 

“Maybe we should find her and ask if she's our princess.” Minako suggested as she popped a cookie into her mouth.

 

“If she were our princess, wouldn't she have contacted us by now?” Makoto questioned as she took one of her fresh baked cookies and nibbled on it thoughtfully. “Hmm… not enough nutmeg…” She commented as she took the cookie out of her mouth.

 

"There's no way that blonde airhead is our princess or knows anything about her!" Rei argued as she crossed her arms over her chest with a frown stretched across her cross face. "Have you guys seen her at school? She's a complete moron! Just look at the girl's grades! If it weren't for Higurashi, she probably wouldn't have even gotten into high school!"

 

"I don't think you give her enough credit, Rei-chan." Ami's voice broke into the conversation as the blue-haired girl looked up from her computer. It didn't seem to be working the way she wanted it to. "I mean, she does seem very friendly, and she never speaks poorly of anyone. Even the smart people that most students would call 'nerds'."

 

"You're too harsh, Rei." Makoto agreed as a small smile touched her lips. "When I transferred to her middle school, she was the first one to talk to me, even though I over-heard her friends telling her not to. I had the reputation of a thug so no one would go near me."

 

"You're all standing up for her?!" Rei asked in exasperation. Sure the girl was friendly, but she was also a klutz, a terrible student, rash, and a cry baby. There was no way such a girl could be, or have an connection with their princess. She had absolutely no grace and the way she ate was atrocious!

 

"Come on, Rei-chan," Minako said as a serious expression crossed her face. "You know they saying, you can't judge a book by its pages."

 

"You mean 'cover' Minako-chan…" Artemis said quietly as a sweatdrop slid slowly down his furry face. She was exactly the same as she had been the day he'd found her… That was sad because she had become a Senshi a full year before the rest when she was in Europe.

 

"Are you really our leader?" Rei asked dryly as she mimicked Artemis and a sweatdrop slid down her face as well. Minako pouted at her being teased by her friends. They always seemed to pick on her.

 

"Mou… Why do you always pick on me? Aren't you supposed to respect me? I am the leader!" She said as she crossed her arms over her chest and pouted at them playfully.

 

"What a ham…" Makoto said quietly as she joined the group with a sweatdrop. That was all too common when dealing with Minako. She pretended to be an airhead but when they were in battle, she was a lot more clear-headed than when she was just Minako.

 

"Quiet you guys!" Rei said as she held up her hand to silence the other people (and cats) in the room. She closed her eyes as if in concentration and the symbol of Mars began to glow dimly in the bright lights of the room. "Do you feel that?" There was an intake of breath from the other girls in the room.

 

"I sense it…" Makoto said as she closed her eyes. As she concentrated on the strange sensation, the symbol of Jupiter lit up on her forehead and glowed with a dim green light.

 

"Our princess…" Minako said as the symbol of Venus burned dimly on her forehead.

 

"She's awakened…" Ami whispered as a small smile spread across her lips. Tears glistened in the corners of her eyes as the symbol of Mercury began to glow blue against her pale skin.

 

"Do you know where she is?" Luna asked as she leapt into Rei's lap, her own crescent moon glowing along with their symbols.

 

"I'm not sure…" Rei said as her eyebrows knit in concentration. "She's in Japan but… I can't say exactly where… Ami-chan." Rei said as she turned her attention to the blue-haired genius. "Can you run a trace on her power signature?"

 

"I'll try." Ami said as she began to push buttons on her hand-held computer with a rapid speed. After a few minutes a frown spread across her face. "The signature was too weak and it's gone now. I couldn't capture it long enough to finish the trace." She said as her disappointment showed on her face.

 

"Don't worry, Ami-chan. We'll find her soon. Now that she's waking up, maybe she'll come and find us." Minako said as a reassuring smile crossed her face. Rei smiled at her blond friend. No matter what differences she and Minako had you could always could on Minako to look on the up side of every situation they were in. That was probably her greatest strength in Rei's eyes. She was always optimistic.

 

****

 

"He's nearby…" Inuyasha said to himself as he stood up from his crouched position on the ground. He had been following the other dog demon's scent successfully out into the edge of the suburbs. Since Sesshoumaru planned to plunder the grave of their father, Inuyasha decided that he wanted whatever the treasures in the grave would be, if not for any other reason than pissing off the Lord of the West. He would do anything to beat his brother!

 

"Inuyasha-sama. I suggest you continue on." Myouga said as he perched on the hanyou's shoulder. Inuyasha glared down at the freeloader and then glanced around idly at the gathered group of humans that surrounded him. They never learned did they? Whenever something weird was happening, they rushed to see what was going on. They were like little ants, crawling out of their safe hiding places the minute danger is about so they can see what's going on. He didn't care, though. If they were ready to die let them. He was only there to find Sesshoumaru and steal the treasures before the older demon had the opportunity.

 

"Urusai!" Inuyasha barked at the flea in annoyance. No one told Inuyasha what to do! At least… not anymore. He didn't notice the flinch of the humans at his sudden outburst at seemingly no one or maybe even at everyone. The humans began to slowly back away from the half-demon as they saw the angry, crazed look in his eyes. 'At least there aren't as many of them as in Tokyo.' Inuyasha thought to himself as he glared at the closest human. That particular human froze under Inuyasha's glare like a deer caught in the headlights and didn't more… didn't breathe… Inuyasha smirked to himself at his triumph. It was easy enough to make humans freeze in terror, especially with his appearance. He could have been taken for human if not for the fangs, claws, and the eerie color of his hair and eyes. Oh, did I mention the little fluffy dog-ears on his head? Inuyasha would gladly have frightened the humans a little longer if the sky hadn't begun to grow so dark. 'The sun isn't supposed to set for another half hour!' Inuyasha thought to himself as he jumped into the air and headed out into one of the huge fields on the edge of the city. That was where the scent of his brother was the strongest.

 

"Inuyasha-sama! I leave the rest to you!" The flea's voice cried and there was the distinct sound of a flea jumping. [A.N. If you've seen the show, you'll know the sound ~.^].

 

"Coward!" Inuyasha yelled after his already retreating guardian. Leave it to Inuyasha's father to leave a FLEA to be his guardian. "Temee, come out Sesshoumaru!" Inuyasha growled out as he stood his ground waiting for the sudden fog to clear. Sesshoumaru liked to make an entrance so Inuyasha knew that just by yelling the old dog demon wouldn't come out. He also knew that Sesshoumaru would start to lose his cool with the amount of disrespect Inuyasha used in yelling for him. Inuyasha's body tensed as amused laughter filled the air.

 

"I see I've done well to lure you out, Inuyasha." Sesshoumaru's deep voice filled the air. To many, his voice was mysterious and hypnotic. Some would even go as far as to say it was down right sexy. Mostly human females seemed to become hypnotized by his voice and lured straight to him and to their deaths. "After all, I stole your filthy human mate from you." He said confidently as he tried to hold the struggling girl with his tail. She sure had a lot of spunk in her. He had used his poison to subdue but not kill her and she still fought. Any other human would have been nearly unconscious by that point. Then again, the girl did not have the scent of any human he had ever come across. 'I'll find out what she is…' He vowed vaguely as his eyes fell on her pale face. It was much paler than when he had taken her, but that was due to the poison.

 

"Keh! Do you really think that weak human is my mate?" He questioned as he smirked in the direction of his brother's voice. The demon hadn't come out of hiding, of course, but he knew which way his brother would come from.

 

"Baka!" Usagi's voice broke through the air. "You better save me from your idiot brother or I'll say it so many times you won't be able to move for months!" She cried as she fought the river of fur that threatened to pull her under. She would have said more but the river had yanked her violently under and she found that she was drowning in a sea of soft warmth. 'Smells good…' She thought vaguely to herself as she imagined sinking into a new world of sugar and candy. Of course that would be attributed to the poison that was being pumped through her blood to all parts of her body.

 

"You think I care, onna? He can kill you for all I care! It would save me the trouble!" Inuyasha called out to the now silent girl. "Come out already! I don't have all damn night! Why the hell were you trying so hard to get my attention? Can't find father's grave without my help?" He questioned as a small smirk played across his lips. He knew that by mocking Sesshoumaru, it would draw him out of hiding faster.

 

"As you wish, Inuyasha." Sesshoumaru's voice sounded amused and the fog slowly began to part. Inuyasha took one step back unconsciously as he saw the huge demon that Sesshoumaru was perched upon. He could vaguely make out the blonde girl's legs as his brother's fluffy tail wrapped the girl up to subdue her. There was a glowing green whip coming from Sesshoumaru's hand that he flicked once to bring the demon a few steps closer to Inuyasha. "Now, tell me where father's grave is. Where one can see, but cannot be seen. The place where it's own keeper cannot look." He said slowly.

 

"Sorry to break it to you but I don't know." Inuyasha said with a smirk. It was true too. Inuyasha had never been told where the grave was. He barely even remembered his father… or his mother… not since that fateful day when all of the youkai were put into the sleep of eternity. At least, it was supposed to be for eternity.

 

"I'll beat the answer out of you, then." Sesshoumaru said as a smirk played across his lips. He rose his whip and snapped it at the neck of the demon, which left a deep gash. The demon roared loudly in pain and rose it's great arms to bring down on Inuyasha.

 

Inuyasha smirked as the demon's hand came toward him at an alarming rate. He was only slightly surprised that a demon of its size was able to move that fast. It was easy for him to dodge none-the-less, though. He leapt into the air and attacked the hand with as much force as he could muster.

 

"Sankou Tetsusou!" He cried as he brought his sharp claws down on the demon's arm. In one swift movement, the hand flew off and landed on the ground. The blood poured from the demon's severed hand and soaked the green grass turning it a sickening red color. Inuyasha ran up the demon's arm and headed straight for Sesshoumaru. He drew his claws and prepared them to slice into Sesshoumaru, but instead only hit air.

 

"Pathetic demon…" Sesshoumaru whispered as he dodged Inuyasha and landed on the opposite shoulder. The demon was much too slow to have an effect against the hanyou. Inuyasha may be a half human, but his other half was the blood of the taiyoukai so he was as strong as a full youkai under most situations. When it came to Sesshoumaru and Naraku, Inuyasha was beat there, though. Sesshoumaru snapped his whip again and left huge gashes on the demon's throat and shoulder. He smirked to himself and leapt off the shoulder of the demon. In mid-air, he unwrapped the human girl and held his poison claw to her throat.

 

"Temee…" Inuyasha growled as he leapt after his brother and saw him use the girl as a shield. "Do you think I won't kill her?!?" He demanded angrily as rage began to bubble in his veins. "I can definitely kill her!!" He yelled. Sesshoumaru smirked in confidence.

 

"Then why don't you?" He questioned as he held the girl tightly in front of him. She opened one eye and sent a pleading look over at Inuyasha.

 

"Inu… yasha… kun…" She whispered as she reached up to grab Sesshoumaru's hand with her own. Inuyasha could vaguely see the fresh wounds that covered her legs and arms and he could smell her blood clearly… It smelled as if it were tainted with poison…

 

"Kuso…" He muttered as he found he couldn't bring himself to slice her open with his claws. He landed on the ground at nearly the same time his brother did and stared at him in disgust. "Using her as a shield, bastard…" He muttered as he glared deeply at his older brother.

 

"If I remember correctly the hint to where father's grave is," Sesshoumaru started as he looked thoughtful for a moment. "Where one can see, but cannot be seen. The place where it's own keeper cannot look upon."

 

"Keh! Like I know what the hell that means!" Inuyasha barked across the distance between Sesshoumaru and him.

 

"… eye…" Usagi muttered in her drowsy state. Her eyes had closed and again she was floating… She was riding on the back of a Pegasus with glowing white wings and a beautiful golden horn [1].

 

"Hmm…" Sesshoumaru seemed to be contemplating her random mumble and a small smirk spread across her lips. "I do believe you are right." He said as he tossed her to the side. "The right black pearl…" He muttered. He had remembered hearing that before from someone, but he had his answer. Now was the time to strike.

 

::Fin::

 

February 5, 2004

 

Chibi: small, little (used as something like "little kid"…. You should all know that word^^; )
Nande kuso?: What the hell?
Tenshi: angel (*points up* I split the word up for effect)
[name]-jiji: the translation in the fansubs is "old man"
Urusai: annoying, ?shuttup? (Inuyasha says this ALL the time to Kagome… at least, I think that's the word…)
Temee: A rude form of you (I've seen it translated as 'you bastard' in fansubs, Inuyasha uses this all the time in battle!)

 

[1] This is just a reference to Helios in his Pegasus form ~.^ I LOVE Helios so I wanted to mention him *grins*

 

I had a few ppl mention that they didn't think Taiki would step on Kagome's flower (but Yaten would). I just wanted to show how protective he is (like he shows when Seiya is injured because of Usagi/Sailor Moon). *shrugs* Or that may just be a little bit of OOCness, gomen *sweatdrop* I honestly did that scene just to show how protective he was over his teammates *shrugs*