Yamisui

Lordy, it's been a long time. Being a newlywed with a full time job and a part-time job is time-consuming. [URL="http://www.fanfiction.net/s/2565492/7/Scarlet"]Chapter 7: Sanctuary Among the Strong[/URL] Itachi struggles to keep his grip on sanity as he learns that everything he has done may not be for the reasons he believes.

Wow, has it really been a year and a half since my last update? @_@ [COLOR="Red"][URL="http://www.fanfiction.net/secure/live_preview.php?storyid=2565492&chapter=6/"]Chapter 6: Akatsuki[/URL][/COLOR]

[SIZE=3][FONT=Garamond][I]Yamisui: Sorry it?s been so long . . . I blame school and work. I was writing my Masters thesis, then my previous laptop died, taking my thesis with it. Then I had to rewrite the thing in a month, as well as keep up with my three part-time teaching jobs and somehow passing my last particle physics course. Then I got a job that was, at first, requiring me to commute two hours in each direction. Now I?m moved and settled in and have free time again. So yatta, productivity resumes. You can expect there won?t be a year before the next chapter is posted.[/I] [COLOR=Red][URL=http://www.fanfiction.net/secure/live_preview.php?storyid=2090312&chapter=10/]Chapter 10: Fire and Water[/URL] [/COLOR] [FONT=Garamond]The gears of espionage begin to grind. The members of Team 7 find themselves separated and drawn into the tangled web of the assassins, who are planning a war between Konoha and the Mist---or an invasion.[/FONT][/FONT][/SIZE]

[URL=http://www.fanfiction.net/secure/live_preview.php?storyid=2090312&chapter=9/]Chapter 9: Assassins' Ring: The Maze Beneath the City[/URL] The secret behind the assassins' agenda unravels, placing Team Seven and Konoha itself in even direr peril.

The choice. The massacre. [COLOR=DarkRed]What lay in his heart...[/COLOR] [COLOR=Red][URL=http://www.fanfiction.net/s/2565492/5/]Chapter 5: Testing The Limits[/URL] [/COLOR]

[CENTER][URL=http://www.fanfiction.net/s/2565492/4/]Scarlet Chapter 4: ANBU[/URL][/CENTER] [COLOR=DarkRed] Obsessed with knowing his strength and his purpose in life, Itachi's sanity begins to unravel. The one hope he clings to is the secret his clan keeps---a forbidden [I]jutsu[/I] so cruel it breaks the wielder's heart...and grants him the ultimate power. [/COLOR]

[COLOR=Red]Scarlet, Chapter 2: [URL=http://www.fanfiction.net/s/2565492/2/]Chuunin[/URL] [/COLOR] [COLOR=DarkRed][I]Itachi's father pushes him ever upward toward success, while Itachi's teachers try to hold him back. Caught between, he begins to find his own answers . . . in the wrong places.[/I][/COLOR] [URL=http://www.fanfiction.net/s/2565492/3/]Scarlet Chapter 3: Assassin[/URL] [COLOR=DarkRed]Itachi's assassination mission goes awry when he and his team have a fateful encounter with a certain member of Akatsuki. This marks the beginning of disillusionment... [/COLOR]

[COLOR=Red][B][CENTER]Scarlet[/CENTER][/B][/COLOR] [COLOR=DarkRed][I]Son and brother, genius and killer. This is Itachi's story, from cradle to manhood, a descent into darkness with a mind so terribly clear it redefines the borders of madness. Strength at any price. Power at any cost. Shinobi are not born powerful to make martyrs of themselves...[/I][/COLOR] :demon: [CENTER] [URL=http://www.fanfiction.net/s/2565492/1/]Chapter 1: Prodigy[/URL][/CENTER] [I]Born a true genius and prodigy of ninjutsu, Itachi's childhood is short and bitter. From the first he begins to be pointed in the direction of his destiny: to sacrifice all in exchange for power...[/I]

At last! The final chapter of this bloody LONG epic. Here's the link: [url]http://www.fanfiction.net/s/1763293/19/[/url]

[i]Yamisui: There will be one more chapter after this one. As for some of you, those predictions you?ve postulated are wrong. (kukuku)[/i] [b][color=Green][center]{+} {+} {+} LORD OF THE WEST {+} {+} {+} {+} {+} Chapter 18: ?If I Must, I Will . . .? {+} {+}[/center][/color][/b] [color=Purple]There are certain moments in a person?s life that do not seem real. Yet they [i]are[/i] real . . . so real that the mind cannot bear to see them in full clarity, and so they take on a dreamlike quality to soften their intensity. This was what Kagome felt, watching the arrow cut a sizzling path through the steam that rose from the surrounding fissures. The edges of her vision blurred, as if she had her own steam rising, only this might have been tears. And Inuyasha, bent over his brother?s inert form, was so caught up in his bloodlust that he paid it no heed. It passed through his back as easily as if he?d been made of air. Kagome knew that it had struck the shard by the sudden flare of light. It radiated briefly from the place where it struck, like a sunburst, and then she saw the minute twinkle of the shard as it fell from Inuyasha?s body. Watching it, Kagome was amazed at her own shortsightedness. While preparing to shoot, with her thoughts only of Inuyasha, she had not considered the consequences to the [i]shard itself.[/i] It was now split cleanly in two. As Inuyasha slumped forward, head bowing over his brother?s chest, Kagome let her bow fall. It clattered onto the stone face below. She didn?t even look at it; her eyes were on the shards. One lay where it had fallen. The other half skittered haphazardly across the rough ground, jouncing toward the edge. ?KIRARA!? Kagome cried, motioning toward it frantically. Kirara?s eyes were sharp; she understood immediately. Together they swooped downward into a death dive. The tiny fragment spun, still glinting from the residue of Kagome?s arrow, and she tracked its progress with her great orange eyes. They landed at the edge of the rock. Kirara stamped one massive paw down over the shard, inches away from the edge. Kagome didn?t waste time retrieving it from the demon. Instead, she slid off Kirara?s back, heading for the other shard. It lay beside Inuyasha. She was almost afraid to even look at Inuyasha. His white hair, now soaked with sweat, straggled blood across his brother?s chest, hiding his face. She knelt by his side, reaching for the shard. A clawed hand clamped down over hers, pinning it against the shard, against the rock. Inuyasha?s head lifted. [i]?You[/i],? he snarled. [i]?You?ll die for this, bitch. I?ll slit you open.?[/i] Kagome froze. She didn?t know what to do. The arrow had expelled the shard from him, yet he hadn?t returned to himself. He wasn?t even recognizably [i]human[/i] any more. His eyes were red and pupil-less, and blood trickled from his fangs. And his voice was little better than a beast?s growl. She swallowed, forcing her tongue, which had suddenly gone numb, to find her voice. ?Let me go, Inuyasha,? she whispered. She was shaking. She couldn?t stop. [i]?It wasn?t even the SHARD that did this. This is. . .Inuyasha. This is what he really IS . . .?[/i] She hated herself for thinking it. Even through the fear, so thick she could hardly breathe, she was angry at herself for letting herself [i]believe[/i], even for an instant, that he was a monster. But she didn?t know what to do. Behind her, she could hear Kirara behind her, growling low in her throat. Kagome?s gaze slid sideways; out of the corner of her eye, she could see that the tiger demon shift ever so slightly, preparing to take a step toward them. In that instant, as her attention was diverted, she never even saw the clawed hand shoot out. One instant she was breathing. The next, she wasn?t. His hand was clamped around her throat. There was no hesitation in that hand; he began to squeeze immediately, without a word. She tried to speak, but her voice was held fast in his grip; she could only gaze imploringly. His face, distorted and ugly, began to waver in her vision. Then things went hazy. She heard a loud snarl and felt a jolt. Pain flared along one side of her body, and the world reeled crazily. Then the darkness cleared from her vision, and she became aware of the rough press of stone against her cheek and hand, and that she was lying on her side on the rock. Inuyasha had thrown her aside. Gritting her teeth against the ache in her jarred bones, Kagome pushed herself up onto one elbow. Inuyasha was advancing on Kirara now, who now bore a nasty-looking gash across the front of her chest. Kagome couldn?t see the actual wound, but in the lurid glow of the lava flowing around them she could see blood matted in streaks across Kirara?s thick ruff. Streaks splayed like claws. Squinting against the pain, Kagome reached for the sword strapped across her back. [i]?I haven?t saved him yet[/i],? she thought fiercely, willing fingers numb from bruised nerves to move to move to move. ?[i]But I WON?T give up! Not until he?s Inuyasha again!?[/i] White wires seared through the nerves of her hand as it clenched around the hilt, willing muscles to tighten and lift her arm, to roll her body onto her knees. Love alone moved her legs, and her arm. She ran at him, charging him from the side. At that moment, the ground beneath them lurched suddenly. Somewhere below, where the great boulder was still rooted to the ruins of the mountain, something had begun to give way. The shift was brief, for at that moment, far below, another boulder had also fallen and wedged against it. Yet it was enough to throw off Kagome?s balance. She tripped over Sesshoumaru?s body. When she landed, her elbow and forearm hit stone, causing her to lose her grip on the sword. Tetsusaiga went spinning across the rock face in a hiss of steel scraping. She lunged after it on her hands and knees. Then the ground lurched again. She heard a faint, tiny [i]ping[/i] as the jewel shard lying near Sesshoumaru bounced a few feet along the rock. She?d kicked it with her sneaker. [i]?Oh!?[/i] she thought. The pain had temporarily brought her to her senses. If one shard of the Jewel was lost, it would never be completed, and none of this would ever end. She lunged backward over Sesshoumaru?s body again to recover it. She slid it inside her jeans pocket and hoped desperately that it would stay there; she didn?t have anywhere better she could put it right now. Then she turned toward Inuyasha again, still on her hands and knees. To her utter surprise, Kirara appeared to be holding her own. There was an aura of fire about her that flared far brighter than usual. And though Inuyasha, enraged beyond all reason, struck at her in a blind fury, it seemed he was unable to land another blow. Kirara was moving to avoid his claws with a speed unlike anything Kagome had ever seen. But she understood why; she could see the other half of the Shikon shard in Kirara?s mouth. Then Kirara lashed out with her own claws, catching Inuyasha across the stomach. He went down on one knee with a grunt of pain, but didn?t seem badly wounded. A split-second later he was on his feet again, lunging for his opponent with a vicious swipe of his claws. Red light trailed from his nails where he struck; his awakened demon blood was adding extensions of raw [i]jyaki[/i] to his transforming body. Only Kirara?s own enhanced [i]jyaki [/i]held it at bay. His claws connected with her powerful chest, but could not penetrate the wall of muscle to reach her heart. And she, in turn, snapped forward and caught his throat in her jaws. ?NO!? Kagome screamed. ?Don?t kill him!? Kirara heard her and hesitated, and the massive jaws closed tight but did not meet. Kagome cast about her desperately, searching for some way out of this. Inuyasha was not going to die. She was going to save his future. [i]The[/i] future. Once again, she caught up Tetsusaiga with both fists clenched around the hilt. ?[i]Hold[/i] him!? she cried to Kirara, who was doing this anyway despite the deadly claws digging their way deeper into her chest. In a few seconds she would be dead. Kagome wasted no seconds hesitating. She charged again this time, and did not fall. The blade caught him deep through the shoulder---the arm with which he was attempting to reach Kirara?s heart. It was also where Kagome felt it was least likely to kill him. He let out a bellow of rage, snarling something incoherent, and let go of Kirara. The demon cat kept her jaws firmly locked about his neck, twisting her head and attempting to shake him off balance. He wasn?t getting much air at all, and her fangs were digging into his skin, but he didn?t seem to care. He was all but mindless. ?[i]Inuyasha!? [/i]Kagome cried, forced to back away from him again because of the danger of his thrashing claws. ?[i]Inuyasha, come BACK!? [/i]She was crying freely now. She didn?t know what to do. ?Come . . . back . . .? she repeated, her voice drained to a whisper. His one good arm balled into a fist, and slammed into the side of Kirara?s head. Because he had used raw brute strength and not [i]jyaki,[/i] the demon cat?s own aura did nothing to protect her. Kagome winced at the sound of bone cracking, and Kirara?s jaws flew open as her head was struck away from Inuyasha?s neck. The punch was so violent that it pushed her a good five feet to the side, throwing her off-balance. That was when Kagome saw the shard fly out of her mouth, amid a shower of blood-flecks from her shattered jaw. It soared through the air, glittering in the firelight. In that instant Kagome chose between saving the world and saving Inuyasha. She sprinted after it and took a flying leap. Inuyasha turned toward the running girl with a malicious grin. With his good arm he grasped hold of Tetsusaiga?s hilt and wrenched it free of his arm. The shard was falling fast, toward the edge of the rock. Kagome forgot all about keeping her own balance and dove for it. In Inuyasha?s hand, freed from the flesh of his arm, Tetsusaiga blazed into life. Kagome?s hands closed around the shard just as her body hit the rock. She landed on her stomach, and the wind was knocked out of her, but her hands were firmly clamped around her prize. Then the ground lurched again . . . and she was hurled forward, scraping across the stone, toward the end of the boulder. She scarcely even had time to draw in a breath of alarm as her body slid off the edge. [/color] [color=Purple]Her eyes, which had until this instant been focused on the shard clasped between her palms, now witnessed the roiling river of flame below, toward which her downward tilt was speeding her. Her heart clenched in terror . . . . . . then strong arms caught her from behind. She gasped now, pulling the Shikon shard in to her chest. Her last desperate thought was to protect it, to see to it that it did not fall forever beyond reach. She knew she was about to die. She felt hot breath on the back of her neck, and warm saliva, and knew the crunch of fangs through bone would come next. He pulled her back from the edge, onto the stone, but he didn?t kill her. He just held her. And Kagome, pulled into this sudden, fierce, embrace, realized that the body against which she was being held was shaking, and that the heat on the back of her neck was the warmth of his tears. For one brief, blessed, eternal moment, neither moved. The ground beneath them ceased to heave, the flame-light dimmed, the heat cooled, the dark rock faded, and Kagome was locked away in the circle of his arms, where pain and danger were a fairy-tale somewhere far away. ?[i]It?s over[/i],? she thought, closing her eyes to stop her own tears. [i]?At last it?s over. I?ve saved him.?[/i] Then the ground beneath them heaved again, violently. She felt something thump against the body pressed against hers, and woke from her dazed moment in dull surprise. ?Kirara?? Inuyasha?s voice. [i]His[/i] voice. ?Kirara!? Kagome turned to see that Kirara had reverted to her smaller form, and that she had leaped onto Inuyasha?s back. She seemed in very bad shape; she was slumped over his shoulder, whimpering. Her jaw was a mess; Inuyasha was wincing at the sight of it. ?Don?t worry, Kirara,? he said hoarsely. ?We?ll get you out of here.? Then he turned back to Kagome, whose head now rested just below his chin. ?We have to get out of here[i] fast[/i],? he told her. His face was very pale. ?This place is falling apart. And if these earthquakes are any indication, it?s [i]really[/i] going to blow soon.? As if in response, the ground beneath them began to slant downward, tipping over into the river of fire below. ?[i]Shit!? [/i]Inuyasha swore, digging the claws of one hand into the rock and catching Kagome round the waist to keep them from sliding down into it. Bits and chunks of rubble bombarded them from above. Kirara was clinging to Inuyasha?s shoulder with her tiny claws, mewling in alarm. Thinking quickly, Kagome inserted the Shikon shard she?d been clutching into her pocket before she forgot herself and let go of it. Then she heard a familiar rasp of steel on stone, and saw Tetsusaiga sliding down with the debris. [i]?Shit!? [/i]Inuyasha swore again when he saw it. ?Kagome, hang on!? Kagome had no idea what he was doing, but she knew better than to disobey when their lives were on the line. Pushing off the slanted rock face with his feet, like a grappler, Inuyasha swung them to one side. Realizing now what he intended, Kagome disengaged one arm from around his neck and reached out to catch Tetsusaiga. Once it was securely in her sweaty palm, Inuyasha allowed them to swing back. ?Good, now give it to [i]me[/i],? he ordered. Kagome blinked in confusion. ?You don?t have any hands free!? she protested. He opened his mouth. Kagome stared for a second, and then. . . ?Oh!? She inserted the blade between his teeth, and he clamped them closed. Kagome wrapped her arms more tightly around his neck, trying to use her feet to brace them against the rock as well. The boulder was still tilting downward. [i]?Shith!? [/i]Inuyasha swore a third time, this time with his speech impaired by the sword in his mouth. ?Le ave thoo GO NOW!? He turned his face upward, braced his feet against the rock, and jumped. His leap carried them high up the rock face, almost to the opposite edge, which was now swiftly becoming the high ground. Almost. His nails found scant purchase, for the fingers of that arm were suffering nerve damage from when Kagome had stabbed him with Tetsusaiga. He dug his claws into the stone, but he was beginning to slide. [i]?Inuyasha!? [/i]Kagome screamed, letting go of him with one hand and trying to find her own handhold. This wasn?t working; they were going to . . . White claws caught Inuyasha?s sliding wrist. [i]?You . . . half-breed . . . bastard[/i],? came the whispered curse from above. ??[i]Chosen? . . . she called you . . . and you can?t . . . even save . . . yourself.?[/i] Inuyasha?s head tilted upward. Kagome saw his face light up with sheer amazement. She didn?t blame him. She was just as surprised---although she was even more surprised to see Sesshoumaru [i]alive[/i] than she was that he?d bother to save them. Then Inuyasha remembered that this was his half-brother, and that they were supposed to mutually hate each other, and he scowled. ?Justh shuth ub and PULL!? Sesshoumaru obliged without a word, hauling them up with a strength that Kagome could not fathom. Where it was coming from, she had no idea. Because it was obvious that Sesshoumaru was dying. Blood trickled down the sides of his face, and his hair was matted with it. His breath came long and painfully labored through his mouth, and his eyes were clouded with a glazed, faraway look. As he dragged them upward Kagome watched his pale face, and she could see that he was battling to keep his eyes focused on them, and his mind focused on this task. It was a battle she could see he was losing. ?Inuyasha, let go of me,? she said tightly. ?I?ll hold on to you. You have to help him, or we won?t reach the top.? Inuyasha nodded grimly. His own breath was whistling between his teeth and the sword clamped between them. Kagome tightened her hold, and now he dug his other claws into the rock, pulling himself upward toward his brother. Together, they crested the edge, until at last the four of them slumped over, panting, atop the boulder. Sesshoumaru lay back, resting his head on the stone. His eyes were unreadable as he gazed upward at the cloud of ash above. The [i]jyaki[/i]-driven storm from before had cleared. Kagome saw that he had somehow reinserted the demon sword Tokijin back into the sheath at his side, but she no longer felt any malice emanating from it. Once again, having mastered himself before this last act of begrudging loyalty to his brother, he had gained mastery over Tokijin. The rock beneath them began to rumble, and this time it did not stop. At long last, the mountain was going to erupt. ?INUYASHA!? Kagome cried. ?We have to get out of here NOW!? Inuyasha grunted, rising into a crouch. ?I [i]know[/i].? Kagome stole a swift glance around them. The ground was vibrating so badly now that her teeth chattered and her head ached. ?Get on my back,? Inuyasha ordered, reinserting Tetsusaiga into its sheath at his hip. ?We?re going to run for it. . .or die trying.? ?[i]Ah . . . no . [/i]. .? Both heads---black and white---turned at the soft whisper of voice. Sesshoumaru lay still and calm, like a dead man, but his lips had moved. [i]?Take . . . sword[/i],? he whispered. Inuyasha went utterly still at the sound of that voice. Kagome, who had just climbed onto his back, felt his uncertainty in the stiffness of his shoulders. Sesshoumaru?s breath had become so quiet that steam no longer drifted from his lips into the sulfurous air around them. Then, abruptly, Inuyasha rose to his feet. ?We?ll go,? he said brusquely, still staring down at the pale form lying on the rock. But Kagome could hear the thickness in his voice, and felt a lump gathering in her own throat. ?[i]Inu . [/i]. .? she began. But she stopped short; he had just shaken his head sharply. ?We have to hurry,? he cut her off. ?We?ll leave him. He?s dying anyway.?[/color] [color=Purple]Kagome was shaking so badly that she knew she wouldn?t have been able to stand had he set her on her feet. She was terrified for her life. The ground was heaving now as if it would never be still again. Kirara, who was pressed between Kagome?s chest and Inuyasha?s back, was unconscious. There would be no more transforming, and no swift ride out of this hell of stone and fire. Even if they should run, with Inuyasha?s demon speed . . . even then . . . the place could blow at any instant. ?It won?t make any difference, Inuyasha,? she whispered raggedly into his furry, singed ear. ?Take his sword. It?s what he wants.? Inuyasha drew in a swift, shaky breath. Then he knelt to take the sword Tenseiga from its scabbard at his brother?s side. In order to do so, he had to reach across Sesshoumaru?s broken, battered form. As he did so, Kagome thought she heard his breath catch, but she couldn?t see his face and it might have been Sesshoumaru?s breath catching. Or it might have been the fissures of steam, rising through the cracks appearing suddenly beneath their feet. As Inuyasha?s one free hand closed around Tenseiga?s hilt and drew it free of its scabbard, a pale hand clamped over his like a vise, clasping both sword-hilt and hand against the bloodstained chest. Alarmed, Inuyasha tried to pull free, to loosen the sword from Sesshoumaru?s grasp. When that didn?t work, he tugged sharply to free his hand, intending to leave the sword behind. But Sesshoumaru would not let him go. Sharp nails, sharp as needles, sank into the back of Inuyasha?s hand, pinning it to the sword, which in turn he held close against his chest with unnatural, iron strength. ?What are you[i] doing[/i]?? Inuyasha hissed, letting go of Kagome?s leg in order to attempt to pry himself loose with his other hand. ?[i]Why are you doing this??[/i] One second passed. Then two. Sesshoumaru said nothing. And the white claws did not release their hold. Inuyasha?s breath came in quick pants now with the strain of tension. If he could not free himself, they would all die here. ?Do you [i]want[/i] it to end this way so [i]badly[/i]?? he snarled suddenly, lowering his face nearer to his brother?s. ?We?ll die the White Brothers, here, on the mountain! The fucking [i]White Brothers[/i]! And Naraku will win. And he?ll [i]deserve[/i] to win, because we were too fucking [i]weak[/i] to save [i]ourselves[/i]!? He paused, breathing hard, angry beyond measure. Sesshoumaru?s gaze shifted, coming to rest upon his brother?s face. His eyes were strangely beautiful; luminous and deep. There was no savagery left in them. Kagome held her breath. Inuyasha?s head lowered further, as if he, too, were trying to fathom what lay in the white demon?s heart at this moment. [i]?Do you hate me . . . that much?? [/i]he whispered. The ground beneath them all began to crack and shift. Small geysers of steam rose around them; between them. And Sesshoumaru opened his mouth to speak. [i]?Don?t . . . fight . .[/i] .? he breathed. ?[i]Trust .[/i] . .? The ground beneath them heaved mightily. And then the rock exploded, and they were swallowed in a column of fire.[/color] [color=Green][center][b]{+} {+} {+}[/b][/center][/color] [color=Purple]Even from the snow-covered streets of the city, in the sheltered valley beyond the mountains to the east, he could see the fire from Reiyama. It pierced the night in a violent, upward jet, like a red sword stabbing skyward. It thickened, becoming a pillar, exploding so high and straight that it disappeared into the dark clouds circling that place. Asano-[i]o-sama[/i], king of the Tatesei, stood upon the stone terrace of the palace, on the side which overlooked the lake behind the city. The orange light from the distance reflected in the lake?s surface, which was broken and distorted into countless tiny shards of water because the earth was shaking beneath it. ?[i]The mountain has erupted[/i],? he thought, wondering what this meant. He knew nothing of the future that stood to be altered, nor that in that future he was to die in the flood of fire that would spill forth from the mountain. Yet he felt its coming, as surely as if the lava had already washed over him in a hot wave. ?[i]Sesshoumaru-sama[/i],? he thought, his eyes reflecting the glow from the fire. [i] ?Do you watch? Are you watching us now? Do you stand atop the cliffs of this valley, watching our fate come pouring toward us over the ruins of the mountain??[/i] He thought of the Seer, and how she had looked upon the white demon with such apprehension. Asano?s youthful face was smooth, but there was sorrow in his eyes. Deep sorrow. He was sinking in it. [i]?Or are you the one hastening this doom[/i],? he thought, ?[i]because we have betrayed you??[/i] ?Husband!? A tall, slender woman came rushing onto the terrace, throwing herself into his arms. He did not look at her, though his arms closed automatically around her thin shoulders. She was taller than he was, but fear had bowed her head and she had to lift her face to look at him. ?Husband,? she repeated, her voice trembling. He did not have to look down to know that her obsidian eyes, black with the Dragon?s taint like his own, were full of desperation. But he, as her king and lord and lover, had only one hope left to give her. . .one last hope for [i]all[/i] of them . . . ?The guards came to me saying you?d given the order to empty the city,? his queen said, grasping the front of his green robes as if she intended to pull him away from the terrace by force. ?But they said you refused to leave. [i]Why? Why[/i] won?t you flee with your people?? Still he would not look at her. He kept his eyes trained upon the mountain. ?A shadow is coming,? he said quietly. ?It is the Dragon. I can feel it, searching among us for one who would draw it in . . .? His wife shook her head, pulling back from him a little in horror. ?You mean to possess one of [i]us[/i], as you said Irusei-[i]sama[/i] believes?? Slowly, Asano shook his head. The gold ornaments in his hair jangled softly. ?Irusei is dead,? he said softly. ?Either Sesshoumaru-[i]sama[/i] has killed him . . . or he has died in the eruption. I can sense that the Dragon is searching for one among us who will draw it in willingly; if Irusei were not dead the Dragon would not be searching for a new avatar. But our people must flee, and they must be made to understand that the Dragon is the one who has brought this upon us. If they fear it, they won?t accept possession willingly, and the Dragon can?t take their bodies.? His wife was not a shrewd woman, but nevertheless she drew back from him now, knowing instinctively what he intended. ?Then why . . . won?t [i]you[/i] flee?? she whispered. ?You can?t intend to . . .? ?The Dragon wants a human vessel,? Asano interrupted grimly. ?If it gains what it wants, it will surely save us from the lava.? ?[i]No!? [/i]the queen cried. But she was already backing away. ?I am king of the Tatesei,? he told her softly. ?If I must give this creature what it wants to save my people, then [i]so be it[/i].?[/color] [color=Green][center][b]{+} {+} {+}[/b][/center][/color] [color=Purple]It was Shippou who first heard the rush of wind overhead. It wailed between the peaked roofs of the Inu Youkai palace; whistled between the trees in the garden. It was Shippou, with his keen Youkai ears, who first noticed beneath the noise of the gale the fainter rasp of scales on stone. ?Something?s[i] outside[/i],? he announced at the top of his lungs, scurrying back down the hall from the room where he?d gone fetching blankets. At first, his cry gained little attention. Both Miroku and the Seer had been laid on the cushions in the main hall, close to the fireplace for warmth. Sango was busy tending to them, and she didn?t turn around as the Kitsune came running. Jakken heard him, but he was too busy pacing worriedly to care. ?Shut [i]up[/i], stupid brat,? he screeched. ?I?m trying to think!? Hurriedly, Shippou dumped the blankets he?d brought beside Sango and began tugging on the sleeve of the kimono she?d thrown on to replace her wet clothes. ?Hey, there?s something [i]out[/i] there!? he insisted, peering up at her with wide green eyes. ?On the roof.? Sango finally took heed, turning away from the dressing she was applying to Miroku?s wound. However, before she could even open her mouth to reply a new distraction burst onto the scene. ?RIN!? Jakken wailed. ?DON?T BRING AUN [i]INSIDE[/i]!? The heads of all parties not lying unconscious by the fire now turned toward the two who had just entered the hall. Rin was approaching them, leading the two-headed steed by a short halter. Aun?s claws clinked across the stone floor. ?Jakken-[i]sama[/i]!? Rin exclaimed, ignoring his protests. ?There is a monster circling the palace! We must do something about it!? Sango rose onto her knees, eyes narrowing. ?Where did you see it??[/color] [color=Purple]One hand was already reaching for her Hiraikoutsu, which wasn?t there. She?d taken it off when she?d changed clothes. ?It is big!? Rin told her, wide-eyed and pale. ?And black, but shining too. It keeps circling the palace.? Shippou was about to ask ?[i]What IS it?? [/i]but then shut his mouth. One glance at Sango?s face told him exactly what it was. ?Sango!? he cried, tugging worriedly at her sleeve. ?You shouldn?t go out there. Even [i]Inuyasha[/i] was no match for the Dragon!? ?Her FACE!? Jakken exclaimed suddenly, pointing directly at the Seer, who lay to Sango?s left. ?L-l-l-l-look at her [i]face[/i]!? Shippou crept nearer to see what the imp was stuttering about. To his surprise, fire was beginning to gleam through the veins in her face again. And the odd thing was, the phenomenon seemed to be confined solely to [i]her[/i]---Sango?s face was normal. ?He?s calling us,? Sango said, tilting her head back and gazing up at the ceiling. ?Raiiru is calling us.? ?But why isn?t [i]your[/i] face like hers?? Shippou pressed. ?He?s searching for a willing host for his spirit,? she replied in a low voice. ?But I?m unwilling. She, however . . .? She lowered her head, glancing pointedly at the Seer. ?Some part of her must be willing . . .? The Seer?s eyes flew open. ?Suiton!? Rin dropped Aun?s tether and came running to her side. ?You must not go!? The woman was attempting to sit up. Sango caught her, however, holding her down with one hand on her shoulder. ?Stay,? she warned. ?We haven?t fought this hard for him to win now.? Suiton?s eyes were mad with fear. ?I?ve seen this!? she cried. ?I?ve [i]seen[/i] it!? She fought against Sango?s restraint with sudden vigor, arching her back and trying to twist sideways out of the demon-slayer?s grip. Alarmed, Sango bent over her, pressing more of her weight against the woman?s chest and taking hold of her other arm as well. ?Someone [i]help[/i] me!? she called, casting a brief glance at the others. ?She?s gotten stronger, and my body?s too tired for this.? Overhead, a gale-force wind wailed across the roof, and the Dragon let out a long, reverberating hiss. All present froze, scarcely daring to breathe as they listened. Then Suiton began to struggle again. Tears streamed from her black eyes, soaking into the hair strewn across her face. ?We can?t fight this!? she cried. ?Give me to him, and he?ll spare us all!? Rin stood beside her, wringing her small hands in distress. ?But Sesshoumaru-[i]sama[/i] will save us,? she told the Seer. ?Inuyasha-[i]sama[/i] too. And Kagome-[i]sama.?[/i] The Seer turned toward her, her fire-streaked face contorted in misery. ?Sesshoumaru is [i]dead[/i],? she said, in a voice heavy with despair. ?His brother killed him. And Inuyasha has been consumed in flame. The skies are now raining fire. Can you keep doubting my vision? The White Brothers are [i]dead[/i], and the [i]world[/i] is going to [i]end[/i] . . .? Sango slapped her. Hard, across the face. ?Be quiet,? she told the woman sharply, still holding her down. ?Stop letting your fear of evil make it your master. Raiiru is showing you these things in your mind, isn?t he? That?s where your visions come from, isn?t it?? The Seer went silent for a moment, struck dumb by the blow. ?Has it never occurred to you,? Sango pressed, ?that the Dragon might be using your predictions to [i]manipulate[/i] the future?? The Seer drew in a soft gasp. ?My gift . . .? Suiton finally murmured. ?It is . . . All Tatesei Seers were the Dragon?s children. It [i]must[/i] be so . . . And I . . . After the Dragon began to awaken in response to Kagome[i]-sama?s[/i] possession of the Shikon no Tama, he must have sensed Sesshoumaru-[i]sama?s [/i]obsession with power through [i]me[/i]. And he showed me the Jewel falling into my scrying bowl, because he knew that if Sesshoumaru brought it to me and it came into contact with the [i]ryunochi[/i] the bowl was carved from . . . he would then awaken in full.? Sango nodded grimly. ?All the more reason not to give him what he wants. We?ll find a way to fight this future.? She paused; she felt movement at her back. ?What---?? Behind her, Miroku was pushing himself into a sitting position. ?Miroku!? Shippou exclaimed tearfully. ?You?re [i]awake[/i]!? The monk didn?t reply. His gaze was turned upward; he was listening to the noises overhead. Slowly, pushing himself up one knee at a time, he rose to his feet. ?Miroku,? Sango said in a low voice, watching him, ?what are you thinking?? ?The Dragon?s in wraith form right now,? he said quietly. ?It isn?t wearing Sesshoumaru?s flesh.? Absently, one hand brushed across the prayer beads covering the other. It was a gesture Sango didn?t fail to notice. ?You?re [i]not[/i] doing this,? she warned him, understanding what he intended. ?At least, not without [i]me[/i].? ?Sango, please stay inside,? he told her, without looking at her. ?We don?t know what this thing is capable of, and you?re injured.? ?You [i]too[/i]!? she argued, temper flaring. ?[i]Stay,? [/i]Miroku said firmly. ?I can?t risk having you nearby; you might be drawn in. I want you to find somewhere in this place to anchor yourselves. Hide yourselves. Especially [i]her[/i].? He nodded toward the Seer. He seemed much steadier on his feet than Sango had anticipated . . . or, at least, adept at ignoring the pain. ?I won?t leave you to do this by yourself!? she snapped. Then there came a loud crack from overhead. Shippou jumped and let out a squawk. ?Th-th-th-the DRAGON!? Jakken stammered, cowering behind his Staff of Heads, which he was holding in front of him like a shield. ?It?s going to come through the [i]roof[/i]!? Sango gritted her teeth; this was bad. Though he was a wraith, apparently Raiiru?s body was just solid enough to crack stone. ?Jakken, Rin,? she said, turning abruptly to face them. ?Is there anywhere to hide in this place? Any underground passageways?? Rin and Jakken exchanged glances. ?One,? Jakken replied, in a tone oddly hushed. ?It leads to caves in the mountains just northeast of here.? Sango stared at him; he looked a bit sad. But they didn?t have time to indulge his reluctance. ?Can you lead them there?? Miroku asked him. ?You won?t be safe here for long---from the Dragon or from me.? Sango rounded on him to protest, but the movement set her head reeling. To her frustration, Miroku caught her before she could stumble. She was surprised how strong the urge was to keep standing her, with his hands on her shoulders, but another reverberating crack from above forbade hesitation. She lifted her head, straightening, and saw that he was smiling down at her. ?It will be all right,? he told her. ?Just go. I?ll keep the Dragon from following you; right now [i]they[/i] need you to lead them to safety.? Sango swallowed hard and nodded. ?Once we get down into the passageway, we can ride Aun,? Rin volunteered. ?They will fit; the tunnel is large.? Sango nodded briskly. ?Very well. Can Aun carry all of us?? ?I can walk!? Shippou offered gallantly. ?You can go ahead of us and conjure foxfire to light our way,? Sango told him. He nodded seriously. His face was pale, but he seemed proud to be of use. ?Now, where?s the passage?? she asked, turning to Jakken. The imp sighed, rubbing at his nonexistent eyebrows as if opting for the tunnel pained him greatly. ?Follow me,? he said.[/color] [color=Green][center][b]{+} {+} {+}[/b][/center][/color] [color=Purple]Miroku strode quickly down the empty halls, robes billowing about his legs. His right hand was clenched into a fist so tightly around his prayer beads that they left indentations in his fingers. His left trailed along the stone wall; he was extremely dizzy and feverish, and was trying not to faint. He had left his staff in the great hall; it wasn?t going to be any help given what he intended to do. His staggering gait was swift, however awkward, and his course undeviating. He soon reached the end of the hall, and slid aside two door panels carved with white cranes. He paused on the threshold, panting. At first he thought he had been unconscious for a whole day, and now it was night again. Then he realized that what he was seeing wasn?t the pitch blackness of an unlit garden at night, but the dark coils of the Dragon flowing past the doorway. [i]?It must have wrapped itself around the whole palace[/i],? he realized, staggered. He hadn?t imagined it would be so huge. He couldn?t even see top or bottom of the coil---all he saw were rows of silver-black scales. ?[i]I should try to get outside to do this[/i],? he thought, swiping at the sweat on his brow. [i]?If I try to pull it into my hand from inside the palace it will end up breaking this place apart, and I?ll be crushed before I can draw it in fully.?[/i] Leaving the doorway, Miroku stumbled back down the hall, searching for a room where he couldn?t see black out the window. The last one he tried had no window, but its contents gave him an idea. He could see by the dim light from the hallway torches that the place was full of weapons. Swords and shields, axes and daggers, arrowheads and halberds, all stacked on shelves or mounted on sconces like someone?s collection. He lifted down an axe and swung it at the wooden wall. If he could hack a hole large enough to squeeze through, he might be able to find a place where the dragon?s coils didn?t block his way. Weak as he was, his swing only made a dent in the wood. The walls were thick; it would take a supreme amount of strength to penetrate them . . . unless he swung with something heavier. Miroku dropped the axe and caught up a halberd. It was far heavier, and his muscles burned as he lifted it, but he gritted his teeth and swung it anyway. It clove a great crack in the wood, vertically long enough for him to slip through. He could see faint light filtering in from outside; there was an opening, if only he could reach it. But to reach it, he was going to have to widen the crack considerably, and this meant swinging [i]sideways[/i] with the halberd---a task that seemed near impossible. His arms were shaking. He struck slantwise, and the crack widened a bit. But it was nowhere near enough. He could tell this was going to take multiple tries to work. ?[i]But why is the Dragon still determined its prey is HERE?[/i]? he wondered as he labored. ?[i]It came here in the first place because it sensed two of the hanryu were HERE . . . But they should be gone by now . . .?[/i] He lifted the halberd over his head to give extra momentum to his next strike, but this time the weight was too much for him. He started to topple backwards. Strong arms caught the blade before it could descend, and he found himself stumbling against someone standing behind him. That someone had breasts. ?You?re a fool to think I?d leave you like this,? Sango murmured into his ear. ?Nice and soft,? Miroku remarked. His ear was tingling. Sango made a faint chuffing sound of irritation and clasped both her hands more firmly around the halberd?s handle, just above his. ?We?ll swing together,? she said. And they did. The crack did not merely widen; an entire section of the wall of approximately one-yard radius shattered, showering splinters outward onto the terrace. They dropped the halberd and crawled through it, emerging into what appeared to be the freezing crack of dawn. Immediately, Miroku realized that something was Very Wrong. ?Why can we see the dawn?? Sango asked, echoing his thoughts. ?Where has the Dragon gone?? The dark coils were gone; in their place was the view of the garden, touched gently by a wan morning light gleaming between the mountains. Miroku fell from his knees to his rear end, splaying both hands behind him on the terrace. ?Why has it left us?? he mused. ?If it has given up on [i]you[/i], Sango, it must have gone after the Seer . . . but . . .? ?. . . we would still [i]see[/i] it if that were the case,? Sango finished for him, picking splinters out of her bangs. ?It would have been tracking their progress through the passageway from overhead, which goes east.? She pointed across the garden; despite the ashy cloud hovering over the mountains, there was no sign of the Dragon there. ?But what could have lured it away from the palace so swiftly?? ?Then . . . it may have gone west.? Miroku started, rising onto his knees again in alarm. ?Sango, if it has found you and Suiton-[i]sama[/i] unwilling vessels . . . and it?s left this fast . . . It may have found a [i]willing[/i] vessel elsewhere . . .? [/color] [color=Green][center][b]{+} {+} {+}[/b][/center][/color] [color=Purple]Asano stood upon the stone bridge by the lack, watching the fury of the mountain unfold. The air above it, and above the Tatesei Valley, was swathed in a black curtain of ash, but he could still see the liquid flame beginning to pour down toward the city. It filtered through the crevices in the slope, pooling and splashing and oftentimes simply flowing [i]over[/i] the obstacles in its path that it could not burn. Reiyama, the city of the Tatesei, was going to burn. Then he tilted back his head, squinting against the black snow because he?d seen something moving. It was coming toward him, dipping into the valley and flying down toward the lake. [i]?Raiiru-o-sama!? [/i]he cried, lifting his arms in supplication. ?[i]Come fill me!?[/i] And the shadow twisted, fixing his small figure with the pinpoint gleam of its eyes. The long forked tongue flickered, tasting the air and reveling in the scent of destruction. For a moment it hung poised in mid-air over the water; the Dragon had wrought this catastrophe, and was savoring it. Then it made straight for him.[/color] [color=Green][center][b]END OF CHAPTER 18[/b][/center][/color] [i]Yamisui: . . .where it took over his body and stopped the lava flow and the Tatesei made a fortune starting up their own casino chain. The deaths of Inuyasha, Sesshoumaru, and Kagome were tragic but unavoidable. The End. (As if. Stay tuned for the last chapter in LOTW: ?One Winter?s Eve.?)[/i]

[COLOR=Gray][I]In the aftermath of Orochimaru's attack on Konoha, Kakashi is coerced into accepting a mission guarding a Water Country feudal lord from assassins. The mission risks war with the Mist Ninja, who are under suspicion of being behind the attacks...and the danger may extend as far as Konoha itself and beyond, for it seems that someone is also sending killers after Gaara of the Sand. Thus Naruto and his friends embark on a perilous journey, leading them down the perilous Aoite Road and across the sea; through the deep forests surrounding the Mist Village and into the Water-lord's city, carved into the sea cliffs. It is there in Mizutou--a stone-walled city besieged by assassins and steeped in political intrigue--that Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura, and Kakashi must face the terrible Shinkuhana no Jutsu--an assassin's technique known to bring instant death to both its victim and its wielder...[/I][/COLOR] [color=gray][i]Author?s Note: This story takes place in the span of time after the great Chuunin Exam arc and right before Itachi Uchiha comes to Konoha after Naruto. (Think of this story as a bridge between the two.) Though Orochimaru has been driven away and temporarily defeated, the Third Hokage is dead, and Konoha Village is in shambles after the war. At this point Jiraiya hasn?t seen Naruto since before the Chuunin Exam finals, and neither has he made his presence known to anyone in the village. Konoha is under drastic reconstruction, and, in order to pay for damage repairs, the Leaf Ninja are hiring themselves out with near-desperate zeal... [center]Before we begin, some terms defined: [u]Kunai[/u]: the knives that the ninja use [u]Tanuki[/u]: a ?raccoon-dog? [u]Shuriken[/u]: ninja stars [u]Levels of Ninja-hood[/u]: Genin (lowest), Chuunin, Jounin [u]Mizukage[/u]: the Mist Village?s equivalent of Konoha?s Hokage [u]Baka[/u]: what you are if you don?t know what ?baka? means[/i][/color] [color=orange][b]{o} {o} {o} RED BLOSSOM {o} {o} {o} {o} Chapter 1: The Water-Lord?s Request? A Chance For Glory! {o}[/b][/color] [color=orange][b]{o---O---o} {o---O---o} {o---O---o}[/b][/color] [color=purple][i]It was autumn then. The crimson leaves fell soft upon the road; The blood of ninja, trampled underfoot.[/i][/color] [color=orange][b]{o---O---o} {o---O---o} {o---O---o}[/b][/color][/center] [color=purple][i]Beneath the maple trees, the young man stood with his family, keeping vigil over the grave of his comrade. The afternoon sun, which was sinking slowly beyond the wood, turned the leaves to crimson as they fell. They drifted down gently in a soft rain of blood, falling at the feet of those gathered there for the funeral, and on the grave itself. The young man?s face was taut with grief, but he allowed no tears to come. That was the shinobi way. His uncle laid a hand on his shoulder. He could scarcely feel it through the thick vest that he wore, which marked him as one of the Jounin. The gesture was meant to comfort, but he was too numb with shock to be comforted. Neither tears nor comfort could raise the dead. ?I know what a blow this is to you,? his uncle murmured. ?And I commend you for your loyalty...but sorrow should not be the force that shapes the course of your life. You?re still very young. Obito?s memory will fade in your heart one day, for his spirit has moved on to where you can?t follow.? A soft breeze stole through the forest, and the young man brushed absently at his hair to keep it from blowing over his forehead protector and across his brow. Numbly, he thought, ?You?re wrong. There IS one way I can follow him...? But he didn?t dare speak this aloud in the presence of his clan, for even the Hatake elders didn?t know of the secret that he carried. ?My decision to quit ANBU wasn?t rashly made,? the young man murmured in reply. ?I?ve put some thought into this...? More leaves drifted onto the stone obelisk that marked the gravesite, and finally one of the attending Hatake clan stepped forward to sweep them away. His uncle?s grip tightened on his shoulder. ?You mustn?t let this sorrow shape the man you become,? his uncle insisted. ?I don?t expect you to see that now, but in time...? The young man turned a faint smile upward over one shoulder---a smile that his uncle could scarcely see through the cloth that covered it. ?I?m not condemning myself to solitude,? he said calmly. There was a terrible, beautiful serenity in his voice---the peace that comes only after a man has cried until he can cry no more. ?Not at all. That was not my intent. Because I?ve quit ANBU, I will lead young shinobi and make them strong. And I will protect them with my life.? His uncle returned the smile, but it was a sad, bemused expression beneath the shadow of a frown. He sensed the terrible loneliness that tormented the young man, but he did not fully understand its cause. ?Being a soldier won?t replace being a man who loves and is loved by other people,? he told his nephew. ?Do you recall the rule that a ninja must not give in to emotions? It doesn?t mean to make yourself a stone, or to hide behind a mask---it means that you can?t let grief and anger shape who you are.? He bent nearer, to whisper in his nephew?s ear. ?After all, even if he?s left you, you are going to LIVE...?[/i][/color] [center][color=orange][b]{o---O---o} {o---O---o} {o---O---o}[/b][/color] [COLOR=Blue][b]Fourteen Years Later[/b][/center] ?Kakashi-[i]sensei[/i]!? ?[i]Oi[/i]! It?s a disgrace for an adult to be this lazy!? ?You?re late.? Kakashi emerged from the woods at half past noon beneath a clear autumn sky. The air was brisk and cold, and he drew in a deep breath, savoring it as he turned his attention toward an irritable Sakura, who was standing and glaring at him with her hands on her hips. The second came from Naruto, who had just leaped to his feet and begun shaking a fist at his teacher. The third came from Sasuke, who was leaning against one of the training posts a little ways apart from his fellow ninja. Sasuke wore his perpetually bored expression, which meant that he was glad to see his teacher no matter how late he was. Kakashi, in return, beamed at them all from beneath the cloth covering his face. ?I?m sorry,? he apologized cheerily. ?I was just admiring the maple leaves, while my mind wandered down many a path of meditation.? ?Your mind [i]wanders[/i]--I?ll give you that,? Naruto grumbled, already bored with chewing his teacher out. ?You promised you?d work with me on the Chidori technique today.? Sakura glanced over at him in surprise. ?What--you?re [i]still[/i] trying to learn that one?? she asked. ?Why won?t you give it up already? Sasuke?s the only one besides Kakashi-[i]sensei[/i] who can use it, and both of them can only use it because they have the Sharingan.? Sasuke shifted his weight to the other foot as he leaned against the training post. He didn?t seem pleased. In fact, lately he seemed to grow inexplicably irritable whenever his personal techniques and Naruto were mentioned together. ?I could do it if I trained my hardest!? Naruto insisted, whirling around to face her with his hands balled into fists at his sides. Sakura merely folded her arms, looking skeptical. ?I?ve watched you try to ?train? for Chidori,? she remarked flatly. ?You stand there all hunched over, clutching your wrist and screwing up your face like you?re constipated.? ?[i]Ahem[/i].? Kakashi cleared his throat loudly, coming into the clearing to stand in their midst. ?I know it?s bad enough that I?m late, but I regret to inform you that I won?t have time to teach you today.? A look of profound horror cross Naruto?s face, as if Kakashi had just cancelled Christmas. He hastened over to stand directly in front of the Jounin, gazing up at him pleadingly. ?But, but, but I?m going to get [i]weak[/i] if you don?t train me!? he protested. ?And fat,? Sakura added helpfully. ?With all that ramen you eat...? But she seemed disappointed as well. Sasuke?s eyes narrowed. ?How am I supposed to get any stronger if you keep making excuses for leaving us to train on our own?? he asked, a bit too intensely. ?Hey, [i]I'll[/i] train with you!? Naruto suggested, turning toward the brooding, dark-haired Genin. Kakashi gave him a sharp look that clearly meant No, but as usual Naruto?s enthusiasm rendered him completely oblivious. Sasuke, in the meantime, had stopped leaning against the training post and moved out onto the grass, looking interested. An unusually fierce look came into Naruto?s eye, and he straightened, one hand lingering near his [i]kunai[/i]. ?We never [i]did[/i] get to fight,? he remarked. Sasuke nodded slowly. ?Because the Chuunin Exam was interrupted.? The two boys stood there a moment, sizing each other up. Naruto was grinning eagerly; Sasuke wasn?t smiling at all. The sudden tension in the air made Sakura nervous. ?Wait--? she began, starting toward them, but fortunately Kakashi--no doubt sensing that blood was about to be spilt--interfered first. ?[i]Ahem[/i].? The white-haired Jounin stepped forward, raising one fist to his mouth and clearing his throat loudly. ?I can?t make today?s practice, but I [i]can[/i] make it up to you,? he said, addressing all three of them. ?Our team has just been assigned to a new mission; I?m afraid you?ll have to postpone killing each other.? Naruto turned toward him, raising an eyebrow.[/COLOR] [COLOR=Blue]?It?s not raking leaves, is it?? he asked suspiciously, glancing at the fiery-red maple leaves scattered across the practice field. Sasuke scowled, obviously equally displeased with the notion. Kakashi held up both hands for silence. ?Let me explain,? he told them. ?This isn?t an ordinary mission. It?s Class-A. Do you recall what that means?? Naruto?s mouth fell open. ?Class [I]A[/I]?!? Sakura exclaimed in astonishment. ?That?s for Jounin! Kakashi-[I]sensei[/I], we shouldn?t be doing something of that caliber...? Sasuke cast her a sidelong glance, looking as if he wanted to strangle her for protesting. A slow grin spread over Naruto?s face. ?Hey, hey, Kakashi-[I]sensei[/I]---what is it we?re doing?? he asked excitedly. Kakashi folded his arms, arching his back to gaze up at the sky. He wasn?t smiling. ?An unusual request has been made of us,? he said coolly. ?We?ve been asked to make the journey to the Water Country. There?s a city there called Mizutou, built right into the cliffs along the eastern coast. Its ruler, Lord Garyu, has requested our service as bodyguards.? Naruto was practically hopping up and down with impatience. ?So? Where are we taking him?? he asked. ?So our route will take us across the ocean? Wow! Class-A! A real chance for glory! Can we go to the beach on our way back?? Kakashi looked down at him, wearing an oddly closed expression. ?We?re not [I]taking[/I] him anywhere. We?ll be guarding him there in Mizutou.? ?Eh?? Naruto pulled a face. ?Why [I]us[/I], then? Konoha ninjas, I mean. Doesn?t Mizutou have its [I]own[/I] ninja?? Kakashi merely eyed him gravely, saying nothing. Sasuke sat down in the grass, smiling grimly. ?Heh. I [I]see[/I],? he said, lowering his head so that his dark bangs fell across his forehead. ?So [I]that?s[/I] why the mission has an A-ranking.? ?Am I missing something?? Sakura asked, glancing from Sasuke to Kakashi and back again. With a sigh, Kakashi unfolded his arms. ?Lord Garyu has reason to believe that ninja from the Hidden Village of Mist are after his life. He?s spoken with the Mizukage already, but the Mizukage denies it. And there have been several attacks of late---Garyu can?t afford to wait for evidence of the Mist ninja?s involvement to present itself. So he seeks help from the ninja from another country.? The Jounin paused, looking askance at Sasuke. ?And yes, you?re right---the mission has an A-ranking because what we?re being hired to do here is to fight off ninja specifically trained for assassination.? ?Fine,? Sasuke responded, resting one hand on his knee and twiddling a blade of grass between the fingers of the other. Sakura rounded on him, upset by his attitude. ?What do you mean, ?[I]fine[/I]??! This is very dangerous! We have to take this seriously!? Sasuke dropped the grass. ?Just what I said: fine,? he repeated calmly. Then he glanced up at Kakashi. ?When do we leave?? Kakashi frowned a little, but didn?t comment on his student?s attitude. ?Tomorrow,? he told them. ?Pack light, and pack plainclothes. [I]No[/I] ninja attire,? he repeated firmly, directing this at Naruto, who was regarding him with a look of abject horror. ?When we get to Mizutou, Lord Garyu will provide local clothes for us to wear, because we?ll be staying in the city for quite some time and we need to blend in. I want you all to eat well tonight and go to sleep early---we?ve got a long journey ahead of us, and it?s important that we make good time. The longer we take, the longer Garyu?s life will be in danger.? Then he ceased speaking, and his three students stared at him. ?That?s all,? Kakashi told them, realizing that they expected him to say more. ?I?ll fill you in once we?ve left Konoha. Just go home.? Then he turned and walked off into the trees. The three Genin watched him leave, wearing expressions with varying degrees of frustration and bemusement. After a moment had passed in silence, Naruto could no longer contain himself. ?What the hell?s he doing?! Going for a stroll?! He [I]could[/I] have stayed to train with us...? Sasuke---also watching the Jounin meander off into the woods---wore a rather sour expression as well. Sakura turned to face them. She sensed that this was a good time to lighten the mood, before her two friends decided to have a go at each other again. ?Why don?t we all pack now, and then you can come over to my house for dinner?? she offered, a bit nervously. Naruto?s scowl vanished immediately, and he turned a sunny grin and a pair of very large, liquid blue eyes her way. ?Really, Sakura-[I]chan[/I]? REALLY?!? Somewhat disturbed by the liquid blue eyes trained on her so adoringly, Sakura turned to Sasuke and held her breath. She managed to appear nonchalant about it, though the Inner Sakura was urging him, ?[I]SAY ?YES?, DAMMIT![/I]? She had never invited either Sasuke or Naruto home before, but she figured that a pre-mission sendoff dinner was as good an opportunity as any. Sasuke?s reaction was far from satisfactory. He merely persisted in glaring off in the direction Kakashi had taken, restlessly tearing at the grass. In Naruto?s case, however, she seemed to have won his undying affection. ?All RIGHT!? he exulted, balling his fists in front of him eagerly. ?Sakura-[I]chan?s[/I] cooking!? ?Er---it?s my mother?s---? Sakura began, somewhat taken aback by his exuberance, but then she decided against setting him straight. ?[I]Oh, well[/I],? she thought. [I]?At least I?ve made SOMEONE happy...[/I]? ?I?ll come.? Sakura was so shocked to hear this that she nearly keeled over. Sasuke was looking straight at her. He wasn?t smiling, but by this time she knew better than to expect that of him. ?Ah---okay,? she managed, blushing furiously while the Inner Sakura exulted at the top of her lungs. ?I guess I?ll be going then. See you at sundown.? Having laid these plans for the evening, the three Genin went their separate ways.[/COLOR] [COLOR=DarkOrange][B][CENTER]{o---O---o} {o---O---o} {o---O---o}[/CENTER][/B][/COLOR] [COLOR=Blue]Naruto strolled down Konoha?s thoroughfare with a bit of a spring in his step. ?Dinner with Sakura-[I]chan[/I], dinner with Sakura-[I]chan[/I]!? he sang to himself as he went. He was in such high spirits that he grinned widely at everyone he passed---which earned him a plethora of bemused stares from the shopkeepers and errand-runners, and more than a few worried looks from people who knew the kind of mischief he could get into. The restaurants were just beginning to open for the evening, and the savory scent of ramen wafted past his nose. Inhaling deeply, Naruto turned his head eagerly this way and that, trying to locate the source of the smell. Then he realized what he was doing and stopped himself, pounding a fist against his stomach and shaking his head vehemently. ?Sakura-[I]chan[/I] is feeding me tonight!? he told his stomach firmly. ?I will be strong and hold out for Sakura-[I]chan[/I]!? His stomach responded with a hearty gurgle. Then, because he wasn?t paying attention, Naruto managed to walk right into the tall white-haired hermit heading in the opposite direction. ?Why hold out for one girl?? the man asked cheerily as Naruto bounced off him. ?She?ll never know if you get a little something on the side, too...? Naruto realized immediately who it was and jumped back a good three feet. ?[I]ERO-SENNIN[/I]!? he shouted, pointing an accusatory finger at the Sannin?s chest. Jiraiya?s grin melted into a scowl, and he waved hastily at Naruto, trying to get him to shut up. ?Brat! Do you have to yell that out [I]here[/I]?? People walking around them were beginning to stare, and not merely because they had stopped right in the middle of the street. Naruto, of course, who was notorious for not shutting up until he was good and ready, merely squinted at the Sannin and went on with his tirade. ?Where were [I]you[/I] when all hell was breaking loose in Konoha?? he demanded. ?Out playing with your frogs? Or peeping at girls, maybe...? This was the final straw for Jiraiya---passing women were giving him rather hostile looks. Mothers were beginning to steer their children as far away from the quarreling pair as was possible amid the crowded street. Before Naruto could utter another word, the Sannin clamped one hand around the Genin?s mouth and dragged him kicking and flailing into a nearby alleyway. [/COLOR] [COLOR=Blue]?Oy, oy!? Naruto exclaimed when Jiraiya had finally released him. ?[I]Ero-sennin[/I]---what?s going on?? ?Hush!? Jiraiya admonished, more sternly this time. ?I don?t want all of Konoha to know I?m here.? ?Really?? Naruto immediately quieted down, regarding the Sannin with wide, curious eyes. ?Then why are you HERE?? ?Ah...? Jiraiya?s frown eased, and he rubbed his chin thoughtfully. ?I came to see [I]you[/I], actually. I heard an interesting rumor from a frog about what happened while I was away. . .something about the Sand ninja Gaara and a giant demon?? ?Ehh...oh, that.? Naruto looked mildly bemused. ?I always thought [I]tanuki[/I] were supposed to be [I]cute[/I], but he had an [I]evil[/I] one inside him.? ?A [I]tanuki[/I] demon? Inside him?? Jiraiya smiled, but he wore an expression of uncharacteristic puzzlement. ?Ah...that?s interesting...? ?What? What?? Naruto peered up at him, curious because he had never seen the Sannin wear such a face. Jiraiya stroked his chin, looking thoughtful. ?What can you tell me about this ?Gaara??? he asked. ?What sort of techniques does he use?? Naruto cast a furtive glance down the alleyway, but the nearest people were walking past it along the main road, well beyond earshot. When he turned back toward the white-haired Sannin his face was very solemn. ?Gaara is like me,? he said simply. Slowly, Jiraiya nodded understanding. ?But he uses sand, like a shield. No one gets near him because of it.? ?[I]Except you[/I],? the Sannin thought, ?[I]because you?re like him[/I].? But he didn?t say this out loud. Instead he patted Naruto on the head in an absent sort of way, which made the yellow-haired Genin scowl. ?Thanks,? he said. ?I think it?s becoming clearer to me...? Naruto cocked his head to one side, squinting up at the hermit in confusion. ?Ehh? What is?? Jiraiya flashed him a conspiratorial grin and a thumbs-up. ?Secret business,? he declared cryptically. Then, in a rush of wind, the Sannin was gone, no doubt navigating the rooftops to pursue some mysterious errand. Naruto blinked in bemusement. [I]?Ehh? He asked about Gaara, so it can?t have to do with peeping...?[/I] Naruto grimaced. ?[I]At least, I HOPE it doesn?t have to do with peeping... With Ero-sennin you never know.?[/I] Still shaking his head, Naruto wandered back onto the main thoroughfare, earning a few suspicious looks as he emerged from the dark alley. Then he remembered... ?SHIT!? he exclaimed, causing several women with shopping bags to jump. ?SAKURA-[I]CHAN[/I]!? Then he took off at a dead run.[/COLOR] [COLOR=DarkOrange][CENTER][B]{o---O---o} {o---O---o} {o---O---o}[/B][/CENTER][/COLOR] [COLOR=Blue]Kakashi sat on the balcony outside his room, which overlooked one of Konoha?s quieter streets. The moon shone down over the village, casting blue shadows across the streets wherever there weren?t lanterns strung to hold them at bay. Shadows, of course, were no real threat to a [I]shinobi[/I]---it was the ones who moved in them that inspired caution. ?[I]I don?t like this[/I],? Kakashi thought, gazing off into the distance and frowning. A cold wind ruffled his hair, blowing westward. He had promised to explain the nature of the pending mission in greater detail once his team was clear of Konoha, but there were still some secrets that he had no intention of divulging. He had been quite surprised when the village elders---some of whom were close relatives of the late Third Hokage---summoned him personally to meet with the messenger from the Water Country. It was not standard procedure, and it was also extremely unusual for the elders to concern themselves with a mission when Konoha was still ungoverned and in shambles. They met in the ANBU Council Room in the Hokage?s headquarters, which served to unnerve Kakashi even further. Going to this extent to preserve a mission?s secrecy had seemed unduly excessive...until the elders explained the nature of this particular mission. Kakashi?s first impression of the Water-Lord?s messenger was that this was a ninja whose enemies would underestimate him and then immediately come to regret it. He was introduced to the Jounin as Arashi Shikyo---a short, slender man from the Hidden Village of Rain with a quiet, unassuming manner and an easy way of moving that belied lightning-fast reflexes. Once the situation in Mizutou was explained, Kakashi understood why such a man had been dispatched. Shikyo was apparently one of Lord Garyu?s personal bodyguards, and was the candidate most likely to survive a journey past the Hidden Village of Mist---where the assassins after Garyu purportedly had their base. ?But why choose [I]me[/I]?? Kakashi had asked, frowning beneath his mask. ?There are others...perhaps even ANBU would be more ideal in this situation.? There were no ANBU members attending the meeting. ?The Water-Lord was one of the attending guests at your Chuunin Exam,? Shikyo told Kakashi. ?He witnessed your students? trials, and has complete faith in those you place your faith in.? The Rain ninja nodded toward the chamber?s one open window, which revealed a panoramic view of the Leaf Village. ?My instructions are clear. You are invited to bring anyone from Konoha that you wish. However, Garyu-[I]sama[/I] requested that you not bring ANBU into this. The Mist Ninja already have fingers pointing to them in accusation; they would no doubt interpret it as a threat to their Village if they learned that Konoha was involved. That is why Garyu-[I]sama[/I] requested a small company of Leaf Ninja---so that Konoha?s presence there would not be intrusive.? Shikyo?s sharp gaze turned back toward Kakashi. ?And my lord will only provide funding for you and your team. All others will come only at your behest.? Kakashi?s eyes narrowed. [I]?He?s trapped me---forcing me to undertake this mission with only myself and my team, because Konoha can?t afford to send shinobi on missions for which they won?t be paid. But WHY? Why MY team??[/I] Aloud, he asked, ?Which still leaves me to wonder: why was [I]I[/I] chosen in particular?? Shikyo?s smooth expression turned grim. ?There is a special technique used by the assassins each time they make an attempt on Garyu-[I]sama?s[/I] life,? he murmured. ?According to the dossiers my lord acquired on his last visit to Konoha---during the Chuunin Exam---there are only two living in your village able to use this technique. Your name was listed, as was your profile, and the profile of the other man.? Kakashi was so shocked that he took an involuntary step backward. ?Then...you mean...?? The Jounin glanced at the attending Leaf elders for confirmation. To his horror, they nodded gravely. That night, seated cross-legged on his balcony, Kakashi whispered the accursed name. ?[I]Shinkuhana no Jutsu[/I]---the Crimson Blossom Technique...? It was an assassin?s technique---one Kakashi had spent thirteen years praying he would never need to use...[/COLOR] [COLOR=DarkOrange][CENTER][B]{o---O---o} {o---O---o} {o---O---o}[/B][/CENTER][/COLOR] [COLOR=Blue]Despite the haste with which he traversed the streets, Naruto was still the last to arrive at Sakura?s house. ?Damn that [I]Ero-sennin[/I], making me late,? he muttered as he wrapped on her door. From inside he heard a brief exchange between several people, followed by someone?s footsteps as they approached the door. Suddenly feeling a bit nervous, he straightened his jacket-collar and readied the bunch of flowers he?d bought on the way. They were pink, like Sakura?s hair. The door swung open, and Naruto swallowed hard, holding the bouquet out in front of him. What he got was an eyeful of Sasuke, who had been elected to let him in because the rest of Sakura?s family was busy in the kitchen. The two Genin stared silently at each other for a minute beneath the glow of the porch light. Then Sasuke turned a cool eye down toward the proffered flowers. ?Those had better not be for [I]me[/I],? he said, backing up and opening the door further to allow Naruto passage. Naruto, whose flesh was crawling at the very thought, grumbled, ?Hell no,? and brushed past his fellow Genin. Once inside, however, he stopped in his tracks and took to gazing intently at his surroundings. Sakura?s house was much neater than his own apartment, and much larger. The walls in the dining room were painted yellow and everywhere he looked there was evidence of a woman?s touch, from the décor to the arrangement of the framed photos on the shelves. Though he couldn?t quite pinpoint why, Naruto decided he liked it. ?Stop grinning like that; you?re making me nervous.? Sakura had just entered the room, wearing an apron over her red jumper and carrying a ladle in one hand. ?Sakura-[I]chan[/I]!? Naruto greeted her excitedly, turning and offering her the bouquet. Caught off-guard, she accepted it and bent to breathe in the scent. Naruto beamed; Sasuke merely folded his arms and looked bored. ?Erm---thanks,? Sakura finally responded, returning his smile for once. Then she disappeared back into the kitchen with them, presumably to find a vase. While Sasuke seated himself at the table, Naruto took to examining the photos on the shelves. Having never had one of his own, he was curious to see what sort of family Sakura had. ?Hey, hey, Sasuke, you should see this!? he called, picking one of them up and waving it in the air. ?Sakura-[I]chan[/I] as a baby, butt naked!? ?NARUTO! DON?T BE LOOKING AT THAT!? Sakura shouted, hurtling back into the room and looking so outraged she seemed possessed. Sasuke watched with folded arms as Naruto received a fist in the jaw for his troubles, wearing a slight smile. At that moment, Sakura?s mother emerged from the kitchen bearing a tray of dumplings. ?May I help you with anything else, Mother?? Sakura asked sweetly. Both Sasuke and Naruto stared at her in amazement. [I]?Her---her personality just did a full one-eighty[/I],? Naruto thought, gaping in wonderment and rubbing his chin. ?[I]So scary...[/I]? ?Ehh, it?s all right, Sakura,? her mother replied, eyeing the two boys speculatively. ?You can keep your friends company while your father finishes cooking the [I]yakisoba[/I].? She was a rather pretty woman, with dark hair and eyes and a very fine oval-shaped face. She looked more like she could have given birth to Sasuke than Sakura. Sasuke favored her with one of his rare genuine smiles and bowed respectfully. Sakura?s mother returned the smile briefly, but her eyes were on Naruto. Her expression was wary, as if he were a stray dog her daughter had let into the house that might possibly be rabid. Still rubbing his jaw, Naruto grinned at her, which unfortunately made him look every bit as impish as his reputation suggested. Without another word, she turned briskly and strode back into the kitchen. Sakura turned toward Naruto with her fists on her hips. ?You didn?t break anything yet, did you?? ?No,? Naruto replied somewhat indignantly. ?See?? He held up the picture to show that it was still intact and then replaced it on the shelf with exaggerated carefulness. Sakura scowled at it. ?It?d be okay if you broke [I]that[/I],? she muttered. ?Hey, Sakura, let?s go to [I]your[/I] room!? Naruto suggested, his mind already jumping to the next impulse to flash through his brain. Sakura laid a finger to her lower lip, looking somewhat uneasy. Then, without warning, she took off down the hall, shouting, ?Wait there a sec!? over her shoulder. Presently several banging and scraping noises echoed down the hall. Naruto and Sasuke exchanged bemused glances, and then looked up when Sakura came hurtling back into the room. ?All clean now,? she panted, and the two of them followed her to her bedroom. Naruto, who had never seen the inside of a girl?s bedroom, immediately began making a case study of it. Sakura immediately found her hands full with keeping him out of the drawers containing her underwear; he was rampantly curious about every bit of jewelry lying around and every poster on the wall, and most of all the framed pictures of her family that she had on display. ?Sakura?s clan? he called them, which seemed to embarrass her because she didn?t understand his enthusiasm. ?[I]Of course not[/I],? Naruto thought to himself. ?[I]She has a family.? [/I] This made him feel a bit odd, so he turned his attention to the enormous mirror mounted into a stand near Sakura?s dresser. ?I bet Sakura-[I]chan[/I] primps in front of it every morning,? he remarked, casting an impish eye toward Sasuke. Then he formed a quick seal, shouted ?[I]Henge[/I]!? and abruptly another Sakura stood in front of the mirror. ?Naruto!? Sakura protested, ?what are you---?? ?I can?t wear [I]this[/I]; it makes me look [I]fat[/I]!? Naruto simpered in Sakura?s voice. ?Oh, Sasuke, will you ever notice my lovely white legs?? Sakura?s double struck a pose in front of the mirror, lifting one corner of his/her red jumper to expose more of his/her thigh. Sakura, who [I]did[/I] primp every morning, rewarded his prank with a fist in the gut. ?Oy!? Naruto wheezed, staggering backward and clutching at his belly. ?You shouldn?t hit a girl!? Then the transformation vanished in a puff of smoke, and he landed on his rear end on the floor. While Sakura glanced nervously at Sasuke, who was sitting on her bed, Naruto doubled over with laughter. However, he still hadn?t quite recovered from having the wind knocked out of him, and so it sounded more like he was choking. Sasuke had been watching the proceedings with folded arms and his perpetually bored expression. ?What an idiot, eh?? Sakura remarked, laughing a bit nervously. It was a bit hard to think clearly when the Inner Sakura was shouting, ?[I]YES! Sasuke is in MY bedroom, on MY bed!? [/I] and other such impure thoughts. Then she turned back toward Naruto, who was rolling around on the floor. [I]?It would be perfect if HE weren?t here...?[/I] ?Kakashi seems awfully close-mouthed about this mission,? Sasuke said unexpectedly. His friends abandoned their previous engagements to turn and stare at him. The dark-haired Genin was gazing absently at his own reflection in the mirror. ?What do you mean?? Naruto asked, sitting up and drawing his knees into a cross-legged position. ?He seemed pretty straight-forward about it to [I]me[/I]...? Sasuke leaned forward, steepling his fingers in front of his chin. ?Think about it. He admitted that he isn?t going to tell us everything until we?ve left Konoha.? His sharp black eyes switched from the mirror to Naruto?s face. ?That?s like saying there?s some sort of danger in Konoha itself---danger that might put the mission at risk.? Sakura shook her head. ?But why would someone in the Leaf Village care about some feudal lord in the Water Country?? ?Precisely,? Sasuke agreed, nodding to himself. ?[I]What a freak[/I],? Naruto thought, staring at the other boy with one eye squinted and the opposite eyebrow raised. [I]?Worrying about all that stuff NOW... Kakashi-sensei?s just going to tell us anyway tomorrow morning.?[/I] Sakura, on the other hand, looked starry-eyed and impressed. ?You?re right,? she breathed. ?There has to be more to this. After all, it is an A-Class mission.? Her last modicum of misgivings about the danger level seemed to have evaporated in the presence of her object of desire. ?And if the Mist Ninja are involved, then---? ?Sakura!? her mother called from the kitchen. ?Dinner is ready!? ?Coming!? Sakura shouted. Her two friends followed her back down the hall to the dining room, where everything had already been served and was now steaming gently on their plates. ?All RIGHT!? Naruto exulted as he seated himself across from Sakura. ?[I]Itadakimasu!?[/I] ?[I]Itadakimasu[/I],? Sasuke said, taking hold of a dumpling between his chopsticks in a far more dignified manner. [I]?Itadakimasu[/I],? Sakura echoed. She had seated herself next to Sasuke so that their hands could ?accidentally? brush every time he passed a dish around. She fully intended to eat her fill tonight. Sakura?s mother was still giving Naruto the evil eye. Naruto, who was quite accustomed to people giving him the evil eye, grinned at her and said, ?Delicious!? before popping an entire rice-ball into his mouth. The woman?s scowl deepened, and she turned away to avoid looking at him at all. ?So your mission this time is to act as bodyguards for a foreign lord, is it?? Sakura?s father asked them, helping himself to the [I]yakisoba[/I]. ?And you?re meeting Kakashi-[I]san[/I] early tomorrow morning?? ?That?s right,? Sakura replied, forcing a smile, as if fending off skilled assassins were something she looked forward to. [/COLOR] [COLOR=Blue]?It?s so odd, though, that Kakashi-[I]san[/I] feels your mission could last as long as a month,? her mother remarked. The three Genin exchanged bemused glances. In the end, none of them replied. ?Well, Sasuke-[I]kun[/I], I saw your fight at the Chuunin Exam, and it was quite impressive!? Sakura?s father said, leaning forward to gaze down the table at the dark-haired boy. He was a somewhat homely man, but he had a wide, honest face and an engaging smile. Naruto could see where Sakura inherited her forehead from, but her father?s hair was brown. Somehow he felt that a black-haired mother and a brown-haired father should not have been able to produce a daughter with light pink hair. ?[I]Or maybe genetics don?t apply to anime heroines[/I],? he decided, nodding to himself while chewing [I]soba[/I]. At the mention of the Chuunin Exam Sasuke?s black eyes narrowed, and his mood visibly soured. ?Ah...Sasuke-[I]kun[/I], can you please pass the [I]gyoza[/I]?? Sakura asked, seeking to distract him before he could lapse into silent brooding. For some reason, any mention of his fight with Gaara seemed to instantly darken his mood. Oblivious to the delicacy of the situation, Naruto warmed to the topic. ?Yeah! It?s too bad Orochimaru attacked, or Sasuke would have [I]really[/I] kicked that creepy guy?s ass!? Sakura shot him a glare while piling gyoza on her plate, completely missing the fact that Sasuke?s hand brushed hers in the process. Sakura?s father nodded seriously. ?I was amazed at how strong you were against him,? he remarked. ?Gaara was dangerous---dangerous even to his own comrades. One of the men placing bets told me that even the Sand Ninja were afraid of him, and that he killed people in his own village.? Sakura?s mother?s lips pursed, giving her face a rather pinched, fierce look to it. ?The rumor was going around the stadium that he had a demon beast inside him,? she said distastefully. ?Sealed into him, and then they gave him a shield of sand to protect him! Who would want to [I]protect[/I] such a monster?? As she spoke, her gaze slid sideways toward Naruto, who paused mid-chew in surprise. ?They only kept him to use against Konoha,? Sakura?s father suggested. ?But he was definitely what I?d call a dangerous tool.? Naruto swallowed hurriedly. ?Gaara was strong, but he used his strength in a bad way,? he told them. ?He was alone, and it made him angry because he didn?t trust or rely on anyone.? He shrugged. ?He?s creepy, but I don?t think he?s the sort of guy who can?t change.? Sakura blinked, unsure what to make of this strange little speech. Her parents, on the other hand, seemed to be radiating disapproval in Naruto?s direction. ?You sympathize with him?? Sakura?s father asked. Suddenly his smile was no longer engaging. ?But, then, [I]you[/I] of all---? His wife cut him off sharply. ?Gaara may be able to change on the outside,? she agreed with Naruto, but her tone was frosty. ?And maybe the Sand may come to see him as a hero...? With a jolt, realization hit Naruto like one of Sakura?s left-hooks: [I]Sakura?s parents knew that the Nine-Tails demon had been sealed inside him[/I]. Of course they knew. How could he have forgotten? [I]All[/I] the adults knew... And just now, if Sakura?s mother had not interrupted what her husband was about to say, he might have blurted out the secret, [I]right in front of Sasuke and Sakura. [/I] ?However,? Sakura?s mother went on, ?inside he will always be a monster.? Delicately, she captured a dumpling between her chopsticks. ?Regardless of whom he fools.? Naruto tried to swallow, but the piece of tofu stuck in his throat. Every instinct in his brain was telling him to leave Right Now, before the conversation got any uglier. It had been a while since he?d come across people like this. He had no way of knowing if Sakura?s parents had lost an uncle; a sister; a friend---but it was all the same. They blamed him because he was like a living symbol of their pain---a living legacy of their grief for those killed by the Nine-Tails. It never stopped hurting him because he was the sort of boy who understood the pain of others, and this nearly defied his understanding. He didn?t think he could bear it if his friends found out. Sakura stared back and forth between her parents in confusion. The Inner Sakura was demanding, ?[I]WHAT THE HELL?!? [/I] Sasuke merely folded his hands in front of his mouth and studied Sakura?s mother intently. He had been listening to the entire conversation with keen interest, because he had no idea what was going on either and his sharp mind liked to wrap itself around things that puzzled him. Naruto laid his chopsticks across his plate and wiped his fingers on the front of his pant legs beneath the table. ?Thank you for the meal,? he told Sakura?s mother, who was chewing her dumpling idly as if she hadn?t just delivered such a stinging veiled insult. ?It was delicious.? Then he shoved his chair back from the table and stood up to leave. Sakura finally recovered from her confusion enough to be surprised at the abruptness of his leave-taking. ?Eh---Naruto? Why are---?? she began, but her father interrupted her. ?I?m sure he wants to turn in early so he?s well rested for the start of the mission tomorrow.? ?Right.? Naruto nodded, and with a forced grin he turned quickly and headed for the door. ?See you in the morning, then.? There was an unnatural spring in his step so obviously false that Sakura and Sasuke merely stared at him in silence. Then the door swung shut behind him, and he stood alone on the porch. It was later now, and the streets had grown quiet. Most of the people who had been out before had either arrived home, could be found sitting in bars and restaurants with friends and family. Naruto took a deep breath, and then stepped beyond the light of Sakura?s porch and onto the road. He took his time going home; the truth was he wasn?t the least bit tired, or inclined to turn in early for the sake of the mission. He was still hungry as well, and as he walked alone he had his stomach?s growling to keep him company. Because of the noise and his hurt feelings, it took Naruto quite some time before he noticed that he was being trailed. At first he thought it was just his imagination---that he was seeing the shadow of someone passing by him on the main road, but then he realized that the shadow had no accompanying person to cast it. ?[I]Ero-sennin[/I]?? he muttered, a bit uncertainly, wondering if the old frog-hermit were trying to get him alone to talk. However, from the fleeting glimpses of it that he caught he could see that it was someone much shorter and thinner around the shoulders. [I]?It?s not Konohamaru[/I],? he thought with a grimace. ?[I]That kid couldn?t hide his ass with both hands and a camouflage technique.?[/I] Naruto scratched his head, squinting at the surrounding buildings and trying to catch another glimpse. None came. Whoever it was, they apparently didn?t want to [I]talk[/I] to him; they wanted to [I]follow[/I] him. Naruto jammed his hands in his pockets, adopting a casual swagger and whistling as he moved down the street. [I]?I hope it?s not Sakura?s mother, coming to kill me,[/I]? he thought, a bit worriedly. After about fifteen minutes of pretending to be unaware of his stalker, Naruto turned and ducked abruptly into a narrow side-street. He was about to take off at a dead run using [I]shinobi[/I] speed, but curiosity got the better of him and he hesitated, peering back the way he?d come to see if the shadow moved again. Nothing moved; the street was empty. Slowly, Naruto backed up, preparing to turn and run like hell for home. Instead he found himself backing into someone standing behind him. An arm swathed in white cloth clamped around his neck, immediately trapping him in a choke-hold. In the other hand his captor held a [I]kunai[/I], with the blade pressed against Naruto?s throat.[/COLOR] [COLOR=DarkOrange][CENTER][B]{o---O---o} {o---O---o} {o---O---o}[/B][/CENTER][/COLOR] [COLOR=Blue]Within the privacy of the ANBU Council Room, where just seven hours earlier Hatake Kakashi had met with Konoha?s Elders, the Elders now presided over the report of an ANBU squad that had recently returned to the village. The squad was large---composed of ten people---but this wasn?t unusual given the nature of their previous mission. They had been sent out onto the public roads in groups of two and three, posing as ordinary wayfarers in order to trail the Sand Ninja as they made their way home. Or, more specifically, they had been sent to follow Gaara, the leader of the Sand?s only representing team. A full report on what had transpired in the Forest of Death during the chaos after the Chuunin Exam had been made, composed of the accounts of several eye-witnesses. What concerned ANBU the most was the fact that Gaara, like Uzumaki Naruto, had a demon sealed inside him, and thus they?d elected to begin immediate investigation of the boy. The investigation was mainly to determine what precautions the Sand were taking to keep him under control. The investigation took a sudden dark turn when the corpses began turning up along the road. Only one ANBU team trailed Gaara all the way to the Sand Village; the rest ended up investigating the strange deaths. It was obvious that Gaara was the killer, but what puzzled the Leaf ninja was the fact that the ?victims? were apparently anything but innocent. Some of the bodies were mangled beyond recognition, for Gaara had apparently employed his ?Desert Coffin? technique against them, but ANBU found discarded weapons lying near them, indicating that they had died because they dared to attack the Sand boy. Those attackers that he had not used Desert Coffin on were usually to be found lying with their mouths grotesquely open and their lungs filled with sand. Upon investigating these gruesome sites ANBU found that all of the attackers had at least two things in common: they were all shinobi, and all of them were exiles from their various villages. This was evident from their forehead protectors, upon which there was always a slantwise slash across the village emblems. The matter had been brought before the Leaf Elders because ANBU was at a loss. Their first intuitive guess was that some of the feudal lords attending the Chuunin Exam had bet against Sasuke and lost a great deal of money, and that these lords were sending assassins to get their revenge against Gaara himself. However, this didn?t seem entirely plausible because of the sheer number of assassins that had been sent. [I]Shinobi[/I] assassins didn?t come cheap, and exiled [I]shinobi[/I] living as mercenaries were oftentimes even more expensive. It seemed unlikely that feudal lords who had just lost enough money to make them seek vengeance against Gaara would be able to afford hiring this many killers. The Leaf Elders ruled that it was far more likely that the assassins had all come from one group, which implied that there was some form of hidden organization built up somewhere. After the havoc that Orochimaru had wreaked with his forces from the Hidden Village of Sound, such an investigation was well worth pursuing. Konoha had learned its lesson, and wasn?t going to be taking any more chances. In the shadows on the rooftop just above the Council Room, Jiraiya was seated cross-legged, eavesdropping. ?Another secret organization, like Orochimaru?s?? he murmured softly to himself, stroking his chin with his thick fingers. ?Or maybe it [I]is[/I] Orochimaru?s.? The Sannin had missed the aftermath of the Chuunin Exam fiasco, having spent that weekend carousing in a civilian village some thirty miles away after staying just long enough to attend the Third Hokage?s funeral. However, en route back to Konoha, he happened to cross paths with one of the ANBU squads trailing Gaara, and had incidentally developed in interest in the strange nature of the murders. What little Naruto told him about Gaara had been enough to arouse his concern, and thus when he?d caught wind of the place and time for the ANBU meeting---namely, by getting one of the ANBU members roaring drunk and plying her for information---he?d decided to listen in. ?The real question,? one of the Leaf Elders told the assembled squad, ?is not whom but why. From the report, it almost seems as if someone is testing this Sand boy---pitting him against assassins of varied skills, perhaps to see if he is truly invulnerable.? Jiraiya frowned, shadows pooling in the deepening creases of his face. Gaara?s innate uniqueness stemmed from the demon contained within him. Whoever was sending the assassins could just as easily send them after Naruto... Abruptly, the Sannin rose to his feet and leaped from the roof. He moved swiftly and silently through the village, never once slowing until he had arrived at Naruto?s apartment. When his knocking went unanswered, Jiraiya simply let himself in. The apartment was dark and empty, and from the looks of things Naruto had left recently and with great haste. His regular orange jumpsuit lay in a crumpled heap across the bed, but Naruto seemed to have taken everything else with him that wasn?t nailed down. Perhaps it had merely been carelessness, but the boy had also left his door unlocked. Jiraiya was beginning to be alarmed. Standing in his student?s abandoned apartment, he found himself giving serious consideration to revealing his presence here to the Leaf Elders. He sighed. Sadly, some things were more important than having the freedom to drink and womanize in complete anonymity. There weren?t many, but this was one of them.[/COLOR] [COLOR=DarkOrange][CENTER][B]{o---O---o} {o---O---o} {o---O---o}[/B][/CENTER][/COLOR] [COLOR=Blue][CENTER][B]Two Hours Earlier[/B][/CENTER] ?If I were an assassin,? Naruto?s captor murmured in his ear, ?I could have killed you by now.? Then the arm across Naruto?s neck loosened, and Naruto sprang away from his attacker. ?What the HELL?!? Naruto bellowed indignantly, standing splay-legged and brandishing his fists. ?What are you doing here?? Calmly, Sasuke reinserted the [I]kunai[/I] into his pouch and folded his arms in front of him, regarding Naruto coolly. ?On my way home, I met Kakashi,? he informed his fellow Genin. ?He sent me to find you. Really, if you?re going to let yourself be caught this easily you shouldn?t bother with A-Class missions.? Naruto squinted at him suspiciously. ?If you had something to tell me, why didn?t you just [I]tell[/I] me, instead of following me all this way? Creepy guy...? Sasuke?s faint look of amusement darkened into a frown. ?I wasn?t,? he said, casting a brief, bemused glance at the street behind Naruto. ?You must be imagining things. But anyway, Kakashi sent me to fetch you and your supplies.? Naruto blinked. ?Eh? [I]Now[/I]?? Sasuke?s eyes narrowed. ?It seems he?s changed his mind about the mission. We?re leaving tonight.?[/COLOR] [COLOR=DarkOrange][CENTER][B]{o---O---o} {o---O---o} {o---O---o}[/B][/CENTER][/COLOR] [COLOR=Blue]Twenty minutes later, Kakashi?s Team Seven had regrouped outside the village gates. After Kakashi had taken a swift inventory of what his young charges were bringing with them---doubtlessly suspecting that Naruto?s favorite orange jumpsuit might be stowing away in his pack---they took off through the forest beyond at a dead run. Kakashi?s expression---what they could see of it, at any rate---seemed unusually grim. The three Genin exchanged puzzled glances as they ran. Finally, Sakura broke the silence. ?Uh, Kakashi-[I]sensei[/I], is something wrong?? she asked, a bit nervously because Kakashi looked a bit pale. ?I will answer when we?ve reached the place where the road forks and veers to the east,? the Jounin replied quietly. ?But not before. The mission?s danger may have begun before we even left the village, and I won?t risk the possibility of anyone overtaking us.? ?But I don?t understand, Kakashi-[I]sensei[/I],? Naruto insisted. ?Why would the road going east be any safer?? Kakashi?s one visible eye narrowed. ?We?ll be meeting Garyu?s personal guard there. He knows the enemy better than we do.? The Jounin paused, and went silent for a moment as they flew from tree to tree. ?I want you all to be prepared,? he went on, ducking his head to avoid a low-hanging branch. ?That is where our Mizutou ally comes in. If you go into this without knowing exactly what to expect, I can guarantee you that this mission will cost at least one of our lives.?[/COLOR] [COLOR=DarkOrange][CENTER][B]{END OF CHAPTER 1}[/B][/CENTER][/COLOR] [COLOR=SlateGray][I]Yamisui: Man, that was long... I hope you haven?t fallen asleep halfway through. A bit slow for a first chapter, I know, but I promise it will pick up...and pick up...and then pick up a whole lot more. I hope you were paying attention, by the way, because EVERYTHING?S important. I NEVER put details into a story without good reason, because generally I have no patience for details myself. This is my first Naruto fanfic, by the way. All my others have been Inuyasha-themed. [/I] [/COLOR] [COLOR=Indigo]From now on I'll be posting all chapter links on this single post, and just editing it to add links and summaries as I go. So anyway, here's[/COLOR] [COLOR=Red]Red Blossom[/COLOR] [COLOR=Indigo]Chapter 2[/COLOR]: [COLOR=Red][URL=http://www.fanfiction.net/secure/live_preview.php?storyid=2090312&chapter=2/]Chapter 2: Shikyo's Warning: The Touch of Death[/URL] [/COLOR] [COLOR=DarkRed]Kakashi and his team have scarcely set foot outside Konoha when they encounter the first of the assassins. What follows is a harrowing chase through the forest. The secret of the Crimson Blossom Technique is explained.[/COLOR] [COLOR=Red][URL=http://www.fanfiction.net/s/2090312/3/]Chapter 3: Kenjutsu Training: The Three Cross Blades[/URL] [/COLOR] [COLOR=DarkRed]At an inn along the Aoite Road Team Seven begins kenjutsu training under Shikyo's stern tutelage. In the Country of Wind, Gaara encounters one of the ANBU sent to spy on him. In Konoha, Jiraiya's mission is to clear up the mystery surrounding Naruto's sudden departure. Gaara finds himself battling for his life when the ANBU spy turns out to be an assassin wielding the Shinkuhana jutsu. Meanwhile, bored with training exercises, Naruto instigates what promises to be a whole lot of trouble.[/COLOR] [COLOR=Red][URL=http://www.fanfiction.net/s/2090312/4/]Chapter 4: The Crossing of Swords and Seas[/URL] [/COLOR] [COLOR=DarkRed]A three-way battle! Team Seven faces off! Reaching the end of the Aoite Road, the travelers set sail for the Water Country...and the mystery deepens.[/COLOR] [COLOR=Red][URL=http://www.fanfiction.net/s/2090312/5/]Chapter 5: Mizutou Arrival; Shinobi Under Cover![/URL] [/COLOR] [COLOR=DarkRed]The ship rounds the coast, and all hell breaks loose. The group is split, and the city is reached. Who is the true enemy? The Mist, or the enemies of the Mist?[/COLOR] [COLOR=Red][URL=http://www.fanfiction.net/s/2090312/6/]Chapter 6: Arrest! The Heikou Web[/URL] [/COLOR] [COLOR=DarkRed]What has become of Kakashi and Sakura? What is Shikyo leading Naruto and Sasuke into? Shikyo abandons Team 7, arrousing suspicion, but the group is reunited with a new game plan.[/COLOR] [COLOR=Red][URL=http://www.fanfiction.net/s/2090312/7/]Chapter 7: The Nightingale Floor[/URL] [/COLOR] [COLOR=DarkRed]Once again Team Seven gets more than they bargained for, first in the Water-lord's bold wife and second in a new threat which will split the group up once more. The assassins are ready to make their move...[/COLOR] [COLOR=Red][URL=http://www.fanfiction.net/s/2090312/8/]Chapter 8: Into The Mist[/URL] [/COLOR] [COLOR=DarkRed]Kakashi and Sakura head into the wooded valley that leads to the Hidden Village of Mist. And the welcome they receive is less than friendly...[/COLOR] [size=1][color=#1874CD][B]Edit:[/B] I merged your two posts into one. Please remember that double posting is a big no-no. If you need to add in something, edit your posts. - Revelation.[/size][/color]

[COLOR=orange][B][center]{+} {+} {+} LORD OF THE WEST {+} {+} {+} {+} {+} Chapter 17: The White Brothers {+} {+} Three Hundred Years In The Past[/center][/B][/COLOR] [COLOR=purple][I]She was leaving him. Her leave-taking was an act of utter betrayal. She was his last and dearest daughter, whom he had formed into a woman?s shape from a piece of his own heart. She stood in the cave, at the end of the tunnel that the last desperate scraping of his claws had carved into the earth. She stood facing the seal that held him fast, binding him into the mountain. Out of all his children, she had been the only one to come back to him after the Inutaisho cast him into this prison. This waking hell. (FREE ME, DAUGHTER. YOU ALONE POSSESS THE POWER.) Midoriko shook her head. ?I know what you ask of me. You wish me to lay with the one who sealed you; to bear a demon?s child. . .and then to paint its blood upon the walls of your prison to free you.? Raiiru?s great eye glared at her through the barrier of crystal. He loved her, and yet he hated her as well. He had created her; shouldn?t she do this? She was denying him. She was betraying him. She was standing there wearing human armor and human robes and human flesh; frail things that would pass away. And she was telling him that they meant more than the power he was offering her ever would. (INSTEAD OF WASTING YOUR LIFE PURIFYING DEMONS IN THAT WEAK HUMAN SKIN, FREEING ME WOULD END DEMONKIND IN A DAY. FREE ME, SERVE ME, AND BECOME A GODDESS AMONG INSECTS.) Again Midoriko shook her head. She was a woman of insurmountably strong will. Raiiru saw that she would not be swayed. ?All you offer is power,? she said to him. ?It is all you know. But that is not what will endure. I foresee a future that has no place for monsters.? Raiiru became angry. His soul beat violently against the seal, but it held fast. (I WILL ENDURE) he thundered. (I WILL SURVIVE. I WILL TAKE MY PLACE AS RULER OF THIS EARTH, AS I WAS AT ITS DAWNING.) She sighed then, and turned away from him. ?You will remain sealed,? she murmured. ?Tomorrow, I go to battle a great horde of demons, in my own way, of my own strength. Sleep, my Lord; my King. I pray your dreams will turn to peace. But here you will remain, for your age is past.? Then she started back down the tunnel, her footsteps echoing softly. He knew that she wept as she went.[/COLOR][/I] [center][b][color=orange]{+} {+} {+} The Feudal Era[/b][/center][/color] [COLOR=purple]He stalked his prey across the mounds of rubble. As he walked, he could feel the [I]hanyou?s[/I] blood making his own begin to sicken and rot. Once the [I]hanyou[/I] was dead, he would be able to use his power to purge it from himself, to ensure once and for all that this flesh was his. Once the [I]hanyou[/I] was dead. . . His nostrils flared and he inhaled deeply. He could smell the demon?s presence ahead of him. Inuyasha smelled of pine and metal and human and power all at once. And fear. Raiiru?s lips rose in a feral grin. Inuyasha had more to fear than he knew. He thought he was buying himself time, forcing Raiiru to chase him across this frozen waste. But he did not know. . .[I]could[/I] not know. . .that though the mountain had fallen the Dragon still possessed an unearthly power over this place. In truth, Raiiru had [I]allowed[/I] himself to be lured here now, forsaking the possibility of holding Inuyasha?s companions hostage, knowing that this was the place where he could kill the [I]hanyou[/I] easiest. This mountain, and the ones surrounding it, were hallowed ground. He slowed to a halt, robes cracking against him as the blood staining them dried and froze. He was not a demon, though he wore a demon?s body. He was a Dragon, and he did not waste time [I]hunting[/I]. It was time to flush out his prey. He planted his feet on the rock and allowed his consciousness to seep into the [I]ryunochi[/I] beneath him. This time, however, his great mind reached further down than that, into the very roots of the earth. He had not wanted to do this; it would ravage the surrounding land. His children would be forced to flee it to survive. But had he not been the one who had watched over his children on their long journey to the Tatesei Valley? Had his blood in their veins not given rise to the Wise, who had destroyed their demon enemies and allowed them to grow as a nation? Did his blood not extend their lives far beyond the normal human lifespan? They were nothing if he did not survive to lead them. This land was his to do with as he pleased. He knelt, pressing both palms flat against the rock. Fire filled his eyes. And the earth began to tremble.[/COLOR] [center][b][color=orange]{+} {+} {+}[/center][/b][/color] [COLOR=purple]Inuyasha felt the earthquake coming long before it came. The Tatesei in him knew it was coming. It was a humming in his bones; a ringing in his ears. It made the hair on his head rise in horror. He had been crouched in a depression between two junctured plates of rock shelf. He had found this hiding place quite by accident, having slipped on a place where the rock was slick with snow. He had huddled there for several minutes, resting his hands on his knees and wondering what to do. In order for his blood to purge the Dragon from his brother?s body, his own Youkai blood would need to be ignited. But the Dragon was still in Sesshoumaru, though he had succeeded in wounding him with the [I]Hijintessou[/I]. At that time, he had not lost himself completely to his demon nature, which could only mean one thing: he had not called upon enough of that power. ?[I]Damnit[/I],? he swore, vehemently shaking away the small drift of snow that had gathered atop his head. He had called upon his anger toward his brother that time to ignite the blood. It seemed that somehow his anger wasn?t strong enough. The only other way he could think of was to place himself in a situation where his body was in danger of dying. It would mean that he would have to fully lose control of himself, as he had not when he fought Raiiru on the ridge. ?[I]Just because I couldn?t hate Sesshoumaru enough, I?m going to have to. . .?[/I] He had not forgotten what Kagome had told him, about how the ?White Brothers? were to kill each other and so end the Inu Youkai Line. Now the answer was becoming clear to him: he might take Raiiru with him, but he and his brother were still going to die. It had been fate. ?[I]Keh,? [/I]he scoffed, at his own fears. ?I?m thinking too much again.? He rose to his feet, and began to climb out of the hiding place, using digging his claws into the stone for traction. He had nearly crested the juncture of rock when the earth began to shake. The rubble around him exploded upward, first in a hail of debris, and then in geysers of liquid flame. The heat caught him and sent him skyward, searing around his skin, blinding him and deafening him with its roar. Utterly disoriented, tumbled head over heels by the momentum of the eruption, Inuyasha held his breath and prepared himself to die. Two things saved him: the first the Fire Rat robes that he wore; the second the shard of the Sacred Jewel embedded in his flesh. The heat did not burn his limbs or chest where the [I]haori hakama[/I] covered it, and the jewel. . .the jewel?s protection was another matter entirely. A great wave pulsed outward from his body, unlike anything he?d ever felt before. Once he had inserted a Shikon shard into Tetsusaiga, and that alone had been a rush of power that sent his head reeling. This was. . .he was not prepared for this. Nothing could have prepared him for [I]this[/I]. The Shikon no Tama, forged from the clash of demon strength and the unearthly power of the woman who had once defied the Dragon, flashed rays of brilliance in every direction. Inuyasha?s head tipped back, light spilling out his mouth and eyes, as the erupting lava broke upon the jewel?s [I]kehai[/I] like water. It splashed outward, spraying the outermost rubble of what had once been Reiyama Mountain, mingling with the thicker rivers of lava that had begun to seep and burn their way onto the plain. He tried to blink, clawing at the skin of his own arms in confusion, trying to suppress the white heat that ringed his body like a halo. He thought, dimly, that the lava overflowing onto the plain would send it directly onto his comrades, who were still out there. He thought, even more dimly, that the lava would continue past the plain, gravity pulling it downward into the Tatesei Valley, right on top of the city. But then thinking became an impossibility. He sprang free of the fiery geyser as if he were flying, snarling, eyes aflame. Not far from him, standing atop a boulder that the lava had not consumed, was his enemy. Tall and white and silent as a statue. Reeking of fear. Raiiru. . .the Dragon. . .he could no longer remember the body?s other name. It didn?t matter. His enemy?s [I]name[/I] didn?t matter. And he rushed forward, ugly laughter bubbling from his lips like slaver. He flung the blood he had clawed from his arms. The white figure dodged it, pale robes and silvery hair trailing ghostlike after it. Raiiru landed upon another boulder, closer to the path of the lava. Inuyasha skidded to a halt where his enemy had been standing a split-second before. The rock was burnt and cut deep where his blood had scored it, and steaming. He laughed again. It was enough this time. It was [I]finally[/I] enough. His demon blood was truly ignited. He turned to face his adversary a second time, leering. ?[I]Afraid to die?? [/I]he snarled. [/color] [color=purple]Even from a distance, he could see his enemy?s pale face contort. Fountains of lava burst upward through the cracks in the boulders. Inuyasha was already hurtling toward him, long before the rock could explode beneath his feet from the heat and the pressure. The rock exploded in front of him, forcing him to veer sideways, away from his target. He flung more blades of blood, recklessly, but the spray of debris and lava deflected them. He ended up running a half-circle around his enemy, with such increasingly wide radius that he was forced further away from Raiiru than he was before he?d charged. The ground erupted at his heels. Once again, he found himself at an impasse, reversing direction again and again to avoid being struck. Then he realized something, and bared his teeth in a feral grin. His survival instinct was no longer a problem. He didn?t need to veer so far away to avoid being struck. With the power of the Shikon shard at his command, there was nothing to fear. He reversed direction one final time, and made straight for the white figure, heedless of the hell erupting skyward from beneath his feet. A sea of rock stretched between them, cracked now with steaming fissures, releasing stinking sulfur. The landscape was a broken, jagged puzzle, through which the earth?s firelight shone upward onto the faces of [I]hanyou[/I] and Dragon. The Dragon?s face was ugly to behold, fierce and contorted with hatred as he finally forsook his pride and turned to flee. Inuyasha?s face was a mask of grim laughter. He tore across the long distance between them, shouting as he went. ?[I]Afraid to die, are you?? [/I]he snarled. ?[I]There?s nothing that can stand between me and you NOW! Still want to BURY me to save your hide? JUST TRY IT!?[/I] The space between them closed rapidly. Inuyasha reached deep into his arm, soaking his nails; his fingers. The pain was nothing. The pain was only what he chose to take from himself. The pain meant something. . .meant. . .something. . . He struggled for thought. ?[I]Why?[/I]? a voice inside him asked. ?[I]Why do this??[/I] Then he remembered. Something vague. Something. . . His blood. He was doing this so his blood would touch the enemy?s. . . ?[I]No[/I],? he growled, a flash of intuition cutting through the red haze of his rage. ?Not touch. . . It has to [I]mingle[/I]. . .? Fire exploded between them, rising in a jet so high it disappeared into the circling storm-clouds. Inuyasha ploughed through it blindly, safe within the brilliance of the Sacred Jewel?s [I]kehai[/I]. As he passed through the column, it seemed his ears went deaf for a time, and the light had swallowed him. ?[I]Kagome[/I],? he thought, inanely, striving to remember who that was. The light was drowning his memory. The Dragon stood still beyond the rush of fire, as if he had not expected his prey to live. ?[I]Ha! Bastard!?[/I] Inuyasha caught him too swiftly this time, and too unexpectedly. As liquid flame fell around them in a soft, lambent rain, demon and Dragon clashed.[/COLOR] [center][b][color=orange]{+} {+} {+}[/center][/b][/color] [COLOR=purple]Kagome straightened, pulling away from the Seer?s grasp and shaking her head. ?What did she say?? Kagome turned and saw that Sango?s head had lifted from Miroku?s chest, and that the demon-slayer was now regarding her with obsidian eyes devoid of hope. ?Miroku?? Kagome asked, the words coming thin and choked through the tightness in her throat. ?He isn?t. . .[I]is[/I] he. . .?? Sango swallowed hard and shook her head faintly; Kagome couldn?t tell whether this was to confirm that he wasn?t dead or to brush aside the question. ?What did she [I]say[/I]?? Sango repeated, a tremor in her voice this time. ?The Seer.? ?[I]You must go[/I],? Suiton whispered, her black eyes fixed obsessively on Kagome. But Kagome was not given the time to answer to either of them. At that moment, the earth beneath their feet began to rumble. Inanely, Kagome was reminded of the earthquake drills they?d had at her school, where they?d dived under their desks, clutching their hands tightly behind their necks. She forced herself to suppress a hysterical bit of laughter; school and home and earthquake drills were worlds away from this. This felt like the end of the world. She clutched at both the Seer and one of Kirara?s strong forelegs, so that neither would be flung by the tremors. Sango pulled Miroku tight against her, looking around in bewilderment. The ground began to heave, until at last it buckled, rising in long, twisting humps. Curiously enough, these distortions of the earth all ran toward the ruins of Mount Reiyama like veins toward the heart. In some places the rock warped so dramatically that it ruptured, and jets of poisonous-looking steam shot skyward from them. The snow that coated the plain was beginning to melt. ?Kagome, we [I]must[/I] get to higher ground!? Sango shouted suddenly. ?There?s going to be an eruption!? ?A what. . .?? Kagome turned toward the mountain in abject horror. ?Then it?s a [I]volcano[/I]?? ?I don?t know,? Sango answered. ?I didn?t think so. But this may be the Dragon?s doing. And I used to live in the mountains; I?ve seen eruptions from a distance.? Staggering unsteadily to her feet, Kagome hoisted the Seer up onto her feet. Fortunately, Suiton was conscious, though clearly in pain from her wounds, and she was able to wrap her arms around Kirara?s neck to hold herself upright. ?No!? she hissed through clenched teeth. ?Our lives are [I]nothing[/I]. [I]Go[/I], Kagome-[I]sama[/I]!? Kagome was not a selfish person. She would never willingly leave her friends in such dire straits, not even if it meant going to the aid of another one of them in dire straits. But right now, she wanted more than anything to take Kirara and go, as the Seer had bade her. Even if she wouldn?t be able to do anything to stop this, she couldn?t bear the thought of Inuyasha dying alone. But she found herself kneeling, hoisting her clasped hands beneath the Seer?s torn feet. ?Get on, quickly,? she urged. ?We?re getting out of here.? The Seer was too weak to resist, but neither did she help lift herself. She turned wild eyes Kagome?s way, as if she thought Kagome had gone mad. ?[I]Don?t tell me that their lives, and your life, are NOTHING!? [/I]Kagome suddenly found herself shouting. She was angry at her own helplessness, and at the Seer?s attitude. ?The future isn?t made of ?Lines? or ?blood? or prophecies! It?s made of [I]people[/I].? She broke off, instantly ashamed that she?d yelled. The Seer?s pale face was very young, and very sad. ?Inuyasha-[I]sama[/I] said that to me also,? the woman said softly. This time Kagome couldn?t stop the tears. They ran freely down her cheeks, now that the heat rising from the plain would no longer make them freeze. Ignoring them, she hoisted the Seer upward yet again. This time Suiton swung a leg over Kirara?s back, still clinging to the demon?s neck for balance. Kagome turned to Sango. ?We have to hurry and move Miroku,? she called. But Sango had already been thinking along these lines. She knelt and hoisted the monk onto her back, draping his arms around her Hirakoutsu and over her shoulders, and hooking her own arms under his legs. Then, gritting her teeth with the effort of it, she rose to her feet, staggering toward Kirara as she held herself upright against his dead weight. His chin rested on her left shoulder. He was breathing. Kagome could see that he was breathing, from the faint puff of steam about his lips. Kirara knelt and Kagome mounted her next, and then the two women pulled Miroku onto the demon?s back behind Kagome. Sango mounted last, bringing up the rear. ?I?m sorry, Kirara,? the demon-slayer called. ?I know it will be heavy flying with so many of us. But it?s the only way.? Kirara growled an affirmative, springing into the air with aplomb. Once she had risen clear of the rumbling earth, travel was unexpectedly easy. The storm that followed Raiiru was now centered around the mountain, and even that had grown weaker. ?[I]If it disappears, I?ll know it?s too late[/I],? Kagome thought. ?[I]The Dragon?s kehai will have won over Sesshoumaru?s jyaki completely.?[/I] Then a horrid thought occurred to her. ?[I]But. . .how can that be POSSIBLE? If Sesshoumaru breaks free of the Dragon?s hold, the Seer says Sesshoumaru will kill Inuyasha. If the Dragon WINS, he will become the White King Raiiru, history will change, and Inuyasha will STILL die. . . What?s the way out of this, then??[/I] There [I]was[/I] one way. It was the only one she could think of. But it wasn?t good. ?Suiton,? she murmured, bending over the Seer?s shoulder to speak directly into her ear. ?What exactly is it you want me to do? How am I supposed to kill someone who might be the [I]strongest[/I] of [I]all Youkai[/I]?? The Seer was utterly still, and Kagome thought she had slipped into unconsciousness. But then the answer came, faint and cryptic. ?[I]Your last arrow.?[/I] Kagome drew in a sharp breath. From behind her, Sango said softly, ?There are two arrows left in your quiver.? [/color] [color=purple]Kagome had given no thought to the bow she carried on her back. It had been useless in the cave. It had been her arrow that had broken the seal around Inuyasha. But. . .this was not going to be like that time in Sesshoumaru?s garden, by the hot-springs, where she had been able to hold him at her mercy. He had been stunned that time, by Miroku?s holy powers. This time, he would be. . .[I]this[/I] time. . . In thinking this way, she came to realize that she intended to go back; back to the place where the white brothers were destined to fight. Reiyama. She squinted across the dark plain ahead of them. Almost as if by mutual, silent agreement, they had all accepted that Kirara would take them north, to Sesshoumaru?s stronghold. That was where he had bade his two small companions to wait for his return; surely he wouldn?t have considered the place safe without good reason. Kagome kept glancing behind them at the plain and the mountain. Lava was beginning to run down the side of the ruins, its flow impeded only by the boulders, which were beginning to crumble away in its lee. Soon it would cross the plain. . .perhaps heading for the valley where the Tatesei city stood. . . However, she was immediately distracted from this sudden realization; Sango had arrived at some sort of decision. ?Kirara!? she called. She didn?t have to speak very loudly to be heard, though, for the wind around them was no longer very strong. ?Take us down at that pass there, just west of the ridge!? Kagome glanced back at her in alarm. ?Sango, what are you [I]thinking[/I]? We can?t dismount [I]there[/I]! It?s in the middle of nowhere! Miroku will [I]bleed[/I] to death if we don?t get him somewhere where we can make a fire. . .? Kagome knew about cauterization. She?d only seen it in movies, but she knew that you had to heat a blade until it glowed, then press it on the wound to burn it closed. It was the only thing she could think of in the Feudal Era, without any sort of medical help necessary to save a human being from a mortal stab wound. Sango ignored her. ?Take us [I]down[/I]!? she ordered, more fiercely this time. Kirara had already been veering northwest toward the pass below the ridge. It led northward, into the wooded slopes bordering the Inu Youkai valley. If it wasn?t clear before, it was certainly clear [I]now[/I]: Sango intended to go the rest of the way on foot. ?I?m going to go back,? Kagome informed her. ?I?m going to take Kirara and go back to the mountain, to do what I can. But first we?re going to get the wounded to safety. I won?t be the cause of any more. . .? Sango shook her head firmly, wearing an odd, bitter little smile. Kirara took them down. The snow was only a foot deep where she landed. She knelt and her passengers slid off. Sango laid Miroku down gently on his side. Suiton, who was still conscious, slid down next to him, huddling against him to melt the snow surrounding him with her supernatural body heat. Kagome was loath to leave them. Sango would have none of her hesitation. ?He [I]won?t[/I] die,? the demon-slayer asserted, kneeling beside Miroku?s prone form. ?And neither will the Seer or myself.? Then she pulled aside his sash to reveal the tear in his robes where Irusei?s dagger had wounded him. The tear was now singed around the edges, and the flesh beneath was an odd raw, reddish shade. The wound was closed. Kagome?s eyes widened. ?What? How. . .?? Then Sango held up her hand. There was a bloody slash down the palm, too cleanly cut to be anything but deliberate. ?Uh. . .? Kagome couldn?t think of anything to say. She knew Sango wasn?t proud of her [I]hanryu[/I] blood. Sango rose to her feet, gesturing sharply to the south. ?Take her to the mountain, Kirara,? she bade the demon, who had risen to her four feet as well. ?She needs you to get her within shooting range of Sesshoumaru. It?s going to be risky. If she loses both arrows, please take her out of there quickly, regardless of whether she?s succeeded. If she fails, her protection comes first.? Kagome knew Sango meant well, but the part about failure made her heart clench. It was obvious that the demon-slayer was not happy about letting her do this alone. Yet if the Seer lost consciousness when left alone with Miroku, Suiton would not be able to warm him, and he might freeze to death. Kagome turned toward the Seer one last time. ?Suiton,? she said, clasping her hands before her in pleading. ?Please tell me. . .where to aim." For a moment, it seemed as if the Seer?s black-tainted eyes pierced right through her. Then Suiton lowered her head. ?[I]There are two brothers[/I],? she murmured, ?[I]and two arrows.?[/I] Sango rounded on her. ?What does that [I]mean[/I]?? she demanded. ?Tell her what it [I]means[/I].? Suiton shook her head, refusing to look at Kagome. Her shoulders hitched once. It was then that Kagome realized she was weeping. Her black hair trailed over her face, dragging in the snow. ?I don?t see what you See,? Kagome told her gently, blinking back her own tears and forcing a quavering smile. ?And I don?t envy you. But I promise that I will try my best to make this nightmare end. . .so you don?t have to See it any more.? Then she turned and mounted Kirara, hands moving automatically to check that her bow and quiver were securely fastened to her back. Soon they were airborne, heading for the mountain, which blazed ahead of her now like a torch across the storm-darkened plain.[/COLOR] [center][b][color=orange]{+} {+} {+}[/center][/b][/color] [COLOR=purple]On the mountain, a temporary hush had fallen. It was as if a brief spell of silence had fallen over the two combatants. Inuyasha found himself stopped short, his bloody fingertips outstretched inches from the Dragon?s chest. At first, he could not understand what had happened. He tried to reach further; to snarl a curse, but as he did so he felt something warm rise into his throat. It trickled from between his lips. Snarling again, impatient, he tried to lunge forward, but found himself stopped by the blade his enemy had thrust directly through his chest. He looked down at the sword. It had a name, he remembered vaguely. What was the name? Didn?t matter. It hurt like hell. His vision wavered. A seductive, slow languor began to steal through his limbs. He fought it, trying to think. That feeling was his greatest enemy right now; even greater than the man holding the sword upon which he was impaled. The human in him might have recalled Kagome in this moment. The languor of approaching death felt like laying his head in her lap while she stroked his hair, whispering for him to sleep. But the demon in him would not listen. And it was the demon who was in control now. The shard was still in him. He had to survive. Grinning around a mouthful of blood, he lurched forward abruptly, pulling the blade deeper into his body as he went. His enemy had thought to use the sword as a last resort, to keep his fingertips from reaching that pale flesh. Now he thrust forward with his own blade-like nails, darting fingers forward like razors to part white robes and white skin. His enemy tried to stagger backward to avoid him, but his newly-awakened demon strength surged through him. He was about to die and he bore a jewel shard; it was more awake now than it had ever been before. His mind was almost utterly consumed by it. Yet he remembered now his purpose for doing this. The sudden spurt of hot blood over his hands had reminded him. ?[I]Wake UP!? [/I]he growled.[/COLOR] [center][b][color=orange]{+} {+} {+}[/center][/b][/color] [COLOR=purple][I]The Lord of the West dreamed as he swam toward waking. He knew now who it was that was waking him. He knew this person well. Long ago, when his father and kindred had died, only two besides himself survived that massacre: the Tatesei princess Iyazoi and his young half-brother, Inuyasha. He hated Iyazoi, for bringing his father to such ruin. And he hated Inuyasha, for the simple fact of his existence. It was easier than hating himself for his own powerlessness to prevent the massacre from happening. The Wise were afraid of Inuyasha, and that was why they had attacked when they did. The sorcerers believed the hanyou was meant to destroy them. Inuyasha?s birth was a curse. From the moment Sesshoumaru had learned of Inuyasha?s existence, in his mind the hanyou was marked for death. That was why he tried to kill both mother and child, when they had sought refuge in the palace. The sword Tenseiga had stopped him then, and Iyazoi had fled. The Wise recaptured her, returning her to the Tatesei city. Then they erected the wardings around the valley, so that no demon could pass. Frustrated that his vengeance remained unfulfilled, Sesshoumaru became obsessed with watching the city from afar, awaiting the day when he would be able to reach it. Sometimes he saw a tiny pinpoint in the distance; a silver-haired head in the gardens. More often he saw the grey hoods of the Wise, filing somberly down the palace walkways. The years passed. And then. . .the Wise made their move. Iyazoi took her son and fled into the night. For the first time in years, they left the safety of the valley, passing through the mountains and heading north. Sesshoumaru began tracking them.[/color][/i] [i][color=purple]The Wise found them first, in the forest beyond the mountains. Sesshoumaru found them soon after. They had wounded the hanyou; his blood-scent was strong on the air. They were going to kill him. Killing Inuyasha was a privilege that belonged solely to Sesshoumaru. Sesshoumaru rose into his demon form in a brilliant flash of white, and with his claws he gouged a great runnel in the earth, between the Wise and their prey. Then he sank back into man-shape, and began killing them before they could flee into the forest. He was wearing a white hood pulled low, and a grey cloak, in the manner of a high priest of the Wise, so that they had not noticed him at first. Before taking action, he had slipped silently into their midst to see what had become of the hanyou and his mother. He was not surprised to see the mother dying, and that the Wise intended to kill Inuyasha. After he had carved the ravine into the earth, dividing the hanyou from the sorcerers, he laid about him, killing the Wise one by one. His attack had been swift and unexpected; the Wise were unable to use their magic against him effectively. His stolen cloak was soon stained with death. It was not until every last one of them lay shredded across the grass that he turned toward his half brother. The child stood watching him from across the ravine, frozen and wide-eyed with terror. Pale as a human throat waiting to be torn. Sesshoumaru had every intention of doing so. But then. . .something changed in the child?s face. As they stood their in silent regard of each other, the young eyes narrowed, and the fear that had frozen that face now contorted into hatred. And Sesshoumaru read in that look something of himself. If he spared this pathetic creature. . .what might Inuyasha become? He was no longer sure. If he spared this creature. . . ?Run half-breed,? he said coldly. ?I am going to kill you.? To his utter surprise, the child then flung his own blood at him, and it became blades. He dodged them easily, staring in amazement as the boy disappeared into the woods. ?Well,? he thought, standing quietly in the clearing. ?Interesting. . .? Years later, he sought out Inuyasha once more. He was not really sure why; perhaps out of mere curiosity. He had expected to find his half-brother wild and uncouth, a beast wandering the wilderness alone. Instead, he found the boy staying in a human village, with an old man. This made him angry. Humans had massacred the boy?s own kin; why did he deliberately seek out their companionship? When the old man would not tell him where Inuyasha was, Sesshoumaru killed him. Then Inuyasha returned. Sesshoumaru gave him one chance to deny his human blood. Inuyasha, foolish and stubborn, refused. Then Sesshoumaru gave him another chance. Still he refused. Sesshoumaru left him for dead there, in the ruins of the old man?s house. Years later, he heard rumors that his half-brother was still alive, but by then he no longer cared. His rage had dwindled over the years, perhaps because of the deep solitude that he kept. He decided that since the boy had chosen humanity, he would leave him to the mercy of humans. After all, Inuyasha would never find peace with a people who hated demonkind. To Sesshoumaru, who had never been able to find peace himself, that was vengeance enough. [/I] [/COLOR] [center][b][color=orange]{+} {+} {+}[/center][/b][/color] [COLOR=purple]He awoke to the sensation of sharp pain in his chest. His vision swam into focus through a red haze, and he drew in a gasp. Yet even through the pain, he was aware of a dark cloud being lifted from his head, and of his mind shaking free of its shackles. Then he realized that the Dragon?s spirit was leaving him, and that the long dream in which Raiiru had imprisoned his soul was broken now beyond all repair. He could never return to that illusion; that world where he was god. And it was because he was impaled now upon his half-brother?s claws. The [I]hanyou?s[/I] blood had flowed into his own, and in circulating through his heart had driven back the Dragon?s. He was himself again; the white demon. Lord of the West. Inuyasha?s head was bowed. Sesshoumaru wrenched himself free of the claws, stepping backwards. The wound was not mortal. Inuyasha, on the other hand, appeared to be dying. Sesshoumaru?s left arm, which the Dragon had regenerated, was gone again. The sword Tokijin hung from the [I]hanyou?s[/I] chest. ?Inuyasha,? Sesshoumaru said softly. ?Return my sword.? There was still time. The Dragon had deserted him, and could no longer possess him now that Inuyasha?s blood flowed through his. That meant the wraith would seek a new host. Sesshoumaru understood why the Dragon had chosen [I]his[/I] body and not one of his followers?: though Raiiru believed that humanity was what would endure the ages, he had not been entirely willing to surrender his immortality. Thus he had chosen Sesshoumaru as a kind of happy medium; neither god nor man. A powerful mortal body, which could pass for a man?s, but without human weakness. Yet now, given no other option, the Dragon would surely go to the Tatesei city, to find himself a willing host. There were plenty there; all were [I]hanryu[/I]. The only way to ensure that the Dragon?s spirit never rose to power was to kill every possible willing host. Then the wraith would have nowhere to run. Sesshoumaru would revive Raiiru with Tenseiga and take his heart, as he had intended from the beginning. But he wanted the sword Tokijin back, and Inuyasha had not moved. Impatiently, Sesshoumaru reached for the hilt. Inuyasha?s head lifted. The [I]hanyou[/I] was smiling. His eyes were insane. [/COLOR] [center][b][color=orange]{+} {+} {+}[/center][/b][/color] [COLOR=purple]?Something is wrong.? Jakken, who was busy wearing holes in the rugs with his pacing, had to agree. He had found Rin and the Kitsune Shippou sitting in front of the fire in the great hall together. He was too worried about Sesshoumaru to be irritated by the Kitsune?s presence. The earth had trembled for a bit, and he was worried that somehow the earthquake and his lord had something to do with each other. And Rin, who was foolish sometimes but not stupid, had obviously arrived at the same conclusion. ?Let?s go to see if we can find him,? Rin persisted, standing up and coming over to prod Jakken with an insistent finger. ?He may need us.? ?Ha!? Jakken replied, with amusement that was quite obviously feigned. ?Sesshoumaru-[I]sama[/I] doesn?t [I]need[/I] us. He?s all-powerful!? Rin just stared at him. ?Hey, I?ll help.? The Kitsune had risen to his tiny feet. ?[I]Damn the Kitsune brat[/I],? Jakken thought viciously. Rin turned toward him. ?Oh, will you, Shippou-[I]sama[/I]?? Shippou puffed up his chest importantly. ?I?ll go to the mountain-top, to see if I can see what?s going on across the plain.? ?Rin will go with you,? she decided, thumping one small fist decisively into her other palm. ?We will take Aun.? And the two of them scampered off down the palace halls. ?W-w-w-w-w-w-WAIT!? Jakken stammered, scampering after them. ?Sesshoumaru-[I]sama[/I] will not be pleased if we disobey him!? But he could see that his words were falling on deaf ears. Briefly, he considered using his Staff of Heads to fry the troublesome Kitsune to a crisp, but he was too worried that he might hit Rin. [/COLOR] [center][b][color=orange]{+} {+} {+}[/center][/b][/color] [COLOR=purple]Sango curved her body around Miroku?s pressing her face into his chest. His heartbeat was slow, in the manner of someone sleeping, and no longer erratic. He smelled of sweat and blood. [I]?I won?t let you die[/I],? she whispered, and he sighed in his sleep. The Seer was sleeping as well, curled up against him on the other side, lending him her warmth as well. The wound on his back had been cauterized with Sango?s own blood; with the Dragon?s blood. For once, she was glad of it. But her troubles were far from over. There was no conceivable way she could carry both Miroku and the Seer through the pass to the Inu Youkai palace. She was exhausted. The best she could hope for was that Kagome would return with Inuyasha and Kirara, to help them all to shelter. The best she could do for now was to keep both of them warm with her [I]hanryu[/I] abilities. But if the Dragon was somehow destroyed in the battle to which Kagome was hastening. . .she and Suiton would be [I]hanryu[/I] no longer. Their blood would slip back into dormancy, and they would be left with nothing but human warmth to see them through this awful night. When first she heard the voice, Sango thought that she might be dreaming. It wasn?t Miroku or Suiton; it sounded like a little girl. Then she lifted her head, pulling out of her troubled doze, and saw that some sort of creature was approaching. It had five heads. She blinked. Then it landed, and she saw that it actually only had two; the other three belonged to a girl, an imp, and a Kitsune. ?Shippou?? she called blearily. ?No, no, NO!? the imp was wailing as the girl and the Kitsune dismounted. ?We?re supposed to be going to find Sesshoumaru-[I]sama[/I]!? The two young ones ignored him, hurrying over to the three people lying in the snow. [/COLOR] [center][b][color=orange]{+} {+} {+}[/center][/b][/color] [COLOR=purple]Sesshoumaru drew in a long, deep breath and exhaled just as slowly, blowing a gentle drift of steam into the air. So. It had come to this. Tetsusaiga was not in the scabbard hanging from Inuyasha?s side. The [I]hanyou[/I] was becoming a pure-blooded demon before his very eyes. Inuyasha took hold of Tokijin?s hilt and wrenched it from his own body. Then he cast it to the side with a clatter, spitting out a mouthful of blood at Sesshoumaru?s bare feet as he did so. His form was wavering; he was beginning to change. Into [I]what[/I], Sesshoumaru had no idea. He had never thought it possible for Inuyasha to take beast-shape, in the manner of pure-blooded Inu Youkai. That was a privilege he had always assumed belonged to himself alone, now that his father was dead. He had always sensed, in some intuitive way, that Inuyasha in this state would be more powerful than anything he?d ever faced before. He stared coldly into his brother?s crazed red eyes. Once he had told his father that he would kill him one day, when he became strong enough. To Sesshoumaru?s mind, such a challenge was a sign of deepest respect, for he did not believe in loving anyone who was not his equal. Ever since the first time he had seen Inuyasha?s demon blood awakened, he had never challenged Inuyasha in that way. Never as an equal. Because the [I]hanyou[/I] Inuyasha was [I]not[/I] an equal. Inuyasha was stronger. Quietly, Sesshoumaru faced the rival before him, his face composed and his eyes clear and sane. He could see that if he was to survive this, he would have to fight with both raw power and a Daiyoukai?s cold clarity. After all, the thing in front of him was now nothing more than a mindless killer. To think he had once wondered what the [I]hanyou[/I] child would become. ?So,? he said softly, ?it comes to this.? This was not the way he had envisioned this. He was surprised that he, Sesshoumaru, would feel this way at such a time, and he was not one who surprised easily. He eyed Inuyasha shrewdly, looking for a weakness in his stance. Plotting the best way to subdue him. [I]?I must try to wake him, as he woke me. . .or he will never return to himself again.?[/I] He lunged straight forward toward Inuyasha, sparing no more time for rumination. He conjured a whip made of pure light as he moved, seeking to catch Inuyasha with it, all the while calling poison into the claws of the hand that held it, to stab when the weapon had reeled his prey in. Inuyasha darted sideways with such speed that his body blurred. Sesshoumaru snapped his wrist sideways, causing the weapon to recoil back into his grip. He had suspected the [I]hanyou?s[/I] speed might have increased like this. Inuyasha was faster than he?d been when they fought in Sesshoumaru?s garden, when the [I]hanyou[/I] had gone to take back the Shikon shard. But Sesshoumaru soon turned the missed strike into a feint, serving the dual purpose of gauging Inuyasha?s reflexes and diverting him. Now Sesshoumaru had an opening to retrieve his sword. He darted sideways, swiftly catching up the blade by its hilt. It had been teetering on the edge of the rock, over a crevice in whose depths the lava flowed steadily. He heard his brother snarl, and knew that Inuyasha was readying to charge again. That was when he changed his mind. [I]?No.?[/I] Sudden, black certainty flooded his heart. [I]?No. I?ve already risked much. I won?t risk dying to save this fool from himself.? ?If you kill him. . .? [/I]his darker self whispered. [I]?If I kill him. . .? ?There will be none to stop you from taking what you want.? ?But if he dies[/I],? he reasoned, ?[I]there will be none to protect the Shikon no Tama from Naraku. . .?[/I] [I]?If you take the power you seek, the Dragon?s power, you will be a god. The jewel is made from a human woman?s soul, is it not? A human?s power is nothing.? ?I am Lord of the West. I take what I want.?[/I] He turned slowly toward his advancing brother, raising the sword in readiness. ?Come, half-breed,? he challenged softly. ?I am going to kill you.? His eyes flared red with new malice. It was he, and not Inuyasha, who charged first.[/COLOR] [center][b][color=orange]{+} {+} {+}[/center][/b][/color] [COLOR=purple]The baby in the cavern smiled, peering intently into Kanna?s glass. ?At [I]last[/I], Lord Sesshoumaru,? he whispered. ?The Dragon?s presence is gone from your soul. It protected you from me because it wanted you for itself. But now it has gone, and it has left you [I]weak[/I].? In the mirror, he could see the red [I]jyaki[/I] from the sword, twining round the demon lord?s body like a serpent. It had already struck his heart. It had struck him the moment he picked it up. ?What fortune,? the baby murmured. ?Or perhaps [I]mine[/I] is the hand of fortune. . . The sword Tokijin, after all, has been mine all along. You have wielded it all this time, but it has always been [I]my[/I] trump card.? He found a poignant beauty in this irony. The white brothers were to die, as the girl Kagome had feared, though not at the hands of the Dragon. The Dragon?s possession of Sesshoumaru had merely cracked open the flaws in the white demon?s heart, through which Tokijin?s dark influence would seep. ?It was a blade ever aimed at your heart. . .and it struck you. Now you aim it at [I]Inuyasha?s[/I].? Naraku laughed softly into the darkness.[/COLOR] [center][b][color=orange]{+} {+} {+}[/center][/b][/color] [COLOR=purple]As he fought, Sesshoumaru found himself flooded with burgeoning anger. That first charge had resulted in a clash of claws on steel. Under normal circumstances, Tokijin?s deadly [I]kenatsu[/I] would have been too much of an impact for Inuyasha to bear. His feeble [I]hanyou?s[/I] claws should have shattered, and his body should have been sent flying backwards amid a hail of [I]jyaki [/I]slivers from the sword. Instead, it had come to an even draw. Inuyasha?s muscles had thickened, and his claws had lengthened to the measure of small daggers. It was like trying to shatter solid steel. Inuyasha?s claws actually passed [I]through[/I] Tokijin?s [I]kenatsu[/I] to clang stridently against the blade itself. The slivers flying toward the [I]hanyou[/I] broke like water upon the strange aura surrounding him. Red light splashed in every direction. Sesshoumaru glared at him, clenching his teeth with the effort of holding him at bay. He did not understand what this aura meant. It was one thing to take a demon?s form; it was another to project [I]ki[/I] like a shield. Then the two brothers sprang apart from each other, circling warily. Inuyasha?s hair had grown thicker, and it crackled with energy. Sesshoumaru had never seen[I] jyaki[/I] this strong. . .save on the several occasions when he faced Naraku, who possessed the shards of the Shikon no Tama. [I]The Shikon no Tama[/I]. ?The [I]jewel[/I],? he snarled. ?You have the[I] jewel[/I].? That had to be it; Inuyasha had taken the shard from the girl Kagome. He initiated another rush at Inuyasha, leveling the blade with the [I]hanyou?s[/I] heart. It was a maneuver meant to kill instantly. He had to end this quickly. What he wanted was worth more than this mindless monster, shard or no shard. Sesshoumaru?s red eye glared down the length of the blade as he moved swiftly forward, tracking the line to Inuyasha?s heart with cold-blooded accuracy. When they clashed this second time, the outcome was even less favorable. The sword caught Inuyasha through the chest once again, but it struck too far to the right to reach the heart. Energy crackled white-hot between them as Tokijin?s red [I]kenatsu[/I] passed through the Shikon no Tama?s aura of [I]ki[/I]. It sent sparks snapping into the air. Inuyasha?s claws, in the meantime, had finally scored their mark. The fingers of Inuyasha?s right hand sank into the flesh just above Sesshoumaru?s chest on the left side. He let out a hiss of pain. One claw had literally hooked itself [I]around the other side[/I] of his collar bone beneath the skin. The other fingers formed a ring of thick punctures just to the left of his breastbone. Had he not managed to stab Inuyasha just now, degrading the [I]hanyou?s[/I] forward momentum, Inuyasha would have gouged out his heart. Uttering a swift curse, Sesshoumaru yanked Tokijin toward himself, thinking to let go of it at the last minute, to tear Inuyasha?s throat with his poisoned claws. But Inuyasha wrenched his own body backwards, jerking free of the sword. The claw hooked around Sesshoumaru?s collar-bone wrenched also. Demon bones were strong, but his was instantly dislocated. He lunged forward, and this alone saved him from having the bone snapped in half. As Inuyasha?s claws came loose of his chest, he stabbed forward viciously, thinking to catch Inuyasha a second time. This time, Inuyasha dodged it, leaping high into the air and hurtling straight for him again. The [I]hanyou[/I] laughed, revealing bloodstained teeth. [I]?What?s the matter, bastard?? [/I]Inuyasha jeered. His voice had thickened as well; it was more guttural now, with an odd echoing quality to it, as if there were several of him speaking at once. [I]?Are you holding back? Don?t you hate me??[/I] Sesshoumaru leaped backward, landing a good ten yards away from where Inuyasha landed in a crouch. The rock cracked beneath the impact from the hanyou?s transforming body. This time when Inuyasha rose, it was onto all fours. His face was beginning to lengthen, lips drawn upward in a grimace as his fangs grew. Sesshoumaru had never been so humiliated. ?[I]I hate you[/I],? he said, with certainty. [/color] [color=purple]Then Inuyasha flew at him again, in a fury. This time Sesshoumaru realized that he was standing with his back to the pointed edge of the boulder, and that there was nowhere to run. Again he raised Tokijin. Inuyasha slammed into him, impaling himself yet a third time upon Tokijin?s point. White and red energy cracked and whistled around them, twittering like tiny birds. Together they flew backward over the edge, bathed suddenly in a rush of sulfurous steam from the lava flowing below. They did not descend into the flow, however. Instead, the impact was so strong that they flew onto the next boulder, which was a good twenty yards away. There they both landed on the ground, skidding across the rock almost to the opposite end. For a moment, neither moved. Both were severely wounded, and exhausted as well. Sesshoumaru was the first to rise. With cold, calculated precision, he slide his sword out from the body of the beast lying beside him and rose to his feet. It seemed Inuyasha was temporarily stunned. The [I]hanyou[/I] was covered in blood; Sesshoumaru was certain that even with his borrowed strength, he was dying of his wounds. The Shikon no Tama, whatever power it might lend its wielder, lacked the power to heal. [I]?Kill him.?[/I] ?I will kill you,? he whispered fiercely, planting a foot on Inuyasha?s back. Then he lifted the sword at an angle, preparing to take his brother?s head. Something struck his sword. It came sizzling through the steaming air like a bolt of lightning. He froze for a split-second, confused. Like Inuyasha?s claws, the arrow rang off Tokijin?s blade rather than being stopped by the red [I]kenatsu[/I]. Then the arrow vanished, and a brilliant pulse went out from the sword. It burned him, instantly searing his hands, leaving them red and raw. With a gasp, he dropped the sword, shielding his face from the light. The blade clattered to the stone, skittering across the rough terrain before coming to a stop several yards away. Then he turned and saw who had come.[/COLOR] [center][b][color=orange]{+} {+} {+}[/center][/b][/color] [COLOR=purple]Kagome had been thinking long and hard on the journey to the mountain. She did not want to kill Sesshoumaru. It wasn?t that she bore any particular liking toward him at the moment, but the mere fact that him dying was part of the Seer?s doom prophecy made her reluctant. And when she saw him standing there, she was horrified. Not just by the sword he held, poised to chop downward, but by the unusually bright red aura of the blade. It twined slyly around his body, like a serpent slowly constricting. ?[I]Can?t he SEE it?[/I]? she wondered. ?[I]It?s taken over him like it did Gaijinbou, the one who forged it!?[/I]Another great shock was his appearance. His face was twisted. She had never imagined someone so refined and coldly beautiful could be so distorted by hatred. That was what she read on his face: open, raw hatred. She had a pretty good idea what weakness of his the sword was feeding off of. Both he and Inuyasha were drenched in blood. Their silver-white hair was slick with it. So was the rock face where they were. And Sesshoumaru was about to take Inuyasha?s head. The Seer had told her to kill Sesshoumaru. But right now, to save Inuyasha?s life, she was going to have to shoot the sword. Tightening her knees about Kirara?s back to balance herself, she notched one arrow into her bow and shot. The blow struck its intended target. And Sesshoumaru dropped the sword; it seemed to have burned him. Then he turned slowly in her direction. His face had smoothed into an expression of vague surprise, like a sleeper waking. Behind him, Inuyasha rose to his feet, a hulking shape against the background glow of magma. Before it could even register in her mind what was happening, Inuyasha attacked. His body slammed into his brother?s back full-force, throwing him against the stone face. Sesshoumaru swiped at him with his claws, snarling something incoherent, and tried to throw him off. Inuyasha locked both hands around his brother?s throat, pulled him upward, and then dashed his head downward against the rock. There came a sickening crack. Kagome could hear it even from where she sat, hovering atop Kirara a good thirty yards away. ?INUYASHA!? she screamed, horrified. He no longer looked human. At the sound of her voice, he lifted crazed red eyes her way and laughed. Blood dribbled over his front teeth. Sesshoumaru had gone limp beneath him. He let go of his brother?s throat with one hand, cracking the knuckles of the other, priming his claws for a second go. ?INUYASHA, STOP!? Kagome shouted. ?Kirara, take me closer.? She had Tetsusaiga with her. If she could just get him to touch it. . . Kirara growled, refusing to obey. The demon cat clearly intended to hold to her promise to Sango to keep Kagome out of danger. ?INUYASHA, YOU CAME HERE TO SAVE HIM!? Kagome called in desperation, tears welling up in her eyes. ?DON?T DO THIS!? Inuyasha laughed thickly. ?[I]I?ll save him!?[/I] he crowed. [I]?I?ll drink his blood. Paint him across the snow.?[/I] Then he turned away from her, lifting his claws. And Kagome realized now what destiny was asking of her. She could see the shard in his back. If she could hit it. . . ?[I]There are two brothers, and two arrows.? ?I can save them both[/I],? she realized. [I](?How am I supposed to kill someone who might be the strongest of all Youkai?? ?Your last arrow.?)[/I] And she understood. [I]?I am the one with the potential to make the prophecy come true. What the Seer told me. . . I could kill them both.?[/I] If she shot him, Inuyasha might die. The shard was not in a location anywhere near his vital organs. However, she remembered that Kikyou?s arrows were deadly to him. She prayed with every ounce of desperate love that her own were not. There was no other way. She notched the arrow and took her aim. Even through the blur of tears, the shard glowed brightly in him. A clear target. Steeling herself, she murmured, ?If I must, I will. . .?[/COLOR] [center][color=orange][b]END OF CHAPTER 17[/b][/center][/color]

[color=green][b][center]{+} {+} {+} LORD OF THE WEST {+} {+} {+} + + + Chapter 16: Chosen + + +[/center][/b][/color] [color=purple]It seemed he drifted in a strange limbo between sleep and death, very different from the web of memory and illusion in which his brother was now ensnared. It was as if all time had stopped, and now he had truly died. Yet he [i]lived[/i]. He could not move; imprisoned in a casket of dark glass; seeing nothing but empty rock and steam mirrored in the crystal's myriad facets. He caught no scent and heard no sound, but in his mouth there was the bittersweet tang of blood; his own, from where the crystal had cut him as it grew a little ways between his lips. That taste, and the dizzying shine of crystal in his eyes, were all that his awareness encompassed. He had no thoughts, nor awareness of who he was. He wasn't even breathing. Then there came a flash of light, so brilliant that a slight awareness of his body returned. He tried to shut his eyes against it, but the crystal encasing him forbade even a movement that small. A horrid cracking noise followed, so deafening that he thought his ears might rupture. All around him, the facets split and split again, splintering into pieces so tiny that he could no longer see through them. Luminescence surged between the cracks. And then he was falling.[/color] [center][color=green][b]{+} {+} {+}[/b][/color][/center] [color=purple]Strong arms wrapped around her, pulling her back. Her hand lost its grip on the arrow, but that no longer mattered. The arrow dissolved into brilliance, and then disappeared. Roughly, she was flung to the ground. The impact jolted her hard, causing her teeth to click together loudly. She lay pressed against the stone, stunned. The disorientation lasted only a few seconds, however, and then she realized that the person crouched over her protectively was Sango, and that between the two women and the shattering crystal Kirara stood as a living barrier. The demon's fiery [i]ki[/i] deflected the worst of it, sparing them all a potentially deadly shower of jagged shards. Kagome didn't bother waiting for Sango to sit up and move away from her. The ground was trembling beneath her belly, but she scarcely noticed it. She wriggled out from beneath the other woman and staggered to her feet. The [i]ryunochi[/i] encasing Inuyasha's body had shattered, and he was falling. His eyes were wide and staring, as if he were dead, and he fell to his knees with a loud thud. He would have tipped forward to land face-first on the sharp debris, but at the last instant Kirara caught the back of his [i]haori[/i] in her jaws. Kagome rushed to his side, kneeling down and catching him in her arms once Kirara let go. He was very heavy; the weight of his head and upper body on Kagome's lap pressed her shins into the debris underfoot, tearing holes in her jeans. She paid this no heed, grasping him by one arm and shaking him. There was a long, nasty-looking weal across his back, oozing blood. She was so terrified in this instant that she couldn't even manage his name. All that emerged was a kind of wordless whimper. ?Kagome!? Sango shouted from somewhere behind her. ?The mountain's going to fall! We have to leave NOW!? Clasping both arms tightly under Inuyasha's Kagome tried to lift him as she rose to her feet. Yet he was too heavy; she was forced to kneel again to keep from dropping him. She was aware now of the ground rumbling beneath her legs, but somehow he was more important. ?[i]Help[/i] me!? she cried. ?We're [i]not [/i]leaving without him!? Sango's hand grasped her firmly by the shoulder. ?Kagome, he's. . .? ?Alive!? she breathed. His hand moved. He placed one palm flat against the shard-strewn ground, pushing himself slowly into a kneeling position, crystal tumbling from his hair in a fall of dark glass. As he did so, he laughed softly. ?Inuyasha?? Kagome asked, still grasping his arm tightly. She peered up into his face, seized with the new fear that he was somehow no longer himself. She had no idea what his imprisonment in the ryunochi might have done to him. Yet he caught hold of her by the arm, and pulled her with him as he rose abruptly to his feet. ?I [i]see[/i] now,? he murmured, and Kagome found herself heaving a sigh of relief. His face was slashed cruelly in places from where the shattered crystal had cut him, but the expression he wore was a familiar fierce grin. ?Inuyasha, we have to leave here,? Sango insisted. She was now carrying the unconscious woman Suiton with one arm beneath her shoulders. ?Raiiru intends to bring the mountain down on us.? ?Yeah; to kill [i]me[/i],? Inuyasha said, moving quickly to help her. He held the Seer while Sango climbed atop Kirara's back. When the demon-slayer had helped Kagome up as well, he lifted the woman and set her in front of them astride Kirara. ?Hold onto her, Kagome. We have to move.? Wordlessly, Kagome nodded, clasping her arms around the Seer's waist to hold her steady. The woman slumped helplessly against her. They took off at a flying pace down the tunnel. Though the whole place was shaking violently, Kirara's feet scarcely touched the ground and her riders scarcely felt it. Inuyasha ran alongside them, for Kirara could only carry so many. Kagome kept her eyes fixed on his face, unable to bear seeing what the sharp crystals jutting out of the floor were doing to his feet. He bore it with grim resolution; it seemed as if from the moment he'd been freed from the casket of ryunochi he'd become filled with a renewed grim purpose. Kagome wasn't reassured in the least. ?Inuyasha, what did you mean, `to kill [i]you[/i]'?? she asked him, wincing as a bit of falling crystal glanced off her shoulder. ?Why does the dragon want to kill [i]you[/i] so badly?? Inuyasha's head lowered, shading his eyes with shaggy white bangs. ?[i]Heh[/i]. Because Sesshoumaru is a dolt.? Kagome's mouth formed a little O of shock. Then she became so angry and confused that even her thoughts started running into each other. [i]`How can he. . .how. . .after what thinking he died just put me through. . .he says `heh'. . .?'[/i] Fortunately, Sango was still able to think coherently. ?[i]Inuyasha[/i],? she said, in a low warning tone, ?that doesn't explain anything. We want to know what's going [i]on[/i].? Inuyasha grunted as his foot trod on a particularly sharp bit of shard. ?[i]Ow.[/i] Fuck.? ?[i]Inuyasha[/i]. . .? Inuyasha took a deep breath, biting back the longer string of swear words that had apparently been pending. ?Like you said earlier, the `[i]hanyou[/i]' holds the key,? he blurted out instead. He stumbled a little; the shard had cut him just under the ball of his foot and it hurt like hell. ?[i]Otou-sama[/i] knew what he was doing when he entrusted the secret of the Dragon's location to me. He knew that if for some reason the seal faded, my blood alone would hold the key to restoring it.? He paused, smirking. ?And he knew Sesshoumaru would just fuck everything up. Which he [i]has[/i].? Sango nodded slowly. ?That makes sense,? she agreed. ?But why didn't Raiiru just kill you outright? Why go to the trouble of dropping a mountain on you when he had you at his mercy?? Inuyasha's fierce expression faded into a frown. ?I don't know,? he admitted. ?That's the funny thing. But it seems to me like he's afraid of just coming into [i]contact[/i] with my blood. We fought, in the cave, when he'd just taken over Sesshoumaru's body. And I noticed something weird: he seemed to be avoiding touching me. He used Sesshoumaru's power against me only twice, and neither time did he use very much of it at all. The first, when I attacked at close range and he gave me this.? Inuyasha nodded over his shoulder, presumably referring to the weal across his back. ?The second. . .I think it was a lure. He called poison into his claws, to make it look like he was going to charge me. But when I charged him. . .like before. . .the wraith in him attacked instead.? Sango nodded, comprehension dawning on her face. Kagome was starting to get an inkling as well. ?And he used the [i]ryunochi[/i] to imprison you?? she murmured, shuddering a little. ?You didn't have Tetsusaiga,? Sango remarked, a bit more shrewdly. ?Here.? She let go of Kagome's waist to remove Tetsusaiga from the strap across her back. She'd been storing the sword there ever since she'd retrieved it after Kagome cast it aside. It had shared her Hiraikoutsu's harness. Now she leaned to one side and passed it to Inuyasha, who took it quickly and re-fastened it at his hip. ?I didn't have Tetsusaiga,? Inuyasha agreed as he did this. ?And I couldn't get close to him. So I used my [i]Hijintessou[/i].? He paused, looking very grim indeed. ?And that was when he did it. I think that was why he did it; if he hadn't dodged it, the attack would've brought him into contact with my blood.? Sango's brows knitted together in a frown. ?You mean to use the [i]Hijintessou[/i] to defeat him,? she said slowly. ?You think that somehow if your blood touches him, it will destroy him?? Inuyasha grunted. ?Something like that, yeah.? Neither Sango nor Kagome found this very reassuring. From his behavior it seemed less like Inuyasha didn't really have a plan and more like he was trying to keep something from them. ?The tunnel ends up there,? Kagome said suddenly, lifting one of the hands from the Seer's waist and pointing. As they moved, the air had been growing steadily colder. They had already passed the place where the tunnel forked, and were now running up the branch that led to the surface. Behind them, larger chunks of rock were beginning to shake loose and fall from the ceiling. From somewhere far behind along the way they'd just come, there came a loud crack, and then a crash, as of even weightier debris descending. Then there came an even louder crack, causing Kagome and Sango to flinch. The noise was so deafening that it echoed repeatedly off the cave walls. ?That wasn't just rocks falling,? Kagome said in a low voice. ?That sounded like something hit the whole mountain, making it crack like that. . .? ?Not [i]hitting[/i] it,? Inuyasha replied unexpectedly, in a voice equally as low. ?[i]Pulling[/i] it down from the inside out. Reiyama is filled with the Dragon's blood. Over the centuries, sealed away by his own blood, he couldn't move. But I think the [i]ryunochi[/i] has soaked into the mountain itself, becoming part of it.? Even for describing something so grim, the [i]hanyou's[/i] tone was unusually dark. ?I understand, a little, what the Dragon endured. Being sealed in that stuff is like. . .well, not like dying. . .but like being trapped in a state of [i]wanting[/i] to die. No wonder the Dragon dreamed so hard of freedom that his soul reached out to Kagome's. . .? Kagome pursed her lips, forcibly holding back tears. She had resolved the instant she lifted Tetsusaiga from the bloodstained floor that she would make this right somehow. And she had saved Inuyasha from the waking death of the seal. Yet the way events were beginning to move, she had changed [i]nothing[/i]. . . ?Say. . .where the hell is Miroku?? Inuyasha was asking Sango. Sango looked over at him. ?Oh? He took Shippou and went on ahead of us.? She sounded faintly puzzled. Inuyasha's brow furrowed, and then abruptly his eyes went wide with what appeared to be a mixture of outrage and horror. ?He WHAT? Sango, do you KNOW why he LEFT YOU? SHIT! THAT COCKY BASTARD!? Sango flinched, somewhat taken aback by this outburst, but when the look of horror didn't fade from Inuyasha's face she gasped as if in sudden realization. ?DAMNED IDIOT!? Inuyasha swore, shaking his head to clear away some rubble that had fallen into his hair. ?He thinks he can kill the Dragon HIMSELF with the Wind Tunnel!? He paused, panting from the exertion of emoting and running all at once. ?The Wind Tunnel. . .will devour lesser Youkai. . .but he forgets that that THING in my brother's body is that thing in MY BROTHER'S BODY. . .? Sango's grip around Kagome's waist tightened. ?We'll go to his aid,? she said firmly. Inuyasha turned away, nodding. His eyes gleamed fiercely, fixed now on the tunnel's maw ahead. There the cave opened onto a sky like a roiling sea of storm clouds. Icicles hung from the ceiling there like pointed teeth. `[i]Inuyasha is avoiding looking at me[/i],' Kagome thought, watching him. She could not bring herself to say anything, because the way he looked she doubted anything could dissuade him. [i]`What are you thinking, Inuyasha? Why do you look like you know you're about to do something terrible?' [/i] He was alive here and now, but she had changed nothing. They were racing to meet the Dragon in battle. . . . . . who wore Sesshoumaru's flesh. . . The flesh of one who was destined to die with his brother when the mountain fell. . .[/color] [center][color=green][b]{+} {+} {+}[/b][/color][/center] [color=purple]A lone figure struggled across a frozen plain, bearing in his arms what appeared to be a bundle of red fur. His dark robes flapped around his body, billowing away from his skin and letting out precious warmth. He shuddered, clutching the bundle tightly against him as he stumbled. Even his [i]ki[/i] was waning; his ankles were starting to sink into the snow. And his feet, though wrapped in cloth shoes beneath the sandals, had gone numb long ago. ?Ow,? the bundle protested. Miroku offered no apology, but loosened his grip. ?You should go now, Shippou,? he said, lifting the Kitsune in his arms. ?Transform and get to the mountains to the north as fast as you can.? Shippou uncurled, staring up at the monk in defiance. ?No,? he argued. ?I won't leave you.? His teeth were chattering as he said this. Miroku smiled wearily at him. [i]`I will probably die doing this,[/i]' he thought. ?You [i]will[/i] go,? he told Shippou gently. ?Because if you are drawn into the Void in my hand along with the Dragon, Kagome-[i]sama[/i] will cry.? Shippou's determined expression wavered. ?And she's cried enough on this journey, hasn't she?? Miroku pressed. Slowly, the Kitsune nodded. His eyes were very large and liquid. He turned away from Miroku before jumping from his arms and transforming. Miroku squinted against the driving snow, shielding his eyes with one hand as the large, awkward bird Shippou had become winged its way northward. Then he lowered his arm, tucking it beneath the voluminous folds of his sleeve and pressing onward. Ahead of him he could see a dark cluster of boulders: an outcropping. They formed a ridge, atop which there stood another dark cluster of much smaller figures: the Tatesei. He would have known them even if he hadn't been able to distinguish their shapes; their faces were glowing embers in the dark. The fire still flowing through their veins had rendered them pinpoint candles, ringing the one tall, pale figure standing in their midst. Even from this distance, Miroku could see Sesshoumaru's head turned toward the mountain, palms slightly upraised. The Dragon's eyes gleamed; he was bringing the mountain down. [i]`I MUST stop him[/i],' Miroku thought. [i]`But is it possible from this range?[/i]' He stole a quick glance around him. The plain, of course, was still blanketed in snow. If he opened the Wind Tunnel at this distance, it would be less effective against Raiiru, and would pull tons upon tons of snow in as well. This could potentially be as harmful as pulling boulders or hordes of demons into his hand; it could tear the hole wider again. He hesitated a moment, weighing the risks. The storm was not as intense here as it was surrounding the Dragon; a fact which Miroku did not fail to notice. The fact that the [i]jyaki-[/i]driven storm still circled where Sesshoumaru walked must mean that there was still some clash between the white demon's blood and the Dragons, igniting this maelstrom. The closer Miroku came to the Dragon, the less the winds would interfere with the wind from his hand. But closer in, the Dragon would be able to react more effectively to counteract his attack. . . It was a risk he could not avoid. Flinging aside the prayer beads covering his accursed hand, he shouted, ?[i]KAZAANA!? [/i]into the face of the storm. Then the windswept plain was besieged by a storm of his own. [/color] [center][color=green][b]{+} {+} {+}[/b][/color][/center] [color=purple]Shippou, for the first time along the journey, elected to obey his elders and go to where he could remain in safety. He told himself as he flew that he would not cry, he would not cry he would not, though of course he was crying as he said this. It was difficult to fly against the wind at first; the ice stung his eyes. However, when at last he cleared the ridge on the far side of the plane, he found that the wind was slower, and the snow did not blind him as he flew. `[i]Miroku was right[/i],' he thought angrily. `[i]Sesshoumaru really IS the center of the storm. ALL of this is his fault!'[/i] Not far ahead, he could see buildings below. The Inu Youkai palace, he recalled. Where he was supposed to go. He knew that he was supposed to take shelter here somewhere, but he also knew that the two who followed Sesshoumaru lived here. He didn't know what sort of welcome he would receive. He doubted it would be friendly. To Shippou's surprise, as he began to circle low over the slanted roof he saw that there were lights on in the windows. And the odd thing was. . .as he circled around the building, he saw that there were lights on in every window. [i]`Just how many people live in this place?[/i]' he wondered. Finally, when his magic was beginning to exhaust him and he could no longer hold the transformation, Shippou landed on the snow-strewn garden and considered what to do next. Now that he was no longer flying, his teeth began to chatter, and his thoughts turned immediately to warmth. He scampered over the snow and climbed onto the wooden terrace that ringed the palace, taking shelter under the roof. There he huddled against the wall, watching the icicles dripping off the eaves. He was still shivering. `[i]Maybe I can find somewhere to hide inside,[/i]' he decided. There really wasn't anywhere else to go. He was too tired to fly anywhere else, and he'd freeze to death trying to travel through this weather on foot. That left the Inu Youkai palace itself. He swallowed hard. He wasn't sure he wanted to meet whoever Sesshoumaru's friends were inside. He wasn't afraid of the two who traveled with the demon lord; they were small, and though the one named Jakken carried a staff that breathed fire, it wasn't anything he couldn't run away from in time. However, it occurred to him that Sesshoumaru might have stronger demon allies living here as well. At least, it seemed lighting the whole palace with candles would be too wearisome a task for two people alone. Looking right, then left, Shippou saw no one coming round the terrace. He slid aside the nearest door panel and crept inside. The room he found was empty. It smelled of dust and stone and old wood, and also of Inu Youkai. But even that was an old scent. It looked as if no one had lived there for years. Yet there was a candle burning in the window, flickering against the canvas drawn closed to shutter it. And there were no cobwebs in the corners. There was a dagger lying on the floor. Shippou stepped on it quite by accident; the light wasn't good. With a yelp, he temporarily forgot his intended caution and scurried out into the hall. There was no one there. Again he paused, nursing the cut on his foot and considering what to do. [i]`I can't stay in the hall, at any rate[/i],' he finally decided. [i]`If someone comes there's nowhere to hide.'[/i] He wandered furtively down corridors lined with torches. He heard soft scurryings that sounded too large to be rats, and felt eyes watching him, but every which way he turned there was no one. At long last he came to a vast room, where a fire pit burned invitingly at one end, and where cushions had been laid out for its denizens' comfort. Shippou approached the fire, thinking only of warming his numb little hands and feet. However, he hadn't come within three feet of it before he realized what was happening. This was just like some tale Kagome had once told him, where the young maiden seeks shelter in a demon's castle, and in return the demon forces her to become his wife. Or maybe it was a tennyou maiden, and the castle was a wood-cutter's hut? Or a temple with a lecherous priest? Shippou shook his head, knocking on it with his tiny fists. ?Gah!? he chided himself. ?Everyone's stories confuse me!? ?Stories?? The Kitsune jumped so high it was practically levitation. Then he turned, and saw that the young maiden from the story was standing there, staring at him. She was wearing a blue silken tunic embroidered with fish and swirling waves. ?What stories?? she persisted, folding her hands before her composedly and peering at him with polite curiosity. Then Shippou, despite his rapid heartbeat, realized that this was Rin; the girl who followed Sesshoumaru around. He relaxed a little; he wasn't afraid of her at all. ?Isn't there anyone else in the castle?? he asked her, folding his arms and trying to look mature. The little girl looked somewhat crestfallen. ?Rin has only Jakken to look after her,? she said sadly. ?Lord Sesshoumaru has gone to fight the Dragon.? She approached the fire and plunked down on one of the cushions, hugging herself. ?Rin is afraid.? Shippou realized with a start that he couldn't just blurt out how this was all Sesshoumaru's fault in front of her. She might cry, and he knew better than to make girls cry. Instead, he patted her on the hand in a companionable sort of way. ?You're afraid he'll forget you?? he asked, in his trying-to-sound-older tone of voice. Rin shook her head, staring transfixed into the flames. Her brown eyes were very large and liquid. ?No,? she answered sadly. ?It has been a long time since he left. And the Seer said he will die.?[/color] [center][color=green][b]{+} {+} {+}[/b][/color][/center] [color=purple]The instant the monk's cursed hand began to disrupt the storm-winds surrounding Raiiru, the Dragon turned away from the east to face this new interference. He regarded the tiny figure of the monk with yellow eyes narrowed. One of his children lost their footing and went sliding off the ridge and into the pull of the vortex. Still more attempted to grasp hold of something, anything, to hold themselves fast against it, but there was little for it. Several more were lost before he could react; the others acted quickly, planting their spears deep in the earth beneath their feet, where the snow had melted. They clung to the secured weapons, turning their faces toward him expectantly. Raiiru pushed his way past them, disregarding the snow buffeting against him. His eyes were beginning to blaze. The strange wind-curse would not pull him into it, as he was sure the monk intended, for his soul's wraith-like talons dug into the stone where he stepped, leaving runnels in the rock. Despite the fact that he had taken a mortal's flesh, the Dragon and the flesh had yet to become one. It was not because the white demon's soul prevented him; Sesshoumaru was bound deep in shadow, wound into the heart of a labyrinth of lies. The Dragon knew the heart of Sesshoumaru far better than Sesshoumaru himself. The lies that the white demon chose to believe most; the ones that formed the strongest shackles, were the lies Sesshoumaru had told himself. [i]?I will take the Dragon's power and become a god. I will not lose myself to it.? ?Power will bring me peace.?[/i] Raiiru shook his head faintly, stalking toward the edge of the ridge. Sesshoumaru was nearly gone. But he could not fully merge his soul with this body until he was certain it could not be defeated. He would remain a wraith in a demon's body if it meant an easier way to defeat this new threat. He would remain in this state until he was certain the [i]hanyou[/i] Inuyasha was dead, also. He was not a fool, and he was not so full of pride that he refused to acknowledge his vulnerabilities. While in the mountain he had come to realize something vital: the [i]hanyou's[/i] blood touching him caused Sesshoumaru to stir inside him. He feared what might happen if too much of Inuyasha's blood made contact with his borrowed flesh, and so he chose to bury it beneath the mountain, so that none would ever be able to retrieve it. Only when Inuyasha's blood was sealed away from all retrieval would he be able to merge fully with this new form. Only then would he become the destined White King. Yet now this new distraction was calling him away from the task at hand. He descended from the ridge, cutting a steaming path through the driving snow where he passed. The monk was holding his ground, his face pale and drawn from the strain of using the curse in his hand. Raiiru was finally forced to halt at a distance of roughly one hundred yards. Even with Raiiru's ghostly talons digging into the earth to hold him fast, the monk's vortex was formidable, and he would not be able to move closer. Neither would the monk be able to draw him in. A standoff. He didn't speak; he merely stood there, waiting. Soon enough, the monk saw that his ploy was having no effect, and began to move toward him. Raiiru's head lifted, white hair streaming out behind him. ?I see your aim,? he called. His voice was Sesshoumaru's, soft and cultured, yet it now possessed a strange resonance. It carried past the shriek of wind, into the monk's very head, so that he would not fail to hear it. ?But you won't spare him time with your power. He's DEAD. And the mountain WILL fall. . .? Raiiru's yellow eyes rolled upward in his head, flashing white. His consciousness shot through the places in the mountain where his blood had seeped through cracks in the rock, as if he were traveling through his own veins. And now there came one final crack. The earth began to rumble. The monk ran at him. He could not see the monk, but he could smell the stench of desperation on him. And he tensed, preparing to move with according speed to dodge the brunt of the vortex. The monk was too late. With a mighty din, the mountain fell. It was a slow thing to watch; the massive, broken rock face crumbling and sliding down beneath the weight of the snow atop it. A gigantic cloud of snow mushroomed over it, rising skyward, only to be caught in the winds of the storm that swept across the plain. A smile spread across Raiiru's pale face, baring pointed teeth. It was done. The [i]hanyou[/i] was buried. Slowly, he turned to deal with the monk. It was then that he realized the vortex was gone; closed. The monk's eyes were wide with surprise. As Raiiru turned to face him, brushing aside the hair the wind whipped across his eyes, he saw the monk take a single, unsteady step toward him. Then the young man pitched forward, stumbling to his knees in the snow, bent double with the sudden pain of the dagger protruding from his back. Irusei stood behind him. Raiiru said nothing; he made no further move to approach. It seemed the strain of maintaining the vortex had become too great, and so the monk closed it. And as he did so, Irusei had caught him unaware. He was finished, whether he lived or died. The wound would rob him of consciousness, if not his life. For a moment, the Dragon and Irusei regarded each other across the man bleeding in the snow. The Tatesei warrior's face glistened with sweat, though the air was so cold that it frozen where it dripped off his chin. Irusei's eyes, still black against the cross-work of fiery veins beneath his skin, were feverish. ?I guarded the way out of the tunnel,? the young man finally said. His voice was hoarse and breathy. ?As you bade me. And I followed him all this way. But my strength failed me. . .and I did not overtake him until now.? Still Raiiru said nothing. He had known when first he laid mortal eyes upon Irusei that the young warrior would die from the wound the white demon's sword had dealt him. And still Irusei continued to serve him, even though he had not been chosen; even though the Dragon had chosen Sesshoumaru instead. ?What would you have me do?? Irusei asked. His voice had dropped to a whisper, scarcely audible above the monk's ragged breath. He sank to his knees behind the man he'd stabbed, bowing his head in obeisance. His hands, wet with blood, branded red prints into the snow. ?What must I do now?? Raiiru, who had seen the dawn of centuries, and whose claws had furrowed valleys and lashed seas, was beyond words. This humble creature, though he should have been bitter over his coming death, instead knelt before him, holding out his remaining life like a gift. Human strength. Human strength such as this was what would endure the ages. Raiiru knew himself to be wise to see this, and to choose this race for his own. But for his devoted child Irusei, he could do nothing. ?Heal me,? Irusei whispered, pleading with his head bowed. Stringy wet hair fell across his eyes, hiding his face. ?Let me see the world you will make.? Raiiru glided closer to him, skirting around the monk, who lay groaning and helpless. ?You were stabbed by a demon blade, to which Sesshoumaru gave the name Tokijin,? Raiiru said softly. ?Its poisonous[i] jyaki[/i] has mingled with my blood in you. Because of this, I might save your life, but you would become something unnatural as a result. A demon.? He tilted his cold, beautiful head to one side, thoughtful as he laid one hand gently atop Irusei's bowed head. ?If that is so, still I ask that you save me,? Irusei begged. He wanted to live, despite his courage. He clung to life in the manner of humans. His shoulders were tense with it. ?Please. I want to see the future ahead. I want to see. . .? Sharp talons curled inward, clenching into flesh and through the skull, into Irusei's brain. He died with his eyes open, staring at nothing. Gently, Raiiru disengaged his claws and lowered the dead man into the snow beside the monk. The fire in Irusei's veins had faded and grown dark, and his eyes were clear. ?You have died a man, and not a beast,? Raiiru told him softly. ?That is my gift to you.? Then he turned and started up the ridge, toward his remaining children. They had pulled their spears free of the frozen earth, and now regarded him silently. There was no accusation in their eyes; only hope. He had not suffered a demon to live, and so it would be from now on. Now he would merge fully with the body he'd possessed, and with his art of necromancy he would put an end to this age. The power once possessed by the Wise, amplified a thousand-fold in him, would sweep across the land like a wave. ?It is done,? he said softly to his followers. ?And now I am the Dragon no longer. I will take this mortal's body in full, and become Raiiru, the White King. [i]Your[/i] king.? Going utterly still, he drew his soul inward, toward the core of the flesh, burning white-hot as a star imploding. He felt his blood begin to melt, to merge with the white demon's, becoming something entirely new. The winds around him began to slow, for now the clash of his blood with Sesshoumaru's demon jyaki was nearing its end. He was overcoming it, becoming one with it and stilling its malice, and so the storm was fading. And he felt the soul that had once worn this flesh begin to fade away and die.[/color] [color=green][b][center]{+} {+} {+}[/center][/b][/color] [color=purple]Inuyasha had known what he had to do from the instant before the Dragon locked him away in crystal. That was why the Dragon had done it. Now that he was free, and he had finally come across the frozen plain to see his enemy standing there on the ridge, his resolve was hardened further. As the tall, pale figure became clearer to see through the maelstrom, he fell back and drew abreast of Kirara. Then he lifted Tetsusaiga free of its sheath and pressed it into Kagome's hands. She stared at him, her face full of questions. She grasped the blade as if it were a life-preserver, even though her arms were also locked around the Seer's waist. Inuyasha hadn't had any regrets up until this point. Now he hated himself for doing this. ?Keep it safe,? he told her huskily. ?And stay back.? Then he reached upward for the Shikon shard that hung on the chain around her neck, and with one swift tug tore it free. He turned quickly away, and without warning surged ahead, speeding full tilt toward the Dragon.[/color] [color=green][b][center]{+} {+} {+}[/center][/b][/color] [color=purple]Kagome stared after him with her lips pressed together tensely. Her face had gone white with surprise, and dawning horror. ?Inuyasha!? Sango called after him, but he ignored her completely. He was already well beyond earshot. Finally, Kagome found her voice. ?What is he thinking? What is he thinking?? she found herself shouting. She was angry. And full of fear. ?He's going to fight without Tetsusaiga! And with the shard. . . He'll lose to his own demon blood!? Behind her, Sango shook her head, mystified. ?I don't understand, either. He knows from past experience that trying to fight Sesshoumaru without Tetsusaiga will only get him killed. . .or rob him of his sanity. Does he think if he gives in to his Youkai blood he'll be strong enough to take on the Dragon?? The woman in Kagome's arms stirred a little, moaning. Kagome's hands tightened around Tetsusaiga. Its blunted edges dug into her palms. ?What are you thinking, Inuyasha?? she asked softly, even though he couldn't hear. ?What made you choose this???[/color] [color=green][b][center]{+} {+} {+}[/center][/b][/color] [color=purple][i]In the cavern beneath the mountain, the air had been filled with smoke and red blades. The thing in Sesshoumaru's body dodged them with fluid speed, as Inuyasha had suspected he might. That was when the hanyou dug his nails into his flesh yet again, and let loose another volley. ?HIJINTESSOU!? This time, the Dragon did not evade it completely. The edge of one crimson blade caught him in the upper arm on the left side, on the arm that wasn't supposed to be there. It scarcely fazed the Dragon at all, drawing only a little blood to spot the white sleeve. Yet in that instant Inuyasha thought he saw something of his brother return to the cold, yellow eyes. And the blood he'd drawn smelled only of Sesshoumaru. He prepared to let loose yet another slew of red blades, but his preparatory gathering of inner ki was impeded by a growing sense of exhaustion. The air here was thick, and too hot. It reeked of sulfur. The Dragon grinned at him; an eerie, bestial expression that bared the points of Sesshoumaru's fangs. ?Your blood can't wake him,? Raiiru sneered, ?because you are both hanyou and hanryu. There is too much of me in you, and too much that is human, for you to reawaken the demon in him.? Inuyasha darted sideways, evading the smoky claw that shot straight for him. He landed in a crouch, panting, and reflecting on the Dragon's words. They were true. If that was so, there was only one way left. He began to let the Youkai in him loose. It seeped through him like a poison, carrying with it the power that he'd long kept buried. Every muscle in his body went taut with it. He found himself laughing; a low, ugly sound, and with the lengthening claws of one hand he reached into the red blossom of his wound. This time the Dragon acted swiftly and without comment. Black blood rained down upon Inuyasha; flew toward him from every direction, in droplets like insects swarming. They coated him like a second skin, blinding him, filling his nose, pressing in around his body. Maddened, he lashed out at them, but his Hijintessou flew blindly, and the Dragon avoided them easily. Running blindly, he tore down the tunnel, in a rage but unable to see where his opponent was. The black mist came frothing after. The infuriating thing, amplified tenfold by his excited demon blood, was that he KNEW he could defeat the Dragon, if only he could see where he was. His fury escaped his throat in a roar, which reverberated off the tunnel walls. But then the ryunochi had overtaken him, and he was able to run no further.[/color][/i] [color=green][b][center]{+} {+} {+}[/center][/b][/color] [color=purple]Now, as he ran toward the ridge, Inuyasha began calling that fury back into his blood. He was glad he did not have to look at Kagome as he did this. It felt like his very flesh was boiling with it. His fangs lengthened, and his claws curved cruelly outward, and he became suffused with strength. The wounds from the tunnel before had already closed, but now he opened a new one, gouging deep into his own chest between the folds of his [i]haori.[/i] The pain was white-hot and terrible, but it added to his fury. It was swallowed by his other self; the one who laughed when he killed. It made him feel [i]alive[/i].[/color] [color=green][b][center]{+} {+} {+}[/center][/b][/color] [color=purple]Raiiru, flowing through his own veins in a rush, was not aware of the danger rushing toward him. His awareness was locking itself into bone and skin and muscle, drinking in the deep awareness of this new Self. He was not aware of the red blades that cut through the now-windless air, until at last they struck him. He did not receive the full brunt of the attack. Two of the Tatesei had seen it coming and interposed themselves between the White King and the blades of blood. They were cut asunder, bodies pistoning grotesquely as they were sliced to shreds where they stood. Their blood splashed into the snow; spattered across the back of his white robes. Several flashed past the warriors, however, catching him in the ribs on one side, beneath the arm, and on the other at the hip. The last caught the side of his face as he turned, slicing a new stripe down his cheekbone. What he saw made his eyes widen in disbelief. The [i]hanyou[/i] was alive. Somehow, he had escaped the seal of ryunochi, as the Dragon had never been able to. Raiiru's breath caught between his grimacing fangs in a hiss of pain. He was remembering a prophecy, spoken by Midoriko. Midoriko, who had chosen to abandon the one whose blood flowed strongest in her veins, to serve humankind in place of the Dragon. . . [i]?Two rivers I see: one flowing alongside the other. They are two great Lines; theirs is a flow to span the Ages. One is a line of Youkai, strong and terrible. The other is a long line of sorcerers and kings---a race guarded by a shield of spirits. Where these rivers meet, I foresee the end of this Age, for a battle which began long ago shall at last be lost. And that which was broken shall at last be destroyed.? ?Where these rivers meet. . .? ?. . .the end of this Age. . .?[/i] Long ago, the Inutaisho had broken the strength of the Ryu Line. Then Sesshoumaru had broken the strength of the Tatesei Line. Now the rivers had met. The two Lines had blended. And now. . .to destroy at last that which was broken. . . The Inutaisho's chosen son had come for him. The [i]hanyou's[/i] blood was already beginning to seep into his body like a poison.[/color] [color=green][b][center]{+} {+} {+}[/center][/b][/color] [i][color=purple]His body coiled atop a great black throne, carved with dragons twining, with embedded rubies for eyes. His claws curved over the armrests. He surveyed with placid authority the host of those come to pay tribute. Still more waited outside, bearing gifts of rare fruit and rarer gems, tokens of allegiance and new armies, bought and paid for. The world was his. This was what he'd always wanted. What he'd always wanted. The man kneeling in front of him was lifting a sword to him; the symbol of a regiment newly sworn to follow beneath the shadows of his wings. His head was bowed. The dragon-lord did not allow his subjects to look upon him. They averted their faces, veiled their eyes, for he was too beautiful and too terrible for them to be worthy of seeing him this close. Idly, he reached silver claws down to take the sword. To take an army on a whim. That was when something went wrong. The kneeling supplicant raised his head as the dragon-lord's claws closed around the blade. The blade cut him. He gazed down at it in wonder. It gleamed red, and his blood trickled over its edge, running slantwise to the hilt, which was cradled in the supplicant's palms. The blood was not black, as the Dragon's should be. It was not black, but. . . The supplicant raised his head, sneering, baring fangs while yellow eyes mocked him over the sword between them. ?What, jackass? You thought I'd just GIVE it to you? WAKE UP!? The dream wavered. Then everything was as it had been; as he'd always wanted it to be. Yet now Sesshoumaru shifted his silver coils, restless upon his throne. Now there was a problem: he was beginning to remember who he was. . .who he'd once been. And he could no longer make himself believe that this wasn't a dream.[/color] [/i] [color=green][b][center]{+} {+} {+}[/center][/b][/color] [color=purple]?NO!? the Dragon rumbled, swiping at the blood running down his cheek. ?It isn't enough! You're a [i]hanyou[/i]! You aren't demon enough to banish me!? Inuyasha laughed; a guttural, menacing sound. Then he flew at the tall, pale figure standing on the ridge. The Tatesei warriors who followed the Dragon threw themselves into his path, but his claws swiped vicious arcs through the frozen air, rending them down before their spears could reach him. ?My blood [i]burns[/i],? he called as he charged. ?It burns [i]pure[/i]. And he'll wake soon. I see him stirring in you. . .? Raiiru was retreating. Dimly, Inuyasha was aware of fearful cries coming from somewhere behind him. One was Sango's voice. Miroku was down; he could smell the blood. The other was Kagome's. He was trying not to listen, or his blood would cool. He didn't like her to see him like this. The shard embedded in his flesh pulsed in time with his heart. He'd inserted it into the wound he'd dug from his chest, and the skin had immediately closed over it. His wounds were healing. Grinning fiercely, he dug his claws into his left arm, then slung crimson blades outward in a horizontal rain. The Dragon leaped backward, retreating a good ten yards to avoid the [i]hijintessou[/i]. Simultaneously, the smoke of his wraith-like form surged forth from his body, forcing Inuyasha to halt his charge. It seared past Inuyasha's left side as the[i] hanyou[/i] dodged it. Inuyasha landed against the slanted side of a boulder atop the ridge and catapulted himself off it, hurtling toward Raiiru from a new angle. His lips were drawn back in a snarl now; he had been hurt. Though his Fire-Rat robes had protected him from the heat, there was an ugly scorch mark down the side of his left cheek, and the flesh of his left hand swiftly grew red and blistered. It hurt like hell. It made him want to kill. Again the smoky claw swiped at him, and again he dodged. He was coming to realize something. He crouched atop yet another boulder, breathing hard. ?You. . .can't reach me,? he called to his enemy. ?. . .can you? You're afraid. You're losing. . .hold of that body.? Raiiru spun to face him, mouth pressed firmly closed and eyes snapping sparks of ice. The Dragon was angry, and did not seem to know how to hide it. For a moment, both went still, each taking the measure of the other. ?You can't use his power, can you?? Inuyasha jeered. ?Can't use the power of the body you wear because you can't merge with it `til I'm dead, is that it? What's the matter? Am I keeping you from what you want?? The wounds in Raiiru's pale flesh were beginning to close, but slowly. Inuyasha grinned. [i]Well[/i], he thought viciously, [i]I'll just have to reopen them, then. Tear him open.[/i] The grin stretched the seared skin of his cheek, sending tiny wires of pain shooting up into his eye that might have been scorched nerves. He clung to the pain, knowing that it kept the Youkai blood in him boiling. He needed that. Needed to be stronger to. . . To be strong to. . . To banish this thing from Sesshoumaru's body. He'd almost forgotten. It was hard, thinking while in this state. His grin contorted into a grimace. He was going to have to make this fast, before he lost control completely. He was about to attack again when his fortune took a sudden turn for the worse. [i]?HIRAIKOUTSU!?[/i] The Dragon turned from him, and in one flying leap sped clear of the ridge. Sango's weapon landed in the place where he'd previously been standing. The impact was thunderous; snow sprayed outward from it in every direction. Inuyasha's view of his enemy was temporarily obscured by it. Cursing darkly, he sprang from his perch, dashing straight through the spray after him. What he saw upon emerging from the brief shower of snow drove the madness completely from his blood. The Dragon might not yet have had complete mastery over Sesshoumaru's power, but nevertheless his strength was formidable. As was his speed. He stood between Sango and her weapon. Sango stood between him and Miroku, seeming uncertain which way to move. She seemed torn between going to Miroku, who lay wounded and bleeding in the snow, or to advance on the Dragon. She was weaponless now save for the short sword she carried, which would never be able to strike beyond the reach of Raiiru's claws. One of the Dragon's pale arms was lifted, its sleeve fluttering gently like a banner. His hand encircled Kagome's throat as he held her aloft. Her legs dangled limply; at first Inuyasha thought she was dead. Then he realized that her eyes were wide open and she was staring at him and breathing shakily. She was not struggling because Raiiru's claws were pressed against her neck. Kirara started toward them, a growl rumbling deep in her chest. Raiiru heard the sound but did not turn toward it. Instead he tightened the grip of one finger, digging one nail into delicate skin. Kagome flinched. Her hands, grasping feebly at the arm that held her, were shaking. A few drops of blood leaked onto the collar of the sweater she wore. Kirara halted her advance, unwilling to risk the girl's life. The Dragon said nothing, but his pale face tilted sideways toward Inuyasha, yellow eyes rolling slightly. The expression gave him an eerie, feral look that had nothing to do with the demon whose body he inhabited. The message was clear. Inuyasha was filled with sudden rage. He was disgusted; with Sesshoumaru for becoming the instrument of all this, and with himself for his helplessness. He could not break the standoff by rushing at his enemy now. All care for himself aside, all futures aside, he had meant what he told the Seer before. [i]?I don't really care what kind of world results from this. If I can't protect my friends, then the future doesn't matter.? If I can't protect her, then the future doesn't matter.[/i] That was when he made the choice; a choice to change a future. His future. ?She's not the one you want,? he said, standing with his feet planted in the snow. The Dragon remained still and silent; waiting for him to continue. Inuyasha swallowed hard, brushing a hand over the place in his flesh where the Shikon shard was buried. It pulsed at his touch, reassuring and sly all at once. He was going to need it. ?You can't be sure you'll keep that body as long as I live,? he called, more stridently now. ?Whether or not you kill her, I won't rest until you're gone.? And then he did one of the hardest things he had ever done in his life. ?If you want me,? he said told his enemy, ?come and take me. But I won't surrender my chance to kill you, no matter who you hold hostage.? Then he turned and sprinted down the ridge. He did not charge the Dragon. Instead, he veered eastward, away from them all, across the plain. He gritted his teeth as he ran, trying not to picture how fragile Kagome looked in the Dragon's grasp. He was gambling with her life, and with his own. If he fled, the Dragon would pursue him. Odds were, Raiiru would not kill Kagome before doing so, believing that she did not mean enough to Inuyasha to be worth killing. All Inuyasha's hopes now rode on Raiiru's obsession with seeing an end to the threat he posed. He didn't know where he was leading the Dragon, or to what end, but he did know that he had to draw his enemy as far from his friends as possible. Many Tatesei had died because of his brother. He was not going to let his friends become sacrifices to Sesshoumaru's stupidity. He ran swiftly atop the snow now, no longer hindered by sinking into it. The jewel shard had strengthened his ki to such heights that he had not even needed to think to achieve this. In fact, his body had been steadily acquiring more and more jyaki the longer he kept it. It was heady, and distracting. If he weren't so uncertain of what to do next, Inuyasha might have removed it to keep his head clear. But it seemed he'd gambled correctly; the Dragon was now giving equally swift chase across the snow-lashed plain, and he could not afford to lose speed. Yet. Inevitably, he would have to turn and face this thing, and kill it. It was not until he came to the gargantuan heap of broken rock that he realized which direction he'd been fleeing: eastward. This was the remains of the mountain Reiyama. He sprang up onto the mound of debris, darting across it in desperation.[/color] [color=green][b][center]{+} {+} {+}[/center][/b][/color] [color=purple]?Where. . .is he?? Kagome turned in surprise. The Dragon had released her and gone after Inuyasha; she had been standing frozen on the plain, shielding her eyes from the snow and squinting as she tracked their progress. They were soon gone from view. Sango had hastened to Miroku's side, lifting him into her arms and clutching him to her breast as if she would never let him go again. Only Kagome glanced over at the Seer, who, amazingly enough, was pulling herself shakily to her knees. She leaned against Kirara, who had gone to her aid. ?Where is [i]who[/i]?? Kagome asked in return, rounding on her a bit more angrily than she'd intended. This woman had served Sesshoumaru. Suiton leaned her head sideways against Kirara's massive shoulder, breathing raggedly. It looked as if she wasn't going to be able to stand at all. Her face was haggard, and her hands shook even more than Kagome's. The Dragon's fire in her veins gleamed more dully than Sango's. ?Inuyasha-[i]sama[/i],? the Seer answered weakly. ?The Dragon. . .?? ?He went after Inuyasha,? Kagome said thickly. It was hard to speak around the lump in her throat. She wanted to cry very badly. She wanted to go running after him, after the Dragon, even though she was out of arrows and out of ideas and venturing out across the frozen wasteland between them would probably kill her. [i]?Stop him.?[/i] Something in the Seer's tone was too compelling to be ignored. The woman's voice had taken on an odd, echoing quality. Kagome hastened to her side, heart thumping wildly. It was as if Suiton had read her mind. . . [i]?Stop him[/i],? the woman repeated. Kagome was clutching at her shoulders, but the Seer's eyes were looking at something much, much further away. ?How?? Kagome pressed, filled with desperation. ?[i]How[/i] do I stop him?? Suiton shook her head. [i]?The Dragon's defeat is not the answer to Midoriko's prophecy[/i],? she whispered, in her strange, echoing voice. [i]?That which has been shattered. . .is not what I believed it to be. I know now that I've seen it. What was shattered. . . You wear it.?[/i] Kagome stared at her in surprise. ?You mean. . .the [i]Shikon Jewel[/i]? The jewel that was shattered by my arrow. . .? One hand flew to her throat, where the chain had hung. ?But he took it. Inuyasha took the shard I carried.? Again the Seer shook her head. [i]?The Jewel was shattered. . .and the hanyou is the one fated to see that it is destroyed. But the Dragon has unraveled the threads of fate, and now they are dangling loose. The destiny for which Inuyasha-sama was born is no longer assured.?[/i] ?The jewel. . .? Kagome breathed. ?You mean. . .if Inuyasha dies. . .Naraku will get hold of the whole Shikon no Tama and it won't be destroyed?? [i]?If he dies,? [/i]Suiton breathed, ?[i]the future, no matter what shape it takes, will see the rise of the greatest evil this world has known.? [/i] ?The Dragon?? Kagome persisted. ?What can we do to keep the Dragon from killing him?? And the Seer shook her head a third time. [i]?Even the Dragon will not be able to stop the one who possesses the whole Shikon no Tama. And. . .the Dragon is not the one fated to kill Inuyasha.?[/i] Kagome recoiled, taking her hand off the woman's shoulder. ?You mean. . .? The Seer's hand, thin and wiry, suddenly clamped down on Kagome's wrist. The woman's eyes shone fiercely. [i]?Go!?[/i] she urged. ?[i]Lord Sesshoumaru's strength is vast. You are the only one left here with the power to kill him.?[/i][/color] [center][color=green][b]End of Chapter 16[/b][/color][/center]

[center][color=green][b]{+} {+} {+}[/b][/color][/center] [color=purple]Inuyasha had no idea what he?d been expecting to find at the tunnel?s end. The lake of seething magma was about right; that didn?t surprise him in the least. He didn?t know much about dragons, but he was under the impression that lava pits were sort of like hot-springs to them. But there was no sign of any dragon at all. Sesshoumaru stood alone, on the middle of a long rock shelf stretching outward from the chamber?s entrance. His white clothes were tattered, and there were bloody footprints leading to the place where he stood with his back to his brother. Other than this, he appeared utterly unharmed. Inuyasha wanted to kill him right then and there, for all the trouble he?d caused. Righteous anger surged through him, strong and fiery. But the Seer?s last warning echoed in his furry ears. [i]?I See you dead.?[/i] Swallowing hard against the lump of temper in his throat, Inuyasha forced himself to speak instead. ?Sesshoumaru.? That was all he could manage between clenched fangs: his brother?s name. Slowly, the Sesshoumaru turned to face him. His brother?s countenance was as cold and composed as ever. The dark veins that Inuyasha had noticed when they fought earlier were gone; even in the red glow of the magma, the white demon was white once again. Yellow eyes regarded Inuyasha calmly and without malice. Inuyasha?s nostrils flared briefly, breathing in his brother?s scent. . . . . .of pine and blood and metal. ?Just [i]who[/i]. . .the [i]fuck[/i]. . .are [i]you[/i]?? Inuyasha glowered at the man before him, hands clenching into fists at his sides. ?And don?t give me some bullshit about you being Sesshoumaru, because it?s obvious you?re [i]not[/i].? A slight, wry smile lifted the corners of the creature?s mouth. ?He received what he sought,? the Dragon said, in Sesshoumaru?s soft voice. The smile raised the short hairs on the back of Inuyasha?s neck. He started forward, a low growl in his throat. There was a tremendous aura of power about the tall, pale demon standing before him, as if his comparatively small form had suddenly become the focus for the dark, fiery power contained in these chambers. ?That doesn?t answer my [i]question[/i], jackass. WHO THE HELL [i]ARE[/i] YOU?? Again the cryptic smile. ?Centuries ago, before your father sealed me here in this prison of rock and blood. . .my name was Raiiru.?[/color] [center][b][color=green]End of Chapter 14[/color][/b][/center] [color=gray][i]Yamisui: Hmm. . .Raiiru. . . Sound familiar? Perhaps he was mentioned in chapter 3? Why, there might even be a CLUE there. .[/i] . ;-][/color] [center][b][color=green]{+} {+} {+} LORD OF THE WEST {+} {+} {+} {+} {+} Chapter 15: Raiiru {+} {+}[/center][/color][/b] [color=purple]?You---you?re telling me that [i]you?re[/i] the Dragon?? Inuyasha growled menacingly. ?How the hell is that even POSSIBLE?? Steam drifted past the ankles of the two standing on the rock shelf, and the cave walls continued to drip black blood. A shadow passed over Sesshoumaru?s face---a dark, bitter expression that was wholly his brother?s. Inuyasha was simultaneously hopeful and unnerved. The look meant Sesshoumaru might still be [i]inside[/i] Sesshoumaru. . .but on Sesshoumaru that look also meant Death. ?At one time,? the Dragon said, ?the Daiyoukai---your father---bore the one weapon that could defeat me: the sword Su?unga, drawn from the tail of my ancestor Orochi by the war god Susanouo. The Daiyoukai used the sword to destroy my living body, and for that the spirit of the sword came to hate him. It had no choice but to obey its Inu Youkai wielder?s strong will, yet it resurrected me in the form of a wraith---neither living nor dead---that I might exact my vengeance upon the Inu no Taishou.? Inuyasha scowled. ?[i]Shit. . .I guess even Otou-sama had trouble with the damn sword. . .[/i]? But he prudently kept his mouth shut, in case the thing wearing his brother?s form accidentally revealed a weakness. As far as [i]usable[/i] weaknesses were concerned, the vanquished sword Su?unga was definitely out. Sesshoumaru?s proud head turned to the side, gazing out over the lake of fire. ?The Daiyoukai could not kill me, for I was already dead. And the sword, possessed by the powerful spirit of the dragon Orochi, would not send my spirit to the underworld. Already tremendously weakened from fighting me, the Inu no Taishou was only able to seal me into the mountain, using my blood and his.? A pause, and a smile. ?From your brother?s memories, I see that he died a century later, after killing one of the last survivors of my kind. The battle itself didn?t kill him, but fittingly enough he died at the hands of one of my human children. Setsuna Takemaru---that was his name.? The smile faded. ?What a pity Setsuna failed to kill [i]you[/i].? The white demon turned away from the magma, and took a step toward Inuyasha. Inuyasha held his ground, lip curling to bare one fang. Despite his fierce stance, however, his mind was racing furiously. This creature wanted him dead; that much was obvious. And if his father hadn?t been able to kill this ?Raiiru? when he was in dragon form, then the hanyou had a pretty good idea that he wouldn?t be able to, either. Weapon-less and wounded, he wasn?t going to be much good. ?[i]And then again,[/i]? he thought hopefully, ?[i]it ISN?T in dragon-form right now. . .?[/i] Inuyasha wondered if it was even [i]possible[/i] to kill the Dragon by killing Sesshoumaru?s body. The beast had somehow possessed his brother, but there was no telling whether it would be destroyed with its mortal shell or simply find another vessel to inhabit. . . That and he felt killing his brother while Sesshoumaru wasn?t himself wouldn?t be as satisfying. ?What?ve you done with Sesshoumaru?? he demanded, jabbing an accusatory claw in the Dragon?s direction. ?Where is he now?? The white demon?s lips curved into a tight grin, baring the needle-points of his fangs. The effect was utterly creepy; the short hairs rose on the back of Inuyasha?s neck. ?Inside me,? came the soft answer. ?As I was once inside him. Sleeping, dormant since the time he invited me in by choosing to rule the Tatesei. Awakened, and freed at last when he chose to break the seal. All for power.? The Dragon laughed; a low, ugly sound coming from Sesshoumaru?s throat. [i]?I don?t have Tetsusaiga,[/i]? Inuyasha thought, wracking his brains. ?[i]He was never weak against anything but that. . .[/i]? A sudden thought came to him, sly and small, seeping through the cracks of his resolve. [i]?But there is always the blood. . . Always my demon blood. . .?[/i] He didn?t have Tetsusaiga. There would be nothing to hold him back. Almost as if in response to the impulse, Inuyasha?s blood quickened. Sesshoumaru?s yellow eyes turned downward. He lifted his arms a little, causing the white sleeves to fall away from pale hands. He lifted his arms. [i]He lifted his arms.[/i] The shock of this almost completely distracted Inuyasha from plotting his own self-defense. Somehow, the Dragon had regenerated that which he?d cloven off years ago. That meant there was one more limb to contend with, and that Inuyasha was now officially twice as screwed. ?[i]Just hurry up and kill him,?[/i] the voice urged in Inuyasha?s head. ?[i]It?s no good trying to save Sesshoumaru if you can?t save yourself. . [/i].? It was the same ruthless, logical voice that suggested the use of his demon blood despite the risk. It sounded a whole lot like Sesshoumaru. Inuyasha ignored the voice and charged. The thing inside his brother moved. Shadow came roiling out from Sesshoumaru?s tall form, hot as smoke, only this held more substance. One pale arm lifted, the claws idly outstretched, and the shadow of the Dragon?s massive claw rose out of the body it inhabited. Inuyasha?s eyes widened at the sight of it, and mid-charge he swerved to avoid it. Where he brushed by it, he could feel the heat coming off it in waves. It grasped after Inuyasha?s body as he passed it, billowing as it changed directions like a living storm-cloud. Inuyasha realized that he was running toward a dead end: the fiery sea of magma ahead of him surrounded all sides except the way he?d come, forming some kind of archipelago of rock. To kill his own momentum he leaned low, dragging the claws of one hand into the ground and digging them into it so that he skidded in a rough half-circle, wheeling about to face the Dragon again. Rubble churned up from the friction of this maneuver stung his hand and feet, but he pushed himself upright, preparing to dodge the next attack. It came swiftly; it had been coming even as he ran. Now as he swerved smoky talons sang past his face, barely missing him because he had turned so quickly. One ear was suddenly scored with a searing pain, and the side of his face felt singed. He smelled burning hair. The pain made him angry. Yet he had no time to catch his breath; the smoke reeled around, shooting straight for him again. It was formless now; as Inuyasha darted forward to outrun it he wondered detachedly if that didn?t mean the Dragon was displaying a little desperation. The smoke stretched outward from Sesshoumaru?s body like a long third arm. Inuyasha made straight for Sesshoumaru, lip curling in anger. There was something incredibly infuriating about the way his brother?s tall, pale form stood there, calm and unmarked. The white demon?s gaze was placid as he watched the wraithlike substance of the Dragon?s spirit pursuing his brother. It was almost as if once the smoke left his body, he became an empty shell with its host gone. ?[i]Maybe[/i],? Inuyasha wondered, ?[i]that?s why the smoke doesn?t leave him entirely??[/i] That the body was left a mindless shell was a theory soon disproved, however, as Inuyasha finally came within striking distance. Light lashed across him like a whip. The weapon crackled in his brother?s hand. Inuyasha saw it coming and surged forward in time to keep from being hit in the face. Instead it caught him across the back, ripping a long weal through Fire-Rat Robe and flesh beneath. The blow sent him sprawling; he tucked into a roll to avoid hitting the jagged rock floor full tilt. Shakily, Inuyasha picked himself up from the ground, wincing as the skin on his back stretched from the movement. The weal wasn?t deep, but it was bleeding freely and it hurt like hell. Turning around to face Sesshoumaru again, he saw that his brother?s sharp nails beginning to glow a poisoned green. He knew what that meant. ?[i]Shit[/i],? he thought, cracking his knuckles as he assessed the situation. ?[i]I can?t get close to him without being wounded. When he whips out the poisoned claws he really MEANS to kill me.?[/i] But this wasn?t Sesshoumaru. This was the Dragon. Inuyasha blinked repeatedly, trying to detour the sweat dripping down his forehead away from his eyes. ?[i]Why is the Dragon using Sesshoumaru?s power?[/i]? he wondered. ?[i]On second thought, why the hell is it using Sesshoumaru?s BODY? Why would it give up its own to jump inside HIS??[/i] But he couldn?t think of anything to ask that might convince the Dragon to reveal its reasoning. It stood silently in Sesshoumaru?s skin, waiting intently for him to make his move. With a jolt, Inuyasha became aware of what he was steeling himself to do. He was automatically sinking into a stance of readiness, preparing to charge again despite the danger. [i](I See you dead.)[/i] For once, Inuyasha thought of fleeing. His last rush had taken him behind Sesshoumaru; he now stood between the Dragon and the exit to the chamber. If he went running down the tunnel and found the Tatesei, he might be able to take back his sword from Sango. He might be able to use the [i]Bakuryuuha[/i] to break up the tunnel, to seal the Dragon into the mountain again. . . He shook his head vehemently, furious with himself. [i]?Like that would WORK. Otou-sama wouldn?t have sealed it in with his own blood if burying it under a mountain was enough. I?m just thinking of that to save my own skin, believing in the Seer?s stupid doom ramblings.?[/i] Dipping his claws into his own blood, Inuyasha snarled a challenge. Then he moved. And the air between them was filled with smoke and red blades. [/color] [center][b][color=green]{+} {+} {+}[/b][/center][/color] [color=purple]Miroku laid his staff down quietly, scarcely daring to breathe, as if the knife was pressed against his own throat and not that of the woman he loved. It was a definitive standoff---he could see no way around surrender. If he used his cursed hand here, in such close quarters, everyone would be sucked in. There was nothing for his friends to grab hold of, and he wasn?t about to sacrifice them to keep the Dragon sealed. If worst came to worst, he would wait for it to emerge from its rocky prison and draw it into the void then. These desperate plans were running through his mind so rapidly that he almost missed Irusei?s next words. ?You?re too late, followers of the [i]hanyou[/i]. The seal was already broken. Inuyasha-[i]sama[/i] is dead.? Somewhere behind him and to the right, Miroku heard Kagome gasp. There came the faint sound of clacking wood; she was shifting her bow. ?No, Lady Kagome,? Miroku told her, forcing his voice to remain calm and steady. ?Listen to him speak. We must hear what has happened.? Irusei?s eyes lowered, almost as if he shared their sorrow at the news he?d just relayed. Held tightly against him, Sango stood frozen, eyeing Miroku?s staff on the ground in dismay. ?It was necessary,? the Tatesei warrior continued. ?Inuyasha-[i]sama[/i] had to die. It was the price of breaking the seal. Soon the Dragon will emerge from the mountain, born anew. Now that it?s chosen a human whose spirit will revive it. . .? In surprise, Shippou started forward a little, only to find himself stopped by several spear-points aimed his way. ?A [i]human[/i]?? he exclaimed. ?You mean the Dragon?s [i]eaten[/i] someone?? Briefly, Irusei shook his head. In the fiery gleam of his veins, his forehead shone with sweat. ?The Dragon spoke to me in a vision,? he explained. ?It spoke of choosing one to give it new life. It spoke of choosing one human to be its voice among its people.? A pause, and a hint of bitterness. ?I falsely believed [i]I[/i] was the one chosen. But instead it has chosen my sister, the Seer.? ?What kind of sense does THAT make?? Shippou grumbled, shifting nervously on the gravelly floor. Miroku ignored the Kitsune?s remark, frowning. If he could get Irusei to talk more, he might reveal a weakness---if the Dragon had any. ?What will you do when this thing emerges?? he asked, deliberately using the word thing to goad the hanryu. ?You think it won?t destroy this country, as it did when first these lands were formed?? Irusei lifted his chin. There was a feverish gleam in his eye. ?We shall see,? he replied cryptically. ?There is only the promise that we, the Dragon?s children, will endure. Whatever else is destroyed is worthless to us.? ?Th---THERE!? Kagome exclaimed suddenly. ?What?s [i]that[/i]?? She was staring not at Irusei but past him, toward the wall of rapidly darkening crystal at his back. Behind it, something was moving swiftly toward them. Behind the seal, a cloud was gathering, billowing like smoke, only this seemed alive and cognizant, for the instant it contorted into the semblance of a recognizable shape. The shadow of a claw spread across the crystal, stretching from floor to ceiling like the grasping hand of a giant. Shippou uttered an involuntary whimper, retreating closer to the relative safety between Kirara?s massive forelegs. The Tatesei warriors drew back as well, keeping their spears aimed at their four captives while their eyes were trained on the seal. Only Irusei held his ground---and Sango, whom he refused to release. He turned slowly, black-stained eyes lowered, as if he already knew what was coming and awaited it in reverence. Swallowed in the shadow of the claw, the crystal began to melt. Miroku watched in dismay as black rivulets cascaded down the seal. Then there came a sharp crack, and a long groan, as of ice breaking, and the wall that held the Dragon in collapsed in a sizzle of dark liquid. There was no claw. There was no shadow. Sesshoumaru stepped into the tunnel. Miroku let out the breath he hadn?t realized he was holding. The sight of the white demon emerging when he?d expected something fouler was initially a relief. But then he recalled something very strange. ?[i]Back then. . .back in the garden. . .why did Sesshoumaru refuse to agree that he would destroy the Dragon??[/i] There had been no promises exchanged---Sesshoumaru had merely gone after the [i]hanryu. [/i] And now Inuyasha was dead, and his brother stood alive and unharmed, having emerged unscathed from the stronghold of his greatest enemy. There was something very odd about the way the Inu Youkai was looking at the group gathered beyond the seal. His regard of the assembled humans, usually so icy and detached, was now intent and shrewdly assessing. Everyone present stared at him, afraid even to draw breath for fear of what he might do. In the long stretch of heavy silence, drops of black water clinked pointedly on the cave floor. In the end, it was Irusei who first found his tongue. He finally released his hold on Sango, shoving her away from him carelessly, as if she no longer mattered. ?My Lord,? he murmured, in a tone both reverent and troubled. ?Why. . .have you done this?? Miroku, who had been trying to gauge Sesshoumaru?s intentions, now turned his attention toward the Tatesei warrior. ?[i]Does he really think to regain the favor he?s lost?[/i]? Miroku mused. ?[i]Does he call Sesshoumaru ?Lord? now because Sesshoumaru has defeated the Dragon??[/i] The white demon?s cold regard came to rest upon the young warrior, and slowly his hand lifted. Miroku immediately lost interest in what Irusei?s motives were---Irusei was about to become dead. The monk cast a surreptitious glance down at his staff, which lay on the ground several feet in front of him. It was half-submerged in a puddle of the dark liquid from the melted seal, and a bit of energy crackled around the ring at its head, but nevertheless he decided to make a grab for it the instant the Tatesei warriors were distracted. He expected them to be distracted very soon; their leader was about to have his head sliced off. He would use the ensuing melee to take his comrades and escape. He tried to catch Sango?s eye, but she was regarding Sesshoumaru with a dazed kind of horror. Sweat trickled down the bridge of Miroku?s nose as he waited for the opportune moment. Nothing happened. There was no sound of human flesh tearing, and no outcry among the Tatesei. Sesshoumaru?s white hand lifted to rest gently on Irusei?s cheek. ?Child,? the white demon said softly, ?this is not the hour to doubt me.? The hand lingered; a caress. Irusei was trembling. ?Ew,? Shippou muttered, pulling a face. The Kitsune was keeping well within the bounds of Kirara?s forepaws. Kirara?s fur was standing on end, and her orange eyes were wild. She looked as if she wanted to lunge for Sesshoumaru then and there, but was too unnerved to dare. Kagome was strangely silent, but Miroku could feel her presence at his back as she stepped closer to him. None of the Tatesei made any move to stop her. ?His [i]kehai[/i]. . .? she whispered, but her voice trailed off. ?My Lord, why have you chosen. . .this?? Irusei whispered. ?This form? Why not Suiton?? Sesshoumaru?s touch trailed down his jaw line and throat, the palm coming to rest over the place where the [i]hanryu?s[/i] clothing was torn and singed. Miroku realized with a start that it was the place where Irusei had been stabbed by the blade Tokijin, hours earlier. Now, with his hand resting against the young man?s chest, Sesshoumaru?s eyes were full of regret. Something was [i]definitely[/i] wrong. . . ?Yours was the first heart that chose mine,? the white demon murmured. ?You have served me well.? Irusei?s feverish black eyes were downcast, and when he spoke it was with an undertone of bitterness. ?It was my desire to be chosen for your avatar. Why you?ve chosen the flesh of your greatest enemy?s spawn is incomprehensible to me.? By this point Miroku---in a state of great perplexity---felt compelled to interrupt. ?Lord Sesshoumaru! What has become of Inuyasha?? Behind him, Miroku heard Kagome?s breath catch in her throat, sharp as a sob. Down by his side, he held out one hand, signaling her to stay where she was. Rashness would only get her killed here, and Inuyasha---alive or dead---wouldn?t want that. Slowly, the Inu Youkai?s pale face turned toward him---too slowly for it to have been a response to his name. ?Inuyasha-[i]sama[/i] is dead,? he answered, with dispassionate calm. ?And the white demon is gone. Only the Dragon remains.? [/color] [color=purple]It was then that Inuyasha?s comrades knew that he spoke the truth, and that this was not Sesshoumaru. Never would Inuyasha?s brother have deigned to call him ?lord.? Miroku was a man slow to anger, but even so it took every ounce of his self-discipline not to reach for the prayer beads that reined in the curse in his right hand. The Dragon?s sharp eye was upon him, and he dared not reveal his trump card until the moment was right. ?[i]I have to get him out in the open before I use the Wind Tunnel. . .? [/i] ?You will want to take your comrades and go,? the Dragon addressed him. ?For I intend to bring down the mountain behind me.? Having said this, the Dragon strode past the monk, paying no heed at all to the way Kirara?s fur bristled as his left arm brushed her shoulder. His [i]left[/i] arm. . . ?[i]I wonder,[/i]? Miroku thought, staring at the arm. ?[i]I wonder. . .what this fell creature promised Sesshoumaru in exchange for this. . .?[/i] Not that it mattered any more. The Tatesei were beginning to turn and file down the tunnel after their Dragon, who walked in silence. An arrow went sizzling through the darkness after them. Immediately, Miroku flew at Kagome, wrapping both arms around her and pinning both her arms and bow to her chest. ?[i]No[/i],? he hissed in her ear. ?Kagome, [i]no[/i]. Let them go.? Several of the Tatesei warriors whirled swiftly about, thinking to form a protective barrier before their Dragon. Yet the thing in Sesshoumaru?s body waved them aside, and retraced his steps through their midst. He stopped not four feet away from where Miroku held Kagome. She wasn?t struggling, but Miroku could feel her slender body tensed to act the instant he let her go. He held her fast, eyeing the Dragon with great apprehension. Yet it didn?t seem angry. There was something like pity in its eyes---a look utterly alien to Sesshoumaru. ?The [i]hanyou?s[/i] death was necessary,? he told them. ?It cannot be undone. But [i]you[/i] I will not touch.? Miroku glanced down in bemusement at the head of black hair pressed against him just below his chin. It wasn?t him that the Dragon was addressing. It was looking at Kagome. ?Why?? Kagome whispered. Her voice sounded strained, as if she were trying hard to keep from screaming. ?Why do this? Why?? She seemed incapable of formulating any specific question. ?Survival, child,? the Dragon answered simply. ?Survival---for myself and for them.? By them Miroku supposed he meant the Tatesei. ?The white demon---the one whose flesh I wear now---did not have the foresight to choose wisely.? The Dragon lifted Sesshoumaru?s hand, staring at the pale flesh of the palm as if it were some alien object and not its own. The edges of its sleeves were drenched with blood. ?The Lord of the West believed in his foolishness that he knew the way to immortality. He believed that by eating my power he would proceed to mastery over the earth. He had no idea that I would gladly have traded the sum of my power for what he [i]already possessed. [/i]. .? The Dragon ran the tips of fingers lightly over the white skin of the forearm. Behind him, in the tunnel, the [i]hanryu[/i] stood silent and watchful. There was fanatical adoration in their eyes; their god was speaking. ?It is the nature of demons to lust after the unattainable,? he continued. Hearing the Dragon speak, Miroku found that he could no longer think of the Dragon as ?it?. This was a rational being, with a mind not very unlike that of the person whose body it now inhabited. Sesshoumaru?s high-boned, aristocratic face lifted, and eyes that had once been untouchable as ice kindled now with something new entirely. To Miroku, it was like watching the unfolding of some alien future---a future unnaturally wrought. A metal flower unfolding, blossoming black blood and new order. Kagome had gone utterly still against him; there was something hypnotic in the Dragon?s words. ?To destroy the earth is to reshape it---that is how demons think,? the Dragon said softly. ?But destruction begets only more destruction. The answer to forever cannot be found in a god?s power.? The white hand clenched into a fist, which he lifted in front of him with sudden passion. ?[i]This[/i] is the answer,? he declared, in a voice that rang through the tunnel. ?No jewel, no talisman---[i]this[/i]! This mortal body, frail and small, [i]this[/i] is what will endure the ages.? A pause, and the eyes burned like twin lighthouse beams, seeing something distant on the tides of future. ?I have seen it,? the Dragon went on, in a hushed tone. ?A world of metal and wheels, where the blood that once sealed me has made my children powerful. And it is a new kind of power---a peaceful power, in an era where the ability to deal death is no longer what determines success. . . A world of humans, with no place for demonkind.? ?You?ve seen this through the Seer,? Miroku found himself interrupting to say, against his better judgment. ?But prophecies aren?t set in stone. [i]Nothing[/i] is set in stone, or none of this could be happening at all.? He paused, swallowing hard. ?What you?ve seen may not come to pass.? There was something terrible about looking the Dragon in the eye that the monk had never known when facing down even the fiercest of demons. This was a creature whose kind had seen the dawn of time; it was like staring a god in the face. Yet Miroku forced himself to regard the tall, pale figure with outer calm, for this was a god he had no desire to serve. The Dragon tilted his head to one side. His expression was thoughtful, with no sign of anger at Miroku?s contradiction. ?It was indeed the Seer who woke me,? he agreed. ?Yet the eyes through which I saw this future. . .were [i]yours[/i].? He was looking at Kagome.[/color] [b][center][color=green]{+} {+} {+}[/b][/center][/color] [color=purple]In the glow of torchlight, two small figures made their way through the long, echoing halls of the Inu Youkai palace. One muttered nervously to himself; the other remained silent. They weren?t heading anywhere in particular; Jakken was pacing worriedly and Rin was following him as he paced. ?I don?t like this,? he grumbled, rubbing at the side of his wizened head. ?It?s been too long. He should?ve returned by now.? He stopped abruptly, spinning on his heel to pace in the opposite direction. Rin nearly bumped into him. ?He?ll come back, Jakken-[i]sama[/i],? she assured him. ?He said he would.? Jakken fixed her with a brief, bulgy-eyed glare. There was snow in his cap from when he?d gone outside to look for signs of Sesshoumaru?s return. It was melting now, and running down the sides of his face. ?He never said that.? Rin blinked her wide, innocent eyes, laying a finger to the side of her mouth. ?Well, he always comes back, anyway,? she amended. ?Except for the day he decides he [i]isn?t[/i] coming back,? Jakken muttered darkly. One of the nearby torches sputtered, and he jumped in startlement. Mercifully, the little girl kept silent for a bit, giving him ample time to ponder what he would do if the Tatesei decided to invade. Sesshoumaru had left them with instructions to flee to the caves on the side of the hill if misfortune befell them. Jakken wasn?t keen on the demon lord?s choice of sanctuaries. Those were the caves where, nearly a century ago, the Inu Youkai children had been sent to take refuge. The Wise---the Tatesei priests---had found them, of course. When Jakken had visited the place years later, there hadn?t been any bones or remains. But he could still recall the claw marks on the walls. As an imp and a demon, he had a certain immunity to the sight of death, but one?s kinsmen were different. . . The deaths of the small ones were [i]always[/i] different. He remembered the look on Sesshoumaru?s face as they passed through the place. He never wanted to see that look again. But right now, he couldn?t see any alternatives. If the Tatesei came, he would have to take Aun and lead Rin there. And if Sesshoumaru never returned. . .he would have to keep her alive long enough to see her safely to a human village, where she surely belonged. He would do this for his master?s sake. Rin seemed to read his mind. ?Don?t worry---my lord is very strong.? Once again, the slap of Jakken?s feet against the stone floor came to a halt. He spun abruptly and resumed pacing in the other direction. Rin followed, flopping the long sleeves of the oversized [i]haori[/i] she wore. It looked like one of Sesshoumaru?s. Smelled like it, too. ?Nothing is strong enough to stop him if he wants to come back,? she chirped. Jakken scowled, deciding that he was going outside for another look. ?[i]There isn?t any living thing that CAN stop him[/i],? the imp thought grimly. ?[i]Except maybe himself. . .?[/i][/color] [b][center][color=green]{+} {+} {+}[/b][/center][/color] [color=purple][i]He swam through the wind currents as if the sky were water. Night had fallen over the lands below him. Where he passed, the night spread. He was the night, falling dark over plain and mountain. It was heady, this revelation. He could bring darkness, if he chose, or scour the earth with fire. . .if he chose. His body was hard and impenetrable, clad in scales sharp as silver mirrors, reflecting the fire in his eyes. He wove between the clouds of a building storm, forked tongue lolling between fangs serrated like scimitar blades. Ahead of him, on a peak so high its base was wreathed in clouds, there rose a great castle, with spires reaching heavenward and gleaming in the light of the moon. It overshadowed a host of surrounding cities, where the frail, clever creatures that called themselves human stretched supplicants? arms up to greet him. Glad and fearful cries rose to meet him; their god was returning to his throne. It was a dream he was lost in---a dream from which there was no emerging. The wondrous illusions of his own desires closed around him like a trap, and he sank ever deeper into dying sleep.[/i][/color] [b][center][color=green]{+} {+} {+}[/b][/center][/color] [color=purple]?What---[i]what[/i]?? Miroku asked hoarsely, as if he could scarcely believe his ears. Pressed into the circle of his arms, Kagome trembled. Her lips moved, but no sound emerged. There was a strange intensity in the Dragon?s eyes upon her, burning through Sesshoumaru?s face. It was deep gratitude---or love. Not the love of a man for a woman, but that of a god for the one who has served him best. Sickened, Miroku?s grip tightened on Kagome?s shoulder. ?Don?t listen to him,? he warned her. The Dragon ignored him. ?You I won?t touch,? he repeated, gazing intently at the girl before him, ?for while I lay dreaming it was your mind that reached out to mine, across the span of ages.? [i](She dreamed of a man raising a blade over his head. She saw the Shikon jewel tumble from her grasping fingers. She saw the jewel fall into a bowl of water. Ripples spread outward from the place where it fell. She saw a hand close around the jewel. She saw a great and luminous eye slowly begin to open, and was filled with nameless dread for what this might mean.)[/i] ?The eye,? Kagome whispered, the hair at the nape of her neck rising in horror. ?The eye was yours. . .? Her legs began to give way beneath her. Miroku?s grip on her shoulders, now tight enough to bruise, was the only thing holding her upright. ?No, Lady Kagome,? the monk insisted, giving her a bit of a shake. ?Don?t listen. None of this is your fault!? But he was wrong. Kagome knew he was wrong. She hadn?t told him about the dream. She hadn?t told anyone about the dream---hadn?t even [i]remembered[/i] the dream until now. . . She thought it had meant nothing. But it had meant [i]everything[/i]. . . ?You wore the Jewel of Four Souls close to you as you slept,? the Dragon told her. ?That talisman which was born of my strongest child, Midoriko. . . And across time my sleeping mind saw through your memory a world in which only humans thrived---a world which held no place for monsters. And I dreamed. . .[i]oh how I dreamed[/i]. . .of what my children might achieve in such a world. . .? Righteous anger surged through Miroku. His left hand ached to reach for the prayer beads restraining the curse in his right. Were it not for the sake of his friends, he would have. ?And how many innocent lives will it cost, this vision of yours?? he snapped. ?Do you really plan on single-handedly putting an end to the age of demons? If such a thing is even possible. . .? The Dragon?s burning gaze lowered. ?Perhaps you recall. . .the power of the Wise?? he asked softly. ?It is Mine. The end of demonkind is an inevitability.? Behind him, there came a low rumbling from deep in Kirara?s chest, and the sound of someone?s foot scraping against stone. Miroku knew that Sango had moved to stand just behind him by the lightness of her tread. A warrior?s tread. There came a sharp hiss of steel, and briefly Miroku closed his eyes. She held the blade close to his neck, where one swing would take his head. She could do it, he knew. She was that strong. He could see the shadows on Sesshoumaru?s white [i]haori[/i] where the red light from the tunnel behind them had sketched Sango?s blade behind his throat, as if she were striking him now. She could do it now, for her god, with no one to stop her. He trusted her. ?Will you follow me, daughter?? the Dragon asked, turning toward her. ?Or is your heart still bound to these comrades, and to the [i]hanyou[/i]?? Uttering a low cry, Sango flew at him, bearing her weapon down to strike. Miroku?s eyes opened. Kagome?s breath caught in her throat. The Dragon caught the blade inches from his chest. ?No!? Sango snarled, gritting her teeth and trying to pull the blade free. The Dragon?s face---Sesshoumaru?s face---was unreadable. The sword she had tried to slay him with was none other than Tetsusaiga, which she had taken from Inuyasha. ?Futile,? the Dragon told her calmly. ?This talisman, forged from the fang of the my greatest enemy, may kill demons, but it is useless against my kind. There is nothing left on this earth that can seal me into the mountain again, now that the Inutaisho is long dead.? Sango?s beautiful face was terrible to behold. Sweat clung to her brow, and the shadows of anger pooling in the hollows of her face were heightened by the blackness of the Dragon?s stain in her eyes. She looked like a demon herself. Breathing hard, she attempted to twist the blade in the Dragon?s grasp. Blood black as ichor trickled down Sesshoumaru?s pale wrist, from where Tetsusaiga?s edge dug cruelly into his palm. Kagome watched this as if it were a moment frozen in time. She had seen this sight before---the tall figure standing there, fist clenched around the blade. This---[i]all[/i] of this---was so terribly, utterly familiar now. . . [i]?When he died, another young lord became the sixth king. . .? ?And this sixth king. . .who was this man?? In its hand, the statue gripped a katana by the blade. The lines running down his hand and onto the blade, indicating blood, seemed eerily realistic. ?That is Raiiru, the White King. . .?[/i] The Dragon Raiiru wrenched Tetsusaiga from Sango?s grasp and flung it aside. It clattered against the stone wall and landed in a puddle of the blood congealing on the floor. ?Accept it,? he said to Inuyasha?s comrades. ?There is nothing to be done. Go now and live, or stay when the mountain falls.? His eyes flickered down to Kagome, who was staring straight ahead as if she saw nothing. Her eyes were glassy with tears. ?Live, child,? he bade her. ?You are human. This future is for [i]you[/i].? And he turned and walked calmly from the place. Sesshoumaru?s white hair trailed behind him, and his feet, bare from where Sesshoumaru?s shoes had been sliced to ribbons, left a trail of bloody prints on the stone. The Tatesei warriors followed. Inuyasha?s comrades made no move to stop them. Kagome?s head was bowed now, her clenched fists resting on top of her knees. She knelt on the warm stone; Miroku had finally let go of her. Hot tears dripped from beneath the veil of her black hair, splashing mutely in the blood on the floor. Miroku swallowed against the sudden dryness in his mouth. His throat ached with the words he spoke next. ?We must go, as he said. Somehow he means for the mountain to erupt and destroy itself, and we?ll die if we stay here.? He paused, closing his eyes briefly in sorrow. Then he bent over Kagome, laying a gentle hand on her shoulder. ?Sango and I will protect you. I promise. . .? Shippou, who up until this point had been listening in silence, now burst into very noisy blubbering, clinging to Kirara?s foreleg. The demon lowered her head, blinking her large, orange eyes toward Kagome and making no move to shake him off. Kagome shrugged Miroku?s hand off her shoulder, leaning forward over the puddle of [i]ryunochi[/i] on the floor. ?Kagome-[i]sama[/i]. . .? the monk repeated, this time more urgently. He thought she was going to collapse fully, no longer caring that she fell in the pool of dragon?s blood. He thought to himself, ?[i]To endure this, so young. . . Can I blame her? Would I not do the same if Sango perished. . .??[/i] ?Kagome-[i]sama[/i],? Sango whispered, moving to stand beside him. The demon-slayer?s voice, unlike Miroku?s, was low with wonderment. Kagome did not fall to the stone floor. Instead she reached both hands into the dark pool there, and withdrew the sword Tetsusaiga. Slowly, she rose to her feet, clutching it by the hilt, and Miroku stepped back from her. Ichor dripped from the blade, and from her hands, staining the edges of her sleeves, but she no longer seemed to care. The legs upon which she stood now were steady. ?He isn?t dead,? she said quietly. Shippou?s sobbing began to fade. The Kitsune removed his face from Kirara?s fur, blinking watery green eyes in Kagome?s direction. Miroku took a deep breath.[/color] [color=purple]?Kagome-[i]sama[/i],? he said, ?I know the sorrow you feel now, but. . .? ?He [i]isn?t[/i] dead.? Kagome turned to face them, brandishing Tetsusaiga before her as if to ward off her grief. Tears leaked from the corners of her eyes, running down her cheeks to drip off her chin, but her expression was hard and resolute. ?He?s still here,? she insisted. ?I can feel it. . .somewhere in the mountain.? She glanced down at the sword in her hand. ?Tetsusaiga was forged from his fang. When I lifted it, I could feel its [i]kehai[/i] still pulsing.? Miroku stood there in silence, torn between taking her and fleeing and surrendering to the contagion of her hope. She seemed utterly certain of this. ?Kagome,? Sango said softly, ?you reached for the sword [i]before[/i] you knew this.? Kagome walked past them, carrying Tetsusaiga cradled against her even though it. They watched her warily, for clearly she intended to do something rash. Her young, elfin face wore a look that declared her heart unswerving. She was heading for the tunnel, from which the Dragon had emerged through the broken seal. She stopped, just before crossing the place where the seal had once been. But she didn?t look back. ?I knew before I picked up the sword,? she agreed . ?Because if he were really gone, my strength would be gone, too.? Beside Miroku, Sango drew in a deep, shaky breath. Then she strode forward, laid a hand on Kirara?s massive shoulder, and abruptly swung herself up onto the demon?s back. She let out the breath sharply, securing her Hiraikoutsu across her back. Kirara was already beginning to move beneath her. ?Come on,? Sango said, offering Kagome her hand. ?I?ll go with you.? As Kagome clasped her arm and climbed up astride Kirara in front of her, Sango craned her neck to address Miroku. ?[i]Hoshi-sama[/i],? she called. Even through the black stain of the Dragon?s blood, Miroku could see the apology in her eyes, and the determination. The part of him that loved her selfishly wanted to call her back, to keep her from risking her life again. But he knew she couldn?t live with herself knowing that she hadn?t tried to make right what she?d helped to make wrong. He smiled at her, a little bitterly, but without falter. ?You?ll go with her,? he agreed. Sango turned away, and Kirara burst into a run. Miroku stood there motionless, watching somberly as the two women riding the demon vanished into the red haze of the tunnel. Then he sighed, and bent to scoop up the silent, wide-eyed Shippou up in his arms. ?You-you?re not going with them?? the Kitsune asked, in a quavering voice, peering up at the monk?s solemn face. ?No,? Miroku answered quietly. He retrieved his staff from the cave floor, and then bore staff and Kitsune down the tunnel in the opposite direction. Together they headed into darkness at a run. ?Listen to me, Shippou,? Miroku said after a time. Shippou pressed himself tight against the monk?s robes, already with an inkling of what Miroku was going to ask of him. ?When we reach the end of the tunnel---when we?re finally free of the mountain---I want you to flee. Transform into something light and fly over the snow, to Sesshoumaru?s palace. You?ll be safe there, I think. He told the child who travels with him something about a cave. . . But what matters is that you get as far away from me as you can.? ?M-Miroku?? Shippou whispered, digging his claws into Miroku?s purple sash. He couldn?t see the monk?s face in the darkness. ?I am going to open the Wind Tunnel,? Miroku said softly. ?To kill the Dragon. . .?[/color] [b][center][color=green]{+} {+} {+}[/b][/color][/center] [color=purple]To Kagome it seemed the tunnel went on interminably. Kirara ran lightly down a way lined with jagged crystal, strewn with sharp, broken bits. Smell of sulfur; stink of blood; press of heat. It was like riding through a dream. She clutched Tetsusaiga tightly against her breast, because it was firm and real and the only link she had to Inuyasha. After a time, Sango lifted an arm beside Kagome?s ear. ?There!? she cried. ?A woman!? Kagome squinted through the red haze and saw what it was the demon-slayer was pointing to. The Seer lay prone amid the broken shards. Kirara slowed to a halt, and Sango slid off her back, hurrying to the woman?s side. There were streaks of blood across the spikes of crystal around her, and a thin line of blood ran from her mouth. However, the veins in her face still glowed a fiery red, and as Sango lifted her gently her eyes opened. ?Can you stand?? the demon-slayer asked gently. Kagome hung back a little, horrified to see the woman in such a state yet wary because her eyes held the Dragon?s black taint. Those black eyes rolled upward toward her, and one pale hand lifted. ?There,? the Seer whispered, pointing toward something down the tunnel that only she could see. ?He?s. . .there. Find. . .him. . .free. . .? Then her head lolled back into Sango?s lap, and she went still. ?Unconscious,? Sango announced, checking her pulse and glancing up at Kagome. ?Can it be. . .she meant. . .?? Kagome was already running.[/color] [b][center][color=green]{+} {+} {+}[/b][/center][/color] [color=purple]At the end of the tunnel, the Dragon and his followers emerged into a world blurred white with snow. The Tatesei filed past their god, while Raiiru turned back to face the mountain that had once been his prison. The [i]hanyou?s[/i] comrades had not emerged. ?Very well,? he said softly. ?They will be buried there. Such is the fate of all who choose not to follow me.? In the air around him, the maelstrom winds parted to form a calm eye. His eyes burned wide with the fires of the ancients, and at his sides his white hands clenched into fists. From the mountain, there came a mighty groan.[/color] [b][center][color=orange]{+} {+} {+}[/b][/center][/color] [color=purple]In the warm haze of the tunnel, plastered against a wall behind a mass of crystal, she found him. His eyes stared sightless out at her from behind a prison of glass, and his lip was curled in a grimace. She laid her small hand on the crystal, her mouth forming his name. But she didn?t weep; there was no time for weeping. There would be time for tears later, if she failed. Clasping the sword?s hilt between her fists, she stabbed at the crystal in a fury, thinking to shatter it with his fang. It held fast, and the sword clattered useless from her hands. In a fury, she swept it up again, intending to beat at this barrier until it broke, or she broke. ?Kagome.? Sango had come to stand behind her. Kagome flung the sword aside, panting. ?It?s useless,? Sango told her quietly. ?He can?t be breathing under that. And you can?t cut it with your bare hands. . .? From the quiver strapped across her back, Kagome drew forth an arrow. Sango fell silent, holding her breath in hope as Kagome?s arm rose, and the arrow stabbed. Light seared through the crystal?s facets, and then a web of cracks began to spread. From the mountain all around them, there came a mighty groan.[/color] [center][b][color=green]END OF CHAPTER 15[/color][/b][/center] [i][color=gray]Yamisui: Hmm. . . I?m sorry to leave it at a cliffhanger, given how LONG it?s going to be between chapters. But I?m ending it here because I?m about to fall asleep but I?m such a review whore that I want to post Now. So there you are. That?s life. Anyway, stay tuned for Chapter 16: ?Chosen.? I estimate that there will be 18 chapters total. . .but that?s just an estimate.[/i][/color]

[COLOR=gray][I]Author?s Note: ?Oufuda? are charmed characters written on scripts of paper, intended for good fortune but also for spells of warding.[/I][/COLOR] [B][COLOR=red][center]{{{}}}[/center][/COLOR][/B] [COLOR=purple][I]Crimson spurted through torn flesh, and then seeped through cloth. . .swiftly at first, but then slowing to a trickle, soaking through the long sleeves and spreading to pool on the dirt like a stain. Blood sank into the earth; a red halo around the flesh that had once housed it; the heart grown sluggish and slow. The blow had nearly cut him in half. ?I will?I am? I?? Thoughts limped disjointedly through his mind, each fading before completion, like his rasping breath. The heart clenched and let go, like a fist; then his fingers uncurled, relaxing into death like a flower opening. His eyes saw white petals falling, the last snow of his death, and then nothing. Then he was moving. Red seeped through the dirt, awash with spring rain, mixing blood with brown. Then it rose, sucked hungrily into tiny roots like veins in the earth. Blood flowed into the wood, sweeping upward through bark and cell and atom in a rush of red. Red twisted through the thicker roots, then rushed more swiftly through the darkness inside the trunk. It should have been a slow seepage, over many years as the roots drank quietly; after many seasons of rain had purified the angry blood into water. It should have been slow; a long, languorous drinking of his death, while his soul had long since flown on to Buddha. But his mind was fixed upon the curse of his anger, and the tree drank him in hungrily, welcomingly, up into branches as twisted as the roots, upraised like the arms of a man shaking his fists at the sky. Then it pushed out through the slender twigs, wreathed in leaves, where it burst into bloom.[/I][/COLOR] [center][COLOR=red][B]{Petals}[/COLOR] [COLOR=purple]I[/B][/center] She moved down the lane idly, with all the measured languor of spring. Her wooden sandals clacked cheerily against the stones in the road. The bundle of scrolls she carried was heavy and awkward, but she hardly noticed it. She was young, and so was the season. ?Shall I carry that for you, Miss Kaoru?? The young woman paused, half-turning to glance over her shoulder. As she did so, a breeze rustled through the trees overhead, stirring the branches. A snow of blossoms showered over her, some landing in her hair; others collecting in the place where the collar of her kimono met the nape of her neck. Startled, she shifted the bundle in her arms, one hand moving to feel what had fallen on her head. Then she laughed. ?Oh,? she said. ?I guess it?s that time of year, isn?t it?? The red-haired swordsman walking behind her returned the smile. The scrolls nearly escaped the grip of Kaoru?s right arm, but she caught them in time with her knee. ?Here.? Kenshin moved to take it from her. ?No, it?s all right, I?ve got it,? she assured him, hoisting the bundle back into the cradle of both arms and turning to continue along the path. ?[I]Tch[/I].? This faint noise of derision came from the third member of the errand-goers, Sanosuke. He was walking with both eyes squinted, and both arms tucked lazily behind his head. ?Think they?re pretty, do you? The flowers?? Kaoru glanced at him suspiciously, bristling a bit at the derision in his tone. ?Yes. What of it?? Sanosuke?s mouth quirked. ?They say that the [I]sakura[/I] get their color from soil where blood was spilled,? he drawled. ?That?s why they bloom all over Japan. From centuries of war.? Kaoru turned away from him, her long hair swaying against her back. ?Well, at least it?s not a total waste,? she said briskly. ?Even beautiful things can be made from all that ugliness.? The tall man shrugged. ?If that?s how you want to look at it. Those flowers are stained with blood.? Kaoru shook her head, scowling. ?You?re so superstitious, Sano,? she said in disgust. ?You think everything is either trying to suck out your soul or trick you into dying.? ?Everything [I]is[/I],? he insisted stubbornly. Kaoru shook her head again, sighing in exasperation. ?Why can?t you be more like Kenshin?? she grumbled. ?[I]He?s[/I] not afraid of stupid things like that. He knows a flower is just a flower.? Then she paused, waiting for Kenshin to agree. Silence. Another drift of blossoms fell. ?Kenshin?? She stopped walking. Then she heard the swordsman?s soft, measured footsteps resume, and turned to see him smiling his ingenuous smile, as always. ?A flower is just a flower,? he agreed quietly. Then he moved toward her and brushed some of the petals from her shoulder. She blushed a little, and started off again down the road. The red-haired swordsman followed close behind, watching the play of dappled sunlight on her flowered kimono. His smile had become a little sad. He hadn?t brushed the [I]sakura[/I] off his own shoulders.[/COLOR] [COLOR=purple][B]II[/B] Spring nights in the [I]dojo[/I] were warm, and Kaoru slept on top of her quilts instead of beneath them. She would have liked to sleep with the sliding panel door open; the one that opened onto the garden. There was a nice breeze outside, and the smell of new leaves. However, she lived with two men (three if one counted Yahiko) and it wouldn?t be proper. Secretly, of course, she felt she wouldn?t mind if Kenshin were passing by and should happen to see. She rolled over, pressing her face into the pillow to suppress a smile. That was when she felt the cold breeze touch the back of her neck. She pushed herself up into a kneeling position, glancing sharply toward the sliding door. ?Yahiko!? She cried in outrage. ?What stupid prank. . .?? The outburst stuck in her throat. He wasn?t there. And the door was closed. [center][B]III[/B][/center] ?I [I]swear[/I] I didn?t do it!? ?I don?t care! Fifty more strikes before you rest.? Kaoru sat on the [I]dojo[/I] steps in the morning sunlight, scowling at the boy in the courtyard, who was busy performing his [I]boken[/I] exercises. Yahiko wore a scowl nearly identical to hers. She was suspicious that he?d done something stupid like sneak into her room to pull a prank. Yahiko felt she was being a stupid girl and this was one morning he truly resented the fact that she was his teacher. His shaggy bangs flopped over the front of the strip of cloth he?d tied round his brow to keep the sweat out of his eyes. It was warm in the mornings here, too. Warmer than at night. ?Are you trying to kill him?? Sanosuke had emerged from the cooler shade of the [I]dojo?s[/I] interior, for no reason in particular. It was the sort of morning good for wandering aimlessly around and puttering at unimportant tasks. Yahiko?s chopping motions became a sight more vicious; he was jealous of Sanosuke and his freedom. ?Shouldn?t you be out chopping wood?? Kaoru snapped. ?Or is that too much work when your stomach?s full of breakfast?? ?Mmm,? Sano mumbled noncommittally, settling comfortably onto the wooden terrace in the sun, crooking one elbow beneath his head. ?Jumpy this morning, are we?? ?Ugly-[I]sensei[/I] had a nightmare,? Yahiko crowed, emphasizing the ?Ugly? with a chop of the [I]boken[/I]. ?And she thinks it was because beforehand [I]I[/I] snuck into her room to scare her.? ?You had a nightmare, Miss Kaoru?? This time Kaoru flinched; Kenshin had come onto the terrace so quietly that no one had noticed. The swordsman had a way of walking so silently and unassumingly that it was possible to miss him until he was right beside you. It was how assassins trained themselves to move. ?Ah, eh-heh. . .? Kaoru scratched her head, embarrassed. ?No, I didn?t. I just told Yahiko earlier that it isn?t nice to sneak up on people while they?re sleeping. You?d give them bad dreams.? ?A-[I]HA[/I]!? Yahiko stopped practicing altogether, turning to point triumphantly in her direction. ?Something did scare you!? Kaoru sighed, folding her arms. ?For your information, I only had [I]one[/I] dream and it was nice.? Sanosuke, who had appeared to be dozing, now lazily opened one eye. ?Oh really? How ?bout dreaming me up some lunch next?? ?You just had breakfast,? Yahiko told him, walking over to join them, dragging the [I]boken[/I] tip through the grass. ?I swear, I?m still [I]growing [/I]and I eat less than you.? ?Both of you go inside and finish cleaning the practice room and I?ll consider it,? Kaoru snapped. As both of them rose to their feet and headed into the shade of the [I]dojo[/I], bickering, Kenshin turned to head in the general direction of the garden gate. ?And where are you going, with your sleeves rolled up?? Kaoru asked, turning to address him. ?Ah, I was going to chop the firewood,? Kenshin replied mildly, ?seeing as those two certainly haven?t done it.? Kaoru?s sour expression softened. ?Oh, good. Just come back before lunch, or we won?t be able to cook anything.? ?That I will.? ?Oh, and Kenshin? Later can you check the outer wall of my room? I think there might be a hole or crack in the wood.? He nodded. The gate closed behind him with a soft clack. Kaoru lay back onto the warm wood, resting her hands comfortably on her stomach and gazing up at the sky. The white clouds above the [I]dojo[/I] roof were moving so slowly she had to watch them for a while to be able to see that they were moving at all. There was no wind. [center][B]IV[/B][/center] Kenshin returned an hour later with a sizeable stack of wood, which he carried under both arms. He crossed the garden with it, heading for the shed where Kaoru preferred him to stack it, but midway through the weight of the load got the better of him and he set it down to rest. He?d walked nearly a mile with it, after all. With a sigh that didn?t really mean anything, he straightened, rubbing at the small of his back. He stood by the edge of the koi pond, which was lined with grey stones to keep the weeds from eroding the bank. The water was still as glass; the koi, having already been fed for the morning, swam contentedly near the murky bottom. Beyond the place in the sunlight, just before the grounds sloped downward in a steep series of terraces, there grew the courtyard?s one [I]sakura[/I] tree. It was a twisted old man, with roots knotted like human joints that had seen too many winters. The trunk was so thick it could have been centuries old. Yet now its branches were laden with young blossoms, which drifted lazily over the pond. Gazing at the tree, Kenshin realized that this was the first spring he?d spent here; the first spring in which he was no longer a wanderer. The first year spent with those he could call friends. ?[I]Yes[/I],? he thought, ?[I]if one stares enough at something beautiful, it?s almost possible to imagine having led an entire lifetime of such peace.? [/I] His smile faded, but his heart was calm. A breeze came, showering blossoms down over him in a soft rain, but he didn?t move. It was like butterfly wings brushing his face. Then the breeze passed, and still he remained there, reflecting on nothing. Then, abruptly, a fish broke the surface in the pond, mouthing one of the flowers that had fallen onto the water. The faint splash made him blink, and he remembered what it was he was supposed to be doing. With a bit more alacrity, he bent and hefted the wood bundles back into his arms, frowning. The problem with emptying the mind of thought was that it got in the way of your goals. To someone who?d known the evil and the sorrow that he had, emptiness was a seductive thing. The fish spat the flower out again, flipping underwater in distaste. Kenshin started off toward the shed at a brisker pace, thinking now of lunch, and of the hole that might or might not be found in Kaoru?s wall. [center][B]V[/B][/center] That night Kaoru had difficulty falling asleep. Kenshin hadn?t found any cracks in the panels of her sliding door, and already she was beginning to think she?d imagined the wind from the night before. She was, in fact, ready to dismiss it entirely. Until the noises began. It sounded as if there were a fairly strong wind blowing outside, for no sooner had she lain down atop her quilts than something began scraping across the roof. It sounded like branches being dragged across the wood. The noise startled her; she sat bolt upright. Then, irritated with herself for being startled, she redirected her irritation toward someone else. [I]?I?ll make Sanosuke cut those branches tomorrow[/I],? she decided, balling her hands into fists in her lap. ?[I]He?s the tallest, and he needs to make himself more useful around here anyway.?[/I] A moment passed, and the scraping ceased. Nodding in satisfaction, Kaoru flopped back down again, rolling over onto her side. This time the scratching came again, and it did [I]not[/I] sound like it was from anywhere near the roof. It sounded as if bushes were being blown against the wall outside. It very well might have been, except that [I]there were no bushes outside[/I]. And it came oddly this time, in patterns. First there came a short series of noises, staccato, running along the length of the wall as if someone were testing the wall for weak spots. . .which was stupid and didn?t make sense. If they wanted in, they should be trying the door. [I]This[/I] particular turn of thought made Kaoru?s pulse jump in her throat. ?Yahiko! Quit it!? she called. And the tapping stopped. But Kaoru didn?t lie down again; she was waiting. Another moment passed, and then another, and slowly she let out the breath she?d been holding. The scraping sound this time came louder and longer. It sounded deliberate this time. Someone was there. Kaoru clapped both hands over her mouth to keep from whimpering. She was sure it was a person; it sounded like nails scraping across the wood. The scraping persisted. It had to be Yahiko. An animal would claw repeatedly at one spot. This sounded as if it were traveling the length of the door. Regardless of who it was, she felt she shouldn?t show fear. This was [I]her[/I] [I]dojo[/I], and as its master she shouldn?t fear anyone on its grounds. Of course, telling herself what she [I]shouldn?t[/I] fear had very little to do with what she actually [I]did[/I] fear. But it was time to put a stop to this. Pulling her haori more securely about her slender shoulders, Kaoru rose to her feet and caught up her[I] boken[/I], which she kept on a notched sconce on the wall. Then she headed for the door. Her feet thumped softly across the wood floor. Her hand was inches from the panel when the scraping stopped. It stopped so abruptly, so deliberately, that she flinched. She froze, standing with one arm poised to fling the door aside. She let out a faint, shaky breath, swallowed, and then willed herself to reach for the panel. The instant her fingertips met wood, something very strange happened. Red script traced its way across the panel. Lines of characters appeared, swift and quiet, seeping out of the dark wood as if someone had spilled ink there. They gleamed in the sudden, dark quiet of her room. Most peculiarly, they seemed to be spreading outward from the place on the door that she had touched. And they continued outward, though she recoiled, as if her touch had been the catalyst. And they did not cease their spread until the entire length of door panels was ablaze with them. Slowly, Kaoru backed away from the door. The quiet was deafening. She was beginning to have an inkling of why the scraping had stopped. [I]?These characters. . .?[/I] ?[I]Oufuda[/I],? she whispered aloud. Then she fled the room. [center][B]VI[/B][/center] By the time Kaoru had raced down the hall of the[I] dojo[/I] to the nearest room, she was nearly hysterical. The nearest room, unfortunately, was Yahiko?s. And Yahiko was in it. Yahiko was sleeping soundly, as if he had been sleeping for hours. As if he could not possibly have made it from outside her door to inside his room with the doors shut in the amount of time it had taken for the noise in her room to stop and her to flee it in terror. Kaoru froze on the threshold, with his door slid halfway open, her heart slamming in her chest. He heard her heavy breathing and awoke, sitting up in bed and rubbing his eyes blearily. ?Kaoru-[I]nee-chan[/I]?? he mumbled. Pressing her lips together firmly, Kaoru made an abrupt decision. Lunging forward, she grabbed his arm, and without further ado proceeded to haul him out of bed and back down the hall after her. ?Hey!? he hollered, coming more awake as he stumbled trying to keep up with her. ?What?s WRONG with you?? His shout must have awakened Sano or Kenshin, because immediately Kaoru heard noises in the rooms down the hall, but she didn?t stop. She was desperate to have someone else see the [I]oufuda[/I] on her door and proclaim it real before she went stark raving hysterical. They reached her room just as the last of the characters faded into darkness. ?They. . .? Kaoru murmured, eyes widening in alarm. But when she glanced over at Yahiko, his eyes were also wide with disbelief. He had seen them, too. [center][B]VII[/B][/center] Morning came, eventually. Kaoru had not slept, and neither had Kenshin, who was elected to stay up and keep her calm after the strange incident. He did so with good grace, and Kaoru felt no guilt whatsoever in making him sit up with her. It took her a long time to stop shaking. By morning, everyone in the [I]dojo[/I] had their own theories as to what had happened. And of course, everyone hastened outside to see what Kaoru?s door looked like from the outside. There were a long series of tracks left in the wood. Five. Like runnels left by human fingernails. [center][B]VIII[/B][/center] The next evening, it was decided that Kenshin would keep watch outside Kaoru?s room. This was decided by Kenshin himself, who said nothing on the matter of the[I] oufuda[/I] but expressed great concern that some sick individual was preying on a young woman under his protection. He slept most of the day in preparation for it, and now he sat on the terrace, sipping a cup of tea that Yahiko actually had the consideration to bring him. Sanosuke looked in on him at one point. ?Is that tea? If I were you, I?d be drinkin? [I]sake[/I]. They say sake tastes sour where. . ? The tall man paused before leaving, eyeing the moonlit garden with deep suspicion. ?Damned ghosts,? he muttered, and then shuffled off to bed. Kenshin didn?t smile at this. Instead he watched the wind playing through the blossoms of the [I]sakura[/I] tree across the pond. There were less blossoms now than there had been before; the topmost branches were naked, and clawed at the waxing moon. His sword lay across his lap. It was not until near morning that he awoke to realize he?d slept. He had dreamed of a tree red with blossoms. It wept crimson petals onto the ground, where a dead man lay in its shadows. [center][B]IX[/B][/center] Kenshin was greatly surprised to find in the morning that Kaoru had experienced the same dream. But he didn?t tell her that he?d seen it, knowing that it would worry her. She was excited; she had found something. ?Look here, Kenshin,? she told him, pointing to a scroll she?d procured from her late father?s things. ?I did some digging today and I found this. Old [I]dojo[/I] records, kept by my family. This one was my grandfather?s, dating back to the Meiji Revolution. It mentions that his family was divided by the war; one brother on each side.? She paused, and her face fell a little. ?It finally came to my grandfather?s brother coming to kill him. But my grandfather?s best friend killed his brother instead, as he crept into our [I]dojo[/I] at night. And then. . .it was dark. Well, maybe that wasn?t the reason. But my grandfather killed his own best friend, out of rage over the death of his brother. . .? Another pause. ?. . .even though his friend had protected him from his brother, who wanted to kill him.? Kenshin was quiet for a bit. Then he said, ?Loyalty is a strange thing,? and left it at that. ?But afterward,? Kaoru continued, pointing to a particular line on the scroll, ?my grandfather recorded strange happenings at the [I]dojo[/I]. He believed he was being haunted. Whether by his brother or his best friend, he never knew. But always these things occurred around his door. . .my door. That was why he had a priest inscribe [I]oufuda[/I] on it. The paint?s faded, but the characters grow bright when the spirit approaches.? She laid the scroll down, across her lap, and looked up at the swordsman. ?What should I do, Kenshin? Do we get a priest to come?? Kenshin looked thoughtful. ?That we should. But don?t you think your grandfather?s priests would have exorcised this spirit if they could?? Kaoru shook her head, mystified. ?I don?t know. But after my grandfather died of old age, and my father began teaching the peaceful art of the [I]Kamiya Kashin[/I] style, the haunting stopped. I can?t think why it?s started again [I]now.[/I] . .? Kenshin nodded rising to his feet. ?Today we?ll send for a priest.? [center][B]X[/B][/center] The priest came. He inspected every inch of the [I]dojo[/I], and he found nothing. ?There is no relic here,? he insisted. ?Nothing that could bind a man?s soul to the earth. But don?t worry; the [I]oufuda[/I] on your door will not allow inhuman hands to open it. The spirit cannot pass.? Kaoru wasn?t reassured. Before the priest left, he said to Kenshin in low tones, ?Have a care, young man. There is a shadow at your shoulder.? Kenshin bowed politely as the old man stepped out the gate, but he paid little heed to the warning. He?d always suspected there might be a shadow. [center][B]XI[/B][/center] There was no wind that night. The sky was brilliant with the hunter?s moon, low and orange and glaring like a demon?s eye. Kenshin sat again on the terrace outside Kaoru?s chamber, watchful and silent. Yahiko slept fitfully, dreaming about wars he?d never seen. Sanosuke sat cross-legged in his room, beneath the wan glow of a brazier, drinking [I]sake[/I]. He sipped at it, and then peered moodily into the depths of his cup. It was bitter. Kaoru lay awake, staring at the ceiling. She could hear, faintly, Kenshin?s calm breathing beyond her wall, and it was a comfort. But she didn?t sleep. She was wondering why, after all those years of silence, the spirit of her grandfather?s friend or brother had chosen to come after [I]her[/I]. She could think of nothing that had changed since her father?s time. She fought for peace, as did all who lived under her roof. They were all good people; certainly undeserving of the spirit?s vengeance. ?Why do you hate us?? she asked, into the listening darkness. ?I want to see peace here. Hurting me won?t bring you peace. . .? She fell silent after this utterance, listening for an answer. Then she realized she could no longer hear Kenshin breathing. [center][B]XII[/B][/center] ?Why do you hate her?? Kenshin asked. He stood on the terrace between the shadow and the door, with one hand on his sword-hilt and the other at his side. Instinct told him to draw and rush. Caution stayed his hand. This thing was not alive. ?Why do you want so desperately to pass the [I]oufuda[/I] to harm her? She?s innocent. Of all of us here, she?s the most. . . If you want revenge, take it on [I]me[/I].? In front of him, the shadow wavered. The moon shown through it in places; in others it was dark enough to appear solid. It wore the vague shape of a man. Kenshin?s blue eyes narrowed. ?Or is it that you hate her for the peace that surrounds her?? Again the shadow wavered. This time, Kenshin understood. This was a soul like his enemies?, who came seeking him out to draw him back into his warlike past, or to kill him trying. ?You hate her [I]because[/I] she doesn?t know the pain and the strife that you had. You hate her because she has what you never lived to see.? A shiver passed down the shadow?s length; anger. ?If it is death you want, then take me,? Kenshin said, eyes fierce with a killer?s gleam. ?Take [I]me [/I]instead.? Then it flew at him. He could do nothing. A [I]katana[/I] could not slay a dead man. Then his body went cold, and his mind fell backward into sleep. It took him. [center][B]XIII[/B][/center] Kaoru had risen just risen onto her knees when the door slid open. Her heart pounded painfully in her chest, but then she remembered the priest saying that inhuman hands couldn?t pass the [I]oufuda[/I] on the panel. And it was a man entering the room. ?What?s going on?? she asked, squinting against the sudden brilliance of moonlight. ?Did you see something?? She barely saw the gleam of metal; the flash of blade; before the sword descended over her. It was aimed for her head; it caught in her hair as she rolled sideways to avoid it. The point slammed into her bedding and sank into the floor beneath. Her hair pulled sharply as she tugged herself free, lurching to her feet. Her attacker wrenched the blade free, spraying feathers in every direction. ?K-. . .Kenshin?? Kaoru had moved to the wall, taking up her [I]boken[/I], and from this angle she saw who it was. He was coming toward her in the shadows. His head was bowed; he couldn?t possibly see her, but he was advancing straight toward her nonetheless. His movements were slow and disjointed; it was like watching a dead man walk. ?Kenshin!? she cried, backing away from him. Her back hit the door panel. He made no sound; he was eerily silent. Again the sword lifted. Kaoru threw herself sideways, stumbling onto the terrace outside. Again he slashed at her; low this time, toward her feet. She stumbled backward, lost her footing, and fell. He raised the sword, hilt down, and stabbed downward. Kaoru managed to strike the blade aside with her [I]boken[/I], but Kenshin was strong and it was only deflected a little. The point grazed her side, pinning the fabric of her [I]haori[/I] to the wood. She had saved herself, but now she was pinned. And now she understood; this was not Kenshin. He knelt over her, keeping her fixed in place with one hand on the sword-hilt, and his other hand closed around her throat. ?Kaoru-[I]chan[/I]!? She heard someone shouting; Sanosuke. Her eyes rolled sideways, and she saw him reach her door from inside the hall. The thing crouched over her looked over as well, and abruptly the door clacked shut in Sano?s face. She looked back up at her enemy, eyes tearing with the effort of breathing, and with fear. Her throat burned for air. ?[I]I. . .can?t. . .undo. . .what was done[/I],? she gasped. ?[I]I?m. . .sorry. .[/I] .? The hand on her throat loosened fractionally. Her eyes widened in pleading. She had not dared to hope that she knew what this creature wanted, or why it wanted what it wanted from her. Yet now. . . ?I. . .promise. . .I will. . .find. . .way,? she whispered. Her breath whistled in her nose; she was seeing stars. [I]?Let her go[/I].? Her eyes widened further. This was Kenshin?s voice, coming from Kenshin?s lips. Her vision was darkening, and now she thought she saw a shadow beside him. Part of it was inside him; it was moving [I]through[/I] him. ?I didn?t offer myself to you for you to use me to kill her,? Kenshin said, in a low, dangerous tone. ?Take my life if you will, but not hers.? The hand around Kaoru?s throat loosened further, and then fell away. The shadow blurred, but didn?t vanish. Kaoru tried to sit up, staring in horror, but the sword still pinned her in place. ?Let her [I]go[/I],? Kenshin repeated. The shadow shifted further from him, emerging from inside his body. He wrenched the sword from the ground, freeing Kaoru?s [I]haori.[/I] But she was still trapped beneath him. ?We will lay you to rest.? Angry, the shadow sank into his sword arm, lifted it, and struck. Kaoru saw the length of the blade descending toward her chest, saw the moon mirrored in steel. It would cut her in half. It never touched her. Instead it cut into wood; sank into the wood of her [I]boken[/I], which Kenshin had caught up with his free hand and moved to intercept the blow. The shadow strained against him, one arm against the other, but he would not give way. ?You can?t win,? Kenshin admonished, between teeth clenched with the strain of fighting the spirit?s will. ?I. . .am. . [I].not[/I]. . .ruled. . .by my. . .[I]sword arm[/I].[I] Go.?[/I] A rush of wind filled the place, cold and fragrant. The shadow fell away from the swordsman?s body and dispersed, swirling around them both in a flurry of petals. Kenshin cast aside both the [I]boken[/I] in his left hand and the sword in his right, and fell across Kaoru, thinking to shield her from the spirit?s fury. Kaoru whimpered in terror, her voice muffled by the front of Kenshin?s [I]haori [/I]pressed against her mouth. The wind around them howled a death cry. Then it subsided. Nothing came after. White petals, tainted pink, fell softly around them like snow. The air was still. Slowly, Kenshin sat up, moving off Kaoru and giving her room to rise. For a long while, neither of them spoke. They were staring in amazement at the surrounding garden, where everything was as it should be. Then there came a loud crash from inside the [I]dojo[/I]. Sanosuke had flung Kaoru?s inner door so roughly that it rattled on its runners. ?What the hell is going on here?? he shouted. Yahiko spilled into the room after him. But Kenshin?s attention was diverted by something: the flowers, lying broken on the terrace where they knelt. ?Miss Kaoru,? he said slowly. ?I believe I know what we?re to look for, that I do.? Looking at him, Kaoru nodded slowly. ?The spirit always tried to come through your door,? he went on. ?The [I]oufuda[/I] were inscribed on your door. From what wood is it carved?? Slowly, Kaoru turned to gaze out over the garden, toward branches that clawed at the moon. ?[I]Sakura.?[/I] [center][B]XIV[/B][/center] They knelt beneath the cherry tree, in its shade, bearing thin sticks of incense. They immediately sent Yahiko to fetch a priest; the same one. He came and built them a crude shrine there, at the base of the roots, where both had dreamed the body lay. Now they knelt together before it, in quiet observance. ?What is it we?re waiting for?? Kaoru asked softly, looking down at the incense stick smoking gently in her hands. ?What sign that it?s worked?? Kenshin shook his head. He didn?t know. They knelt in silence long into the night, until the hunter?s moon sank beneath the treetops. Then there came a rush of wind, where there should have been no wind, rising from the tree into the air beyond, soft as a sigh. Together, they laid the incense on the brazier inside the shrine, clasping their hands in front of them in reverence for the dead. The final petal drifted gently from the tree, leaving the branches bare at last.[/COLOR]

[color=green][b][center]{+} {+} {+} [/b][/center][/color] [color=purple]Inuyasha came to an abrupt halt, nearly causing the Seer to collide with him. He rounded on her abruptly, his hands balling into fists. ?This is leading us into the mountain, isn?t it? Where does it really lead?? His voice rang hollowly through the tunnel. The Seer?s black eyes stared back gravely from between the lines of fire running through her skin. ?It was said of the Dragon that his lashing tail stirred the first currents of the ocean,? she murmured. ?And that his claws gouged hills and valleys into the lowlands. . .and that with his mouth he breathed fire into the mountains. . .? ?Shit. . .you?re saying[i] it [/i]made this. . .? Stay here.? Wasting no time waiting for an answer, Inuyasha set off in the opposite direction, moving at a dead run and leaving her standing by herself in the tunnel. [i]?I don?t trust her[/i],? he thought grimly. ?[i]Why?s she so keen on finding the Dragon? She claims she?s serving Sesshoumaru, but now I think the Dragon?s pulling the strings. . . And why the hell do I smell NARAKU?!?[/i] Despite these suspicions, he had every intention of going back to fetch her once he?d established where his enemy?s scent was coming from. Boorish though he was at times, Inuyasha was not the sort to leave a woman alone in the face of danger. Now that Inuyasha had put a considerable amount of distance between himself and the Seer, the air was a veritable maelstrom of scents. Behind him, the scent of pine and metal permeated the tunnel. From somewhere ahead of him, he kept catching whiffs of an enemy more familiar---sly and smoky and cloying as incense. And somehow. . .mixed with this scent was that of his own blood, and beneath it the faintest fragrance of white blossoms. The scent of his brother. A wave of red cut through the darkness. He had no time to dodge it, nor even to stop, and went hurtling straight into the brunt of it. The pain that followed was terrible; like a thousand tiny needles piercing his flesh. Yet the force against Inuyasha?s body was like the hammer of a giant?s fist. Despite his forward momentum, he was flung backward like a rag doll. Fortunately, as he went sailing through the air toward the walls where the tunnel veered right, he still retained the presence of mind required to minimize the impact. Mid-air he arched his back and turned a somersault, so that instead of landing head-first against the wall he hit the tunnel?s floor, skidding a good twenty feet and cutting a long runnel in the stone. Prying his claws loose of the rubble they?d dug up, Inuyasha lurched sideways, rolling onto his feet and rising shakily to stand. Blood trickled down the undersides of his arms; the backs of his ankles. Beads of it spattered the walls around him, glistening jewel-like in the light of Tokijin?s lambent blade. ?Still standing,? the white demon murmured, approaching him with a slow and measured pace. Inuyasha?s blood, which had soaked Sesshoumaru?s right sleeve hours ago and then frozen there, was now beginning to melt and drip down the demon?s wrist. For a moment Inuyasha could only stare at his brother, panting and regaining his balance. Red, veined light shifted like water around the blade in the white demon?s hand. Inuyasha had only once seen the sword blaze this brilliantly---and at that time, it had been in the hands of Gaijinbou, the rogue sword-smith. ?[i]It?s the SWORD[/i],? Inuyasha realized abruptly. ?[i]The sword REEKS of Naraku. . . But why. . .??[/i] ?What the HELL do you think you?re DOING?!? he demanded aloud, having finally regained enough air to shout. ?You want to get past me so badly to UNSEAL this thing? Wake UP, jackass! It HATES us. It wants us DEAD.? Sesshoumaru?s advance remained steady. ?You have the strength to destroy it yourself?? the white demon asked softly. ?I think not.? Slowly, he circled Tokijin upward to point directly at his brother. ?And if you believe I [i]need[/i] you, you are gravely mistaken. The Dragon is [i]there[/i],? he said, sharp eyes flickering toward the darkness behind Inuyasha and back again. ?And all I need from [i]you[/i]. . .is your blood. . .? Inuyasha scowled, baring his fangs. ?You want my blood? [i]Take it[/i]! [i]HIJINTESSOU[/i]!? Digging his claws into the slices across his left forearm, he flung his own blood like a weapon, using his own [i]jyaki[/i] to turn it into a barrage of tiny red blades. Sesshoumaru swung Tokijin in a wide, swift circle in front of his body. Inuyasha?s attack shattered upon Tokijin?s thick [i]kenatsu[/i] like glass. ?Always you stand between me and what I desire,? Sesshoumaru said softly. His eyes still gleamed crimson; the fight was apparently exciting his demon blood. Inuyasha glared at him, teeth and fists clenched, but he couldn?t think of anything to say in his own defense. He didn?t have Tetsusaiga, and even his Fire-Rat robes weren?t going to be much of a defense against Tokijin. . .and he sensed that Sesshoumaru was in no mood for negotiation. The white demon wore no armor; his white [i]haori[/i] hung loose, flowing behind him as he moved. There was a tear in one side; it looked as if something had burnt him. Of all these oddities, perhaps the strangest was the dark discoloration beneath the Sesshoumaru?s right eye---a faint, charcoal smudge on his cheekbone like a bruise. ?[i]He?s injured?[/i]? Inuyasha wondered, eyeing the bruise. ?[i]Is that from when Miroku hit him??[/i] The [i]hanyou?s[/i] mind racing furiously as he tried to think of a way out of this. Weaponless and wounded, he was practically defenseless. The only thing that might give him an advantage would be if Sesshoumaru was injured as well. Yet whatever the bruise was from, it didn?t appear to be a weakness---and now Sesshoumaru was nearly upon him. Inuyasha sank into a crouched stance of readiness. ?[i]I have to stop him from driving me backward down the tunnel[/i],? he thought, grasping at straws. ?[i]If I can get just get around him, he?ll probably follow me through the tunnel to the surface. Up there, at least, I?ll have room to dodge Tokijin?s kenatsu. . .?[/i] At the same instant, both brothers launched their attacks. Sesshoumaru abruptly dropped all semblance of patience and flew at Inuyasha, pulling the sword back over one shoulder and then slashing downward. Inuyasha rushed him with his claws curved and raised dagger-like before him. At the last instant, before they clashed, Inuyasha launched himself sideways and upward. The hanyou was gambling on the remote chance that his brother could be deceived mid-charge by a feint. The chance immediately proved itself far too remote for probability. Changing directions so fast that his body blurred, Sesshoumaru moved to block his way, and Inuyasha crashed straight into him. The impact caused the white demon to slide backward nearly five feet, yet his feet scraped runnels in the stone and he did not fall. Mid-collision, Inuyasha?s left hand shot forward past Sesshoumaru?s defenses. His claws tore through the billowing [i]haori[/i], sinking into Sesshoumaru?s belly. With his right hand Inuyasha caught Sesshoumaru?s forearm in an iron grip, holding back the strike of his brother?s sword with strength born of desperation. Together they skidded to a stop amid a scattering of dust with Tokijin?s blade pressed close between them, glaring at each other. It was then, beneath the crackling light of Tokijin?s aura, that Inuyasha caught a close-up glimpse of the dark spot on the white demon?s face. It wasn?t a bruise. ?What---what the fuck happened to your FACE?? Inuyasha panted, attempting to shove the sword away from him. Regardless of the five nails curved cruelly into his flesh, Sesshoumaru refused to relinquish his hold on the sword. It was like trying to move a steel wall. The white demon offered no answer to his brother?s question save a slight narrowing of the eyes. Amid the strain of deadlock, Inuyasha couldn?t summon the words to ask him again. Sweat streamed down his forehead, trickling between his eyes. Tokijin?s energy crackled jaggedly around them, as if Sesshoumaru had brought his own private thunderstorm with him into the darkness of the tunnels. ?[i]Shit,[/i]? Inuyasha thought, gritting his teeth. [i]?I---[/i]? ?You?ve become a hindrance,? Sesshoumaru said softly. Then [i]jyaki[/i] surged through the sword between them, flaring red and sharp as a hail of needles. [/color] [color=green][b][center]{+} {+} {+} [/b][/center][/color] [color=purple]Suiton stood alone at the end of the tunnel, waiting. The darkness surrounding her wasn?t complete, for the fire in her veins cast weird patterns on the walls around her. After Inuyasha left her, she had turned and moved deeper into the earth. There was no point in watching to see what became of him; she had already Seen it when she held his arm. Instead she walked alone to the end, where the rock on either side of her narrowed to an arm?s length in either direction. ?[i]Here the serpent?s throat narrows to the fangs[/i],? Suiton thought, staring apprehensively at the barrier at the tunnel?s end. Smoky crystal protruded from the ceiling and floor in front of her like teeth. Several feet ahead, the teeth were closed in an impenetrable wall of crystal. The wall appeared to be covering the mouth of a cave. What lay beyond Suiton could only guess at; the crystal?s multiple facets distorted the images behind it. Vague, fiery shapes twisted sinuously there, as if this were the gateway to hell itself. The air here was warm and fetid and alive. Swallowing hard, she took a step toward the barrier, reaching out toward it. As her hand drew nearer, she could feel the fire inside converging toward the spot behind the barrier nearest her outstretched fingers. The Dragon sensed her presence. That which it had long awaited had come at last. She had never felt such a sense of awe in her life. . .nor such fear. Behind the crystal lay the power to reshape the world. Suddenly, the barrier between her hand and the cave seemed painfully, frighteningly thin. The instant her fingertips brushed the cold surface, she could see clearly the black well of an eye snap open behind the crystal. Suiton uttered a strangled cry, stumbling backward a few paces and almost colliding with the demon who had come to stand behind her. ?What? Are you afraid now?? he asked softly, stepping back a pace himself so that she wouldn?t bump into him. ?You chose this.? Mutely, the Seer shook her head, embracing herself for warmth even though the Dragon?s blood flowed furnace-hot through her veins. The white demon skirted around her, turning his attention toward the barrier ahead. The eye she had seen was gone. The faint, flickering firelight had returned, dancing shadows through the crystal?s facets. ?The seal,? Sesshoumaru murmured, staring at it. ?I can[i] see[/i] it.? Suiton?s eyes widened. ?I. . .[i]I [/i]can?t, my Lord,? she said shakily. ?I see no seal, and no pattern.? ?Of course not,? Sesshoumaru agreed, glancing over his shoulder at her. ?You are not Youkai.? Finally getting a good look at him, the Seer clapped both hands over her mouth in horror. ?My lord---your [i]face[/i]!? she gasped. His clothes were flecked with blood, and blood stained the front of his white [i]haori[/i], and beneath his right eye, upon his cheek, the flesh was discolored like a bruise. Yet the shadow on his face came not from injury but from something stranger still. Beneath his skin, the tangle of veins had gone visibly dark, as if in that one place on his body his veins now flowed with ichor. ?I am unharmed,? Sesshoumaru said coolly, turning away from her to regard the barrier once more. ?And nothing remains to hinder me.? Suiton removed her trembling hands from her lips, casting one brief, nervous glance into the darkness of the tunnel behind them. [i]One[/i] thing remained: his brother, whom he had neglected to kill. ?My Lord, there is a fell air about that sword you carry,? she finally said, her gaze falling upon the blade sheathed at Sesshoumaru?s waist. ?A demon sword, isn?t it? Forged from a demon?s fang?? Sesshoumaru ignored her; he appeared to be studying runes graven in the crystal that only he could see. ?My Lord!? the Seer repeated, emboldened by urgency. ?That sword draws a storm of [i]jyaki[/i] around you! Bringing such powerful demon energy this close to the Dragon?s [i]kehai[/i]. . . I fear your body is poisoned by the clash.? ?Tokijin was forged from the fang of Goshinki, offspring of the demon Naraku,? Sesshoumaru murmured. ?Its [i]jyaki[/i] obeys me; I am master of it.? Though he did not look at her, the tone of his voice was a warning. ?You See much. . .but you are not Youkai, and you do not [i]understand[/i] all that you See.? ?That fang will drive you to clash with your brother,? the Seer breathed, seeing it all unfold in her memory as it had when she touched Inuyasha. ?I beg of you---do [i]not [/i]take the sword with you to destroy the Dragon. Cast it aside here---[i]on this all things depend[/i].? No sooner had she spoken than she realized that those three words---?I beg of you?---had been chosen poorly. The Lord of the West listened to none save those he felt to be more powerful than himself. In his eyes, once again Suiton had humbled herself from a wise counselor to a pleading woman, asking for mercy where she knew that ?asking? only bred contempt. Standing with his back to her, Sesshoumaru lifted his head as he finished contemplating the barrier. ?Your ?faith? in me is unfounded,? he said softly. ?Did I not say before. . .that [i]I have no intention of destroying the Dragon[/i]?? Blood pounded in the Seer?s ears, matching the frantic rhythm of her heart. [i]This [/i]was the man that she had chosen to serve. That he had rescued Inuyasha from the hands of the Tatesei had redeemed him in her eyes---had given her hope that he would not fulfill the destiny she had foreseen. . .that he would destroy the Dragon and spare his brother. But that had been foolish; the Lord of the West was not human. The only honor he valued was that accorded to those possessing power. Suddenly angry---with herself as much as with him---the Seer took another step toward him, hands clenching into fists at her sides. ?I wanted to believe you had the strength,? she whispered. ?But obsession has made you [i]weak[/i].? She had called him a coward once; she was doing so again. Sesshoumaru?s hand shifted to rest lightly upon Tokijin?s hilt. For the briefest of instants, it seemed that he would draw it forth from its sheath, perhaps to cast it aside. . .or perhaps to strike her down. But in the end, he did nothing. Instead he lifted his hand to the barrier. Now Suiton saw that it was wet with blood---the blood of his [i]hanyou[/i] brother, mixed with the [i]ki [/i]of the sealed Dragon and the one who sealed it. ?I release you from my service,? the Lord of the West told her icily. Then he swept the blood-soaked palm of his hand down a jagged pattern in the crystal. And the crystal began to melt. [/color] [color=green][b][center]{+} {+} {+} [/b][/center][/color] [color=purple]Sango stopped dead in her tracks. It felt as if someone had just passed a torch through her; she could almost hear the rush of flame. Sango, who in her warrior?s training had grown accustomed to the synchronization of body and mind, found now that with her newly-awakened blood her body was becoming stirred by the Dragon?s influence. It was unnerving. The danger of the body being stirred was that the mind soon followed. Irusei?s head snapped up swiftly. ?The seal is broken,? he said softly, wonderingly. Abruptly, he spun on his heel to face his comrades. ?It isn?t far ahead of us!? he exclaimed, excitement masking the weariness on his face. ?Follow me!? ?[i]The seal is broken?[/i]? Sango thought, alarmed. ?[i]Then what of Inuyasha. [/i]. .??[/color] [center][color=green][b]{END OF CHAPTER 13}[/b][/color][/center] [color=gray][i]Yamisui: See? I?m NOT dead! And neither is the story (I hope)[/i][/color] [color=gray][i]Yamisui: Arrr. . .the map, she reads: ?Here thar be dragons. . .? [/i][/color] [center][b][color=green]{+} {+} {+} LORD OF THE WEST {+} {+} {+} {+} {+} Chapter 14: Ryunochi {+} {+}[/color][/b][/center] [color=purple]In the heavy darkness of the tunnel, Inuyasha lay prone on the ground. Beneath him blood was smeared across the stone. It formed a long trail from where the last blow had sent him sliding along the tunnel floor, as if someone had painted it there. ?Shit,? he muttered, around a mouthful of rock. He was lying face down where he?d fallen, too incensed even to do anything but lie there and fume. The blow Sesshoumaru had dealt him had not been meant to kill him. Of course, it had [i]hurt[/i] a great deal, and he was still leaking some rather vital fluids, but already he could feel his strength returning. This meant he wasn?t going to die---which was good to know because he would prefer to die with his head in Kagome?s lap, not face-down in some stinking cave. ?[i]Shit[/i],? he swore again, finally taking the initiative and pushing himself up into a sitting position. ?That cocky [i]bastard[/i]. . .? His hair was sticky with blood, and in disgust he pried it off of his face as he rose onto his knees. Then he turned his attention in the direction Sesshoumaru had presumably taken. Though he had been unconscious at the time, Inuyasha was quite certain that his brother had gone ahead of him to seek the Dragon. ?That idiot,? he growled, staggering to his feet. ?And where the fuck is the [i]Seer[/i]. . .?? Ahead of him, the scents of Sesshoumaru and Naraku were overpowered by the scent of blood and metal. The air was rank with it. As Inuyasha stumbled down the way his brother had taken, he kept one hand clapped over his nose to keep the stench at bay. How Sesshoumaru could have gone this way with his acute sense of smell was beyond Inuyasha. Of course, why Sesshoumaru seemed to be ignoring the fact that Tokijin [i]reeked[/i] of Naraku was [i]also[/i] beyond Inuyasha. . . For a while he bumped into walls as he traversed the tunnel, still reeling from his injuries and disoriented by the darkness, but then a soft, reddish glow began to permeate the air. He rounded a bend in the path, and then realized that he was wading into a river of steam. It swirled around his legs, knee-deep and so hot he could feel the warmth through the thick fabric of his [i]hakama[/i]. It took a while for his skin to become accustomed to the heat, but he paid it little heed because there were more pressing concerns ahead. Now that he was in the direct path of the light, he could see that it was emanating from some kind of chamber in front of him. Vague, fiery shapes dancing beyond the scope of the tunnel cast weird, flickering shadows on the stone walls around him. The reflections wavered, as if what lay beyond was some manner of red ocean. Inuyasha walked forward more cautiously now, wrinkling his nose against the stench of metal. His next footfall resulted in a soft splash. The [i]hanyou[/i] stopped dead in his tracks, slowly turning his head downward to see what lay at his feet. ?Black water. . .?? he murmured, staring down at it in bafflement. In the places where the swirling steam grew thin, he could see that the strange water lapping at his feet was spread across the floor in an ink-dark puddle. Yet there was no plausible way this could [i]be[/i] ink. . . ?What. . .?? Inuyasha whispered, hastily withdrawing his foot. ?What the [i]hell[/i]?? He stood there, somewhat daunted by the prospect of wading into whatever lay ahead. Against the skin of his bare foot, the dark liquid felt warm and alive. He lifted his gaze, and saw now that the walls surrounding the narrower passage that led into the red-lit chamber were crusted with bits of crystal, hanging jagged from the ceiling like broken teeth. The crystal was smoky, and dripped beads of dark water, which landed soundless in the puddle beneath the hiss of steam. The jagged bits shimmered like ice, as if they?d been formed from frozen brackish water. Inuyasha realized he was holding his breath and let it out in a long, slow hiss, barely audible over the steam. ?[i]What the hell?[/i]? he thought, mentally knocking himself upside the head. ?[i]It?s just water. I?m not going to melt. . .[/i]? After making this inner assertion, his limbs unfroze, and he stepped out over the puddle. The warm liquid grew deeper further out, lapping against his ankles, but otherwise his flesh didn?t start to sizzle so he quickened his pace, returning his attention to the strange formations on the walls. Unlike his feet, the crystal crusting the walls [i]did[/i] seem to be melting. . . [i] ?This. . .can this be the seal? Is this stuff melting because Sesshoumaru broke the seal??[/i] Moving nearer to the wall where the crystal grew, Inuyasha swiped two fingers down it. They came away smeared black, and smelling of metal and blood. Metal and [i]blood[/i]. . . Growling a curse, Inuyasha hastily wiped the stuff off his fingers on a portion of the wall where the crystal didn?t grow. The scent had abruptly brought to mind something Kagome told him before. . .something the Tatesei leader in the future had told her. . . ?[i]Ryunochi[/i]!? he suddenly exclaimed. ?[i]Shit[/i]! The black liquid that Tatesei Sano told Kagome came from the mountain. . . THIS is IT! And it really IS ?[i]ryu-no-chi?[/i]---the Dragon?s [i]own blood[/i]!? Staggered by the realization, he stopped dead in his tracks again, standing there transfixed while the black blood sloshed gently at his feet. The entire future that Kagome had seen. . .this was where it began. The secret to the survival and the success of the [i]hanryu[/i] race lay in the very [i]blood[/i] of their Dragon protector, whom they had awakened, and whom Sesshoumaru had unsealed. . . ?Wait. . .no. . .? Inuyasha shook his head. ?This can?t be right! If the Dragon was freed, and lived to protect the Tatesei, then how could they have used its blood to shape their metals?? A sly epiphany slipped through the haze of his bafflement. ?[i]But Kagome never said the Dragon had to LIVE for that future to be possible. . [/i].? Once again, he found himself staring down at the blood pooled on the floor. Experimentally, he stamped downward in it. It splashed beneath the impact, like any normal liquid would. ?[i]But this ISN?T metal[/i],? Inuyasha thought, one corner of his lip curling in disgust. [i] ?It only reeks like metal.?[/i] He was no expert at blacksmithing, but he had a pretty good idea that metal in its liquid form should be molten. The stuff he was standing in was hot like real blood, but it certainly wasn?t burning him. Frowning, he lifted his head. Whatever lay behind the melted seal certainly might be molten. He could see the lines of red light wavering along the ceiling ahead. [i]?Maybe the hotter blood is still inside the Dragon[/i],? he thought, scowling so deeply his eyebrows met. ?[i]Maybe. . .I?m not supposed to KILL the Dragon. What if. . .what if I?m meant to keep it ALIVE. . .?[/i]? Again, he shook his head in an effort to clear away the confusion. After having been tossed around and slashed up by kenatsu, he was feeling a bit woozy. The smell wasn?t helping, either. ?[i]Whatever[/i],? he finally muttered in irritation. ?Fuck the details; I?m going after Sesshoumaru.? And he took off down the tunnel at a run. [/color] [center][color=green][b]{+} {+} {+}[/b][/color][/center] [color=purple]Irusei expressed no concern whatsoever when they came upon the steam, which swirled thicker and thicker around his comrades? legs the further they traveled. A stifling, oppressive heat was beginning to pervade the entire length of the tunnel. The group of hanryu came to the place where the way forked northwest and southeast. Peering at the northwestern tunnel as they passed it, Sango couldn?t help wondering about the strangeness of the terrain here. The tunnel was of unusual shape for something purportedly formed by a river?s course; from what she could envision, it was forked like a serpent?s tongue. ?[i]What REALLY formed this place?[/i]? Sango wondered, glancing about her with great misgivings. But Irusei led them onward without a backward glance, and she could do nothing but follow. Sango was frightened. There was only one other time in her life when she could recall being this frightened---and that had been the dark day when Naraku took her family?s lives, and her brother?s soul. This, however, was a very different breed of fear. Here, her [i]own[/i] soul was at stake. From the very beginning, she had intended to deceive everyone to save Inuyasha?s life. If she hadn?t, the Tatesei would have killed him, because they feared the Inu no Taishou?s [i]hanyou[/i] child. She had made this decision the instant Sesshoumaru?s blade scored its mark through the Inuyasha?s flesh, almost on instinct. Yet instinct [i]wasn?t[/i] what ruled her---that was why her intentions had[i] never[/i] included freeing the Dragon. The Tatesei had trusted her all this time because of her act of betrayal. . .and because they could not imagine someone actually [i]resisting[/i] the call of the blood. But Sango knew that blood wasn?t what determined the course of a person?s destiny. She knew this because of the long, strange journey she?d begun years ago, with a monk, a half-demon, a Kitsune, and a girl from another time. She knew it because of the half-demon who cast aside the part of him that craved power time and time again to protect those he?d come to call friends. She knew it because of the monk she loved, who refused to accept the inevitability of death by the accursed hand passed down through his family, instead seeking to destroy the one who had cursed him. She knew, because though the blood in her burned and stirred to wakening, her desire to protect her friends had not diminished. But she was afraid nonetheless. Since she?d first called upon the power of the [i]hanryu[/i] blood to melt the snow in the tunnel, Sango was finding it harder and harder to ignore the Dragon?s call. It was almost like a humming in her veins---a music that she could almost hear but not quite; the sort of sly noise on the threshold of hearing that could drive one to madness. Thus far, the demon-slayer told herself that her mind and body remained her own, because thus far the Dragon had not used its influence to prevent her current course of action. However, as she walked on amid the host of Tatesei, nagging doubts plagued her. ?[i]Perhaps it hasn?t tried to bend my will to its own. . .because I HAVEN?T really tried to oppose it yet. Maybe it ALLOWED me to bring Inuyasha because if he?s killed to break the seal binding it, it no longer needs to fear him. . .?[/i] Sango hated not knowing if she?d done the right thing. But she could see no other choice here. She had to follow the [i]hanryu[/i] now, because now she was afraid her act of deception really might end up costing Inuyasha his life. From the very beginning---though she?d realized it too late---there had been one major flaw in her desperate plan. The flaw?s name was Sesshoumaru. There was no way she could have predicted that Sesshoumaru would kidnap Inuyasha, let alone take matters into his own hands like this. She could not for the life of her understand why Inuyasha?s brother would say that he had no intention of destroying the Dragon and then change his mind. After what seemed an interminably long time spent trudging along the rocky path, with only their skin to light the way, they soon came upon a part of the tunnel where the floor grew very uneven. Sango paused to kneel and bend nearer to the ground, so that her flesh illuminated what she was looking at. Her palm brushed tentatively over the place where the stone had ruptured, buckling in places and strewn with rubble. If Sesshoumaru had ever really intended his procurement of Inuyasha as a rescue. . .then something had gone horribly amiss. There were small, dark stains upon the rock---darker than the stone. Sango froze, staring wide-eyed in horror. Raising her head, she saw that there were long runnels in the stone, as if someone with razor-sharp claws had been flung there. . .or [i]dragged[/i]. . . ?It?s here!? Irusei called abruptly, jolting the demon-slayer from her shock. ?The seal!? The other [i]hanryu[/i] kept walking while Sango knelt---after all, it was Irusei they were following. The young man seemed to slough off the weariness induced by his injuries as he strode quickly ahead of the others. Something in front of him cast a strange, reddish glow on his earnest face---a glow that did not belong to the fire in his veins, but to some other fire that lay beyond. ?No,? Sango breathed, but there was nothing she could say that would sway them from their course---not at this stage in the game. This was what their quest had been leading to all along; it was stupid to expect them to listen to reason [i]now[/i]. Biting her tongue, Sango pushed herself to her feet and hurried after them. The Tatesei warriors had scarcely rounded the bend in the tunnel when they found themselves wading through drifting tendrils of steam. Sango eyed it with great misgivings; it grew thicker the further into it they went. And it almost felt as if they were treading upon some kind of liquid underneath. . . ?The seal was broken,? Irusei murmured, staring at something ahead in hushed tones. Picking her way around the outskirts of the company of warriors to avoid knocking them with the Hiraikoutsu strapped across her back, Sango made her way to the forefront. Her shoes were definitely splashing through [i]something[/i]. . . Red light danced on the walls, glimmering through the smoky bits of crystal that clung to the ceiling. ?What do you mean, ?it was broken??? Sango asked him. ?How do you [i]know[/i]?? She was glancing down at her feet nervously, where the steam had temporarily parted to reveal the odd, dark liquid she was standing in. Irusei ignored her, reaching out to touch the crystal. His leather armor creaked as he stretched out his arm. ?There is crystal all around this part,? he finally answered. ?It probably stretched from floor to ceiling, forming the seal.? He half-turned toward his comrades, gesturing sharply for them to follow him. However, no sooner had he turned back and set foot upon the broken barrier?s threshold when a very strange noise stopped him in his tracks. It began as a low hiss, like the sound of wind whistling through a narrow opening. Sango, of course, instantly thought: [i]Dragon?[/i] as her thoughts had been progressing along those lines the instant she saw the red light. However, the Tatesei company froze and made no sound, and nothing scaled and slavering came bursting through the broken seal. One of the warriors just behind Sango was the first to glance down at his feet, and he uttered a low cry of startlement, stumbling back a few steps to avoid whatever it was that he saw. Irusei whirled about swiftly at the sound, and then he, too joined his comrade in regarding the ground. The black liquid, which they had been splashing through for the past few yards of tunnel, was moving. Sango?s eyes widened with horror; the foul, brackish-smelling stuff flowed swiftly around her angles, like the sea tides ebbing. It flowed toward the way ahead of them. ?Blood,? Irusei said softly, wearing a frown. The [i]hanryu[/i] company watched as the liquid slid smoothly across the stone, like some live thing fleeing to its den. The hiss came from the speed at which it moved. Unconsciously, some of the warriors stepped backward as it slid out from under their feet, glad to see it gone. However, it didn?t vanish utterly. Instead of flowing naturally along the cave floor, it raised itself in the place where the crystal ringed the way. Irusei stumbled backward, startled, as a curtain of black, ink-like fluid rose in front of him, blocking the way. ?This is the seal?? he gasped. ?The Dragon?s [i]own blood[/i]? The Inu no Taishou sealed the Dragon into the mountain with its [i]own blood[/i]?? ?How can this be?? another man asked. ?We aren?t meant to enter?? The black blood, undulating like shaken silk, now stretched from floor to ceiling. The seal, it seemed, was restoring itself. ?NO!? Irusei cried suddenly, lunging for it. In a flash the sword at his hip had cleared its sheath, and he struck hard at the barrier. However, in the split-second before the blade could touch the dark curtain before him, the black blood hardened into crystal. This process, unlike the initial re-formation of the barrier, was almost instant, and far louder. The blood crystallized and thickened, with a cracking sound like something being scraped across ice. The noise was near-deafening in the confined space; all of the [i]hanryu[/i]---Irusei included---backed away with their hands clapped to their ears. Yet when at last it had finished, Irusei flung himself forward against it, attempting to batter it down with blade and fist. ?NO!? he shouted, and this time one of his fellow warriors tried to catch hold of him to stop him. Sango expected the man to pull him back easily from the barrier, but Irusei shook him off with a force that could not have come from any mortal strength. Injuries aside, his rage was causing the Dragon?s blood to course more swiftly through his veins. All could see that the fire beneath his flesh intensified, giving off a stronger light that reflected even in the smoke-dark crystal in front of him. Irusei?s sword rang off the barrier as if it were made of steal. ?Irusei-[i]sama[/i],? a warrior called. ?That is [i]ryunochi[/i]; you can?t break it!? However, to Sango?s amazement, Irusei suddenly seemed to be beyond all reason. ?WHY?!? he snarled, hurling the sword aside. It clattered against the stone, landing somewhere beneath the steam, which was already dissipating. ?WHY does it not allow us in? WE are its children! Why does it keep us from entering? WHY?!? Surprised as she was by Irusei?s behavior, Sango was wondering the same thing. Whether by the Dragon?s will or by the will of the one who had sealed it, it looked as if only Inuyasha and his brother were meant to pass through. ?[i]I [/i]am the one chosen by the Dragon!? the young man cried, fire flaring beneath his flesh. His company was standing clear of him now; no one knew what to expect of him in this state. Fire gathered in his palms. Sango backed away slowly, one hand slipping deftly behind her shoulder, reaching for the strap that fastened her Hiraikoutsu to her back. Flames erupted between the Tatesei warrior and the obstacle to his desire. He flung himself against it once more, flesh ablaze. Tongues of fire licked along the dark surface of the crystal, rippling like water. Sango could feel the heat even from several yards away; it made her squint. Yet after a moment. . .it died---thinning into smoke before vanishing altogether into thin air. Then Irusei beat against it with his fists until blood ran down his forearms from where the sharp edges of the crystal?s facets had cut him. No one made any move toward him; he seemed beyond all reason. He continued like this for a moment, and then beat both fists against it one final time. When his pounding fell silent at last, his followers held their breath, waiting to see what his verdict would be. Slowly, he slid his hands downward over the barrier, and then dropped them to his sides, turning to face his comrades. ?Of [i]course[/i],? he murmured, in a tone much softer. To Sango?s surprise, his noble, aquiline face was utterly calm, though his eyes were narrowed to black slits. ?The Dragon, it seems, has chosen my sister.?[/color] [center][color=green][b]{+} {+} {+}[/b][/color][/center] [color=purple]?The seal hasn?t been broken,? Shippou reported. ?They can?t get in.? He had just returned from a spying mission of sorts, creeping quietly over the rubble-strewn tunnel floor on his tiny paws to look for the Tatesei. Kagome breathed a deep sigh of relief. ?Then Inuyasha must not have come this way,? she said. ?Or Sesshoumaru.? As they drew nearer to the [i]hanryu[/i], Shippou had extinguished his Kitsunebi to make for better stealth; they could not see the way the ground was torn up by demon claws. Miroku seemed less relieved. ?Are they still trying?? he asked. He was clasping the head of his staff very tightly in one hand so that the rings wouldn?t jangle and alert the enemy to his presence. ?To get in, I mean.? Mutely, Shippou nodded, eyes huge as saucers. They could see each other?s faces faintly when they turned toward the tunnel ahead, where the darkness faded away into a faint reddish glow. Miroku turned toward Kagome. ?We can?t spare the time to search for Inuyasha,? he said heavily. ?If they break the seal, then [i]no one[/i] will be safe. We have to stop them, above all else.? Kagome opened her mouth to protest, tears burning her eyes, but then she saw that the monk?s face was a study in weariness. He looked like he?d aged twenty years in a day. Kagome held her tongue; the look on his face had subtly, painfully reminded her that Sango was with the [i]hanryu[/i]. ?We?ll attack them,? Miroku decided, nodding in the direction of the red light?s origin. ?Kirara will have to lead the charge. You will be behind her. You?ll be able to see clearly when we get there, I think, but I don?t want you shooting your arrows unless it?s a matter of life and death for Kirara or Shippou. I have a feeling you may need them more in case we. . .? ?[i]In case we fail[/i],? Kagome finished silently. But she didn?t speak this out loud; everyone was demoralized enough as it was. Kirara padded closer to the monk, butting his elbow with her nose as a show of encouragement. He sighed. ?I?ll bring up the rear,? he continued. ?I will form a barrier around us all, so that they won?t be able to touch us with their fire-magic. I don?t know if any beside Irusei can do that, but I?m not willing to risk it.? Shippou sprang up into Kagome?s arms, peering worriedly at the monk. ?But Miroku, you can?t protect yourself if you do that,? the Kitsune pointed out. ?I can only do so much to help you. I can make myself [i]bigger[/i], but I can?t really make myself [i]stronger.[/i] . .? Miroku laid a hand on Kirara?s massive shoulder, and some of the weariness left his face. ?You?re forgetting there?s one more of us,? he told them. ?I haven?t given up hope yet; neither should you.? Kagome frowned. ?You mean. . .?? Abruptly, Miroku smiled---a smile very serene and very out-of-place in a situation as dire as this. ?I trust Sango,? he said simply. ?I?m willing to stake my life on her.? And then, without another word and before his companions could protest, he turned and began walking down the tunnel toward the inevitable battle. [/color] [center][color=green][b]{+} {+} {+}[/b][/color][/center] [color=purple]Beyond the barrier, the way was jagged with smoky crystal, jutting sharply from the floor in long spikes. Flickering red light glimmered in the larger facets, simultaneously magnified and darkened so that everything was bathed in luminescence the shade of blood---human blood. Sesshoumaru strode purposefully through it all without looking back. All around him there came the steady drip-drip-dripping where the Dragon?s blood slid down the crystal stalactites in thin, dark lines. The floor was awash with it; every step the Inu Youkai took ended in a soft splash, though his tread was soft and measured. Everything was also waist-deep in steam, which shifted and roiled around him as he walked like a sea of ghosts. Every so often a long, slow wind would pass through the tunnel---the Dragon?s behemoth sigh---stirring the steam and drawing it downward and inward through the tunnel before gently expelling it again in a warm gray tide. ?The crystal seal is melting where you pass,? the woman behind him whispered. Her tremulous words bounced off the myriad facets around them, amplified tenfold. ?The Dragon is gathering its strength, preparing to kill you.? Sesshoumaru ignored the remark; he had nothing more to say to her. The [i]hanryu[/i] woman had been following him all this way, despite the swift pace at which he traveled. He never sped up to lose her, but neither did he slow down to wait for her. The ground was very sharp and uneven here, and grew increasingly so the further he traveled. In some places the way sloped dramatically downward, and the ground was slick and treacherous from the blood that coated it. In others, blade-sharp bits of crystal were strewn across the way so thoroughly that he and his would-be pursuer were forced to trod upon them. He could feel the points beginning to tear through the soles of his shoes; he could only imagine what the jagged edges were doing to the soles of the Seer?s bare feet. Yet still she followed him. He could hear from the unevenness of her breath and her tread that she was limping along in what was apparently a great deal of pain. Her determination was beginning to irritate him. His head was beginning to hurt. The Seer didn?t say anything more. If she had, he might have killed her. More time passed, and Sesshoumaru lost track of how far he?d come, or how far beneath the mountain they were now. The air was growing oppressively hot, and the steam oppressively thick. At some point, at long last, he finally heard the woman behind him collapse, landing hard between the needle-sharp stalagmites and no doubt losing a good deal more blood. He left her lying there, breathing hard and struggling pathetically to rise. Soon he had put enough distance between them that he could no longer hear her whimpering echo off the walls. The tunnel was growing wider again; he was sure of that now. Steam now drifted past his face, making the hair nearest his face sticky enough to cling to his skin. He moved through a strange red haze, both in body and mind. The ache burgeoning between his brows intensified into a distinct, sharp throbbing. His shoes finally fell apart, slashed to ribbons by the sharp crystals. Time ceased to matter; pain ceased to matter. He had no idea how long the trail of bloody footprints was that he left behind him, nor did he care. When at last the tunnel widened and opened into an enormous cavern, Sesshoumaru knew beyond certainty that this was the place he?d been searching for. The instant he stepped through the opening, he was assaulted by a scent of blood and metal so strong it made his stomach roil. The pain in his head spiked outward into his temples, but he gritted his fangs, ignoring it as he entered the cavern. Ahead of him, spanning a chamber nearly a mile cross-wise and height-wise, there stretched a lake of fire. Heedless of the wounds on his feet, or of the hot sting of sweat that poured down his skin, he kept moving, staggering across the long, flat shelf of rock that rose but ten feet above the roiling magma. As he stumbled further out into the chamber, something dark and massive began to rise from the lake. It rose slowly---not with the awkward speed of some, caged, dumb beast but with calculated laziness. The long, sinuous neck was the first thing visible to Sesshoumaru above the rock shelf, at first a dark hump, but soon with silver scales reflecting fire as it unfurled and the massive head lifted. Black eyes, brilliant as obsidian borrowing a flame?s light. . .a body serpentine and fluid, yet impossibly large. . .[i]this[/i] was what he had seen in the scrying bowl. [i]This[/i] was what had called to him, silently and yet with eyes that spoke a language he knew well---the language of power. The head lowered, descending toward him, and he stopped where he stood, knowing that he need go no further. Here, at the heart of this mountain, was the end to every means he had ever employed. Here was his due. Here was his [i]right[/i]. The Dragon hated him. He could feel it; the hatred was a thing as tangible as the heat that oppressed him. It called to him in malice deep and black and bitter, but also in deepest fundamental [i]need[/i]. Now that he stood before it and felt its presence in full, he understood that it was bound to him. That it [i]wanted [/i]something from him. ?Dragon,? he said softly, wonderingly. ?[i]You[/i]. . .are not [i]alive[/i].?[/color] [center][color=green][b]{+} {+} {+}[/b][/color][/center] [color=purple]Inuyasha found her crawling on her hands and knees, pathetically slow over a stone floor slick with black blood. ?[i]Damn[/i],? he thought morosely, scratching absently at the cuts on his arms, which were itching him. [i] ?The LAST thing I need is someone ELSE to protect. [/i]. .? But he knelt beside her, hoisting her into a sitting position. ?Where is he?? he demanded, handling her a bit more roughly than was polite. ?What the [i]hell?s[/i] going on?? ?He left me,? the Seer whispered. ?He goes to find the Dragon. The [i]Dragon[/i]!? Sensing that she had been through a lot and was about to become hysterical, Inuyasha gave her a shake. It rattled her teeth, but at least her wild, black eyes looked a lot less wild, and managed to focus on his face. ?Suiton!? he snapped. ?That?s your name, right? Listen, Suiton, I?m going to find him. I?m going to stop him. Just tell me what the fuck he?s planning so I know what to expect.? Her clothing was in tatters; she looked like she?d been crawling for miles over broken glass. ?There was crystal here,? she told him, sounding saner after hearing the sound of her name. ?But it melted when he left. It?s gone, now. There?s only blood. . .? Her voice broke off, and her head flopped rather than turned toward the tunnel ahead. Inuyasha fought hard to keep from pulling a look of disgust; he could see the fiery veins in her face pulsing. Her eyes went wide with alarm. ?Go [i]now[/i]!? she whispered. ?You [i]must[/i] stop him. He won?t [i]destroy[/i] the Dragon. . .he wants to [i]become[/i] the Dragon. . .? Shocked, Inuyasha released her. She slumped backward a little, still staring into the distance. ?He?s WHAT?!? The [i]hanyou[/i] hadn?t seen [i]this[/i] one coming. ?[i]That bastard,[/i]? he thought, lip curling in a snarl. ?[i]With him it?s just one goddamn surprise after another. . .? [/i] ?Go back,? he ordered the Seer. ?Get the hell out of here. [i]You[/i] can?t help him, or he wouldn?t have gone on alone.? Inwardly, he added, [i]?The only thing to ?help? him now will be five claws through his gut.?[/i] The Seer just shut her mouth and looked at him, an odd, prophetic gleam in her eye. Rising from his crouch, Inuyasha sighed. ?Alright---what is it that you See?? ?I See you dead.? ?Feh.? Though greatly unnerved, Inuyasha turned away from her and began to run. If Sesshoumaru was far ahead of him, he didn?t have time to waste worrying about himself. [/color] [center][color=green][b]{+} {+} {+}[/b][/color][/center] [color=purple]Sesshoumaru gave no ground, standing before the Dragon undaunted. The magma had scarcely shifted at all when the Dragon came forth, and the walls of this entire place dripped with the creature?s life?s blood. The Dragon was dead and yet undead at once. Though the late Inu no Taishou had defeated it, its powerful soul lived on beneath the mountain, imprisoned by a magic seal formed from its own blood. The thing before him was both god and wraith, awaiting its return to life. The beast?s head lowered further, until at last its gaze met his. Its head was easily twice as tall as he was, and just as wide. In order to face him, it tilted its long nose downward, angling the horns at the back of its head toward the heavens that it had not seen in centuries. Hot, acrid steam blew around him as the great nostrils flared. Then it released the breath it had drawn in with a long, clacking hiss. In Sesshoumaru?s mind, the Dragon?s seething malice coalesced into words. [b][i](LORD OF THE WEST. AT LAST. AT LAST.)[/i][/b] Almost of its own volition, Sesshoumaru?s hand reached for the sword fastened at his side---the Sword of Life. He could do it, he knew. Easily. Bring the beast to life, with Tenseiga. Rise into demon form, like his father before him; wage the long, terrible battle. Use the malevolent power of the demon sword Tokijin to slay it at long last, and then carve with his own poisoned talons the warm heart from the broken chest. Devour the source of its power, and so make it his own. [i]?What a fool you were, Chichi-ue, not to take this when you had the chance. . .?[/i] he thought. ?[i]Instead you rot in a graveyard, taking nothing with you and leaving nothing behind.?[/i] [b][i](YOU CANNOT KILL ME.)[/i][/b] Sesshoumaru?s eyes narrowed to slits against the pounding in his skull, and his hand tightened into a fist around Tenseiga?s hilt. ?Can?t I?? he asked, with icy calm. ?I carry with me two swords of immeasurable power. I carry within me the blood of the Daiyoukai who bound you here. There is nothing I [i]can?t[/i] do.? The nostrils flared again, more briefly this time, in a snort. Amusement? Perhaps. Sesshoumaru could see his twin reflections in its eyes---two smaller, darker versions of himself. [i][b](LORD OF THE WEST YOU MAY BE. . .YET YOU ARE ALSO LORD OF THE TATESEI. AND YOU ARE BOUND TO ME AS I AM TO YOU.)[/b][/i] Clenching his teeth, Sesshoumaru pulled Tenseiga free of its sheath. Yet another thing he recalled from the tales his father told him: dragons lied. They spoke falsities, and they were believed, for words seemed so much more like truth when spoken by something so ancient and powerful. As if age and power bred wisdom. This time the Dragon?s laughter came distinctly in his head. It rang like a clamor of great bells, maddening and terrible. This time Sesshoumaru tried to shut his eyes against it, but there was no escaping the sound. Rivulets of sweat ran down his chest, between his shoulder blades. [b][i](SMALL, BLIND CREATURE. SUCH FOOLISH ARROGANCE. YOU CANNOT KILL ME. I AM INSIDE YOU.)[/i][/b] His eyes flew open. The voice in his head went on inexorably. [b][i](IT IS THE FATE OF ALL KINGS WHO WOULD RULE MY CHILDREN. FROM THE MOMENT OF ORDINATION, THE TATESEI RULER CARRIES WITHIN HIM THE STRONGEST OF MY BLOOD. YOU ARE NO EXCEPTION.)[/i][/b] ?No. . [i].impossible[/i]. . .? Sesshoumaru breathed, staggered by the fiery aurora of realization dawned too late. Tenseiga clattered to the ground, falling from the grip of fingers suddenly gone nerveless. ?I [i]never[/i] made that choice.? Yet the evidence that he [i]had[/i] had been there all along. The coiled serpent in his breast; the command which the Tatesei could not resist. The fanged, black shadow in his heart; the force which protected him from the [i]hanryu [/i]and from the Seer?s intuition, and which drew him here. . . ?It [i]cannot [/i]be true,? he insisted, shaking his head as if to clear it. ?[i]I never chose this.?[/i] Again, the laughter. The massive head turned sideways, so that Sesshoumaru saw his reflection clearly in the mirror-like scales. He saw his body fragmented there, broken by the black, flint-shard edges of the plates. And in one shining silver scale, held at such an angle so that there was no distortion of the image, he saw the pale shape of his face. No longer pale. ?This. . .this is. . .? The words would not come to him. Instead he raised his hand to his face, running long fingers down the cheekbone, where the black veins spidered through his flesh. [b][i](THIS IS WHAT YOU WANTED.)[/i] [/b]the Dragon mocked him. [i][b](YOU HAVE LUSTED AFTER MY POWER, AND SO YOU SHALL HAVE IT.)[/b][/i] Behind him, Sesshoumaru felt a great rush of hot air, and glanced behind him to see the long, black tail snaking its way across the rock shelf in a rasp of scales. He could no longer see the way out beyond it. [i][b](I AM YOU AND YOU ARE MINE. NO FIRE MAY BURN YOU, NOR DEMON BLADE OVERPOWER YOU. THIS WAS WHAT YOU CHOSE.)[/b][/i] ?[i]No[/i].? Demon instinct and the throb of pain in Sesshoumaru?s forehead urged him to flee. Yet the fear only made him angry. ?NO.? Master of himself, even beyond the point of fear, he bent and swiftly took Tenseiga up in his grasp once more. ?You will not GIVE me your power, Dragon,? he said coldly. ?I will TAKE it!? He raised his arm above his head. Enclosed in his fist, Tenseiga pulsed white-hot, like a star. The Dragon?s head lifted as well, the long neck coiling sinuously above. Wraith though it was, slaver trailed downward from between its jaws, landing in a hiss of steam upon the stone. The dark maw opened, revealing rows of fangs, wickedly curved and serrated. The black eye fixed itself upon him. [i][b](I, TOO, WILL TAKE WHAT IS MINE. SEE NOW, O DEMON, WHAT IT MEANS TO BE CHOSEN. . .)[/b][/i] Another star-pulse radiated from Tenseiga. The Sword of Life was gathering strength for resurrection. Then the Dragon struck. The gaping jaws plunged downward toward the white demon standing on the rock, who held his ground defiantly. Sesshoumaru did not try to dodge the Dragon?s striking head. There was nowhere to go anyway, and he knew the thing above him to be dead and powerless against living flesh. Thus it came as a complete and total surprise as blackness, hot and immaterial as steam, surrounded him, extinguishing Tenseiga?s light. Utterly disoriented, he heard the Dragon?s voice in his head. [i][b](YOU HAVE CHOSEN POWER OVER LIFE, DEMON. AND NOW YOUR LIFE IS FORFEIT.)[/b][/i] The dark mouth yawned around him, and then the black jaws snapped closed. [/color] [center][color=green][b]{+} {+} {+}[/b][/color][/center] [color=purple]The warriors standing at the rear, with their backs to the shadow, fell first. Claws raked across flesh, through leather armor as if it were paper thin. Tusks sank dagger-like into bone at the base of the skull---the point of human fragility that every predator knows. Unlike the monster whose advent they awaited, this monster was warm and very much alive. Three men fell, and then their comrades cried an alarm, turning to face this new threat with spears and swords. Kirara fell back a little; even she was daunted by weapons aimed her direction when the battlefield was such a close, confined space. Something small and vicious scuttled out from behind her, snapping at her assailants? legs with pinchers and stabbing at weapon-bearing arms with the long spike on the end of its curled tail. Shippou had been inspired by the scorpion-like thing Naraku had sent after them, and had elected to take its form to fight. ?Kirara!? shouted the man bringing up the rear of this odd war party. The shout was a warning; as they moved further into the midst of their enemies, Kirara had allowed a gap to form between her hindquarters and the girl behind her, whom she was charged to protect. Snarling and snapping at the Tatesei, she retreated a little ways, until she felt Kagome?s body against her back legs. The battle did not last long. The [i]hanryu[/i] leader?s voice rose above the din, calling an order to his men. ?STAND DOWN!? When they did not immediately obey, fire flared in his hand, drawing everyone?s attention to the place where he stood with his back to the barrier. ?I said [i]stand [/i][i]down[/i],? he repeated, more calmly. There was an odd sort of serenity about his face, as if he no longer had any pressing concerns. Clasped tightly to him, with one of his arms pinioning hers to him, was Sango. ?[i]Miroku[/i],? she said softly. But she couldn?t move because of the knife Irusei held pressed against her throat. Her Hiraikoutsu lay several feet away; the instant the calamity began, Irusei had torn it from her back and flung it aside. Slowly, guardedly, Irusei?s warriors backed away from her would-be rescuers, still holding their weapons raised defensively before them. ?Stand down,? Irusei repeated a third time, but now he was addressing the monk, who had shifted slightly to see what was going on around Kirara?s massive form. ?If you think holding her hostage is going to make us surrender, you?re sadly mistaken,? Miroku told him. His dark-browed face, though smudged with dirt, was hard and determined. Irusei?s mouth quirked ironically. ?Don?t be foolish, monk. You love her. Your tongue lies, but your eyes don?t.? Sango blinked her black eyes, unprepared for the sudden rush of strong feeling in her chest at the sight of Miroku. To her credit, love was utterly responsible for the dire mistake she made next: ?Miroku.? She spoke his name again. His eyes shifted toward her; toward then knife at her throat. And then, with painstaking slowness, he laid down his staff.[/color]

[center][color=green][b]{+} {+} {+}[/b][/color][/center] [color=purple]Sesshoumaru stood silently among the trees beyond the Tatesei encampment; a white birch amid the dark pines. His legs were still formless and ghostlike from the knees down, so that when he moved he glided silently over the rough forest turf and when he stood still his feet did not sink into the deepening snow. He stood on the barest outskirts of the camp perimeter, mindful of the guards that Irusei had set patrolling the area. It seemed they expected Inuyasha?s friends to come rescue him immediately. Sesshoumaru snorted faintly in derision--the [i]hanryu[/i] gave the half-breed?s companions far too much credit. He could smell them now--the scent of pine and metallic blood, and also Inuyasha?s scent, which with his mixed blood was something akin to a human putting on Sesshoumaru perfume. Sesshoumaru could hear them from this location as well--when he focused his concentration, his ears were supernaturally sharp. It was tiresome, sorting through the chorus of voices saying stupid and meaningless things to each other, but eventually the Inu Youkai heard something that made his perpetual frown smooth into a look of surprise. ?...use the pearl on the left to focus the Sight...? ?[i]So THAT is it[/i],? the demon lord thought in amazement. [i]?Inuyasha is ?the key? because of the talisman Chichi-ue merged with his left eye.?[/i] As he listened further to what the [i]hanryu[/i] intended to do, he couldn?t help resenting the fact that he hadn?t stolen the eye himself. It would have saved him the trouble of trailing after the Tatesei as they made their pathetically slow journey into the mountains... Then the voices fell silent, and Sesshoumaru heard the sound of footsteps approaching. In a flash, he was airborne, ascending rapidly until he came to rest over the treetops. There he stood utterly still, with each foot balanced on the uppermost branches of a pine tree, as the small group of Tatesei moved along the forest floor beneath him. The screen of snow-capped needles barred him from their view, but he did not need to see them to know where they were going. As the group headed southeast, ascending the wooded slope, he could track their progress by scent alone. There were no more than five humans, he judged, counting Inuyasha, whom they were bearing on some kind of litter atop their shoulders. After following them from above for a quarter of an hour, Sesshoumaru was finally relieved of his impatience when the Tatesei crested the mountain, emerging from the trees onto the bare rock at the top of the ridge. They appeared to be seeking someplace at a high elevation that also provided a panoramic view of the mountains ahead. Standing with both feet balanced on a single thin branch, Sesshoumaru watched as they carried Inuyasha?s litter to the top of the highest outcropping. The snow melted beneath their feet, running down the rock only to freeze minutes later as it hit the snow on the ground. The air was growing decisively colder. While the Tatesei completed their laborious climb, the demon lord tilted his head back to gaze at the sky. Dark clouds were swirling directly overhead--the sort of clouds he might expect to see in the presence of a demon with extraordinarily strong [i]jyaki[/i]. ?[i]Why is jyaki gathering around Inuyasha[/i]?? he wondered. [i]?He isn?t wielding Tetsusaiga. Can it be that his hanryu blood has begun to war with his demon blood??[/i] It seemed the most likely explanation. But Sesshoumaru predicted that this would soon give rise to another problem: it was drawing every snow-laden cloud in the realm into one converging coriolis overhead, which meant that wherever Inuyasha went a blizzard was sure to follow. In this sense, his brother?s very existence was a dire nuisance. The Tatesei had set Inuyasha?s litter down on the rock, and two of the warriors were now hoisting him onto his feet, each with one of his arms hooked around their shoulders. The [i]hanyou[/i] didn?t appear to be putting up much of a fight--he seemed to be exerting a great deal of effort just to keep his head from lolling forward onto his chest. [i]?Drugged[/i],? Sesshoumaru estimated, knowing that Inuyasha wasn?t generally the sort to keep quiet about [i]anything[/i] that displeased him. Irusei made a sharp, beckoning gesture, and Sesshoumaru?s eyes narrowed as he noticed for the first time that the Seer was among them. She approached the [i]hanyou[/i] somewhat hesitantly, but then she took his face between her hands and her hesitation seemed to vanish. Even through her voluminous robes Sesshoumaru could see that her body had gone rigid as her gift claimed her. She whispered something, but at that moment an icy wind swept across the ridge and Sesshoumaru could not hear it. The Seer?s touch upon Inuyasha?s face became the catalyst for something strange. A dragon emerged from his left eye. It was translucent as a ghost, yet its scales gleamed silver and its black eyes shone with an unearthly light. It was precisely like the Dragon Sesshoumaru had seen in the scrying bowl, yet from the scent he knew that this was an illusion. ?[i]Yet if this illusion is any indication, the Dragon is a great and terrible behemoth[/i],? Sesshoumaru thought, watching the apparition soar into the cold night air with something akin to awe. [i]?Larger than my father?s demon form...?[/i] As the spiked tip of its tail slid free of Inuyasha?s eye, he gasped, and his eye gleamed pure white. It seemed they had seen no need to remove the pearl; something in the Seer?s gift had called forth whatever magic remained hidden. Serpentine and fluid, the Dragon?s apparition coiled through the sky. Its long body undulated gracefully while the tail corkscrewed behind it. The Tatesei gazed up at it in reverent silence as it flew. Then a shuddering convulsion seemed to pass through Inuyasha?s body, and he went rigid as the Seer, flinging his head back and straining against his captors. The Seer stumbled forward a little in order to keep her hands in contact with his face. [i]?So this is the secret, Chichi-ue[/i],? Sesshoumaru thought darkly. ?[i]The Dragon?s seal is connected to the pearl[/i]...? A sudden, irrational streak of jealousy surged through him, and his hand started to reach for his sword of its own volition. A sudden icy wind howled across the ridge, so strong that it blew his hair completely sideways. Overhead, the converging clouds were now so thickly layered that not even an echo of moonlight reached the earth below. The only light now came from the torches the Tatesei carried, and from the bright form of the Dragon arcing through the air. Not long after Inuyasha flung back his head, the apparition changed course mid-flight and shot toward the mountain Reiyama, cutting a path through the air straight and swift as an arrow. Sesshoumaru turned sharply, dead-set on seeing where it was headed. The illusion streaked toward the mountain, and as it did so its body grew thinner and thinner, until at last it vanished altogether, and there was only a long, silver beam of light stretching from Inuyasha?s eye to a point at the base of the mountain. Sesshoumaru stared at it intently, willing the image of the location to be burned into his memory. On the rock below, Irusei stepped forward and aligned his arm with the brilliant path of the beam, gauging the exact direction they would need to take. Then he nodded to one of the warriors nearest him and the man pulled the Seer away from Inuyasha. She stumbled backward, no longer held in thrall by her gift, and Inuyasha?s head fell forward onto his chest. Irusei gestured excitedly and gave an order to one of his men, sending the warrior back the way they had come. It was quite apparent that the Tatesei planned to move immediately, heading for the place at the mountain?s base, and from the appearance of things they intended to take Inuyasha with them. Sesshoumaru had seen enough. He turned and veered eastward along the treetops, flowing swiftly on ghostly feet. When he felt he had gone far enough that the Tatesei would not notice him, he dissolved into light and sailed southward on the wind. Beyond the ridge where the way had been shown, the land sloped downward dramatically, bowing downward into a steep valley that, given the sheer amount of snow that blanketed it, would be nigh impassible for the hanryu on foot. However, as he swooped lower to avoid the strongest of the driving winds, Sesshoumaru noticed to his consternation that there was a passage there. It was a long, narrow canyon that twisted down the landscape, nearly invisible to the naked eye because the rock on either side of it was bowed into a kind of natural tunnel-shape. The passage, he recalled in chagrin, contained a river during the spring, summer and autumn months, but ran low and froze solid during the winter because the high mountain snows that fed it were no longer melting. [i]?The hanryu will take that route[/i],? he thought darkly as he moved. ?[i]I should cut it off--block it, somehow...?[/i] However, it also occurred to him that this might not be to his advantage. He hated to admit it, but there was always the possibility that he would reach the place on the mountain and find that somehow he could not access it without Inuyasha. [i]?The ?key?,[/i]? he thought to himself in disgust. Had he been in a form wholly solid at that point he would have shaken his head and grimaced. Again irrational jealousy surged through him. ?[i]Always Inuyasha is the one chosen... Chosen for Tetsusaiga; chosen for the talisman that would also lead to the Dragon...[/i]? Dimly, he was aware that that was where all of this had begun--all had commenced with him stealing the fragment of the Shikon no Tama so that the Seer could answer a question about his past... Odd, that he should still remember such a trivial thing. What mattered now...was the Dragon. If the Dragon?s power was in his possession, he would be the one to... The Lord of the West slipped downward into the canyon and slowed to a halt. His form solidified into man-shape, and he stood atop the ice in the dark, trying to clear his mind of sudden confusion. A small, faint voice inside him persistently asked if he were really doing this of his own volition...or if something was driving him to it. It sounded suspiciously like the Seer. ?I [i]am[/i] driven,? Sesshoumaru snapped, to silence her. ?This[i] is[/i] obsession. But I am the Lord of the West, and I do as I please. And I choose not to shy away from this. I choose to [i]take[/i] what I want.? His voice, dark and chill as the ice beneath his feet, reverberated through the long passage. There was no one near to hear him but himself. [/color] [center][color=green][b]{+} {+} {+}[/b][/color][/center] [color=purple]Sango walked at the head of the [i]hanryu[/i] company alongside Irusei, as he had bidden her. He claimed that he wished her to lead with him because of her skills as a demon-slayer, but she knew that the real reason he had asked her to do so was that his strength was beginning to fail him. She had insisted upon taking a look at his wound from Sesshoumaru?s sword when they stopped in the forest because it seemed to her that he looked unnaturally pale for someone who claimed the Dragon would heal him. Because she had already demonstrated some medicinal skill in her treatment of Inuyasha, Irusei had readily complied. What she found when she unfastened his armor and pulled aside his haori did not reassure her. The wound was closed and no longer bled, but this was where the resemblance to healing ended. Over what should have been newly-grown flesh there grew a patch of gray scales, like a metallic bruise, nearly a hand?s-span in diameter upon the hard muscle of his belly. This in itself was strange enough. Looking at it made Sango violently nauseous, wondering if the same inhuman blood inside her would give rise to scales across her own flesh. Yet stranger still was the angry red color the flesh around the scaled patch?s perimeter had turned. It was unmistakably an infection--the type that men died from in a pool of their own sweat. As she walked side-by-side with the Tatesei warrior, Sango could see the sweat beaded on his brow and in the hollow of his throat. The short locks of hair that straggled out from beneath his helm were soaked with it. Sango had only one theory as to why he was so feverish: it was a conflict of the blood. Dragons, she knew, were in many ways polar opposites of Youkai, and so it seemed natural that the magic inherent in each of the races would conflict with each other. Irusei was filled with the blood of the newly-awakened Dragon, and he had been stabbed by a blade forged from pure, concentrated Youkai power--from the fang of the evil Goshinki, Naraku?s incarnation. The residue of the blade?s[i] jyaki[/i] was at war with the Dragon?s blood, and so Irusei suffered for it. Only Inuyasha seemed to be immune to these mal-effects, in all likelihood because of his inherent demon blood. Irusei had asked her to walk beside him because he knew that she alone guessed what was truly wrong with him. He understood well the precariousness of his situation--he had taken it upon himself to lead the [i]hanryu[/i] into the mountains in defiance of both their king and the Lord of the West; he could not afford to show such extreme weakness at this crucial point, when they drew so near to their destination. He desired Sango to walk beside him because he trusted her with the secret of his illness, and so that if he stumbled she might catch him. Sango walked beside him because she understood his warrior?s heart and his fierce love for his people, and because it made her sad to see how his shouldering of this grave burden had already made his eyes old. He hadn?t betrayed his king lightly, nor risked Sesshoumaru?s wrath without fearing deeply for what might befall the Tatesei because he had dared to do so. His sister walked several ranks behind them, amid a cluster of soldiers. Irusei did not trust her. They had chosen to take this long, dark passage through the canyon because it was the swiftest route. Yet Irusei was also well aware of the risk they were taking in making the journey through such a confined space. He was just as aware as Sango of the fact that Inuyasha?s companions would eventually rally their strength and come to the[i] hanyou?s[/i] rescue. The tunnel restricted his warriors? ability to fan out and also their visibility level, which would serve them ill if it came to a battle. Archery was not an art best practiced in the dark. Irusei walked at the front of the company because he expected the attack to come from either fore or aft. In the end, it came from above. There was no warning--at least, not for the [i]hanryu[/i], but by some stroke of fortune Sango happened to glance back at the Seer the instant before it happened, and saw the woman?s head snap upward in alarm. Sango quickly looked up as well, and her hand automatically flew to her Hiraikoutsu. A wave of red light washed over the top of the canyon, completely blotting out the sky beyond. It only took her a split second to realize what this was, but instinct drove her to act. While the Tatesei warriors were still looking up in surprise, she gave Irusei a shove that caught him off guard and sent him staggering sideways toward the canyon wall. Then she plowed back through the ranks, using Hiraikoutsu to throw added weight against the men bearing Inuyasha on the litter. Though caught off-guard because they were staring up at the light, they were men made strong by the Dragon?s blood and she couldn?t move them an inch. ?Everyone, stand against the WALLS!? Sango shouted, fervently praying that they would listen to her order. Some of them looked to Irusei, who regarded Sango with wide dark eyes and nodded sharply. ?DO it!? the warrior shouted, bracing himself against the wall. Above them all, the topmost walls of the canyon bowed inward and crumbled. Then the rock groaned and gave way, and a heavy deluge of snow poured down into the passage. Though she was pressed against the wall, Sango?s view of the tunnel was suddenly obscured in a heavy fall of white. She flattened herself against the wall as best she could, knowing that those who lingered too close to the center would be crushed by the falling debris. A stinging barrage of ice assailed her face; pounded against her body. Then the passage filled with snow, and she found herself buried in snow with her back crushed against the stone behind her. For a moment, she went blind and deaf, stunned by the impact and blinded by the fall of ice. Then, slowly, full awareness of the situation returned to her. By some miracle she was able to keep hold of her Hiraikoutsu, though she severely doubted that it would do any good against the one who had brought this all upon them. [i]?But first things first[/i],? she told herself fiercely. [i]?Remain calm. Free yourself from the snow, and find the others.?[/i] Thinking clearly in a situation like this was what made demon-slayers strong. She could hear the muffled cries of the Tatesei as they struggled beneath the snow. It sounded as if most of them had survived. ?Lord Irusei!? ?The litter! The [i]hanyou[/i] was caught beneath it!? Nearby, she heard Irusei?s voice, sounding as if he were only three feet away from her. ?Burn the snow!? he cried hoarsely. ?Use the blood!? Somewhat belatedly, Sango realized what he was calling upon his warriors to do. She hadn?t used her [i]hanryu[/i] blood yet, and was unsure as to how it worked. ?Irusei-[i]sama[/i]!? she called urgently. If Inuyasha was trapped beneath the full brunt of the avalanche... ?Sango-[i]sama[/i]?? There was a brief pause, and then he replied, ?Imagine the fire running through your veins. Let it heat your flesh, and the snow will part before you.? Sango tried to take a deep breath, but the air was stifling beneath the snow and she ended up with a nose full of water. Choking a little but determined to do as he advised, she thrust both hands out in front of her. In her mind, she pictured the Dragon, whose black, lidless gaze watched over its children from within themselves. As she did so, warmth began to travel along the length of her arms.[/color] [center][color=green][b]{+} {+} {+}[/b][/color][/center] [color=purple]Sesshoumaru stood atop the canyon wall, staring down into it as the last of the snow trickled over the edge to join the greater mass in the tunnel. His sharp eyes scanned the darkness for any sign of counterattack, but though he waited for a fair bit of time none came. ?[i]Now, then[/i],? he thought to himself. ?[i]To find my quarry...?[/i] Lightly, the white demon sprang from his eyrie and descended into the darkness. He landed without a sound upon the snow, white hair trailing after him like a banner. A little ways to his left, he noticed a sinkhole opening amid the avalanche?s remains. At first it was little more than a dark depression in the snow, but as he approached it with narrowed eyes it grew wider. Sesshoumaru could hear the hiss of steam as the snow melted. As he had anticipated, the [i]hanryu[/i] intended to burn their way free of it. Yet he was counting upon the snow to delay them, to buy him time to find Inuyasha beneath it. He inhaled deeply, searching for the [i]hanyou?s[/i] scent amid those of the Tatesei trapped therein. To his immediate surprise and growing consternation, Inuyasha?s scent rose from the sinkhole. ?[i]The hanryu gift of fire--has he...?[/i]? The white demon aimed Tokijin toward the hole, and the sword?s vibrant red glow filtered down into the darkness. By this time the hole had widened to nearly five feet in diameter, and with the borrowed illumination he now had a clear view of its occupants. Twenty feet down, Inuyasha lay on his side, partially buried beneath the snow. Crouched over him, as if she had been shielding his body with her own, was the Seer. The woman glanced up sharply as the light filled the hole, and for a moment they merely stared at one another, gauging the possibilities of what would come next. Then she laid an arm across Inuyasha?s chest, as if she intended to protect him from the Lord of the West himself. Sesshoumaru?s blood churned at the sight of her; she had called him a coward. Then he realized that he was still gripping Tokijin fiercely, and that its deadly point was aimed downward at the two below him. She thought he intended to kill them both with the sword. Calmly, he reinserted the sword into its sheath, and the red glow died. ?I will raise you out of this,? he told the woman coolly, and then his body dissolved into light. It did not take long to travel the depth of the sinkhole, and after just a few seconds Sesshoumaru stood at the bottom. The space was cramped, for he had just reverted to man-shape again, but of course he had no intention of lingering here. The Tatesei would soon burn their way free of this, and then things would become troublesome. The Seer still eyed him with great apprehension; she knew that Sesshoumaru hated his brother. Sesshoumaru had little patience for the woman?s newly-acquired concern for Inuyasha. ?Move, woman,? he ordered, bending nearer to the [i]hanyou[/i] lying quietly in the snow. Inuyasha?s eyes were closed, and his skin was very pale, but Sesshoumaru knew from his scent that he wasn?t going to die anytime soon. His unconsciousness and his pallor were merely the effects of the drug the demon-slayer woman had given him. Sesshoumaru hooked an arm around his brother?s waist and hefted him onto his shoulder. Inuyasha was quite heavy, and Sesshoumaru deeply resented having to carry him, but with god-like power at stake it was a sacrifice he was willing to accept. He rose to his feet. ?Take me with you.? Sesshoumaru glanced down sharply over Inuyasha?s back. ?You wish to follow me?? he asked, allowing bit more sarcasm to creep into his tone than he?d intended. ?Follow the [i]hanryu[/i], if one cage is not so different from another.? The woman kneeling at his feet bowed her head. ?The Tatesei walk willingly toward their doom,? she murmured, ?and I don?t want to walk with them.? Her brow knitted in shame. ?But I?m like them,? she went on. ?I don?t have the courage to resist. They don?t have the strength to fight the force that drives them.? She looked up, and her black eyes were intense. ?But I want to believe that you do--even though you say you won't destroy the Dragon. So...freely, this time...I offer you my gift, such as it is.? Sesshoumaru turned away from her in disgust. She was asking him to save her from herself; from the blood inside her. He had no desire to save anyone. ?I can?t see your future, Lord of the West,? the Seer said softly. ?But I can see [i]his[/i].? She was referring to Inuyasha. Sesshoumaru sighed, tilting back his head to stare up at the surface of the snow. Above the canyon, he could see dark clouds roiling overhead. ?[i]This woman[/i],? he thought, ?[i]is a thorn in my side[/i].? ?Take hold of my tail,? he ordered. [/color] [center][color=green][b]{+} {+} {+}[/b][/color][/center] [color=purple]Seated astride a revitalized Kirara, Kagome, Miroku and Shippou flew southeast at breakneck speed. They passed over the walls of Sesshoumaru?s garden, skimming the forest beyond for traces of the [i]hanryu[/i]. They ascended the wooded slope and crested the ridge where the pearl on the left had shown the way. Beyond that the land sloped downward, blanketed in a thick carpet of snow, and then flattened onto a long, level plain before the foothills of the great mountain. Beyond the plain all was swallowed in the inky blackness of the winter night. All that they could see from where they sat astride Kirara could be seen because the demon-cat?s fiery aura reflected off the snow beneath them...and because off in the distance, the massive form of an Inu Youkai could be seen making its way toward the mountain. Kagome?s grip tightened around the wooden frame of her bow. ?Sesshoumaru,? she murmured. Even from this distance, they could see the faint gleam that his demon form cast on the snow around him, and the twin red eyes that cut like lasers through the thick veil of snow blowing across the valley. She could see that the demon lord?s eyes were fixed upon a point somewhere near the base of the mountain ahead. ?[i]Is he going to the mountain to stop the Tatesei?[/i]? she wondered. ?Kagome-[i]sama[/i], look there.? Miroku grasped her shoulder with one hand and pointed downward with the other. ?Uh...? Reluctantly, Kagome tore her gaze away from the Inu Youkai to see what he was looking at. Below them, cutting through the white purity of the plains, a jagged line of darkness stretched from the northern slope to Reiyama?s foothills. Kirara swooped closer to it, and Kagome saw that it was not a solid line of rock but a canyon--a narrow passageway, coincidentally leading in the same direction that Sesshoumaru was headed... The storm had reached the mountain ahead...and the weather seemed to be growing steadily worse. Toward the bottom of the northern slope, Kirara?s attempt to regain altitude was foiled abruptly as a sudden strong gust of wind shrieked across the plain. The force of it nearly unseated her riders; Miroku pulled Kagome against him and tried his best to shield her and Shippou from the sting of blowing ice. He scarcely kept his own balance; it was then that Kagome realized how very tired he was. The pair of saucer-like eyes in the shoulder of Kagome?s ?coat? squeezed shut against the wind, and Shippou?s voice could be heard whimpering in discomfort. ?C-c-c-cold...? The wind subsided for a few seconds, and then swept across the plain again. ?We should take the route through that tunnel below us!? Miroku cried, shouting in Kagome?s ear to be heard above the din. ?The storm will only get worse as we draw nearer to the mountain!? Without waiting for Kagome?s response, Kirara swooped lower, heading for the dark mouth of the canyon. Kagome stared fixedly at some point further down the tunnel?s line. ?Ah--Miroku!? she cried suddenly. ?There is [i]kehai[/i] there! The [i]hanryu[/i] are there! They?re moving toward the mountain, too!? Another barrage of wind and ice nearly unseated them again, and this time Kirara dipped down completely into the shelter of the passage. ?We should follow them, then,? Miroku replied grimly. ?We can?t follow Sesshoumaru through this weather--it would be more advantageous to take the path that is safer for humans.? Kirara alighted on the rocky canyon floor, and her riders slid off on either side of her back. ?Foxfire,? Kagome?s coat declared, and suddenly there was a little ball of green flame directly in front of them. The path that it illuminated a long, dank passage of rock and ice, and no sign of the Tatesei. There were no footprints here because the ground was frozen solid. ?Besides,? the monk added, ?the [i]hanryu[/i] have Inuyasha with them. We should stay closer to them to ensure his safety...? Kagome glanced sidelong at him, shifting her bow to the other hand and flexing her near-numb fingers. She smiled at him encouragingly, but it was a very sad and worried smile. She could hear his unspoken words like an echo: ?[i]And Sango is also with them...?[/i] She wasn?t sure any more if that was really something to be thankful for. [/color] [center][color=green][b]END OF CHAPTER 12[/b][/color][/center] [color=gray][i]Yamisui: Ahhh...(removes fingers from keyboard and stretches them) [/i][/color] [color=green][center][b]{+} {+} {+} LORD OF THE WEST {+} {+} {+} {+} {+} Chapter 13: Tokijin?s Dark Aura {+} {+}[/b][/center][/color] [color=purple]Fire pulsed through her veins, infusing her very blood with strength. Melted snow washed over her head; her face; plastering her long, black hair to her shoulders and streaming down her cheeks like tears. Through a blur of water cascading over her eyes, Sango stared at her hands. She could [i]see[/i] the fire. Even through the torrent, she could see it. It coursed a twisted, winding track down her arms, emerging from beneath the cover of her black demon-slayer?s sleeves to branch spider-like across the tops of her hands, and through the palms on the underside. This was the Dragon?s legacy, in her blood. [i]?I. . .I had wished to avoid this[/i],? she thought, simultaneously mesmerized and repulsed by this strange sight. Yet now it seemed that avoiding it was no longer possible. The avalanche was dissolving all around her as the other [i]hanryu[/i] freed themselves; it cast the strange illusion that the world was melting, and that she would soon sink into some unknown darkness below. Yet as the snow finished melting, Sango found instead that her feet were firmly planted on solid rock, albeit knee-deep in cold water. All around her, the Tatesei warriors were moving away from the walls. The light from their veins cast a warm orange glow onto the canyon walls around them, strongly reminiscent of firelight save for the fact that this did not dance. It only seemed to flicker when they turned and their armor blocked the illumination of their flesh. ?The light. . .it doesn?t die.? Sango half-turned to see Irusei beside her near the wall. Slowly, he raised one hand and held it before his face. Caught in the glow from his veins, his black eyes were luminous with hope. She could almost feel the hope radiating from him. But she turned away, bending to lift her Hiraikoutsu out of the water. There was a hairline crack near the weapon?s tip, but otherwise it seemed undamaged. Sango was eminently grateful for this; she foresaw the need for it to be fully functional in the near future. As she bent, the demon-slayer saw in the water that her own eyes gleamed like Irusei?s. ?Where is Inuyasha?? she asked sharply, straightening quickly and forsaking the reflection at her feet. Irusei turned toward his men, who were watching him expectantly. The travois that they had been using to carry the [i]hanyou[/i] lay empty beneath the freezing water. Sango made her way over to it, splashing across the canyon floor. ?Gone?? Irusei murmured with a frown. Sango saw no sign of a struggle around the litter. The ropes that had bound him to it weren?t broken, so it seemed that someone had untied them. ?Suiton-[i]sama[/i] is gone as well!? one of the warriors exclaimed, emerging from the darkness a little further down the tunnel. Irusei offered no reply to this, but Sango could see that he was angry. Absently pressing one hand over the wound in his middle, he gazed upward into the storm above the canyon. There was no doubt on his face as to what had happened. ?Irusei-[i]sama[/i]. . .it was the white demon; it[i] must[/i] have been!? one of the warriors declared, taking a step toward his leader. ?[i]Of course[/i],? Sango thought, rising to her feet and abandoning the litter. [i]?The red light we saw was Tokijin?s kenatsu. He did this to trap us so that he could take Inuyasha. . .?[/i] She felt nothing but unease. Somehow she doubted that Sesshoumaru?s interference had been intended as a rescue mission. [/color] [color=green][b][center]{+} {+} {+} [/b][/center][/color] [color=purple]Inuyasha swam slowly into consciousness through a haze of gray. The first breath entering his nostrils that he was aware of brought the scent of pine and metal and also Inu Youkai. For a while he became confused and fancied that he was a child again, sleeping between his parents. They all lay upon a bed of soft fur. His mother?s hand stroked his hair gently as she drifted off into sleep; his father?s strong arms wrapped protectively around them both. It was very warm. But both of his parents were dead; his father before his mother, so that the three of them had never been together like that. With the advent of this epiphany, Inuyasha?s return to awareness came like a cold slap in the face. He was lying on soft, white fur, whose hairs were so long that they practically covered him where he lay. Beside him sat a woman; she was the one who smelled of pine and metal. At first he thought that the drug was making his mind play tricks on him. Thin lines of fire twisted across her pale skin like veins, illuminating the falling snow with an eerie glow. As his eyes came into focus, Inuyasha realized that he was looking at the Seer, and that the light he was seeing was indeed coming from her veins. The wind had blown back the blue hood of her robes, and there was ice in her hair. One of her hands gripped the white hair beside her to steady herself. Her head was bowed and she swayed a little; she appeared to be asleep. Tearing his gaze away from her strange appearance, Inuyasha realized that they were moving. The fur at his feet, of course, was attached to flesh, which in turn was attached to the massive form of an Inu Youkai. With an ill-tempered growl, Inuyasha sat bolt-upright, and then immediately wished he hadn?t. He didn?t feel groggy, but his head ached fiercely. The woman beside him was startled awake and backed away on her hands and knees, allowing him a considerable amount of room to stand. Inuyasha staggered to his feet. For a moment his head reeled, until he became accustomed to the rising and falling of the flesh beneath him. Then he began making his way up the long back toward the neck. ?[i]OI[/i]!? he shouted. ?Where the [i]hell[/i] are you [i]taking[/i] me?!? Ahead of him, one of the ears on the massive head twitched at the sound of his voice, but otherwise Sesshoumaru gave no indication of having heard him. Of course, Sesshoumaru often gave no indication of hearing people when they were two feet away and standing eye-to-eye, so this wasn?t exactly a surprise. With a sigh of disgust, Inuyasha rounded on the Seer, who was still kneeling and clinging to his brother?s fur. ?Where?s Tetsusaiga?? Inuyasha demanded. ?Where the hell is he taking us?? The Tatesei woman gazed up at him with her strange black eyes, which he found severely unnerving, but at this point she seemed to be the only person willing to listen to him. ?Do you mean your sword?? she asked, somewhat timidly. ?The woman---the demon-slayer---she took it from you hours ago.? Inuyasha?s eyes narrowed. ?Sango?? The Seer looked down at her hands somewhat shamefacedly. ?If that is her name. The Lord of the West pulled us from the snow, and we are headed toward the mountain now. He would not have had the patience to look for your sword, and besides---if you had the sword now you would be trying to kill him.? Inuyasha nodded slowly; this sounded about right. The white plane of Sesshoumaru?s back rose beneath their feet. It seemed the ground below was beginning to slope upward again. Inuyasha attempted to peer ahead of them to pinpoint their location, but the wind around him was fierce, driving snow across the way in front of them like a screen. Perhaps it was only his imagination, but he didn?t recall from before any indication that the weather was going to be this bad. Fortunately, his Fire-Rat robes and his Inu Youkai blood afforded him a great deal of warmth, but he was beginning to worry about Kagome and the others. They were human; their bodies weren?t built to withstand this kind of cold. ?Why me?? Inuyasha asked the Seer. ?What is he planning to do with me?? Still the Seer refused to look him in the eye. ?The Lord of the West plans to use you to unseal the Dragon,? she replied quietly. ?Then he will destroy it.? Inuyasha stared at her. She was clearly living in a fairy tale. ?And just how does he plan on doing that? With Tokijin? With [i]Tenseiga[/i]? The Dragon?s [i]not[/i] dead, and it?s [i]not[/i] some small-fry Youkai, either.? The Seer finally looked up to meet his gaze. Wrapped in her thin blue robes, she looked quite cold and miserable. But determination was written plainly on her pale face. ?I don?t know,? she answered, a bit sharply. ?I don?t know how your father sealed the Dragon in the first place. But I intend to help in any way I can.? ?Heh,? Inuyasha snorted, folding his arms. ?Even if that makes [i]me[/i] your little virgin sacrifice?? The Seer blinked, clearly taken aback. ?You and your brother are very different,? she remarked. Inuyasha eyed her shrewdly for a minute; this was true, but it was also an evasion of answering his question. Clearly this meant that Sesshoumaru intended to proceed with something on the order of killing his [i]hanyou[/i] brother and finger-painting ?Open Sesame? on the mountainside with his blood. Inuyasha reached an abrupt decision. Without warning---before she even had time to utter a protest---he caught the Seer around the waist with one arm and shielded his face with the other as he took a running start toward the edge of Sesshoumaru?s back. He heard the Seer gasp as she drew back a breath in preparation to scream, but then they were airborne, and her cry was lost in the maelstrom. It was like falling through a cloud, only this was a cloud formed from blowing bits of ice, and they stung. Inuyasha tucked his head against his chest and wrapped one sleeve around the Tatesei woman?s head to protect their faces. They landed four feet deep in half-frozen snow with a loud crunch that might have been ice cracking or possibly Inuyasha?s kneecaps. He grunted as fire shot through his shins and released his hold on the woman; it wasn?t as if she would be able to go anywhere, buried four feet deep in a snow bank. She didn?t seem inclined to run away, anyway, judging from the way her thin fingers were digging into his shoulder. Even on half-demon flesh, it would probably leave a bruise. ?[i]It?s near[/i],? she whispered cryptically, taking their surroundings with her wide, fey eyes. ?[i]We?ve already reached the mountains[/i],? Inuyasha realized grimly, prying himself free of the snow bank and hauling the Seer up onto higher ground with him. There were rocks in front of him---a mound of boulders commemorating some past rockslide down the face of the mountain whose base they now lay at. While Inuyasha had been unconscious, Sesshoumaru had carried them clear across the valley and into the hills beyond. By ?it,? Inuyasha had the horrible suspicion that the Seer had meant the Dragon, which meant that going further would lead them closer to the place he?d intended to avoid. Yet behind him the [i]hanyou[/i] could also see the red half-moons of Sesshoumaru?s eyes cutting through the darkness. The ground trembled beneath their feet, rattling the boulders. ?Let?s go,? he told the Seer, pulling her along with him as he clambered over the loosening rocks. ?We can?t stay here; he?ll catch our scent soon even through this wind.? Fresh gusts of ice bits blustered around them, stinging their noses and cheeks like tiny insects. The wailing of the storm rose to a near-deafening pitch before mercifully subsiding a bit. Inuyasha sighed. ?[i]Damn this snow,[/i]? he thought irritably. ?[i]I probably should?ve stayed on the bastard?s back until we reached higher ground[/i].? But there was no use worrying about what he should have done now that he?d taken the plunge. Glancing over his shoulder at the Seer, he told her, ?I don?t know where we are, and I don?t care, but we have to find shelter even if it means going further in. The storm will bury us if we don?t.? The Seer?s mouth fell open and she came to an abrupt halt, gaping at him in abject horror. It wasn?t a very dignified expression, but it did make her seem more human despite the web of veins gleaming through the pale flesh of her face. ?You---you have no [i]plan[/i]?!? she gasped when at last she regained the power of speech. ?You just jumped. . .without knowing what lay below you?? Inuyasha stared at her in bemusement. ?Lady, you?re supposed to be a [i]psychic[/i]? Of course I didn?t know. We?re going to have to work together to get out of this, but if you really [i]can?t [/i]see the future then I don?t see how you?re going to be much use.? He gave her arm a rough yank, forcing her to stumble after him over the boulders. ?I wasn?t touching your skin,? the Seer murmured in more subdued tones, sounding as if this admission made her uncomfortable. ?I can?t See without touching you.? Inuyasha made a mental note to himself not to let her touch his skin---one of the nights he?d stayed at Kagome?s house he?d had a particularly steamy dream about her and every once in a while he kept getting pleasant flashbacks. It wasn?t exactly something he planned on sharing with anyone [i]else[/i]. In the meantime, the ground beneath their feet was now trembling so violently climbing normally over the snow-slick rocks was nigh impossible. With an impatient grunt, Inuyasha swept the Seer into his arms and took off at his own pace. Using demon strength to travel instead of letting the woman slow him down, he managed to navigate a more efficient route around the side of the mountain. Together they crested the outermost perimeter of the rock-pile. On the other side the earth dipped downward into a long ravine of sorts, sheltered by an overhang of rock jutting out from the mountain?s eastern side. Inuyasha made straight for the depression, noting that while the snow was blowing slantwise into it there weren?t any large drifts blanketing the ground there. It also looked like a space too confined for Sesshoumaru to traverse in demon form. He hesitated before descending, however, glancing over his shoulder at the storm-lashed terrain behind him. [i]?Kagome. . . You must think I?m dead[/i],? he thought solemnly. The ground was trembling beneath their feet, and even over the howling winds he could hear the growl rumbling deep in Sesshoumaru?s chest. The white demon was already aware of their escape, but Inuyasha estimated that through the fury of the blizzard it would be difficult for Sesshoumaru to catch their scent. With a sigh of reluctance, Inuyasha set the Seer on her feet and pulled her after him, moving deeper underground. ?There is no point in trying to run from this.? Inuyasha glanced behind him and saw that the Seer was watching him intently. There was an odd gleam in her black eyes that raised the hairs on the back of his neck. He vaguely remembered seeing her like this at one point, but then a strange, near-blinding light had flashed before his face, and he couldn?t remember if it was a dream or not. Frowning, the [i]hanyou[/i] gave his head a little shake, trying to clear it of the memory. ?Feh,? he scoffed as they moved further into the tunnel, his bare feet crunching in the thin layer of snow covering the stone. ?Who says I?m ?running?? As soon as we get out of this, we?re going to find Kagome and Miroku. They?re out there somewhere in this, and they don?t have your [i]hanryu[/i] ability to stay warm.? ?[i]Listen[/i] to me!? the Seer insisted, grasping hold of his forearm and looking as if she wanted to shake him. ?Destroying the Dragon is [i]utterly beyond[/i] the importance of finding your friends! Don?t you [i]understand[/i]?? Inuyasha?s eyelids lowered, and his feral grin vanished. ?To be honest with you,? he said quietly, ?I don?t really care [i]what[/i] kind of world results from this. If I can?t protect my friends, then the future doesn?t matter.? ?That is selfish.? Inuyasha glanced down at her sharply. Her head was lowered, and she did not look him in the eye as she said this. The small drift of ice flurries that had gathered on his brow while they were outside had begun to melt and run down his face. Angrily, he brushed it aside with his fingers. ?Lady, the future isn?t some vast living thing that you have to protect for its [i]own [/i]sake. It?s made [i]of[/i] people,[i] by [/i]people. Don?t forget that it?s [i]people[/i] we?re trying to save here, not ?[i]the way things happen?[/i].? When she didn?t answer, Inuyasha nodded to himself and turned away, satisfied that he?d won the argument. Ahead of them, he could see that the way was growing narrower and more sheltered, almost like a tunnel. And it seemed the ravine ran in more than one direction as well. As they stumbled deeper into the sheltered darkness, he could see from the illumination cast by the Seer?s veins that to his left it forked off into what appeared to be a somewhat wider chasm, which appeared to lead due north. Gradually, Inuyasha?s brisk pace slowed to a walk and then to a halt. He was wondering if he should take the left fork instead, as it seemed to lead in the general direction of the Inu Youkai palace, where he?d last seen Kagome and the others. But common sense presented possible consequences that he found too great to risk. Regretfully, he shook his head. The wider, northward route might well have taken him directly into Sesshoumaru?s path. He also had no guarantee that it led any farther than one hundred feet. The light from the Seer?s skin only spread so far, and for all he knew the left fork could dead end out in the middle of nowhere. ?[i]He will kill you if you oppose him[/i],? the Seer intoned in a low voice. There was an eerie, echoing quality to her tone of voice that made Inuyasha?s flesh crawl. She lifted her chin slowly as he turned to face her. Her eyes were deep and black and ancient beneath the straggle of hair across her pale brow. ?[i]It is the fang?s will, and he will choose not to resist[/i].? She tilted her head to one side, staring at Inuyasha?s face but seeming to look straight through him. ?[i]If you oppose him, you will not be spared[/i].? Inuyasha gazed down at her, confused and slightly taken aback. Her words were too cryptic for him to fathom; he?d never had a head for riddles. He was more accustomed to threatening the riddler with bodily harm until the answer produced [i]itself[/i]. But there was one thing he [i]had[/i] understood. . . ?The ?fang??? he asked, fighting the urge to grasp her by the shoulders and shake her. ?What about the ?fang?? Do you mean Tenseiga or Tetsusaiga?? ?No. . .? Slowly, she shook her head, her lips parting as her eyes went glassy with concentration. This made no sense to Inuyasha. He didn?t think either Tetsusaiga or Tenseiga would ?will? Sesshoumaru to kill him. The sword-smith Toutousai had told Inuyasha that the Inutaisho gave his sons the two fangs to protect them, so such a thing didn?t seem possible. ?What do you mean ?NO??!? This time Inuyasha gave in to the urge to shake her, grasping the front of her robes in his fist. ?Give me a straight answer, damnit!? The shaking of the earth beneath their feet was growing louder and stronger. ?The fang!? she insisted. Her pale face had gone even paler between the web of fiery veins, and her eyes were bulging slightly. ?You will DIE! Each one a fang to strike the other. . .? With a grunt, Inuyasha released her. ?Keh. More of that ?you?re going to eat it? crap,? he grumbled. ?I?m sick of hearing it. Try focusing on the here and now for once and use that Sight of yours to help me find a way out of here.? He surveyed the tunnel ahead of them, which appeared to veer southeast. ?Where does this place lead? It seems like it was once a riverbed, so it must open somewhere further into the mountains. Once we get out of here we may be able to make it back to the Inu Youkai palace by traveling along the high ridges to the north of the valley. Where the storm isn?t so bad. . .? The Seer bowed her head, partially obscuring the light from the fire running through her veins. ?If you die,? she whispered, ?there will [i]be[/i] no future.? Inuyasha glanced down, suddenly becoming aware that her hand was still clasping his wrist. Angrily, he pulled away. ?Don?t touch me,? he snapped. ?I don?t want to hear your confusing prophecies. Just shut up and follow.? Aside from the wind howling past the tunnel?s opening behind them, things above had gone ominously quiet. This observation made Inuyasha nervous, and he began pulling the Seer along at a much faster pace. Already he could tell that it was not going to be a question of [i]whether or not[/i] Sesshoumaru found them but what [i]form[/i] he?d be wearing [i]when[/i] he found them. To Inuyasha, the silence meant one of two things: the white demon had reverted to man-shape and was now stalking them through the underground route, or his brother had lost the scent. Inuyasha didn?t have much faith in the second option; even in the confusion of a blizzard Sesshoumaru?s nose was frighteningly keen. And he was beginning to notice something else that was cause for alarm---the tunnel was growing narrower the further they walked, instead of widening and opening up somewhere as he?d anticipated. Because there were two forks nearby, it made sense that the sheer force of water that had once flowed through this point would have widened it. Instead, the walls appeared to be closing in wedge-like both above and on either side of them. He didn?t think it was an illusion of the darkness, either. ?Hey,? he said in a low voice, peering down at the woman stumbling along beside him. ?This isn?t a river, is it?? It was not a question. When the Seer didn?t answer, he sniffed the air, squinting as he peered into the darkness ahead of them. The ground seemed to be sloping downward, and it was definitely growing warmer in the tunnel. ?This place is suddenly rank with [i]jyaki[/i],? Inuyasha muttered, wrinkling his nose with distaste. ?Why I didn?t smell it before?? Then realization hit him: [i]the Seer?s Tatesei scent had distracted him from the traces in the air[/i]. Now that he was aware of this, he focused his nose on the underlying scents, and caught amid the scent of musty stone the stronger scent of metal and blood. . .and Naraku.[/color] [color=green][b][center]{+} {+} {+} [/b][/center][/color] [color=purple]Amid the swirl of driving snow, the great Inu Youkai sank down into man-shape, white fur trailing upward as the wind caught it. His long white sleeves fluttered against his sides, and the wind lashed his hair across his face. He reached up to brush it aside with one hand, tilting his head back to glance at the sky above him. Even through the blinding current of white, he could see beyond it the greater swirl of dark clouds, orbiting in a turbulent column above his head. ?[i]Above me?[/i]? he thought, his eyes narrowed to slits against the stinging ice. ?[i]I, Sesshoumaru, am the one over whom the storm gathers?[/i]? It made little sense to him; there was no possible way that he could be the source of the [i]jyaki[/i] drawing the clouds. Such supernatural violence of the weather did not result from any normal source; in his hundred years of life he had only seen such things surrounding a place where two sources lay in direct conflict with one another. It made no sense; Inuyasha was not with him. The [i]hanyou[/i] was somewhere ahead, closer to the mountain. Yet the air above was unmistakable; high above the snows, amid the twisting column of gray, he could see the jagged play of lightning across the epicenter. He understood that it was a warning of some sort. Yet he was so close to the Dragon now. He could[i] feel[/i] it. And the warning no longer seemed to matter. ?[i]Inuyasha[/i],? he murmured, catching a faint scent on the wind. Once again the gale lashed his long white hair across his mouth and narrowed red eyes. Uttering a soft noise of impatience, he tore loose the sash he wore around his waist and used it to bind back his hair. Then he turned his head downward, toward the depression in the earth into which his brother had disappeared with the Seer, and he headed toward it with a soft, measured tread. His white [i]haori[/i] billowed ghostlike in the wind. [/color] [color=green][b][center]{+} {+} {+} [/b][/center][/color] [color=purple]Moving through the darkness of the tunnels, Kagome, Miroku, Shippou and Kirara traveled in grim silence. The ground appeared to be sloping gradually downward, yet they had no way of knowing how far they had actually come, or what precisely lay above them. The wailing of the freezing winds over the plain beyond the canyon?s bowed walls had grown soft and muted. Occasionally casting apprehensive glances upward, Miroku finally offered comment on it, which to Kagome?s consternation added to her own growing suspicions. ?The storm is dying,? the monk remarked with a frown. ?But how can that be?? Kagome asked, hugging Shippou closely against her shoulders for warmth. ?That much [i]jyaki[/i] can?t just fade on its [i]own[/i], can it?? Miroku went pensively silent for a minute. The only sound was the dismal tread of their feet plodding across the damp stone. ?No,? he finally answered, ?but it may be that the source is moving further away from us.? Kagome?s eyes widened. ?That means we?re falling too far behind! Kirara!? The demon paused and swung her massive head Kagome?s way, blinking in the wan light of Shippou?s foxfire. ?Are you still feeling strong enough to carry us?? she asked. ?Uh, Kagome, why is the floor wet?? Surprised by the question, Kagome took an involuntary step forward. Her shoe landed with a faint splash. Shippou?s eyes were peering over her shoulder from atop her sleeve at the ground ahead of them. Together they peered down at the stone. Ahead there were sunken places in the ground, and in the weird green glow of the foxfire they could see that these contained puddles. ?Standing water?? Miroku murmured, moving to stand beside them. The rings on his staff clinked softly against each other. ?There shouldn?t [i]be[/i] any standing water---even here. It?s too cold. Unless this was made recently. . .? He and Kagome exchanged worried glances. ?Melted?? Kagome asked shakily. ?I smell blood,? Shippou whispered, his disembodied eyeballs trained on the darkness ahead. ?And pine trees. They?re not far.? Kirara seemed to have the same idea. She sniffed at the stone between the puddles and then lifted her head, nostrils flaring. Then she swung around to stare at her human companions, orange eyes narrowed to slits. ?We walk,? Miroku decided. ?If they?re ahead, we need to be ready to fight. Kagome, you have your bow?? She nodded, and the monk moved a little ways ahead of them to lead the group down the tunnel. There was a tense set to his shoulders belying the inner turmoil his calm exterior concealed. ?You can?t change someone?s heart if it was their own blood that changed it first,? he said quietly. ?If it comes to. . . Then I will. Even Sango.?[/color]

[COLOR=Indigo]Your silver hair quote reminds me of The Grudge, for some reason. O_o[/COLOR] [COLOR=Indigo]What is its context in your story?[/COLOR]

[COLOR=Indigo] :animesmil I like that one! (The "putting heads together" one.) But what story is it from? Can you put the relevant title with the quote?[/COLOR]

[color=slategray][i]Author?s Note: ?Fire and Leaf? will eventually become a collection of Naruto one-shots. However, the first story---?Haunted?---will have three parts. I suppose each part could stand on its own as a one-shot, but the riddle of what it means to be ?haunted? is finally solved in Part 3, so for thematic continuity I recommend reading the three parts in order. [/i] [i]As a note for Part 1, the term ?hitai ate? refers to the forehead protectors the shinobi wear.[/i][/color] [color=darkolivegreen][b][center][u]Haunted[/u][/color][/b] [b][color=darkslategray]Part 1: Memory[/b] [b] [/center] [/b] [/color] [color=slategray]?Why do you keep coming here?? the boy asked curiously. ?The dead aren?t lonely.? Kakashi glanced up sharply, his one visible eye narrowed to a slit. His reflexes were sharp; perhaps the sharpest in Konoha, yet he hadn?t sensed the boy?s approach. If there had even [i]been[/i] an approach. . . The boy looked uncannily familiar. ?Who are you?? Kakashi asked, frowning. He stood in a forest clearing in the rain, still and silent as a gray statue. The rain had soaked through the thick vest he wore, and plastered his shock of white hair against his head. He?d been standing here for a very long time. He had been here since dawn, and in that entire time there had been no other visitors to the cemetery. The only sounds he?d heard were the rustlings of water on the surrounding spring leaves, and the voices memory conjured up as he stared at the rows of stone before him. There had been no sound until the boy spoke. ?You know me,? the boy insisted, smiling a little. It was a quiet, self-effacing sort of smile, and this time Kakashi allowed himself to recognize the person standing before him. ?I know you,? he agreed, nodding. ?But I haven?t seen you in so long. . .so very long. . .? The boy?s smile wavered a bit. ?It hasn?t been [i]that[/i] long. You come here every day.? Spiky black hair. Goggles that made his eyes look larger than they were, so that he seemed even younger. A round, honest face that gave new meaning to the expression ?wearing your heart on your sleeve.? A jacket bearing the crest of the Uchiha. ?You?ve seen me?? Kakashi asked, an unusual earnestness in his tone. ?You?ve [i]seen[/i] me every day? Heard what I?ve asked, and never answered?? A pause; the Jounin?s throat tightened. ?Why? [i]Why[/i] did you never answer?? Obito shook his head, his smile fading completely. He seemed sad. ?You come here when you?re troubled,? the boy said quietly. ?And even when you?re not. You ask ?What would you have done, Obito? What would you say to me if you were alive?? Well, I?m not that wise, Kakashi. Death didn?t make me wise.? Kakashi swallowed hard against the sudden tightness in his throat. His eyes burned. Seeing his friend as if he were alive. . .as if his body hadn?t been crushed beneath the rubble. . . Speaking with him, face to face, as he had never dreamed he?d do again. . . Suddenly he was himself from twelve years ago, newly free of his arrogance and filled with newfound loyalty. And his anguish now felt as raw as it had then, in the shadow of grief. One fist clenched at his side in an effort to keep himself from stepping closer to his friend. He was afraid that if he did, the spell would be broken and Obito would disappear. ?You knew something I didn?t,? Kakashi insisted. ?You showed me the courage it takes to protect your comrades, even in the face of death. If that isn?t wisdom, then every name on Konoha?s memorial stone belongs to a fool.? Obito took a step toward Kakashi, skirting around the gravestone. He looked somewhat nervous, as he had in life whenever he was about to take a stand. ?If that?s what you learned from me, then you?ve [i]learned[/i] it,? Obito insisted. ?You?ve changed for the better; you aren?t selfish anymore. So now it?s time to live your life. . .and to let me go.? The last part was added in quieter tones, which made it all the more cruel. Kakashi lowered his head. Rain trickled down his forehead, running over the hitai ate fastened there. ?I [i]let you go[/i] long ago, when I shouldn?t have,? he argued in a low voice. ?I let you die. You were a sacrifice to my selfishness.? His gaze lifted, drinking in the sight of the young ghost before him. ?That?s why you?re still that age---still the boy I remembered. I let you die too young, when there was too much left for you to do. . .for me to say. . .? Obito?s mouth compressed into a grim line; a solemn look like the one he?d worn the day he died. ?Then [i]say[/i] it, Kakashi,? he finally replied. ?Say what?s on your conscience and let me go.? Briefly, Kakashi closed his eyes, weighed down by old grief so intense it was practically fresh. It was burned into his eyes, those memories. He had been too blind to acknowledge the person who was most loyal to him until it was too late; until Obito?s body lay crushed and broken. He could still see, with his eye and Obito?s, that last glimpse of half a face, with blood running like tears from beneath an eyelid his friend had shut to spare him the sight. Those broken lips, curved into a smile. . . ?I [i]do[/i] say it,? Kakashi exclaimed abruptly, anguish plain in his voice. ?I admit my guilt time after time, but it?s never [i]enough[/i]. You still haunt me.? This time it was Obito who bowed his head in sorrow. . .sorrow for his friend. The rain fell soft between them. ?I forgave you long ago, when I chose to give you the eye,? Obito answered gently. ?But it?s[i] you [/i]who haunts this place. It?s [i]you[/i] who can?t forgive yourself.? He stepped back again, closer to the grave. ?Let me go, Kakashi, so you can finally be free.? Slowly, the fist at Kakashi?s side unclenched. ?What [i]are[/i] you, then?? he demanded, suddenly angry. Whether it was anger toward Obito?s cruel, gentle honesty or toward himself, he couldn?t fathom. ?What [i]are[/i] you? A ghost?? The boy shook his head. ?A memory, which you summon again and again, to call back the pain you think you deserve to feel.? Silence. The answer stung, like a blade through the heart. ?Then you?re not really there,? Kakashi said softly, blinking rain from his eyes like tears. ?No,? Obito murmured, ?I?m not.? Kakashi sighed; a long, slow sigh better suited to an old man. With one gloved hand he wiped the water from his face, heedless of the fact that the rain immediately soaked again what he?d just dried. He just wanted the rain out of his eyes, so he could see clearly. As he lowered his hand, he looked again and saw that Obito was gone. There was only a pathetic bit of stone, with the name of someone he?d once known carved into it. He stared at it for a long time, until at last he became aware of the slight ache in his legs, and the chill seeping through his clothing. ?Well, then,? Kakashi said, inclining his head respectfully toward the grave. ?I?ll see you tomorrow.? He turned and slipped quietly through the trees, returning to the village. His calm footsteps carried him toward the river and over the bridge, to the place where three young people stood leaning against the wooden railings. ?[i]Oi[/i],? came the flat greeting. ?You made us wait two hours in the rain.? Kakashi blinked. The sight of them dispelled the strange mood he?d been in. ?Sorry, sorry,? he said, rubbing his sopping hair and feeling a bit like laughing. Here he was about to spend a normal day training his students after spending the morning talking to the dead. His three Genin misinterpreted his newfound cheer, and their faces narrowed into identical scowls. ?Why are you late?? Naruto demanded. Naruto always asked that, as if in the hopes that one day Kakashi might actually give him a legitimate reason. Kakashi shrugged amicably, and decided to tell him the truth. ?I was visiting a friend,? he answered. Naruto scowled, apparently not buying this at all. Kakashi didn?t mind; in that sense this was just like every other morning. Together, he and his team finished crossing the bridge, heading for the training grounds. His memories didn?t follow. . . .but he always knew where to find them again.[/color] [center][b][color=darkolivegreen][u]Haunted[/u][/color][/b][/center] [b][color=red]Part 2: Vengeance[/b] [/color] ?Come ON, Sakura-[i]chan[/i]! I?ll even treat you!? Sakura stared at Naruto as if he were some sort of worm that had wriggled up from the rain-soaked earth. ?Naruto,? she said flatly, ?it?s pouring rain, and Ichiraku is halfway across town from here.? The three Genin were on their way home from training, all of them thoroughly soaked to the skin. Kakashi wasn?t the sort to cop out over mere weather, so they?d had to endure a rather miserable day, made more miserable by the Jounin?s aggravating obliviousness to their resentment. Now a storm seemed to be brewing, with the promise of distant thunder over the treetops, and Naruto wanted dinner. The problem was that his two comrades were put-out and sopping wet and keener on going their separate ways. ?I?m not hungry,? Sasuke said sourly, swiping rain out of his eyes. It drove him crazy when it ran down his nose. ?Me neith. . .? Sakura began, but she was interrupted by a sudden deep growl. All three of them looked down toward the general region of Sasuke?s stomach. Sasuke scowled. Naruto?s face erupted into a grin. ?Aha!? he crowed triumphantly, jabbing a finger toward the source of the noise. ?You ARE hungry! Come with me to eat.? Sasuke stepped back from the jabbing finger, folding his arms and looking stubborn. Sakura sighed. ?Why don?t we [i]all[/i] go, then?? she conceded. She was only changing her mind because she sensed Sasuke was going to let himself be convinced after all. The fact that he hadn?t already spun on his heel and left meant he was considering it. ?We probably can?t get any wetter than we already[i] are[/i],? she added. Sasuke was taking a swift mental inventory of the contents of his kitchen. It didn?t take long; all he currently had were two leftover [i]mochi [/i]and an orange. He suspected the orange might have already gone bad. His stomach rumbled again. ?Fine,? he said shortly. ?I?ll go.? And off they went. Ten minutes later, they were sitting at Ichiraku, with steaming bowls in front of them. Naruto was shoveling noodles into his mouth so fast it was a wonder he could breathe. Sasuke was eating far more politely, as was Sakura, who looked as if she?d rather abandon decorum to eat like Naruto but was too keen on appearing ladylike. And Naruto, who finished first, brought up a subject that was unusually profound for him. ?Hey. . .Sakura-[i]chan[/i], when you dream, what do you see?? Sakura paused mid chew. Her eyes slid sideways toward Sasuke, who was sitting on the stool to her right. Sasuke stared fixedly at a spot on the wall behind the counter, pretending to be preoccupied with mastication. He had no desire to listen to her stammer some stupid romantic thing about how she saw her true love and he was dark-haired and dark-eyed and pale-skinned and coincidentally he was an Uchiha sitting on a ramen-shop stool. Thus it came as a total surprise to him when she frowned and answered, ?My favorite dreams are always in the forest.? She tilted her head to one side, looking thoughtful. ?Where the trees are so large, I?m like an ant compared to them.? Naruto acquired a squinty eyed look of distaste. ?You mean the Forest of Death? There?s flesh-eating slugs there. We almost [i]died[/i].? ?SHUT UP!? Sakura exclaimed, brandishing a fist in an abrupt display of irritation. ?It?s MY dream; let me tell it!? Wary of the fist, Naruto closed his mouth. Sasuke started on the egg atop his ramen. ?Anyway,? Sakura went on, ?I?m all by myself in the woods, but for some reason I?m happy because I?m alone. I feel strong and tall, even though the trees around me are so much taller.? ?Heh.? Naruto?s squinty-eyed expression had returned. ?That?s IT? What a weird dream.? Sakura shrugged, seeming a little embarrassed. ?It?s peaceful,? she argued. ?It makes me happy.? To Sasuke, it sounded rather nice, but he filled his mouth with egg to avoid joining in the conversation. The rain drumming on the roof of the ramen stand was having a lulling effect on him. His mind wandered. ?Mmm. . .? Naruto?s lips pursed. ?Well, then how about your worst dream?? ?You mean, my worst nightmare?? ?Not something stupid. What you?re [i]most[/i] afraid of. . .? Suddenly disgusted, Sasuke stopped listening to them. They knew nothing of nightmares. They had never known the cursed [i]Tsukiyomi[/i], and so did not carry in their memories the same horrors that Sasuke did. Unnoticed by his two livelier comrades, his expression darkened. ?[i]I?ve seen what fear is[/i],? he thought. [i]?After he struck me with the Mangekyou Sharingan, I dreamed long and dark. And I remember every single one. . .?[/i] Their voices faded, and his eyes saw something else. [color=red][center][b]-----------------------------------------[/b][/center] [/color] [i][color=darkred]?You?re shaking, Sasuke. Why are you afraid??[/i] [i]Slowly he raised his head. In front of him, a square of moonlight slanted in through the open sliding door panel, illuminating the blood pooled on the wood floor. [/i] [i]He wanted desperately to say that he was not afraid, but his tongue would not produce the lie. He was paralyzed with fear; his throat was thick with it. Someone lay just beyond the thin stretch of light, pale arm motionless, fingers slightly curled. [/i] [i]And someone stood just beyond the one on the floor, partway in shadow and yet recognizable to him. The fear he felt now was equaled only by his anger.[/i] [i]?Uchiha. . .Itachi,? he murmured. His fist tightened around the hilt of the kunai he held at his side.[/i] [i]?Are you so afraid of me Sasuke?? His brother?s taller figure stepped forward into the light, cloaked in black, as if Itachi carried with him a piece of the darkness from which he?d emerged. [/i] [i]At the clearer sight of him, Sasuke gasped and recoiled.[/i] [i]?After all, you?ve already killed me.?[/i] [i]The moonlight shone through him. Though he stood there solid as flesh, he cast no shadow. [/i] [i]Itachi?s lips curved into a faint, sly smile.[/i] [i]?What. . .you?ve forgotten? When you?ve wasted your life dreaming of my death? Well, then, I?m here to remind you.?[/i] [i]?You can?t be here,? Sasuke murmured, ?if you?re dead.?[/i] [i]Itachi laughed, short and harsh. [/i] [i]?Did you believe I would vanish when you snared me in the Tsukiyomi?s web of dreams and drew a knife across my throat? Did you believe you would be free of me even then, after building your life to that moment??[/i] [i]Briefly, Sasuke closed his eyes, remembering the spurt of hot blood over his hands; that baptism of vengeance so long awaited. There was blood on his hands now, but it was beginning to chill. His hands were trembling, as Itachi had said.[/i] [i]He opened his eyes. His brother?s ghost was still there.[/i] [i]?I KILLED you!? he snarled. ?Why aren?t you GONE??[/i] [i]Itachi?s Sharingan eyes gleamed crimson---a color made all the more striking because all else was colorless save for the blood pooled on the floor.[/i] [i]?I will always be with you,? his brother promised. ?Always.?[/i] [i]Sasuke?s jaw clenched.[/i] [i]?You haunt me.?[/i] [i]Itachi?s pale, angular face turned downward toward the figure lying on the floor between them. [/i] [i]?Your Mangekyou Sharingan was stronger than mine,? he said quietly, ?because in the end your hatred was stronger than mine.?[/i] [i]The still, pale arm on the floor was flecked with blood.[/i] [i]Crimson eyes lifted.[/i] [i]?And your hatred, which did not die with me, is what binds me to you now.?[/i] [i]Slowly, Itachi skirted around the corpse on the floor. Though he cast no shadow in the moon?s light, his sandaled foot splashed softly in the pool, like a living man?s. Instinctively, Sasuke circled around the other side of the body, knowing that Itachi was coming for him. [/i] [i]This maneuver didn?t seem to faze Itachi in the least. His brother stalked him slowly, keeping him transfixed with a stare. [/i] [i]?Murder is so very disillusioning, little brother,? Itachi murmured. ?The heart stops, and the flesh grows cold. . .and you are more aware of your own heart beating than ever before. But that?s all. There is nothing else. What you hoped to feel. . .what you hoped to kill. . .the part of me that runs through your veins like acid; burns your heart black. . . It lives on. You?ve shackled yourself to it; to vengeance; and those are chains that no blade can sever.?[/i] [i]Again, Itachi?s gaze turned downward to the body.[/i] [i]?No blade may sever them. Not even yours.?[/i] [i]And Sasuke came to a sudden halt, staring down at it as well. From this vantage point, he knew that dead face. [/i] [i]A fall of dark hair. [/i] [i]Moon-pale skin, spotted with blood from where he?d slashed the kunai across his own throat. [/i] [i]He knew that Itachi was watching him again, but he couldn?t keep the contortion of a silent scream from warring its way across his face. His brother?s shade moved slowly toward him, but Sasuke could no longer run. There was no running from this.[/i] [i]?You killed me years ago,? the specter went on, coldly and inexorably. ?And yet here you lie, dead by your own guilty hand. . .or by the madness of hearing my step haunt your dreams; whichever it was that moved the knife. See now what peace it?s brought you.?[/i] [i]Sasuke could feel the whimper rising in his throat, but he could not suppress it. It came feebly and pathetically, like the mewling of an animal. [/i] [i]?I. . .I. . .I. . .? [/i] [i]Strong, cold arms wrapped themselves around him, tighter than chains. [/i] [i]And into his ear, death whispered, ?I will always be with you. Always.?[/color][/i] [color=red][center][b]--------------------------------------------[/b][/center] [/color] ?[i]OI[/i]! Sasuke! Are you with us?? One very loud, obnoxious voice cut rudely through his black reverie. He lifted his head sharply, turning to glare at the source of the noise. Naruto squinted right back at him. ?Your ramen?s cold,? Naruto remarked, making it sound like an accusation. Sasuke scowled. He supposed that, in Naruto?s estimation, letting ramen go cold [i]was[/i] a crime. ?It?s fine,? he snapped, digging his chopsticks into the now-lukewarm mass of noodles. Naruto was still squinting at him. ?And you?ve got a weird dent in your chin from sitting with your head on your fist.? Sasuke turned to face forward again, staring resolutely at the same spot on the wall. So stupid. If they?d had any idea what the dream he?d just recalled was like, they?d probably piss their pants. ?Hey, Sasuke-[i]kun[/i].? It was Sakura bothering him, this time. ?Before Naruto interrupted, I was asking you about [i]your[/i] dreams.? Silence. A grim smile stretched slowly across his face. Itachi was wrong. He would be free someday. But for now, he only answered, ?I don?t dream.? [color=slategray][i]Author?s Note: By this point you might be wondering, ?Is there a point to all the Angst?? Well, let me assure you that there is. Think of parts 1 and 2 as the dark cloud, to which part 3 will be the silver lining.[/i][/color] [center][b][color=darkolivegreen][u]Haunted[/u][/color][/b][/center] [b][color=indigo]Part 3: Regret[/color][/b] [color=blue]He stood on a high platform, facing the mountain. The faces of those gone before stared down at him, the shadows of the setting sun etching stern lines beneath the stone eyes and lips. He felt very small, standing here beneath their regard. A cold wind went wailing past. ?Why the hell am I HERE?? he asked loudly, scratching at messy yellow hair and managing to tousle it into an even wilder disarray. He was wearing his orange jumpsuit and [i]hitai ate[/i], which struck him as being incredibly weird because he distinctly remembered going to bed in a night-cap and pajamas. ?Was I sleepwalking?? It seemed the most likely, because he didn't remember the trip here from his apartment at all. That had to be it. He shrugged; at least he hadn't sleep-walked out the door naked. Then he heard footsteps behind him, and a new possible explanation occurred to him. Maybe someone was playing a prank. . . ?[i]OI[/i]!? he shouted, whirling around sharply to face the person coming up the stairs. ?What's going ON? If this is---? The accusation died in his throat. The man who stepped onto the platform didn't look like anyone he knew. Immediately, Naruto's hand flew to the pouch at his thigh, drawing out a [i]kunai[/i]. ?Who're you?? the Genin demanded, in a lower voice. Kidnapping was the next conclusion his mind jumped to. The stranger smiled quietly. His face was strong and angular, and his eyes were a very piercing blue. He was a young man, but his eyes seemed old; there was a certain ageless quality about him that made Naruto a little uneasy. He wore the Konoha [i]hitai ate[/i], but that didn't mean anything. Even treacherous Mizuki had worn the leaf at his brow. ?I'm not here to threaten you, nor to do you harm in any way,? the young man said softly. Naruto held the [i]kunai[/i] aloft between them, to make sure the stranger got the message that he was armed and dangerous. ?[i]Really[/i]?? He squinted up at the young man with the old eyes. ?Why the hell ARE you here, then?? The stranger raised an eyebrow, and then he vanished. Naruto's mouth fell open, and he almost dropped the kunai out of sheer amazement. He had never seen a human being move so incredibly fast. Not even Kakashi. He wasn't even sure this was a human being anymore. ?If I really wanted to kill you, you would no longer be drawing breath,? the stranger said, suddenly standing close behind him. A shiver ran up Naruto's spine as he felt what he thought was the man's breath ruffling the hair atop his head. Then he realized it was only a breeze, passing between them. He spun around, facing this lightning-swift menace with both hands balled into fists. At the sight of Naruto's fierce expression, the young man seemed to be trying very hard to suppress a smile. This only served to make Naruto angrier. ?WELL?!? he demanded, backing away. ?Why the hell did you bring me here?? The stranger made no move to follow. Instead, his expression grew grave. He turned to face the mountains. ?I didn't `bring you here',? he said quietly. ?We met halfway. I saw you were here, so I came to speak with you.? He paused, leaning forward and resting his forearms on the platform railing. In the fading twilight, the young man's profile looked very noble, and a little sad. ?Who are you?? Naruto asked, peering up at him in curiosity. ?Have I seen you before?? Wordlessly, the young man nodded. Then, abruptly, he asked, ?Do you really want your face up there?? He nodded toward the memorial monument carved into the mountainside. Slowly, Naruto relaxed his stance. It really did seem like the stranger just wanted to talk. ?Of course,? he agreed. ?It's my lifelong dream!? He said this a bit sullenly, because the randomness of the stranger's question confused him. ?Heh.? The young man laughed curtly, with very little mirth. ?You want the name Hokage because everyone will acknowledge you then?? Naruto glared at the stranger's back. He didn't like being laughed at. And he didn't like what he felt were stupid questions. ?I don't want to be Hokage because of [i]that[/i],? he insisted. The stranger didn't reply, keeping silent for a bit, and Naruto's temper cooled enough for him to give the man's question fairer consideration. ?Well, maybe a little,? he admitted, squinting one eye because he hated admitting he was wrong. ?But whether or not I want it, people will still acknowledge me when I'm Hokage. There's no getting around it.? Faintly, the young man inclined his head in agreement. ?It's going to be a long, difficult road for you,? he murmured, changing the subject again. But this time his tone was sad, and Naruto didn't take offense. The young Genin stepped forward to join him at the railing, leaning his elbows on it in a similar position. ?You mean the road to being Hokage?? Naruto asked, watching the stranger intently. The man was staring at the mountains as if he weren't really seeing them. ?Because of the burden you were given, it will be hard,? he answered. ?Think how hard you've fought to gain their acceptance.? When Naruto didn't reply, the stranger looked over at him. ?Do you hate them?? Somehow, this time Naruto knew exactly what he meant. He took a moment to answer. In front of them, the sinking sun stained purple the shadows of the mountain. The graven faces of the Hokage seemed gentler now that the light was softening. ?No.? ?Do you love them?? Another pause before the answer. Naruto leaned further forward, resting his chin on his forearms. ?No. But I want to be strong enough to protect them all.? ?It is the same.? To Naruto's utter surprise, the man suddenly laid a hand atop his head. He made no move to shrug it off, however. The hand was unexpectedly gentle. ?I'm glad,? the stranger said, for no apparent reason. Naruto turned questioning blue eyes his way. ?Why? What does that have to do with [i]you[/i]?? The kindly hand slid away, and the stranger stepped back from the railing. The green outer jacket that he wore rippled in the breeze. ?Regret is what haunts a man most, Naruto. Hatred for what you [i]can[/i] change; sorrow for what you can't. True strength is being able to accept that and to set it aside. That's what it takes to lead.? Naruto gazed at him in amazement. The wind caught his hair, and the fiery light his chiseled features, making him seem as perfect as graven stone. Naruto thought to himself that he had never seen a person so noble-looking. The moment passed. The wind died, and the young man smiled down at him, finally turning away from the mountains. His face was relaxed now, as if a great burden had been lifted from his shoulders. ?It was cruel, the burden forced upon your shoulders,? he said quietly. ?It was something I regretted. The truth is, Naruto, I came to meet you in this twilight world to ease my own guilty conscience, not to test yours. But I see that you are stronger than I'd dreamed, and I have no reason for sorrow.? He sighed, crossing the platform while Naruto watched in bemusement. Then Naruto realized he was heading for the stairway, and started after him. ?Hey! You're [i]leaving[/i]?? The young man hesitated with one hand on the stair railing, looking back. ?One can only linger here so long,? he replied, smiling again. ?But from now on, my dreams will be lighter.? ?Hey! Hey, wait!? Naruto enthused. ?You seem like a cool guy. Let's go get dinner!? The stranger's mouth quirked. This time his self-control lost, and he burst out laughing. Naruto stared. His teeth were very white. Then the young man turned and descended the staircase. Naruto just watched him go, confused again. ?I don't see what's so funny about [i]food[/i],? he grumbled, scowling. Behind him, the sun set further, and stars were beginning to gleam overhead. A sudden cold gust of wind wailed across the platform, chilling him to the bone. Naruto hugged himself, shivering, and decided it was time to head home himself. He walked to the top of the stairs. Below him, the stairway was empty.[/color] [b][color=blue][/b] [b][center]----------------------[/center] [/b] [b][/color][/b] [color=indigo]?. . .and then I woke up.? Iruka stopped chewing, staring at Naruto with bulging cheeks. He swallowed hard. ?You saw a ghost?? They were sitting on stools at Ichiraku. Sasuke had gone home early, in an inexplicably sour mood, and Sakura had followed soon after. Fortunately, Naruto didn't have to eat his second helping alone for long, because Iruka came by after working late. Naruto's face screwed up in a frown. ?It wasn't a [i]ghost[/i]. Otherwise I would have been scared.? Iruka swallowed and opened his mouth to argue otherwise, but then decided not to bother. There was no sense arguing with someone not bound by truth, logic, or common sense. The Chuunin turned back toward the counter, gazing pensively down at his small cup of sake. He picked it up, swirling the liquid around to warm it. ?So he said that, did he?? Iruka murmured. ?He must be proud of you.? Naruto lifted an eyebrow. ?Eh?? Realizing that Naruto didn't understand, Iruka smiled warmly at him. ?The Fourth.? ?EHHH?? Iruka sighed. ?Oh, well.? He lifted his cup, reflecting on the strangeness of dreams, and of ghosts. ?A toast then, Naruto.? He lifted his cup, and Naruto his ramen bowl. ?A toast, to a very wise man. May we all be so wise, and live our lives without regret.?[/color] [i][color=gray]Author's Note: Stay tuned for the next one-shot, which I promise will be of the humorous genre: "The Death of An Orange Jumpsuit."[/i][/color]

[COLOR=Indigo]Ever write a line or three that makes you go: "Damn. I is a genius!" Well...maybe not precisely that reaction, but you know what I mean. ;) Let's have us a little thread, then, for fanfic authors to post their favorite lines from their own stories. Guess I'll start: Quoting Itachi Uchiha, from my fic[/COLOR] "[COLOR=DarkRed]Haunted, Part 2: Vengeance[/COLOR]" [COLOR=DarkRed][I]?Murder is so very disillusioning, little brother,? Itachi murmured. ?The heart stops, and the flesh grows cold. . .and you are more aware of your own heart beating than ever before. But that?s all. There is nothing else. What you hoped to feel. . .what you hoped to kill. . .the part of me that runs through your veins like acid; burns your heart black. . . It lives on. You?ve shackled yourself to it; to vengeance; and those are chains that no blade can sever.?[/I][/COLOR]

[color=gray][i][center]Soft the curse of winter On the heads of lovers parted On the red arms, warm with memory; On the white arms, luring love to sorrow beneath the ice.[/i][/color] [color=red][b]+ White Arms +[/center][/b][/color] [color=gray]His back rests on cold stone; his hand upon cold steel. He is seated cross-legged outside the cave, at the place just beyond the dark mouth where the shelter of the overhang ends and the quiet snow begins. Beyond where he sits lies the treacherous mountain road that he and his companions have spent the day climbing. And beyond that?there is only the edge of the cliff. From his vantage point, the land below the edge is swallowed in darkness. Night is spreading slowly across a slate-gray sky. Idly he tips his head back against the rock wall, resting both hands on the flat of the sword-blade lying across his lap. The monk offered to relieve him of tonight?s watch, insisting that he sleep, but he would have none of it. He can hear his comrades? voices echoing inside the cave, and he can see the flickering of their firelight on the walls out of the corner of his eye, but tonight it isn?t enough to lure him in from the cold. On this winter night, too many memories arise in his mind?s eye. He needs the quiet. He once kissed her on a winter night, for the first time. . . . . .which was also the last. Now he gazes out across the land, through a soft curtain of snow, and memory swallows him whole. . . [/color] [color=red][b][center]+ + + +[/center][/b][/color] [color=gray]Outside the shelter they had been sharing, the wind howled fiercely, lashing its anger against the wooden walls in the form of ice. [i]Inuyasha, you?re leaving? Yeah. [/i] A pause. She sat with her back to him, crouched over the square fire-pit in the center of the hovel. He could see---even behind the black curtain of her hair---that she held one hand poised above the burning coals she tended, for his answer dismayed her. [i]That embrace we shared, standing on the water?s edge. . .so it DID mean something to her[/i], he thought. (A memory within a memory: a cold day in autumn when amid the lazy drift of leaves onto the river he pulled her into the fire of his arms. . .) Much had happened since that first embrace. The seasons changed. Since that day, trust had kindled between them. Together they had fought, defending the talisman she guarded, which he coveted. Many demons came, and men with souls twisted by greed. Through the hail of arrows and the flood of unholy spirits, he stood by her side. Then winter came, bringing with it another demon; another enemy. Shadowy and wraithlike, it led them on a chase through the snow-covered lowlands and into the woods. Together they hunted it for miles, but now a storm had come, and despite the priestess? strength she could not bear the cold any longer. Yet her half-breed companion knew that if the demon moved on while they took shelter, it would soon happen upon another village to massacre. [i]I HAVE to leave[/i], he insisted. [i]You stay here, and protect the jewel. [/i] What he really meant was: [i]You stay here in safety, and protect yourself for once.[/i] It was a meaning she didn?t fail to miss; she missed very little. This person knew him better than he knew himself, which he found a bit frightening, but there was a force around her that was almost magnetic. It made him wish he were merely a man, and she a woman, and that he could draw her into the fire of his body, to warm her cold, shivering flesh on this dark winter night. She was so weary, and so pale. Her hands and lips were white with cold. In the magnetic air surrounding Kikyou, the pull of love and sorrow were equally strong. She smiled at him, and nodded slowly, murmuring her farewell. That she could smile to see him off when all she wanted was rest and warmth and not to be alone was almost more than he could bear. He turned from her and pushed open the wooden door of the hovel, wading out into the snow. She was so selfless, so full of courage, that he would be too ashamed to do otherwise. He was gone for days---short, dark days in which his body tracked his demon quarry while his soul lingered miles behind, in a freezing hovel beside a woman huddled over a dying fire. And now he was returning. [i]Kikyou[/i], he thought, his lips moving to form the word. The blizzard raged around him, raking claws of frozen air across his flesh. He staggered onward with grim resolution, leaning into the wind to keep from falling. Ice struck his face; his body. He narrowed his eyes to slits to keep the ice out of them. Many times he stumbled from weariness, for he had been walking for nearly six straight days with no food and no rest. Yet his mind was as clear as ever---clearer, perhaps, than ever before---and his strong resolve kept him moving when even his Youkai fortitude had deserted him. Her parting words rang in his ears like a clarion call, drowning out even the howling of the gale. [i]Your return will make the winter disappear. [/i] He didn?t know what she was promising, but now even though his body grew numb he could almost [i]feel[/i] the spring waiting in her arms---the promise of love. She was a place he could belong, and he strove to return to it. Inuyasha trudged through the drifts of snow, his steps stirring up flurries of white in their wake. When at last he had come down through the mountain pass, half-sliding on the snow-covered slope, he raised his head and saw the light. It was but a pinpoint; a minute thing; a speck of fire in the darkness. But his eyes fastened themselves upon it like a starving man before a feast. And his chest tightened with the fierceness of his sudden certainty. Shedding his weariness like a cloak, he hurried across the frozen field, toward the place where her firelight burned through the window. When he flung the door open, she turned and smiled, kneeling before the hearth as if she?d never moved. There were deeper, darker circles beneath her eyes, and her hair was frayed and lackluster. But her eyes shone jewel-bright, and her arms lifted toward him. She was beautiful. He knelt to meet her. Warmth was born between the clasping of their hands. He bent over her, pressing burning lips to hers, leaning into her, falling into her like the home he?d longed for all his life. Her white sleeves whispered against his crimson ones, or perhaps she whispered something. It didn?t matter to him; it was lost in their mingling breath. They were sinking together beside the fire, driving back the winter between them, in the kindling of their arms. Between the parting folds of his haori, he felt the cold, hard press of stone against his chest. He was instantly aware of what it was; his body trembled against her. Then he was sitting up, releasing hold of her, and she likewise was pushing him away. They regarded each other from a breath away, unable to speak for the regret raging in them both. There would be no spring---not while the burden she bore stood between them. There was no choice but to bear the winter a while longer. Spring came in its time, but with it came Naraku. And the jewel between them led to death and parting. . . [/color] [color=red][b][center]+ + + +[/center][/b][/color] [color=gray]There are tears threatening at the edges of his vision---tears he won?t shed because they won?t do any good. They?ll only freeze on his cheeks. But he sees her, there in front of him, as real as she was that winter night. She?s reaching for him now, her black hair flowing around her as if she?s underwater. She flows toward him like a vision. She reaches pale arms toward him---hands so cold it crushes his heart to feel them. She brushes his cheek, his lips, leaning down over him, falling into him. . .or maybe he?s falling into her. Maybe they?re falling together, rekindling that warmth they once found before cold fate tore them asunder. He belongs with her, he knows. He should follow her down. It?s what he thinks he should want. White arms wrap around his shoulders, pressing dead lips to his while black hair swirls around his face in rivulets. He can?t see the darkness yawning behind her; he feels only the chill of her skin, and understands that what he loves is made of ice and memory. And he doesn?t care. He doesn?t [i]care[/i], until. . . [i]?Inuyasha.? [/i] Suddenly, there is a gentle presence at his back. The sound of her voice drives back the ghost of winter like firelight through a window. She lays her small hand on his shoulder. ?Inuyasha, you?re standing too close to the edge.? In front of him, the abyss yawns deep over the edge of the cliff. Harsh winds sweep the snow around him toward it, brushing ice past his cheeks like the pull of fingers. ?Yeah, I guess so,? he answers, remembering his voice. He lets her draw him away from the dangerous place, but he won?t follow her into the cave. It?s warm in there---warm enough to drive back memories. But he doesn?t want that. His memories are too precious; if he forgets what he?s lost he will lose it forever. She smiles gently, and he?s torn because she?s so beautiful and because she sees him so clearly. ?[i]Someone[/i] needs to keep watch out here,? he insists stubbornly, folding his arms and sounding like himself again. ?Any of you lot would just fall asleep and freeze to death.? He plunks down cross-legged outside the cave mouth. She kneels beside him, and to his surprise her arms encircle his waist. Resting her chin on his shoulder, she says, ?I?ll keep watch with you, so you don?t get cold and freeze yourself.? Her warmth seeps into him; she?s drawing him back from the brink of memory in her own small way. His face is burning, and he?s flustered by her nearness. But he merely breathes in her sweet scent and lets her hold him, drawn into the arms of spring. The pull of love and sorrow were strong, but maybe love was just a little stronger.[/color] [center][color=red]The End[/color][/center] [color=gray][i]Yamisui: Just trying out a different writing style in my fanfiction. This is a My First One-Shot Ever. For those of you reading either of the current long-term fanfic projects I?m working on, I?m still working on THOSE too. This is just sort of an interlude while my brain defrags. [/i][/color]

[color=gray][i][center]Soft the curse of winter On the heads of lovers parted On the red arms, warm with memory; On the white arms, luring love to sorrow beneath the ice.[/i][/color] [color=red][b]+ White Arms +[/center][/b][/color] [color=gray]His back rests on cold stone; his hand upon cold steel. He is seated cross-legged outside the cave, at the place just beyond the dark mouth where the shelter of the overhang ends and the quiet snow begins. Beyond where he sits lies the treacherous mountain road that he and his companions have spent the day climbing. And beyond that?there is only the edge of the cliff. From his vantage point, the land below the edge is swallowed in darkness. Night is spreading slowly across a slate-gray sky. Idly he tips his head back against the rock wall, resting both hands on the flat of the sword-blade lying across his lap. The monk offered to relieve him of tonight?s watch, insisting that he sleep, but he would have none of it. He can hear his comrades? voices echoing inside the cave, and he can see the flickering of their firelight on the walls out of the corner of his eye, but tonight it isn?t enough to lure him in from the cold. On this winter night, too many memories arise in his mind?s eye. He needs the quiet. He once kissed her on a winter night, for the first time. . . . . .which was also the last. Now he gazes out across the land, through a soft curtain of snow, and memory swallows him whole. . . [/color] [color=red][b][center]+ + + +[/center][/b][/color] [color=gray]Outside the shelter they had been sharing, the wind howled fiercely, lashing its anger against the wooden walls in the form of ice. [i]Inuyasha, you?re leaving? Yeah. [/i] A pause. She sat with her back to him, crouched over the square fire-pit in the center of the hovel. He could see---even behind the black curtain of her hair---that she held one hand poised above the burning coals she tended, for his answer dismayed her. [i]That embrace we shared, standing on the water?s edge. . .so it DID mean something to her[/i], he thought. (A memory within a memory: a cold day in autumn when amid the lazy drift of leaves onto the river he pulled her into the fire of his arms. . .) Much had happened since that first embrace. The seasons changed. Since that day, trust had kindled between them. Together they had fought, defending the talisman she guarded, which he coveted. Many demons came, and men with souls twisted by greed. Through the hail of arrows and the flood of unholy spirits, he stood by her side. Then winter came, bringing with it another demon; another enemy. Shadowy and wraithlike, it led them on a chase through the snow-covered lowlands and into the woods. Together they hunted it for miles, but now a storm had come, and despite the priestess? strength she could not bear the cold any longer. Yet her half-breed companion knew that if the demon moved on while they took shelter, it would soon happen upon another village to massacre. [i]I HAVE to leave[/i], he insisted. [i]You stay here, and protect the jewel. [/i] What he really meant was: [i]You stay here in safety, and protect yourself for once.[/i] It was a meaning she didn?t fail to miss; she missed very little. This person knew him better than he knew himself, which he found a bit frightening, but there was a force around her that was almost magnetic. It made him wish he were merely a man, and she a woman, and that he could draw her into the fire of his body, to warm her cold, shivering flesh on this dark winter night. She was so weary, and so pale. Her hands and lips were white with cold. In the magnetic air surrounding Kikyou, the pull of love and sorrow were equally strong. She smiled at him, and nodded slowly, murmuring her farewell. That she could smile to see him off when all she wanted was rest and warmth and not to be alone was almost more than he could bear. He turned from her and pushed open the wooden door of the hovel, wading out into the snow. She was so selfless, so full of courage, that he would be too ashamed to do otherwise. He was gone for days---short, dark days in which his body tracked his demon quarry while his soul lingered miles behind, in a freezing hovel beside a woman huddled over a dying fire. And now he was returning. [i]Kikyou[/i], he thought, his lips moving to form the word. The blizzard raged around him, raking claws of frozen air across his flesh. He staggered onward with grim resolution, leaning into the wind to keep from falling. Ice struck his face; his body. He narrowed his eyes to slits to keep the ice out of them. Many times he stumbled from weariness, for he had been walking for nearly six straight days with no food and no rest. Yet his mind was as clear as ever---clearer, perhaps, than ever before---and his strong resolve kept him moving when even his Youkai fortitude had deserted him. Her parting words rang in his ears like a clarion call, drowning out even the howling of the gale. [i]Your return will make the winter disappear. [/i] He didn?t know what she was promising, but now even though his body grew numb he could almost [i]feel[/i] the spring waiting in her arms---the promise of love. She was a place he could belong, and he strove to return to it. Inuyasha trudged through the drifts of snow, his steps stirring up flurries of white in their wake. When at last he had come down through the mountain pass, half-sliding on the snow-covered slope, he raised his head and saw the light. It was but a pinpoint; a minute thing; a speck of fire in the darkness. But his eyes fastened themselves upon it like a starving man before a feast. And his chest tightened with the fierceness of his sudden certainty. Shedding his weariness like a cloak, he hurried across the frozen field, toward the place where her firelight burned through the window. When he flung the door open, she turned and smiled, kneeling before the hearth as if she?d never moved. There were deeper, darker circles beneath her eyes, and her hair was frayed and lackluster. But her eyes shone jewel-bright, and her arms lifted toward him. She was beautiful. He knelt to meet her. Warmth was born between the clasping of their hands. He bent over her, pressing burning lips to hers, leaning into her, falling into her like the home he?d longed for all his life. Her white sleeves whispered against his crimson ones, or perhaps she whispered something. It didn?t matter to him; it was lost in their mingling breath. They were sinking together beside the fire, driving back the winter between them, in the kindling of their arms. Between the parting folds of his haori, he felt the cold, hard press of stone against his chest. He was instantly aware of what it was; his body trembled against her. Then he was sitting up, releasing hold of her, and she likewise was pushing him away. They regarded each other from a breath away, unable to speak for the regret raging in them both. There would be no spring---not while the burden she bore stood between them. There was no choice but to bear the winter a while longer. Spring came in its time, but with it came Naraku. And the jewel between them led to death and parting. . . [/color] [color=red][b][center]+ + + +[/center][/b][/color] [color=gray]There are tears threatening at the edges of his vision---tears he won?t shed because they won?t do any good. They?ll only freeze on his cheeks. But he sees her, there in front of him, as real as she was that winter night. She?s reaching for him now, her black hair flowing around her as if she?s underwater. She flows toward him like a vision. She reaches pale arms toward him---hands so cold it crushes his heart to feel them. She brushes his cheek, his lips, leaning down over him, falling into him. . .or maybe he?s falling into her. Maybe they?re falling together, rekindling that warmth they once found before cold fate tore them asunder. He belongs with her, he knows. He should follow her down. It?s what he thinks he should want. White arms wrap around his shoulders, pressing dead lips to his while black hair swirls around his face in rivulets. He can?t see the darkness yawning behind her; he feels only the chill of her skin, and understands that what he loves is made of ice and memory. And he doesn?t care. He doesn?t [i]care[/i], until. . . [i]?Inuyasha.? [/i] Suddenly, there is a gentle presence at his back. The sound of her voice drives back the ghost of winter like firelight through a window. She lays her small hand on his shoulder. ?Inuyasha, you?re standing too close to the edge.? In front of him, the abyss yawns deep over the edge of the cliff. Harsh winds sweep the snow around him toward it, brushing ice past his cheeks like the pull of fingers. ?Yeah, I guess so,? he answers, remembering his voice. He lets her draw him away from the dangerous place, but he won?t follow her into the cave. It?s warm in there---warm enough to drive back memories. But he doesn?t want that. His memories are too precious; if he forgets what he?s lost he will lose it forever. She smiles gently, and he?s torn because she?s so beautiful and because she sees him so clearly. ?[i]Someone[/i] needs to keep watch out here,? he insists stubbornly, folding his arms and sounding like himself again. ?Any of you lot would just fall asleep and freeze to death.? He plunks down cross-legged outside the cave mouth. She kneels beside him, and to his surprise her arms encircle his waist. Resting her chin on his shoulder, she says, ?I?ll keep watch with you, so you don?t get cold and freeze yourself.? Her warmth seeps into him; she?s drawing him back from the brink of memory in her own small way. His face is burning, and he?s flustered by her nearness. But he merely breathes in her sweet scent and lets her hold him, drawn into the arms of spring. The pull of love and sorrow were strong, but maybe love was just a little stronger.[/color] [center][color=red]The End[/color][/center] [color=gray][i]Yamisui: Just trying out a different writing style in my fanfiction. This is a My First One-Shot Ever. For those of you reading either of the current long-term fanfic projects I?m working on, I?m still working on THOSE too. This is just sort of an interlude while my brain defrags. [/i][/color]

[color=gray][i]Warning: Contains vague spoilers for the third Inuyasha movie. No majorly important spoilers, mind you, but I still felt obligated to warn. ?Chichi-ue? is an affectionate term for one?s father. ?Daiyoukai? means ?Greater Demon?--which is what Inuyasha?s father was. Supposedly these are the oldest and strongest demons. This is going to be a pretty dark and violent chapter. Hold onto your chibi plushies...[/i][/color] [center][color=green][b]{+} {+} {+} LORD OF THE WEST {+} {+} {+} {+} Chapter 11: The Hanryu Quest: Into the Mountains {+}[/b][/color] [color=purple][b]The Feudal Era; The Night of Inuyasha?s Birth[/b][/center] [i]On the night his father died, Sesshoumaru shed no tears. It was so cold that had he done so they would have frozen before they could slide down his proud face. But that night, he was beyond tears. The one thing in the world that he had loved had passed on to the next, where he could not follow. ?Protect them?? he whispered, slipping Tenseiga into its sheath and turning away from his father?s corpse. ?Love them?? His father, grievously wounded from a battle with the dragon Ryukotsussei, had gone flying back to Reiyama against Sesshoumaru?s admonitions. Word had reached his ear that the Tatesei princess, Iyazoi, was about to give birth, but had been captured and taken from his palace to the city. And the Inu no Taishou had fought there against a warrior named Setsuna no Takemaru, buying time for Iyazoi to escape the city with her newborn son. But the battle had claimed his life?and then the Wise had nearly claimed his soul. ?Love them?? Sesshoumaru whispered, bitterly. He walked aimlessly through the wood beyond the field of slaughter. The Wise had long since deserted the field, secreting the souls of the Inu Youkai to the depths of their Temple, there to bind them into servitude. Now the human jackals crept in behind them, robbing the corpses of clothing and weapons and finally harvesting the very bones to carve their pillars and to sell as relics. Love them? His throat closed off before he could speak aloud--only his lips moved. He did not know where he was going, or what he planned to do. There was so much hatred coursing through his blood that he could not think clearly. He was scarcely aware of himself--of the pain from his own wounds, or the hunger that weakened him. As he ascended the wooded slope, the world was flickering in and out of focus. The shadows of the trees lengthened and grew taller, seeming to bow over him as if they would crush him. It was not melted ice that dripped from their overhanging branches, but blood. Then, mercifully, his memory faded to gray for a while. He did not return to himself until he stood atop the mountain overlooking the palace, his home. Red mist seeped into his field of vision, like winter clouds across the moon. Then he rose from the snow-capped peak, forsaking man-shape for a demon?s flesh. That night, he hunted as he had never hunted before. Wholly lost to savagery, he became like a mindless beast, without thought or reason, lost in the depths of his own senses. For many days, he hunted in this state, heedless of the cold, or the driving winds, or the blood that stained his white fur crimson. When he returned at last to the valley he called home, he could not remember how many he had killed. He remembered blood and flight and the crunching of bone between his jaws, but to him the cries of man and beast seemed to blend into one at the moment of death. He slid back into man-shape, landing on his knees in the snow that blanketed his father?s garden. His clothing was torn and dyed crimson, and his limbs trembled with exhaustion. Yet he glanced up and saw the tiny light glimmering in the palace window nearest him, and suddenly he found the strength to push himself to his feet and stagger toward it. His heart, numbed by sorrow and death, now clung desperately to the wild hope that he would find some survivor of the massacre there in the palace...though the Wise had attacked the palace first and taken the souls of the women and children long before they met the Inu Youkai warriors in battle... Panting, Sesshoumaru stumbled onto the wooden terrace and flung open the sliding panels so hard that they snapped free of their hinges. He plunged into the torch-lined halls, glancing fervently this way and that, hoping to catch some glimpse of the one who had lit all the lights in the windows. Of course, in the back of his mind, beneath the layers of pain too great to bear, reason told him that the imps that served the Inu Youkai had lit them, and that he would find no one here. But at this most poignant of moments, tormented by unreasonable hope, Sesshoumaru could not bear to listen to reason. He practically flew down the halls, following with his keen nose the scent of the Inu Youkai. It was faint. . .so faint...but there. ?Yes,? he whispered feverishly, turning a corner and heading for his father?s chamber. ?There. It is there. Chichi-ue...? A lone figure sat upon the chamber?s bedclothes, wearing a cloak made from black fur. His father had taken this fur from the pelt of a Wolf Daiyoukai whose clan broke a treaty and made war on the Inu Youkai. Sesshoumaru stopped short at the sight of it. It was draped over the slender shoulders of Iyazoi, the Tatesei princess whom the Inu no Taishou had taken for his bride. She sat with her back to him, and did not see him, but she heard the hiss of steel as he drew the long dagger from the sheath belted around his waist. She did not cower or cringe, but straightened and turned to face her death with dignity. Sesshoumaru froze. Her face was haggard and marred by tear-streaks, yet this in itself lent her a bold and terrible beauty that he could scarcely bear to look upon. For a moment he held the dagger poised above her head, eyes wide and maddened. Then, gradually, his blood slowed and he remembered speech. ?Ningen,? he whispered, moving toward her with a slow and measured tread, ?you have brought this upon us. And yet...you are alive...when my kinsmen are dead...? The princess offered no defense, and made no move to flee him. The dagger caught the firelight as he lifted it, reflecting a thin red line across her face. ?Justice,? his senses sang to him. ?This is justice. Take it!? And yet...strangely enough...his nose caught the faint scent of the Inu Youkai. It did not seem to be coming from the black fur cloak. Then Sesshoumaru?s eyes narrowed, for he heard beneath Iyazoi?s shaky breathing the soft, small breaths of another in the room. The princess saw his eyes widen in surprise, and knew what this meant. Her slim white hand darted across the stone floor, strewn with bits of broken pottery, and found among these a long and jagged piece. This she raised in front of her, brandishing it and suddenly regarding him with all the fierceness of a beast defending its young. Sesshoumaru moved around her in a blur. By the time she had turned on her knees to follow his movement, he was already crouched over the child lying on the cushions behind her. Roughly, he flung aside the mantle that she had thrown over her son to conceal him. He found himself looking into a tiny face like a mirror of Iyazoi?s, with eyes the amber shade of his own. Atop the infant?s head, between two tiny dog ears, was a tuft of silver hair--the mark of the Inu Youkai Line. ?Inuyasha,? the princess whispered, her gaze moving from Sesshoumaru?s cold face to the child?s frail, tiny body, to the dagger hanging over her son by the thread of his half-brother?s sanity. Fortunately for them all, the Lord of the West had left behind one last measure of protection for his sons. A mighty pulse rattled Tenseiga in its sheath. A wave of light swept out from the blade--blinding and brilliant as a summer sky. It expanded outward until the room was filled with it, outshining even the fire in the hearth and the torches lining the walls. Then it flew backward, drawn inward to Sesshoumaru?s body like a star imploding. He fell back, dropping the dagger and clawing at his eyes, fearing that he would go blind from the sheer brilliance. The sword?s light condensed to liquid flame, forming a second skin around him. Dimly he was aware of Iyazoi edging away from him, clutching the baby to her breast. He could do nothing to stop her--Tenseiga?s power held him helpless in its thrall, and he pitched backward onto the floor. He never felt his head strike stone. Instead, he seemed to fall deeper, beyond the floor---not merely into senselessness, but into an enfolding warmth that reminded him vividly of the times his father carried him... When he awoke hours later, on the floor, he was still warm. Some part of the dream lingered, settling warmth into his bones, whispering his name. ?Moriatae...? Sesshoumaru sat up, reaching out with desperate hands for someone no longer there. For a moment, he sat there mutely, staring at his empty hands, and then at the empty darkness of the chamber beyond, where the long-dead torches hung. Ashes fluttered gently to the ground beneath them, like black snow. Then he noticed the bloodstains on his hands, and everything that had occurred the night before came flooding back to him in a rush so violent he nearly blacked out from it. He slumped forward, clutching his head, breathing in the sharp, metallic odor of the blood drying on his clothes. He understood now what had transpired. When he had left the Tatesei field of battle, he had been wounded deeper than he realized. All night long as he bled---even in demon form; even as he dealt death out to others---Sesshoumaru had been dying slowly. And in his father?s chamber, with his last ounce of life?s strength, he had tried to deal out one last death to the ones who deserved it most. But instead...Tenseiga had acted, drawing him into the depths of healing sleep, before he could die. His father?s love, at that crucial moment, had saved both of his sons. ?Damn you, Chichi-ue,? Sesshoumaru whispered, pushing himself onto his knees. ?I never asked for your mercy. I?ll find him again. I?ll find HER. And I won?t rest until the blood price has been repaid in full..[/i].?[/color] [center][color=green][b]{+} {+} {+}[/b][/color] [color=purple]The Feudal Era[/center] To Kagome, all time seemed to stop in that instant. The world froze and went still--even the snow ceased its soft fall upon the garden. Just as she stepped beyond the trees and into the clearing, she saw that Tokijin--Sesshoumaru?s sword--was buried to the hilt in Inuyasha?s stomach. Paralyzed with horror and shock, Kagome?s bow fell from her hand and hit the snow. The sword-blade was long; it had also pierced through Inuyasha?s back and exited his body. Upon its point, Irusei was also impaled. His hands--which he had been reaching forward as he approached the dueling brothers--were full of fire. Now his arms lowered slowly, and the flames cupped in his palms flickered and died. Time resumed its flow. Irusei expelled a shaky breath, and his hands flew to the blade through his belly, bloodying themselves as he grasped hold of it, for Tokijin?s[i] kehai[/i] was like a thousand tiny knife-blades to the touch. As his men watched in horror, Irusei lurched backward, wrenching the point from himself. He staggered backward into the arms of those warriors nearest him, who caught him before he fell. Inuyasha attempted to speak, but the sword was pressed against his diaphragm inside him, and he only managed to draw in a long, tortured breath. Miroku was the first to speak. ?Inuyasha!? he cried, practically flying toward the two brothers. The monk?s expression was fierce--it seemed that he planned to attack Sesshoumaru while Tokijin was still held fast by Inuyasha?s body. He raised his staff over his head, and with lightning speed struck the white demon full in the face. ?[i]SEIBAI[/i]!? Miroku shouted, in a voice that resonated even above the ensuing din. Kagome could feel the force in that spell resonating in her very bones. She watched it all as if in slow motion--Miroku?s dark robes billowing out behind him as he moved; the staff?s descent...and, strangely enough, Sesshoumaru?s expression of vague surprise, directed not at the blow aimed for his head but at the sword in his hand. Then the staff struck him, and light crackled between metal and skin like an electric charge. Yet at the same time, the other sword Sesshoumaru wore at his waist sent out a brilliant blue pulse, which expanded up and outward to meet Miroku?s spell. The force of clashing powers--holy and demon-born--caused an explosion that blew all three of them away from each other. Miroku was flung back the hardest, landing against the trunk of a tree. A pile of snow, shaken from the tree?s branches by the impact, half-buried him. Sesshoumaru flew backward and landed in the stream behind him. Rin ran to his side, crying out in fear. Inuyasha flew backward as well, too weakened from his wound to prevent it. ?INUYASHA!? Shippou cried in horror. With a massive pop, he reverted from parka form to that of a giant, balloon-like thing with eyes, which zoomed forward. The Kitsune managed to arrive just in time between Inuyasha?s hurtling body and a tree bristling with low, jagged branches. The [i]hanyou[/i] bounced off of Shippou?s rounded form and landed so hard in the snow that he practically disappeared beneath it. Kirara had started toward the Inu Youkai brothers at the same instant Miroku began his attack on Sesshoumaru, snarling and intending to separate the white demon from his sword herself should the monk?s attack fail. However, the enormous demon suddenly found herself arrested mid-leap by the press of a blade at her throat. Slowly, she lowered into a crouch, growling deep in her chest. The blade followed, not allowing her to move another inch forward. Meanwhile, Shippou had not yet transformed back into his Kitsune form. Instead, he was trying to use his enhanced size to block the Tatesei soldiers trying to get to Inuyasha. They were stabbing at him with their blades, attempting to skirt his large, round body and clearly intending to kill the hanyou while he was down. Something in Kagome?s mind finally snapped awake. The fetters of shock that bound her body unlocked, and she rushed toward Inuyasha and Shippou. ?No...no...no...? she breathed, over and over again, like a mantra. The Tatesei warriors arrested her attempt to reach her friends, crossing their blades before her to block her path. In her shock she would have hurled herself against them regardless, but one of the men caught her around the waist and flung her backward, away from the immediate vicinity of the fight. ?[i]This isn?t happening[/i],? she thought, pushing herself to her feet where she had fallen in the snow. ?[i]This isn?t HAPPENING. This wasn?t supposed to happen HERE. This ISN?T how it HAPPENED...[/i]? Her mind was a maelstrom of confusion; of blood, rushing in her ears. ?[i]Inuyasha?s going to die HERE...and I can?t stop it...?[/i] Her lone bow would do her no good against forty men with bows and swords of their own. What little strength she had in her body would do even less good. But if she did nothing, Inuyasha would die. Pushing herself to her feet once more, Kagome began to run. Sango?s voice, and a warrior?s blade pressed against her belly, stopped her dead in her tracks. ?DON?T KILL HIM!? Sango shouted. With one hand, the demon-slayer flung her Hiraikoutsu into the midst of the Tatesei warriors attacking Shippou. Snow sprayed outward in every direction from the place where it struck the frozen earth. Men scattered as well, flinging themselves out of the way to avoid being struck. With her other hand, Sango pressed a sword against Kirara?s throat. ?Don?t kill him!? she repeated. Some of the warriors hesitated, turning toward her. Kirara?s growl died in her throat. She tried to glance up at her mistress in confusion, but Sango held the sword too firmly at her neck. ?He knows where the Dragon lies,? Sango declared above the din of clashing metal. ?He KNOWS!? The warriors who heard and understood her words backed away from their intended prey, glancing questioningly down at their fallen leader. ?Let her speak!? Irusei cried hoarsely. He sat on the frost-hardened ground, leaning against the supportive arms of one of his comrades. Blood seeped through the creases in his armor, staining the fabric of his green [i]haori[/i] a shade as dark as the soil beneath him. ?She is one of us!? Dazedly, Kagome staggered back a step, away from the blade leveled menacingly at her stomach. ?Sango...?? she murmured, eyeing the sword at Kirara?s throat in confusion. ?Sango, what are you...?? ?His father, who sealed the Dragon, has passed on the secret to his son!? the demon-slayer shouted. ?Inuyasha is the key! The [i]hanyou[/i] is the KEY!? ?What?? Kagome asked, staring at Sango in shock. ?Sango, what do you mean, ?the key??? If the demon-slayer heard her, she didn?t bother to answer. Her black-eyed gaze spanned the crowd of Tatesei warriors with cold appraisal that bore an eerie resemblance to Irusei?s. ?Who the fuck...are you calling...?[i]hanyou[/i]??? Inuyasha called weakly. ?Inuyasha!? Kagome exclaimed. Her head lifted, and hope filled her?he was alive, and still able to speak. ?Let me go to him,? she pleaded, turning toward Irusei, but he ignored her. She turned her imploring gaze upon Sango, but the demon-slayer refused to look at her. With a pop, Shippou deflated, returning to his regular shape. He was shaken and covered with scratches, but he did not seem to be harmed beyond the exhaustion from maintaining the transformation spell for so long. The Tatesei warriors allowed the Kitsune to approach Inuyasha, who was lying on his back in the snow, sensing that he would be of little help to the injured hanyou. ?Speak,? Irusei bade Sango. ?I wish to know why you claim the [i]hanyou[/i], bearing mixed blood of Inu Youkai and Tatesei, is the ?key? to the Dragon?s resurrection. I judged it wiser to destroy him, for it has been prophesied that a [i]hanyou[/i] of such blood will bring doom upon Reiyama. Had I known two years ago who Inuyasha really was, I would have killed him sooner. Had the white demon not attacked us both at that instant, I would have killed him a moment ago with the Dragon?s flame.? The pile of snow that had fallen over Miroku shifted as the monk began to revive. He groaned, reaching one arm up to tentatively explore the back of his head. ?I can?t say exactly,? Sango admitted, frowning. ?But consider this: Inuyasha has within him both the blood of the Dragon and the one who sealed it. Sealing a creature so powerful is a complicated spell, requiring elements of both the one casting it and the one being sealed. Even my father, the leader of the demon-slayer?s village, required a priest?s power for such things because he couldn?t do them himself.? ?Irusei-[i]sama[/i]?? One of the warriors holding the wounded [i]hanryu[/i] leaned down to look into his face. ?What would you have us do?? Kagome held her breath. ?Sesshoumaru-[i]sama[/i],? Rin whimpered, her small body bent over the demon lord?s. ?Please wake up...? ?We bring him with us,? Irusei decided, breathing hard as he attempted to push himself to his feet. ?Irusei-[i]sama[/i], you mustn?t--? the warrior holding him protested, but Irusei shook off his arm and managed to rise into a standing position. ?The wound...? ?The Dragon will heal me,? Irusei told him impatiently. ?In the meantime, we will make the journey to where the Dragon is imprisoned. We will bring the [i]hanyou[/i] and the Seer. The Seer knows more than she willingly reveals. She will know the way to use Inuyasha, if he is of any use at all.? ?HEY!? Inuyasha croaked. ?No way in HELL is anyone going to USE me!? But everyone ignored him. ?And afterward?? Kagome asked sharply. ?Will you let him go afterward?? Irusei spared her the briefest of glances. ?Once the Dragon is freed, you may do as you wish,? he told her. ?Nothing that you do will make any difference after that.? To his men, he gave the order, ?Make a sling to carry him.? Then he turned to Sango, who still held Kirara at bay. The demon-cat?s growl rose in volume at his approach. ?Did Inuyasha tell you the Dragon?s location?? he asked, eyeing Kirara warily. Sango nodded. ?Inside the mountain you call Reiyama,? she answered. ?Beyond that, I can?t say. It may be contained in some kind of cavern or chamber there, or perhaps the Dragon is embedded in the rock itself. That is where we?ll have to rely on Suiton.? ?So that?s it, then?? Kagome blurted out, staring at Sango in disbelief. ?You?re just going to join them, just because your eyes have turned black? You?re going to let them take Inuyasha?? Sango gazed at her levelly. ?Yes,? she replied curtly. Then she reached into a pouch at her side with her free hand, withdrawing a handful of some strange-looking leaves with purple veins running through them. Addressing one of the warriors standing nearby, she nodded toward the sword in her other hand. ?Hold this. Keep her from moving.? The instant the man took over her position, Sango darted around Kirara?s side, reached under the demon-cat?s belly, and shoved the leaves beneath the bandages there and into the wound. Kirara?s immediate reaction to snarl and thrash. Her massive body bucked so violently that the warrior holding the sword at her throat was knocked aside. She whipped her head around to snap at Sango, heedless of the fact that the demon-slayer was her mistress. Sango leaped backward, the snapping jaws missing her by a hair?s breadth. Kirara yowled in anger, turning this way and that, but she was surrounded on all sides by spears and sword-points. The Tatesei warriors jabbed at her to hold her at bay, but they could not get close enough to do any real damage without braving coming within range of her claws. ?Sango...? Kagome breathed in horror. ?Please...? Under Irusei?s supervision, the warriors fashioning the sling to carry Inuyasha had made short work of it. Then they moved toward him, intending to lift him onto it, and found their way blocked by Shippou. ?No!? the Kitsune cried, standing spread-eagled between the hanryu and their prey. ?Leave him ALONE! FOXFIRE!? With this last pronouncement, a rush of green flame appeared in front of him, causing the warriors to draw back. But Irusei stepped forward, into the flames, and waved one hand through them sharply. To Shippou?s horror, his foxfire dissipated like smoke, melting into the cold night air. Once again the Tatesei warriors approached Inuyasha, who by this time seemed to be in a very bad way. He no longer offered any protest, but stared up at them dully as they reached for him. ?DON?T TOUCH HIM!? Shippou howled, and launched himself at the nearest [i]hanryu[/i], sinking his needle-like fangs into the man?s outstretched hand as hard as he could. Swearing, the man began beating the Kitsune with his free fist. Yet Shippou alone could not hold ten men at bay. He was unable to prevent them from lifting the injured half-demon onto the crude travois, which they had fashioned by lashing their cloaks and spear-shafts together. Kirara turned slowly amid the circle of warriors, searching for an opening through which to break free of them. Yet her movements were growing sluggish, and her fierce eyes were taking on an odd, glazed look. ?Poison,? Sango told the warriors tersely as she yanked her Hiraikoutsu free of the frozen earth. ?From the herbs. She?ll drop soon. Then it will be safe for us to leave.? The warriors hoisted the travois up onto their shoulders, looking now to Irusei for the command to march. Irusei himself appeared to be in a bad way, looking quite pale and haggard. He turned toward Sango, glancing at her questioningly. ?I will go with you,? she told him grimly. Slowly, Kagome bent down so that one knee touched the snow, and one hand grasped hold of her bow. Slowly, she rose, her other hand moving mechanically to draw forth an arrow from the quiver strapped across her back. She was not sure whom she intended to shoot--the men surrounding Kirara or the men carrying Inuyasha...or Sango. In the end, she reined in her emotions and aimed for Irusei?s back. A firm hand caught the wrist notching the arrow and forced it to lower. ?No, Kagome,? Miroku whispered in her ear. ?It won?t help. We have to let them go.? Kagome glanced over her shoulder at him in outrage, attempting to wrench her wrist free of his strong grip. Blood was trickling down the right side of his face, from somewhere under his black hair. ?What are you SAYING?? she hissed. ?You want me to just LET them DO this?!? But the monk only wrapped his other arm tightly across her chest, effectively immobilizing her. ?We HAVE to let them GO,? he repeated, this time with peculiar emphasis on certain words, implying that he had a rational reason for preventing her from shooting. The man whom Shippou was biting caught the Kitsune in the forehead with his fist, knocking him aside into the snow. Kagome wasn?t the least bit inclined to listen to rationale right now. ?Let me GO!? she protested, kicking at his shins with her heels and thrashing against him. ?Let me GO!? Miroku refused to budge. Amid the ring of warriors, Kirara finally fell--dropping like a stone, her orange eyes already fallen shut before she hit the ground. Then, with Sango in their midst and Irusei limping along beside her, the [i]hanryu[/i] bore Inuyasha and their Seer away into the trees. Miroku held Kagome for a long time--until the warriors had long passed from view. When he finally released her, she turned and slapped him hard across the face. [/color] [center][color=green][b]{+} {+} {+}[/b][/color][/center] [color=purple]When the crunch of Tatesei boots in the snow had grown faint and ultimately vanished, Sesshoumaru stirred and pushed himself into a sitting position. ?Sesshoumaru-[i]sama[/i]!? Rin cried exultantly, flinging herself against his chest. The white demon caught hold of her and pushed her firmly to the side, peering off in the direction the [i]hanryu[/i] had taken. He was still unable to catch their scent over the sulfurous odor of the onsen, but he knew that once he left the garden he would be able to follow their trail from miles away. ?[i]They will lead me to the Dragon,[/i]? he thought, a slight smile playing upon his lips. ?Sesshoumaru-[i]sama[/i]!? The urgent note in Rin?s exclamation compelled him to tear his eyes away from the path his quarry had taken. The girl Kagome stood not ten feet away, with an arrow notched in her bow. Sesshoumaru knew her name--heaven knew Inuyasha could never seem to shut up about her. The arrow was aimed straight for his face. ?Stay back, Rin,? he murmured. The little girl obeyed, but she didn?t move far. As always, she was reluctant to leave him. Then his calm, cold gaze settled once again on the girl and her weapon. ?Kill me, and you will never see him alive again.? Tears streamed down Kagome?s face, but her expression was hard and determined. ?You would kill him yourself if you had the chance,? she snapped. ?This is YOUR fault.? Yet Sesshoumaru noted with satisfaction that she hesitated to shoot. He was no fool--he knew she was weak where Inuyasha was concerned. Love made her weak. ?I was preparing to fight the Tatesei, to prevent them from taking the Seer,? he told her icily. ?Then you came--of your own free will, with THEM. The moment Irusei learned that Inuyasha was a half-breed, he began summoning the Dragon?s fire into his hands. He would have killed Inuyasha immediately for the danger he posed, and I moved to destroy him before his flame could fully manifest.? Sesshoumaru paused, glancing away as if the rest were of no consequence. ?The [i]hanyou[/i] interfered, and so my sword tasted the blood of both.? ?Kagome...? The human monk that Inuyasha traveled with moved to stand beside her. He seemed unsteady on his feet, and kept rubbing at the side of his head. ?Doing this won?t help.? Sesshoumaru?s eyes narrowed--he had not considered the monk. If Miroku followed the Tatesei into the mountains to rescue Inuyasha, he could conceivably defeat the Dragon single-handedly by drawing it into his accursed hand. By every rationale, he knew he should kill the monk now, before such a risk could become possible. His eyes darted across the snow and he located Tokijin, which lay on the ground a good twenty feet away. Inuyasha?s blood, and Irusei?s, stained the surrounding snow crimson, yet the blade itself shone all the brighter. His enemies? blood never tainted Tokijin--the sword absorbed it hungrily. But there was also the chance that the monk would draw [i]him[/i] into the Wind Tunnel if he attacked them here... ?It may not help, but it?ll make me FEEL a lot better,? Kagome murmured. Yet if anything, her flow of tears increased, and Sesshoumaru knew that she wouldn?t shoot. ?I will pursue them into the mountains,? he told her coldly. It was not a lie. ?Inuyasha will not die by my hand.? This was not a lie, either. He was going to take the Dragon?s power--Inuyasha could live if he chose or die if he chose. ?[i]Father chose him[/i],? Sesshoumaru thought darkly, ?[i]but when I have become powerful beyond anything living on earth...that choice will no longer matter...?[/i]Then there came the twanging of a bow, and Kagome?s arrow shot forth. [/color] [center][color=green][b]END OF CHAPTER 11[/b][/color][/center] [color=gray][i]Yamisui: Tsk, tsk. There Sesshoumaru goes again; underestimating Ningen. [/i][/color] [color=gray][i]Author?s Note: ?Jyaki? refers to the aura given off by a demon?s power---not to be confused with ?kehai,? which is a more general term referring to the ?residue? left behind by any source of spiritual power. Uh...and if you don?t know what a chibi plushie is, well...it?s high time you visited an anime convention somewhere...[/i][/color] [center][color=green][b]{+} {+} {+} LORD OF THE WEST {+} {+} {+} {+} Chapter 12: A Thorn In His Side {+}[/b][/color][/center] [color=purple]He swam back toward consciousness through a sea of darkness. He heard voices speaking around him, and more than anything else his perception of the sound gradually returned awareness to his body. ?I tire of this, [i]Nee-chan[/i].? ?This is madness, and you know it.? The first speaker was a man; the second a woman whose voice trembled. Slowly, Inuyasha?s eyelids lifted. The travois that he lay upon had been set down upon a long, flat boulder still dripping with the snow melted by his captors? hands. They had bound him into the sling, which under ordinary circumstances would have been easy enough to remedy, but his body felt leaden and weak. Strangely enough, there was no pain, though he felt as if he could sleep for ages. ?Why do you fight this?? The man?s voice was low with anger. ?You shouldn?t deny what you are.? Inuyasha rolled his head to the side. The world spun crazily as he did so, but after a moment his eyes regained their focus and he saw the woman wringing her hands. There was something inherently pathetic and wretched about the gesture. Even if she was opposing the man?s agenda, she probably wasn?t going to be of much help. Escape, of course, was Inuyasha?s first priority. ?I am human,? the woman insisted in a low voice. ?You are the one who has forgotten what you are.? She caught sight of Inuyasha staring at her and quickly looked away. Inuyasha recalled hazily that this was the Seer, whom Irusei and his men had stolen back from Sesshoumaru. Seeing her conscious for the first time, he noticed that her eyes were the same fathomless black as the rest of the [i]hanryu[/i]. She was definitely not going to be of any help... He felt his clothing shift and turned his head to gaze upward. Above him the sky was so thickly blanketed with clouds that it was starless. Then he saw a familiar face illuminated in the light from a nearby fire; Sango, bending over him. ?Sango...? he rasped. A thousand questions flooded Inuyasha?s mouth, but for some reason his tongue felt thick and leaden and he couldn?t form the words. Without replying, she unfastened the ties of his [i]haori [/i]and shifted it aside. Beneath it he could feel her shifting aside the bandages that someone had wrapped around his ribs where Sesshoumaru had stabbed him. When she probed the site of the wound he grimaced, expecting pain, but to his surprise there was none. Sango peered down at his chest, pursing her lips and frowning. ?Already closed,? she murmured, and then she replaced the bandages and re-fastened his [i]haori[/i]. Inuyasha recalled the excruciating sensation of Tokijin impaling him in the gut and shook his head. He had never healed so swiftly after such a serious wound before; this made no sense. ?How?? he whispered. For the first time, Sango looked him full in the face. There was no pity and no remorse for what she?d done to be seen. More than the harsh winter air, this chilled Inuyasha to the bone. ?The Dragon,? Sango said, answering his question. ?It?s in your blood, also. The Dragon?s awakening has made us all stronger than we were.? Inuyasha--who had considered himself to be pretty damned strong before all of this--begged to differ. Yet he was also somewhat unnerved, because it had scarcely occurred to him that he was a [i]hanryu[/i] as well. Sango busied herself for a minute with some task that he couldn?t see, and he blinked repeatedly, trying to get the world to stand still when he moved his head. After a while, he noticed the demon-slayer regarding him intently. She no longer wore her Hiraikoutsu, and over her regular clothes she wore a green cloak whose edges were embroidered with the Tatesei crest. With her strange eyes and the hood pulled over her hair to keep her head warm, Inuyasha barely recognized her. ?You don?t feel the Dragon?s calling at all, do you?? she asked him quietly. Inuyasha merely scowled at her. Correctly interpreting this as a ?no,? Sango answered her own question. ?I didn?t think so. It must be your Youkai blood that holds the Dragon?s at bay. But the fact that you?ve healed so quickly is a sure sign that both are present in you.? Sango paused, gazing off into the darkness of the surrounding trees without really seeing them. ?I wasn?t wrong,? she said, more to herself than to him. Inuyasha shifted his left hand experimentally, and found to his dismay that his sword was no longer fastened at his waist. ?Tetsusaiga,? he said in a low voice. ?Let me go and give me Tetsusaiga, and I?ll put a stop to this.? Sango glanced down at him sharply; the hanyou was beginning to test the strength of the rope securing him to the travois. ?The herb is wearing off,? she observed. Then she held up her handiwork: a stone bowl full of purple-veined leaves, which she had been grinding into pulp with a blunt rock. Inuyasha flashed her some fang. ?HELL NO!? he protested vehemently. ?So THAT?S it, eh? Well, no more of THAT shit...? Sango, of course, paid this little heed. She even went so far as to roll her eyes, which made her look a bit more like her old self. But she pinched a dollop of the stuff between her thumb and forefinger and leaned over him again, clearly intending to force the drug on him. ?I?ll bite,? Inuyasha warned, baring his fangs (which made him look rather like a deranged puppy). Sango eyed him narrowly for a moment, and then produced a stick with thorns on it. She broke off one of the longer ones and dipped it in the gook between her fingers. Inuyasha stared at it hostilely, but he was still too weak from its previous effects to free himself. Sango took a firm hold of his hand with one of hers, and then proceeded to draw the thorn down the inside of his wrist. Inuyasha reacted violently, and the claws of that hand raked across the demon-slayer?s arm almost out of reflex. Sango withdrew hastily, clutching at her wrist, but Inuyasha could tell he?d reacted too late. Apparently the herb acted extremely quickly because he hadn?t even felt the sting of the thorn-scratch. A queer, liquid numbness was already creeping along his arm. It spread to his shoulder, and then branched off spider-like in all directions down his body. While Sango scooped the rest of the herbs into a small pouch, Inuyasha struggled desperately to stay alert by talking. ?Why are you REALLY doing this, Sango?? he asked, managing to turn his head sideways to watch her. ?If the Seer can fight it, why can?t YOU?? The demon-slayer fastened the pouch into a larger one at her side, and then lifted her elbow for him to see. She peeled back the sleeve, and together they watched a thin line of blood trickle down her pale forearm to drip onto the snow. ?We?re all born with a destiny, Inuyasha,? Sango told him. ?Some people say it?s written in the stars, or in the human heart. The Tatesei know it to be ingrained in the blood. Irusei knew this--that was why the Dragon chose him to lead us. He embraced what he truly was when the rest of us were too afraid of losing what we thought we were.? She broke off this peculiar speech with a shrug of her slender shoulders. ?Humans are weak and selfish creatures. The [i]hanryu [/i]are merely humans striving to be something more.? Inuyasha?s lip curled in disgust. ?You sound like Sesshoumaru,? he grumbled. Sango rose to her feet, a vague half-smile on her lips. But as she turned away, Inuyasha thought he saw the smile fade into an expression of worry. ?[i]Something about my mentioning Sesshoumaru?s name upset her[/i],? the hanyou thought. He tried to think more about why this could possibly be, but the blood to his brain had slowed and thinking was hard. Sango moved off somewhere beyond his field of vision, and after a moment he heard her conferring with Irusei in low, serious tones. [i]Since when did those two get so chummy?[/i] Inuyasha wondered groggily. Then gray fog rolled in through his brain, and for a while he drifted in an uneasy drugged sleep. When he awoke, it was to the sound of footsteps approaching where he lay.[/color] [center][color=green][b]{+} {+} {+}[/b][/color][/center] [color=purple]The arrow cut a brilliant path through the cold air between the archer and the white demon. Her aim was too straight for it to arc and descend; instead it shot straight forward. There was such power behind the blow that the air surrounding it sizzled. The arrow struck the ground, where Sesshoumaru?s left arm would have been had he still possessed a left arm. It pierced the empty white sleeve instead, sinking into the earth beside his body. A brief pulse of light burst outward from the shaft, scorching the side of Sesshoumaru?s [i]haori [/i]and melting all the snow within a one-foot radius of it. The Inu Youkai actually flinched as he felt the heat from it on the flesh over his ribs. Kagome froze with her left arm still crooked in the position from which she released the shaft. The other hand clenched the bow and held it aloft, and her face had taken on very hard, unyielding expression that caused her to bear an eerie resemblance to Kikyou. Sesshoumaru?s face registered surprise, and then hardened into anger like water into ice. He wanted to kill her; Kagome could see it in his eyes. Yet Miroku hovered behind her protectively, and she sensed that the Inu Youkai wasn?t going to try anything when she had the Wind Tunnel on her side. She stepped forward boldly, her foot crunching in the snow. She was through being afraid of him, and through being afraid of the Dragon and its children. There was only one thing now that she had room in her heart to fear, and all else she shoved aside. ?I don?t care if you hate him,? Kagome said in a low voice, finally lowering the bow. ?Hate me instead, if you want. But right now only you can get to him fast enough to stop whatever they?re planning to do with him.? Slowly, Sesshoumaru pushed himself up on one elbow and sat up. Rin clung so tightly to his shoulder that he couldn?t shake her off easily. The little girl?s eyes were wide and frightened, but it seemed she refused to run away and leave her...whatever he was to her...alone. Kagome knew that Sesshoumaru was too proud to use Rin as a shield. Shaken as she was by all that had happened, she couldn?t help being touched by the girl?s devotion. If it were her, and he were Inuyasha, she would?ve done the same. The white demon rose to his feet without taking his yellow eyes off Kagome. His hair and white[i] haori[/i] were soaked with melted snow, and his right sleeve was soaked with blood. ?I will go,? he said quietly. ?You may be sure of that.? Rin?s gaze was trained on him as she clung to the leg of his pants. ?Don?t go, Sesshoumaru[i]-sama[/i],? she pleaded. ?Suiton-[i]sama[/i] warned you!? Sesshoumaru spared the child a brief glance. ?Go to the castle, Rin,? he ordered. ?Stay there with Jakken. If the Tatesei intrude there, go to the caves below the garden?s western wall.? Kagome?s eyes narrowed. ?[i]Caves?[/i]? she thought in confusion. ?[i]Inuyasha never mentioned any caves... He must not have known about them, or he would have taken THAT route when he went to take the shard back from Sesshoumaru...?[/i] Kagome opened her mouth to speak, but fell silent when Miroku squeezed her left hand in warning. In the meantime, Sesshoumaru seemed to feel he had said all that was necessary. He turned away from Rin and tilted back his head, breathing in the air of the surrounding night. Then his eyes narrowed; he had caught the scent. Without another word to Kagome, Sesshoumaru began to walk softly across the trampled snow, in the direction that the [i]hanryu[/i] had taken Inuyasha. Kagome watched him heading toward the trees with great misgivings. The snow was beginning to fall heavier between them, and the air seemed to have grown even colder in the short span of an hour. It was nothing to the chill that suddenly gripped Kagome?s heart. Her pack lay in the snow a few yards away; now she hurried over to it and pulled the zipper open. She had to fumble a bit; her hands were numb, and the metal teeth on the zipper were part-way frozen. Miroku put a steady hand on her shoulder. ?Kagome-[i]sama[/i], what are you--?? ?The map,? she mumbled, unrolling it and squinting in the faint light. ?I have to see...? And she saw. ?No...? Kagome breathed. On the map, nothing had changed. The mountain Reiyama was gone, and the city of Reiyama was marked as the capitol. She had changed nothing. ?Sesshoumaru!? she cried, standing up and shaking Miroku?s hand off her shoulder. The white demon stood on the edge of the clearing, but a few footsteps short of vanishing into the shadow-laden wood beyond. He paused, angling one baleful eye over his shoulder. Kagome stumbled forward a few steps, and sinking up to her knees into a drift of snow that had somehow escaped being trampled in the previous melee. Then she stopped dead in her tracks. The rational part of her mind told her that increasing her physical proximity to the white demon wasn?t exactly going to improve things. ?Sesshoumaru!? Kagome called from where she stood. ?You ARE going after the Tatesei to kill the Dragon...aren?t you? You?ll stop them...?? Sesshoumaru didn?t answer. He turned away from her completely, and a sudden wind arose, stirring his hair. In a split second?s passage, his body was bathed in light. The light engulfed him, obscuring his form until he no longer resembled a man at all. Then he moved swiftly into the forest. Kagome hurried to the edge of the clearing, peering into the wooded darkness until the white demon?s light had darted too deep into the shadows for the eye to follow. ?Lady Kagome?? Miroku had followed her and now stood by her side. Kagome felt herself start to sink toward the ground. [i]?My legs...they won?t support me![/i]? she thought numbly. [i]?Why didn?t he ANSWER??[/i] Fortunately, Miroku caught her gently by the elbow and held her upright. ?You did the right thing,? he assured her, but his gaze was also drawn toward the direction in which Sesshoumaru had vanished. ?No...I didn?t,? Kagome murmured, distractedly brushing the snow out of her eyes. ?I?ve just sent Sesshoumaru to the place where the Dragon is. The mountain Reiyama is where he and Inuyasha are supposed to die.? She clapped a hand to her mouth, fighting to keep the tears from spilling because they would only freeze on her cheeks. ?How could I not have realized? I should have shot him when I had the chance...? Miroku shook his head. ?You aren?t a killer, Kagome,? he said reasonably. ?Even though it took courage to place your faith in someone like him...? ?But...it hasn?t changed anything,? Kagome said faintly. ?Look at the map.? Gently, the monk took the map from her near-nerveless fingers and squinted at it. Then he sighed. ?I know it doesn?t seem like things have improved, but consider this: the map looks the same as it did [i]before[/i] you spared Sesshoumaru and sent him after Inuyasha.? Kagome heard Shippou moan and begin to stir. As she turned and walked toward him, she asked Miroku, ?What exactly do you mean?? The Kitsune was half-buried in the snow and looked rather pale, but when Kagome bent and picked him up he opened his eyes. Miroku, in the meantime, moved over to examine Kirara, who lay utterly motionless. ?What I mean is that what you did just now hasn?t changed things for the worse,? the monk said, kneeling and pressing his palms gently against Kirara?s massive chest. ?And who knows? Maybe you [i]have[/i] changed things for the better, regardless of whether the mountain will be destroyed.? He looked up, peering at Kagome over the top of Kirara?s side. ?She?s breathing.? ?Thank goodness,? Kagome murmured, clutching Shippou tightly against her. ?Ow--not so tight,? the Kitsune mumbled as she hugged him. ?I?m not a [i]chibi [/i]plushie.? ?You?re sort of drawn like one, though,? Miroku remarked from behind Kirara. He was probing the side of his head gently with one hand. ?Sorry, Shippou,? Kagome apologized, managing a weak smile. ?Hey, Miroku, Sa--the [i]hanryu[/i] drugged Kirara, right? Can you use your power to reverse the drug?s effects?? Miroku stopped rubbing at the sore spot on his head and bent nearer to the cat-demon. Reaching a hand under the bandages on Kirara?s side, he produced a torn bit of one of the herbs Sango had used to subdue her. This he crushed between his thumb and forefinger, and then sniffed at it tentatively. ?It?s not really a poison,? he told Kagome. ?I?ve seen healers use this herb before to induce sleep. It?s used in extreme cases, where a person is in great pain.? He frowned down at the purple stain on his fingers. ?In fact, it can wear off in as little as an hour.? Kagome lowered her head, smiling a little. ?[i]Maybe there?s hope for Sango after all... She wouldn?t kill Kirara; maybe she?ll protect Inuyasha?s life as well...?[/i] ?Hey, [i]houshi-sama[/i], can you do anything to speed up the process?? Shippou asked. Now that Kagome was no longer squeezing him so tightly, the fact that she held him close in her arms seemed to be a comfort to him. Slowly, Miroku nodded. He placed both palms on the flesh over Kirara?s heart with the fingers turned inward toward each other. For a moment, he went utterly still and nothing happened. Then, abruptly, his face tightened with extreme concentration. Kagome could literally see the[i] ki[/i] he was focusing through his arms into Kirara?s flesh. Regardless of what flesh barred her view of the physical, with her inherent [i]miko?s[/i] abilities she could see the blue lines running through his body, through which light coursed like blood. Bathed in the light of his spiritual power, Miroku looked rather beautiful. It was the only time, Kagome supposed, that he had anything to do with purity. The glow spread from his palms through Kirara?s body, the majority of it pooling around her heart. Her heartbeat began to gain speed, pushing the purer blood through her arteries to overwhelm the poison. Then she began to stir. She lifted her head, and her orange eyes rolled sideways to the monk kneeling at her side. With a sigh, he removed his hands, giving her a wan smile. ?We must wait for her to regain her strength before we move out,? Miroku called to Kagome over the Youkai?s prone body. ?Her speed will more than make up for the wait.? Kagome nodded somberly. Her heart was urging her to go Right Now, but she had already noticed the snowfall increasing, and didn?t want to end up stuck waist-deep in it an hour later. Miroku seemed to be thinking along the same lines. He stood up slowly, brushing the snow off his head and turning his face skyward. ?I think we?ll have to move out soon, though,? he remarked. ?This may turn into a storm.? Kagome set Shippou down and followed the monk?s gaze, shielding her eyes with the flat of her hand. Thick clouds roiled overhead?the sort of clouds they had seen filling the sky in response to an epicenter of [i]jyaki[/i]. ?[i]Can it be that the Dragon?s jyaki is drawing the storm toward Reiyama Mountain?[/i]? she wondered. ?[i]But that doesn?t sound right. The Dragon isn?t a Youkai; if that dream I had was correct the dragon gives off a very different kind of aura. And also...the hanryu don?t give off jyaki, either. So then WHAT--?[/i]? ?Kirara!? Kagome turned at the sound of Shippou?s joyful cry to see that the demon-cat had risen to her feet and was shaking the snow off her pelt. ?I?m glad you?re all right,? Kagome told Kirara, walking over and hugging her neck. ?Now let?s go find Inuyasha.? The demon-cat growled a fierce and unmistakable agreement, and her three companions moved toward her to climb onto her back. Kagome was the last to mount, with the aid of Miroku?s extended hand. She hesitated a moment, glancing at the sky over the mountain in the distance. Those clouds were being drawn by some spiritual force--that fact was undeniable. ?Shippou, I?m sorry but I?ll need you to transform into a coat,? Kagome said. Solemnly, the Kitsune nodded and began the spell to alter his shape. ?We?re going be hard-pressed to stay warm,? Miroku observed, also still eyeing the clouds. ?They may be drawn to the mountain by supernatural forces, but they?re still full of snow. I have the horrible feeling we?re about to head into some very harsh weather.?[/color] [center][color=green][b]{+} {+} {+}[/b][/color][/center] [color=purple]Inuyasha awoke to the sound of soft footsteps approaching, and then to a cool hand on his brow. He opened his eyes and found himself staring up into a woman?s face, partially concealed in shadow by the hood she wore low over her forehead. ?Sango?? he muttered. ?No...more...fucking...thorns...? His tongue felt thick and spongy--no doubt an aftereffect of the herbs. The woman made no reply. Instead she pressed her palm more firmly against his face, and her mouth compressed into a grim line. ?What is it, Suiton?? a man?s voice asked sharply. ?What do you See?? Amid his blurred peripheral vision Inuyasha could see the shapes of two other figures looming behind her bent head. The man was Irusei and the one beside him was Sango--his [i]hanyou[/i] nose told him this much, though his other senses were dulled. ?[i]But who?s this woman?[/i]? he wondered hazily. ?[i]And what do they want her to see??[/i] And then, even through the drug, he felt her touching his mind. It was a subtle thing, not an active invasion. She was not delving into his brain; it was as if the mere touch of her hand on his flesh was drawing his secrets out of him through her skin. [i]?Or through her BLOOD...[/i]? Inuyasha realized. The herb seemed to be wearing off again; the fog was lifting and his thoughts were coming quicker. ?[i]This is the woman the Tatesei call the Seer, and she?s a hanryu. Somehow the Dragon?s blood works differently in her, so she can see the future...?[/i] ?The pearl on the left,? she answered, in a low voice. Irusei knelt beside her, peering at her through narrow black eyes. [i]?He looks pale[/i],? Inuyasha noticed as his eyes focused on the man?s face. Sweat was beaded there, though the temperature of the air was near to freezing. [i]?His wound, maybe??[/i] As if in confirmation of Inuyasha?s guess, the Tatesei warrior held one hand pressed against his middle. ?What does it mean, ?the pearl on the left??? Irusei asked his sister. The Seer removed her hand from Inuyasha?s brow, frowning. ?It?s a riddle,? she told the hanryu warrior. ?But he knows the answer already. The ?pearl? is really a mote of demon-crafted magic, hidden in his left eye.? [i]?I?d forgotten that,[/i]? Inuyasha thought. ?[i]How on earth did she remember it FOR me?[/i]? ?The first Lord of the West ordered it made and inserted into his son?s eye to allow him passage into the land of the dead. But that event is past; the [i]hanyou[/i] has already used it once to retrieve the heirloom sword Tetsusaiga. It cannot be used again for such a purpose.? Irusei sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger. ?Then what is the use of the pearl now?? he demanded wearily. ?We could spend a month scouring the mountainside in search of the Dragon--time in which Asano-[i]o-sama[/i] may rally a force to oppose us. Time in which the monk with the void-magic in his hand may gather support of his own from elsewhere... If the [i]hanyou [/i]is ?the key,? I have yet to see proof of it.? Squatting on her heels a little ways behind Irusei, Sango was unusually quiet. Inuyasha saw the Seer?s face grow tense as she bent over him again. One dark lock of hair fell forward across her throat. Again she laid her small hand upon his brow, and Inuyasha understood that she was doing this against her will. [i]?Pathetic woman[/i],? he thought sourly. ?[i]She doesn?t want to, but she?s too afraid to stand up to her brother.?[/i] ?The pearl was like an imprinted map,? the Seer murmured, ?connecting his soul to the site of his father?s remains in the otherworld. Namely, it drew him to the sword he inherited--Tetsusaiga, which was forged combining a sword-smith?s magic...and also the blood of his father, the Inu no Taishou. That is the pearl?s purpose--to draw him toward places or things possessing his father?s imprint. The sword Tetsusaiga was imprinted because it was forged from the Inu no Taishou?s own fang...and the seal placed on the Dragon is imprinted, because it was sealed with the Inu no Taishou?s own blood.? Irusei?s black eyes widened. ?Ahhh,? he breathed, peering shrewdly at Inuyasha?s face. ?Then it is [i]here[/i]...? He reached one calloused finger toward Inuyasha?s left eye. Inuyasha growled low in his throat, and screwed the eye shut to keep the [i]hanryu[/i] from touching it. ?Sango, the drug is wearing off,? Irusei said without turning around. ?You can?t activate the imprinted magic by removing the eye,? Sango informed him. ?He told me once how it was done, but I seriously doubt that would work for us. Lord Sesshoumaru did it.? Irusei withdrew his hand. Glaring up at his captors, Inuyasha thanked his lucky stars individually and by name that he had told Sango about the pearl on the left. The heads of both [i]hanryu[/i] warriors turned toward the Seer in unison. ?Sister,? Irusei said softly. Inuyasha detected an underlying warning in the young man?s soft tone. The Seer flinched as if she were afraid her brother would strike her, even though he merely regarded her steadily with his hands resting in his lap. Slowly and mechanically, the woman?s cowled head turned toward the hanyou on the travois. ?There is a way,? she whispered. ?I can draw the magic out.?[/color]

*is eminently flattered to be noticed* :animeshy: Okay, here are the links to my Inufics: [URL=http://www.fanfiction.net/s/1623636/1/]The Bearers of the Shards[/URL] [URL=http://www.fanfiction.net/s/1763293/1/]Lord of the West[/URL] (sequel)