Disclaimer: All things InuYasha belong to Takahashi Rumiko.

First one-shot!


Ponder

The night was calm. The moon cast it's bright rays upon leaf-bare branches, creating harsh thin shadows on snow-covered ground. A sort of peace seemed to exist in the air. No battles would be fought this night.

A stray wind caressed the woods, and wisps of fine silver hair lifted in turn. Golden eyes shot open.

It was time.

Nary a flake was stirred as the being rose from his resting place against his tree. He spared a glance at his companions that huddled together near a dying fire. A log was grabbed from a nearby woodpile, a fire was stirred, and a small child was wrapped tighter before the man melted into the surrounding darkness.

He was a phantom; such was his silent ghosting over the snow, a dark flitting through burdened trees. A solemn howl rose in the distance, but he paid no mind. An owl hooted as he passed, but again, he paid no mind. Such was his focus.

The man was flying over the landscape. Darkness and the navy of the night blended until he could distinguish no more between the two. The moon rose higher.

Shadows stretched as he grew closer to his destination. A distant glow could be seen in the mix of woods. Laughter could now be heard. Golden eyes narrowed as he shifted his weight, and suddenly he was one with the branches. Faces could now be picked out. He stopped, and observed.

A similar looking boy to his own sat grumpily in a tree, and shouted something unimportant to the others below before resting. A group of sighs whispered into the interloper's ears. The buzz of conversation dimmed. A monk and a woman whispered fiercely to each other before they too, joined the similar boy. A pleasant voice said her evening tidings and his attention shifted swiftly. This was the one he had come for.

An insignificant kit had snuggled with her in a strange tarp. They lay harmlessly upon the snow, yet seemed unaffected by the chill. The homely-looking woman was relaxed and defenseless. A few minutes passed as he silently waited for sleep to overtake them. He then took his chance.

The branch bobbled slightly as his weight left it. It settled long after he had reached his place at the woman's side. Dispassionate golds watched as the breath left her mouth in long puffs. Her brow seemed wrinkled in worry as she drew the child closer.

A mystery it was, why she had the kit. One that added onto others he had discovered about her. She was an enigma that called out to him- had since the incident with the object that currently rested against the hip of the boy in the tree.

He resumed his silent staring, and he supposed that if he stared long enough that all would become known. Of course, that wasn't to mean it would happen this night. He lingered for but a moment or two before the clearing became devoid of the second silver-haired man. Finer though, his was.

He once again cloaked himself with the navys and the darks and ghosted his phantomly self back. No hoots nor howls were heard, but it wasn't as though he'd pay any mind to them anyway.

He returned empty-thoughted, and glanced at his huddling companions. A log was grabbed, a fire was stirred, and a child was wrapped before he retired to his burdened tree. His mind drifted to the puzzling woman for but a brief moment. He then decided he'd puzzled enough and golden eyes snapped shut. He would leave that for another time.

After all, he had another night to ponder.


Well, that was fun. My brain decided it would dump this idea on me at one in the morning. Hope you enjoyed reading this. I still don't know what to feel about it. I should probably sleep now, being that it's half past two.

Good night.