Land of the Ravens

Chapter 2: Realization

Disclaimer: Inu-yasha does not belong to me…I thought we already covered this?

It was getting late, and Inu-taisho was beginning to think about the scene that he had witnessed in the Raven-Lord's garden earlier that day. He sighed, and sat down on the edge of his bed. "Why is this so hard? It's obvious who she prefers." Inu-taisho jumped when both of his sons burst through the door, at each others' thoughts. 'Glad to see that some things will never change.'

"May I inquire as to why the two of you broke a perfectly good door?" Inu-taisho asked calmly, 'they are always like this, why get worked up over it?' he thought as he simply pulled the two of them apart. "May I ask what started this?" Sesshomaru growled and glared at his younger half-brother, "He said that Yuka was going to refuse my offer…" Inu-taisho smiled at his sons' apparent distress. "That will be her decision."

XDXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXDX

Yuka was sitting on a marble bench, beside a small pond filled with Koi fish. "Is something wrong?" Yuka jumped when her father spoke, she had not noticed his presence. Yuka turned to glare at her father, "Leave me alone Rai!" He sighed when he noticed that she was serious. As Rai turned to leave he stopped and looked at one of the trees, "Hello, Sesshomaru"

Yuka froze, and a drop of sweat rolled down the side of her face. Rai chuckled at the look on her face, and walked away. "I apologize for the intrusion, but I needed to speak with you." Sesshomaru said as he came out from behind one of the Sakura trees. Yuka's surprise turned to fury, "How long were you watching me?" Sesshomaru walked closer and sat down beside her on the bench, "not long, I followed your father." Yuka let out a surprised laugh, and turned to look at him. She froze, caught in Sesshomaru's gaze; her body was no longer listening to her. Yuka wanted to run, but her body simply refused to budge.

Sesshomaru didn't want to move, he had never been able to get this close to Yuka. He couldn't look away, her strange eyes that seemed to change colors depending on her mood, were now a silvery-grey. Her black hair had a red shine in the fading sunlight. Sesshomaru tried to suppress a growl when he noticed that Yuka was shivering, he wrapped his tail around her thinking that she might be cold.

Yuka was confused, she had convinced herself that she loved Inu-yasha, yet here she was with Sesshomaru, and oddly it felt right. Yuka hadn't noticed that she was shivering, until she felt Sesshomaru wrap his tail around her. Safe, she felt as if nothing would be able to hurt her again.

The sun was beginning to set, when Sesshomaru finally reached over to pick her up. Yuka had dozed off almost as soon as she got warm, and Sesshomaru had stayed with her. It was late by the time he got back to the palace, and Yuka was still asleep.

Yuka's bedroom door had been sealed to prevent unwelcome guests, so he went ahead and took her into his room. He walked in and closed the door; Sesshomaru placed Yuka on his futon and waited for her to awaken. Yuka began to stir after a few moments, Sesshomaru could no longer help himself, and he leaned over and kissed her on the lips.

Yuka opened her violet eyes as Sesshomaru sat up, "what..?" He smiled, and crawled onto the futon beside her. "I was wondering if you would awaken, or if you were going to be spending the rest of the night with me. " Yuka blushed, as Sesshomaru got closer and wrapped his tail around her for the second time that night. "You were not this shy earlier. " He said, while pulling her closet to him. Yuka hesitated for a moment, before turning to face him. Sesshomaru placed his hands on her shoulders, and rolled on top of her. "Have you thought about my offer? " He asked, kissing her neck all the while.

Yuka tried to push him away, but he only tightened his grip and began to run his fangs along the side of her neck. After a while Sesshomaru began to lightly nip at the juncture where her neck and shoulder met.

Inu-taisho was walking around in the halls and noticed light coming under Sesshomaru's door, "He finally came back." As he got closer to the door he caught Yuka's scent, and her froze. 'She's in heat…shit…' Inu-taisho thought to himself as he opened his sons' door. Inu-taisho stopped dead in his tracks when he noticed how his eldest son was acting, he had been so angry that he hadn't noticed that Inu-yasha was standing right behind him.

Yuka was the first to notice that they were being watched, and shoved Sesshomaru in the chest as hard as she could and yelled in his ear, "MOVE!" Inu-taisho managed to get Sesshomaru's attention with a growl, but jumped when he heard another growl behind him. He turned to look and saw that Inu-yasha's eyes were shading red, and he was almost at his breaking point. "Calm down" Inu-taisho stated, before turning back to face Sesshomaru.

Sesshomaru had managed to calm himself, and was now standing at the opposite side of the room, waiting for his father's wrath. He could not make himself look at Yuka, not after what he had almost done to her. For the first time in years, Sesshomaru whimpered, "I'm sorry, Yuka..!"

XDXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXDX

The next day…

Xdxdxdxdxdxdxdxdxddxdxdxdxdxdxdxddxddxdxddxddxddxddxddxddxddxdxdddxddxddxdxddxdxdxdxddx

The weather had changed for the worse, a severe thunder-storm blocked out the sun in mere moments. Yuka didn't like storms and was easily frightened by the sudden explosive sounds of thunder. "MAKE IT STOP!" Yuka screamed, from behind one of the more ornate wall scrolls in the main room, as a flash of lightning lit up the sky closely followed by a loud roar of thunder. The storm was right on top of them, and Rai had never seen his daughter in such a state of panic.

Sesshomaru was as close to Yuka as he could get, worried that her stress might cause her to faint. Inu-yasha began to watch his brother closely, looking for any reason to attack. "Yuka, I think the worst part of the storm is over, why not come out of your hiding spot?" Inu-taisho asked as gently as he could muster. He had learned one very important thing the first day that he met Yuka, when she was frightened to coo to her like a baby.

Yuka let out a frightened whimper, and shrank closer back against the wall, "I'd rather stay put, but thanks for asking…" She was close to hysterics, and knew that she might attack someone if they got too close. "Yuka," Inu-taisho cooed, edging closer to her hiding place, "the storm isn't going to hurt you." Yuka let out a short startled laugh, "You would be surprised what a storm can do." Inu-taisho inched closer to the side of the wall scroll, "Yuka, do you want me to come after you?" Yuka let out a startled growl when she looked toward the sound of his voice and noticed how close he was, but it was too late.

Inu-taisho made eye-contact with Sesshomaru, who just happened to be the closest to the other side, and nodded. Sesshomaru understood what his father was hinting at, and they both lunged at their side of the scroll. Yuka squeaked in surprise, ducked under them both, and bolted down a stairwell that led into the wine cellar. Inu-yasha and Rai were right at Yuka's heals, until in her panicked state, she tripped and knocked over a guard that had chanced a nap in a doorway.

The guard quickly regained his footing, and caught Yuka before she hit the ground. As Rai and Inu-yasha got closer, they noticed that she had fainted. Rai recognized the tiger-demon as Yuka's personal bodyguard, and nearly laughed when he saw the confusion on his face. "Nothing to worry about, "Rai assured the guard, "the storm spooked her." He continued as the tiger-demon gave him a doubtful look. Inu-yasha walked over and reached to take Yuka away from the guard, but jumped back when he was issued a warning growl. "Inu-yasha this is Rikku, he is Yuka's personal body guard, Rikku this is Inu-yasha, one of the western lords sons." Rai quickly introduced the two, so that there would be no misunderstandings.

Rikku regained his soldiers' posture and relinquished Yuka to Inu-yasha, "Apologies, I simply worry about her." Rikku growled, before saluting and walking away. Inu-yasha watched him walk to the other side of the cellar, when he blinked the old soldier was gone. Inu-yasha carried Yuka back to the main room, with Rai close behind. Inu-taisho and Sesshomaru were talking beside one of the windows, but quickly noticed the still form in Inu-yasha's arms. "Hmm, the storm still bothers her, even in rest." Inu-taisho said, placing some pillows on the floor. Sesshomaru walked over and snatched Yuka out on Inu-yasha's arms before he could react, and placed her on the pillows. Rai removed his black cape, and used it to cover Yuka like a blanket. Yuka sighed and slipped further into sleep.

DXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXDX

Dreaming…

She was in a light purple kimono, walking through a field of flowers, on the other end of the field, Yuka noticed a large Raven watching her. As she walked closer to the Raven, its shape began to blur. She was now looking at a mirror image of herself, startled brown eyes staring into the depths of angered ice-blue. "You killed mother, you don't deserve love." The ice-blue said, smirking at the meek brown. "Not my fault" Yuka whispered, looking down. The Ice-blue laughed, "Yes it is, if you had never been born mother would still be alive!" Yuka glanced over her shoulder, sensing another presence in the area. Rai stood at the other end of the field, glaring at her, "The sooner that you are married off the better!"

Yuka gasped, and sat up. Startled to find that she was in the main room, she noticed that the storm had ended. Yuka looked around and noticed also that she was not alone. Sesshomaru was standing by a window, Inu-yasha was dozing by the fireplace, and Inu-taisho was in a corner speaking in whispers to Rai. Yuka sighed and tried to stand, but let out a moan of pain when she noticed her swollen ankle. Sesshomaru turned from the window and walked over to her side, and extended his hand. "Let me help" He said, bending his knees so that it would be easier for Yuka to reach him. Yuka took his hand, and stood only to find that the pain was too much for her and sat back down again. Rai glanced over the western lords' shoulder and smiled, everything was going according to the plan.

XDXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXDX

Hope you guys enjoyed this!XP Is it long enough or would you like more? The chapters I mean. Well, please review!!!XD

CLICK THE PRETTY BUTTON!!

(Black Secret)- You're on crack!

(Saraiyu Karan)- - who me?

(Black Secret)- Gah! Please review..!