Ebony to Blue Seasons

Ah, I must thank the lovely Gabriella Temperance for the reminder and adorable wording in asking me to update this fanfiction. I admit, I truly have been lazy but now that I choose to write more, I feel it is a lovely break from the common stress called my life.

So as always my wonderful readers, please enjoy this update!

Reviews are welcomed and appreciated! ^^

Jazzy xoxo 3

Chapter 2

The air was less salty, more soft, damp and refreshing. The hanyou felt his chest become lighter, his eyes finally released themselves to the white mist while he stretched his stiff shoulders. Giving a small yawn the hanyou reached out his hand and tapped the naked shoulder belonging to Kenichi. "E," the bear demon mumbled, wondering what had caught the youngster's attention.

Nudging his head in the direction of the boatman; who quietly steered the two passengers through a never ending mist, ignorant of the world around him, Inuyasha whispered to Kenichi.

"That boatman, I sense something auspicious about his behaviour."

Kenichi wanted to make a humorous remark at Inuyasha's sudden extensive vocabulary. However, knowing it would do no good for the two to have a sudden brawl, Kenichi swallowed the yearn and nodded his agreement at the hanyou's statement. He too had also been weary of the boatman; his deep black eyes watching the ningen's every move. If the boatman were to become suspicious, it would not do any favours for the two of them.

Having formed a plan within the base of his mind, Kenichi whispered back and quietly grasped the hanyou into an apparent, affectionate embrace. The boatman, feeling the sudden movement as the two embraced, peeped at both Inuyasha and Kenichi. With wide eyes the boatman quickly turned his head back around and faced nothing in particular, disgusted by what he had witnessed. Laughing inwardly, Kenichi moved his mouth towards the hanyou's soft, white ear.

"Now that we have lost the attention of our fellow boatman, tell me Inuyasha, what have you noticed about the one who travels us across this dark water?"

Inuyasha held his breath. Kenichi was very close and for some odd, unexplainable reason, Inuyasha felt that it was different to Kagome's soft embrace, different to Kyoto's gentle, loving and arousing touch. Feeling the blood flow to his cheeks, Inuyasha twitched his ears.

Kenichi nearly doubled over with amazement at the sight before him; this was certainly odd behaviour for the second son of Inutaishou. It was as if the boy had never been embraced by an adult male before. In realisation, Kenichi's thoughts had been correct. The history of Inuyasha's life not exactly appealing nor friendly. Shaking his head to remove his mind of unnecessary thoughts, the bear youkai patiently awaited the hanyou's response.

"The boatman, when we first arrived, he had been eyeing a strange pendant, in fact it looked quite similar to the pendant my mother gave me after she passed."

Inuyasha reached into the large red sleeve of his haori and pulled out an exact replication of the pendant to which the boatman had fondled over.

Observing it Kenichi frowned, "It's a jade pendant, if I remember correctly, it looks similar to the one your father had been given by his own father."

Blinking briefly at the mention of his otousan, Inuyasha pursed his tan lips, "so that pendant is linked to my family line?"

"Perhaps Inuyasha, perhaps not, those pendants did not originate with your family, they descended from the Minamoto clan. Your family, when political issues between the four great clans of the Heian Period arose, settled the matter by becoming the creators of each clan's family crest.

Many hundred cycles of the moon ago, the land to which we were born upon once held a peaceful relationship between the higher-ranked youkai and ningen. This relationship started to deteriorate because of the leader of the Enryakuji, his name being monk Saicho.

Saicho had been busy spreading his way of religion amongst the ningen, they were entirely against the existence of youkai, they felt demons were too impure for the land. In disregard to the balance and positivity our land once held, Saicho corrupted the teaching passed down from the birth of all youkai and ningen. At the time, the four great clans had remained oblivious to Saicho and his influential beliefs. They were entrapped with tasks and decisions, they had began to develop more followers, their families were providing plentiful amounts of offspring, it was time they made a crest in order to show their official power. The issue was finding the better artist to do such a task, for the four great clans always sought the best.

Nearing the end of their searches, the clans felt that they could not find an artist as great as the Taishou descendants. Your sousofu, better known as the Yama-inu who guarded the mountains across the Western side, was asked to travel to the clans' joint residence.

Legend says he travelled at night so that no one would come across the great Fuyutaishou. For if anyone had done so, the Yama-inu's fearsome exhibition would be exposed and the mountains to which he guarded, would be put through turmoil. Turmoil undoubtedly capable by Saicho's hands.

Once the great Fuyutaishou arrived at the clan's residence, a meeting between the four clan leaders and your sousofu was held. Fuyutaishou had sat patiently while the leaders of the four great clans argued. With notable patience your sousofu calmly asked each clan to quieten down and then distribute a reason for why they wanted the great Yama-inu to create a family crest for each of them.

All four clans argued the same reason; they believed Fuyutaishou's complex and brilliant designs were a rarity and agreed that they all yearned for nothing more than the best quality in everything. Your sousofu said that although the clans were united now, over time they would certainly come to fall apart, for such similar beliefs would only wreak havoc between the four of them.

He did however agree to grant each clan with a family crest, the four great clans ecstatically thanked your sousofu, rewarding his generosity with a feast and many riches. Later that evening, the Yama-inu returned to the mountains in search of the items to which he would use in designing the four crests. Legend has rumoured that Fuyutaishou searched these mountains for two cycles of the moon before he finally found the items.

When making the crests the Yama-inu spent many suns beneath the waterfall where his living quarters resided. The tasks required not only a lot of time but a lot of concentration and energy. By the time the Yama-inu had finished creating all crests, he was exhausted and it would take another cycle of the moon before he would be able to travel.

Humans and higher-ranked demons in the meanwhile had slowly been turning against each other, it was not long before a hatred developed. This hatred born from Saicho himself; the hatred soon began to spread amongst the other four clans. The Minamoto clan were the only clan to resist Saicho's teachings. By the time the Yama-inu had rested in secret, the first three of the great four clans spat in Fuyutaishou's face, saying his dirty and displeasing designs should go rot in the depths of hell, where all youkai truly belonged. Fuyutaishou, although angry, merely turned his back upon the three clans before travelling to the final clan who had requested his articular skills.

When your sousofu arrived, the Minamoto clan welcomed the great Fuyutaishou and thanked him humbly. The great Fuyutaishou was pleased by their actions, he appreciated their ignorance of Saicho's teachings. Your sousofu believed that the Minamoto clan would serve to be great allies and designed a large garden for their slowly growing home. Yet again the Minamoto clan were grateful and to thank your sousofu properly, they gave Fuyutaishou one of their many pendants with the design of their family crest engraved within its emerald surface. Your sousofu accepted their gift and soon travelled back to the mountains which he guarded. in his absence he had left a barrier to prevent the annoyance of unwanted pests. Over time the barrier had began to break and if your sousofu had been gone for another cycle of the sun, the humble mountains he cared for, would be broken and tainted to the point that it would match the filth of a battleground. Thankfully he had returned to his residence behind the waterfall, the mountains remaining unharmed.

Ever since the beginning of the alliance between the Taishou clan and the Minamoto clan, the Taishou family has passed down the pendant to their first born son. Your father reverted such a tradition by giving the pendant to your mother, I assume he had his reasons."

Inuyasha smirked, of course his father wouldn't have given Sesshoumaru the pendant, not if it were to continue to be of existence. After he had recovered from his slight humour, Inuyasha's ears twitched, "so for all we know, that man could be a descendant of the Minamoto clan?"

"Perhaps Inuyasha, the Minamoto clan is no longer of existence, it wouldn't shock me if the pendants still existed in the hands of various descendants and mere merchants, but it seems unlikely that one to posses the pendant would be of such a low class. However, if he has connections to your brother, then it would not be wise for us to underestimate this man ne?"

Silently nodding, Inuyasha slowly let go of Kenichi, the bear youkai regrettably following course; he had enjoyed the feeling of a male body against his own.

The boatman yet again feeling the shift of movement, bent his head back to peek at the two passengers. Inuyasha grinning like an idiot decided to make a remark, "what, never seen two men embrace over business that doesn't concern others!"

Cringing at being placed underneath the direct sunlight, the boatman quickly faced the white mist and focused on directing the boat accordingly. Wiping his sweaty forehead, the man tucked an old cloth within his haori, the emerald pendant swaying from his tanned and wrinkled neck...

(o)xx(o)xx(o)xx(o)xx(o)xx(o)

The ocean wind which once roared beneath them, soon faded. Kagome could finally feel the warmth of the sun tickling across the skin of her long, slim legs.

"Sesshoumaru," she whispered, her head against his shoulder as they travelled across the sky, nearing the end of the misty path.

"We soon enter the forest of bamboo, prepare yourself Kagome."

The miko nodded, her mouth swallowing lumps of frozen air. She wasn't worried when above the land, but now as they descended into the territory of their enemies, she felt vulnerable. China was not an everyday enemy, they were not even a familiar enemy to the miko. Such scared Kagome, grasping Sesshoumaru's arm with sudden petrification she felt herself whimper.

"Kagome, when I say prepare yourself, it does not mean you allow your fears to overwhelm you." Sesshoumaru criticised, his lips briefly touching her forehead.

The miko's long black lashes brushed her cheeks as she closed her eyes. Now able to concentrate, Kagome thought over the reasons for why they were doing this. Their home was in danger; they were to rid their lives of such an enemy. They fought for a humble life, a humble land. Their actions were to protect, not offend. Taking in another breath, Kagome allowed her eyes to be released to the world. She would be brave, she would be strong, she would be swift, she would be a protector.

Now prepared, the two gently slid across both sand and soil, Sesshoumaru's feet still moving, his steps silent and swift. He was a predator to be feared, it would be the enemy's fault for choosing such a powerful youkai to anger. Sesshoumaru was ready to face any and every battle ahead. His eyes shined with amusement, the enemy surely did have a poorly guarded frontal. Feeling her partner's confidence, Kagome held her breath. The miko was already using her spiritual powers to conceive a protective barrier. They were now in the enemy's land, it would be another day before they reached both Inuyasha and Kenichi, she hoped that she could hold her barrier up for the required time.

Sesshoumaru leapt across the lengths of bamboo, his hair missing every root; it's long silky tendrils swerving like a snake. The sun still shone across the sky in golden specks, the beginning of their plan following through smoothly. Everything was taking its proper pathway, and in another twenty hours, they would finally be able to disguise themselves. Finally be able to rest and recuperate.

Just another twenty hours

Kagome inwardly groaned, twenty too many, it would be a long travel for both she and her partner.

To Be Continued

By jazzyinuluvsesshyxxoo

There... an update finally completed for your eyes to read.

Just over three pages, I am that un-awesomely awesome P:

Jazzy xoxo 3