The third chapter. I figured it was best if i put a desent about up first. let me know what you think. the voices in my head my have run a little far away with this story let me know.

Chapter 3: Shoku, Kyo

-Conflict and the Past

"Shit! How could she have gotten so far so fast." Inuyasha scoured the ground for any trace of her scent but nothing so far. He didn't like her scent, he didn't know why but, he would have to find her again to try to figure it out.

Kagome sat there waiting for Inuyasha to find the girls scent while she tried to find a trace of the shards. The there was someone with the shards the same number that the girl had. Inuyasha stood up smelling the wind.

"Kagome stay back." He commanded. As he made ready to pull out the Tetsusaiga. "Sesshoumaru! What the hell are you doing here" he exclaimed.

"Proving a theory," he said with no look of interest in Inuyasha, "Maru."

"What I have to get it from him! You never said that," she yelled at him with surprise in her voice as she stepped into view. But Sesshoumaru didn't say anything else to her. She doubled her fist as she walked toward the Hanyou and the human girl. So this was his brother, the jerks who hunted her down for the shards that she had.

"Let me barrow your sword please," She said it like it was nothing, like she asked every day. She knew the answer before he spoke his thoughts were so loud.

"Wh.. what no way," he snuffed at her, "What Sesshoumaru you got this girl to do your dirty work for you. You can't do it yourself." He saw Sesshoumaru's face twist at his barb and knew he hit a nerve.

Inuyasha found a clawed hand on his throat before he could blink. Surprise stuck him when he realized exactly who it was. "What?!"

"I do no ones bidding but my own," she spoke with a tone that hit Inuyasha's ears like acid. She struck with her other clawed hand into his gut forcing him out of her grasp, and drawing blood from his neck.

Inuyasha pulled the Tetsusaiga from its sheath ready to battle her. It was then he figured out way she smelled so familiar to him. She had a scent similar to Sesshoumaru's, was she is child or something else. The same strips, and crescent, and speed. 'What the hell was going on here?' He did have time to figure that out before she attacked again.

Maru didn't wait for him to react any more than he already had. She used her claws attacking Inuyasha with a quickness and preciseness that he had not expected. He jumped back pre-paring his next move in his mind, then "'Kaze no Kizu!" The energy jumped from the sword as it stuck the ground.

Maru knew he was planning on attacking her with something. She wasn't expecting this. A shocked yelp was pulled from her throat as the attack charged at her.

"Uh, Got her." Inuyasha said confidently watching the dust settle after the attack, "What?!? How can this be?" he saw Maru standing there unharmed by is Kaze no Kizu, then he saw why. A barrier, the surrounded her and protected her from his attack.

"uh nice attack, but not good enough" she put her arms down and walked toward Inuyasha the Barrier around her following her every step.

"I won't miss next time." Inuyasha held out his sword as it turned red as he swung up, "Kaze no Kizu!" the energy jumped from the sword again right at Maru.

This time though she was ready for it. She leapt into the air with such grace and flew as amazing speed to where Inuyasha held the Tetsusaiga dumbfounded at her speed.

Her claw stuck at him, Inuyasha brace for its sting. Moments later he felt it in his hand as the Tetsusaiga was flung from it. Then she was gone.

Tetsusaiga spun in the air and stuck into the ground. Inuyasha saw that Maru was standing next to the sword, before he could even take a step near it. His golden eye burned with a hated for this girl that had disarmed him so easily.

"What is so special about this sword?" Maru reached for the hilt of the sword, she saw Inuyasha smile as her hand near its hilt. She raised an eye brow at him as she grabbed the sword and pulled it from the ground. She looked at the sword unimpressed with it. How did he get it to turn into that huge fang sword? She lightly swung the sword feeling its weight in her hand.

"humph nothing really special about it," Maru said looking at it. 'He expected the barrier to stop me from touching it. Interesting.'

"Then give it back!" Inuyasha said while charging at her. Blind rage was a crossed his face, as he came towards her.

She narrowed her eyes watching him race towards her. No she would figure out how to make it transform before she gave it back. She leapt into the air and hovered there just out of Inuyasha's reach pondering what changed the sword. Then she heard a bow string tighten, then release as she looked at Kagome who had fired an arrow straight for her heart.

"Not again," she squared her body putting the Tetsusaiga in front of her to try and defend the arrow, and it was then that she felt the Tetsusaiga pulse then changed its self into the fang she had seen Inuyasha wielded. She easily defected the arrow in shock to herself and all others, but the sword was again in the rusted blade.

Sesshoumaru sat there in quiet awe as he saw her change the sword. She had to be of his line. He knew this now, but she could wield the Tetsusaiga. He could use this to his advantage. He as well took to the air and was upon her before she could react to him.

"You have proven your point, we are going." He had long ago given up his quest for his father's sword, but she would be even more useful with this sword than with out.

Maru had heard his thoughts quite plainly; it was hard not to hear them when he was broadcasting them so. She also saw what would happen to this 'Inuyasha' should he not get the sword back. She had no plans on turning him into a raging beast, so she was giving it back.

Sesshoumaru jerking her arm pulling her away from the field broke her out of her thoughts and his. "NO! It's not mine. I will not be a thief. It belongs to him. You said get it away from him. I did that story OVER!" With that she jerked away leaving a stunned Sesshoumaru in her wake.

Inuyasha looked dumbfounded at her as she stood again in front of him. He was speechless he had never seen any one but his group and Naraku dare speak to his brother that way. Did this girl really care for her life so little that she would defy Sesshoumaru so openly?

"I believe this is yours." She held out the Tetsusaiga to the hanyou who shook his head as he took back the sword. She turned and started to leave, "Thanks for the fight 'Inuyasha.'" She almost laughed at his shock to being called by his name.

"Wait! The Shikon shards?" Kagome asked chasing after her.

"Oh yeah I forgot." She reached into her Kimono and pull out two Shikon shards. She walked up to Kagome place them in her hand, "Here, I never used them anyways. It is time I started to move on." As she closed Kagome's hand around the shards her lips curved up just slightly, and Kagome knew it was a smile. Then she leapt into the air taking flight away from a stunned Inuyasha, Kagome, and Sesshoumaru.

Sesshoumaru looked down from his hovering position at the hanyou and his wench. He debated with himself which was he wanted more; to wipe his brother from this world or to go after the girl that had openly defied him.

"Your live has been saved today Inuyasha." He sped off towards the girl that had dared to piss him off.

---

Maru stormed through the forest feeling the wind rush around her. Her feet hardly touching the floor and she ran. She had to puzzle out exactly what she had found out.

'The only Inu youkai in power, and some power he has. Western Lord, uh? Ok let's see from what I know a family's mark can only be passed on to a mate or a child. So seeing as I have not mated, that would me I am the child of either him or his father. But his father doesn't seem to be in this world any more, but that doesn't mean that I could not have been conceived before he died. Then there are the things Inuyasha said. I smelled like him. Still I could be a sibling, but something tells me that is a no. I get the feeling that their father has been way from this world for some time. So that would mean…. That… The Western Lord was my father, and the hanyou I fought was my uncle? Why did he think she would steal that sword? What was so important about it? Yeah it felt a little strange holding in its transformed state but that was a different story. Humph so I have an uncle now; and a father both of which hate me as far as I know? AHh! This is so infuriating.'

She picked up her pace; as she ran out the anger then she had for her 'father'. She jumped into the nearest tree and began jumping from branch to branch, she didn't even know where she was going but she knew she wanted to run. She ran right up until night fall. Though she wasn't tired she stopped, and rested in a tree, taking in the night sounds that she had became so accustomed too. She breathed in the cool night air. Her thoughts again taking over her mind and slowly drifted off to sleep.

Sesshoumaru followed her scent easily enough for the rest of the day. IF she was his child there was no way he was going to let her treat him like that. He was already sure he knew the answer on whether or not she was. He wanted to have it confirmed though. He knew of one way to.

Yes, she had to be his child; her time in this world spoke that. As did her earlier display with Inuyasha. He detested the human blood in her but something in him wouldn't let him just forget about her. She was able to change the Tetsusaiga, with out using the shards she carried. It was so easy to hate Inuyasha why wasn't it easy to hate her. Then he answered his own question, she was apart of him. Even if he didn't like it she was. A slight smile crossed his face when he thought of how stubborn she was, and how much she was like him when he was very much that age. But he never acted out on his feelings, his father would have never dealt with such actions, and neither would he. She would have to learn to respect him.

He saw up ahead another forest, but her scent was much stronger here. Why did she have a thing for forests? She sure had been through a lot of them today. He with drew his aura, and make sure he blocked off his thoughts as he made his way through the forest quietly making sure not to stir anything if he didn't have to. He stopped at the tree she was in. He listened closely to her breathing, her slow deep breaths, she was sound asleep. He raised himself up into the tree so that he was floating besides her.

He brushed aside a lock of her dark hair, and watched her sleep unknowing he was there. He brushed his claw against the strips on her cheek. He leaned forward scooping her into his arms, he felt he jump and push way from him in a panicking manner. He tighten his grip remaining very still till she was again still. He felt something soft brush the back side of his hand. He noticed a tail lightly twitching back and forth. It was not like his tail, more like a Kitsune tail, except the fur on it was long and quite tame.

"We are going to find out exactly how you came to be girl." Sesshoumaru headed off to the oldest forest in the western lands, home to the ancient tree youkai Bokuseno. Sesshoumaru was sure he would know of a way to confirm everything, or deny it.

An hour later Maru stirred. "What the HELL do you think you are doing?!?" Sesshoumaru stopped and looked down at the girl in his arms.

"Taking you someplace that I can get answers?"

"NO I am not going any where with you." She started twisting in his grasp trying to free herself; when she was dropped on her ass. Her head snapped up, anger blazing in her golden eyes. "What the HELL WAS that for you JERK!?!??"

"You seemed to want to be put down so I granted your request." He smirked as her anger flared up at him as she sat in the dirt.

"You pompous!" She was on her feet in a flash glaring down the youkai in front of her, "Arrogant, self centered ass. First you expected me to steal a sword for you that I DON'T WANT! Then you expect me to go with you to GOD knows where so you can have answers! Answer that I quite frankly DON"T GIVE A DAMN ABOUT!!!"

Sesshoumaru eyes narrowed as she yelled at him. No one but Inuyasha ever dared speak to him in this matter. Sesshoumaru raised his hand and…

"THEN YOU THINK THAT YOU CAN KEEP ME AROUND AND…"

*smack* everything went quiet.

'He slapped me, how dare he slap me!' Maru fumed at her having been slapped, while she held her face. She wouldn't give in to slapping him back, she knew there would be no point, not that she didn't want to right now.

Sesshoumaru nodded when everything was quiet for a minute. "I am going to have answers about you. Now come." He turned and continued walking. Maru stood there staring at his retreating back, and then turned the other direction and head away from Sesshoumaru.

She didn't make it far before he dug his claws into her arms and spun her around before he took hold of her face in a bruising grip.

"Do not try my patience girl. I will not have you running around doing what you please if you are my child." His grip tightened even more forcing her to keep a whimper contained in her throat. "You will learn respect. If you don't wish to continue on this trip then I will remove your presence from this world, so that I won't have to worry."

Her eyes widen slightly as she realized he meant that he would kill her. She didn't doubt he would have no qualms about her either. She nodded, and he released her.

"Now come" He turned heading where ever it was he was taking her. Maru fell in step behind him rubbing the tender spot on her jaw where he grabbed her.

About mid-day they were walking through a large remote forest. Sesshoumaru lead the way the entire trip with out so much as a glance back at her.

"Welcome Sesshoumaru." The voice was old and wise sounding. Maru looked about trying to see where the voice was coming from. When she saw nothing she reached out with her mind.

"To what do I owe this honor Sesshoumaru."

Sesshoumaru continued walking until he came upon a large tree. Once he was with in arms reach of the tree, as face emerged from its bark. Maru stopped in her tracks looking at the tree youkai before her.

Sesshomaru inwardly smirked as a slight hint of fear slipped into her scent. "I need to know the history of this girl?"

"Oh," The eyes of Bokuseno shifted to the girl behind him, "You ask questions about that which you know the answer to?"

His eyes narrowed, "Are you saying I was correct? If I am then I want to know how and when?"

"The answer to that all lays with in her." Maru looked wide eyes as she took a step back, debating on if she should flee or stay.

The soft crunch of leave caused him to glance back at her. "So you are saying that she was lying when she say she didn't know."

"I did not say she knew. I merely stated the answer all lay within her. Every event from the day you are born is imprinted on your brain. It is just most do not know how to retrieve it."

"But I was not alive when they mated. So I wouldn't know anything like that." Maru was hoping that what ever this tree thing was planning would be stopped by that. She couldn't read anything off of it other than its presence saying it was there in front of her.

"Ah, but you where, because of your power you have imprints of the time from the moment you where conceived. I can access these imprints.'

"Then do so." Sesshoumaru ordered. Maru took another step back she wasn't liking the sound of this and she didn't want someone going through her mind.

"To do that I will need her to touch me, along with you has well."

Sesshoumaru stepped forward then glanced behind him again to Maru. She looked like a mouse that had just realized she was in the sight of a snake. Her eyes slowly made contact with his. 'Don't try it.' Her eyes widened when she realized that it was Sesshoumaru's voice in her head.

Maru knew she wasn't in his mind but some how for a brief moment he was in hers. She closed her eyes for a second pulling herself together. When she opened them again she willed herself to walk up to the tree, placing her hand on the rough bark.

"Relax, and do not fight it. You will both see what happened at that time. If you do fight it will become an unpleasant experience." After he spoke those words he began chanting some spell. As he continued chanting their fingers began to tingle, and their body's where unable to move.

Maru closed her eyes trying to will herself to relax and let it happen when she felt the tingling just about to her shoulder. When it reached her head Maru felt like someone had just smashed her head into a tree as the sensation move back down to her shoulder, then up again.

She didn't understand why she felt fear to know this. Fear to understand what had happened to make her come in to being. She pulled her mind in on itself finding the calm she always went to when she mediated; she buried her conscious mind into that void. She could feel her whole body go lax as a pressure on her mind was felt. The world around her went silent, everything was black, she could sense nothing, she was about to try and push herself into sensing but decided to bury herself further into the calmness and let what happened happen.

Images where flashing into their mind. They saw a Female Kitsune with bright green eyes, and dark auburn hair. Then a brief feeling of regret passed over them, just before the face of Sesshoumaru appeared.

He didn't seem right. His eyes were not the bright golden pools instead they were a dull amber, and lacked the luster of life.

Maru wished she could look away as he took the woman over and over again though out the night. When finally it seemed to be dawn she watched as the female cleaned up Sesshoumaru and redressed him.

She then laid him down on the ground and placed some herb into his mouth which he then swallowed.

"Forgive me, I had little time to find someone like you. I wish it could have been different." She whispered in his ear before for she stood up.

Blinding pain was the next thing that was felt. Then a small baby, which was Maru, being held gentle. They watched as the female died holding the new born, small hands taking her into their arms, then tears.



Images started flashing quickly before them.

A young boy with a warm smile. Then him walking away.

An older man with a sword hatred pouring off him. Pain across her check, then blood.

Bitter cold rain as she watched people yell and toss things at her. Hunger.

Then a young child with dark brown hair and wolf ears, and a happy smile that lit up his face. Overwhelming sadness, as the boy laid there in a pool of his own blood with about a hundred others around him all dead. Graves, then running and flying.

Battles with countless youkai happened in the blink of an eye so quick you couldn't really tell. Flashes of Inuyasha and his group when she first saw him. Rushing water, Rin, The pulse of the Tetsusaiga, staring at Sesshoumaru's back, then the rage as she held her cheek after he slapped her, Bokuseno.

Sesshoumaru looked over to the girl who had fallen to her knees. He realized he not only saw her creation, but her whole life flash before his eyes. He felt every emotion from the pain of lost to her rage and hatred. His questions where answered he remembered waking up were he was left, he remembered when that was. This girl was his child.

"You have the answer to your question Sesshoumaru. She is your child. Conceived with out your knowledge, raised as a hanyou, though it seems hated by most of them, and then turned their avenger. She possesses mental powers greater than that of her mother. Not only has she the power of second sight, but of telekinesis, thought the only sign she possess that power is through the barrier she erects. It should get stronger."

Sesshoumaru looked to his father's friend, then back to the girl. "I have my answers now Bokuseno. I shall take the girl and leave you in peace."

When Sesshoumaru knelt down and grabbed the girl he realized that she had pushed herself into a deep mediation. Her aura swirled with so many different emotions. Her body shook as if it was the coldest of winters when in fact it was the just the beginning of spring.

When he touched her he felt her mind pull deeper into the meditation. Sesshoumaru looked up at Bokuseno questionly.

"She was forced to face things in which she was not entirely ready to face. A child whether youkai or not should not have had to face near as much as she has. She is strong, and she views herself completely grown, but she is by Youkai terms a child."

Sesshoumaru nodded his understanding. She was trying to pull herself away from the pain. He picked her up, and headed for his palace home.