Yo everybody. So, this past weekend was pretty cool. My grandmother (mom's side) and I both had a birthday on Sunday (which was Mother's Day by chance also). I was a bit surprised I got to see most of my family that wanted to celebrate with me, and we had a great time together. It was originally planned to lump it all in on one day, but thankfully it worked out so that we celebrated on Saturday and Sunday. Let's see, I got some pretty cool stuff too. Picked up Avatar, Iron Man, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, Sherlock Holmes, first 3 episodes of the original Transformers, a portable hard drive (500 GB) (been wanting this for a while), and quite a few gift cards, with one being for for $100. I used that up already, hehe. Bought a few sword stands, sword cleaning kit, and a couple of collectible swords. I know, nerd, but that's me. Also saw Iron Man 2 this weekend and it was well worth it. I recommend it to everybody looking for a good movie. Other than that, life is reasonable as always. Work is about the same, and our house hunting is still ongoing.
Writing wise, things are not bad, though I feel bad since I can't seem to get much wrote currently. I'm getting chapters cranked out a bit more slowly than I thought I would, but I will finish this story.
No reviews this time again. Kind of disheartening, but oh well. Either this story has lost everyone's interest, or people are busy. I'm guessing a little of column a and b, but that's just my guess.
Anyways, I'll probably post again possibly next week, but we'll see. Depends on how much writing a get done. A few reviews could influence that too, but either way, I may try and post weekly soon. Just have to wait and see if I can maintain that kind of pace.
Later and enjoy!
Chapter 9
"Try it again, Mage Orihime."
Throwing an annoyed look at the large pink haired man next her, Orihime bit her tongue to keep herself from shooting a sharp remark back. Taking a calming breath, she smoothly said "Hachi, I know I keep saying this, but it doesn't seem to be sinking in. Please, just call me Orihime. There is no need to be formal with me."
Smiling back at the bobcat mage, Hachi kindly replied "I apologize. Old habits die hard, seeing how my family once served mages. I was raised to show respect to a mage, regardless of the situation, but I shall try to remember not to use that honorific."
Sighing heavily, the bobcat demoness quietly said "No, there is no need to apologize. I guess I'm just a bit frustrated that I'm not making more progress than I thought I would."
"Do not be troubled by that, Ma… I mean Orihime." the pink haired man commented. "I've been practicing since I was a child, but I've still yet to learn everything there is to Kidō. You are improving and have learned to perform the lower level spells without the incantation. Using the incantation with the middle to upper level spells is not uncommon. I'm sure in no time you will be quite adept at these spells and will be able to perform them in due time without the spirit chant. However, it does take time and practice to get good with them."
Pausing for a moment, the pink haired man added "It took me about two hundred years to reach the level I'm at. I have faith that you'll master it far sooner than I did."
Biting her lower lip, the demoness mumbled "I guess so, but it's still difficult. My other techniques were far easier to learn."
"That is true, but since your powers are similar to my own, it means that more than likely, you will be able to master Kidō also."
Nodding her head, the demoness took a deep breath and closed her eyes. Slowly opening them to reveal her gray eyes were once more calm and focused, she raised her right arm before herself and turned her palm towards a distant target that was covered in charred burn marks. Bracing her right arm with her left in her elbow joint, the bobcat demoness's demonic aura flared to life.
"Ye lord! Mask of blood and flesh, all creation, flutter of wings, ye who bears the name of Man! Inferno and pandemonium, the sea barrier surges, march on to the south! Hadō 33: Shakkahō!"
Forming within her right hand instantly was a red flaming ball of energy that glowed brilliantly with a bright red aura. All at once, the energy sphere shot forth and impacted the wooden target with tremendous force, sending flaming splinters flying several directions onto the ground.
Panting lightly, the demoness couldn't help but let out a small growl of frustration as she lowered her arms to her sides. "I still didn't completely destroy it."
"True, but you did far more damage than before." Hachi complimented. "If that was a demon, you'd have dealt them quite a painful wound. No doubt they would retreat for the time being with that much damage."
Fisting her open palms, Orihime softly replied "Even so, I still have quite a ways to go."
Lightly chuckling, the pink haired man nodded, saying "This is true, but you are progressing nicely. You've only been training for nearly two months, and in that amount of time to progress this far is quite impressive. Do not give up. After all, this old hanyou would dislike seeing someone as talented as you quit."
"Don't worry Hachi, I'm not about to give up." the bobcat demoness remarked with a small smile tugging at her lips. "Quitting is not an option. I want to get stronger so I can protect those that are precious to me, and if that means it'll take a bit of time to do so, then so be it."
Understanding the bobcat demoness's words, the pink haired hanyou asked "Shall we continue?"
000
000
Panting heavily, Ichigo stared down his opponent with a wary gaze. Fifteen feet away from him stood his familiar sparring partner, Shinji, who had his sword resting on his shoulder and blonde hair being blown slightly in the breeze.
"Come on Ichigo, is that all you got? I know you suck in Shikai, but this is plain pitiful. Hell, a one legged man that was blind and deaf and was standing upside down could beat you." the lion hanyou commented in a disgusted tone.
Angered instantly, the quarter demon drew his sword to his right side and charged towards his opponent. "You bastard, you'll regret saying that!"
Lazily bringing his blade off of his shoulder, the lion hanyou easily parried the incoming attack from the quarter bobcat. Sparks flew from the two blades clashing, but the lion hanyou didn't budge an inch.
"Predictable as ever." Shinji stated.
Without warning, Ichigo smirked and suddenly vanished. Eyes widening at this movement, the lion hanyou barely had time to turn his body and parry the huge cleaver blade of his opponent.
"How is that for predictable?" the quarter demon mocked.
Regaining his composure, the lion hanyou replied "Not bad. Not bad at all."
Separating themselves, the pair stared one another down, each looking for an opening before relaxing a bit. Smirking, the hanyou smoothly said "You're getting more proficient with your Shikai. That's good."
"Yeah, I guess so, but I'd rather continue training with my hollow powers." the quarter demon remarked while scratching the back of his head with his free left hand.
"Training your Shikai is helpful in the long run. The less you have to rely on your hollow powers the better."
Grumbling, the quarter demon replied "Yeah, I know, but there is no way I'll be able to take on a top notch opponent with my Shikai alone."
"Yet you may inflict some damage." Shinji commented. Shrugging, he added "Besides that, training your Shikai has a good bit of positive points. You're technically increasing the power of both your Bankai and hollow powers during the process since you're building up your strength in with this form instead. In the end, it all works out."
Raising his blade in front of himself and smirking, the hanyou raised his free left hand before his face in a claw like pose, saying "However, that doesn't mean we can't cut loose from time to time and go all out."
Smirking back as he mirrored the hanyou's motions, the quarter demon excitedly said "Now that's what I'm talking about. Let's do this!"
000
000
Flying lower towards the massive stone building with several guards scrambling about on the grounds below, the large black dog slowed his descent and spotted the place where he typically landed while in his dog form. Softly touching down without jarring his passengers, he lowered himself onto his stomach, allowing the neko to take the snake demoness and climb off his back.
Raising back up, the large black dog let out a low growl before his body began glowing with a brilliant white light. The light soon engulfed him completely, but vanished as quickly as it had appeared, revealing the black haired dog hanyou kneeling on the ground.
Standing and noting his mate was smirking, Iya frowned and asked "What is it?"
"Oh, just remembering when we first met and how you had issues with returning to your hanyou form." Lilly whimsically answered.
Folding his arms over his chest and letting out a grunt, the dog hanyou muttered "As I remember, you had the same issue."
"I overcame mine much quicker."
Rolling his eyes and knowing he couldn't win the argument, the dog hanyou relented to his mate's teasing and remarked "Yes, yes, you taught me how to control my transformations. Happy?"
"Very."
"Lord Iya and Lady Lilly!"
Turning his attention to the approaching figure, the dog hanyou couldn't help but smile when he saw his personal servant running towards them. Her black hair was pinned up in it's usual bun and covered by a green cloth, and her chocolate eyes revealed much happiness. The clothing she wore was the same as always, with it being a black kimono. Reaching them, she smiled happily at the pair.
"I'm glad to see the two of you have returned." the hybrid wolf and dog demon beamed.
Returning the smile, Iya warmly replied "I'm glad to see you also, Momo."
Smile faltering, the hybrid demon softly said "I was beginning to worry about you two. You two were only to be gone for two months and it's nearly been two and a half."
"We're fine, Momo." Lilly assured. "We just had a bit of a run in that required us to stop off at Edo temporarily."
Nodding her head, the hybrid demon turned her attention towards the snake demoness, whose gaze was focused on the ground. Frowning at this, Momo asked "Who is this?"
"The leader of a group of assassins that attacked us on our way home. She's the reason we had to detour to see Inuyasha and Kagome." the dog hanyou answered. "We should get her to the stronghold."
Agreeing, the neko turned to the hybrid demon and asked "Momo, could you do me a favor?"
"Whatever you ask, Lady Lilly." Momo piped up.
Rolling her eyes at the formality of the hybrid demon, the neko calmly said "Inform Lord Sesshomaru that we've returned and brought a prisoner back."
Bowing to the pair, the hybrid demon replied "I shall do so immediately."
Turning away and racing to the stronghold, the neko and dog hanyous shook their heads while casting small grins at each other. Nudging the snake demoness forward, the dog hanyou fell in behind her while the neko led the way towards the towering building ahead.
Entering into the building, the trio was soon met by the Western Lord and a flock of guards behind him. Coming to a stop, both hanyous bowed respectfully, but the snake demoness refused to move. A guard stepped out to strike her, only to be beaten to the punch by the Lord of the West.
With a heavy laden kick to the demoness's gut, the Lord of the West watched her keep an impassive face, but did force her to fall to her knees with her head bowed.
"You will not be disrespectful to this Sesshomaru." the dog demon stated. Sparing a glance towards his half brother and sister-in-law, the demon lord stoically asked "This Sesshomaru trusts you completed your missions before taking this demoness as prisoner?"
Receiving a silent nod from his brother, the dog demon returned his gaze back to the demoness on her knees before him. Reaching out with his right hand, he took hold of the demoness's ponytail and dragged her onto her feet. Finding no emotions displayed on her face or in her eyes, the demon lord flung her towards the guards behind him.
Roughly, the guards threw her to the ground. A sickening thud could be heard from her bones creaking.
Coldly, the dog demon declared "Take her to the dungeon. This Sesshomaru shall soon deal with her."
Bowing, the head guard spoke up, saying "Yes Lord Sesshomaru."
Reaching down and grabbing the demoness by the hair and jerking her head up, the head guard ground out "On your feet bitch!"
Managing to stand, the demoness remained emotionless. Pushing her forward, the guards began making their way out of the room, leaving the hanyous and dog demon behind.
"Iya, meet this Sesshomaru in the study in two hours."
Mutely nodding to his brother, the dog hanyou didn't get a moment to say anything else as the silver haired dog demon walked away. Letting out a small sigh, the dog hanyou glanced at his mate for a moment before offering her his hand.
"Let's go clean up and rest a bit."
Smiling, the neko nodded her head and accepted her mate's hand. Hand in hand, the pair walked towards the southern wing of the building and entered into the room that was given to the pair.
Pulling his sword within it's sheath out of his obi and returning it to the holder he had mounted on the wall, the dog hanyou fell back onto the large bed. Smiling at her mate's behavior, the neko proceeded to follow his lead and soon curled up next to him on their bed. Laying her head onto his chest, the neko slid her emerald eyes shut while the scent of her mate filled her nostrils and rhythmic sound of his heart lulled her into a relaxed state.
Feeling a small smile appear on his face at his mate's actions, the dog hanyou found himself drowning in her scent of raspberries. Eyes feeling heavy, he finally let them slide shut.
"Not surprising I'm tired. After all, I was transformed in my true dog form for nearly a whole day, plus I flew all night and morning just to get back here. I really shouldn't have done that, but I didn't want Lilly to be overworked either."
Feeling his mind fading, the dog hanyou's ears twitched when he detected the sound of soft breathing coming from his mate. Enjoying the rare moment of peace, he began to feel himself drift away into the darkness of sleep.
000
000
Cracking his muddy brown eyes open, Iya noted that the sunlight filtering into his windows was beginning to fade. Feeling the weight of his mate still on his chest, he carefully shifted her off of him and quietly climbed out of bed. Looking at the sleeping form of his mate, he couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt for leaving her in bed alone.
Steeling his resolve, the hanyou turned away and padded to his closet. Opening it and sifting through it, he found a familiar solid black silk kimono and pants that he typically wore. Quietly, the dog hanyou walked to the doorway that led to the private hot spring that adjoined his room and slipped out.
Finding the spring steaming, he quickly stripped off his clothing and pulled the purple ribbon from his hair, letting it cascade down his back to just below his butt. Gradually, he slid into the hot water and soon dunked his head underneath. Coming up, he brushed several strands of his hair out of his face and picked up a nearby cake of soap and the rag it sat on. Lathering up the rag, he began scrubbing the grim off of his body. Finishing up, he grabbed the bottle of shampoo and poured some into his hair. Working up a good lather, he dunked his head under the water, rinsing away the suds that covered his head.
Leaning back and relaxing for a few moments, the hanyou slid his eyes shut momentarily, but they snapped open instantly when he heard the door to the spring opening. Finding his mate was the one that had entered, he relaxed once more.
"I thought I might find you out here."
Shrugging slightly, Iya remarked "It shouldn't have been too hard. After all, my scent should have brought you here."
Rolling her eyes, Lilly smiled and said "I know. Could you use some company?"
"I should really get ready to go see Sesshomaru. Being gone for two and a half months, he may have quite a bit to talk about."
Moving closer to the spring with her tail swishing in rhythm with her hips, the neko began playing with the ends of her obi and huskily replied "I think he can wait."
Knowing where things were leading, the dog hanyou growled out "Lilly, not now."
"Why not?" the neko slyly questioned as she moved closer and began to tug on her obi, causing the knot to come undone. "Your mate is asking for you. Will you not do your duty in pleasing your mate?"
Feeling his body already beginning to respond to her spiced scent, the dog hanyou couldn't help but feel his demon blood demanding he take her. Trying to keep his rational mind in control, he replied "I really need to speak with him. Please, be patient and wait for me."
Ignoring her mate's request, the neko released her hold on her obi's ends, letting it fall silently to the ground. Edging closer to the water, her dark blue top slid open and revealed the wrappings underneath that bond and covered her chest. Coming to a stop right in front of the hot springs, she shrugged off the top to the ground. Wordlessly, her hands gripped the sides of her battle skirt and hooked her undershorts along the way. Pushing downwards so that the skirt and shorts pooled at her ankles, she revealed that she was wearing a pair of dark blue satin briefs that her sister-in-law had given her during a previous trip.
Inwardly fighting for dominance over his desires, the dog hanyou tried to pay no attention to his mate's body, but her movements continued to capture his eye. Ever so slowly, so much so that he knew she was doing all she could to seduce him, he watched as the she began pulling at the wrappings that covered her chest. In a single motion, she at last pulled them free, allowing her chest to become exposed to him.
Heavily sighing, Iya closed his eyes momentarily. They soon snapped open, revealing his muddy brown eyes were filled to the brim with burning desire.
Noting the triumphant smirk on his mate's face, he waded towards his mate, growling out "The hell with Sesshomaru, he can wait."
000
000
Storming down the hallway towards the southern wing, Sesshomaru could not help but feel his anger crawling just beneath his calm façade. "This Sesshomaru will make that half breed pay for his insolence."
Nearly to the wing, the dog demon was greeted by the sight of his half brother moving towards him. Running his eyes over his brother, the dog demon saw that his brother's hair was still damp and unbound, as well as clinging to the sides of his face. Not slowing, but instead increasing speed, the demon lord's right hand clenched into a tight fist.
"Great, he's pissed…" Iya grumbled.
Coming to a stop five feet away from his elder brother, the hanyou humbly bowed deeply and apologetically said "I apologize, Lord Sesshomaru. There was no reason for me to be late to our meeting."
"Well, one reason. Damn that mate of mine... I knew this would most likely happen. If I take an ass kicking for her, I swear…"
"You will be punished at a later time." the demon lord stated, breaking the hanyou out of his thoughts and making him look up. "For now, follow."
Mutely nodding, the dog hanyou fell in line behind his brother. The pair's silent steps were the only sounds that echoed throughout the halls.
Arriving into the western wing of the stronghold, the pair soon came to a door. Opening it, the stoic demon lord stepped in with the hanyou following obediently into the room that he was quite familiar with. Both sat down at the desk that sat near the window, with the demon lord taking the seat behind the desk and the hanyou the one before it.
"This Sesshomaru wishes to learn first what came of your meetings with the Lords of the South and East."
Clearing his throat, the dog hanyou slowly retold his tale of the journey to the Southern Lord's home, giving great detail of the meeting with the Southern Lord himself and his reactions to the claims made by the West. No words were spared of what was said from the meeting, including all words the Southern Lord spoke against not only the hanyou himself, but the Western Lord too.
Moving on and speaking of the journey to the Eastern Palace, the hanyou explained how the Eastern Lord was far more accommodating and apologetic for the intrusions. Finishing up, the hanyou added that the Eastern Lord did promise to fix the problems between the two Lands.
Remaining silent throughout the course of the tale, Sesshomaru at last spoke up, saying "It seems as though both Lords understand the implications of what they do. However, this Sesshomaru ponders if they will be dutiful in keeping their word."
"I don't know, Sesshomaru." Iya quietly commented. "Lord Aikamaru will likely back off a bit, but I doubt he will keep from testing his limits. As for Lord Sasuke, I highly doubt he will be a problem, but I did note that his scent was hard to detect. He was burning incense within his office, making it difficult for me to determine if he was telling the truth or not. I'm unsure if he purposely did it or not, seeing how he is a hawk demon and they do not use their sense of smell like a dog demon would."
Digesting his brother's words, the demon lord remarked "We shall see. Now then, tell this Sesshomaru why you captured that demoness."
Gradually, the hanyou started recounting the tale of the encounter with the fifteen demons and their attempt to assassinate both he and his mate. He left out no details of the fight, even revealing that he was wounded during the battle.
Finishing his story, the dog hanyou quietly said "Nemu has yet to tell us anything. She was conscious when we took her to Edo, but said nothing. In fact, she has barely said a thing since we have been watching her."
Regarding his brother for a moment, the demon lord stood up and moved over to gaze out the window. The night sky had taken over with many stars twinkling about and a low crescent moon rising on the horizon.
"It troubles this Sesshomaru that someone has hired assassins, but even more so that they target you specifically. This means that whomever is behind this did not think they could achieve a higher goal, that being this Sesshomaru or his mate."
"I agree." Iya commented before standing himself. "If a target was to be chosen from those that rule the West, you or your mate would be their highest priority. However, you would by far too difficult for anyone to bring down, most likely in their opinion, and to attempt to invade the Western Stronghold would be suicide. Not likely many demons would willingly throw their lives away for such a task."
"You would be surprised, little brother." the stoic demon remarked. "This Sesshomaru has made many enemies over the years. To have the opportunity to inflict pain or heartache upon this Sesshomaru would not be taken lightly. True, the Western Stronghold is like a fortress, but there have been a few attempts to invade it before by assassins. Our father was witness to these attacks specifically."
Digesting his elder brother's words, the hanyou remained silent for a few moments before speaking up once again. "My greatest concern at this moment is who would chance sending a group of assassins out after myself and my mate. It seems too risky to try and assassinate any of the heirs to the West."
"Indeed." Sesshomaru dryly answered. Turning to face his brother again, the demon lord stonily added "We shall question the prisoner you brought back. She shall tell us who it is that wishes you dead."
"And if she doesn't?"
Raising an elegant eyebrow, the demon lord answered with a question in return. "You doubt this Sesshomaru's skills to interrogate a prisoner?"
Putting his hands up in front of himself in defense, Iya was quick to say "No, I don't doubt your skills at making people talk, but she is a special case I think."
"If she dares to refuse to answer to this Sesshomaru, her remaining days of life shall be filled with pain beyond her imagination."
Inwardly shuttering at the words of his elder brother, the dog hanyou slowly nodded his head, saying "I understand."
Returning to his seat behind the desk, the demon lord motioned for his brother to do the same as he. Once his brother had sat, the dog demon calmly spoke up and said "This Sesshomaru has another matter that he wishes to discuss with you, brother."
Noting he had his brother's attention, the dog demon continued. "It has been brought to this Sesshomaru's attention that your mate is concerned about not being able to bear your pups. You …"
"Drop it Sesshomaru!" Iya growled out. "It is our choice when we have pups, not yours!"
Eyes hardening even more so than usual, the demon lord icily replied "Watch your tongue. You are this Sesshomaru's brother, and this matter is not of official business, but you will respect your alpha of the pack."
"It is none of your business what we do!" the hanyou roared back. "I don't question how many pups you intend on having, nor did I ever once question all those years ago when you would mate, so leave it be!"
Moving in a blur across the table and lifting his brother up by the throat and slamming him against the wall with one hand, the demon lord lowly growled out "This Sesshomaru told you to watch your tongue. Do not mistake him for someone of lesser stature."
Unable to reply, the hanyou gasped for air while clawing at the hand around his throat. Feeling it clench tighter a bit, his vision began to blur before he suddenly found himself dropped unceremoniously to the ground.
"You will listen, brother."
Rubbing his sore throat, the hanyou tried to reply, but found his voice was lost. Shaking his head in a no fashion, he saw his older brother flex his right hand, making him reconsider for the moment and slowly nod his head.
Stepping back, the dog demon slowly said "This Sesshomaru does not understand your position on having pups."
Standing, the hanyou hoarsely muttered "There is nothing you need to."
"Normally, this Sesshomaru would agree. However, this matter is troubling your mate, which has in turn troubled this Sesshomaru's mate as well. It is displeasing to discuss it with her, but this Sesshomaru's mate is intent on finding a way to help the neko."
Closing his eyes and backing away a bit more before taking a deep breath, the demon lord quietly added "This Sesshomaru knows for certain your mate has been fertile during the last five years you have been mated with her. Any demon with any sense of smell could tell that."
Hearing his brother stand, the dog demon turned to face him once again. In an emotionless tone, he asked "You do not wish to have pups with her?"
Looking away, the hanyou muttered "You wouldn't understand."
"Try me."
Keeping his eyes glued to the ground for a moment, the hanyou couldn't help but let out a low chuckle. "You are the last person I thought I would talk to about this."
Raising his head to look into the golden depths of his brother's eyes, Iya said "I love Lilly with all my heart and soul. There is nothing I wouldn't do for her, even if that meant lay down my life for her."
"That does not explain anything."
Rolling his eyes, the hanyou remarked "I know that. I'm getting to it. The truth is, I do wish to have pups with her, but I'm afraid to."
Raising an eyebrow, the dog demon quickly questioned "Why?"
Looking back down at the ground, the hanyou remained silent for a few moments before his brother heavily sighed.
"It is about her again, isn't it?"
Shaking his head for a moment, the hanyou quietly replied "It's what happened to Yukio that worries me. He grew up hating me for what I did to his mother and for what she did to him. I fear that will happen to any pup Lilly and I would have. After all, I won't be home all the time. I can't shirk off responsibility to the West. I am one of two heirs, while you are the Lord. To do so would be an insult to our father's name, and I would no doubt bring great dishonor to the Western Lands."
"You are a fool."
Meeting his brother's amber eyes once more with his muddy brown ones, the hanyou couldn't help but gasp at the kindness within his brother's eyes.
"Do you think this Sesshomaru places honor above his mate and unborn pup?"
Not receiving an answer, the dog demon continued on, answering his own question. "This Sesshomaru has found that nothing is above his mate and unborn pup. If this Sesshomaru had to forsake all, he would gladly do so. You once said that had you known in the past of that your eldest pup's mother was pregnant, you would have done whatever she wished you to, even if that meant forsaking all. The question is, why will you not once more risk forsaking all again for your mate?"
Waiting a few moments for his brother to respond, the demon lord shook his head while his brother bowed his head and hid his eyes beneath the shadows of his bangs.
"Pitiful. This Sesshomaru expected more from you. Be gone."
"It's not that I won't, it's just that…" the hanyou began while clenching his hands into fists with his claws pricking his palm. Blood welled up from the wounds, but it didn't seem to affect him too much. "I'm fearful that history will repeat itself and I'll only end up hurting my mate worse than I did Kaia. Lilly loves me, I know that much for certain, but that fear is still there."
Keeping his eyes hidden, the hanyou muttered "What I did to Kaia can never be forgiven, even if the memory of what I did has slowly faded. I can only continue to try and move forward from it, knowing not to make the same mistake, but it's still there."
"Even in five years time, Lilly hasn't been able to remove that sense of being wrong from me. It's still there. True, it's not at the forefront of my mind, but I know deep down that it is still within me. No matter how much I wish to be rid of it, I never will."
Standing silently and staring at his brother with impassive eyes, the dog demon quirked "You hanyous are all the same."
With that said, the dog demon pushed past his hanyou brother, but not before stopping a few feet away. "It is of no concern of mine what you wish to do, Iya. However, do take into account, your mate would never abandon you, nor take another, nor hate you for your past. That much has been revealed over the last five years. The past is what it is. Do not dwell on it, for it will consume you and take all that you have."
Leaving the room without another word, the demon lord entered into the hallway and turned towards the western wing.
000
000
Sitting on his knees in front of a finely stone cut tombstone with his mother's name on it, Iya released a heavy sigh. The moon hung high in the sky, telling him it was late, but he ignored it's position.
"… The past is what it is. Do not dwell on it, for it will consume you and take all you have."
Ears drooping as his elder brother's words rang throughout his mind, the dog hanyou ran his hand over the tombstone. "What should I do, mother?"
Feeling the wind lightly ruffle his clothing and free hanging hair, the hanyou sadly smiled. "I wish you were here. I'm sure you'd know what I should do."
Closing his muddy brown eyes, the hanyou sat in silence for a few moments while his mind continued to toil over his thoughts.
"Sesshomaru is right. I would have sacrificed everything for Kaia, yet here I am, denying my own mate a child because of my fears of what could happen. I want to have children with Lilly… I really do. In my heart, I know that no matter what, Lilly will always love me and never leave me, it's just... It's just that…"
Gripping the fabric of his pants with is clawed hands and easily slicing through them with his sharpened claws, the dog hanyou clenched his teeth together to keep from snarling. "Damn it, why am I so afraid of my own emotions! Every time I think I'm finally over what I did to Kaia, it comes back to haunt me again. I feel like I can never be free of those haunting memories."
A few stray tears rolled down his cheeks as he whimpered out "Am I cursed to forever let what happened to me all those years ago continue to rule my life forever? These feelings and emotions are what nearly held me back from mating with Lilly, and yet here they are again to mock me and tell me not to have a child with her. Why do I let this continue to dominate my life?"
Softly sobbing, the dog hanyou didn't even pick up the sounds of soft footsteps approaching him from behind. All at once, his eyes snapped open when he felt a pair of arms encircle his body and hold him tightly. Sniffing the air to find the scent of raspberries, he let out a sigh of relief due that he knew who was holding him without even looking. Relaxing back into the embrace, he let the scent of his mate calm his mind.
In a quiet tone, Lilly softly whispered "I was starting to get worried about you. You hadn't come to bed yet, and it's well after midnight. I thought I might find you here since you come here to when you're concerned about something"
"I'm sorry…"
Weakly smiling as she leaned forward and rubbed her check against her mate's, the neko slid her eyes shut and inhaled her mate's scent. "Don't worry about it. I was just concerned since you hadn't come back from your meeting."
Reaching up and placing his right hand his mate's right cheek and gently rubbing, the dog hanyou couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt course through him. "I'm such a burden to you."
"Iya, never think that." the neko firmly retorted as she let go of her embrace and took hold of his hand. "You are my mate, and you will never be a burden to me. No matter what, never think you are a burden."
Quietly chuckling, the dog hanyou remarked "You sound like me."
Voice softening, the neko replied "Maybe that's because you continuously told me to never think I am a burden to you. It had to rub off on me eventually."
"I suppose." Iya quipped.
Silence engulfed the pair for a few minutes before the neko stood up and moved before her mate and offered her hand. "It's rather late. Perhaps we should go to bed?"
Weakling smiling and nodding his head, the dog hanyou accepted his mate's hand and felt himself pulled up. Taking one last look at his mother's tombstone, he weakly smiled and ran his hand over the top of the headstone.
Watching her mate, the neko couldn't help but inwardly sadly smile. "I never knew he suffered this much because of Kaia. All this time, I've been questioning why we haven't had children yet and growing frustrated with him, when in truth, he wants them, but is afraid to have them. In time perhaps it will happen. Until he is ready, I will wait."
"I can never banish all those memories of what happened with Kaia. I understand that, but there is another thing I've come to understand. Deep down, you must know that I want you to live and not let those memories rule your life."
Returning his vision to his mate, the dog hanyou softly said "Lilly…"
"Well then, let's go."
Reaching out and taking hold of her mate's hand, the neko gave a small tug, pulling him in the direction of the stronghold. Feeling her mate entwine his hand with her own, she let a smile appear on her face and continued walking side by side with him.
"I want you to be happy. I want you to laugh a lot and be at ease. No matter what, I don't want you to suffer any longer from those memories. Even if I can take a little bit of the pain away by being by your side, then I will do it. I don't know what exactly I'll be able to do for you to help let the pain go, but I will always be by your side."
000
000
Staring at a sphere of glass sitting on his desk, Sasuke impatiently tapped his left index finger on the wooden surface. Sitting on the opposite side of the table were both his sandy blonde haired bodyguard and black haired general.
About to speak, the hawk demon was cut off when the sphere flickered white for a moment until it leisurely began revealed images. Coming into focus within the sphere were images of the Southern Lord, accompanied by his own general and bodyguard.
Inclining his head in a nod, the Eastern Lord coolly said "Lord Aikamaru."
"Lord Sasuke."
Silence engulfed the six for a moment before the Southern Lord spoke up again. "The Western Lord sent his muddy blood brother to visit you as well, I take it?"
"Yes, he did." Sasuke answered. "Apparently my patrols were caught across the Western Lands border."
Eyes suddenly turning crimson with three black marks that looked like commas, the hawk demon focused on the emerald eyed general and icily asked "General Ulquiorra, why were our troops found so easily?"
In an emotionless, monotone voice, Ulquiorra replied "I have reviewed with the groups that were seen and came to find out they each patrol was spotted by a few villagers each time. The villagers were simply out picking herbs or cutting wood. Our troops disobeyed my orders in not leaving any witnesses due most of the demons that spotted them were women, children, or elders. I assure you, such failures will not happen again. Those that did get caught were properly dealt with."
"As I expected from you, general." the hawk demon remarked. Regarding the sphere with the three demons within it for a moment, he added "Even though our patrols were spotted, it was not our troops that tipped off the Western Lands that our patrols have been crossing the borders, Lord Aikamaru. It was your troops that foolishly attacked two villages, with one group being caught by the Western Lord himself."
Visibly irritated, the water demon tersely grit out "That failure is on you, General Grimmjow."
To the right of the silver haired bodyguard of the Southern Lord sat a demon with short light blue hair that was wild and not brushed out, light blue eyes, teal colored demon markings underneath of his eyes, a bone like jaw on his right cheek, a scar running down his sternum, and a muscular body build. His clothing consisted of a pair of white pants that had a black obi wrapped around his hips and a sword seated within it that had a dark blue hilt and strangely cut rectangular guard, an open white kimono top with black on the inside of it and the ends of it's sleeves rolled up and the collar flipped out, and a pair of black socks and white sandals on his feet.
Irritably, Grimmjow spoke up, saying "You were the one who kept pushing the limits, not me."
"Do not disrespect Lord Aikamaru, panther, or shall I remind you of your place?" Sephiroth stated.
Looking more annoyed than anything as he turned his face away and crossed his arms over his chest, the panther demon replied "Like I give two shits about what you think you can do."
"Focus gentlemen." Aikamaru reprimanded. "The West is becoming suspicious of our intentions, thus we must reassess our plans. If they discover the truth, the goal to catch them off guard will fail."
"Indeed." Sasuke agreed. "To maintain the element of surprise, we must reconsider how to continue to keep the West off kilter."
Smirking, the water demon remarked "Part of the strategy to do so has already been put into play. It remains to be seen if we can cast the suspicion onto another party now."
"She will play her part." Grimmjow grumbled.
"Let us hope she does, though I ponder what became of her after I left her in your incapable hands." Ulquiorra commented.
Growling while glaring at the image of the emerald eyed demon, the panther demon snarled out "You cocky little bastard, I'll…"
"Grimmjow."
Eyes widening, the panther demon slid them over towards the Southern Lord, who had a look of firm control on his face. Quieting, the panther demon looked away.
"Lord Sasuke, we shall still plan to meet within the next week at the usual meeting place." the water demon stated.
Nodding his head, the hawk demon replied "We shall, Lord Aikamaru. Farewell."
Words said, both spheres of glass faded, leaving both sets of demons to discuss among themselves the events of the meeting.
Smirking to himself, the Southern Lord whispered "Soon the West shall pay for it's humiliation of me. I will not be denied what is rightfully mine."
000
000
Ears twitching at the sound of dripping water and nose crinkling at the offensive odors entering through his nostrils, Iya inwardly groaned upon entering into the dungeons. Ahead of him, his elder brother seemed unaffected by all of the scents and sounds, though the hanyou knew better that was just as irritating and disgusting to him.
Following his brother into a room off to the side, the hanyou shut the door behind himself since it was just himself, his brother, and the lone prisoner laying face down on a table. Spying the snake demoness, he couldn't help but feel a bit of pity for the state she was in. Her once tightly braided hair was now unbound and filthy; several bruises graced her face, along with a few cuts. The black clothing had been wearing was removed, leaving her with no modesty. Visibly large bruises covered portions of her body, revealing she had repeatedly been beaten overnight. Claw marks were revealed on her hips as well, with dried blood covering them and trailing down from between her legs.
Infuriated at the state the demoness was in, the dog hanyou clenched his fists tightly and let out a low growl. Through clenched teeth, he said "Sesshomaru, when we're done, I wish to find those that kept watch over her and did this to her."
"This Sesshomaru agrees. Such behavior is not allowed within this Sesshomaru's dungeon."
Moving forward to the edge of the table that the demoness laid upon, the dog demon coolly asked "Who sent you to kill this Sesshomaru's brother?"
Still laying with one of her cheeks against the table, the snake demoness remained silent. In a commanding tone, the demon lord spoke again, saying "Tell this Sesshomaru who sent you to your death and it shall be swift."
"Nemu, tell us who sent you. I promise, if you cooperate, things will go much easier." Iya coaxed.
Sitting up and regarding both the demon and hanyou for a moment with her emerald eyes, Nemu softly said "I know nothing."
In a calm, sad tone, the hanyou remarked "If you talk, I promise that you won't suffer. No matter what you do or say in here, you will die. To die with a clean conscious and hope the Kamis have mercy on you would be important, no?"
Not receiving an answer, the hanyou could not help but sigh as his elder brother stepped forward and grabbed the demoness by the throat and lifted her up into the air. Her expression remained the same, even as the color of her face began to drain. She made no attempt to free herself, as if she didn't care what her fate was.
Released from the demon lord's grip, the demoness fell to the ground unceremoniously with a sickening sound of bone crunching. Laying on the ground, the demoness made no sound of pain, nor revealed any signs of it in her expression.
"This Sesshomaru does not have patience for those who withhold information. Iya, chain her up."
Mutely nodding, the hanyou moved forward and brought the demoness to her feet. Dragging her towards the corner where a set of chains hung from the ceiling and a set were in the floor, the hanyou brought her to a stop near them and placed a single shackle on her left arm. Shackling her two legs to the floor, the hanyou stepped away while his brother approached.
"You will talk, even if this Sesshomaru must prolong your death for weeks on end. Do not doubt the abilities of this Sesshomaru, for he can bring you back from the brink of death if necessary and continue to do so until you willingly tell us the information. Now, who sent you to kill this Sesshomaru's brother?"
Using her usual calm, emotionless tone, the demoness replied "I know nothing."
Pulling his right index and middle fingers together, the demon lord summoned forth his green energy whip and let it lazily roll to the ground. With his usual bland expression on his face, the dog demon struck the demoness's back with his whip, leaving a bloody lash mark. The demoness did not react at all to the lash, prompting the dog demon to continue striking her back.
Numerous bloody lash marks soon covered the back of the demoness, who still did not seem to react to the punishment. Blood was dripping to the floor and adding to the already foul odor of the dungeon, making the hanyou even more uncomfortable, but he pushed it aside and focused on the task at hand.
"Nemu, tell us who sent you. It will all end once you do." Iya assured.
Silence filled the air for a few brief moments before Nemu quipped "I know nothing."
Recalling his whip, Sesshomaru flexed his claws momentarily as green energy began to form at the tips of them. "Perhaps a taste of this Sesshomaru's poison claws would change your mind. This Sesshomaru has a specific poison that can deal damage slowly to your person, pending on how much is pumped into your body. It will gradually eat away at your body, but put your pain receptors to their maximum."
Stepping forward, the dog demon suddenly found a clawed hand gripping his wrist, effectively stopping him. Casting his icy amber eyes on his brother, he coolly said "Do not interfere."
"Sesshomaru, killing her this quickly will do us no good. Let's try a different approach."
Green energy fading away from his claws, the demon lord remarked "Perhaps. Use your ice powers on her arm."
Slightly taken back by his brother's words, the hanyou had no chance to reply when the dog demon added "That is an order, Iya."
Releasing a sigh of resignation, Iya nodded his head and stepped to the left of the demoness with his right hand glowing with light blue demonic energy. In a soft tone, he spoke up, saying "I ask that you please tell us who sent you, Nemu. The pain you have felt thus far is nothing compared to what you will feel soon if you do not give us the information we wish to have."
"I know nothing."
Heavily sighing, the dog hanyou reached up and adjusted the height of her left arm, allowing it to be held straight out instead. Grabbing her arm with his right hand, he began releasing a cold burst of demonic energy into her arm.
Eyes widening at the discoloring of her skin, the demoness remained silent for the most part, with the exception of a soft hiss of pain. The sound of her bones creaking within her arm filled the air, causing the hanyou to internally cringe.
Releasing his hold, the hanyou calmly said "It's done, Sesshomaru."
Moving before the demoness, the dog demon stoically asked "Who sent you to kill this Sesshomaru's brother?"
Meeting the demon lord's golden eyes with her emerald ones momentarily, the snake demoness blandly replied "I know nothing."
"It would be a shame should you lose your left arm." the dog demon commented as he repositioned himself to grab of her frozen pinky finger. "Tell this Sesshomaru the truth."
Remaining emotionless, the snake demoness said nothing. Without warning, a snapping sound filled the room, making her eyes widen greatly. Looking over, she saw her smallest finger was now missing and resting in the hand of the dog demon. Pain was visible within her emerald eyes, but she refused to cry out.
"This Sesshomaru grows weary of your persistence. Who sent you to kill this Sesshomaru's brother?"
Sucking in a sharp breath, the demoness replied in her monotone voice "I know nothing."
All at once, the sound of two more snaps filled the air, making the demoness suddenly cry out in pain for the first time. Looking at her hand, the hanyou saw that now she was missing three fingers, with all three sitting in the palm of his brother's hand.
"Shall this Sesshomaru continue?"
Returning her eyes to meet the demon lord's, the demoness nipped her lip, drawing blood instantly. "I know nothing." she meekly muttered.
In a simple movement, the demon lord snapped off both her remaining fingers, causing the demoness to scream out in agony. Without any remorse on his face, the demon lord proceeded to snap her wrist into a strange angle, making the snake demoness cry out from the intense pain.
Flattening his ears to his head, the hanyou could no longer watch. The demoness's tortured scream filtered through his flattened ears still yet, compounding his discomfort from the dungeon in general.
"Tell this Sesshomaru who sent you."
Weakly sobbing from the pain, the demoness shook her head and cried out "I know nothing."
Pricking her cold arm's skin with his claws in a quick motion, the dog demon's claws began to glow with a light green energy. The scent of burning flesh soon filled the air, along with the wails of the demoness.
"This Sesshomaru's acid shall gradually turn every pain receptor on, allowing you to savor every bit of the pain from the acid's damaging effects. Your body shall tingle at first, and then feel as if you are being burned from the inside. The longer it remains within your body, the worse the pain shall become. How long will you be able to withstand the pain, this Sesshomaru ponders."
Gritting her teeth, the demoness attempted to cease her outbursts, only to fail when she suddenly screeched out loudly. Tears began rolling down her cheeks while she struggled to free herself from the bindings that held her in place. Without warning, her voice went several decibels higher, making the dog hanyou's ears flatten even further to his head.
"Do you wish for release from this pain, demoness?" Sesshomaru questioned. Receiving a nod, the dog demon retorted "Then tell this Sesshomaru who sent you to kill his brother."
Still screaming from the pain with tears flowing down her face, Nemu cried out "I know nothing!"
"A pity you will die in such an unfit manner." the dog demon icily stated. "Perhaps this shall change your mind."
Digging his claws into her left temple, the demon lord's claws glowed with a familiar light green energy, accompanied by the scent of searing flesh. The demoness's shrieks increased by tenfold from their previous level.
Showing no reactions to the screaming, the dog demon coldly said "Tell this Sesshomaru who sent you."
Receiving no answer, the dog demon reached out and roughly grabbed the demoness's squirming face with one hand and held it still. His palm began to glow with a light green energy. The scent of burning flesh became apparent instantly, with the demoness screaming out even louder than ever.
Gazing into her emerald eyes with his piercing amber ones, he coldly said "Answer this Sesshomaru."
Blood began oozing down from the demoness's eyes, along with a trail of the crimson liquid from her mouth that dripped down off of her chin and onto her chest. Her breathing was shaky and growing labored with each breath.
"Who sent you?"
Clenching her eyes shut, effectively squeezing more blood out from them, Nemu's body trembled greatly as she screamed out "IT WAS THE NORTHERN LORD!"
Turning with shock on his face, Iya heard his brother demand "Say it again."
"IT WAS LORD KOUGA OF THE NORTH! HE TOLD ME TO KILL HIM! MAKE IT STOP, PLEASE MAKE IT STOP!"
Plunging his hand straight through the demoness's chest where her heart lay, the dog demon saw the light in the emerald eyes of the demoness fade away. Pulling his hand out and shaking the blood off of his claws, the demon lord looked behind himself to his younger brother and motioned for him to come forward.
Understanding what his brother wanted, the hanyou quickly unshackled the demoness and gently laid her onto the cool stone floor. Stepping back, he saw his elder brother draw Tenseiga from it's sheath.
Feeling the fang imparted to him from his father pulsate, the demon lord saw small nearly translucent creatures forming around the demoness that were preparing to take her soul. With a single sweep, he slashed through all of them, causing the demoness's body to pulsate and glow with a light blue aura.
Before their eyes, the snake demoness's wounds closed up and her body regenerated to it's original state. Her chest began rising and falling slowly, revealing that she was once again among the living.
Sheathing his sword, the dog demon turned away and began moving towards the door, followed closely by his brother. Stepping out, the demon lord regarded the two guards on duty. Both had instantly bowed to him, showing their respect.
Turning to face both, Sesshomaru calmly said "Tell this Sesshomaru, which squad guarded that prisoner last night."
"My Lord, it was squad three." the guard on the right of the door spoke up.
Mulling over the information, the demon lord replied "Go to the barracks and rouse them. Tell them to meet this Sesshomaru in one hour on the training grounds."
Bowing to the dog demon, the right-hand guard replied "Yes my Lord."
Turning to the remaining guard, the demon lord spoke up once more, saying "You shall take that demoness back to her cell. Should any harm befall her, your life will be forfeit."
Eyes widening a bit, the remaining guard quickly bowed deeply and weakly responded with "I understand, Lord Sesshomaru."
At once, both the demon lord and the hanyou left the dungeon. Rising back up to the outside, the hanyou couldn't help but inhale the fresh air deeply. Sliding his eyes over to his elder brother, he asked "Do you believe what she said?"
"Hardly." Sesshomaru quipped.
Nodding his head, Iya replied "I know what you mean. Kouga is our ally, why would he bother to betray us? There is nothing in it for him to do so. Even head on, he couldn't hope to defeat me, let alone you, so why would he hire someone weaker to do the task for him? It just doesn't fit."
"Indeed."
"But you picked up on her scent too, didn't you?" the hanyou idly asked.
Inclining his head, the demon lord replied "Yes. To mask one's scent from a lie is quite difficult and nearly impossible. She does not seem the type to have that ability."
"I agree." the hanyou commented. "But where does that leave us?"
Engulfed by silence for a few moments, the demon and hanyou remained silent till finally the demon lord broke it. "It is possible that she was deceived into believing it was true."
Mutely nodding, the dog hanyou replied "That's true, she could have been placed under an illusion spell, or a shape shifter convinced her. In any case, it's highly unlikely that Kouga would blatantly try to have me killed."
"But it does worry me, nonetheless." Iya added. "If it's true, then combined with the problems between the West and the other two lands, we will be surrounded on all sides by enemies."
"We shall see. The Northern Lord must be spoken with. This Sesshomaru shall send a message to him to ask him to come here within the next month, seeing how this Sesshomaru cannot leave his lands for at least a few more months."
Nodding his head, the hanyou quietly replied "I only hope that she is lying."
