Recap--

What's going on? Inuyasha wondered.

He sniffed the air, and sniffed again. And again. And yet again. The very faint smell of youkai reached his nostrils, so faint, he thought he must be imagining it. But what else could have stopped the threesome fighting without an exchange of words or a heated argument to stop?

He was right. Thirty seconds later, the glass in the upper roof shattered, and sharp shards came flying down. Inuyasha covered his head instinctively with his kimono, one of the two things his Okaa-san had left behind with him. Youkai tore through the narrow space, and lined up behind Inutaisho, baring their vampire-like teeth as a warning. Kazumi's face turned into one of shock and thoughtfulness.

"You actually have youkai on your side?!"

"Trusted minors," Said Inutaisho.

"So Kazumi, ...what will you do?"

Now--

Kazumi considered carefully. Then she turned to the youkai. They were small fry, but many, just too many to fight at once.

"You realize, all of you, that you are serving a great inuyoukai, one of the greatest. But he has made a decision that has now ranked him the lowest in my brain. How could a hanyou, a filthy breed mix, ever rule the lands that need cautious care?"

Kazumi paused for effect, but no one moved. She continued on.

"Our father... no, the Inutaisho kicked my otouto and I out ten years ago because he'd simply found a new ningen mate. Where's the reason in that, eh? Out in the cold snow, with no food and no shelter. All of you have known suffering. Would you like to taste it again?"

At this, the youkai shifted uneasily, switching their gaze to the bold 22-year-old and to their leader, Inutaisho. Inutaisho bared his teeth.

"I've already told you. They are loyal - to me, and no one else. Not one of them will even think about following you, two mislead trees."

Kazumi knew she was outnumbered.

"It's a common line... but DON'T think this is over."

She grabbed Sesshomaru, who was still fuming. But before she could stop him, Sesshomaru lunged toward his father.

"I want my lands!!" He shrieked, eyes glowing red.

Kazumi's loud shout of "NO!!" and a sickening crunch was heard at the same time. The closest youkai to Inutaisho had bravely put himself in front of Sesshomaru and his master, and had suffered the pain of having fangs torn into him viciously. It fell to the floor, already dead. The split second was enough for Kazumi to rush to her brother, and drag him away, whilst maintaining more than an iron hold on him. Sesshomaru's eyes were still burning red, as he glared back with furious eyes at the fading scene.

--

"Baka! Why did you do that?! The last thing we wanted was our- Inutaisho to know that you needed more training on self-
control!"

Sesshomaru didn't answer his sister, looking mindlessly into the dark that was untouched by the setting sun.

"I did want my lands. I guess I just lost too much self-control. I'm sorry. I'll try not to let it happen again."

Kazumi was the slightest bit surprised at how fast Sesshomaru had re-composed himself again. Sighing, she dropped down next to her otouto and looked into the red sun.

"We'll go for it again someday. We definitely will. I trained you ten years ago, ten hard years, and it will be rewarded.
I won't have it go wasted on the terrible confrontation we had today. We... just need more followers."

"How're we going to get that when all of the youkai of the Western Lands are on his side?"

"Kill them." Kazumi's tone was emotionless, if not cold.

"What?" Sesshomaru turned to his ane-ue, having not expected her plan.

Kazumi turned her icy eyes to Sesshomaru, and he flinched.

"What else can you suggest?" She whispered, her voice deadly, "I've tried to convince them to the best of my ability, but no use. We'll scare their families, and they will serve under us in fear. We have to be quick about it though..."

"No," Sesshomaru breathed, shocked.

He was horrified at what Kazumi was suggesting. There must have been thousands, tens of thousands, of youkai in the lands. To slaughter so many of them at once... was unthinkable.

"What did you say?!" Kazumi stood up at once, a glimmer of red starting to show behind her flaming, gold eyes.

"I won't do that. I won't. That's a mass slaughter. Their families will seek us in revenge, instead of follow us!"

"Not if we kill enough of them," Kazumi bared her fangs furiously at him, "End the idiotic thoughts you have and join me again."

"No. I will not," Sesshomaru stood firm.

He saw Kazumi grit her teeth in incredible strength, nearly breaking them, and then, without hesitation, lunged at Sesshomaru. He neatly dodged her, half-expecting it already, and broke away, running as fast as he could. As swift as he was, he heard Kazumi's cool voice before he got out of range.

"Go Sesshomaru, go, my... no-longer-brother. You have abandoned me, and I shall seek revenge on you someday. Know that,
as you run from me, you flee from your every chance of winning back your lands, and your only sister as well."

Tears that hadn't fell in ten years streaked down Sesshomaru's face, the whooshing wind drying them. What had happened to Kazumi in all this turmoil?! Why had she become... this killing machine that no longer cared about anything? He remembered the fuzzy memories more than a youkai decade ago - Kazumi laughing and running, with Sesshomaru yelling "Slow down, slow down - brouda can't cac you!"; Kazumi picking a forget-me-not and handing it to her otouto while saying, "This is what you are to me, Sesshomaru."; Having Kazumi read to him and kiss him good night. All those memories had been lost as soon as Kazumi had started training him. Truly, what had happened?!

Sesshomaru ran through the night, wind whipping his face and hair mercilessly, the tears relentlessly falling. He knew, he knew, that one day, he would get even with the selfish and ignorant world for this.

--

Translations:

ane-ue: older sister

baka: stupid/idiot

hanyou: half-demon

inuyoukai: dog-demon

ningen: human

otouto: younger brother

youkai: demon

(Author's note: Flame me for not updating. I dare you to.)