Disclaimer : Inuyasha's characters don't belong to me.
Sakura Hatsu thank you! I hope I will not disappoint you, lots of thing will happen in the story!
Chapitre 14 Revelations
Somewhere
"You haven't been able to prevent yourself from returning to see her huh!" The Mother roared through the forest. "You even dared to test her powers without my consent! Are you really so simple minded and disrespectful?"
"We just wanted to see with our eyes if what you told us about her was true Mother." Benkei tried to justified, but only succeeded to make their Mother more furious.
"How dare you question my words? Me! Who have done so much for you all this time! And now you dare to tell me that you don't trust me?" The Mother yelled making the twins flinched.
"You talk about her arrival inside our family for months now and it has fueled our curiosity towards her. We really wanted to get to know her Mother!" Hisashi explained. "We know we have gone too far when we sent her all these youkais, but she's safe now."
"For your own good, she better be alright boys!" The Mother warned the twins. "You three, are the only ones of our specie that I managed to find after all these years. You don't seem to understand how precious the four of us are! So please, stop putting yourself and your sister in unnecessary dangers!"
"We are sorry mother." Benkei said pitifully.
"Do you really think she will join us one day? Cause, when we saw her, she refused our proposition." Hisashi asked her.
The Mother placed each of her hands on the twins cheek affectionately before replying, "She is so young and new to this life. Don't forget that the rest of her powers still must hatch. She must be lost right now. One day, she will realize how important we are to her, as she is for us." Turning her back to the men she continued, "While I was away, I thought about something that will help her to achieve her true powers soon."
"So we will be able to realize our plans with her by our side?" Benkei asked excitidely.
"If everything works as I planned, yes my boys, your sister will be with us for this exceptional moment." The Mother said with a deep smile.
"But why are we allowing her to travel with these errors of nature, the youkais and these disgusting humans? Wouldn't it be simpler to just go and talk to her Mother?" Hisashi wondered.
"Do not worry about it son. All these pitiful creatures will soon understand that they don't deserve her. If our plans work, and I know it will, we will soon get rid of them!" She said sure of her words. "Now i need to be alone to work out the first step of our plan. I'll call you when I need your help. In the meantime, I want you to stay away from your her, understood?"
"Yes Mother!" The twins replied watching the Mother walking away.
Sesshomaru's pack
Auriane was utterly bored at the camp. Everyone was already fast asleep. Wondering what she could do to entertain herself, she felt Sesshomaru's approaching the camp. Realizing he had stopped and wasn't coming there, she decided to go pestering the mighty lord, since he was the only one awake.
"Hey Sesshomaru, thinking about love again?" She said with a smile trying to humor him while sitting down with a respectful distance from him.
"Love is an unessential human matter. To give attention to such an insignificant thing is a loss of time for a youkai." Replied the lord sure of himself.
"Love isn't just a human thing you know Lord." Auriane argued. She was surprised to see that Sesshomaru was accepting to have a civilized conversation with her. Curious to know more about his own perspective on the subject, she added, "I am sure a lot of youkai love each other…"
"We, youkais don't have the feelings, the need or the interest in what humans call love. We are instinctual creatures. We don't burden ourselves with such weak and frivolous things. Love doesn't give us power, so it would be pointless to have it." The lord replied full of conviction with his amber eyes gazing at the sky.
"I have to say that this is not my opinion. I am sure some youkais choose to have love and affection. You know, it can give a lot of strength too, no matter what you say…" She told him and laughed when she heard Sesshomaru mumbling "Pathetic idiot" as an answer.
"Sesshomaru, do you really know what love is or just what affection is?" She wondered. She may have never been in love, but she knew the family kind of love and friendship love too, making her wondering if Sesshomaru ever had one of these.
"It is to show weakness and vulnerability to another being." He said, satisfied with himself.
"But how would you know that? Have you ever cared for someone enough to feel this weakness that you are talking about?" She inquired subtly but was rewarded by silence.
Sesshomaru thought about the only one being he had ever admitted to himself that he cared. His father was his childhood's model. He was strong and inspired respect among his kind. Love had made him lose all his priorities! He had dared to throw away everything he had gain among the years to be brought down on his knees by a simple human woman, leading him to his ridiculous and unnecessary fall.
The young woman had noticed his mood changing while he was in his thoughts. She knew his past by Inuyasha. Even though Sesshomaru didn't show how much his past had touched him, his behavior betrayed him every day.
Auriane sigh and looked back at the stars trying again, "I don't think love can only be a weakness. Of course you become emotionally dependent of another being in some way… You want him or her to return that affection. But from what I saw in my life, love can make you feel so powerful and strong! People in love can turn mountains upside down for the ones they love. It can also makes you feel the happiest person on earth..."
"Ridiculous!" Sesshomaru snapped.
"Why? Don't you wish to marry someone you'll love one day?" She asked.
"We, youkais don't marry! To marry is another human behavior. We do mate a suitable female or male, who must be worthy and dignified of our rank, to give birth to strong and healthy heirs. Love has nothing to do with it" Sesshomaru explained patiently.
"However, if you chose to mate the youkai you'd love, that would be so much more agreeable for intimate moments and passionate. It would make the mating life less boring!" She exclaimed, happy that the lord was speaking more than he was used to.
"Intimate?" Sesshomaru repeated, not sure about what she was implying.
"Yes intimate you know? Like kisses and all …" She wondered why he seemed to be foreign to that word 'Maybe he is a virgin… No! Ridiculous!' She thought trying not to laugh at her stupid suspicions.
"What are kis-ses?" The deadly youkai asked her, hating to be ignorant and more so, in front of a human female at that.
"It is… putting your lips against someone's skin or lips…" She said not knowing how to understand his questions. 'Is he that ignorant in the matter? How is that possible? He is handsome and noble. I thought that he would have taken advantage of this with females.'
Seeing that the Lord wasn't giving his opinion on what she had just said, she added after mature reflection. "Well thinking about it, you are an Inu-youkai, so I think it would be more adapted to replace kissing by licking maybe…." She said, trying really hard not to picture Sesshomaru licking someone's face like a dog.
Sesshomaru thought that he had never seen this kind of behavior, nor that he did found himself in a such disgusting situation.
She noticed his perplexed look and thought 'Maybe youkais don't kiss since they have a strong animal side...So I think that licking may be more appropriate'
"I, Sesshomaru, doesn't give interest in such trivial things." He replied. He had never explored such behaviors before because of the inutility of the 'kissing thing'. But he had to admit that for a few minutes, the onna had aroused his curiosity about this act.
Thinking his answer was his way to tell her to be quiet, she sighed again and lay down to contemplate the stars.
"What does kissing have to do with love?" She suddenly heard him say.
That human girl had intrigued him about this and he will make sure that she will quench his sudden curiosity.
'Didn't he just told me that the subject wasn't interesting him?' She thought surprised before answering his interrogation, "Well, to kiss is a way of communication."
'And there is a lot of way to kiss someone, from a peck to a wild making out' She thought with a smile remembering the kisses she had gave and received. "But it is also true that you don't need to always love to kiss someone. However, it is far more agreeable when you put emotions like love inside it. A good emotional kiss can make you quivering powerfully inside. It does serve to initiate more way of communication afterward too." She turned her face toward him. He seemed to be in contemplation of what she had just said.
"What kind of initiation could favor such a foolish behavior?" She stared at him gawking after what he had just asked.
She told him the only appropriate answer that came to her confused mind. "A copulation…"
When she came here she hadn't expected that her little joke would turn to a sex class! Normally, she wasn't shy about that subject, but here she was, talking about it with the Lord of the West, the killing perfection and it made her feel really uneasy. 'I really hope he's gonna drop the subject now'
'Do humans need to kiss to provoke the mating?' The lord thought. He had never heard about it before. 'Normally the male is just supposed to take the willing female after she accepted the male courting, till he graces her with his seed.'
At first he seemed to be surprised by her words, but he was soon back to his normal self, "Hn, this is why humans are so weak. They put emotions in everything they do and lose focus of more important causes in the process. A youkai mating has nothing to do with weakness, it is a strong instinctual act."
"I have to differ here Sesshomaru! Only strong beings are able to really love because they are not scared to open up and show affection to the one they desire, nor are they scared to fight for it, even if they might suffer a great deal after that!"
"Even if it causes their death?" He snarled.
He wasn't looking at her but she could see that his eyes were red in the obscurity. Auriane could feel his aura sending dangerous vibes and tried to soothing him with hers. 'I am sorry for your loss Sesshomaru, but please, don't forbid yourself emotions, don't be a black hole.'
After a moment of silent contemplation, she yawned and decided it was time to leave him in his thought. Going away she addressed him one last question, "One day, will you let someone get near you or will you condemn yourself to a lonely life?"
Sesshomaru waited for her to turn her back to him and raised his eyes to her retreating form, watching the night breeze sliding in her loose hair. 'This onna, is more intriguing than any female who had ever tried to reach me, without even her being aware of it. How is it possible? What is hiding inside her?'
The following days
They were walking through the Northern Territory for some time. The group was enjoying the stunning scenery, "This is really a heavenly place!" Auriane said watching the thousands flowers and trees.
"Yes, I never saw a place so beautiful!" Jaken exclaimed suddenly. When he saw his Lord turning an eye toward him, the toad hastened to add, "Excepted for the territory of the west of course! Nothing is more pleasant to the eyes than your territory my Lord! And all this flowers here are pathetic and make me sick with their disgusting smell!"
"Really Jaken-sama? I think they smell really good." Rin replied while picking up flowers to put it in Shippo's hair.
"I heard that inside the bright and attractive scenery of this area, as much of dark dangers are hidden." Sango informed them.
"What kind of dangers?" Shippo asked curiously with his head surrounding by flowers.
The demon slayer didn't have the time to answer. They saw Sesshomaru stop walking as if he was reacting to something. Closing his eyes, the Lord smelled the air and when he opened his eyes again, he reached for Bakusaiga.
"What's wrong Sesshomaru?" Auriane asked. She soon saw him turning toward a forest at the horizon and tried to feel what he could have felt. She quickly detected two strong auras coming towards them. "Who are they?" She wondered.
"The former Lord of the North and his son." Sesshomaru finally replied.
"Oh no! They spotted us on their territory and are coming to kill us! We are lost!" Jaken cried.
"Shut up Jaken! You're scarring the children with your loud mouth!" Auriane said kicking him hard on the head.
The group did not move, waiting for the arrival of two youkais patiently.
"Why are we waiting? Can't we advance toward them?" Auriane murmured. She hated to wait.
"Baka! This is a respectful way to show the lord of this domain that we do not come as an aggressor! We must wait until they come to greet us." Jaken explained proud of his knowledge.
"Or until they come to kill us." The woman replied.
"But nothing can happen to us, Sesshomaru-sama is here with us!" Rin said reassured by the Lord's presence.
"If they could just hurry a little…" Auriane mumbled to herself impatiently.
Long minutes later, the Lord and his son arrived in front of the group, eyeing them oddly.
"Lord Sesshomaru, it is a pleasure to see you! When I was told that you were travelling with humans, I was really skeptical, but now, I have the evidence under my eyes." The former Lord of the North said with a mocking smile.
"I have heard about your humiliating defeat." Sesshomaru answered with a straight face.
The group tensed behind them, they could feel the electric tension between the two youkais.
The former Northern Lord decided to cut the tension first and looked at Sesshomaru's group. "I am Okimoto, former Lord of the North and this is my son, Teruo. We were waiting for your arrival."
They all presented themselves politely to the former Lord and his son.
Curiously, Auriane asked them, "May we know how did you know about our arrival?"
Okimoto smiled replying, "All I can say for the moment is that a person you are looking for a long time already, made me come to fetch you."
Not knowing how to react at the news, Auriane looked over at Sesshomaru to gauge his reaction and see if she could trust Okimoto's words.
"Take us to her." Was the only reaction of the Inuyoukai Lord.
'So this is true! I'm finally about to meet this Tadako!' The woman thought, she couldn't believe she was about to get her answers after all this time.
Okimoto and his son mentioned them to follow them in the air saying, "It will be quicker this way."
They arrived soon to a big hidden cave on the top of a mountain. The entrance was lit by a small flickering flame. Once inside, they saw that the place was rather spacious and in its center reigned a campfire, which oddly gave off no smoke. In front of the fire stood a silent person, who was covered by a long cape.
Okimoto left the group at the entrance of the cave and went toward the mysterious person. He leaned over her and slipped a word in her ear. When the person replied to him, the youkai turned to Sesshomaru and motioned to him he could approach with his group. When they stopped by the fire, the person finally revealed her smiling face while her eyes were holding a glimmer of concern.
"We meet at last." The mature woman told them. "I am Tadako." Noticing that she got no reaction from them she added, "Did a cat get your tongue?"
Aurinae was the first to talk, "Do not get me wrong but, we have been looking for you for months and here you are! It feels kind of strange. Is it really you?"
"It is her. She reeks of magic." Sesshomaru said his eyes narrowing at the witch.
Tadako gave a curt laugh and said, "I know about your search of me. But you weren't ready to accept the truth yet, so i had to hide, although i wasn't very far from you Auriane."
"Would you stop talking in cryptic language and tell us why you suddenly show up?" Jaken yelled pointing his staff toward Tadako.
"What I have to tell you may take some time. You should put yourselves at ease before. As for you imp, I'd like a little more respect from a mere servant." The sorceress told them.
Jaken, furious, was about to answer her when he realized that he couldn't open his mouth.
"Oh look! Jaken-sama has no mouth anymore! How will he do to eat?" Rin was looking at him with big eyes while poking Jaken's face with her finger.
"Do not worry Rin, once we're done, his mouth will reappear." Tadako replied.
"You know my name?" The child answered.
"I know a lot of thing." The witch smiled.
"Well, if you could start to tell us all the things you know, it would be cool." Auriane said impatiently.
"Impatient are we? But I understand your eagerness." Tadako told her. "Firstly, know that this was not my intention to reveal myself today. But an incident forced me to call you, because it happens that for the first time of my long life, I am unable to find her."
"Find who?" Auriane asked intrigued.
"My daughter. She had disappeared with her lover to punish me, because I was against their union. However, during their escape they were attacked and were separated. But she is still blocking me out with her power and I can't locate her to give her my help." Tadako said with tears in her voice.
"How do you know all of this if you can't contact her?" Sango questioned the sorceress, wondering if she was trying to trick them.
Looking at Sango the witch answered, "Because her lover came to me to inform me that my daughter was in danger."
"Who is this mysterious lover?" Shippo asked touched by this tragic love story.
"My son." Okimoto suddenly intervened.
All eyes turned silently toward Teruo.
'A youkai and a witch in love? How interesting!' Auriane thought.
"I must say that I was also against this union. But after careful consideration, the alliance between my son and the daughter of the great witch Tadako will give us powerful heirs, allowing us to reclaim our land that has been ransacked by Naraku." Okimoto's voice rang through the cave.
"This story is of no concerns for us." Sesshomaru suddenly manifested himself. Sesshomaru thought that the former Lord of the North was pathetic to have been despoiled from his lands by Naraku and to not be strong enough to win them back alone. He didn't deserved help.
"If i have sent Okimoto and Teruo looking for you, is because I need Auriane's capacities to help me." Tadako replied without looking at Sesshomaru.
"You seem to be sure of yourself to think i'll be able to help you while I'm not powerful." Auriane replied.
"I will join my power to yours after a short ritual. And on contrary to what you think, you're strong enough to do it. You really have no awareness of what there is inside you!" Tadako told her.
Auriane took a pensive look, then with a smirk she said to Tadako, "Tell me if I am wrong but, are you the one who tricked me here and put a spell on me?" When she saw the sorceress lowering her eyes, confirming her suspicions, she added, "I will help you under two conditions. The first one is that you'll tell me everything i want to know about myself and these capacities in me. The second one is that i want you to break that fucking spell! If you accept these conditions, the deal is made."
Tadako took a moment for reflection. She had trapped Auriane here so she could make her powers evolve until they are completely born. But could she take the risk to inform Auriane about her true nature and see her going back to the other world while many humans and youkais lives may die here without her? The young woman had a pure and compassionate heart. Maybe she will be able to convince her to stay once the spell is broken? At the same time, perhaps Auriane was not ready to know what she really was, but the life of her daughter was in danger! She would not bear to lose her without having done everything in her power to save her!
"I accept your terms if you promised to wait before going back to your world." The sorceress told her.
"Why are you being so mysterious?" Auriane wondered. 'What is she hiding?' She thought.
"Just know for now that many lives are hanging by your decision." Tadako simply said.
'Is she serious? What I have to do with their lives? But if what she said is true, would I be so selfish to risk these people lives by going back into the modern world?' The woman thought that it wasn't her kind to make people suffer. She will just take her misfortune patiently before being able to leave.
"Okay, we have a deal! You better respect the terms!" Auriane warned the sorceress.
"I will respect them, be sure of that. Thank you for your decision." The witch said relieved. She then asked to Okimoto and his son to go find some herbs in the mountains nearby that will help Auriane to relax at her maximum.
Watching them leave, Auriane asked, "What kind of youkai are they?"
"Bear youkais." She heard Sesshomaru replying.
"Shouldn't you tell the human what you know about her witch?" Jaken said while sitting around the fire next to Shippo.
"I see that you have found back your mouth toad!" Tadako told him. "But you are right. It is time for me to complete the first part of our agreements." Feeling that she had everyone's attention on her, she began, "You are a human but at the same time, you are different. You belong to a nearly extinct species called Beings of Balance. These beings have an important role to play in the maintenance of balance on earth and in the maintenance of peace between humans and youkais. They normally operate in the shadows, but many years ago, their powers had been openly revealed. The youkais and the humans, each wanting to dominate the world, started to track down the Beings of Balance to kill them or to use their powers for personal purposes. Today, there are very few who are still living anonymously. If i made you coming here, is because youkais and humans lives will soon be threatened and I dreamed of you putting an end to this threat."
Frowning, the witch added, "I am sorry because i can't be more specific about what you'll have to expect in the near futur. The information comes to me in a piecemeal way. All i know is that a danger will affects the human world and the youkai world greatly. As a Being of Balance, it is your duty to stay here to impede the darkness to invade this world."
Everyone was trying to understand the words of the witch in a stony silence. Taking Auriane's hands in hers, she continued, "I know that your powers are only starting to develop since your arrival here, and therefore, you're lagging behind others of your kind. However, your progress has been faster than I would have thought."
"What kind of powers these Beings of Balance possess?" Auriane enquired.
"They possess in their heart the balance between the power of light that you are already learning to master and the power of darkness, similar to those of a youkai." Tadako said.
"What do you mean by similar to those of a youkai?" Auriane started to be worried.
"You will stop aging as a youkai. Your body will be stronger and more resistant to contain all that power. Each power is unique and you will have to discover and master yours." The sorceress knew the woman could take that news badly and she soon discovered that she wasn't wrong.
"I'm gonna stop aging? But I want to stay human! There must be a way to prevent this!" Auriane screamed. She was furious.
"No, that's what you are. You have to accept it, not reject it or you'll have trouble with your powers like you had with your axe." The sorceress tried to reason her.
"How do you know about my axe? Were you following me?" The woman accused.
Lowering her gaze, Tadako answered, "I had to make sure that you were alright."
Auriane got up furiously and left the cave. A few minutes later, Sango joined her and place her arm around her. "It will be alright. Everything will be alright." The demon slayer simply said. These simple words from her friend appeased her momentarily. Puffing, Auriane returned the hug.
Inside the cave, Sesshomaru's mind was running wild with all these informations. He remembered a childhood story about the Beings of Balance, but he thought that if these creatures have ever been alive, they were surely dead now. This was why the onna had such odd powers for a human, she was one of them. He started to understand the words of the elder Madoka, if some were to learn that she is a Being of Balance, they will track her down!
The Lord's thoughts were interrupted by Tadako who was approaching him.
"Why the Beings of Balance have been tracked down to extinction?" The Lord asked her.
"I knew you would asked this question. First, you should know that this species was already few in numbers. They had been pursued by humans and youkais because they were interfering with their plans. Indeed, as long as the Beings of Balance were present, neither side could gain an advantage over the other. So they decided to exterminate them." Looking at his face, she added before returning toward the fire, "You are powerful, you will be able to help her master her darker powers once they'll be born."
"Say, Jaken-sama? Does this mean that Aurian-chan will become stronger?" Rin wondered. She had a hard time to follow the discussion the adults just had.
"Baka! This is what the witch pretend!" The toad answered.
"So if she doesn't age anymore, she will be able to stay with you and Sesshomaru-sama forever?" Rin wondered. She thought her friend was lucky to be able to live forever with her Lord.
Jaken choked, "Lord Sesshomaru will never want this filthy human to stay by his side forever!"
Rin answered with a small smile, "If I were you, i wouldn't be so sure about it Jaken-sama!"
Shippo who had joined his friends outside, came running back inside the cave saying, "They're coming back with the herbs!"
The two bear youkais entered soon after, handing the herbs to Tadako who thanked them. "It will not be long now." Everyone watched her preparing the concoction silently.
Taking the pot out of the fire she exclaimed, "Done! Now Auriane please, start to relax, to empty your mind."
"It'll be hard after what I just learnt!" The woman said.
"Please, you have to concentrate and drink this before it gets cold." Tadako told her handing her the pot.
The girl followed every indication of Tadako and finally managed to clear her mind. The witch took the moon stone and laced the chain of the necklace around her and Aurine's wrist before joining their hands together. The witch recited incantations nobody could understand, until suddenly, the moon stone began to illuminate.
"We're almost there." Tadako she said softly.
Auriane was euphoric, her mind was traveling over beautiful landscapes guided by the voice of Tadako and the stone.
The witch noticed the stone becoming more brilliant and searing. She asked hopefully, "Can you see her?"
Auriane had difficulty to answer. She just knew that her mind had found a dark place. "No I can't see her." She said in a small voice, not understanding what was happening.
A short time later, her mind could see a pair of hands that were not hers. "Wait i can see hands! And foots too!" The woman exclaimed happily.
But instead to hear Tadako's voice answering her, she heard another female voice asking her, "What are you doing in my head?"
"I'm in your head? Are you Tadako's daughter?" Auriane asked the voice.
"So it is my mother's doing! Get out of my head now!" The voice said.
"I'm here to help you! Yes it is Tadako's doing because you reject her help. She is worried for you as is Teruo!" The woman explained.
"Teruo? He is alive? Is he alright?" The female's voice held a deep emotion when she said her lover's name that crushed Auriane's heart.
"Yes, he is with us, not talking a lot, but he is alright, waiting for your return." Auriane really wanted to convince the woman to accept their help.
"How it is that he is there with my mother? She told me that she would never accept our love for each other!" The voice was crying now.
"I know, but apparently, her love for you is stronger than her own opinion. She only wishes for you to be safe right now. This is why she sent me to you!" Auriane could feel something like walls trembling around the woman's body and asked, "What is going on here?"
"I'm trapped in a cave! Packs of rat youkais are after me since I have been separated from Teruo. I took refuge inside a cave, but I just discovered that it is inhabited! I have no issues!" The voice said.
"I wish I could help you!" Auriane yelled.
Back in Tadako's cave
When she heard the woman talking with her daughter, the sorceress had released Auriane's hands, knowing that their contact wasn't necessary anymore. Everyone in the cave was tense and was listening carefully to Auriane talking to the witch's daughter. Rin had taken refuge next to the Lord who was ready to kill Tadako if anything went wrong.
The sorceress heard Auriane's desperate words, saying that she wished to help her daughter and knew that a danger was near. Not thinking twice about it, she took back Auriane's hands in hers and sent an amount of power through their magical bond.
They didn't have long to wait to see the results. Soon, they could hear Auriane's words to Tadako's daughter, confirming that the witch's power had reached her daughter.
But anxiety seized them all when they heard Auriane saying in a weak tone, "Too much…It's too much…He's so strong!" Auriane was snatched strongly from the hands of Tadako and projected against one of the walls of the cave, falling limply on the ground.
All her friends were bent over her calling her name, relief washing over them when she started to open her eyes. "What happened over there?" Tadako was the first to speak.
Sesshomaru rushed to the woman and started to raise her in the air by her throat. "What are you doing Sesshomaru-sama?" Rin and Jaken exclaimed at the same time, shocked by their Lord's behavior.