"Demons." - Talking

'Demons' - Thinking

Chapter 21

"Sesshomaru-sama?" A young and sweet voice called softly gaining the attention of a silver haired man. She blinked up curiously at the cool golden glance she gained.

The one that the voice belonged to was an adorable little girl about the age of 8-9 years old. She was small - about 4'3 in height - with fair skin, bright brown doe eyes and long dark hair with a small pony tail on the right side of her head. She wore a orange and yellow checker kosode that extended to her ankles showing off her bare feet.

"Yes, Rin." He questioned in a deep and cold voice. If one was paying attention close enough they would have heard the slight natural growl undertones that he wasn't able to fully hide giving away his canine origins.

"Is something the matter milord?" She asked worried, not bothered by his tone of voice since she's use to how he spoke.

The past couple of moons, her lord would just stop out of nowhere to look in a certain direction. He never says anything about why he would look over there, but she has a feeling it has something to do with her lord's brother, Inuyasha-sama. That is the direction of Inuyasha Forest after all. Well…she thinks so at least.

"Hn." He answered without actually answering knowing the little girl would understand him.

"Stop bothering Sesshomaru-sama!" A squeaky and annoying voice screeched.

The screech came from a short imp with green skin. It's mouth was similar to a birds beak with large yellow eyes that took almost half of his face. It's ears were the traditional pointed ears that most demons in their human form have. It wore a simple brown top and light brown pants combo with a black hat that was tied by a white strap under it's chin.

"I'm not bothering Sesshomaru-sama, Jaken-sama!" She snapped, tired of the imp treating her like a burden.

'If milord had a problem with this Rin, he would tell Rin.' She thought with a frustrated pout, successfully distracted from further questioning her lord.

As the two descended in bickers, the one they call Sesshomaru-sama, ignored them like he usually do. It's a scene that is quite common to the demon lord.

He turned his sharp golden eyes back towards where that weird power kept coming from, drowning out the other two voices. He first felt that power a few moons ago and he still feels a shiver run down his spine every time he feels it.

It was like nothing he's ever felt before. It felt so wild, strong and intense and so...fleeting. He couldn't get a true pin point to where it was coming from, just that it's in the direction of his despicable brother's Forest and the village he stays at.

'Is it a new stray that half-breed picked up?' He couldn't help but wonder.

The thing about the unknown power that made him curious was that his demon always sits up and pays attention when felt. When the power disappears, his demon becomes restless and starts to pace inside him before trying to get out to go find the one that power belongs to the longer it was gone.

He couldn't fathom why his demon is so desperate to get to it, but he wasn't going to go on a wild goose chase to find it when he needs to find Naraku and kill him.

'This Sesshomaru will find Naraku and kill him. He can't hide forever.' He thought with narrowed eyes.

He didn't really care about who was behind this power - just a little bit curious - but it didn't have the taint of Naraku like his other incarnations nor did it feel like Naraku himself. So as long as the one behind that power didn't try anything on his lands, he has better things to do that don't involve him wasting his time.

When the power once again disappeared, he continued on his way, ignoring both his companions crying his name and his demon doing it's best to break loose to go towards that power.

He had tried to get his demon to tell him what was so special about that power that it was so desperate to get to in the beginning, but he was rebuffed each time. His demon believed that if he didn't know already, then he wasn't ready to find out. He wasn't going to tell him if he didn't know how to listen to his own instincts.

Not that it stopped his demon from trying to get out to go find it, itself.

'Whomever has that power is with that half-breed, I'm sure. If they travel with the half-breed, it will only be a matter of time before this Sesshomaru crosses paths with them. This Sesshomaru has better prey to hunt down for now.'

"Are we going back to the castle milord?" Rin asked after a while of walking in silence, forgetting that they had paused for a little bit.

"Hn."

"Ok milord." She chirped knowing that they were.

They always start their way home every fortnight so that her lord can make sure everything is still running smoothly. She doesn't know anything he has to look over but she likes to play in the castle gardens when they go back.

She tripped Jaken-sama when he made a mean comment to her and it started another bickering between them.

〰 With the Inu-gang - Sango's POV 〰

When Sango was born, she knew her father was disappointed that she was born a girl instead of a boy. As she grew up, she was trained to become her father's heir since they didn't think her mother would be able to have another baby when she became fragile after her birth. Her birth almost killed her mother if a passing priestess hadn't been passing by at that time to save her.

Her father liked to grumble - regardless if she was in hearing range or not - that if she was born a boy, she would have been an even better Slayer than she already was. It didn't matter that she beat all the other boys hands down or that she trains until she drops. All that truly matter to her father was that she wasn't a boy.

Not that she and the others her age were doing that much, but she still beat the boys in everything they were taught. She was the fastest on foot, could shoot shuriken in the bullseye first and learned the little swordplay they were taught, quicker then the others. Not even mentioning the little bit of hand to hand they were taught - which was her best area. She would always catch the wistful look her father would throw her way after every achievement.

It hurt. It hurt so bad because she knew exactly what he was thinking. She wasn't a boy.

The downside to all her hard work came when her mother got pregnant again. It brought both fear and excitement. Fear that her mother could truly die this time and excitement because she always wanted a sibling to teach when they got old enough to join in the training.

Her father was happy as well.

Of course, all her fantasies went down hill when she had to take time out of her training to help her mother whenever she needed her. There really wasn't much she could really do, so mostly she sat around the hearth with her mother doing nothing but talking. She really did love her mother even though they didn't have much in common.

However, the longer she went without training the more agitated she became with all the pent up energy running through her with nowhere to go. She started to feel resentful to her mother and the unborn baby the longer she was trapped in the hut. She didn't like having to keep an eye on her mother while the boys got to continue to train even though some of those boy's mothers were pregnant too.

It shouldn't have been her responsibility to watch over her mother. She hadn't ask her to get pregnant again - forgetting she was excited at the beginning. Though she knew her father wouldn't have stayed since it wasn't a "mans" job to stay at home.

She got so depressed being cooped up like she was - which wasn't helped by the other boys coming over just to make fun of her - that she ended up lashing out at not only her father but her mother as well. Her mother who tried to do the best she could to help her while being bedridden as she was.

It was the first time her father ever raised a hand to her. The most hurtful part about it wasn't being hit, it was the words he said.

Her father told her then and there that she had to get use to being at home all the time. That women weren't warriors. They were meant to stay at home to take care of the children. That the only reason that she even got the little training that she did was because he didn't get the son that he wanted.

Now, however, he had another chance to have the boy he always wanted, she can finally start learning her true place in this world.

It hurt. It hurt so much that she cried for hours unable to stop until she fell asleep exhausted. Her mother tried her best to comfort her, but she couldn't handle it since she believed at that time that her mother getting pregnant ruined her life. She would scream at her mother to leave her alone every time she tried to comfort her until her mother stopped. She knew she was hurting her mother but she was unable to stop reacting to how she, herself felt, so she ended up ignoring her mother's feelings.

After that day, she refused to so much as acknowledge her father. Not that he seemed to care. The more her mother grew, the happier he became. The more her mother grew, the more she couldn't stop the resentment she felt for the being growing inside of her.

Every night she had prayed to any God that would listen for that baby to come out a girl so she could go back to the life that she loved. Until then, she continued to train herself in secret every time her mother went to sleep - which was a lot the further along she got.

When she was ready to learn more, she snuck in on the boys lessons to learn it. All she needed was to see a move done once or twice before she would remember it. Then she would take that and practice until she got it perfect. She wasn't able to do all the things the boys did since she couldn't always sneak out, but she knew she got enough not to fall too far behind.

She did feel slightly bad that she would leave her mother all alone but she didn't want to stop doing what she loved to do. Besides, this was her chance to prove that she was just as - if not better - than any of the boys.

She knew that the training master knew she was there - if the glances to where her hiding places were, were any indication - but if he wasn't going to say anything then she sure as hell wouldn't. She just took it as his approval of her being there.

Then...her brother was born with her mother dying in the process.

With her mother dead, guess who had to stay and take care of the newborn?

Yup...her.

Oh don't get her wrong, there was a wet nurse so that Kohaku was able to eat, but everything else...she was expected to do.

She was only 7 almost 8 years old who had just lost her mother yet her dad expected her to take over as mother for her brother. When she argued that she didn't want to take care of the baby, that she wanted to continue training nor was it her responsibility to take care of a son that she didn't have…

…it was the second time - and the last - that her father raised a hand to her but this time it didn't stop at just one hit though. All she truly remember was the pain and the screaming from her father and the wailing from her brother.

The next day after she woke up, her father told her it was her responsibility as the only woman left in the family to step up and take care of her brother and the hut. That she should use this opportunity to get use to what her future will be like when she gets married and have kids of her own.

She had never hated her father or brother more than she had then.

Over time, though, her resentment for her brother dwindled to nothing as her love for him grew. She couldn't continue to hate the tiny bundle that needed her in order to live. Her father, on the other hand, she truly hated.

See, her bother was a sickly baby. He would catch colds and fevers all the time and her father grew more distanced and resentful towards him for not being the strong boy he hoped he would be. He would blame her for not taking care of him like she should. That it was her fault that her baby brother was weak instead of strong.

She did her best to prevent Kohaku from hearing what her father thought of him as he grew up enough to start understanding what others were saying...except…except her father made sure that he knew of his disappointment. He even restarted her training to take over in the event of her father's death.

While she loved that she was being trained again, she loath with every fiber of her being the affect it had on her bother.

She could see it everyday, the dulling of his eyes.

She wasn't the only one who heard the gossip around the village. The more they wagged their tongues, the more her father was embarrassed. The more he was embarrassed, the harsher he was on Kohaku. The harsher he was, the more Kohaku started hating himself.

She did everything she could to help - she now understands her mother better - but she ended up making it more awkward. It didn't help that Kohaku had a soft heart from the beginning. He hated hurting other living creatures. If he could, he would have been a healer instead.

Her father would hear none of it though. If Kohaku wasn't going to be a Slayer, then he would be nothing.

She had her own problems as well. Not only was she training again while taking care of Kohaku, she had to put up with all the men and boys that she fought with. They didn't like that a girl was fighting with them. Like her father, they thought she should stay home like the other women.

It didn't matter how many times she proved she was as good - if not better than some - as them, they resented her. Oh, there were a handful that didn't have a problem with her being there, but she still felt like an outsider to them. It didn't help that she was rejected by the women for doing "mens" work either. She was just glad that they didn't go out of their way to show their displeasure and that they also showed appreciation when she wins a battle. She still felt their cold shoulders though.

Her and her brother: the unnaturals of the village for not conforming to expectations.

The only thing that made her day brighter - other than her brother of course - was her two-tail cat demon Kirara and her precious weapon Hiraikotsu. Hiraikotsu was a very large cream colored boomerang that was made up of parts from vanquished demons. It took a while for her to master it since not only was it very heavy, but very awkward for her to use at first. Once she got a hang of using it in battle, as they say, that's all she wrote. She went nowhere without it.

It wasn't long after her 17th birthday that once again her life change dramatically.

After facing against a centipede demon with a shard of the Scared Jewel, her whole village was destroyed while her and her comrades fought against a spider demon that a lord hired them for. While fighting against the spider demon, it gain control of Kohaku in order for him to kill the others. She still - to this day - don't understand how she survived not only all the arrows that pierced her body by her brother's kusarigama - a large sickle made of demon bones, attached to a long weight-tipped chain - to the middle of her back.

When she had come to in the shallow grave, she didn't think that anyone would have found her quick enough to help her continue living. The lord's son that hired her and her family seemed so caring and kind when she met him that she didn't think for one second that behind that handsome facade, a true evil lied in wait.

She would have died in his name - well somewhat in his name - if it wasn't for Kagome and Inuyasha straightening her out with the help of the monk Miroku. They were also the ones who made sure she healed as much as she could before refacing the one who betrayed her not once but twice. She still hated the thought that she allowed her hormones to cloud her judgment when not seeing behind the mask.

She should have known better.

It wasn't the first time a good looking man tried to get to her. She was a rarity. She was the first female Demon Slayer there was. While there were rare female warriors, they were mostly priestesses with the power of Purification like Midoriko - the creator of the Shikon no Tama. Even they were barely on the battlefield unless there were hoards of demons to fight. They were mostly used to heal, ward, and help teach the next generation of priestesses and priests.

So having her as a wife would boost their reputation as the one who was able to tame her. They didn't care that she didn't want to be a stay at home mother. That she would want someone who wouldn't mind fighting next to her in battle or being able to keep up with her intelligently without feeling threaten by her.

She can mostly get that from Miroku except she couldn't really trust him to stay faithful to her. He was by no means a virgin. He beds at least one woman in each village they pass if he gets the chance. She's not stupid, she knows what those marks on his chest and neck mean.

But she digresses, she shouldn't have fallen for Naraku's lies because of his pretty face and bamboo double. She couldn't help not trusting men even more after that. Every man she came across treated her like she shouldn't fight but be a wife instead - including her father when he was alive. The only one who doesn't even bat an eyelash at her abilities is Inuyasha. She thinks that's mostly because he wasn't raised to believe women wasn't suppose to know how to fight added with his experience with Kikyo.

To her, the group as it was now, was perfect. It was two women against two men. She didn't really count Shippo and Kirara because they didn't care about genders when it came to fighting. She was just happy that she didn't have to watch herself when it came to the rest of the group. They actually appreciated her abilities instead of looking down on her for them.

Though she must admit that it would have been nice if Kagome trained to become a better fighter. She loved her like a sister, but it would be nice to have another girl that new how to actually fight in the group. As selfish as it sounds, she still felt kind of like the outsider for being a woman fighter and if Kagome became stronger, she wouldn't feel so…awkward.

Now, with the new unknown addition, the group will become unbalanced in hereditary of leadership if he were to join. She didn't want the chaos that comes with a new member. Not only does she not know if he would have a problem with her fighting - even though Kagome told her that most men in her era wouldn't think twice by a women fighting - she also has to worry if he would betray them.

He didn't have the same loyalty to the others as they did from all their experiences they had together. So the possibility of being swayed to Naraku's side was very high. They didn't know if he was power hungry or a sadistic bastard that took great joy in others pain under that calm and indifferent exterior. They couldn't rely on Kagome because she, herself, didn't know very much about him. From what she told them, they only traded a couple of letters between them.

It didn't help that she saw the bond between him and Kaede. She couldn't stop the terror that filled her at the thought of what would happen if Hari turned out to be evil. Kaede wasn't a young woman anymore. It wouldn't take that much for her heart to go out if too much stress was added to her.

Add to her slight attraction to him - he was very good looking after all - and she was one very emotion filled woman.

She didn't even really care about the stupid letter. She just knew that he was hiding something important from everybody. When she felt his power pressing down on them, she was proven right for he had a power she had never felt before or even heard of.

So color her surprised when the lecherous monk knew where she didn't.

She felt justified in her fears even more when Hari turned Inuyasha into an overgrown rat. Well, until he turned those beautiful burning eyes to her, demanding her to tell him what her beef was with him. Something she didn't know how to truly go about telling without sounding like an idiot but knew she had no choice but to try least he turned that power on her.

"Um…"