The Legacy: Part 4

It was with a heavy sigh that Inuyasha continued to walk along the dirt path. This was the first time he, Kagome, Sango, Kirara, and Bankotsu had left the village all together in years. The last time had been ironically when they last met Koga. Bankotsu and Koga had managed to beat one another up very badly before much could be exchanged.

Hopefully this time things would go better of course.

Inuyasha couldn't help but hate the fact they were knowingly walking into a trap. He supposed that was the part that just irked him more than anything. It was walking into something they knew could end their lives. Another bothersome fact was this life risking business was for Koga. He didn't even like Koga. Alright, okay, so MAYBE the wimpy wolf was his 'friend' and he didn't want to see him die. MAYBE...

God damn it. Inuyasha thought to himself. He hated all these attachments sometimes.

The two half demons they came across couldn't be that powerful in all honesty, so he was wondering if they had further assistance. Koga was pretty tough, bringing him down was something even Inuyasha would have to put some effort into doing. Damn it, he didn't want to be doing this right now. Especially with the kids all grown up, or at least starting to get there, he really wished things had leveled off a bit in regards to adventures. This one hopefully would be a short adventure at that.

Bankotsu for his part just walked with an excited grin on his face. As soon as he'd heard that potentially powerful demons had attacked the jack-ass wolf prince, he was all over it. Sango had reminded him, rather severely, that he shouldn't be happy over her friend being in danger, and when he ignored it he received a blow to the side of the head, but it was nothing he couldn't deal with. It'd been months since he and Sango found something challenging, largely she just went and helped poor villages against the demons which now seemed to roam the countryside as never before. That was boring, there was no skill in doing that. Hell, Mei and Akiko were more than capable of handling most wimpy demons.

But these ones? These ones sounded tough. Avoiding the Wind Scar? Taking out Koga?

This is going to be awesome. I'll get to test my strength, its been so long.

Bankotsu was far luckier than Kagome in another respect. Banryu, the demonic weapon he'd made a pact with, was preventing his aging, at least not at the same rate as a regular human. The stupid old monk at the village always whined at him to 'cast away the evil and vile tool of demons', but Bankotsu usually just laughed it off and patted him on the back, and then proceeded to assure him nothing was wrong.

Kagome for her part couldn't help but feel tired. She was getting older, everyone here would never say it, but it was there. Inuyasha barely looked a week older than when she first met him, Sango had barely aged a day, and Bankotsu was the same. They were all her friends, even Bankotsu now, but they weren't getting old, she was. Certainly they were older in the sense of years, but they weren't aging. It made her sad, because she knew what that meant. One day, years from then, she would leave Inuyasha and her children behind, and they would keep on going. Only a violent intervention would end their lives, but hers would end because she was a human being.

In a way she was happy for her friends, and she was sad for them, and herself. Human lives were so short comparatively, and how many people would they know, would they love, who would just slowly age away?

Even now, as they traveled to save her friend, another friend who would surely outlive her if she could help save him, she realized that with aging came a lowering of one's vitality and constitution. She was having trouble for the first time in her memory, keeping up with her friends. She was also too prideful to say 'wait up' or 'can I ride Kirara for a while'?

The only one who seemed to notice Kagome's plight was her friend, her best friend, Sango. Sango was the only one there who really seemed to understand that Kagome would die one day. Inuyasha would never admit to it, and Bankotsu would never think of it. Sango remembered what it was like watching those elder to her, age and die however. And she saw the same thing in Kagome. She knew Kagome was beginning to slow down, thankfully she wasn't in bad shape yet, but she was hardly the Kagome who had helped kill Naraku. She was Kagome, mother of three and village Priestess and Healer.

Sango also knew she had been blessed in some small way with the curse she'd been given by Menomaru. Her children and herself would live on for a very, very long time. They would meet many people and experience many things, many more than they would have in life as humans. But the curse was they would lose many of those people well before they expired. A long life had blessings and curses, and she was thankful that she had someone she could share that with...

"I wonder if the bigger one you talked about will go down in one swing or two!" Bankotsu laughed, hopping past another log.

She internally sighed. Maybe person is a bit of a stretch, tireless pig headed force of nature may be more fitting...

All the same, the collective group of adventurers, even if wiser from their previous travels, continued down the path, following Inuyasha's rather excellent nose. Two half-demons couldn't be so bad, could they?

()()()()()()()()

Feet planted themselves in front of the small home near the edge of a village in poor repair. This home was familiar to him, he'd been here many times in his life as well. In many ways it was always thought of as one of his second homes. The home of his 'big sister' Rin. Rin, who had settled down with some demon years ago. The family was always here to see her, though by family it was largely he, Kanna and Sesshoumaru. Sora was too young to really know Rin, and though Kagura cared about Rin, her visits were far less frequent.

This was the place where Kanzenmaru would go if he felt he couldn't go home. This was the place where he always felt welcome no matter what. Even if he was plagued by visions and memories not his own. Even when he could barely tell who he was anymore.

Rin had a way of... of just knowing what to say and when to say it. He approached the small home as he knocked on the door.

Surely enough, a brown eyed woman opened the door, staring back at him as she smiled warmly. This was a welcome surprise, first Sesshoumaru, then Kanzenmaru, and only a week ago Kanna. It was like everyone was thinking of her at once.

"Well, isn't this a surprise?" She asked with a genuine smile, stepping aside fro her 'little brother'. Kanzenmaru of course took this as a cue to enter her home and did.

Kanzenmaru found it most pleasing to sit on the floor across from her, both of their legs crossed, the signs of her five year old present, though clearly she herself was not. Rin's mortality was something that was forbidden to be spoken of amongst the family. She was treated just as though she was anyone else in their pack, and she would be treated as such for as long as she lived. But right now Kanzenmaru could only think of how mature she looked, and in a good way.

He remembered how bubbly she was even 10 years prior.

Rin however was looking at Kanzenmaru quietly. She had always felt the internal struggle in her 'brother', ever since he had been six years old, and whether he would admit it or not he seemed to be flying apart right now. He was sitting awkwardly, he was trying his best to think of anything other than what plagued him, that was probably why he was there. When she'd asked years ago what had happened she'd been told not to inquire, but she seemed to be the only one not blind to the changes in her brother. And the only one not blind to his struggle.

"Kanzenmaru?" She asked after a moment, moving her hand out to his shoulder as he looked back at her.

"Why did you come here to see me?" She then asked lightly.

"I... I. I'm not. I don't. I can't-" He just stuttered like some weak child.

The chaos was too much to explain, but even as he sat there he felt himself dwelling again on what he'd seen. He dwelt on the visions he had, the waking and sleeping nightmares. The flames, the bodies, the actions against those he loved. He was always horrified and yet engrossed by what came around him.

"I'm afraid." he finally answered in a calm, sane tone, the same cold tone he'd learned all too well from his father.

That was something Rin had never heard from anyone seemingly. He was afraid? Afraid of what? Something became clearly wrong. She could almost feel him tremble.

"Why are you afraid?"

"... I see them. I see the people I've killed. I see everyone I hurt. But its not me Rin, I haven't killed anyone, I haven't hurt anyone. And I'd never hurt mother or father and yet... and yet... I hurt them. And it pains me."

He remembered the visions. They were almost like memories now to him more than visions, memories of him feeling a sense of triumph when striking down those he loved. And once again the question repeated, who was he?

"Kanzenmaru? Why is this happening? What are the visions of?"

She was afraid to ask, she was afraid that somehow this would push him ahead. She felt scared along with him in this moment.

She felt her heart stop with the look he was now giving her. It was the look that someone else had given her when she was a child. She almost froze when she realized something... who Kanzenmaru looked like.

"... They are of me trying to kill mother. Burning down villages, killing people... They happen so quickly and... my arm. They cut off my arm."

No.

No this was not what Rin wanted to hear. What did she tell him? He was having memories from a mad man come to him? What else could she say? She didn't know anything else to this.

"It... It sounds like Katsuramaru."

He froze upon hearing that name, his eyes tracing to Rin almost immediately as he struggled to find his breathe. That name... It suddenly made things fall into place. He didn't even know what that name meant, but he almost felt as though as it was... his.

"Kanzenmaru?" Came another cautious call to him.

He almost didn't recognize her speaking to him for a moment before his red eyes shifted back towards her.

"Who was Katsuramaru?" He demanded, it was a tone he'd never used to address Rin before. Before she could even answer it felt as though an iron grip came onto her wrist, preventing her from pulling away.

And then, another voice cut in.

"He is the Legacy."

()()()()()()()()

There is another you must find.

"Who?" The voice whispered in response.

Lord Sesshoumaru's favored child, the human girl, Rin.

A revolted look came across the half-demon's face.

"Why?"

Sesshoumaru will come for the girl, Sora. He will defeat and potentially kill Yami and Kyoko. Rin will give you leverage until you can find the Legacy.

"And then I can be... complete?"

Yes Akumu. Then we can all be complete.

The dagger she always held in such secure holdings hummed to her. It was always the voice which had guided her. It was the one that had told them how to live, how to fight, and how to become full demons. It was apart of the Legacy of her father, apparently it was even her father's voice. It was a piece of him, even if only a tiny fragment, there to guide them into restoring him.

Akumu had long since left the cave, she'd left it to do what she had to do, restore the Legacy, restore her father into the world. And then he would not only take a terrible revenge on the fools who had wronged them, but he would allow her to ascend to the status of a full blooded demon. Then he could be proud of her, then he could forgive her for her human blood. Human blood which corrupted her very body, her mother had been a vessel of necessity only.

In many ways the idea that the woman who had raised her until she had been eight was inferior hurt, but in more ways it made sense. Once she had been introduced to her father's... her father's legacy, she understood entirely what needed to be done. And then Kyoko and Yami understood.

Yami and Kyoko, her half siblings. They would be so sad when they found she was not at the cave... they would be so sad that father would not be there to bring them to demonhood, full, proper demonhood. But his voice was telling her she needed to act now, and so she had to.

When she arrived at the village, she immediately caught the scent of Sesshoumaru, he'd been there at some point earlier. And she also found another dog-demon of some sort on her nose. All she need do was follow Sesshoumaru's scent to find the woman.

She found the small home, she found them inside... and she heard an all too familiar name.

Katsuramaru. Her father's name.

"He is the Legacy."

Her focus was no longer on the brown haired human however, but the silver haired male. His scent was not too far from Sesshoumaru's... but it was there. And for a brief moment, she could swear she was meeting the dagger itself, in person. The dagger around her belt pulsed with excitement, it pulsed with joy even.

She idly wondered why, and wondered why her father ceased speaking to her.

Kanzenmaru stood, standing between Rin and Akumu, eyes narrowed on the female half demon before him.

"Then why do I see Katsuramaru inside my head? How is he the Legacy?" Kanzenmaru sneered. "Why does he haunt me so? Why does he torture me?"

He wanted answered now. He wanted answered as to why he was forced to go through this, why he was forced to feel what this man had felt, to see what he had seen. He wanted most of all for it to stop. He wanted to have moments where he could look at his mother without the itch in the back of his mind, screaming at him to despise her. To despise the woman who had cared for him, the woman who had brought him into the world.

I... can... feel... him. He is not Tsumeken, he is better than my Tsumeken... He is me... he is the Legacy.

Akumu just stared at this young demon for several moments, the words from the blade around her waist settling in.

"Because you are the Legacy." She finally said, before her smile formed into a long smooth line. "You are who I have wanted to see my whole life."

Kanzenmaru froze, realizing this woman's scent was the same that was on his mother, she was responsible for Sora as well. He snarled, his lip curling up as he realized this.

"You bitch! And you attacked my mother! And my sister!" He shouted angrily. "Tell me where my sister is NOW!"

"You are so concerned about them, and yet not concerned at all as to who you are? You said he haunts your memories? They are your memories. You and Katsuramaru are one and the same."

Rin was now standing, she wanted to almost strangle something from her lips to tell this demon to stop.

"You have done everything he has done. You killed everyone he killed. And most importantly, you tried to rid the world of the vile creature Kagura, and the fallen Demon Lord Sesshoumaru, only to be killed by the Half-Demon Inuyasha in the attempt. You even sired me. I was to be your avenger if needed. I have served you father, and still serve your will." She then said, stepping towards him looking almost desperate.

"I have only done as you asked."

His eyes traced to the dagger around her waist, it pulsed. It seemed to be drawn to him, and he to it.

Take me...

His eyes couldn't turn away, just as they couldn't turn from the body from all those years ago, the very thing to start the nightmares he felt.

"Please. Do as you've always promised, I have done all you asked of me."

He didn't know what she meant, and his eyes just became cold. This wasn't who he was, was it? Some creature who... he couldn't think, he couldn't understand. Memories of violence and strife plagued him with every waking second now, the closer he was to this creature the worse it became. He even had images of a physical union with several humans, something he could have done without.

He looked towards Rin for a moment, just seeing the pleading look from the woman to him.

"You don't have to do anything Kanzenmaru. Kagome should be able to figure this out. You can be well and everything can go back the way it was."

No.

No it couldn't just go back to what it was before. He needed more answers, he needed to understand. But he did not need this... creature.

"It doesn't matter." Kanzenmaru finally said, just looking down at the female half demon, this cultist, with disdain. He could feel how much stronger she was than he, but it didn't matter. "I will sort things out on my own, half-demon. My own."

He then proceeded to walk past her, the female half demon being left behind in shock was he just walked away from her.

Akumu stood there for a moment, before turning to follow the full blooded demon. No, nononono he couldn't reject her! This was her purpose, her existence, her only chance to move beyond being what she was.

Kanzenmaru on the other hand knew where his real answers were. He knew where he would find what he had to. He would find it at the village... at the Shrine of the Bone Eater.

()()()()()()()()

Sigh.

That seemed to be Souta's attitude for the time being. He was back at the village now, or at least approaching it, for the first time in months. Everything had just been fucked up back where Kagura had been found. Things like that just didn't happen anymore. What did you say to your friend when you were with him when he found his mother brutally beaten and his sister abducted? How supportive could you exactly be to that? Especially when your friend just wanted to get out as soon as possible it seemed?

Still, he wouldn't mind seeing his mom and dad. He'd yet to achieve many great things since heading out on his own admittedly. He'd not become some super warrior like his father, though clearly he could fight most demons. He'd not found anything particularly noteworthy either. He also knew his mother had wanted him to live a more simply life, but how could he? How could he want a simpler life when he heard of all the adventures his parents went through? He knew Ryuko was the exact same way. Why want a mundane life when there had to be some adventure to be found?

Ryuko did indeed feel the same way about adventure, about not wanting to just be in the village or a nearby one for the rest of his life. Just as Bankotsu did, he wanted power and prestige. Though perhaps he was a bit more level headed about it than Souta, he still maintained a certain level of residence inside of the village.

He honestly wished he had a weapon such as Banryu, like his father had. A weapon which increased his strength and gave him further abilities. In two years time he'd be older than Bankotsu was when he received Banryu, so there was some urgency in this quest for him. He'd hoped that he'd find an acceptable weapon by now, traveling with his friends, but so far not much had come up. Whenever he asked his father about the mighty blade and how he got it, he just got an amused laugh in response. Silly old man. His mother had given him a pair of swords made of demon components, bone in fact, but it wasn't the same as Banryu.

Slowly the two walked over the muddy ground into the village, noting a distinct lack almost immediately of their parents.

"Hum. Wonder where they went off to."

"They had to go stop some bad demons who came to the village and threatened one of their old friends." Jinenji's voice remarked, ever calm and peaceful as always as he turned to them.

"Thanks Jin." Souta said in response, stretching slightly before finding himself staring down Kasumi.

The 14 year old's silver hair hung over her features for a moment before she looked up at him, crossing her arms angrily.

"Where have you been for the last few months?"

"Out and about, c'mon sis. I'm a grown man, see? Totally grown man." He said, sticking his thumb in his chest dramatically, his acting skills could use some work however.

"Well mom's been worried. If it wasn't for the fact Ryuko came back all the time and said you weren't dead she'd have a fit."

Kasumi found herself bothered by how selfish she thought Souta was. It always boiled down to him, or him and his friends. Family seemed to always take second place and she was sick of it. What did he want, to go off and prove he was better than their father? Well, she knew that already, but it just seemed so childish and stupid. She didn't want to follow in their parents footsteps, she wanted to make her own. She wasn't going to be a warrior like Inuyasha or a healer and Priestess like Kagome. She was going to find her own path and be her.

"Well, not dead, and mom's out. So I guess that's just life now isn't it?"

Kasumi just took in a calming breath, she wouldn't kill him for being such an ass.

"Well, whatever Souta."

"Yea, well whatever to you too Kasumi."

Ryuko watched the exchange and just noted it quietly. What a lovely set of siblings, they'd always fought when they were younger as well. The more things change the more they stayed the same he supposed. He couldn't wait to see his siblings of course, though he was always concerned there may be more if he showed up at the wrong time. He loved his sisters, don't get him wrong, he just didn't want fifty of them. Sango didn't age, and apparently at the very least his father wasn't really aging either. Yea, he didn't want another 30 or so brothers and sisters over the next few centuries. He really, really hoped they didn't either.

At least Kanzenmaru's parents weren't rabbit-demons like he always joked his were.

He had to run however.

"Hey guys, I'm gonna go check up on Mei, Akiko, Miku and Yuuka." Ryuko said to the arguing siblings.

"Yea, and a few years from now you'll add another six names to that list right?" Souta joked, receiving an irritated growl from his friend in response.

"You are an ass, even to your friends." Kasumi observed.

"Would you lay off me? Seriously? We've had a rough go of it ever since we found Kagura all torn up."

"... What?"

()()()()()()()()

Kyoko was still filled with excitement when running through the trees again, hardly just retracing his previous path, instead crashing a new wave of destruction through the forest. Yami of course still thought him an oaf as he did it.

The sky was darkening now with the coming of night, and clouds began to come into place behind them as well. It would still be hours before they made it back to the cave at that...

()()()()()()()()

Sora held onto Koga's back with her little hands as he climbed up the side of the wall, the barrier leaving a small hole near the edge of one of the rocks. He'd climbed up here three times already, just to make sure he'd be able to make it with the kid on board too. He'd never have gone through this much trouble for someone else' kid back in the day, before he ran into Kagome and Inuyasha. Damn it he'd become such a sucker.

"Where are we going?"

"To my pack." Koga responded.

"But what about my mommy and daddy?"

"Look kiddo, we'll figure this all out once we get outta here and where we're safe. Then we can look into getting you back to your parents, alright?"

The little girl made a noise he could only describe as one of happiness. Well, at least he had that going for him, as long as he kept the kid from crying they'd get along just great. With each arm moving past the next he made it to the top of the cave. He of course knew before even getting there that he and the kid were alone. He thought at least one would have stayed behind, all the same this was great however.

"Hold on tight kid. I'm not as fast as I used to be but I'm no slouch." He informed the little girl before he took off into a sprint. They needed to get some distance quickly. He ran of course towards the most familiar smell he knew of, his pack.

()()()()()()()()

Kyoko stopped dead in his tracks as Yami leaped to the tree next to him.

What was his problem?

"Kyoko, what the hell is it?"

In the darkness of the night his demon eyes could see what was in front of him. There was a flash of lightning across the sky, thunder booming out after it. In that moment he saw a man standing in their path, and now in this dark night he could only see almost glowing yellow eyes.

"A demon." He remarked, before grinning to himself, cracking his knuckles.

"Oh? And what demon is stupid enough to get in our way?"

"I, Sesshoumaru, have no times for your boasts or childish games. You will tell me where my daughter is or you will die."

Kyoko's smile only widened.

"This is Sesshoumaru? This? Oh this is too good. I've been wanting to get a crack at him ever since sister told me about him."

Yami however was much more reserved, this was dangerous. They should have Akumu with them if they were going to deal with Sesshoumaru. But now that he was here she knew that Kyoko would start a fight.

"What are you waiting for Demon Lord?" Kyoko demanded, his armored arms glowing with energy as the inscriptions on the enhanced metal glowed a bright golden yellow. "Show me what you can do!"

Kyoko was always eager for battle, he was always eager to test himself against any foe. Even in his dreams, he found he could dream of only one thing.

Crush. Destroyer. Splinter. Smash.

Sesshoumaru just gave a noise of disgust towards the brute as he drew Bakusaiga. His eyes locked onto the large framed half-demon, before looking for a brief moment to the other. He could then sense something... the real threat wasn't the lumbering fool.

For that moment his eyes left the fool, the huge half-demon lunged forward at high speeds, roaring like a beast of even greater size as he brought both his armored hands up to come crashing down on Sesshoumaru.