A/N: Thank you all for your patience.
Beta; Cstorm86
The Boy Who Needed Protection
He stood in the doorway of a small, shadowed room. Dust swirled in the rays of light that came from somewhere behind him, shyly seeping in the room to try to battle the shadows. It was just enough light that it was easy to see the small figure of a boy in red kimono and with pale hair huddled in a corner, his face hid in his knees as he had his legs pulled in against his shaking chest. Dog ears on top of his head quivered as he cried.
"Cease this foolishness, half-breed. As soon as you remove the barrier on Tessaiga, you will be released back into the wild."
"How can you be so cold, big brother? Mom said dad always said that pack should help and protect each other, not lock..." the boy's big golden eyes peered at him from where he lifted his face up just a bit.
How dare the brat talk about the great Inu no Taisho? How dare he think that he, Sesshomaru, would protect this weak being? He was the reason his father was gone, killed by a filthy human. He was refusing to lower the barrier around Tessaiga, keeping him away from his heirloom.
"Silence!" he yelled, the small creature flinching as if he'd hit him again. "You are no pack of this lord. You're a stray, an unwanted burden on the line of the rulers of the West. Be grateful this one didn't kill you on the spot when you waltzed into his castle."
"But brother..." the child yelped in pain when his youki whip cut the air and hit him - not burning through his red robe, but certainly leaving a bruise underneath. New tears ran down the dirty cheeks covered in scratches.
"You are the reason he's dead, mongrel," he said coldly. "You will pull his fang out of the stone and then this one shall spare you your worthless life. Are you ready to comply?"
The room faded away, replaced by a thick forest. Corpses of wolves were scattered across the ground and under the trees. A girl in a torn, bloodied kimono, shyly looked up at him as he stood over her, sheathing his sword.
There was no fear in her eyes, there was wonder and awe. Back then, he remembered, she hadn't spoken a word, but right now she opened her mouth.
"Rin was unwanted. Rin killed her mom when she was born. Rin survived when the bandits came for her father and brothers. The villagers said Rin was cursed, that she brought bad luck. That she should be grateful they didn't kill her for being born this way. Rincouldn't even say they weren't right. And then Rin was hunted and killed for being weak and different. And then Rin's lord came to protect and accept Rin, not afraid of her silence or bad luck."
"And that's what I adore in you," said a woman, who floated down to stand beside him, light like the wind itself. A gentle breeze brought the scent of wilderness and spice to his nose when her red eyes looked at him. "You're honorable and powerful. What you deem yours you protect with vicious dedication. You are truly your father's son and heir to his will."
"Have you someone to protect?" his father's voice rang out clear in the chilly air of winter, clear over the sound of crashing waves. He turned around to face his sire, but instead of him there was a boy in red clothing standing there, observing him with the eyes of his lord father. Cold water rushed to wash over his bare feet, but the child didn't flinch. His eyes were those of their shared father, as dead as he was. Purple bruises covered his cheeks and his ears drooped limply on top of his head.
"You failed to protect your kin. You failed to keep your mate safe. You fail to protect your land, running around like a dog chasing its own tail while the enemy evades you. The Tessaiga, the sword father left for me, was stolen and you can barely control Tenseiga. Your beloved child is beyond your grasp as well and you will face the enemy alone and lose. You are truly your mother's son and you will share in her empty existence. Who is useless now, pureblood?"
Sesshomaru woke up with a jolt and looked around, partially expecting to find himsenf on a shore. But no, he was in his sleeping chamber, in the silent castle,
He sat up in the bed too big for one person. He had to get to his office. He had an audience scheduled for this morning an he had to make sure the kitsune lady from the human world saw him and his calm power.
Kagome gasped when she saw the stranger running towards Inuyasha, rings in his raised staff jingling as he ran. Inuyasha's ears laid back when he looked at the human male, Kagome could sense his reiki rising as he approached, yelling at the shrine guardian.
"Don't hurt him!" she yelled as she started to run. There was no way she could get to them in time to prevent the fight, but she had to try. "Don't fight!"
"Hey!" Sango cried out as well, but Kagome didn't look back to see if she was following her. With Sango's abilities, Kagome was sure the slayer was bound to run past her any second now.
No, she kept her eyes trained on Inuyasha, who glared at the approaching man and dodged his first attack. The hanyou didn't retaliate, opting to duck under the sweeping staff and away from the ofudas the man threw at him. It took some focus and skill, since the man was pretty fast and tricky about when and how he decided to attack.
So, when Kagome stumbled over a patch of weeds and gasped, it finally gave the man an opening to stick a hit to Inuyasha's head, since the hanyou looked briefly at the running woman.
"Inuyasha!" Kagome cried out, breathless, as she saw the staff falling on Inuyasha, causing his head to jerk and he stumbled drunkenly backwards, miraculously avoiding another hit as he shook himself to get his bearings.
That was when Sango finally got ahead of Kagome, hauling her boomerang as she ran, throwing it so it embedded itself in the ground in front of the dazed shrine guardian before the stranger could approach him.
"Huh?" the man blinked at the huge weapon and then at the woman standing beside it and pulling it out of the ground. He looked past her where Kagome rushed to Inuyasha's side and grabbed his forearm.
"Are you okay?" she asked worriedly. Inuyasha blinked down at her, confused and uncertain. Kagome squeezed his forearm reassuringly, wanting him to know that it was alright. Sango and her wouldn't allow that man hit him again. It was her duty as the shrine keeper to protect her shrine and the beings living on the sacred ground. He protected her against bad youkai, she was more than happy to do her part and protect him against reiki users.
"Keh! It's nothing!" he barked at her and she smiled at him, causing him to blink at her as if he was still dazed.
"I'm glad you're okay," she said softly. "Alright, let me and Sango handle this."
"What? Why?" he asked, one ear twitching. The other was swelling up and the sight of it enraged Kagome. She swirled on her heels and stepped around the glaring Sango and Hiraikotsu to unleash her ire at the stranger who dared to attack her shrine guardian.
"Ladies? Why are you protecting a youkai?" he asked, still holding his staff up, but now in a defensive stance. "He was fighting you. Are you under a spell or...?"
"Are you insulting us just to make sure I will beat you purple?" Sango hissed. Kagome guessed implying that one of her trade could be under a youkai's control was a severe insult.
"Eh..." started Inuyasha, but was ignored by all the humans.
"What? No, of course not! I wouldn't dare to imply..." the black-haired man made a wave of his free hand to where Inuyasha still could be visible standing behind the women and staring. Sango took a step towards the stranger. "But I have some data that there is a mind-altering youkai active in this area..."
"Wait, Sango, he is mine to deal with," Kagome laid a hand on Sango's elbow and then stood as tall as she could, resting her fists on her hips, in a pose she unknowingly always took when she scolded Souta (or nowadays when she scolded Inuyasha) "How dare you encroach on the grounds of my shrine? How dare you attack the honorable shrine guardian, who has protected this land and my ancestors for centuries? How dare you just jump out of the forest and hit someone who isn't even fighting back?"
"But... fair lady miko..." the man tried to cut in, but Kagome growled at him.
"He is mine to protect and if you want to confirm some youkai rumors, you should have asked me or my grandfather, you big oaf!" she pointed a finger at Inuyasha, who froze where he was standing. "Apologize this instant!"
"Oh, I will, but... you fought to protect an artifact!" The man defended himself. In any other situation Kagome would have been forgiving, seeing that the man was just misunderstanding what he had seen and actually tried to help, but now all she could think of was Inuyasha's swollen cute ear and dazed pang of fear when she'd seen the staff making an impact and guilt because she had told him not to fight. It hadn't been backed by a kotodama, but Inuyasha had obliged anyway.
"The ice cream is mine to protect too!" Kagome jabbed her finger at Inuyasha insistently. "Apologize, or I will make sure Sango bash your head in!"
Wide blue eyes looked to Sango, who gave him a glare. "What she said. You saw us training, not fighting. Which should be apparent from the fact we're not bloodied."
The stranger lowered his staff and head, accepting their words.
"It seems I grorssly misunderstood the situation," he said and bowed towards where Inuyasha stood. "Apologies, shrine guardian. I saw two fair maidens fighting a huge youkai and thought that they were in trouble. Forgive me my rash behavior. As I said, I came here on behalf of a family memer to make sure there is no dangerous youkai lurking around her friend." The man glanced towards Kagome, who was still glaring, but now was calmer since he apologized sincerely. "Who I presume is you, if you are one Higurashi Kagome."
Kagome frowned as the man straightened his back and turned towards her. Inuyasha immediately appeared at her side, observing the man
"I'm Kaze Miroku, cousin to Yuka," the stranger introduced himself, this time offering a light bow to all three of them. "A traveling monk, who in these hectic times walks the land and offers spiritual services."
"I have no idea why Yuka would send you here, Mr Kaze," Kagome said slowly. "When she was here visiting, nothing supernatural happened."
"The wench saw Kaede and me resealing the well after Souta loosened the seal," Inuyasha informed and Kagome turned to look at him in surprise. "Kaede made her forget that, but if she is from a reiki using family, I guess she could sense something had happened," he shrugged.
"Oh," Kagome looked towards the monk. "So, there is that. No bad youkai. She just witnessed a shrine ritual. Of which I should have been informed, Inuyasha."
"Keh, it wasn't important." he shrugged again.
"Yuka is my friend," Kagome glared at him. His ear twitched, but only one, because the other was still swollen. Her annoyance at him keeping that from her faded away at that sight. She stood on her tiptoes and reached to touch the poor ear, resting her hand on Inuyasha's shoulder for support. "Oh, we should put some ice on this."
"Don't bother, it will be fine in a half hour," he grumbled. Then he scowled at Miroku. "Listen, the only reason your guts aren't scattered around is because I was asked not to hurt you, understand. You got a lucky hit because my wench is clumsy and.."
"Clumsy?!" Kagome gasped. "Have you tried to run in a kimono?"
"Duh." Inuyasha pointed to his hakama.
"In wooden sandals?" she pressed.
"You could have kicked 'em off. It's not like there are rocks," he grumbled.
"You can run around barefoot, but I can't!" she pointed out.
While they bickered, Miroku turned to Sango, who had been observing the situation sort out and then morph into what appeared to be Inuyasha and Kagome's favorite pastime.
"And who might you be, busty boomerang beauty?" Miroku asked, obviously looking at Sangos drool-soaked shirt clinging to her rather generous bosom with a look Sango had seen way too often on some men visiting Kaede's village.
It wasn't her fault that the thing she held at that time was Hiraikotsu.
And, since Kagome was going to already get some ice on Inuyasha's ear, what difference did it make that she had to get an ice bag for an unconscious man too?
.
Jaken stared mutely, motionless where he knelt at the side of his lord's desk, where he always sat in case his lord needed him. Now, he felt cold, numb dread filling his bones.
The tidy office of the Lord of the West, full of shelves with documents, elegant, but pragmatic, felt too small all of a sudden. The air, perfumed with the jasmine incense burning somewhere in another room, felt dense and heavy. Jaken didn't dare to breathe too deep, the youki of his lord almost choking him.
Ever since the kidnapping of Lady of the West, Lord Sesshomaru was... prone to letting his rage control him. It was so out of character for him that many had to learn this lesson the hard way. And the bands that were tormenting both youkai and human villages of the West weren't helping things. The lord had to stay and protect his land while all he wanted was to go hunt for his lost mate.
And now, this kitsune wench from the apparent realm, this red-haired woman, she dared to demand of the Lord of the West to drop everything and look for some stolen kitsune artifact from their lousy fox inn.
"If you don't do anything to aid us in our search," the woman with two ponytails and with freckles scattered all over her face spoke firmly, as if not noticing the stiff posture of the lord sitting behind his desk. "I will reveal to the public that you have a hanyou bastard in the apparent world."
"What?" Sesshomaru's voice cut the air like an icicle, sharp and deadly. She waved her hand and stood up. The Inu daiyou kai held one of his hands against the top of the desk, his claws gently scratching the wooden surface.
"We at the kitsune village in the apparent world have seen him. You don't have to pretend you don't know what I'm talking about. You gave him one of your family swords, so you have to acknowledge him," she shrugged and swished her tails.
"Family sword," the lord repeated in the tone of voice that made Jaken close his already opened-to-shriek mouth. How could this woman imply his lord wasn't faithful to his mate - and with a human, too!
"Let me refresh your memory, my lord," she smirked.
And then, in a poof of smoke, the kitsune called Uka disappeared, replaced by a tall, lean young man. His robe was outrageously bright red and his feet were bare. His hair was long and white, just like Lord Sesshomaru's, but his eyes were a deeper shade of golden, vibrant and expressive. His ears sat on top of his head, quivering and canine. At his hip, Jaken saw the sword he'd seen only in paintings, worn out and hard to mistake for any other. The hanyou was most certainly related to the inu youkai royal family, his features similar to the Western Lord's.
The second the smoke cleared, the desk collapsed in pieces when the inu daiyoukai's claws tore into it with poison dripping all over the room.
And then all hell broke loose.
A/N: Oh no, what is going to happen next?