Author's Note: I do not own Inuyasha or any of the source material for this story. All are owned by Rumiko Takahashi. This fic is labeled MA per standards for eventual violence, sex, and language so be warned.

Additional trigger warning for this one: character suicide. Not overly graphic but there nonetheless.

...

Reconciliation

Chapter 12 - Black Smoke Rising

"What do you mean, mother?" Sesshoumaru's golden eyes narrowed at the demoness.

'What game is she playing now?'

"As I said, Sesshoumaru. War on the West is at this moment being planned by the North. Don't tell me my astute and omnipotent son is unaware?" Kikuko pressed a hand to her breast in mock surprise.

"Why?" He was not going to give her the satisfaction of shocking him. He wasn't.

"Because your father's rabid indiscretion has killed the heir and half of the palace in his bloodlust."

When her stoic son paled, mouth parted just slightly, and his eyes dilated; she felt a small twinge of guilt but just as much gleeful pride at finally cracking him.

"Explain." His voice was quiet but commanding. She would give him that.

"What is there to explain, my dear? The affected pup has murdered half of the nobility in the Northern palace and disappeared. They believe it was a plot by the West to weaken them after assessing their strength during your visit not three weeks ago. Are they incorrect?" The lilt of her voice made the teasing that much more frustrating. She tilted her head up in challenge.

Sesshoumaru didn't wait to reply to her but sped away to issue orders, see to Rin, and gather his armor and swords as swiftly as he could. This would have to be rectified immediately and personally. The cats would be made to listen or the strained peace he had already accomplished would be for nothing. If they attacked, it could be centuries before ties could be made again. If he was forced to call up allies, they too would become enemies of the North and those relationships would have to be mended. The balance of power would shift and the lands would be unstable yet again. No, this needed to be fixed. Three years of peace was too few.

He ran swiftly to the Fortress to find Ryota. The bear would be sleeping no doubt.

The Western Lord approached Ryota's rooms and noted that the bear was most definitely not sleeping, if the languid moans of pleasure and grunts of effort were any indication. Sesshoumaru knocked anyway. After waiting for a moment with no answer and no indication of the rutting noises slowing or stopping anytime soon, he flared his youki outside the door and shouted. The breach of manners and interruption of mates was rude and usually not tolerated, but situation was dire and haste was needed.

"Ryota!"

Suddenly the room was quiet and the angry growls and stomping of the frustrated bear daiyoukai could be heard through the door.

"What in the seven hells could be so fucking important that-"

The door was flung open to reveal the pissed off, naked General Ryota, fangs bared and flashing in the moonlight. Sesshoumaru was suddenly assaulted by an overwhelming smell of intimacy. He worked to restrain the grimace that threatened.

"Oh! Sesshoumaru-sama! My most sincere apologies, my Lord." Ryota snapped to attention and calmed his flaring aura.

The bear's deep timbre resonated with more respect as he recognized who had interrupted them. Ryota was full grown and towering in both height and battle prowess. As a seasoned general, he was in charge of the bulk of Sesshoumaru's army, sharing the responsibility only with Sesshoumaru himself in matters of espionage, officer training, and politics.

As a male, he was just as impressive. When not in his true form, his dark chestnut, shoulder-length hair framed a square jaw, a wide mouth and twinkling pale blue eyes. His thick, corded neck lead to wide and muscular shoulders, and the fit General's daily regimen of strenuous exercise kept the rest of him just as brawny. And at the moment, he was stark naked.

Stepping back into the room, Ryota scooped up a sleeping yukata from the floor and came back outside, closing the doors to his rooms behind him. He bowed low to his clearly impatient Lord, still tying the belt of his golden sleeping yukata around his waist and attempting to hide his impressive erection.

"How, um- How can I help you, my Lord?"

"My apologies for… interrupting, Ryota, but the nekoyoukai in the North are declaring war."

That cured the kumadaiyoukai's erection problem.

"What? Why? Didn't you just- Pardon, my Lord, but this is so... sudden." Ryota's large hand came up to pinch the bridge of his nose. The stark contrast between the last minute of his life and this one was making his head spin.

"Indeed. They have been attacked by a rabid inuhanyou and are demanding retribution. Several of the royal family lay dead. I must leave tonight to persuade Katsurou to hear the truth."

Right to the point. Sesshoumaru needed to get this over with. A sensual purr came from the space behind Ryota and the bear flinched.

"Inuhanyou? But does that mean it's-" Ryota questioned but was cut off by the sensual drawling of his own name.

"Ryooota, come back to bed! Who on earth would be- Ah! Sesshoumaru-sama, good evening." came a bright, lilting voice.

The doors to the bear's quarters was flung wide revealing a very naked pheasant daiyoukai, bracing himself openly in the doorway. Kouji greeted the Lord respectfully from over his mate's shoulder with nothing on but a grin and an air of mischief. If the dog was going to ruin his night, he could have a little fun.

'Poor, frustrated pup.' Kouji thought, maintaining his knowing smirk. 'All work and no play.'

"We would be more presentable, Sesshoumaru-sama, had we but known we'd be honored with a visit so deep in the night." Kouji leaned over and kissed the shell of Ryota's ear affectionately. Ryota growled a warning.

"Enough, Kouji. This is serious." he scolded over his shoulder.

"One would hope since our Lord felt the need to interrupt two recently reunited mates… Very well, but don't be too long, my love." He waved a dismissive hand and retreated back to the room.

"Apologies again, Sesshoumaru-sama. Kouji only returned from your mission this evening."

'Mates are a most peculiar dynamic…' the young Lord reflected.

"It is of no consequence. Again, I am leaving tonight to assure the nekoyoukai that justice is forthcoming and stall the declaration of war. I leave the West in your charge until I return."

Ryota expected that the conversation was headed that way.

"Of course, my Lord. To the undying West." Ryota pounded a fist over his heart as he declared his commitment to keeping the West safe.

Sesshoumaru nodded, satisfied Ryota would adequately defend the Palace and Fortress in his absence.

Not wanting to linger in the doorway of two amorous mates any longer than necessary, he launched himself across the grounds of the Fortress, making his way along the extensive and dark halls through the mountainside to the Palace. Reaching his own rooms in seconds, he penned a quick letter to Rin first. She would be sad he was gone already but his ward was also dutiful and would obey his instructions to stay out of sight and obey the servant she was assigned.

Cloaking himself in his silks and armor, he paused when reaching his swords. Bakusaiga was a given but the other two… Tessaiga was the hanyou's and it might help to seal his youki again. Sesshoumaru was unsure of the effect it would have on Inuyasha now. Tenseiga, however… Should the hanyou fall, would it be prudent to revive him knowing this whole situation could repeat itself in a matter of months? For the rest of his natural life? No, Tenseiga would remain here.

Swiftly walking down the hall to Rin's rooms where the servant was standing at attention outside her door. The timid deer youkai instantly smelled of fear and apprehension as she felt his arrival. He expected no less.

"Give this to Rin when she wakes. Remain with her until my return." He held out the letter.

Tomomi bowed low and received the letter. "As you command, my Lord."

Assignments given and Rin accounted for, he could finally leave and take care of two pressing problems on his long list.

He considered idly that if he hadn't returned home with Rin first, in lieu of tracking Inuyasha down, maybe this situation could have been avoided. So rarely did Sesshoumaru allow himself the pleasures of doing what he wanted over what was needed but seeing Rin safe had been his priority.

And how had his half-brother managed to break into the Northern castle with nocturnal cats on the prowl? He pondered as he flew from the Palace and made his way north.

As the great inuyoukai sailed through the night, the smell of death and grief grew thick as he approached the Northern castle. Sesshoumaru knew this would begin with posturing and confrontation but hopefully it wouldn't end in more blood. Recalling all he knew about the tigers, he hoped this would not end in war.

…

Earlier that same morning…

Kagome tried to steel her stomach as the kind villager lead her up to the castle but she was losing the battle. Just as all these men had lost only days ago.

The stench of the rotting remains was overwhelming, as was the sheer number of soldiers she was told had died here. The ground was dyed a deep, rusted brown in a wide circle for many yards both up and down the hill. The entire width of the road was darkened with the shed blood of men who had fallen to the demon, they said. The bodies had been cleared and buried with honor, but the bits of gore that remained were being picked apart by the carrion eaters and rotting in the sun.

She couldn't be sure it was Inuyasha without talking to the one survivor from the massacre and he was apparently catatonic but being cared for in the palace. She hoped she was wrong. She hoped her hanyou hadn't done this but the accounts of the red streak that had infiltrated the castle left her with dread. If she could get through to the one soldier that was left, Kagome would get the truth.

"Tell me again, Kagemori-san, who are we going to meet? What was her name? I apologize, I have forgotten." She adopted the high-born manner of speaking in unfamiliar towns to avoid raised suspicions. For today, she was just a miko hunting a rogue demon and no one would question her for it.

"The widow of Lord Utsunomiya, the Lady Yosome. She has taken over ruling here at the castle since the Lord was killed three days ago and the Lady has been very busy but would be grateful of your assistance, Lady Miko."

She suspected there were a great many things she could do to help organize the people left behind by the violence, and she would have stopped and stayed for days if the quest had allowed, but this was her husband's life and time apparently wasn't on her side.

They reached the castle gates and Kagome was shocked at the lack of damage to the stone work. This castle was heavily fortified. River stone walls four feet deep and fifteen feet high, all cemented together and saddled with wooden watch towers at regular intervals as far to the left and right as she could see. It was a fortress and it had fallen in a single afternoon to the demon attacker with almost no damage to the structure. This was not a random attack and not perpetrated for the conquest of the castle itself. The attacker wanted only the lives of the people guarding it.

Her eyes found a curious fixture over the frame of the gate.

"Why is a sword buried in the stone over the gate?" It was clean and intact, but stuck out from the stone at an odd angle and was obviously a sword of high quality.

"Oh." Kagemori's face fell. "That was where they found the General. He had been… forgive me, Miko-sama, impaled and left there for all to see. By his own sword, no less. Most dishonorable of the demon. What was strangest was that the General was missing his left arm but we couldn't locate it anywhere to inter it with him. The demon must have eaten it as proof of his victory…"

Kagome sighed at the supposition about demons. She had encountered so many odd theories about why demons did what they did. After living with them for years, the answer was usually a very simple one: instinct. Most of their "odd" impulses and idiosyncrasies stemmed from basic needs. Humans seemed to have forgotten to obey those urges most of the time, or that they exist at all.

Suddenly, she was grateful that Inuyasha had taken the time to explain what little he knew of inuyoukai instincts to her after they were married. So many things he had done made more sense afterwards. His commitment to her was obvious, even during their quest, once he had explained how his instincts demanded he care for his adopted family. Sleeping together, constantly touching, hunting for her and taking her places she wanted to go… He had said it was the most normal he ever felt, until their marriage, and it was a soul-righting relief to finally have a pack. A casual conversation that resulted in them understanding each other so much better. It was a good memory. One of the ones she'd hold on to forever.

Then Kagome felt a needling recognition somewhere in the back of her mind about why the left arm in particular might be missing… But just as she almost grasped the answer, Kagemori interrupted with more to say about the execution of the General.

"But anyway, they had to cut him down to bury him because that sword is buried too deep to be moved. I'm sure they'll saw it off eventually but steel like that is hard to come by so the family would rather recover the sword if they can."

"I am sure."

'Inuyasha would have had the strength to do that even without transforming, I know. Most demons would, actually, so that doesn't help me.'

"Ah, here we are. Souma-kun, open the gate!"

A young man in armor that seemed a bit too big for him peered over the railing of the gate tower with a mortified look on his face.

"Father, please! I am a soldier of the castle now!" the young man hissed down, huffing indignantly.

"Apologies, Souma-san, but may the Lady Miko and I please enter the castle? She is expected." The old man bowed to the young soldier but was clearly mocking his new authority.

Kagome giggled lightly behind Kagemori.

'At least some relationships never change. What parent wouldn't give the kid a hard time? He's basically asking for it.'

"Souma has only recently been recruited to work at the castle, Miko-sama. He was too young before the attacks but now…" Kagemori hung his head remembering all those young men and experienced soldiers falling prey to that maniacal demon. "The only good thing to come of this tragedy is that young men that were passed up for service now have a chance at better lives."

She could tell her elderly guide was trying hard to find a positive reason for the carnage. His was feeble, but in times of crisis, it could be a comfort to latch on to one good thing and hold it tight. Kagome was afraid she was doing the same thing interviewing the young survivor but the alternative was to admit that her husband was a crazed mass murderer. She'd take the fragile hope.

The overly proud, young Kagemori signaled for the gate to be opened and Kagome was allowed inside after surrendering her bow, quiver, and staff. The soldiers looked tired but nervous all the same and many lined the pathways of the greater halls. The family would never be the same again.

Finally, the pair made it to the reception room and as the doors slid open, the woman upon the dais straightened herself and waited for the pair to approach. The conversation was a straightforward one. Kagome learned that all of the soldiers who had been here had died. All of them. Except the one that was holed up in a room here inside the palace. His name was Yorisue and he was one of the younger soldiers, assigned guard tower duty because of his poor fighting skills. He had been stationed in the lookout tower down the hill and was silenced by fear during the attack.

He was young and he was scared. Kagome wasn't sure she could bring him around but she would sure try. This young man would be haunted by this event all his life unless she could help him. Afflictions of the mind wouldn't become a true science for many hundreds of years, and Yorisue would be labeled a coward and cast out. She had to try for the both of them.

She thanked Kagemori sincerely for his help, and he was escorted away from the dais and back down the hallway. A new face appeared to guide her to the young soldier's room. The palace was a beautiful place. The hallways were wide and airy, sunlight pouring in from wide porches and open doors, and the many rooms that lined the family wing were in use. Lots of wives and children making noise and bustling about. She smiled as she heard praises and scolding both in chorus around her. The patter of so many feet on the tatami floors was comforting. It had been a while since the familiar sound settled in her ears.

'Momma, Souta, Jii-chan… I hope you're all well.' She sent a small prayer for her family to the kami.

As they left the family wing and went deeper into the palace, she noticed there were gardens scattered here and there in gaps between buildings. Ponds occupied sunny lawns and well-worn stepping stones in arcing paths made for hopping games under little feet. Trees and bushes dotted the landscape bearing the last few leaves of the year that were still hanging on in the gentle autumn breeze. It was a beautiful place, full of life. She hoped one day to see her own children playing with as much joy and peace, surrounded by family and love.

Finally, the servant stopped and stepped to the side letting Kagome know that they had reached Yorisue's room. She nodded her head and knocked on the door lightly, not wanting to alarm him.

"Yorisue-san? My name is Kagome and I'm a miko sent here to speak with you. May I please come in?" Nervous eyes glanced at the servant to her right who was also waiting. They both shrugged when there was no answer. The miko tried again.

"Yorisue-san? May I come in? I only want to talk."

When there was no answer again, she held up a finger to silence the servant then curled her fingers in and pried the door open only an inch to see where he was. He might be asleep or indisposed and she didn't want to alarm him any further.

"Yorisue-san? Are you there?"

But he was not visible through her tiny crack in the door so she opened it fully but quietly. Then she saw him.

"No, oh no…" Her hands came up to her mouth in shock.

Yorisue was there at the end of the room, red faced and still, hanging from the rafters from a rope made of his shredded quilt.

"Quick! Help me get him down!" Kagome yelled at the servant.

Kagome directed the young woman to lift the body so she could free him from the rope but when Yorisue's body came free, they both tumbled backwards onto the floor. The young woman shoved the body from her person, screamed, and fled the room but Kagome was too busy assessing Yorisue to notice.

"Damn!" she cursed, slamming an open palm on the floor.

He was already long gone. His eyes were wide open in fear and shock, bloodshot from the suicide. His face paled as Kagome settled him on his back, saying a prayer for the young man she never got to speak to. It was a horrible way to die and she knew he hadn't been prepared. He was not much younger than she but had lost his life needlessly, just like all of the other soldiers that day. She would see to his burial before moving on. Her eyes scanned the room for any clues and landed on a scrap of paper lying on the low table near the door.

'He left a note…'

She walked over the to the table and stared down at it for a moment, unsure. Feeling guilty for reading the words of a dead man she never really met, but knowing this might the only clue she would find here, Kagome picked up the letter and read.

'Mother and Father,

I am sorry I will never return home to give you this letter. You made such sacrifices for me to leave the village and I am wasting your efforts in ending my life.

The nightmares will not stop. I see the devil even with my waking eyes. Such hatred and evil should not be here on earth.

I can no longer breathe without fear of smelling death. Cannot eat without retching seeing my dead comrades strewn across the floor. I cannot open my eyes without seeing the silver demon and his blood red clothes sprinting toward me, his yellow gaze freezing the heart in my chest.

I am better off dead. I am useless. A burden to everyone. I will never pick up a sword again and I cannot return home with my shame.

Goodbye, and may peace find you.

Yorisue'

The truth hit Kagome full force.

It was Inuyasha.

Who else could it be? She could deny it no longer. She fell to her knees there in the doorway, dropping the letter and covering her face with her hands. Dark, wavy hair fell forward to surround her shoulders and shield her face as Kagome's posture drooped in defeat. Unbidden sobs welled up from the depths of her despair and she could not find the will to stop them. She was sobbing aloud in the castle of a noble family, in the room with a dead man, but she didn't care.

Fate was cruel. They had endured so much. Passed so many tests. Found each other over and over again only to lose each other to what? Madness? Bloodlust? She didn't even have a name for what the love of her life was suffering from. Kagome had no idea how to help him. Days ago, she had been so happy at her accomplishments now it all felt ridiculous. She hadn't learned anything that mattered. She couldn't help anyone. What was the point?

'No.' came a voice in her head. 'That's not true. You are strong. Do not give up. Find him and see. Reserve judgement until you face the truth.'

She knew the little voice of her conscience was right. Wallowing in self-pity wasn't going to bring him back. Reversing the damage would. She still needed to find him and try. Try anything and everything. The time for giving up was far away.

She willed herself to stand. She dried red and swollen eyes with her sleeves. She pulled out the golden ribbon Inuyasha had gifted her not long ago and braided her hair to get it out of the way.

'Time to get back to work.'

…

"So you've returned to finish the job after sending your mad whelp to slaughter us in our home?!"

"Katsurou, calm yourself! This Sesshoumaru will explain!" the Western Lord shouted through the gates of the Northern palace.

This was not going well. The toradaiyoukai was enraged and broken, and Sesshoumaru would not incite his anger further. He shielded his aura to prevent misunderstanding and stood alone in the hopes of tempting Lord Katsurou, ruler of the North, to speak with him.

"You come back now to cover your tracks, dog! Nothing more! Leave This Katsurou's presence at once or I will end your line here and now!"

Katsurou was older than Sesshoumaru by more than a few centuries and an experienced warrior. He was seated for the moment on an obsidian throne in the outer courtyard, visible through the open front gates, but his relations were gathering closer, growling warnings and keeping their Lord shielded from a direct attack. The tiger looked exhausted and half-crazed, breathing hard as he shouted across the hilltop.

His waist-length black hair was tangled and fell across his face in wispy clumps. Harsh golden eyes hollowed by sadness were cut into narrow blades in accusation, framing the vertically slit pupils of his race. The black stripes cut across each of the tiger's impossibly high, tanned cheekbones and were growing more jagged by the second. Sesshoumaru could sense the dam of the tiger's youki about to break. He knew this was always going to end in blood.

"Silence! Your grief speaks for you, Katsurou. Calm your anger and listen! See reason and hear what This One has to say!"

"This is no time for talk! I will have my vengeance, you traitorous, cowardly dog!"

Katsurou leapt from behind his soldiers and kin into the air over the gates of his castle and exploded into his true form through a bilious cloud of bright yellow youki. The golden tiger that emerged was massive, snarling, and poised for attack the instant his huge paws touched the ground, shoulders gathered to pounce. Jagged black markings ringed the body of the great cat from head to tail. Pupils of deep maroon, the color of blood, were set in ebony eyes narrowed to focus on the young inu before him. The tiger was fearsome and he was grieving, which made him all the more dangerous.

"So be it."

With an echoing howl intended to pause the tiger's advance, Sesshoumaru rose to meet him in a snarling swirl of his own youki. The white of the great dog's fur stood out against the dark green evergreens and black rock of the mountains beneath them. The silver inu was only slightly smaller than the toradaiyoukai but was just as determined to defeat his enemy. If he could subdue Katsurou, the cat would be forced to listen to reason in his weakened state and then perhaps, war could still be avoided. The tiger was older and wiser though. Battle-hardened and a leader of the vicious cats for a reason. This would be a difficult fight.

A snarl was the only warning Sesshoumaru had before the great cat was upon him, a giant paw swiping for his head to knock him off balance. Sesshoumaru charged instead, ramming his head into the cat's chest and forcing him back. Too soon, Katsurou recovered from the blow and dug his front claws into the meat of Sesshoumaru's shoulders on both sides, grappling him for leverage as he angled his head to sink saber toothed jaws into Sesshoumaru's neck. Instead, the great dog dipped and then lifted his great head, tossing the lighter daiyoukai cat behind him but shredding the white fur and flesh along his sides. The tiger landed easily on his feet and the dance began again.

Whirling around to face his opponent, Sesshoumaru roared a misted cloud of poison gas to sit between Katsurou and himself. Either it would halt the cat's attack or weaken him further as he inhaled it. Instead Katsurou growled low and electricity began to gather along his fur, arcing bolts of white lightning mirroring his stripes all along his body. With a snarl, he released the deadly energy, sending it tearing across the ground and incinerating the poison in the air. As the mist dissipated, Sesshoumaru narrowly avoided the snapping jaws of the tiger as it bolted through the wall of crackling energy directly at him. Side-stepping Katsurou, he turned and closed his own growling maw down on the rear leg of the charging tiger as it attempted to skid to a stop. It would be over soon now. The toxins in his saliva would slowly weaken the tiger until the antidote was given.

For hours they battled on the hilltops of the Northern castle lands, shaking the ground and trampling the forest. Titans, both, with everything to lose. Finally, the tide began to turn. Katsurou was light and quick, and struck hard, but Sesshoumaru was grounded, heavier, and had greater stamina. The tiger was beginning to tire and the great dog's poison was doing its work. Sesshoumaru was bleeding heavily from the gashes on his shoulders, and a new tear to his belly from Katsurou's rear claws as the dog had pinned him, but he would recover quickly once the fight was over. Sesshoumaru had done his best not to bleed the tiger too much. Every strike was evidence that Sesshoumaru meant him no real harm.

Finally, Katsurou collapsed and shifted forms, no longer able to produce the youki required to maintain his massive true form. Sweat covered his tanned brow and his breathing was coming in short, pained gasps between his howls of pain and sadness. Sesshoumaru was to him in an instant, ready to show his goodwill. Producing a vial, he uncorked it for Katsurou to drink and kneeled down over the tiger's prone body.

"Katsurou." No response. The daiyoukai continued the thrash and wail.

"Katsurou!" Sesshoumaru slapped him.

Wide, dark eyes finally recognized the enemy through his bloodlust.

"Drink or you will die."

"But… why? You… have won. Kill me, pup… and be done with it."

"I have never intended to kill you, Katsurou. Drink and we will speak. Do not, and you will die. It is your choice."

The internal conflict on the tiger's face was easy for Sesshoumaru to see. He could leave this pain behind and join his heir and half of his closest kin in death. His son. His first boy. Akio. Sesshoumaru was offering him death as a kindness, or life in good faith. Truly, the dog had not wished him dead then. Suddenly, his family was upon him, assessing him, crying for him.

"Mate!"

"Father!"

"Cousin!"

"My Lord!"

There was yet more to live for. With a grim smile, Katsurou took the vial and drained it, falling deep into sleep.

…

When Katsurou woke from his feverish sleep, he immediately requested Sesshoumaru's presence. A servant found Sesshoumaru outside the gates, propped casually against a tree in the shade of the late afternoon, his eyes closed. He heard the timid cat approach but made no move.

"Lord Sesshoumaru, Katsurou-sama requests your presence in his chambers. I shall lead you there."

"Hm."

Sesshoumaru rose heavily from his place on the ground and pondered how to proceed after their battle. The situation was unusual. Daiyoukai had drawn blood on familial lands. Nearly immortal memories make for long grudges. Then again, cats were strange. He was… unsure. The feeling was an unwelcome one.

As the servant led Sesshoumaru through the palace, he noticed the gaping hole in the central family wing. A large section of the building had been torn to shreds making the morning sky and surrounding mountains visible through the hallway. Only splintered wood and the odd recognizable vestige of furniture could be picked out in the towering pile of debris. The scent of death still clung to the remains of the rooms.

'The site of the attack, no doubt. The blood must have driven him mad.' Sesshoumaru postulated.

Through the smell of the deceased, Sesshoumaru could also pick out the scent of the hanyou. This would seal his fate. There would be no talking the council down from demanding Inuyasha's head, he knew. Not only would they be eager to see him out of the way and discounted as a potential heir, but to murder an heir to the North in cold blood in his own home was unforgivable.

"Katsurou." He greeted. "Are you recovering well?" Sesshoumaru asked as he stepped into Katsurou's private rooms.

"In time. Sit, Sesshoumaru. Let us have that talk you earned." Katsurou managed.

His voice was weak and strained but he sat up when a beautiful leopard daiyoukai of fair coloring and stunning pale green eyes entered the room. Her pale blonde hair was almost white and fell in wide ringlets around her shoulders. Her skin and hair were a stark contrast to the deep purple of the leopard spots that graced her forehead and cheekbones, alerting Sesshoumaru to her heritage. Full hips and small breasts covered in only a thin robe of black silk made for a striking and unique appearance. The female daiyoukai glared at Sesshoumaru and growled deep in her throat as she entered but moved around behind the sitting tiger to sit on her own feet, patting her thighs in a familiar way. Katsurou immediately leaned back into her and breathed deeply, relaxing at her gentle touch and nestling his head farther into her lap.

"Haruna, my love, Sesshoumaru was just about to explain the situation to us. Please do stop growling at him and give the pup a chance." The toradaiyoukai reached up to cup Haruna's pale cheek and winked at her from his place in her lap.

"Hn." was her only reply before looking back at her mate with worried and sorrowful eyes.

It made Sesshoumaru uncomfortable that they were stroking each other so intimately in his presence but given the events of the day, he said nothing.

And so, the conversation began. Sesshoumaru offered everything he knew about Inuyasha at the moment: about the attack on Ren and his investigation, about his supposition that the hanyou had inherited Touga's ability, his retrieval of Tessaiga and the plan to reunite it with his crazed half-brother before the council met so the pup could answer for his actions. Katsurou accepted Sesshoumaru's plan for the moment with thinly veiled skepticism and made the conversation surprisingly easy once the Western Lord tactfully asked about how the castle was so easily breached.

"How did the hanyou force his way into your den, Katsurou? I have no doubt you could have killed him. Did he conceal himself?" Sesshoumaru was trying to be diplomatic but he was also gathering information. The whelp was an unknown now and the more he knew, the better.

"I was away in conference with the humans farther south, attempting to solidify alliances as we agreed upon, when the messenger came to tell me what had happened. What was I to think?" the cat rasped from his oversized futon. He went on to tell how he had returned to carnage beyond his imaginings. Only the mature adults had been targeted. They were relieved not to be burying cubs.

"This Sesshoumaru understands your anger and offers his condolences in your grief."

"Grief does not begin to explain this sadness, Sesshoumaru. You do not have children of your own but one day, perhaps, you will. They are a gift beyond understanding from the first moments their cries fill your ears. I hope you never understand the loss of a child as keenly. Akio was a brave boy. Ah no, brave man. Forgive me. Cubs never grow up in their parent's eyes. He was fierce. He should not have been torn to pieces in his own home as he was. We could not find one of his arms to make him whole again before sending him home to his ancestors. His mate was almost lost to her own despair but stilled by the crying of their youngest cubs."

Haruna let her tears fall on her mate's pensive face and he reached up from his place in her lap to tenderly wipe them away.

"I have not had time for a mate or pups, Katsurou, but I take your council on the matter." Sesshoumaru had no intention of acting on this advice but he would consider it. Eventually.

"Do that. I waited centuries too long in my quest for revenge on your father, you know. Learn from my mistakes and do not waste more time in that way."

Sesshoumaru then thought briefly about the idea of mates and pups but dismissed the lecture as the whimsy of a grieving, injured mate and father. Surely it was not so life-altering as all that. Mates were procured for the purpose of siring pups and continuing a strong line. Nothing more. If his accounts of mates and their affection for one another these last few days was any indication, he had no desire to be so ruled by another. Katsurou pulled him from his reflection.

"You have some fight in you, dog, I'll give you that. You are cunning in battle. Perhaps, there is some cat in your line." Katsurou gave a pained smirk at the suggestion. The pup was proud and it would strike a nerve.

"Hn. I think not. You accept my explanation then?" Sesshoumaru queried, eager to end this conversation and hunt the hanyou down.

"I do. Though it is nearly unbelievable that your father passed his skill to his half-blood cub. Hanyou can inherit daiyoukai abilities? My view of the world is changed."

"Agreed. This information will be made available when the council meets. I ask only that you keep it to yourself for the moment. We will meet next week to discuss the whelp's sentence."

Tea was brought by a nude, female youkai servant, also a cat of some kind if the ears and tail were any indication. She hummed merrily as she set the service down on the table beside Sesshoumaru, gave no notice of the others in the room, and then left through the garden door. Sesshoumaru stifled a growl at the obvious disrespect but this was not his home and the cats were notoriously distracted. If the behavior was odd to the Lord and Lady, they made no protest but continued the conversation.

Sesshoumaru sniffed lightly at the "tea" and determined it was no such thing. Katsurou continued but jerked his head toward the tray and looked at Haruna. She rose carefully from beneath him and poured a steaming cup, ignoring the dog inches away from her. Handing the cup to her mate and settling beneath him again, he drained it and continued, his voice much stronger now.

"Much better. Do not misunderstand me. Blood payment must be made, Sesshoumaru. I do not hold you and your kin accountable but the rogue must be dealt with. He has wronged my streak and I will enact my vengeance upon him, Western heir or no."

'As is his right. The hanyou has brought this on himself and I cannot interfere should it come to that.' The inudaiyoukai nodded.

"We cannot know that he will ever recover. His affliction may be permanent, in which case, I cannot guarantee his survival for your punishment. I will think on a way to allow you your vengeance should that happen."

When Haruna huffed her impatience at the length of the conversation, untied her kimono, and climbed over Katsurou to lay flush to his body, grinding herself against him in demand, Sesshoumaru had all he could take.

'Do all mated pairs lose their minds to lust? Disgusting.'

"I take my leave, Katsurou. We will meet again in the West in one week to discuss." He averted his eyes from the pair and glanced at the blessed escape of the open door.

"You could just stay like a good dog and join us." The tiger winked, obviously strengthened by whatever the steaming brew had been, and Sesshoumaru scowled.

"Haruna, my love, have you ever made love to an inu?" he purred playfully.

She growled her answer, and Katsurou gasped and chuckled when she bit him in reprimand, but did not remove her mouth from his neck.

"Alas, my love wishes not to share. Until next time, Sesshoumaru. Ouch! Haruna dearest, I am still recovering…"

Sesshoumaru disappeared in a flash and left the pair to themselves. Katsurou sensed the boy flying away as far and fast as he could. He was looking out the window for the retreating form of Sesshoumaru and regretting letting the flustered dog off so easily. In the old days, Katsurou might not have let his grief and rage get the better of him but he had no real desire to kill the pup. Sesshoumaru was honorable and young and to rob him of life now, as the hanyou had his son, would be a shame.

"One day, my dearest, that dog will discover what he is missing and gods help that poor female…"

"Mmm, my tiger. It is no wonder the boy is so uptight. Prudish dogs make for bad bedfellows. Now, stop talking and come get This Haruna, mate."

She slithered away and crawled across the room, tossing golden curls to the side to beckon him with her bright verdant eyes, and swaying her hips for him in her playful retreat. Katsurou's eyes flashed with desire and he forgot his illness as he covered her from behind, nipping and licking her neck as he caged her.

"As you wish, my Lady."

…