Chapter Eight:

Insanity and Sightings

People screamed as a white haired man in a blue haori and hakama wielding a two-edged sword stood in the middle of the street, growling and practically barking at everyone he saw.  He swung the sword at a group of people to his left, and energy shot out from the blade.  Blood spilled on the pavement.

"Monster!" people screamed, running every direction away from the man.  He growled again, red eyes darting every direction.

~The feeling is close!~ he thought.  ~Soon I will be able to destroy him!~

But as he started running the direction of the feeling, he hesitated.  ~The feeling is not entirely his.  It is him, but it is mixed with the blood of others.  What does it mean?  How can he be Inuyasha only partially?~

He was confused, but he still continued his mission, now running through the streets of the city.  He smelled fear all around him, but it didn't matter.  Nothing mattered except for the blood of Inuyasha.

*          *          *

"What's going on?" Rei asked as Takara stopped walking.  She was looking through a window at a television.  On the screen was a video of a rather bloody street, with ropes blocking people off as police inspected the area.  Her sensitive ears could hear the news reporter through the glass.

"…and then ran off down this street.  Witnesses described the strange man as a white-haired person wearing blue clothing.  There have been a few claims that this was not a man but really a legendary youkai, but these claims cannot be backed up.  Police say…"

Takara uttered a curse under her breath.  ~Baka Inuyoshi!  What are you doing now?~

"Takara-sama?"

"It is nothing," Takara finally said.  She knew Rei hadn't heard the speaker, and she knew she had a lot of respect for Inuyoshi.  She didn't want to destroy it.

They began walking again, and suddenly, Rei stopped.

"Takara-sama, look!" she pointed across the street.  "That person's hair looks like yours!"

Takara turned, and then stared in shock at the back of a tall individual with knee-length black hair that did indeed look like hers when she masqueraded as a human as she was at the moment.  She focused her youkai senses, and through the city smells she caught a faint whiff of a scent she'd known since she was a pup.

"Takara-sama?" Rei said questioningly, noticing the look of disbelief on her friend's face.

"It's him!" the taiyoukai said in awe.  Then, as the man she knew had to be Sesshoumaru walked out of her sight, her body finally unfroze.

"Otousan!" she cried, and began to push her way through the people crowded around the street.  This turned out to be a difficult task; it seemed as if every person in the city was out walking that day.  Takara caught sight of the long black hair again, but in an instant it had disappeared.

"Wait, otousan!"

Reaching the last place she saw him, she stopped and looked in all directions.  Seeing nothing, she sniffed the air, ignoring the smells of the city and of food.  Nothing.  She felt for his presence, the great, overpowering presence that was Sesshoumaru. He was gone.

Catching up to her, Rei saw the look of desperation on Takara's face.  Then, the taiyoukai craned her neck and looked straight up at the sky.  She grinned.

"Takara-sama, do you…hey, wait!"

Rei yelled in protest as she was once again picked up and launched into the air.