Chapter 23

Sesshomaru strode through the forest, his temper flaring with each step. The demon lord still couldn't believe what Inuyasha had muttered. The very thought of it made his ears burn. 

"She's going home." the half demon had said, referring to the human village that rested just beyond the forest. It was the same place he had first reunited with his daughter; but the thought of her actually taking residence there had never crossed his mind. Why would it? The demon lord balled his hand into a tight fist as angered thoughts raced through his mind.

He had drilled Shura endlessly when she was a youth on the weak-mindedness and cruelty of humans! He had even left her at their mercy to prove his claims…and now she actually had the nerve to favor them over her own kind! Her own kin! Sesshomaru continued to storm forward. He was so caught up in his own thoughts that he ignored the warnings of his twin headed dragon accomplice who had caught the scent of two figures approaching them with great speed.

"Fine then Shura," Sesshomaru swore angrily to himself "if you love these humans so deeply, then you shall die along with them. As punishment for betraying me and you're bloodlines, I will see to it personally that you and every one of those villagers…"

"Sesshomaru!" a bold female voice echoed across the landscape catching the normally alert demon by surprise. Sesshomaru slowed his pace, now completely aware of the two sets of eyes resting on him. One pair was accompanied by the scent of a young dragon. The other gaze, the one that now addressed him, belonged to a human. Sesshomaru continued forward. Though he vaguely recognized this pair of scents his bitter mood drove down his level of patience. Unfortunately for him, the female newcomer would not be so easily ignored. This time her call came as an order.

"Do not turn your back on me!" the demon lord stopped, thoroughly annoyed. Under normal circumstances he would have slain her immediately, however traces of Naraku's toxins were still working in his system and he would need all of his strength if his plans for Shura were to succeed. 

"The last human who addressed me with such impertinence found an early grave," the demon lord calmly voiced a threat of his own "Unless you desire the same fate, I suggest you show some respect…"

"Do not speak to me of respect!" the woman interrupted "I raised your daughter in your place! You should be respecting me!" Sesshomaru felt himself grow hot with rage as the comment reached him. Not only was this woman the conniving tramp that had taken it upon herself to rear his child as a human, now she was daring to threaten him! Sesshomaru slowly turned around and fixed his cold eyes on the female challenger. She was standing not ten yards away a snarling dragon bodyguard beside her. 

"Is that so," the demon's remark was calmly spoken despite the anger that raged inside "well I disagree." Sesshomaru cracked his knuckles, readying his poison claws to take out the first of his many human targets.

"Don't even think it!" the woman's venomous remark once again caught the demon lord by surprise. Not many could stare him in the face and still keep such confidence. This one, this human, had an edge on him.

"What makes you so bold," Sesshomaru questioned, disguising his annoyance with a composed face.

"In your eyes I may be nothing more then an insect… but I've built a reputation among your fellow demons," the woman responded confidently "I assure you, harming me would invoke not only their rage but also that of your daughter." Sesshomaru coiled his clawed fingers into a tight fist. Never before had a human acted so arrogantly in his presence. It was really pissing him off! Even so, if she really did have demon alliances, it was not in his best interest to slay her, especially now in his current state of weakness. Forcing out a heavy breath of frustration, the demon lord finally decided to allow his female opponent to speak her business.

"Why have you sought me out?" Sesshomaru had expected her answer to be as frank as his question, what he got however was an enraged glare. 

"A foolish question!" the woman snapped "And one you shouldn't need to ask! I came in regards to your daughter, who at this moment is nursing a nearly fatally wounded spirit!" The demon lord remained motionless. "Your daughter" those words that had once held so much meaning, now seemed like a joke. As far as he was concerned the demon that had been his child died twenty summers ago at the hands of human slayers.

His lack of response did not go unnoticed. On the contrary it infuriated his sharp-tongued adversary. "Damn you! Haven't you heard a thing I've said!" the woman demanded, "How can you just stand there while your child is at home sobbing! You should be comforting her!" Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes. The mere though of Shura behaving that way made him nauseous.

"I refuse to encourage such a weakness." That did it. Sesshomaru found himself taking a step backwards as the woman's face exploded with a new and furious anger, which she now directed at him. 

"Is that so! The only other time Shura shed tears was the day she found out you left her, you've been encouraging it from the start you arrogant mongrel!" The demon lord opened his mouth to answer, but suddenly found himself at a loss for words. This human's response had seared so deeply into his soul that it almost hurt to breath. Why hadn't he seen it before? The real reason Shura rejected her demonhood in favor of a human existence. It had not been human cruelty that scarred her childhood…but his. In his own rash attempt to increase his child's demon potential, he had wounded her beyond reckoning, making her talents not strength, but a curse she wanted nothing to do with!

Sesshomaru relaxed his fingers as a cold, sickening chill swept over his body. It was his fault! Everything his child endured, everything she had become…it was all because of his foolish pride. And now when she needed him the most, he had betrayed her once again. The demon lord lifted his face to the sun as a gentle breeze tugged at his long, white hair. Was it to late for him to repent? Would Shura be able to forgive him?

Sesshomaru's thought was interrupted suddenly as he became aware of a new scent. In the soft breeze's currents drifted the aroma of cat demon blended with human. The two dragons must have also sensed it, for they too became suddenly alert.

"Mia!" Kagome's voice rang out from the air. Hearing her name, Mia turned her gaze away from Sesshomaru and focused instead on the young girl approaching swiftly atop the back of Kirara. "Mia! You've got to come quickly! It's the villagers! They've turned on Shura!"

"What!" Mia's cry of alarm was filled with the same terror that shown in her eyes. Completely ignoring Sesshomaru the innkeeper pulled herself frantically onto her dragon followers neck and gave swift orders that he return home. Ukuri did not hesitate in obeying and soon the pair were racing in stride with Kirara and Kagome back to the village.

Sesshomaru watched from the ground as they quickly vanished out of sight. He was filled with so many mixed emotions it was all he could do to remain standing. Shura was no doubt devastated right now. In addition to his shameful behavior, her worthless human contacts were now traitors and the one little girl that seemed especially endeared to her was dead. No doubt it was her murder that drove the villagers to betrayal.

The demon lord took in a deep breath. It would be foolish of him to stride into Shura's village and start making threats. If he did that his child would never forgive him. But at the same time, he couldn't just leave her to be killed. Not again. Sesshomaru paced back and forth as he weighed the different options. But no reasonable solution came. The loss of that young girl had started a chain of events he was incapable of stopping.  

"If only she was still alive," the words slipped out before Sesshomaru could stop them and for an instant the demon lord felt a twinge of embarrassment. It was the first time he had ever wished the revival of a human, and as fate would have it, he could do nothing.

Sesshomaru stopped mid stride as he suddenly became aware of a strange pulsing coming from the sword on his belt. It was not the first time the sword acted in this manner. As he recalled, the blade had done the same thing moments before Shura had been revived… in fact… Sesshomaru slowly turned his sights to the sword as he recalled various details of the bout with Naraku. The blade had started to pulse just after he had longed for his daughter to live! The demon glanced down at the weapon as it continued to pulse and shake. Was it perhaps his will that had activated the strange revival power of the sword? And if that was true did that mean he just…

A rustle sounded in the foliage nearby. Forgetting his blades behavior Sesshomaru concentrated instead on the noise. It was getting closer. Squinting through the foliage Sesshomaru's gaze came to rest on a pair of clear blue eyes and his nose was greeted by a strangely familiar scent.