Disclaimer: Inuyasha is not mine. *sigh*
To everyone who has read part of this before: this is indeed the same story, reedited and reposted, since I didn't like the direction that my first attempt was taking. Please review!!!! ~Wolfshade
Chapter One ~ Starless Night
The serpent struck with lightning speed, its fangs piercing the taiyoukai's arm deeply. Wincing as the virulent poison began to flood his system, Sesshoumaru countered with a slash of his razor-sharp claws, aimed at the snake's vulnerable eyes. The reptile twisted lithely away, and the youkai lord's swipe rebounded off the impenetrable emerald scales of his adversary. He cursed softly, and acid dripped from his hands, sizzling when it made contact with the ground.
Sesshoumaru's next lash sent the serpent recoiling. Drops of burning acid splashed onto the snake's form, and wherever they landed, the scales disintegrated. Hissing in pain, the snake uncoiled with unimaginable speed, springing at the youkai with fangs bared.
The taiyoukai leapt lightly into the air, landing behind the startled serpent. His claws sought the uncovered flesh where the scales had melted, and the reptile let out one last dying shudder before succumbing to the darkness, its ruby-red eyes dimming. Sesshoumaru bent and lifted the rosy shard of the Shikon jewel, studying it carefully. 'This is what that hanyou bastard's been searching for. Perhaps I can coerce him to give me the Tetsusaiga with this.'
Standing, Sesshoumaru swayed, trying to fight the momentary dizziness assaulting him, an aftereffect of the snake's bite.
*
Kagome pedaled thoughtfully, trying to ignore the erratic yelps of Shippou as the kitsune bounced up and down in her bicycle basket. She wasn't the only one being annoyed by the fox; judging by the way Inuyasha's ears were flattening, he wasn't in a particularly good mood either.
"Inuyasha?" came a query from above, as Sango rode overhead on Kirara. "Do you have any specific thoughts on where we're going?"
The hanyou grunted. "There's a powerful youkai up ahead," he replied. "Can you sense any jewel shards, Kagome?"
Concentrating, she frowed. "Only one," she answered. "It shouldn't be too much of a challenge for you, right, Inuyasha?"
He favored her with a slight smile – they'd gotten considerably closer after Inuyasha had seen Kikyo with Naraku – and turned away again with a warning glare at the hyperactive Shippou. The kitsune merely stuck out his tongue at the hanyou's retreating back, causing Kagome to giggle slightly. Aware that he was being taunted by either the fox or his surrogate mother, Inuyasha let out a soft 'feh', which resulted in more laughter from Kagome.
That was when he first caught the distinctive scent. He froze, his hand immediately moving to the hilt of the Tetsusaiga, closing protectively over the weathered leather binding. Sango landed instantaneously, her expression anxious, and Miroku merely scanned the hanyou's face, searching for an indication of what was troubling Inuyasha.
"What is it, Inuyasha?" the monk questioned, glancing over at Kagome, who merely shrugged. The girl had already strung an arrow, the bowstring tense. She could sense Inuyasha's discomfort, but couldn't place the source of it. Surely, if the opponent bore only one jewel shard, her hanyou could defeat it.
And then Inuyasha said one name which dispelled the confusion in his companion's thoughts.
"Sesshoumaru."
*
The taiyoukai waited calmly in the clearing, well aware that his half- brother was approaching, along with his ningen companions. He'd been able to secure a victory over the snake's poison, though he was unsure as to how long the momentary clear-headedness would last; he didn't wish to collapse in a battle with the hanyou, and yet he couldn't run, if he was to preserve his reputation.
He winced slightly as another stabbing pain from his arm assaulted him, but remained steady on his feet. A gentle breeze blew back the silver tresses framing his emotionless, yet handsome, face. Sesshoumaru readied his claws, his exquisite golden eyes darkening slightly.
He didn't have to wait long. The hanyou stepped warily out of the oaks, the miko trailing closely. Upon closer inspection, the monk and the taijiya were there as well, concealed in the foliage. The taijiya was accompanied by a giant firecat youkai, upon which rode a small kitsune cub.
"The company you travel with is pathetic," the youkai lord stated calmly, more to goad his hotheaded brother than to insult his friends. He'd seen the miko in action before, and respected her purifying arrows, along with the monk's wind tunnel and the taijiya's boomerang.
"He's holding it," Kagome informed Inuyasha quietly. Hearing her words, Sesshoumaru studied her curiously before glancing down at his hand and at the Shikon shard glittering there.
He smiled ever so slightly – more of a grimace than a smile, as the pain in his arm attacked him once more – and held up the fragment so it caught the sunlight. "Did you want this?" he inquired sarcastically, knowing full well that the small party had been collecting the shards for some time.
"Hand it over, Sesshoumaru," Inuyasha snarled, whipping the Tetsusaiga out before him. Sesshoumaru's eyes glinted at the sight of the legendary blade.
"Would you consider a trade? Call it a compromise, I suppose, until I kill you and take possession of your other Shikon shards. Give me the Tetsusaiga, and I reward you with this piece of the jewel."
The hanyou snorted. "You, kill me? Don't make me laugh!" He lunged at the youkai lord, who easily avoided the sword with his heightened agility. Frustrated, Inuyasha swiped repeatedly, always intersecting only air.
"Dear little brother, you're as slow as you were fifty years ago. I never realized that hanyou bastards advanced this slowly."
"Stop with the whole tirade about 'bastard', Sesshoumaru," Inuyasha spat bitterly. "You're just jealous that your youkai mother was dumped for my ningen one."
Silence penetrated the area. Sesshoumaru closed his eyes, letting the anger flow through him. He looked up again, his face already lengthening into that of a snowy white canine's, and smirked. His eyes were garnet, dark as the ruby. Fangs gleamed from his snout, and he reared, towering over the tiny figures on the ground.
"Damn," Inuyasha whispered, clenching the Tetsusaiga so tightly that the hilt left an imprint on his skin. The gargantuan dog reached down and playfully swept the entire band of companions away, then sat back on his haunches, licking his paw thoughtfully.
"Well, Inuyasha," Sesshoumaru roared – it sounded like roaring, at any rate, though his canine ears probably heard it as normal speech – "your ningen heritage hasn't seemed to help you much, has it? Weak, filthy things, humans are. Not even a hanyou should demean itself by associating with those of the lower order. You should have killed your mother while you had the chance."
As a response, the hanyou leapt, slashing wildly with the blade. Sesshoumaru's giant paws batted away the attempts easily, his triumphant expression easily seen even in his true form.
The triumph quickly dissipated, however, when the taiyoukai felt his entire body numb suddenly. The adrenaline from meeting his half-brother had granted him some time, but the poison was dominating over his willpower now. Cursing, Sesshoumaru toppled onto his side, reverting back to his usual humanoid form.
*
"Is he dying?"
He heard the sweet, concerned voice, but dismissed it as a mere hallucination, attributing it to the fiery pain spreading throughout his body. 'Am I dying?' he wondered briefly, trying not to move; each shift brought excruciating agony to his muscles.
"Feh, who cares. I still don't understand why the hell you insisted on bringing him back here. We already divested him of his jewel shard; I don't see the point in keeping him around."
Kagome had a vague idea of why she'd rescued Sesshoumaru from Inuyasha's wrath, but she wasn't about to tell the overprotective hanyou. Truly, she loved Inuyasha completely and without restraint. In her eyes, however, the hanyou did have his faults, though she could forgive them. Sesshoumaru was her conception of the idealized figure: always aloof and untouchable, beautiful in his austerity, and an impeccable warrior.
"Really, Inuyasha, you can't just slaughter your defenseless brother!" she scolded, deciding to lecture him about ethics. As she'd expected, the hanyou turned to her cluelessly, looking hopelessly confused.
"Why not?"
"Well," she huffed, "it's morally incorrect, for one thing. Also, it's merely cruel."
He blinked. "You do realize that Sesshoumaru would have killed me instantly if I'd been in his predicament, don't you?"
"Well..." she hemmed. "I suppose so..."
"So I don't see what the problem is," Inuyasha interjected stubbornly.
"Why?" she retorted, playing her last card. "Do you want to be just like your older brother? Is he your new role model?"
"Sesshoumaru...my role model?" the hanyou gagged. He raced out of the room, looking purely disgusted.
Kagome smiled and moved over to where Sesshoumaru was resting. Brushing the silver bangs away from his face, she bent and kissed his feverish forehead lightly, then left the youkai alone in the room. She did not notice the golden eyes following her every move.
*
Kaede began the trek back to the village, holding her basket of the various herbs needed to cure her current patient. She, too, was astonished that Kagome would choose to spare the life of a youkai lord – a particularly dangerous one at that – but she didn't question the miko's intent. She believed in Kagome to make the correct decision concerning the inuyoukai brothers; she certainly had no wish to deal with them.
The said miko was currently hurrying towards her, the wind teasing her long raven locks. Her sapphire eyes glimmered as she smiled at the priestess. "Ohayo, Kaede," she greeted.
"Ah, Kagome, perhaps ye could help me tend to your captive youkai?" Kaede queried.
"Sure," the girl agreed readily. "About Sesshoumaru, though, there's one favor I need to ask from you."
"Of course," the healer said, surprised. "What is it?"
"I was wondering whether you have a spare rosary," she requested politely. "It's worked wonders on Inuyasha, though I now rarely use it on him. But with the Lord of the Western Lands...I doubt he'll be too willing to cooperate."
Kaede nodded, pulling out a string of the beads from her robe. "These will suffice," she assured Kagome. "I must warn ye, however, that these beads are much more powerful than the ones placed on the hanyou. They can never be removed."
The miko laughed lightly. "Wonderful! I'll have Sesshoumaru permanently under my control," she exclaimed. "Arigatou, Kaede!"
"Anytime," Kaede replied, watching as the girl who looked so much like her sister raced off, the rosary trailing from her hand.
*
He could easily distinguish her scent from the others in the room. She smelled of springtime flowers and succulent fruit, an intoxicating blend he longed for. She was sitting by his bedside, watching as he tossed and turned.
Finally, she began to sing, an ancient lullaby his mother had often used to send him to sleep as well. He drifted off after a while, but her honey- sweet tones penetrated into his dream, and he saw the face of his mother clearly before him. She was so close he imagined that he could touch her, and yet there was an ethereal quality to her figure, as if she no longer belonged to the mortal realm.
Kagome sighed as Sesshoumaru stopped twisted in his bed. Cradling his head gently in her lap, she slipped the rosary around his neck. She subconsciously ran a hand down the side of his face, before standing quickly and leaving the enclosure, realizing what she was doing.
'I love Inuyasha,' she reminded herself passionately outside the door. But the doubts had already begun to surface...
*
He awoke some time later, feeling relaxed. The poison had apparently been flushed out of his system, according to the ease with which he moved. He sat up in the bed, freezing when he heard the soft clinking of the beads strewn around his neck.
Sesshoumaru reached out a clawed hand to touch the necklace, but purple flames sprung up instantly from the orbs. As soon as he lowered his hand, the fire receded. Doubtfully, he peered into the water in the clay pot by his bed, noting the distinct pattern of the alternating beads.
Surprise was evident in his voice as he murmured, "A rosary...?"
~Review, please! Thanks!~
To everyone who has read part of this before: this is indeed the same story, reedited and reposted, since I didn't like the direction that my first attempt was taking. Please review!!!! ~Wolfshade
Chapter One ~ Starless Night
The serpent struck with lightning speed, its fangs piercing the taiyoukai's arm deeply. Wincing as the virulent poison began to flood his system, Sesshoumaru countered with a slash of his razor-sharp claws, aimed at the snake's vulnerable eyes. The reptile twisted lithely away, and the youkai lord's swipe rebounded off the impenetrable emerald scales of his adversary. He cursed softly, and acid dripped from his hands, sizzling when it made contact with the ground.
Sesshoumaru's next lash sent the serpent recoiling. Drops of burning acid splashed onto the snake's form, and wherever they landed, the scales disintegrated. Hissing in pain, the snake uncoiled with unimaginable speed, springing at the youkai with fangs bared.
The taiyoukai leapt lightly into the air, landing behind the startled serpent. His claws sought the uncovered flesh where the scales had melted, and the reptile let out one last dying shudder before succumbing to the darkness, its ruby-red eyes dimming. Sesshoumaru bent and lifted the rosy shard of the Shikon jewel, studying it carefully. 'This is what that hanyou bastard's been searching for. Perhaps I can coerce him to give me the Tetsusaiga with this.'
Standing, Sesshoumaru swayed, trying to fight the momentary dizziness assaulting him, an aftereffect of the snake's bite.
*
Kagome pedaled thoughtfully, trying to ignore the erratic yelps of Shippou as the kitsune bounced up and down in her bicycle basket. She wasn't the only one being annoyed by the fox; judging by the way Inuyasha's ears were flattening, he wasn't in a particularly good mood either.
"Inuyasha?" came a query from above, as Sango rode overhead on Kirara. "Do you have any specific thoughts on where we're going?"
The hanyou grunted. "There's a powerful youkai up ahead," he replied. "Can you sense any jewel shards, Kagome?"
Concentrating, she frowed. "Only one," she answered. "It shouldn't be too much of a challenge for you, right, Inuyasha?"
He favored her with a slight smile – they'd gotten considerably closer after Inuyasha had seen Kikyo with Naraku – and turned away again with a warning glare at the hyperactive Shippou. The kitsune merely stuck out his tongue at the hanyou's retreating back, causing Kagome to giggle slightly. Aware that he was being taunted by either the fox or his surrogate mother, Inuyasha let out a soft 'feh', which resulted in more laughter from Kagome.
That was when he first caught the distinctive scent. He froze, his hand immediately moving to the hilt of the Tetsusaiga, closing protectively over the weathered leather binding. Sango landed instantaneously, her expression anxious, and Miroku merely scanned the hanyou's face, searching for an indication of what was troubling Inuyasha.
"What is it, Inuyasha?" the monk questioned, glancing over at Kagome, who merely shrugged. The girl had already strung an arrow, the bowstring tense. She could sense Inuyasha's discomfort, but couldn't place the source of it. Surely, if the opponent bore only one jewel shard, her hanyou could defeat it.
And then Inuyasha said one name which dispelled the confusion in his companion's thoughts.
"Sesshoumaru."
*
The taiyoukai waited calmly in the clearing, well aware that his half- brother was approaching, along with his ningen companions. He'd been able to secure a victory over the snake's poison, though he was unsure as to how long the momentary clear-headedness would last; he didn't wish to collapse in a battle with the hanyou, and yet he couldn't run, if he was to preserve his reputation.
He winced slightly as another stabbing pain from his arm assaulted him, but remained steady on his feet. A gentle breeze blew back the silver tresses framing his emotionless, yet handsome, face. Sesshoumaru readied his claws, his exquisite golden eyes darkening slightly.
He didn't have to wait long. The hanyou stepped warily out of the oaks, the miko trailing closely. Upon closer inspection, the monk and the taijiya were there as well, concealed in the foliage. The taijiya was accompanied by a giant firecat youkai, upon which rode a small kitsune cub.
"The company you travel with is pathetic," the youkai lord stated calmly, more to goad his hotheaded brother than to insult his friends. He'd seen the miko in action before, and respected her purifying arrows, along with the monk's wind tunnel and the taijiya's boomerang.
"He's holding it," Kagome informed Inuyasha quietly. Hearing her words, Sesshoumaru studied her curiously before glancing down at his hand and at the Shikon shard glittering there.
He smiled ever so slightly – more of a grimace than a smile, as the pain in his arm attacked him once more – and held up the fragment so it caught the sunlight. "Did you want this?" he inquired sarcastically, knowing full well that the small party had been collecting the shards for some time.
"Hand it over, Sesshoumaru," Inuyasha snarled, whipping the Tetsusaiga out before him. Sesshoumaru's eyes glinted at the sight of the legendary blade.
"Would you consider a trade? Call it a compromise, I suppose, until I kill you and take possession of your other Shikon shards. Give me the Tetsusaiga, and I reward you with this piece of the jewel."
The hanyou snorted. "You, kill me? Don't make me laugh!" He lunged at the youkai lord, who easily avoided the sword with his heightened agility. Frustrated, Inuyasha swiped repeatedly, always intersecting only air.
"Dear little brother, you're as slow as you were fifty years ago. I never realized that hanyou bastards advanced this slowly."
"Stop with the whole tirade about 'bastard', Sesshoumaru," Inuyasha spat bitterly. "You're just jealous that your youkai mother was dumped for my ningen one."
Silence penetrated the area. Sesshoumaru closed his eyes, letting the anger flow through him. He looked up again, his face already lengthening into that of a snowy white canine's, and smirked. His eyes were garnet, dark as the ruby. Fangs gleamed from his snout, and he reared, towering over the tiny figures on the ground.
"Damn," Inuyasha whispered, clenching the Tetsusaiga so tightly that the hilt left an imprint on his skin. The gargantuan dog reached down and playfully swept the entire band of companions away, then sat back on his haunches, licking his paw thoughtfully.
"Well, Inuyasha," Sesshoumaru roared – it sounded like roaring, at any rate, though his canine ears probably heard it as normal speech – "your ningen heritage hasn't seemed to help you much, has it? Weak, filthy things, humans are. Not even a hanyou should demean itself by associating with those of the lower order. You should have killed your mother while you had the chance."
As a response, the hanyou leapt, slashing wildly with the blade. Sesshoumaru's giant paws batted away the attempts easily, his triumphant expression easily seen even in his true form.
The triumph quickly dissipated, however, when the taiyoukai felt his entire body numb suddenly. The adrenaline from meeting his half-brother had granted him some time, but the poison was dominating over his willpower now. Cursing, Sesshoumaru toppled onto his side, reverting back to his usual humanoid form.
*
"Is he dying?"
He heard the sweet, concerned voice, but dismissed it as a mere hallucination, attributing it to the fiery pain spreading throughout his body. 'Am I dying?' he wondered briefly, trying not to move; each shift brought excruciating agony to his muscles.
"Feh, who cares. I still don't understand why the hell you insisted on bringing him back here. We already divested him of his jewel shard; I don't see the point in keeping him around."
Kagome had a vague idea of why she'd rescued Sesshoumaru from Inuyasha's wrath, but she wasn't about to tell the overprotective hanyou. Truly, she loved Inuyasha completely and without restraint. In her eyes, however, the hanyou did have his faults, though she could forgive them. Sesshoumaru was her conception of the idealized figure: always aloof and untouchable, beautiful in his austerity, and an impeccable warrior.
"Really, Inuyasha, you can't just slaughter your defenseless brother!" she scolded, deciding to lecture him about ethics. As she'd expected, the hanyou turned to her cluelessly, looking hopelessly confused.
"Why not?"
"Well," she huffed, "it's morally incorrect, for one thing. Also, it's merely cruel."
He blinked. "You do realize that Sesshoumaru would have killed me instantly if I'd been in his predicament, don't you?"
"Well..." she hemmed. "I suppose so..."
"So I don't see what the problem is," Inuyasha interjected stubbornly.
"Why?" she retorted, playing her last card. "Do you want to be just like your older brother? Is he your new role model?"
"Sesshoumaru...my role model?" the hanyou gagged. He raced out of the room, looking purely disgusted.
Kagome smiled and moved over to where Sesshoumaru was resting. Brushing the silver bangs away from his face, she bent and kissed his feverish forehead lightly, then left the youkai alone in the room. She did not notice the golden eyes following her every move.
*
Kaede began the trek back to the village, holding her basket of the various herbs needed to cure her current patient. She, too, was astonished that Kagome would choose to spare the life of a youkai lord – a particularly dangerous one at that – but she didn't question the miko's intent. She believed in Kagome to make the correct decision concerning the inuyoukai brothers; she certainly had no wish to deal with them.
The said miko was currently hurrying towards her, the wind teasing her long raven locks. Her sapphire eyes glimmered as she smiled at the priestess. "Ohayo, Kaede," she greeted.
"Ah, Kagome, perhaps ye could help me tend to your captive youkai?" Kaede queried.
"Sure," the girl agreed readily. "About Sesshoumaru, though, there's one favor I need to ask from you."
"Of course," the healer said, surprised. "What is it?"
"I was wondering whether you have a spare rosary," she requested politely. "It's worked wonders on Inuyasha, though I now rarely use it on him. But with the Lord of the Western Lands...I doubt he'll be too willing to cooperate."
Kaede nodded, pulling out a string of the beads from her robe. "These will suffice," she assured Kagome. "I must warn ye, however, that these beads are much more powerful than the ones placed on the hanyou. They can never be removed."
The miko laughed lightly. "Wonderful! I'll have Sesshoumaru permanently under my control," she exclaimed. "Arigatou, Kaede!"
"Anytime," Kaede replied, watching as the girl who looked so much like her sister raced off, the rosary trailing from her hand.
*
He could easily distinguish her scent from the others in the room. She smelled of springtime flowers and succulent fruit, an intoxicating blend he longed for. She was sitting by his bedside, watching as he tossed and turned.
Finally, she began to sing, an ancient lullaby his mother had often used to send him to sleep as well. He drifted off after a while, but her honey- sweet tones penetrated into his dream, and he saw the face of his mother clearly before him. She was so close he imagined that he could touch her, and yet there was an ethereal quality to her figure, as if she no longer belonged to the mortal realm.
Kagome sighed as Sesshoumaru stopped twisted in his bed. Cradling his head gently in her lap, she slipped the rosary around his neck. She subconsciously ran a hand down the side of his face, before standing quickly and leaving the enclosure, realizing what she was doing.
'I love Inuyasha,' she reminded herself passionately outside the door. But the doubts had already begun to surface...
*
He awoke some time later, feeling relaxed. The poison had apparently been flushed out of his system, according to the ease with which he moved. He sat up in the bed, freezing when he heard the soft clinking of the beads strewn around his neck.
Sesshoumaru reached out a clawed hand to touch the necklace, but purple flames sprung up instantly from the orbs. As soon as he lowered his hand, the fire receded. Doubtfully, he peered into the water in the clay pot by his bed, noting the distinct pattern of the alternating beads.
Surprise was evident in his voice as he murmured, "A rosary...?"
~Review, please! Thanks!~