Kitsunehime: ^___^

Surreal: What the . . . ? o.o

Kitsunehime: Over 200 reviews! Wai! *tosses butter toffee and maple sugar candy around to everybody in celebration* Let's see if we can reach 300 before the story ends!

Shippou: =D *running around grabbing as much candy as he can hold*

Kitsunehime: . . . right . . . me no own, you no sue, every-o-body happy! (Don't ask what that meant, I don't know. O.O)







To Rule the Darkness

ch. 27, Variation Two: The Offering



Back and forth, Sesshoumaru paced, restlessly wearing out the floor. Inutaishou and Inuyasha looked on, bemused.

"Sit down, puppy. I rather like that rug," Inutaishou said with a strong undercurrent of laughter.

Ignoring the 'puppy,' Sesshoumaru continued to pace. "How the hell can you be so amused when Rin is . . . "

"Simple. You're being an idiot," Inuyasha stated flatly. "Rin will be fine, the worst that could happen is not descending any Jewel levels." But Inuyasha didn't sound so sure of himself, almost as if he were trying to convince himself of what he just said.

"We're not unconcerned. We're just dealing with it better than you are," Inutaishou declared quietly. "And, about that rug . . . " he crooned. Sesshoumaru suppressed a shiver. That deep, resonating voice, almost uncaring, could produce a shiver from anybody. He wondered if he sounded the same sometimes . . .

Evidently, Inuyasha thought the same, and snatched the chalice Inutaishou was holding, then called in a large cut glass decanter full of brandy. Pouring himself a large glass, he downed it all in one gulp.

Inutaishou stared at his empty hand in annoyance. "Puppy . . . " he growled.

"I'm not a puppy," Inuyasha protested, pouring himself more brandy. "A puppy wouldn't be drinking alcohol."

"Then, as an 'adult,' I'm sure you'd be willing to share," Inutaishou crooned.

By now, Inuyasha's mind was sufficiently numbed to not notice.. "Sure! Hey, Sesshy, get yourself a glass!"

Sesshoumaru twitched. "Sesshy?!" Despite, he did call in a glass and accepted the brandy.

Just as the three of them were on their way to becoming pleasantly drunk – and considering how fast the Dark Jewels burned it off, that was a lot of alcohol – Koryu crashed through the ceiling.

"What in Seven Hells?!"

Koryu got up and rubbed his head at the same time three other silver-haired heads looked down through the hole, followed by Sakuya's.

"Well, if it isn't the gathering of the canine weirdos," she muttered, walking off.

Ignoring that, Fahleing grinned down at Koryu. "Surrender?"

"Never!"

"Ahem!" They all turned to look at Inutaishou, who had a very sour look on his face.

"What is the meaning of this?" he asked, swishing his cup full of ceiling dust around.

"Ah . . . " No one had anything to say.

"What were you doing up there?" Inutaishou demanded.

"Uh . . . sparring . . . " Fahleing said in a small voice.

He raised an eyebrow. "Sparring?"

Youko, Miyu, and Koryu nodded.

"Sparring. Indoors. Over my study."

"Uhm . . . gomen nasai?"

Inutaishou seemed about to pop. The three one the upper floor bolted, and Koryu nearly ran through the door to the study, barely remembering to open it first at the last moment.


~ ~ ~ ~ ~


"It's been three days since she's gone in," Sesshoumaru growled.

"I think the rest of us are capable of figuring that out for ourselves," Sakuya snapped. "You, corpse-man! What's going on?"

"How am I supposed to know, corpse-woman?"

" . . . Bite me."

"Fine, I will."

"Oww! You flea bitten dead dog! Help, I'm gonna get rabies!"

Inutaishou spat her hand out. "You did ask me to bite you."

"Not literally, you fag!"

Before the situation could become a full-scale, no holds barred brawl, Kagome dumped a bucket of cold water over both of them. "Jeez, people your age, acting like children! Even Shippou doesn't do that!"

"Speaking of Shippou," Miyu added wryly. "Did someone hit him over the head? What's he staring at?"

"Hey, runt!" Inuyasha snapped his finger in front of his face, then noticed the door was open. His eyes widened. "Rin . . . "

It was Rin indeed standing in the doorway, exhausted. She managed a weak smile. "Hi."

In three swift steps, Sesshoumaru crossed the room and picked her up. "What were you thinking, taking so long?" he crooned, sounding so much like Inutaishou everyone shivered.

"Put me down! What do you mean long?"

"Witch-child, you've been in there three days," Inutaishou said softly.

"Ooh, look!" Shippou exclaimed, pointing to the Jewel hanging off a black silken cord around her neck. "The Shikon no Tama!"

Startled, Kagome looked into the pocket she usually kept it in. It was empty. "Sweet Darkness," she gasped.

"Hell's fire, Mother night, and may the Darkness be merciful," Fahleing breathed. She waited until Sesshoumaru left, carrying Rin up to her room, then continued. "Isn't there a legend . . . something about a devastating force of cleansing sweeping through the area when a new mistress claims the sacred Jewel?"

Total Silence. And a crow cawed.

"If that is true . . . then how big is that 'area?'" Miroku questioned.

"The legends say . . . about a hundred miles' radius from where the new Witch takes it," Sakuya whispered.

"Holy shit . . . That includes the Dog Forest!" Fahleing cried fearfully. She stood up, as if she was going to run out and check on it.

Koryu grabbed the back of her kimono, holding her back. "As one who serves her, I'm sure Rin will have found a way to protect it." Then his eyes bugged out. The part of her kimono he was holding had slid off her shoulder, and was on the verge of coming off completely.

O.O The whole room stared. Miroku whistled.

"Nice!"

Fahleing was growing livid. "You godforsaken PERVERTS!" she shouted, snatching her kimono back and fleeing the room, but not before giving both Koryu and Miroku a sound slapping.

Returning from tucking Rin in, Sesshoumaru stood in the doorway and laughed. Whether it was from relief, or genuine amusement at the scene before him, he didn't know, and didn't care, not as long as the laughter made him feel better.







I don't know if I'll be continuing to write a variation two from now on, since many of the events will be the same as I variation one, except that sesshoumaru is there. However, I will continue labeling it variation one until Sesshoumaru returns – or later – in that one.

kanna the mirror child: I think she's planning on doing something good in most people's point of view, but something Naraku thinks is bad. ^_^

Ja!