Chapter 5: Sesshoku's Plan

"Why... Why can't I remember you?" InuYasha gasped as he let go of Sesshoku. "Why are you showing me these things if you don't seem to do remember them yourself?"

"I do but she makes me forget them." Sesshoku whispered as her eyes fluttered open.

"Who?" InuYasha wondered stooping back down and helping her sit up.

"Momma. It's her enchantment. She protects me and makes me forget things when Poppa's spell temporarily wears off." She replied after a suppressed groan of pain. She rubbed her fingers over the glowing fragment of a seal on her forehead.

"What are you really?" He wondered.

"What do you think I am really?" She looked up at him with sad eyes.

"A han-" She pressed her fingers to his lips and made him stop speaking. A simple nod was her response as she removed her fingers. "Why don't you want me to say it? To good to accept your label?" He wondered defensively as he backed away.

"No because everyone knowing it puts you in great danger. They want my blood to become immortal. There's a myth, a legend, maybe it's real, I don't know. But once a youkai slaughtered a female dog demon and used her blood to strengthen every part of himself. To his delight he became immortal and invincible. I can't risk you if something stronger comes along looking for me. I can't risk anything." She explained using the tree to pull herself up.

"But how do you know that you can do it?" He wondered taking her arm and helping her stand up. She slit her wrist open with one of his claws and painted a spot on his arm, a small spot just above his wrist.

"Hold your arm up." She ordered as she took a few steps back. He did so and she closed her eyes "Holy Light Spike!" A weak purple beam shot through the air right towards the bloody spot. It broke over it and when the light faded InuYasha looked at the scorched spot. He wiped away the blackness and saw no mark underneath, not even a burn.

"I didn't even feel it." He gasped looking at her wide-eyed. She just closed her eyes and nodded before slinking down to the ground again.

"If an evil youkai were to get a hold of me you can see what the results could be." She whispered sadly as she watched the slit on her wrist slowly heal. He walked over and slumped down in front of her and held her head up with his hand.

"I'm going to protect you." He said simply before slipping one arm under hers and the other under her knees. He picked her up and started carrying her back to the cave.

"InuYasha there are oni that are stronger than Sesshomaru you know." She commented as he carried her along.

"What's your point?" He replied gruffly without looking down.

"That is my point. What if an oni comes along that we can't defeat with our combined power? Then what are we going to do? We're going to have to run to keep them from getting me and then that's all we're going to do. I can't put you in danger like that." She whispered sadly.

"I'll train with you and we'll both get stronger. Don't worry about it we'll be fine Sis." He replied like it was a simple fact. She reached up and smacked him across the face as hard as she could; he stopped and looked down at her angrily. "What was that for?!"

"InuYasha be reasonable! We're only hanyous! We'll never be as strong as Poppa or some of these youkai around today!" She screamed as tears streamed down her face. "I'm not going to risk you!" He bent down and laid her down gently on the ground. He calmly walked over facing the nearest tree; suddenly he let out a scream and ran his fist through it utterly destroying it. Calmly he turned around and looked at her.

"You're right but what can we do?" He whispered clenching his fists. "Sesshomaru won't give us a second thought. He wants you as bad as some of those stronger oni..." She could tell he was angry and desperately searching for the answer.

"There's only one thing I can think to do." She whispered and he looked up at her. "There's this thing called the Shikon no Tama. It's supposed to give power to oni, incredible power. There's a priestess that lives at a temple not far from here that is in charge of purifying it. If you can steal it, I can finish purifying it then maybe you can use it to become a full youkai and protect me."

"A crystal that gives power to oni?" He repeated the words. "It would be easy to get?" He wondered his face easing.

"The miko who guards it is very strong otherwise they wouldn't have trusted her with it. You'd have to be very careful." She replied worried.

"What about you? How would you take care of yourself without me?" He wondered sharing her worry now.

"Get me back to the cave and I'll take care of everything." He nodded and picked her back up and carried her off to the cave as fast as he could.

"You stay here and be safe until I get back." He ordered standing at the entrance of the cave. "I'll seal the cave with rocks just as a precaution all right?" She nodded and smiled at him.

"Good-bye InuYasha. Be careful." She replied walking over and hugging him. She only came up to his lower chest. He wrapped an arm around her and gave her a quick squeeze then pulled away. She backed away and watched him disappear out the opening. A moment later the cave filled with darkness as rocks piled up in front of the opening. Sesshoku placed her hands on the rocks and muttered a sealing spell; a moment later a symbol glowed fiercely on the rocks then faded. She lay down on the ground at the far back of the cave and began chanting. As she did the symbol on her forehead started to become whole again.

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"There that should do it." InuYasha thought as he dusted his hands off and looking at the pile of rocks before him. He suddenly caught a whiff of an oni. The smell was one very familiar but not who he expected. "Who is it? It's not Sesshomaru though it feels very similar..."

"InuYasha!" A deep and strong voice called out. "You've grown considerably since I saw you last!" InuYasha spun around and spotted another hanyou dog demon with dark brown eyes staring back at him from a nearby tree.

"Who are you and how do you know me?" He hissed defensively dropping into a fighting stance.

"So the enchantment isn't completely broken yet then. Though you probably wouldn't recognize me now. I was mortal when you last saw me..." InuYasha's eyes shot open in surprise.

"Who... are you?" He wondered confused.

"It doesn't really matter what my name is. You won't remember it in a few seconds anyways. I am Raioko." With that he lunged forward with speed greater than InuYasha had ever seen before and pinned him to the rocks. He held him there with one hand and with the other traced a symbol on his forehead and let go. InuYasha felt his mind go fuzzy as his body grew heavy and weak.

"Aug... What a nice nap." InuYasha yawned as he hopped out of a tree. "Now what was I doing? Right the Shikon no Tama and becoming a full youkai! No one's going to stop me from being truly powerful now!" He snickered and took off into the deep forest. "Where did I hear about this thing again?" He wondered as he bolted through the forest. "Oh well it doesn't matter just as long as it does what I heard it should."