Author's Notes: I'm glad you all like my attempt at a Sesshoumaru/Rin and Dust'in, e-mail me and I'll give you all your answers, since there are so many. Now, enjoy the heated battles that lie ahead!
The Mirror of UzumeThe small group that consisted of Miroku, Sango, Shaoran, Shiori, and Shippo and Yuuki of course, all rode on Kirara. The fire cat, having gotten stronger over the years, didn't mind at all. Sesshoumaru flew besides Aun, the mighty two-headed beast having the pleasure of caring the petite Rin upon its back.
The sun had yet to touch the horizon, so maybe they stood a chance of foiling Yamatsu's plans after all.
"So, just where are you taking us, Sesshoumaru?" Shaoran asked with his arms crossed.
"Does it matter?" The dog demon said to his nephew.
"I'd say it does, because for all we know, you could be on Yamatsu's side and be leading us into a trap." The hanyou boy countered.
"Sesshoumaru-sama would never do that!" Rin defended. "He's risking a lot helping you out."
Looking away, Shaoran scoffed. "I still don't trust him."
Inside, Sesshoumaru was proud. His nephew might grow to be a powerful demon yet. On the outside, though, he kept his calm exterior.
"He brings up a good point I'm afraid." Miroku addressed. "Which village will they attack first?"
Rin was the first to speak up. "Sesshoumaru-sama wanted to keep it quiet because we…"
"If you knew where we were going, you would not enter battle with a clear mind." Sesshoumaru interrupted.
"Eh?" Sango was surprised. "Other than their home village – where else could hold such trauma for them?
"Just where could it be Uncle Sesshoumaru?" Shiori asked.
"Don't call him that!" Shaoran berated.
"Houjou Village."
"EH!?" Sango exclaimed. Houjou Akitoki, who was a good friend to them all – his village? But what could he possibly have that Yamatsu would want? The taijiya was about to ask when they finally reached the village.
"Wow! It's so big!" Shiori exclaimed.
"We may just have enough time to evacuate the villagers." Rin said with hope.
Perhaps… Sesshoumaru thought to himself.
When they landed, a crowd immediately gathered around them. The commotion raised the attention of its leader.
"What's going on here!?" He demanded as he pushed his way through the crowd. When he finally saw the group – after nearly seven years – he was speechless.
Houjou Akitoki had grown into a fine leader, though he still retained his childish features. It was an hour later, when the group had finished their story and why they were there. They purposefully left out the small detail about Kagome and Inuyasha possibly being on Inuyasha's side and simply said the two were going to be attacking Yamatsu's forces from the other side. If Akitoki knew about Kagome, he would foolishly rush in trying to save her, making their job that much harder.
"Do you have anything of important that Yamatsu could be after?" Sango asked.
"Well, my village has always been given certain artifacts in order to protect them…" He said.
"Admit it." Sesshoumaru interrupted impatiently. "You have the Mirror of Uzume."
Akitoki's eyes went wide. "H-how did you know that!?"
Standing up, Sesshoumaru turned away. "It doesn't matter. Yamatsu will come for it. The question is…how ready will you be?" Then he left the hut.
Rin turned to Akitoki, "Houjou-san, you must get the villagers out of here. Yamatsu's army is too powerful."
Nodding, the village leader stood up. "Right. Sango-san, would you and Rin-chan help gather the villagers and take them to a cave at the south end of the village?"
Sango nodded, as well as Rin.
"We'll help too!" Shippo spoke for him, Yuuki, and Kirara.
"I thank you."
"What about us?" Shaoran stood up with his twin.
Kneeling before the children, Akitoki placed a gentle hand on the hanyou's shoulder. "Go with the villagers. Kagome-sama and Inuyasha would never forgive me if I allowed their only children to be harmed while in my care."
"But I can fight!" Shaoran exclaimed.
Smiling, the leader nodded. "Good, I'll need someone to protect my people."
"But…"
"Let's just go, oniichan." Shiori pulled on his arm and slowly they left the hut.
When they were out of earshot, Shaoran pulled his arm free. "What the hell was that all about, Shiori!?"
"Leave now, and fight another day. Uncle Miroku taught us that." She said with a smile. "Now, I don't know about you, but when that jerk comes, I'm gonna find mom. He's sure to bring her with him!"
Shaoran was shocked, but
smiled. "Yosh. Let's go."
Back in the hut, Miroku, who
up until now had remained silent, spoke up.
"What of the mirror? If Yamatsu
really is after it, then we must see it safely protected."
Standing up, Akitoki held a hand to the hilt of his sword. "Leave that to me. Delay him as much as you can and I'll get the mirror out of here. It's in a shrine located under my own home, to ensure no one would be able to get to it. There's a secret path that only I know about. I will retrieve it and take it far away from here."
"But he will just follow you. No matter where you go." Rin told him.
Looking down sadly, Akitoki smiled sadly. "It is the responsibility that has been the burden of my family for generations. And I am prepared to take the risk."
Miroku walked forward and placed a hand on the young leader's shoulders. "Good luck."
At dusk, Sesshoumaru stood at the highest point in the village – a hill at the north part of the grounds. It's almost time… To the west, the sun had just begun its descent from the sky into the horizon below. In less than five minutes, Yamatsu and his army, led by none other than his younger brother Inuyasha, would pillage the quiet town below, burn it to the ground, and take the second of two treasures the Dark Lord needed for his mission.
Sesshoumaru's goal was simple: stop Yamatsu here and change the path of the future he saw in his dream. Kagome was a powerful miko, but next to the powers of Mikaboshi, she was now nothing but a mere pawn: one that would ultimately leave Inuyasha in eternal anguish. But no one would ever know Sesshoumaru's true motives.
"Sesshoumaru-sama!" Rin came running up to her master's side.
"What are you doing here, Rin?" Was what Sesshoumaru said, but what he meant was 'What are you doing here instead of staying with the rest of the villagers where it's safe?'
"Sango-san is checking the huts for any last villagers and the youkai are guarding the cave." She held up the short sword Sango had lent her. "I will fight by your side – where I belong!"
Turning to her, the demon lord narrowed his eyes. "You will do no such thing. You will go to the cave. That is where you belong."
"Without Jaken-sama to protect you, you're gonna need someone to watch your…"
"Rin."
The word was short and sharp as steel. There was no winning here. "Hai, Sesshoumaru-sama." Rin looked sadly away and began walking back down the hill. I don't care what he says. I have to protect him from Yamatsu's army, or Kagome-sama won't be the only one we lose.
Yamatsu marched his army at the other end of the clearing, immediately seeing the white form of Sesshoumaru on the defending side. "It seems they knew we were coming." He commented to the silent miko by his side. "No matter. One demon versus my army? He doesn't stand a chance, right Inuyasha?"
On his other side sat Inuyasha on all fours. The hanyou snorted a reply, but said nothing more. Although the dark lord believed his victory over the hanyou was absolute, he would find out one day how wrong he was.
Because even though Inuyasha had given in to the collar's manipulative ways voluntarily and it now controlled his every move, it did not however, control his heart and mind. Inuyasha was fully aware what was going on and until he knew what Yamatsu was up to, he would stay by his side, protecting Kagome from further harm. When the time came to strike, Inuyasha would find a way to break free of the collar's power and free Yamatsu's head from the rest of his body.
Seeing his brother straight ahead sent the hanyou's mind into a spin. S-Sesshoumaru, what is he doing here? He wondered. D-does he know what Yamatsu's after? I just hope he warned Akitoki. I may not like him, but he doesn't deserve to die along with the rest of the village.
Yamatsu unsheathed his massive sword from his back and raised it above his head. Behind him, hundreds of other youkai who made up his army did the same – growling and barking in anticipation.
When Yamatsu lowered his weapon, it signaled the beginning of the attack. It was then that Inuyasha ran and led the attack against his brother. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the sun dip below the horizon, sending the battlefield into darkness.
The hanyou only hoped the reign of Yamatsu would last as long as the night, bringing a welcomed peace with the new dawn's light.
"Hurry up!" Miroku ordered. The attack had begun and their leader still hadn't gotten the mirror out of harm's way.
Running up behind him, Akitoki cut down any youkai they came across. Up until now, he had been preoccupied evacuating his people to the cave.
When they arrived at his house, Akitoki turned to the monk, "Arigatou Miroku-sama. I will go into the shrine and take the Mirror of Uzume away from here."
"And we will make sure you have a village to come back to." Miroku bowed to the boy leader.
"May Amaterasu grant you success and smile down upon you always." Akitoki bowed back and disappeared into his mansion-sized house.
Barking the simplest of orders, Inuyasha directed Yamatsu's forces to burn the houses one by one. But it was only after his nose told him no one was inside. Yamatsu will catch on if I don't follow his orders. But at least this way, no one gets hurt. Houses can be rebuilt, for now it's all I can do for them.
He motioned to another house, took a quick glance inside, then stepped aside when he saw no one. An oni with a torch came drudging over, the black collar around his neck resonating with the defiled shikon jewel's aura, and slowly lit the house ablaze.
As the fire grew, Inuyasha watched emotionlessly as the black smoke billowed higher into the sky, joined by similar fires in the village. A vile feeling rose in his throat at the sight. This was how his own village had been destroyed…
My mother had hidden me in a small shed and knelt down before me. Youkai had attacked my village and although my father and Sesshoumaru were off fighting the intruders, I was still to small to help. "Stay here, Inuyasha. Don't come out and show yourself. No matter what. Promise me."
I nodded because I never liked to see her cry. When the village children always picked on me, it would make my mother cry, so I would always tell her it didn't bother me.
My mother turned and ran back to the village while I did as told and hid within the small wooden storage shed. I watched through a small crack as different humans from the village ran back and forth trying to save themselves from the youkai that seemed to enjoy the smell of human blood on their claws.
The smell sickened me.
It was hours later, when I came out of the shed and saw everyone dead. My father and brother were nowhere around, but with all the smoke from the rising fires, I wouldn't be able to tell much more than that with my sense of smell anyway.
It was after I looked around that I found the body of my mother, dead in front of our house. In her hand was a small dagger that my father had given to her in order to protect herself in case he wasn't around.
I remember crying and calling out to the youkai, asking them to come and take me too. I didn't want to be alone, but without my mother I would be easy pickings for any number of enemies.
When nothing answered me, I bent down and picked up the fallen dagger. She would have no more use of it. I tucked it into the folds of my fire-rat robe – now the only memento I had of my father – as I slowly lift my mother's body onto my back and drudge into the forest. I would give her the best burial I could, but then I decided I would leave. Nothing kept me here any longer.
And now, I did the same to another family…What has become of me?
"My baby!"
The shout brought Inuyasha's attention back to the present. A woman stood besides another of the houses, this one Inuyasha had yet to give the order to destroy but sure enough was already bright with fire. Then his keen eyes saw it, the hay from the two roofs were touching and so caused the second fire.
Off from the side, Sango came on Kirara, having yet to evacuate all the villagers.
Upon seeing the taijiya, the demons besides Inuyasha began raising their weapons for battle. Jumping in front of them, Inuyasha snarled and pointed to the other houses. Being so simply minded, the demons turned and did their commander's bidding.
Glancing back over his shoulder, Inuyasha was happy to see Sango alive and well, even though he wasn't outwardly showing it.
The taijiya noticed him too, but offered neither a smile nor a glare in his direction. She simply turned to the woman and asked, "In there?" When the woman nodded, she rushed inside. Kirara mindfully stayed behind to protect the mother.
Sango was immediately bombarded with the intense heat of the fire and had she not had on her mask, the smoke would've been unbearable. "Where are you!?" She called out.
The child's crying could barely be heard over the sound of the blaze and falling debris. The taijiya tried to follow the sound into the back room. Suddenly, part of the roof collapsed right in front of her, and she had to throw up her arms to block the flying embers from hitting her face.
Outside, the woman screamed again as she saw her hut falling apart.
Inuyasha watched nervously. Come on Sango. Come on…get out of there! His thought to want to go and save her activated the collar and it responded by giving him a quick jolt. The pain was intense but short, effectively getting the hanyou's attention. Shaking his head, he ran off after the other youkai. I'm sorry, Sango. You're on your own…
"Sango!" Miroku ran up to the woman's side, seeing Kirara watching the fire intently.
Inside, Sango found the child and wrapped her up in her arms protectively. Then the roof completely collapsed, blocking off her exit. The new air from outside fueled the blaze and it grew even bigger.
As the fire closed in on her, Sango back up to the side of the house. Just then, Miroku's staff broke through the wall right next to her and she quickly dove through the opening, falling into his arms. She immediately took off her mask and took a few well-needed breaths of fresh air.
"Mizuki!" The woman came over and wrapped the girl in her arms. "Thank you so much taijiya!"
Smiling weakly, Sango got to her feet with Miroku's help. "Kirara, take these two to the cave and stay there. Help Shippo and Yuuki keep them safe."
Nodding, the cat lowered herself down so the mother could get on, then took off.
"Akitoki is on his way to the shrine." Miroku reported. "Let's make sure he gets there."
"Un." Sango agreed, unsheathing hiraikotsu.
Several youkai approached the pair wielding clubs and swords. "Kill! Kill!" They were as simple minded as the spider youkai they had gone up against in the beginning, but as more youkai filed in behind them, Miroku and Sango exchanged looks.
This would prove to be interesting.
Author's Notes: This will proved to be a two part battle, only because I have so many people to write for. I do have chapter two of my animanga up and ready for download, so enjoy and I'll see you at the next chapter!