Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or any of its characters they are the property of Rumiko Takahashi. This story was written for the purposes of entertainment and I by no means will profit from the story other than the satisfaction of exercising my imagination and writing abilities.
Chapter 26: Quest for Clarity
The clouds that had begun to gather the day before now stretched as far as the eye could see. The scent of rain was more prominent than it had been. Yesterday its scent had been a little more than a lingering innuendo, today the likelihood of rainfall was certain as its familiar fragrance permeated the air. The only questions left were when the skies would let loose and how long would the rainstorm last.
A little promise of rain wasn't going to disrupt the daily ritual of this rag tag band of would be heroes. However, the addition of a certain wolf threatened to overthrow a routine that was still in the making. Koga had been true to his word and had returned last night before the dawn. All had been peaceful until breakfast was being handed out.
Koga regarded the repast before him with undisguised wonder and apprehension. The meal was made of some strange substance that Kagome added water to. He sniffed it warily wondering at the mixture of scents that confounded his olfactory senses. A slurping noise drew his attention away from the peculiar concoction that Kagome had handed him.
Cerulean eyes watched in almost utter disbelief as the hanyou greedily ate his portion. Koga hazarded a glance around at the others in the cave. Not surprisingly the humans all seemed satisfied with the meal. The taiyoukai and his retainer also were eating, albeit out of seeming necessity as there was nothing else available at the moment.
A wolfish grin graced his features as a thought crossed his mind. He wondered if either of the canines knew how pathetic they looked eating this human handout. Koga wasn't about to lower himself in Kagome's eyes by eating this paltry substitute for a real meal. This was the perfect opportunity for him to show the woman of his dreams his worth; he'd bring back something worthy for her to eat.
Kagome watched as Koga sniffed at his food and looked around at the others. "Aren't you hungry, Koga?" she asked gently, wanting to preserve the fragile peace that engulfed the group.
"Kagome, this stuff isn't fit for my woman to eat." Koga replied fiercely as he motioned to the food.
"Hey, if you're not going to eat it hand it over here." Inuyasha ordered as he set aside his empty bowl.
The dark haired demon gladly surrendered it to the dog demon and couldn't pass up the opportunity to take a jab at the hanyou. "A mongrel such as Inuyasha relies on you to feed him, I will not." Koga declared boldly as his blue eyes caught her gaze and he clasped her hands in his. "I will show you how a real man provides for the woman he loves. I'll be back with something worth eating."
Midnight eyes widened in surprise in response to this all too familiar but sudden attack. What was she to say to this without either encouraging more of the same behavior or crushing the youkai's spirit? The young miko was at an impasse. The words and advice she readily had for others unfortunately at this moment escaped her. Not that she had a chance to reply because as usual Inuyasha was ready for a verbal sparring match.
"I told you to keep you stinking hands off of her." Inuyasha snapped. The wolf's slight hadn't escaped his attention, nor was he about to let it go unchallenged. "Besides what are you going to do? Find a village to murder and steal all their food? Wolves are sneaky cowards…"
Koga spared a bored glance at the angry hanyou and tightened his grip on Kagome's hands. No mongrel mutt was going to tell him how to act. "Humph," he sneered, "It seems I touched a nerve. The truth hurts doesn't it? You don't like the fact that I'm actually going to do for Kagome what you should've been doing all along; I'm going to take care of her every need."
"Koga, really, I don't need anything else. I like Ramen, besides we can't waste time cooking up something more elaborate, I've got training…" Kagome began gently as she pulled her hands form Koga's in an effort to diffuse the growing tension.
"Don't worry about it." The hopeful suitor interrupted dismissing her objections with a wave of his hand. "I'll take care of everything. The taijiya and the girl can prepare it for you when I get back." Koga finished boldly before he took off in a whirlwind out of the cave without a thought to the barrier that protected the entrance. Not that it mattered because the barrier had been conveniently been removed.
Kagome cast Sesshomaru a glance as Koga passed through the entrance to the cave. The taiyoukai blatantly ignored the accusation held in her midnight gaze. She knew he had released the barrier for the wolf, only to place it back the second the troublemaker left. The taiyoukai hadn't decided if he'd allow the idiot inside again, that would be determined when the time came.
One nuisance was out of the way, if only for the moment. Amber eyes rested on the face of his still somewhat miffed younger brother. Inuyasha had been unusually quiet last night and much of this morning. Sesshomaru had no idea of what to make of the sudden mood swing his brother had experienced the previous evening. Sesshomaru only hoped whatever Inuyasha had been thinking about wouldn't cause him to interfere with what the taiyoukai intended to do today.
The demon lord looked over to Shippo and Rin who were as usual sitting close to each other conspiring about some childish fantasy or other. It seemed longer than a day had passed since he had watched them playing tag. Again he wondered at their easy acceptance of one another. The irony of the two of them wasn't lost on him. Rin was a human child who trusted demons more easily than she did humans and Shippo was a demon child who trusted humans more easily than he did demons. He couldn't help but think that they too were opposite forces in a way. And now here they sat before him together though not of their own doing. Serendipity, fate, chance, whatever it was something had pushed them all together.
Fate and destiny were not things he took lightly. There was a time he thought he could fight it, alter it in some way, but more and more lately he had to believe that there was something pulling them forward on this path. This wasn't a chance meeting that this group was together. It wasn't some fluke that Kagome was born in a different era and somehow manage to traverse the impenetrable barrier of time. There was a reason for all of this and maybe one day he would fully comprehend the complexity of it all, but this wasn't the time for these musings. Right now he had to do what he felt he was led to do in his heart; and that was to guide the powers in Kagome so that she would be strong enough to survive her part in this play.
"We will train differently today." Sesshomaru said abruptly as he addressed the group. "Shippo and Rin we will require your assistance as the others are not so adept at seeing through deception."
"What the hell's that supposed to mean?" Inuyasha snarled. His temper hadn't cooled with the departure of its object. The arrogant wolf merely ignited an already short fuse that seemed to burn hotter as the days progressed without a target to fully release his wrath upon.
Sesshomaru eyed his brother for a moment, weighing his words hoping that just this once Inuyasha wouldn't fight him at every turn. However, Kagome once more came to his rescue. "We're going to try to see through Shippo's illusions. He's getting better at his fox magic. I actually thought Jaken was playing tag with Rin yesterday."
Kagome's voice was filled with the admiration she felt for the fox child's blossoming skill. Her face and smile were for the kit alone and everyone in the group could see how Shippo seemed to bask in its maternal warmth. Sesshomaru was certain the pup's own mother couldn't have been more pleased than Kagome was.
"Really Kagome?" Shippo chirped happily.
"Uh, huh." His proud caretaker nodded still beaming with adoration.
"That's because she's just a human." Inuyasha interjected. His words immediately halted the young fox's burgeoning spirits.
"If I recall there was at least one instance not too long after I met you that Shippo fooled you." Miroku interjected, once more buoying the juvenile's ego by alluding to the time his stubborn comrade had been taken in by one of the precocious child's mirages of Kagome.
"Stay out of this monk!" Inuyasha snapped. He remembered the instance his lecherous friend alluded to only too well. The last thing the hot tempered hanyou needed was Miroku relating stories that his brother could use for ammunition later on. Sesshomaru hadn't been part of his life then, there was no need to share with him.
"Enough." The word was spoken quietly with deadly authority and all eyes turned back to Sesshomaru. Even the small retainer in the corner ceased his muttering. No one uttered a sound. All eyes rested upon the imposing silver haired demon who stood before them regarding the group before him. He didn't have to say anything more his very being seemed to command their respect, obedience, and most importantly their undivided attention. He waited a moment but no one broke the silence, not even his brother.
If Sesshomaru had not been so focused on the task at hand he may have taken a moment to wonder at Inuyasha's lack of argument when he so readily engaged the others as he normally would. The taiyoukai may have noticed the guarded look in the hanyou's eyes, or the way in which his brother once again withdrew into himself.
But at the moment this was all lost on the taiyoukai. He wanted to get started as soon as he could before the interfering wolf returned. Sesshomaru once again wished he had just outright killed the meddlesome fool, but it was too late for that and now the baka was with them. Today would decide if the bothersome buffoon lived or died. Yesterday he had spared Koga's life on Kagome's bequest. Today he would not be so generous, especially if this mornings antics were any indication of what lay ahead the imbecile better enjoy the day's hunt; it could very well be his last.
Sesshomaru pushed the thoughts from his mind and got back to the task at hand. "Yesterday, it was brought to my attention that I have overlooked some fundamentals in Kagome's training, precisely her ability to rely on senses other than her sight."
"We are all guilty of that." Miroku offered when Sesshomaru paused in his speech.
Amber eyes locked onto violet ones as Sesshomaru focused his attention on the monk. "Hai," he said and nodded slightly for added effect, "but you are not ordinary humans. I have seen that for myself. You all have faculties beyond the normal scope of mortals."
"Of course they do, he's got a hole in his hand, Sango's been fighting demons since she was born and Kagome can see the shards of the jewels." Inuyasha added testily.
Amber clashed with amber then. Sesshomaru noticed the subtle change in his brother's demeanor. Inuyasha's words and speech inflections had their usual amount of impertinence and irritation but they lacked the usual amount of animosity that was typically present whenever he spoke with his elder brother. Hope welled within the demon's heart as he regarded his younger sibling with cautious optimism. Years of practiced self control allowed Sesshomaru to hold back the smile of relief, it was too minute a sign to truly indicate anything, but it was progress. "You are quite right. It is more than obvious that your friends have exceptional abilities. For that very reason I assumed that with the presence of the fox pup you would all know how to see through many of his illusory effects."
Inuyasha looked away from his brother then. Too many unsettling recollections were begging to form within his mind. Last night he had managed to put them back where they were harmless, closeted away in the deep recesses of his consciousness, never to be thought of willingly. But again they threatened to burst from their confines and give aid to the desires of his heart which were once more tainting him with the hope that Kagome and Miroku had been right. Sesshomaru's voice gave life to those unwanted visions of a brother he had long believed lost to him.
"You mean we should be able to tell Shippo from another demon?" Miroku's question saved Inuyasha from further withdrawing into himself again.
Sesshomaru turned towards the monk again. "Not all of you, but you should be able to tell a demon from a human regardless of the guise they wear."
"Like you. You wear the guise of a human." Sango stated, using the taiyoukai's own words to reinforce her point. "What we see now is not your true form."
Jaken lost his patience. This particular human woman was far too impertinent for her own good. The damn taijiya was always suspicious of his master's intentions, questioning him at every turn, it really boiled his blood. He wasn't about to let her speak to Sesshomaru like that. Yesterday she had been quick to assume that the taiyoukai had intended to harm the silly miko. Jaken knew the girl would have been safe if she had been sensible. This demon slayer was far too prejudiced against his revered master and the small imp couldn't contain his irritation with her presumptuous question. "Shows how much you know you foolish mortal. Sesshomaru doesn't pretend to be human. What human has such markings upon his face? My master wears his lineage proudly for all to see. He doesn't don the costume of a mortal. Only cowards do. Heh, some taijiya you are." Jaken finished with a derisive sniff.
"Jaken, it's all right." Sesshomaru said mildly. Both the retainer and the taijiya looked at him in shock. Jaken because, Sesshomaru had never spoken a reprimand to him so kindly before, and Sango because despite herself, her taijiya training and her burning curiosity had gotten the better of her and the words were out of her mouth before she could stop them. Even as the words left her mouth she regretted the tactlessness of her thinly veiled accusation. Last night's little exchange with Kagome once more flittered across the female warrior's consciousness as her own silent reprimand to herself. Immediately she felt the effect of her words and sincerely regretted her brazen question.
"My apologies Lord Sesshomaru." Sango quickly amended and bowed her head in a penitent gesture.
"Apology is unnecessary. Many mortals before you have made that very assumption and there will be others. You are partially right. This form is and isn't my true form. Within every demon lies a beast that calls to us to act on our more primal instincts, those that can control and even push those predispositions aside are able to possess another form aside from the beast that dwells within. Many mistake us for humans. However closely this embodiment resembles a mortal's there are distinct differences that set us apart. My markings for one, my talons…"
"Your ears." Rin chirped happily.
"Yes my ears." Sesshomaru replied indulgently. His young charge beamed with delight at his recognition of her input into this weighty discussion. Her young mind did not totally comprehend the gravity of what they were discussion but her natural empathy made her realize this was something important to all of the grown-ups.
Inuyasha looked away from the shining eyes of the young girl that glowed in triumph. Despite his best efforts the conflicted hanyou could perceive the stirrings of envy. Averting his head hadn't erased what he had just seen, instead it had emblazoned it in the forefront of his thoughts. He was thankful that the conversation continued around him and he forced his attention there.
"Do demons such as yourself have the ability to take on the appearance of a mere mortal?" Miroku asked. The monk was visibly astounded by this revelation. He had always taken for granted that the taiyoukai couldn't appear more human than he had. Like the taijiya he believed that the markings that were so visible were beyond the demon's ability to hide. It never crossed his mind that the proud demon saw no reason to conceal them.
"Of course they do." Jaken's small voice filled the small space, "If a hanyou such as Naraku can parade around as one, don't you think demons a thousand times stronger than he could too. They just don't choose to. There's no need for them to deceive anyone into thinking they're weaker than they are. Why would those whose lineage dates back to the dawning of time want to conceal their heritage?" The ignorance of these pathetic creatures never failed to irritate his sensibilities. It was unthinkable that they thought his master was parading around as one of them. It only reinforced his belief that these mortals thought too highly of their race.
Midnight eyes widened in surprise as Kagome digested what the green imp had just said. It never occurred to her that Sesshomaru could change his shape other than what she had seen. Like Sango she too had assumed that this was his human form. True to form she found this new piece of information exciting and was eager to see it in practice, as she tried to imagine what Sesshomaru would look like as a human. She wondered if there would be a resemblance to Inuyasha, or if he could manipulate himself as Shippo could. "Are you going to change your appearance when we do our training today?"
"It would be pointless for me to participate in the actual demonstrations as I am missing an arm. Altering my appearance will not allow me to provide the illusion of a limb I no longer possess." Sesshomaru replied slightly amused by her question, though nothing in his outward demeanor betrayed his emotion. It was rare but there were moments when she showed that she too was still very young.
"Is that why Shippo's tail stays?" Kagome asked innocently.
"My dad could change into whatever he wanted and no one could tell the difference. I just need to keep practicing." Shippo said proudly.
"Today you will indeed have that opportunity." Sesshomaru said reassuringly to the small kit. "Now it is time to begin…"
Inuyasha watched and listened as his brother patiently instructed the others on what signs to look for. Regardless of his intention to focus on the conversation before him the heartsick hanyou heard none of it as the visions of years long past he had tried to keep locked away burst forth, unleashed upon him by the very sound of his brother's voice. The low soothing timbre prodded his heart, and stirred up feelings that he thought had been settled the night before. The amber eyed warrior was lost in a tidal wave of conflicting emotions.
It would have been so easy for Inuyasha to give in to the knowledge that the sibling he loved was there with him in the cave. No matter how much he wanted to believe it and free himself from this deadlock he was in, he could not. Too many years had passed for him to simply let go because some memories resurfaced, and that sense of self preservation fought valiantly against the growing tide of trust, acceptance and hope that that threatened to allow his brother his place in his heart once again.
On instinct Inuyasha walked through his brother's barrier without a word to the others in the cave. They all noticed his departure. No one questioned Sesshomaru's decision to let the silver haired hanyou alone. All of them understood that their friend, for whatever reason, needed time to himself.
Kagome watched him depart without a word to anyone, still lost in his thoughts. She could sense his confusion and wished she could help him see things clearly, but somehow she knew that this was something he must do on his own. Midnight met amber then and she knew the taiyoukai felt the same as she. They would give him this time to himself for now.
Sesshomaru watched his brother go with mixed emotions. Part of him had hoped that his brother would stay as a sign that he had been correct in his earlier assumption that there had been an alteration in their tenuous relationship. However, if it was not to be, it was better the hanyou left and not turned this into another showdown that would take away from the time that they had.
Sesshomaru made a single resolution; that Inuyasha would be found long before nightfall. This time he wouldn't just watch over his brother from a safe distance hidden within the shadows. No, tonight he would be where he should have been all along; right by his little brother's side. It had been too long since he had done something his brother understood. Tonight would be another opportunity to do as Kagome had bade him to, and show his brother that he was indeed here for him.
Inuyasha ambled along aimlessly, heedless of the cool winds and the ever darkening sky. He struggled to put those memories and sentimentality behind him. Whatever was going on right now was just temporary, there was no point in latching onto anything that would make him think otherwise.
"You're scared that you'll get hurt again" Kagome's words once again reprimanded him for those thoughts. He tried to think of other things but they would not remove themselves from his consciousness as Kagome's words from days before once again hit their mark. "…you will get hurt again…there'll be times when you're happy…times when you'll be alone again…times when you'll be surrounded by friends…trust yourself to get over the bad times…"
Part of him wanted to believe what she had said to him that day, a part of him already did. She had taught him so much of forgiveness, he just didn't think he had it in him to put her lessons to use. Not for his brother anyway. Sesshomaru had to do something more substantial than cast aside a long standing grudge and stir old memories. He wanted evidence that his brother was worthy of his affections. He just wasn't sure what his brother had to do to offer such proof.
"Hey dog boy, did Kagome finally tell you to take a hike?" Koga's voice pulled him out of his thoughts.
Inuyasha looked through his bangs into the mocking cerulean eyes of his unwelcome companion. Too annoyed to even respond with anything other than a feral grunt, Inuyasha kept walking, wishing that the wolf would take the hint. As usual nothing went the way he desired; the idiot wasn't taking the hint.
The demon never missed an opportunity to needle his silver haired companion. The amber eyed hanyou provided ample entertainment. There were so many venues to sharpen the edges of his wit on Inuyasha's ego. His personal favorite was to taunt the hanyou where Kagome was concerned.
"I was right. You wouldn't be so upset if she hadn't." Koga crowed.
"This has nothing to do with Kagome, so just leave me the hell alone." Inuyasha stopped his stride and whirled around to face the irksome creature at his side. He looked at the wolf this time and amber eyes narrowed into slits before he spoke. "Anyways, where's the sumptuous meal you promised to bring back for her?"
Koga's demeanor instantly changed as he regarded his empty hands. Instantly his attitude changed as the hanyou taunted him about his lack of luck. "The weather has driven whatever prey might be out into hiding. It is unusual to not find anything, it's almost as if the damn smell of rain is making almost impossible to sniff anything out. I've never…"
"You must not be much of a provider then." Inuyasha interrupted. He was in no mood to listen to the wolf's excuses after all the fuss the moron had made this morning over breakfast.
"I'd like to see you do better." Koga snapped.
Just then a bolt of lightening lit up the sky, followed by the loud rumble of thunder, drowning out Inuyasha's reply. The improbable duo looked to each other as another bolt of lightening lit up the sky.
"Damn it, I can't go back empty handed." Koga muttered.
Sensitive canine ears heard him anyways. "I don't intend on going back anytime soon."
"I always knew you were stupid and this just proves it. If I were you I wouldn't be too far away from that brother of yours, especially tonight." As if to punctuate the warning held in Koga's words the rain that had been threatening to fall all day finally came in a torrent akin to a waterfall.
The rain did nothing to phase Inuyasha's resolve. He had no intention of returning to the cave just yet. The wolf only succeeded in turning his annoyance into anger. "I know what the hell tonight is, and I sure as hell don't need my brother to take care of me. I've taken care of myself for years, I didn't need his help then, and I sure as hell don't need it now."
Cerulean eyes studied the angry face of the half demon that stood drenched before him. This was no act. The wolf had known the hanyou long enough to know that unlike his demon brother, Inuyasha did not hide his emotions or wear false ones for the world to see. The plain truth was that Inuyasha despised his brother. This was certainly unexpected. The wolf truly hadn't given the matter much thought until now, he just assumed that with the Vendetta gone everything between the two was now settled, considering Sesshomaru was with the group and training Kagome.
"Hmmm. Maybe you aren't so stupid. You don't trust your brother anymore than I do." Koga stated after a moment.
"It doesn't matter if I do or not." Inuyasha replied not wanting to admit anything to this particular demon. He didn't want to have anything in common with the wolf, not even his distrust of his brother. "Putting an end to Naraku is what matters right now. Why the hell do you think you're still alive?"
Koga was about to reply but the voice of the small flea took both demons by surprise. "Master Inuyasha, please, let's just go back to the cave." The small flea whined.
"What the hell are you doing here?" Inuyasha snarled as he plucked the flea from where he was snuggled under his haori.
Myouga shivered in the cool wind and rain that pounded against his small body. However this was nothing compared to the fate that would befall him at the hands of the taiyoukai if the flea had remained behind in the safe confines of the cave with the others. "I have the misfortune of being your guardian."
"Some guardian you are." Inuyasha growled.
The wolf however found this information more than a little amusing, and he wasn't going to miss an opening. "The flea's your guardian. You're more pathetic than I thought." He snickered.
Amber eyes blazed at the comment. Without a second thought the hotheaded hanyou flicked the small parasite away. "I'll show you pathetic." Inuyasha snarled as he cracked his knuckles in unspoken challenge.
"So you do want to fight." The demon snarled in answer to the hanyou's challenge.
Myouga was not to be ignored. From the moment Inuyasha had left the security of the cave the flea had this ominous feeling of doom. It was true it was not yet afternoon, but the fact remained tonight was the night of the new moon. But the feeling that had the hairs standing on the back of his neck was something infinitely more than that. The tiny vassal just didn't have any idea what it could be. Years of experience told him that such a presentiment should not be ignored. "Master Inuyasha I implore you, please let's just go back. There's something not right. I can sense it." The flea pleaded once again.
Cerulean eyes flicked to the tiny demon. He too had sensed that all was not right when he had problems detecting the smells of his usual prey. Forest creatures weren't extremely adept at concealing their scent and typically a rainstorm, even one such as this, didn't wash out their smell entirely. It was almost as if the animals weren't there at all. "Hmm. Apparently your size doesn't affect your senses. I've been feeling the same thing all morning. There's something going on, it's like we're the only ones in the forest."
"I wouldn't say the only ones." An unfamiliar sultry female voice purred from the shadows.
The argument was postponed for the time being as three pairs of eyes tried to focus on the figure emerging from the shadows. Myoga immediately recognized the female demon that stood before him. If the reddish brown locks that fell behind her like a waist length cape or those emerald eyes didn't jog the small parasite's memory, the distinctive markings on her face did. On her left cheek lay two thin golden stripes, her right cheek was adorned with a single star and emblazoned on her forehead was a full moon with a smaller crescent moon on either side. Before them stood Ansatsusha, she was one of Lord Usotsuki's most effective assassins.
Myouga gulped back the fear that threatened to paralyze him. The Vendetta had been set aside, the Nekos were here to finish what they had started years ago. Inuyasha and Koga were no match for the demoness in front of them, and Myouga knew that this deadly siren wasn't alone. She never was. There were bound to be others nearby more powerful than she.
"Master Inuyasha," the small flea whispered in his canine master's ear, "you need to return to the others."
Inuyasha simply flicked the flea from where his miniscule advisor had temporarily perched himself. Stubborn as always, the urgency in his guardian's tone held no sway over him. The silver haired hanyou was intractable as always. Before him stood an unknown entity, but in the pit of his stomach he knew she was yet another in a long line of nemeses and she too would fail simply because he was not ready to.
Myouga looked up at mule-headed fool in exasperation. The unspoken message was painfully clear and the tiny attendant knew what he must do. Sending up a silent prayer that he would be swift enough the astute flea headed back towards the cave… to Sesshomaru; only with his help did these two unwitting canines stand a chance.
"Who the hell are you?" Inuyasha demanded his hand already grasping the hilt of his Tetsusiaga. Amber eyes never left the face of this adversary. Stubborn to a fault the half demon was by no means wholly ignorant of what kind of demon stood before him. She was some type of cat demon. Her facial markings proclaimed her to be a taiyoukai of some sort, in other words a demoness of immense power; an enemy not to be underestimated. The battle today would be hard, but he refused to lose, Naraku still existed and it would be he that finally put an end to that nefarious villain's reign of terror.
His acting comrade was of the same mind. Entrancing a vision as she was, the wolf was no fool to think her any less lethal because of her looks, she was more so. Primal canine senses pricked with the feeling of danger that hung in the air. Cerulean eyes narrowed as he waited for the femme fatale before them to answer.
A sinister smile slowly stretched a pair of sensual pink lips and emerald eyes glittered with dark emotions as the demoness answered in a mellifluous voice that belied the words she spoke. "It doesn't matter who I am since you won't be alive much longer."
"Oh yeah, well it's going to take more than you to take me out." Inuyasha bit out in answer to her bold statement. His fingers twitched at his side, silent indicators that this would-be gladiator was anxious for the battle he knew was eminent. Finally he had a willing target upon which to release his pent up energy. Everything was clear now. There were no internal struggles, no conflicting emotions for him to quell, and no hidden messages for him to decipher. Most importantly this had absolutely nothing to do with his brother. And he more than welcomed this now rare sense of clarity that existed in this moment, it was him or her. She was his enemy. He intended to strike her down.
Cerulean eyes flicked momentarily to the hanyou who now stood to his side. Despite himself and all his posturing Koga had to admire the hanyou's ability to focus on a battle. The being at his side was a true warrior in every way. The pony-tailed demon knew that this is what Inuyasha was best at, overcoming impossible odds and strong foes. The wolf knew there was more to his momentary ally than sheer brawn, there was something in his spirit that gave the silver haired fighter something indefinable. Whatever it was, he swore he could see it flicker to life in those amber eyes. This demoness that had the audacity to challenge them didn't stand a chance… taiyoukai or not.
In the shadows of the forest an undetectable foe watched from his camouflaged position. Satsujinsha opened his palm and turned his attention to the squashed flea. No one would ever know of their being here. Soon they would be rid of this troublesome task of disposing of this hanyou and the unfortunate wolf with him. As if in agreement with his thoughts a bolt of lightening cut through the sky followed by a loud crack of thunder and the ever cleansing rain had come at last.
It was time. Victory was theirs. His saffron eyes gleamed and met the jade eyes of his brother who was hidden in the shadows near their true target. Their unsuspecting victims were all but dead already. With a final glance at the parasite in his palm the neko assassin gave the tiny carcass a derisive flick.
Edited 3/10/05
Author's Note: This chapter isn't as long as some of the others have been but I'd rather end it there than in the middle of the battle. Now we're poised for the pace of the story to pick up a little bit here, and hopefully I can get the fight sequence sounding coherent enough to post. Well everyone thanks for reading this latest chapter, please let me know what you think.
