SHISOU (shadow of death)
*Keiji: Japanese/male/Wise Ruler *Maeko: Japanese/female/Honest Child *Saburo: Japanese/male/Third Born Son *-hime: princess
"It was not my intention to do this in front of you. For that I'm sorry. But you can take my word for it, your mother had it comin'. When you grow up, if you still feel raw about it, I'll be waiting." ------The Bride (Kill Bill Vol1)
Chap 04: the Shikkon shard
------Inuyasha's PoV------
The search for the shard had to wait for a while. Again Sesshoumaru appeared but this time he had been a difficult opponent. He dragged Totousai, the youkai that forged Tessaiga, into our fight. Again I managed to defeat him but this time he was badly wounded. With enough luck he'd be out of the way for a long time.
"How far is it?" Now we were chasing monsters with Shikkon shards attached to their bodies. Kagome sensed something a while a go. I could smell it. a centipede.
"It must be near I can sense it's close." She pointed to a road and the others followed. Now the group was larger; we had a kitsune youkai, a perverted monk and a youkai exterminator with us. It would be very easy to kill that monster and get the shard.
"Oh no! It's heading towards that village" I decided to go ahead of them, it would be better if I showed up before it attacked the people in the village. Sango got on Kirara and followed close behind me.
The villagers barely escaped from the entrance of the centipede. Sango used her large boomerang called Hiraikotsu to distract the monster while I prepared a blow from Tessaiga. But then another youkai appeared. His scent was familiar to me, I had meet with him before but I couldn't remember when or where.
"It's Saburo-sama!" cried one of the villagers; that name! It was the youkai that attacked me after the first fight with Sesshoumaru. What was he doing here?
------Saburo's PoV------
It was that hanyou again, the half-brother of Sesshoumaru-sama. Now he appeared in my lands. and he was trying to defend the village from a centipede. His skills had matured but still he had a long way before reaching his older brother. I grabbed my sword and jumped infront of the centipede. With a single slash his head rolled in the floor.
"Wait!" a human girl cried, I could sense Miko energy from her. She approached me shyly and picked up something from the head of the beast. "It's a shikkon shard."
------Inuyasha's PoV------
He allowed Kagome to approach and she took the shikkon shard from the creature's head. "Please stand back."
A faint purple glow was coming out from his claws. He placed both of his claws infront of the creature and released a large energy beam. The centipede practically disappeared turning in a mountain of dust.
"I could not let that flesh to rot in this village." He turned to Kagome and me. "So what business brings Inuyasha to my lands?"
"We're in the search of the Shikkon shards." Immediately Kagome answered to him. She would always tell her story to anyone who asked. but she wouldn't tell that SHE was the one to brake the Jewel in the first place "Well, you have certainly saved this land in the process of doing so. The least I can do is to offer you a place to stay and some food."
"We won't be taking it" everyone stared at me. I was not going to stay under the same roof as one of my brother's friends. He would probably have a plan against us. This could be a chance for Sesshoumaru to attack. "We have a long journey ahead and we don't need your help."
"I'm not offering you help. For it is a debt I have acquired with you the very same moment you protected this village even if you were not aware that this lands belong to me. It is not charity, it is DUTY."
"I think we should accept his proposal, we really need a rest Kagome-sama." I glared at the monk, he probably was interested in getting a fine place to rest but I was really worried about that youkai.
"Yes and some food will no harm to us, Right Kagome-chan?" I knew I had no chance when Sango agreed to go. Now all I could do was to follow them and expect the worse.
------Saburo's PoV------
Finally after the long arguing we were home, of course the human lord didn't like it when Inuyasha and the kitsune cub walked into his palace but again he's have to bear with it. The group was very impressed with the place. A sweet scent came to me, it was Maeko, I walked ahead of them to receive her.
"Saburo!.I am so relieved that you are unharmed. I was so worried!" before she could continue I held her in my arms kindly, she turned to Inuyasha and the others and smiled at them. "Greetings! I am Maeko princess of this castle and wife of Saburo. Who might you be?"
"He is Inuyasha the youngest son of my deceased Lord Sugimi-sama. It was his group who warned the villagers." Their surprised faces caused Maeko to smile for a second time. "I will make sure the servants get you the best. If you excuse me." she left looking back over her shoulder at the group.
------Inuyasha's PoV------
A new day had come and we left the palace where Saburo lived. His scent was all over the place. And the princess. she carried a hanyou cub within her. He was being cautious with us keeping his cub and the princess from our reach but I knew they were there all along. Someone who was friend of Sessoumaru could not lead a life like that; protecting and caring for humans.
"What's wrong Inuyasha? You've been quite serious since we left the palace." Kagome gave me a worried look, I wanted to tell her I was thinking about my father but I couldn't. She wouldn't understand it.
"Feh! I'm fine!" I kept thinking those hanyou would end up meeting the same fate all hanyou meet. They would be despised by their own youkai or human. just like me. I turned to look at the castle one more time. The breeze hit my face and then I noticed.
"Naraku!" I headed back into the palace.
------Maeko's PoV------
Something was wrong, I extended my hand towards Saburo and called his name again. He remained in a dark corner glaring back at me with his flaming green eyes. Those warm eyes full of love were now full of hate.
"What is wrong with you?" I gazed at his cheek but he instantly pulled away. "Go as far as you can!" with that he pushed me away and rushed out of the room.
I tried to follow him but he was too fast for me, I fell to my knees exhausted and then he appeared. The hanyou from that morning was not looking down at me. For some reason I felt I could trust him and decided to explain everything to him.
"Please I beg you to help Saburo." He pulled me back to my feet and went after Saburo. It was true that Saburo was a powerful demon and a terrible enemy but he was my husband, I loved him and I would do anything to get him back. Something wrong was happening to him and he needed me. I went after the hanyou.
------Inuyasha's PoV------
I held my arm in pain, that bastard was stronger than what I expected. His powers were different to any I had seen. I knew there was a Shikkon shard controlling him but without Kagome I couldn't locate it. He had knocked her out with ease, just the same as for Miroku and Sango. Shippou was trying to bring them back to their senses but it was going to take a while.
"Stop it you idiot! You're destroying the village!" I tried to bring more sense to him but it was useless. I could see it in his void stare. I was trying to keep this as long as possible so Kagome could wake up. She could take the shard from his body and then he would be saved.
"What's wrong? Don't you want to kill me and save the humans? At this rate I'll end up killing you and your punny little companions, uh hanyou?"
"And then!?! Would you go and kill you own wife and your children after you're done with the villagers?!? Is that what you want?" I tackled him to the ground. He was still fighting to get free from the control of the shard. My shoulder was in pain, he was very strong even to hit. He rolled in the floor holding his head. I went to Kagome and shook her by the collar.
"Owch!! Cut it out!!. Can't you be more gentle?" This was a desperate situation, more humans were approaching and they were armed. Probably getting ready to kill Saburo. "Hurry up will ya!!! Tell me where is the shard."
Kagome carefully looked at him and pointed his chest. "It's near the heart I can see it!!"
------Sesshoumaru's PoV------
The sword called Tenseiga had a peculiar use, it was able to bring the dead back to life. At least it had brought that little girl back to life. It would come handy. Perhaps Saburo knew some other use for the sword. I would pay him a little visit, after all his lands were close and maybe he could find a place for the little girl. Before arriving I sensed my half-brother's pest. He was in the village and so was Naraku.
"What's wrong Sesshoumaru-sama?!"
"Stay here with Rin. Wait until I come back!" I didn't wait for a reply, Saburo's blood was on the air too. He could be in trouble facing both Inuyasha and Naraku at the same time.
------Maeko's PoV------
Saburo was rolling in the floor. I could see his pain. I wanted to warn him that my father was gathering an army to kill him. The hanyou was the only to stop him, otherwise he'd be killed. The men prepared their arrows.
"Saburo!!" I could see him turning to me. His precious green eyes.
"Sangon Tetsusou!!" the hanyou hit his chest, the blood flied in the air and he hit the floor. I rushed to his side, I wanted to help him. The hanyou fell to the ground too. He was exhausted just like Saburo. When he turned to me, his stare got back and I threw myself at his arms. One of the girls went to the hanyou and picked up something, a small shinny piece of a jewel. "This is the responsible for all. Now everything is fine."
"No, Naraku is still here." the hanyou tried to stand but the wounds Saburo inflicted to him didn't allowed him to do so. I turned to my father, expecting that his men would lower their weapons but they didn't. I was horrified when the thick cloud of arrows went our way.
------Inuyasha's PoV------
Those stupid arrows wouldn't hurt me or Saburo but Kagome and the princess. I pulled Kagome away from the reach of the arrows, she yelled back at me after her heavy landing but she would be ok. The princess curled in Saburo's chest. He gave me a strange look and rose from the floor.
"Promise me you will take her out of here!" I nodded with my head, he deserved it.
"What?!" the princess held tightly to his clothing. "You will live Maeko, you and our children." He pushed her away and prepared to receive the arrows.
I grabbed the woman and prepared to jump away, then I noticed why he was so worried. Among the arrows was a tick spear made of flesh. It had Naraku's scent all over, it was trying to kill me. The spear pierced his chest and exploded. The explosion caused me to crash and I released the princess. I could hear her crying.
"SABURO!!!!!" I was sorry. he saved my life. when I was too weak to notice what Naraku had schemed. That spear was prepared for me. Yet he received it and.
"Keiji!!! I must go to him." The princess got off my grasp and went back to the castle. I tried to follow her but I passed out.
------Sessohumaru's PoV------
The place had Naraku's stench all over. My senses guided me to Saburo, he was lying in a pool of his own blood. I went to his side and kneeled to hold him. His wound had Naraku's repulsive signature mixed with some of Inuyasha's. If my half-brother had something to do with this.
"Sesshoumaru-sama. I'm terribly sorry for this failure."
"Was this my half-brother's doing?"
"No, it was some other hanyou. I tried to save Maeko but." It happened again, the feelings of compassion and love for humans had become a deadly weakness. I turned to see more humans preparing to attack, apparently they wanted both of us dead. Their pathetical excuses of weapons were not going to be enough to defeat me.
"Sesshoumaru-sama, will you concede a warrior his last will?"
"What might that be?"
"Keiji." those were his last words. Wasted on a hanyou. But now it was my duty. I would at least make sure the brat was safe for it was Saburo's wish.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A/N: This happens right after the battle between Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru (where he receives Tenseiga) and of course after meeting Totousai ^^
yours:
zeva
*Keiji: Japanese/male/Wise Ruler *Maeko: Japanese/female/Honest Child *Saburo: Japanese/male/Third Born Son *-hime: princess
"It was not my intention to do this in front of you. For that I'm sorry. But you can take my word for it, your mother had it comin'. When you grow up, if you still feel raw about it, I'll be waiting." ------The Bride (Kill Bill Vol1)
Chap 04: the Shikkon shard
------Inuyasha's PoV------
The search for the shard had to wait for a while. Again Sesshoumaru appeared but this time he had been a difficult opponent. He dragged Totousai, the youkai that forged Tessaiga, into our fight. Again I managed to defeat him but this time he was badly wounded. With enough luck he'd be out of the way for a long time.
"How far is it?" Now we were chasing monsters with Shikkon shards attached to their bodies. Kagome sensed something a while a go. I could smell it. a centipede.
"It must be near I can sense it's close." She pointed to a road and the others followed. Now the group was larger; we had a kitsune youkai, a perverted monk and a youkai exterminator with us. It would be very easy to kill that monster and get the shard.
"Oh no! It's heading towards that village" I decided to go ahead of them, it would be better if I showed up before it attacked the people in the village. Sango got on Kirara and followed close behind me.
The villagers barely escaped from the entrance of the centipede. Sango used her large boomerang called Hiraikotsu to distract the monster while I prepared a blow from Tessaiga. But then another youkai appeared. His scent was familiar to me, I had meet with him before but I couldn't remember when or where.
"It's Saburo-sama!" cried one of the villagers; that name! It was the youkai that attacked me after the first fight with Sesshoumaru. What was he doing here?
------Saburo's PoV------
It was that hanyou again, the half-brother of Sesshoumaru-sama. Now he appeared in my lands. and he was trying to defend the village from a centipede. His skills had matured but still he had a long way before reaching his older brother. I grabbed my sword and jumped infront of the centipede. With a single slash his head rolled in the floor.
"Wait!" a human girl cried, I could sense Miko energy from her. She approached me shyly and picked up something from the head of the beast. "It's a shikkon shard."
------Inuyasha's PoV------
He allowed Kagome to approach and she took the shikkon shard from the creature's head. "Please stand back."
A faint purple glow was coming out from his claws. He placed both of his claws infront of the creature and released a large energy beam. The centipede practically disappeared turning in a mountain of dust.
"I could not let that flesh to rot in this village." He turned to Kagome and me. "So what business brings Inuyasha to my lands?"
"We're in the search of the Shikkon shards." Immediately Kagome answered to him. She would always tell her story to anyone who asked. but she wouldn't tell that SHE was the one to brake the Jewel in the first place "Well, you have certainly saved this land in the process of doing so. The least I can do is to offer you a place to stay and some food."
"We won't be taking it" everyone stared at me. I was not going to stay under the same roof as one of my brother's friends. He would probably have a plan against us. This could be a chance for Sesshoumaru to attack. "We have a long journey ahead and we don't need your help."
"I'm not offering you help. For it is a debt I have acquired with you the very same moment you protected this village even if you were not aware that this lands belong to me. It is not charity, it is DUTY."
"I think we should accept his proposal, we really need a rest Kagome-sama." I glared at the monk, he probably was interested in getting a fine place to rest but I was really worried about that youkai.
"Yes and some food will no harm to us, Right Kagome-chan?" I knew I had no chance when Sango agreed to go. Now all I could do was to follow them and expect the worse.
------Saburo's PoV------
Finally after the long arguing we were home, of course the human lord didn't like it when Inuyasha and the kitsune cub walked into his palace but again he's have to bear with it. The group was very impressed with the place. A sweet scent came to me, it was Maeko, I walked ahead of them to receive her.
"Saburo!.I am so relieved that you are unharmed. I was so worried!" before she could continue I held her in my arms kindly, she turned to Inuyasha and the others and smiled at them. "Greetings! I am Maeko princess of this castle and wife of Saburo. Who might you be?"
"He is Inuyasha the youngest son of my deceased Lord Sugimi-sama. It was his group who warned the villagers." Their surprised faces caused Maeko to smile for a second time. "I will make sure the servants get you the best. If you excuse me." she left looking back over her shoulder at the group.
------Inuyasha's PoV------
A new day had come and we left the palace where Saburo lived. His scent was all over the place. And the princess. she carried a hanyou cub within her. He was being cautious with us keeping his cub and the princess from our reach but I knew they were there all along. Someone who was friend of Sessoumaru could not lead a life like that; protecting and caring for humans.
"What's wrong Inuyasha? You've been quite serious since we left the palace." Kagome gave me a worried look, I wanted to tell her I was thinking about my father but I couldn't. She wouldn't understand it.
"Feh! I'm fine!" I kept thinking those hanyou would end up meeting the same fate all hanyou meet. They would be despised by their own youkai or human. just like me. I turned to look at the castle one more time. The breeze hit my face and then I noticed.
"Naraku!" I headed back into the palace.
------Maeko's PoV------
Something was wrong, I extended my hand towards Saburo and called his name again. He remained in a dark corner glaring back at me with his flaming green eyes. Those warm eyes full of love were now full of hate.
"What is wrong with you?" I gazed at his cheek but he instantly pulled away. "Go as far as you can!" with that he pushed me away and rushed out of the room.
I tried to follow him but he was too fast for me, I fell to my knees exhausted and then he appeared. The hanyou from that morning was not looking down at me. For some reason I felt I could trust him and decided to explain everything to him.
"Please I beg you to help Saburo." He pulled me back to my feet and went after Saburo. It was true that Saburo was a powerful demon and a terrible enemy but he was my husband, I loved him and I would do anything to get him back. Something wrong was happening to him and he needed me. I went after the hanyou.
------Inuyasha's PoV------
I held my arm in pain, that bastard was stronger than what I expected. His powers were different to any I had seen. I knew there was a Shikkon shard controlling him but without Kagome I couldn't locate it. He had knocked her out with ease, just the same as for Miroku and Sango. Shippou was trying to bring them back to their senses but it was going to take a while.
"Stop it you idiot! You're destroying the village!" I tried to bring more sense to him but it was useless. I could see it in his void stare. I was trying to keep this as long as possible so Kagome could wake up. She could take the shard from his body and then he would be saved.
"What's wrong? Don't you want to kill me and save the humans? At this rate I'll end up killing you and your punny little companions, uh hanyou?"
"And then!?! Would you go and kill you own wife and your children after you're done with the villagers?!? Is that what you want?" I tackled him to the ground. He was still fighting to get free from the control of the shard. My shoulder was in pain, he was very strong even to hit. He rolled in the floor holding his head. I went to Kagome and shook her by the collar.
"Owch!! Cut it out!!. Can't you be more gentle?" This was a desperate situation, more humans were approaching and they were armed. Probably getting ready to kill Saburo. "Hurry up will ya!!! Tell me where is the shard."
Kagome carefully looked at him and pointed his chest. "It's near the heart I can see it!!"
------Sesshoumaru's PoV------
The sword called Tenseiga had a peculiar use, it was able to bring the dead back to life. At least it had brought that little girl back to life. It would come handy. Perhaps Saburo knew some other use for the sword. I would pay him a little visit, after all his lands were close and maybe he could find a place for the little girl. Before arriving I sensed my half-brother's pest. He was in the village and so was Naraku.
"What's wrong Sesshoumaru-sama?!"
"Stay here with Rin. Wait until I come back!" I didn't wait for a reply, Saburo's blood was on the air too. He could be in trouble facing both Inuyasha and Naraku at the same time.
------Maeko's PoV------
Saburo was rolling in the floor. I could see his pain. I wanted to warn him that my father was gathering an army to kill him. The hanyou was the only to stop him, otherwise he'd be killed. The men prepared their arrows.
"Saburo!!" I could see him turning to me. His precious green eyes.
"Sangon Tetsusou!!" the hanyou hit his chest, the blood flied in the air and he hit the floor. I rushed to his side, I wanted to help him. The hanyou fell to the ground too. He was exhausted just like Saburo. When he turned to me, his stare got back and I threw myself at his arms. One of the girls went to the hanyou and picked up something, a small shinny piece of a jewel. "This is the responsible for all. Now everything is fine."
"No, Naraku is still here." the hanyou tried to stand but the wounds Saburo inflicted to him didn't allowed him to do so. I turned to my father, expecting that his men would lower their weapons but they didn't. I was horrified when the thick cloud of arrows went our way.
------Inuyasha's PoV------
Those stupid arrows wouldn't hurt me or Saburo but Kagome and the princess. I pulled Kagome away from the reach of the arrows, she yelled back at me after her heavy landing but she would be ok. The princess curled in Saburo's chest. He gave me a strange look and rose from the floor.
"Promise me you will take her out of here!" I nodded with my head, he deserved it.
"What?!" the princess held tightly to his clothing. "You will live Maeko, you and our children." He pushed her away and prepared to receive the arrows.
I grabbed the woman and prepared to jump away, then I noticed why he was so worried. Among the arrows was a tick spear made of flesh. It had Naraku's scent all over, it was trying to kill me. The spear pierced his chest and exploded. The explosion caused me to crash and I released the princess. I could hear her crying.
"SABURO!!!!!" I was sorry. he saved my life. when I was too weak to notice what Naraku had schemed. That spear was prepared for me. Yet he received it and.
"Keiji!!! I must go to him." The princess got off my grasp and went back to the castle. I tried to follow her but I passed out.
------Sessohumaru's PoV------
The place had Naraku's stench all over. My senses guided me to Saburo, he was lying in a pool of his own blood. I went to his side and kneeled to hold him. His wound had Naraku's repulsive signature mixed with some of Inuyasha's. If my half-brother had something to do with this.
"Sesshoumaru-sama. I'm terribly sorry for this failure."
"Was this my half-brother's doing?"
"No, it was some other hanyou. I tried to save Maeko but." It happened again, the feelings of compassion and love for humans had become a deadly weakness. I turned to see more humans preparing to attack, apparently they wanted both of us dead. Their pathetical excuses of weapons were not going to be enough to defeat me.
"Sesshoumaru-sama, will you concede a warrior his last will?"
"What might that be?"
"Keiji." those were his last words. Wasted on a hanyou. But now it was my duty. I would at least make sure the brat was safe for it was Saburo's wish.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A/N: This happens right after the battle between Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru (where he receives Tenseiga) and of course after meeting Totousai ^^
yours:
zeva