VIII: Mist over Water

Author: Nefertili

Fandom: Inuyasha

Rating: PG13

Pairing(s): Sesshoumaru/Kikyou

Genre(s): Romance, Angst, AU, Action

Warning(s): More battle scenes, some violence, fluff... What more can I say?

Disclaimer: None of the characters, except perhaps some, are mine. They are owned by Rumiko Takahashi.

Summary: Two years after IMotC, Sess is challenged to surpass an enemy in recovering a mysterious relic left behind by his mother. But can he protect Kikyou, who now carries his child, at the same time?

A/N: Heya! Have nothing really much to say...so, here's the LONG Chapter eight! This is a big flashback chapter on Sesshy's parents. The beginning is set before Sesshoumaru was born, and as you may have figured out, I have to rely much on my imagination. Some rather vague terms in the story are marked with numbers. You can find a corresponding explanation at the end of the chapter. Hope you enjoy!

...o0o...

The cold evening breeze began to blow in its leisurely pace, making the mists shimmer as they floated snakelike over the mysterious land. Wisps of cloud over the ground broke apart and were diminished as an equally mystifying form trod upon the soil. His silvery hair, tied up in a high ponytail, was damp due to the fog. His amber eyes flashed as he looked up abruptly, frowning at the hazy sky.

"Blast this mist for keeping out the stars...how can I find my way back if I haven't even the slightest idea where I am now?"

Letting out a rather irritated snort, the Inu no Taishou continued on walking, even if he had no clear destination in mind. He was tired; he had fought earlier with other youkai in an attempt to further expand his domain, and it seems he had unconsciously strayed into this uncharted region in his lands. He had been walking for hours now, and his already depleted strength would weaken further if he didn't rest soon...

...o0o...

The powerful taiyoukai raised an eyebrow to hear the splash of water beneath his feet. Looking carefully around him, he can see that the mist was beginning to dissipate, granting him a limited view of his surroundings. His breath caught in his throat as he took in the sudden beauty that lay spread before him. He was standing at the rich grassy banks of a large body of water that glowed brighter than the sliver of moon shining through the mist. Spiky rocks, gray and devoid of any moss, jutted out now and then over the glassy expanse of water like fingers reaching for the moon. Beautiful flowers resembling water lilies with their three-cornered leaves floated over the lake, radiating a strange fragrance that eased his troubled spirits.

'Such beauty...and this belongs to me?' was the thought that formed in the Inu no Taishou's mind the moment he set his eyes on the glowing fireflies hovering over the water. He was sure that this region lies in the West, his realm, and thus it was his. His and his alone.

Unconsciously, the Lord of the West knelt on one of his knees to scoop up some of the inviting water in his hand and drank it. To his complete surprise, the clear nectar seemed to fill his body with a new strength with just one sip, and the wounds he had received previously from his battles closed up at once. His golden eyes widened. This mysterious place with its mysterious healing water...he was amazed at not having found this place earlier.

The sudden appearance of a very powerful demon aura shook those thoughts off his mind. Instinctively, the Inu Taiyoukai whipped his clan's sword, the Sou'unga (1), from its sheath and assumed a fighting stand. Known to be the most powerful youkai alive at that time, he hardly believed such demon aura could exist...so powerful that he can tell it can match his own youki...coming from the foggy heart of the lake.

From the center of the lake appeared a blinding white light, causing him to flinch slightly, but he held his ground. Unusual warlike shinidamachuu with purple eyes emerged first out of the bright miasma and regarded him warily, floating like graceful snakes among the fireflies. Gradually, the miasma began to move his way, hardly causing a slightest ripple on the glasslike surface of the water as it advanced towards the inuyoukai.

"What are you?" he demanded, ready to fire a Gokuryuuha at the advancing entity.

"Such pride you have, asking what I am," an unmistakable female voice radiated from the miasma and filled the cold air with its words. "Can't you see that you are the one who trespassed into my place? Who are you?"

The Inu no Taishou lowered his blade slightly, taken aback at the thought that he was facing a female demon, but he almost immediately raised it again when he discerned the challenging edge in her statements.

"Ha, don't you have the slightest idea of who I am?" he sneered. "I am the Lord of the Western Lands, and I take it that you know that your lake lies within my realm, and is under my control. I command that you show yourself."

The demoness in the misty light let out a rather derisive laugh. He narrowed his eyes; clearly, he was unused to being treated as such, especially by a demoness at that. The other she-youkai which had crossed paths with him lay in his beck and call, hardly causing him any trouble or interference at all. Who does this youkai think she is, challenging him?

"It is clear in my knowledge that the Tsukisawa lies in the West," said she. "But that doesn't mean I, the spirit guardian of this region, shall yield to you, Lord of the West." With that, she shed the light and mist which she had cloaked around herself and revealed her true form. So great was the beauty abruptly revealed that the Inu no Taishou's mouth dropped open before he can stop himself.

The demoness was clad in robes of various shades of blue, and from behind dark lashes shone silvery gray, flashing eyes which met him squarely in the face without a trace of fright. A crescent moon and several stripes were the markings she bore on her forehead, and her violet-sheen hair spilled over her back, nearly reaching the hems of her robes. But alas, her face bore not the innocence of a usual lower-class demoness. She gazed at him coldly, and not a trace of a smile was on her lips.

It took several moments for the Inu no Taishou to recover his senses from the spell of the other youkai, but once he did, he found himself returning his sword back to its sheath. The demoness' silver eyes narrowed.

"You are foolish, woman," he said, arrogance clear in every pore. "A demoness such as yourself should know better than to challenge a taiyoukai like me. Sooner or later, you will yield to me, but this place - the Tsukisawa, isn't it? - I shall claim for myself."

Her expression was as cold and neutral as ever; he wondered if he was actually speaking to a living person.

"Go on saying your worthless speeches," she retorted icily. Her shinidamachuu began to surround her closely, their purple eyes looking his way with a cautious look. "Nearly anyone is welcome to the Tsukisawa to be healed in its waters; don't force me to put up a barrier against you."

It was the Inu no Taishou's turn to laugh. By now, all the mist had disappeared, revealing a clear sky with the moon at its last quarter. He noted the positions of several stars which shone in the heavens, so he can return to this place - and the beautiful enchantress who takes abode within - whenever he wished.

The demoness appeared to figure out his intentions. "I won't close the Marsh of the Moon against you, taiyoukai. But I advise you not to come tomorrow until the moon waxes again."

"And why should I not?"

"The Tsukisawa's waters are really a poison, but the waters are sweetened every crescent moon. Unless the moon is a crescent, the waters will kill every living thing aside from me and my shinidamachuu. And, don't step too far in the water either." The taiyoukai, who had stepped into the lake itself as though to come closer to her, shot her an angry look but he heeded her warning and went back on firm ground.

"The ground beneath you will come to an abrupt drop in a few paces," she continued. "The skeletons of many foolish beings continue to float in the bottomless waters, and I guess you wouldn't want to be part of them." He knew that her words carried a nugget of truth in them, for at some point, the water had indeed gone so deep that even the clear water was lost in the dark blue.

After a moment of silence, her silver eyes flashed with clear annoyance. "I suggest that you leave, Lord of the West."

"I won't leave without you telling me your name," the Inu no Taishou said obstinately, a slight smirk forming on his lips.

"I don't deem you worthy of such knowledge," she replied at once. "Go. Your presence disturbs my soul-catchers and the hanazuki."

He tilted his head slightly in wonder. What an adamant woman! "My presence disturbs your shinidamachuu and the what?"

"The hanazuki...the name of the flowers on water," the demoness said, and by the tone of her voice he can guess that she was becoming bored and irritated.

"Well, as I said, I won't be leaving you or your hanazuki unless I can finally call you by a proper name!"

The beautiful dark-haired demoness' hand shot out suddenly from the depths of her robes. He can now see magenta stripes, identical to those on her forehead, snaking on her wrist. Though her face remained expressionless, the fire on her gray eyes could have set ablaze the grass blades around him with one mere glance.

"I will not have myself called by my true name by such an arrogant creature as you," said she, and with her words, blue light shot out of her hand and engulfed him. "Souryuuha!" (2)

Caught unaware, he simply allowed himself to be carried out of the moonlit place by the wave of pure energy which she had summoned out of herself. Now left alone in her quiet Moon Marsh, the demoness turned and disappeared within the bottomless waters, determined to forget what had just happened that night.

...o0o...

His amber eyes blinked several times before becoming fully open. He raised an eyebrow slightly to find himself in familiar surroundings. The Lord of the West stood up gracefully and shook the dust away from his armor. As he made his way back to his fortress, a tiny flea demon darted out of several bushes, anticipating his arrival.

"Where have you gone, milord?" Myouga queried of his master whilst clinging on to the thick pelt-like fur which fell down the taiyoukai's back.

"To a paradise, Myouga," the Inu no Taishou said quietly with a mysterious grin on his face. The old-looking flea demon didn't understand, but he did not question his powerful master and instead asked him about his previous conquests.

Inu no Taishou answered his little companion patiently, but his mind was somewhere else. His grin widened. He may not be able to visit the Tsukisawa today, because it was a new moon, but he surely looked forward to seeing the moonlit lake once again, and the even more captivating lady who guarded its deep waters.

Yes, he had been ensnared by the charms of Hanazuki, for that was the name he gave her in his heart, after the blossoms of her realm. If she wouldn't reveal to him her true name, he can find no better name to call her.

...o0o...

Never had a day seemed so long for the Inu no Taishou. He waited impatiently for the day of the new moon to be over, knowing that the next day, the moon would be in its first quarter. And with it, he can visit Hanazuki again.

Dawn was only breaking the next day when he left his fortress without giving his vassals a word about his purposes or his destination. But soon, he found out that he could not reach the Tsukisawa without the aid of the guiding stars which he had observed the night he first went there, and he spent the whole day waiting for dusk to fall.

Such was his passion for Hanazuki. Never had any female triggered such feelings from him as she. Before, he only believed in power and conquest. The few remaining members of the Dog Clan had fought among themselves for the Sou'unga, and he was the victorious one. After killing his rivals within his own family, the Inu no Taishou had emerged as the only living member of the Dog Clan. He used the power of the Hell's Sword to secure for himself the Western Lands, and he was bent on further expanding his territory...that is, until he stumbled upon the Tsukisawa and met her.

Hanazuki. Such a beauty, she was! And undoubtedly brainy and powerful, too. Her witty replies and the energy blast which she used to drive him out of the Tsukisawa assured him that. What more could one want from a potential mate? But she was a stubborn, headstrong creature who wasn't like the other she-youkai which he had associated himself with, and for some reason, that attracted him even more. Unlike those unassuming, modest demonesses which for him were just a source for pleasure, she would be a challenge for him, the all-powerful Lord of the West.

To tame such a beauty who could probably equal him in power, to claim her as his own...it would be a perfect challenge, indeed.

...o0o...

She was clearly surprised to see him so soon. She had not expected him to come back in a few weeks or so, considering with his obsession in extending his domain, but seeing him on the shores of the waters, she knew that she was wrong.

"Hanazuki!" She heard him call the name of her flowers from her abode beneath the clear water, and she rose to meet him, more out of curiosity than willingness.

"What did you just say?" she asked of him, appearing from the deeps like a ghost. She appeared closer to the shore than he had ever seen her before, standing among the budding blossoms which littered about her feet like stars of the water. But nonetheless, she still refused to stand on the grassy banks as he.

The Inu no Taishou smiled slightly to see that she had responded to his call. "You may not want to be called Nameless when you refused to tell me your name," said he. "Therefore, I gave you a name. Hanazuki, I presume you were not expecting me?"

The Lady of the Tsukisawa tilted her head slightly and a rather amused expression flashed over her eyes for a briefest moment, but otherwise she made no objection at being called as such; neither did she shed her cold exterior.

"Hai, I didn't know that you would be back so soon," she replied. "Not that I want to see you again, that is," she added.

The silver-haired taiyoukai chuckled slightly, but he sat himself among the grasses, which were just beginning to grow after the poisonous spell of the Tsukisawa. If Suien thought it extremely bold of him, she said nothing. She observed his features...the amber eyes, the jagged blue markings on his cheeks...even she had to admit he was quite handsome, but she never intended to tell him that. It might further swell his already bloated ego.

"Well, you'd better get used to my presence now," he said craftily, smirking rather smugly. "I am the Lord of these Lands, and I am surely not letting you away from my sight knowing your power and your obstinacy."

Suien can see that there was a far greater reason for the Inu no Taishou to pay this certain visit to her. If he really wants to claim the Tsukisawa as he had said during their first meeting, or if it was to make sure that she won't present a threat to him as he had previously stated, they should have engaged in a certain clash of powers by now.

"What do you want?" she asked quietly. Solitary person that she was, Suien was content to have her shinidamachuu as her companions, aside from visits from her precious few close friends among youkai, the bird demon Mizutori and a young demoness from the Deer Clan by the name of Azami. The presence of this foreign demon, and the Lord of the West at that, was some kind of attention she wasn't used to, nor something she really appreciated.

"Tell me about yourself," he answered, looking at her intently with his amber eyes. "Is that a big favor to ask?"

"Do I interest you that much?" she retorted, walking a few steps backward on the water.

"You are beautiful; it's impossible that you're not aware of that," he replied. "It's impossible not to be lost just by looking at you."

Suien was slightly taken aback by this bold declaration. To hear this man telling her that she was beautiful... But unlike ordinary maidens, she wasn't very much impressed by this. Her beauty had been something of a curse as well as a gift. With it, she had earned the desire of a certain person who was never meant to have it, whom she detested even more than she did this inuyoukai before her...

"Well, are you going to tell me or not?" the Inu no Taishou asked, puzzled at her silence and the sudden thoughtful look in her grey orbs.

She snapped out of her stupor and glared at him.

"I am sorry to disappoint you, Lord of the Western Lands, but I feel that it's too early for such things. We are not even acquaintances, and you are already expecting me to divulge my whole soul to you? No; such things will have to wait."

The amber-eyed demon let out a laugh. "Not the right time, eh?" he replied. "Very well; I'll be patient, my dear Hanazuki. There's time; all the time in the world."

"Then why are you still here?"

The Inu no Taishou smirked mischievously. "Why else? I will wait; wait until I get what I want."

Suien knew that her patience was wearing thin. What a thick-skinned brat this man is!

"If you think that I am like your many concubines whom you can diddle with your fingers, you are greatly mistaken," Suien replied softly. "If I say that I will never give you the information you wanted, what will you do?"

"Ha, my dear, you are quite mistaken yourself. Although I certainly make off with some she-youkai, none of them had ever passed my standards for a concubine, let alone a mate. Woman, it's a question as to whether who will give in first among the two of us. I doubt if you can last that long keeping your little secrets to yourself."

His words added fuel to her anger, which by then was beginning to simmer and then boil; so, he's looking upon her as a potential partner? Her? The mate of this bastard? This jerk of a taiyoukai? No way in hell...

"Then go and wait forever, lord," she snapped back. "I don't care." With that, she turned sharply on her heels and dove back into the heart of the Tsukisawa, sending a fine spray of silvery water and hanazuki flowers upon the smirking Demon Lord who sat upon its banks.

'You shall be mine, Hanazuki...'

...o0o...

"Milady, do we have a visitor?" Mizutori queried of her mistress. She had chosen this time to pay a visit to the Lady of the Tsukisawa to check on her, as well as inform her about the happenings in the outside world. The bird demon caught sight of a shadowy figure on the banks of the lake as she flew in, and she was totally surprised and amused to recognize the aura and form of the Lord of the West.

Suien merely grunted. She knelt among the flowers of the lake while Mizutori floated on the water before her. They were wrapped in a mist, and they were hardly visible in the hazy backdrop. By the mere reaction of her Lady, Mizutori can see that the Inu no Taishou clearly has some...interest in the beautiful Moon Elemental.

"Oh, come on, m' lady," Mizutori said enthusiastically. "This is a great opportunity for you! He's powerful, he's good-looking...the other she-youkai in the West are now dying to be in your place, Lady Suien! Think of all the..."

"I am sorry to cut your pleasantries short, but why exactly are you visiting me?" Suien replied coldly. Mizutori can see that she was becoming annoyed, and the heron youkai bowed her golden head in apology.

"Forgive me, milady," Mizutori answered in a softer, more docile tone. Her expression also became serious. "My companions among the birds have gathered some information about your brother to the Moon and his whereabouts. He seems to be on the move to destroy you, for some reasons I don't know..."

"You do not have to know those reasons," Suien said, her eyes becoming darker. "They are better left the way they are."

"But why, Lady Suien..."

"No, Mizutori. Please, I need some time alone. This news had grieved me, and that annoying taiyoukai on the banks of my territory has sure sapped me of my usual strength in the few days he's been here..."

...o0o...

The Inu no Taishou had observed the large bird as it flew into the Moon Marsh and spent a few minutes in its misty heart. He was positively sure that Hanazuki was there, hidden in the fog. True enough, after the bird emerged out of the grayness in flight, the haze broke, revealing the figure of his most desired one kneeling among the flowers of her namesake. However, his delight turned into perplexity and concern to see her face buried in her hands, as though crying.

He called out to her, but she pretended not to hear him. He called her name once again, but she refused to acknowledge him. Finally, he decided to go out to her himself, amidst her warnings about the Tsukisawa's bottomless waters. He stepped into the water and was about to go deeper when Hanazuki finally took notice of what he was doing.

In a flash, she was on her feet and in the blink of an eye, she restrained him and led him back to the shore whilst remaining on the water herself.

"You are as foolish as you are hard-headed, Inu Taiyoukai!" Hanazuki berated him once he was back on firm ground. As she tried to go back into the deeper regions, he grabbed hold of her wrist, preventing her from moving away. Her surprised silver eyes met with his determined golden oculars for a moment before she began to struggle in his grasp. "Let me go, you bastard!"

"You were crying back there," Inu no Taishou said calmly, not even loosening his grip on her.

"Your eyes were mistaken," Hanazuki retorted angrily while trying to pull herself away from the other demon. "And even if I was, you have no right to wander into my own business."

"Pardon me, but my eyes have never failed me before," he answered. "Why don't you allow me to help you, Hanazuki?"

"I don't need your help!" she nearly shouted, her voice a few octaves higher than her usual wont. With that, she touched his arm with her free hand, and he felt as though a white-hot iron suddenly made contact with his skin. Instinctively, he let her go and he clawed at his skin. The poison from her fingers had burned its way through his armor and had marked a painful sore on his arm.

Hanazuki, meanwhile, had gone a safe distance back into the deeper water but she did not disappear. She stopped in her tracks as though pondering on her previous actions. She looked over her shoulder, and apparently changing her mind, she went back to him. Without a word, she dipped a hand in the pristine waters of the lake and gently let the clear liquid flow into the wound she inflicted upon him with her Dokkasou. In just a few moments, the bleeding stopped and the wound closed up.

They were both silent for some time. They weren't able to look at each other straight in the eye and simply kept their heads bowed for a few moments. But the Inu no Taishou chose to shed his paralysis first. He tenderly placed a finger under her chin and raised her head. But Hanazuki's eyes remained downcast, and she refused to meet him in his amber eyes.

"I am sorry-"

"Forgive me for being such an awful-"

They looked at each other in surprise. They had decided to speak at the same time, and both had wanted to say an apology to the other. They unconsciously smiled, even the normally cold Hanazuki who was previously expressionless and unfeeling.

"That's better, isn't it?" Inu no Taishou whispered in a quiet tone that was rather rare for him. "See, you should smile more. That gloomy look does not become you."

But at that moment, Hanazuki had stepped away from him, her features hidden in the shadows of her hair. She had lost her smile, and she raised her hand in warning when he tried to reach for her. She turned her back on him, but she did not walk away.

"Please, let me be alone for now," she said in a rather pleading tone that the taiyoukai knew that something was clearly bothering her.

"Do you have to be so cold, Hanazuki?" he asked her.

At this, she was silent. She was unsure if she knew the answer herself. "This is just my way," she replied quietly. "I have been like this for as long as I can remember."

"But why?"

Hanazuki bit her lip. Should she tell him?

Inu no Taishou can tell that his previous question rather upset her because she had become so quiet, but just when he was about to take it back, she spoke.

"I was born here, in the Tsukisawa," Hanazuki began. "I was conceived when the final lightning from a clearing thunderstorm struck the heart of the Waters during a lunar eclipse. I am considered brethren to another Elemental of the Moon by the name of Karatake, but he was not born here. He came to being out of the souls of men who were slaughtered by demons in a bamboo grove, when day turned to night, when the moon came forth and shut out the rays of the sun.

But there has been a long history of misunderstanding and hatred between us, and that had hardened me. Don't ask me why, for it pains me to even think of the roots of those ill-feelings. But if you must know, I must have withdrawn within myself because of my younger brother, for only in keeping my purposes hidden from him shall I be sure to retain our uneasy peace. I know he will seek to destroy me if he can."

"I won't let this Karatake come by you in any way," Inu no Taishou said defiantly.

"What makes you so sure? You do not know him; things are better left as they are. I do not even know why I am telling you these things..." She paused and looked back at him thoughtfully. "You would have to leave by tomorrow. By then the moon is halfway before it becomes full. You can come back when the moon is a crescent again."

A flicker of disappointment passed over his amber eyes. It seemed so long! "But Hanazuki, will you allow me to come back this time? Shall I have your permission to visit you?"

"You are welcome to the Tsukisawa whenever you can visit me. But please, let me go for now. I have some things to think about..."

...o0o...

Days passed. The Lord of the West lands can hardly wait for the moon to assume its crescent form again, and once it did, he wasted no time in returning to the place of the Tsukisawa. But he would soon discover that something was amiss. Corpses of various youkai littered the landscape surrounding the Moon Marsh, and his eyes narrowed to recognize a few of them as dragons.

'What is this? The kin of my rival, Ryuukossei, were here?' His amber oculars widened. 'Hanazuki!'

He broke off into a run, his hand readily clutching his sword. Just they dare hurt Hanazuki... The mists parted, and he finally caught sight of the Moon Marsh. To his relief, the beautiful blue of the water was unchanged and undefiled, but there were two forms suspended a good many feet over the lake. They were far apart, and there was no mistake about the hatred in their eyes.

"Hanazuki!" Inu no Taishou called her name, and her grey oculars flashed in his direction from her place over the Tsukisawa. The inuyoukai stole a glance at the other demon across her, and he beheld the willowy human form of a youkai with greenish-blond hair and icy blue oculars. He looked at the silver-haired taiyoukai coldly, but did not appear to be interested.

"So, Hanazuki is how you are known to the outside world nowadays, huh?" the demon clad in greens said to her. "Sister, you are a fool. Had you submitted to me years ago, this wouldn't have happened..."

"You are a coward, Karatake," Hanazuki replied in a dangerous tone. "You send forth your minions instead of facing your adversary on your own."

Karatake, as Inu no Taishou clearly understood now, was Hanazuki's younger brother.

"Let's not waste our time in useless words," Karatake hissed, his grip tightening around the bamboo spear he held. "I have desired to kill you ever since you rejected me..." Great waves began to rock the surface of the Tsukisawa as Karatake charged at Hanazuki, who fought back. Whips of poison shot out of her hands and prevented him from coming close. The energies that emanated from them were so great that great winds began to rip the landscape, driving the mist away.

At this, Inu no Taishou drew the Sou'unga and leaped up the air in flight. He took Hanazuki's side and was about to cleave through her enemy's back when Karatake blocked the attack with his spear. Karatake's icy orbs widened at his new adversary. He clearly knew who this other person was. Karatake never expected his solitary sister to gather the support of such a powerful youkai.

"Leave her alone," Inu no Taishou said as the blade of Sou'unga came to contact with Karatake's iron-strong bamboo.

"What do you know about business here?" Karatake answered back. "I never knew the Lord of the West could actually pry into the affairs of the Elementals of the Moon."

"You shouldn't even be here," Hanazuki berated Inu no Taishou as she shot out one of her whips at Karatake, who narrowly dodged the fling. "This does not concern you."

"Anyone who dares to harm you shall answer to me," Inu no Taishou replied stubbornly. Hanazuki flinched slightly, but said nothing.

And so they fought, Karatake against the combined forces of the Inu Taiyoukai and his older sister. Karatake had ordered his minions to invade the Tsukisawa earlier in an attempt to weaken his sister, but she had effortlessly repelled them all back. Now he faced her himself, and he was exceedingly irritated that he had an extra enemy to watch out for.

After a few more clashes over the Tsukisawa, the three had moved clear out of the Moon Marsh and out to the landscape beyond. Hanazuki shot out a Souryuuha at her brother, and the blue energy caused him great damage as he was distracted by Inu no Taishou, who had engaged on a close-level sword fight with him. Flinching at the pain, Karatake knew that he was defeated for the time being. He knew that he would stand no chance against this two...and Hanazuki hadn't even released her most powerful weapon yet, that which he most feared.

With a final cry of defiance, Karatake blew a huge column of flame on the grasses below them, causing a thick dark smoke to rise to the sky. Hanazuki and Inu no Taishou drew back as he began to withdraw into the smoke. The air began to smell of poison; Karatake had used his shouki to poison the miasma so they couldn't come near.

"Don't think you can escape from me!" Hanazuki shouted, her features knotted in fury and her grey eyes beginning to assume the shade of blood red. She was immune to any poison, a gift she had inherited from the Tsukisawa. Her little brother's tactic won't stop her; without further hesitation, she shot into the miasma to go after him. But Karatake had escaped.

But Inu no Taishou was not as lucky. His senses began to dull due to the effects of the poisonous smoke, and he felt as though he would pass out. But not without killing that Karatake.

Raising his sword into the air, he summoned up the powers of the Sou'unga.

"Gokuryuuha!"

At once, a great vortex of hurricane winds was formed, and it was partly out of pure luck that he managed to aim it at the right way: into the tall column of smoke that served as Karatake's escape. The wind screamed; the ground groaned. Grass and rocks flew high into the air as the blast swept through the landscape. Inu no Taishou let his sword arm fall to his side and Sou'unga fell to the ground with a clang. He fell to his knees. He felt as though he barely had any energy left to keep from falling into unconsciousness.

Out of a sudden, a scream shook his senses. He looked up and saw fingers of blue lightning shoot out of the twisting current he had created. A dreadful truth sank into him. He had hit the miasma with the Gokuryuuha, but Hanazuki had gone in it after Karatake. He had hit her.

"NO!" Without thinking, he stood up and ran towards the vortex, hardly caring if he would get ripped apart by his own power. His will seemed to give him all the strength he needed. "What have I done?"

The hurricane winds died down, but the dust remained suspended in the air. The Inu no Taishou can barely see the ground in front of him, but he can smell her fragrance, he can feel her weakened aura. Before he knew it, he had come across her, lying limply on the ground with her long violet-black hair strewn about her. Her beautiful eyes were closed, and her fair skin was marred here and there by numerous bruises. His breath caught in his throat. "Hanazuki...you can't die...I will never forgive myself if you died because of me..."

He took her into his arms and he buried his face within the soft strands of her hair. Before he could help it, a tear made its way down his cheek and fell on her face. Hanazuki stirred and weakly opened her silver oculars. Her utter weakness prevented her from expressing her surprise that she was in his arms.

"You live!" Inu no Taishou whispered. What a miracle! She must have exerted all her powers to counter the Hell's Current which he had unknowingly unleashed upon her, and she was alive! But only just. She breathed shallowly, and her eyes were cloudy. She had barely made it...

"You..." she said, the single world barely even a whisper.

"Don't give up, Hanazuki!" he cried desperately. He hugged her closer to him; she felt the quick beating of his heart. "I will never set foot into the Tsukisawa again if it means that you will live... That is what you really wanted, right? To get rid of me forever. I will never bother you again... just live, my beloved!" He broke off as a new wave of tears trailed down his face and fell on her wounded cheeks. He didn't even notice that her eyes were turning misty, and that tears had begun to flow from her silvery oculars as she listened to him.

With the weak strength that she had, she shakily raised her hand and tenderly grazed his wet cheeks with her fingertips. She smiled. By now, she understood. He loved her; he truly loved her. And will she still deny her own feelings for him? How she loved him too...

"To the Tsukisawa," she muttered, making a great effort to form the words on her lips. "There, I can be healed..."

...o0o...

He obligingly let her go, and the Lord of the West watched her patiently as she weakly yet gracefully knelt by the water's side and scooped up some of the crystal-clear liquid in her hands and drank. Once again, he marveled at the wonderful abilities that the colorless nectar possessed. In an instant, her wounds closed up and her skin was restored to its previous milky luster, as though it never felt the touch of a blade. Likewise, he drank only a smallest sip and his strength returned in seconds.

After this was done, he sat beside her by the marsh water's edge. Their eyes gazed up at the sickle moon, already in its first day after the waning half-moon, its image perfectly reflected off the water below. A delicate fragrance filled the air as the hanazuki, the flowers of the Tsukisawa, bloomed in their peak.

The Inu no Taishou sat without moving for a few more moments, but he soon turned his head to look at the beautiful lady beside him, unable to contain his feelings for her.

"Hanazuki..." his voice reached her ears, and her gray eyes turned to meet his.

"My Lord..." she whispered, and she bowed her head slightly in a sign of respect. He was rather surprised; the normally aloof Lady Hanazuki, whom he had known to recognize no one of higher rank, now addressed him out of pure respect. He placed a finger under her chin and raised her head to meet his. The fire of her eyes was still alight, but they now spoke of love, and not of the fearsome ferocity which she had displayed earlier. That meant much more to him than her addressing him by a title.

He was about to kiss her when she placed a finger over his lips. He looked inquiringly at her face. She had on a mischievous smirk that was so rare on her.

"Only if you can catch me," she said teasingly. With that, she leaped high into the air and shed her human form. In the twinkling of an eye, she had transformed into a body resembling fragile glass around which freely flowed wisps of bluish mist. Her violet hair streamed out from her face as she flew high into the sky, leaving behind rapidly vanishing trails of ghostlike fog in her wake.

The Inu no Taishou smiled. So, she was testing him, huh? He stood up and darted after her. Where his human form once was, there now flew a great canine demon with fur that glowed in the light of the waning moon.

Never had they flown so high. The high breezes swept past them as he chased after her glimmering form among the clouds. Her laughter echoed among the winds as she cut across his path like a bolt of lightning. She twirled. He veered. She glided. He soared.

A growl escaped his throat, making the clouds shiver with his passing. Her flaming eyes looked in his direction. His passion fueled his determination. She grinned. How far can that determination take him, she will now see. Putting forth her speed, she flew like a shooting star, her form blurring as she passed beneath the moon. The Inu no Taishou, far from giving up, dove after her. She will be his.

In a few seconds, he had caught up with her. Her eyes widened. She hadn't expected him to reach her that quickly...but then, she had never expected him to come into her life as well. In the blink of an eye, he transformed back into his human form and hooked his strong arms around her delicate body, their lips locking into a violent frenzy of a kiss. Hanazuki had also resumed her human form, and with the rhythm of their flight broken, they fell down into the sapphire body of water spread down below.

The waters of the Moon Marsh shifted, and like a gentle mother, it bore them up from the depths and carried them to the shore in the arms of waves. There, they lay intertwined, her long hair spread in a beautiful disarray as she lay under his well-built body.

They broke their passionate lip-lock, gazing deeply into each other's eyes whilst breathing deeply. Hanazuki reached out with her fingers and traced the blue marking on his cheek, a tender smile playing on her face. His grin widened, and gently, if not tremblingly, brushed her lips with his, fearful of what her reaction might be. But she gave in and returned the kiss, which soon evolved into a violent show of passion. She felt his warm hands burning her in places she would have otherwise not allowed any man to touch, but instead of pushing him away, she flung her arms around him and pulled him closer.

"I love you and yet I do not even know your true name..." he whispered, his heated breath teasing her pointed ear.

"Suien...my name is Suien," breathed she, her gray eyes glistening. She moaned quietly to herself to feel him lay his head between her breasts. "But it doesn't matter to me if you still call me Hanazuki..."

"Suien..." he said under his breath as his hands reached within the folds of her silken robes and made contact with her warm skin, "beloved Hanazuki..."

Only the stars and the crescent sliver of moon in the sky held witness to the love they finally sealed beneath the shades of that perfect, lovely night.

...o0o...

Additional story notes:

(1) Sou'unga (Fang of the Gathered Clouds?) – mentioned only in the 3rd Inuyasha Movie, Tenka Hadou no Ken (Sword of World Conquest), it's a third sword owned by Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru's father which could be defeated with the combined powers of Tessaiga and Tenseiga; its ultimate attack is Gokuryuuha (Hell's Current?).

(2) Souryuuha (Azure Dragon Blast, or Dragon Destruction in some translations) - also mentioned only in the movies, it's an attack which Sesshoumaru can summon out of any of his swords, thus I presume he could summon it out of himself. I made it an ability he inherited from his mother.


Weeh... O.O Now you know how Sessheh came to be. . Originally, I intended this chapter to be longer, but my hands were already screaming, "Heck, you evil one! You're killing us!" -.- Whadya think is the reason why Hanazuki and Karatake fought? See you around in Chapter Nine! ;P

Lady Fabmel: Oh gosh, thank you! (Tears up) My poor muse was practically dying in the last chapter, and your review sorta revived poor musie. ;P I failed one of my subjects in the card, and that really busted my morale for a while... T.T

xxxLOVEtheSINNER: Aaawh, I am always very happy to know you like my story. Honestly, I didn't know how I was going to write the last chapter. At least Mizutori didn't turn out to be a bum. -.-My drawing of her is linked in my profile.

Cold Kikyo: Thanks! Just gotta admire Kiky's fortitude, ne?

Sweet Ruby Moon: OMG, YOU REVIEWED! XD I missed ya, Rubeh! Really, please, please update your website soon! Sesshy and Kiky are waiting...

Azn kawaii kikyo the devil: Yay, thank you for reviewing! Yep, it would really do you some good if you reread In Memory of the Chrysanthemum asthis story will sorta look back at Kikumo a great deal. ;P

ninalee-chan: Whoo, mood-swinging Kiky can indeed be worse than a youkai, ne? lol I had to interview my mother on how she fared during her pregnancies to sorta get the 'feel' of the thing... Yeah, Sesshy had to be patient or else Kiky may miscarry. O.o

-Element-Angel-Forever-: You mean Kiky and Sesshy's baby? Don't worry, the little one will live... ;P

The East Wind Melts the Ice: Kiky is so loving, right? ;P No wonder Sesshy thought the world of her!

Gossamer Wind: I was a great HP fan, too, but since Sirius died, my enthusiasm had waned. -.-

xXx: Actually, I have long considered changing my pen name into Antarel, as I like it more than Nefertili. But I am already known by the latter here, so it's too late to change things. :)