Freedom

Chapter15: This Is Not Mine

"The people have a right supreme
To make their kings, for Kings are made for them.
All Empire is no more than Power in Trust,
Which when resumed, can be no longer just.
Succession for the general good designed,
In its own wrong a Nation cannot bind."

-John Dryden, Absalom and Achitophel

He had disappeared.

The morning after Touran had spilt everything, her guilt for his father's death, her guilt for having to tell him what was expected of him. She'd never said the words but she knew Inuyasha had understood. He was his father's son and so he was obligated to avenge his father's death by retaking the throne of Nanashi.

Of course he had disappeared.

Touran sat in her study and stared out the window at Karan training the Shihitou. Their army. She supposed that they would have to be told eventually as well. They knew that the hyou clan didn't train Shihitou for their health but they didn't know why. Touran sighed and looked away from the window to look down at her desk again. Another tournament was coming up in Tsuyoi and she was supposed to be doing the paperwork on it but she couldn't bring herself to begin filling them out. The knock on her door was a welcome distraction.

"Yeah," she grunted without looking up.

She heard the door open and looked up in surprise at Kagome's worried face.

"Sorry if I'm interrupting anything but…Inuyasha wasn't at breakfast this morning and I haven't seen him at all, all day. I asked Miroku if he'd seen him but he hasn't. He's not in his room or anything."

Touran sighed and stared at Kagome for a long moment before motioning for her to sit in the chair across from her. The young woman sat down and waited with barely contained impatience as Touran continued to stare at her.

"So where is he?"

"I don't know," Touran answered bluntly.

Kagome's expression soured and she got up to leave the room. "I didn't know we could just disappear like this without anyone knowing. Does this mean I can go home?"

Touran frowned at Kagome's back. "I'd like you to stay with him Kagome."

Kagome turned and stared at Touran in shock. A number of emotions played over her face and she moved to sit back down across from Touran. After a moment she opened her mouth and spoke.

"I don't think I could leave him if I wanted to."

Touran beamed at her but it seemed bland somehow. The youkai seemed so sad and guilty. Kagome took a guess.

"He's run away hasn't he?" she asked softly.

Touran's smile became cold and her eyes narrowed. "Karan was right. You're too smart. It's annoying."

The young woman sitting across from her frowned and matched Touran's cold look with a stubborn one of her own. For a long time the two of them sat there, near glaring at each other. But the silence was broken when Karan burst into the room, angry.

"What the fuck did you do to him?" she hissed.

Touran's eyes became ice and she rose out of her seat. Kagome, looking between both female youkai nervously, got to her feet and moved to the side of the room, well out of the way.

"I've done what you've been telling me to do," Touran answered coolly.

Karan's crimson eyes seemed to grow hotter but her face quickly became expressionless. Kagome gazed at the two siblings curiously but remained silent. She didn't like being in the dark and even if it didn't involve her, it involved her partner. Her job was her partner, or was that simply her excuse to be nosey?

Karan stared silently at Touran for a long time before she sighed and shrugged her shoulders. "Well I suppose that he was going to be angry no matter what we did. But I wish you had told me. A sentry just found a whole glen of trees mutilated. I put two and two together…" Karan's voice trailed off and she sighed.

Touran said nothing and continued to stare at her younger sister coldly as Karan rambled. The younger hyou youkai sighed again and gave Kagome a beseeching look.

"I'm sorry Kagome but could you leave us alone for a while?" she asked politely.

The young woman frowned and crossed her arms. "Do you know what's happened to Inuyasha?"

"He's safe, that's all you need to know."

Kagome sighed and moved to leave the room. She hesitantly closed the door behind her with a soft thud and made her way down to the kitchens.

When Kagome had come to him that morning to tell him that Inuyasha had run off, Miroku had not been surprised. Inuyasha was truly an anti-social person. Company was something that the exclusive hanyou could do without. Why he was like that, Miroku didn't know. But he respected it and being a man of solitude himself he understood the need one sometimes felt to be alone. He'd known Inuyasha for many years and Miroku would like to think that he had learned some of Inuyasha's mannerisms in that time. If the hanyou wanted to be alone, he would not go far. He would find water. So Miroku looked for water. In the time he had been at the Shihitou camp Miroku hadn't had much time to explore the forest surrounding the compound. He had been too busy taking advantage of the large library found in one of the main buildings and watching the serving girls as they walked down the halls in front of him. But he knew Inuyasha had. Miroku had known the first time they had stepped off of the carriage and Inuyasha had gazed at the surrounding forest with a thoughtful look on his face. He had known that Inuyasha had finally been happy, or at least content with his surroundings. Then, in the midst of the flurry of activity that had descended upon them, Miroku hadn't had much time to spend with Inuyasha alone. Their reading lessons had ceased when Inuyasha had been away at tournament, and since he had just gotten back they hadn't started again.

Miroku would be being melodramatic if he'd said that he missed Inuyasha. Just as Inuyasha would be lying or concussed if he admitted to missing Miroku. It was an odd relationship. Not exactly friendship, it was a sort of companionship made of necessity instead.

The young man sighed as he stepped over a tree root and deeper into the forest. Yes, he was following Inuyasha.

Of course he respected the hanyou's privacy, but that didn't stop him from being nosy. He was curious as to what would make Inuyasha suddenly feel like he needed time alone.

The young man heard the sounds of running water to his left and he turned that way and stared into the trees for a bit. Then he began to walk that way. A few minutes later the trees parted and Miroku was faced with a widened out part of the stream that ran through the forest.

The noon-day sun shone through the trees and reflected back in the sparkling water. The breeze that blew in over the river cooled the entire clearing. Overall it was a pleasant little place, hidden deep in the forest where one could sit and day-dream for hours.

Miroku wasn't surprised to find Inuyasha sprawled out, face down in the grass next to the stream. But he was surprised to see the hanyou's chest heaving as he were catching his breath and he was definitely worried when he realized that the hanyou's clothes were ripped in many places and that he had bleeding profusely from a number of scratches and cuts on his hands up to his elbows. Miroku raised an eyebrow in confusion as he walked up to the hanyou and settled down next to him. Inuyasha blinked when Miroku sat down next to him, but otherwise he didn't move. His breathing was still a bit labored and upon closer examination Miroku saw that the cuts on the hanyou's fists had bits of wood in them.

The young man looked away from the hanyou and over the stream in silence. He knew that Inuyasha wouldn't talk to him until he wanted to but he was content to wait. After a few long minutes of quite Inuyasha heaved a sigh and pushed himself upright with his elbows. Miroku noticed the way he held his hands close to himself and winced when he moved them accidentally as he crossed his legs.

"So, what have you managed to do to yourself now?" the human asked as he carefully pulled one of Inuyasha's hands toward him and held the appendage up so he could inspect it.

Inuyasha scowled but allowed the man to do this. Miroku's brow furrowed and he narrowed his eyes as he noted the damage. "You managed to break almost all of your knuckles. It's going to be a while before this heals."

The hanyou huffed and pulled his hand back into his lap. "I'll survive. Doesn't even hurt that much," he mumbled softly, turning away.

Miroku gave a little smile as he shook his head. He placed a hand on Inuyasha's shoulder and gave it a little squeeze.

"So what has upset you enough to cause you to hurt yourself?"

The hanyou's eyes narrowed and he turned to Miroku with bared fangs. "What the fuck do you know? What I do is my own business. Go…go fuck off!" The hanyou shouted in his face and shrugged his hand off of his shoulder.

He got to his feet and would have stomped away if Miroku hadn't grabbed the loose end of Inuyasha's pant leg and tugged. Any other time this would not have affected Inuyasha that much but Miroku could tell that he was upset and being careless. The hanyou tripped and hit the ground with a thud and a wince as he landed on his arms.

"You will stay here, be a man and tell me what's wrong," Miroku commanded lightly. He moved to sit next to Inuyasha's head and settled himself down to wait.

"Why the hell do you care?" Inuyasha hissed softly.

Miroku tipped his head back and peered at the sky as he thought quickly. "I suppose it is because we made the decision to stay here together. We have suffered countless times together for things that we can not control. It might be because I sympathize you situation, or it might be because I have not been graced with the coarse sound of your voice for a long while. I'm not sure."

Inuyasha processed this slightly for a moment before he huffed and sat up again. "Maybe you're just nuts and nosey?"

Miroku shrugged and offered Inuyasha an innocent smile. "Maybe," he said and fell silent.

Inuyasha allowed him to and looked out over the water. "How'd you know I'd be here?"

"You're drawn to water. That's where you spend most of your time if you can. I hope I know that much about you after all this time of being suffered your presence." Inuyasha looked slightly insulted and Miroku gave an evil looking smile in return. "-And don't try to change the subject."

Inuyasha sighed and his eyelids drooped halfway closed. "Touran knew my father." And that was all he said.

Miroku stared at him, despite himself, feeling slightly cheated. The silence wore on and Miroku made an odd sound in the back of his throat, causing Inuyasha to turn to him with a frown.

"What?"

"That's it? That's what caused you to disappear and come out here to vent your frustrations on a tree. And I know that's what you did so don't even deny it," Miroku snapped quickly when he saw Inuyasha was about to protest.

The hanyou was silent for a while before he sighed and shook his head. "It's none of your business Miroku. Go away."

The dark haired man stared at the hanyou sitting next to him before sighing and shaking his head.

"Let me guess. Did your father have a hot steamy affair with Lady Touran?"

Inuyasha twitched and looked over at Miroku with a look of disgust on his face.

"No?"

"NO!"

"Is Touran your long lost sister?"

"No," Inuyasha answered shortly turning away.

"Cousin?"

"No,"

"Grandmother,"

"Fuck no,"

"Does she love you?"

Inuyasha turned and bared his teeth at Miroku, but he continued, undeterred.

"She loved your father didn't she?"

"Yes! But I could really care less if they were fucking like bunnies while my mother was pregnant with me! I hardly remember them! And now I find out that he's—," Inuyasha cut himself off and turned away from Miroku again. He tried to clench his hands into fists but stopped himself when pain lanced up his arms.

Miroku sighed at the missed opportunity and allowed Inuyasha to fall silent. He really had no idea what Inuyasha might be talking about but he knew that pushing Inuyasha when he was like this was not a great idea. He let the subject drop and gazed out over the stream that Inuyasha had discovered.

The hanyou's thoughts were wild. He was not a king. He was not his father. He did not want his linage or his responsibility. But even as he told himself this, the echoes of his father's voice bounced back and forth in his head.

"Run Inuyasha…don't let them catch you…Not again…never again…Run…Survive…"

51 years ago

"You are sure of this?"

Hoseki nodded without turning to her. The moon reflected off of the snow and caused the expanse of woods and fields to glow brightly. The sky was clear, the air crisp but heavy with the scent of war. Touran did her best to remained focused on her friend beside her, but the very spirit of the earth was calling to her. The ground was covered in her element. He blood was boiling.

Touran turned back to Hoseki to examine his profile. She knew he was grieving for his eldest son and to be honest she thought that his judgment had been clouded. So she questioned him.

"You are willing to give up your kingdom and your people to him?"

"My people were quick to betray me," he hissed. "They took my son away from me."

Touran's eyes softened and she placed her hand on Hoseki's shoulder. "There hasn't been any word from the men you sent to find him. Do not give up hope yet."

The daiyoukai sighed and shook his head. "That bastard probably has him by now. I will not put my family in danger."

"You are signing your own death sentence! Hos-kun, think! By stepping down and admitting defeat you are giving him almost complete power over all of Nanashi. Do you think he will let you live? Do you think he'll let your family live? What about Izayoi? What about your child?"

"If I die--,"

Touran turned away from him and grasped the hilt of her sword. Anger filled her, anger, frustration, sadness, denial. She had no desire to listen to Hoseki's request. If he would just hear her, instead of acting out of fear for his youngest born!

"Touran, if I die…you will tell him. You will tell him everything and leave it to him to decide what to do. Please Tou-chan…"

Touran clenched her eyes shut and hung her head.

"Promise me you will look after him as best you can. If anything happens…please…"

Touran gritted her teeth and shook her head. Behind her, Hoseki's face fell and he turned his back on her. He stared out over the land that his family had ruled for decades and once again wondered how the people could so easily turn on him.

The two youkai stood back to back as the wind howled around them. The heavy sky released its burden and it began to snow.

(AN): (Peeks out from behind tree) Hiya…what's up? Did you miss me? Of course you did! As an explanation for why this update is so late…I was preparing for an audition for the musical Pippin.

No I didn't make it…I got sick two days before I auditioned.

Muse: That's what you keep telling yourself. But really you can't dance and you can barely sing anymore.

(glare) Who the hell asked you?

Muse: You were asking for it.

Whatever. I made Props Crew Head and that's one step from Stage Manager. I'm happy with how everything turned out.

But yeah…so I was getting ready for that for about 5 weeks. So no update. But never fear…Just cause I didn't post didn't mean I didn't write.

Two chapters? Yes I very much think so

Continue directly to chapter 16. Do not pass Go. Do not collect $200. Line up in a circle in alphabetical order by height of the sixth letter in your fourth cousin's baby's daddy's name.