A/N: Wow, that took me ages. Rl and thinking how to tackle this. It's a bit short but hopefully you will like it anyway. And with any luck I will update soon so we don't have to wait for so long.
29
Miroku sat down on one of the convenient rocks placed under a big oak near the entrance to the kitsune den. He looked excited and curious and Kagome could totally understand that.
She allowed Shippou to lead her to the part of the small clearing where there were fewer branches overhanging over the grassy ground. She suspected that for him all of it was an awesome adventure and a chance to prove himself to his parents.
Kagome wasted a while to admire the forest. After the night rain everything seemed to shine with new colors. The sunlight was filtering through the fluttering leaves and dancing around them. She lifted a hand and watched the spots of light and shadow shift over her skin when the tree limbs swayed overhead.
"Okay, sit down, '' Shippou instructed her and Kagome nodded, following his words. She imitated the boy's sitting position, crossing her legs and being thankful for the wide skirt of her dress. Then she put her hands on her knees. "Now, you have to close your eyes and think of nothing."
"Meditate?" she suggested. She was familiar with meditation, that was basically the only miko thing she could do when she'd been a Higurashi daughter.
She remembered complaining about it to Souta and Inuyasha, the latter snorting at that and telling her that yasha had plenty of priestesses who did much more than just sit and doze off in the warm afternoon sunlight.
"Yeah," the little kitsune nodded. "And when you do that, try to feel for a part of you that isn't here... It's easy once you sense it the first time, but don't worry if you have to work on it for a while."
"Okay..." Kagome licked her lips and stole a glance towards Miroku, who observed them with interest. He had nothing to add, so she closed her eyes and took a deep breath.
She had to learn anything they thought she should know - the kitsune friends of Miroku and even the priest himself seemed to know so much more than herself. And she didn't have much time, she had to go save Inuyasha and figure out what to do with Kikyou... She wanted to see Souta and talk to him, maybe her brother could see past the spell Kikyou had used to pretend to be her?
"No thinking," a little, warm hand patted her own hand. The tiny voice of the boy was adorable when he tried to speak in a tone he thought a mentor would use in such a situation.
"Oh, sorry," she smiled and tried to relax her body, dropping her worries and thoughts.
When she'd been only a spirited human girl she'd been able to pick up auras. Now, as a yasha, she found it much easier to pinpoint where a person with spirit energy was. Shippou was a flicker of youthful youki, bright, but not too big. Miroku's reiki was darker and much deeper, steady and sturdy. Vaguely, she could sense Shippou's parents nearby and her own energy swirled around her like a coil of incense smoke.
She tried to follow Shippou's instructions to find a part of her that wasn't her body. She tried not to think about how long it was taking her, how much she wanted to see both Inuyasha and Souta, how anxious she was about that bad yasha Kikyou had mentioned.
Sensing her own body was strange enough, actually. At the same time she felt like her normal self, her limbs folded and her back straight as she sat on the grass. And yet, somehow, at the same time she was aware of her body being long, coiling across a big portion of the grass, wings folded and tail lying limply as it curled around her paws.
She was not sure on which she should've focused, actually. So she opened her eyes and asked Shippou, who shrugged.
"Easy - both!" he said "Look!"
Before Kagome could say anything, the boy closed his eyes and breathed deeply a few times. In a moment between two blinks of an eye a tree, a sappling really, appeared next to him. Wisps of cotton-like mist wrapped around the small branches, covered with lush green leaves and adorned with colorful ribbons.
"See? This is how you do it!" the kitsune said and patted the trunk of his tree.
'So pretty, ' Kagome exclaimed in wonder.
"Remarkable," Miroku said, voicing Kagome's awe at the sight. The boy preened but as soon as his focus shifted, the tree disappeared.
"I can't make it stay for long," he said, his pride dampened a bit.
"I want to try," Kagome said with eagerness. She smiled at Shippou and closed her eyes, remembering Inuyasha's magnificent tree, the sturdy branches and lovely flowers. She wanted to see that tree again, as much as she wanted to see the yasha who was linked to it. And she wanted to see her own tree, touch it, climb up onto its branches and hide in the leaves rustling in the wind.
She focused on that wish, calling inside herself, trying to repeat Shippou's actions. It took her a long while, her impatience making it hard not to overthink it. It took a long time, but finally, with the encouragement of her friends, with Shippou showing her how to do it once more, Kagome finally got the hold of it. She summoned her tree into the forest, calling to it with no real voice or name.
And it appeared in front of her just as Shippou's parents joined them. She sat there, staring up at the slender trunk, admiring the sun rays filtered through leaves, listening to the branches swaying in the wind. Curls of mist swirled about the tree and it appeared in a cloud of thick scent of damp soil, of flowers and freshness. Mesmerized, Kagome reached out a hand and touched the warm bark, running her fingers against the rough surface. The tree wasn't taller than three meters and its trunk appeared even slimmer against the old, thick tree that surrounded it.
"A maple," Uka said from behind her and Kagome's focus faded away like fog under a strong gust of wind. The tree disappeared in an instant.
"Is it a good sign?" Miroku asked. "I've never heard of a yasha with a maple."
"All trees are good signs," the vixen declared.
"I did it," Kagome whispered in a stunned tone. "I did it!"
"Yes, you did," Shippou bounced on his little paws. "So I can go with you!" He leaped into Kagome's lap and she hugged him with a smile.
"You will have to train summoning it," Uka reminded the cuddling pair. "Now, food."
Shi waited for them all to get inside before he walked over to where Kagome had sat and leaned in to pick up a single maple leaf left behind. It smelled of Yasha no Mori, he knew it despite never visiting the forest.
"A maple," he murmured. "Oh, well, let's go and make some lucky charms for them to take on the road."
With those words the fox went away, smiling as he walked. Soon, he knew something amazing was going to happen. After all, this was the first maple in a long time.
Two hours later the trio of travelers left the fox den, carrying bags of food and supplies, with lucky charms and other artifacts stashed in every possible place on their persons. Kagome looked at the world and the road ahead with determination and renewed vigor. Whatever was going to happen, whatever troubles they were going to face, she had trusted friends she could rely on. And she felt warmth in her chest; on the end of that road was Inuyasha.
The three people vanished in the wild forest, full of subtle scents and sounds, spreading over ancient hills. They left the border of the civilized human lands and ventured into the untamed lands where yasha clans ruled and cultivated their odd ways. Where all seemed to keep its breath, waiting for the outcome of a ritual that would come after a long and bloody battle. Under the canopy of tangled trees none of then saw the comet looming in the sky. The city of Ulthar was too far for the sounds of fighting and screams to reach their ears. And it would take them days to get near the besieged capital of the neko tribe. Even longer if they wanted to reach the inu lands.r
.
Sango wept.
She knelt on the ground and cradled kohaku to herself, bowing her head in mourning. Her eyes saw not the evening sky awash with orange and purple; she heard not the multitude of sounds around her. Next to her Kirara sat, silently offering her companionship and mourning the boy she had treated as her own brother.
The teams of grim, tired people were still bringing in new bodies to lay in rows upon the torn and soiled ground, the grass field all but destroyed. Ulthar, her beloved home, was almost not recognizable, the fields and hills surrounding it torn and scarred.
So many had fallen during the battle that lasted for three days and three nights. Sango mourned for them all as she cried over her little brother. He had been so scared and so brave, fighting with their father's squad. He had been killed and used as a puppet to attack their father's men, wounding the cat king himself. He was an explorer, her little brother, not a warrior. And now he was gone, he wouldn't seek new places and things wasn't going to come back home to find him waiting for her and asking for stories. He wasn't going to come to her asking for advice and training. She wasn't a big sister anymore.
Tears of sorrow and exhaustion dripped down her chin but she did nothing to stop them. There was no shame in mourning.
Now, when the fighting was over, there was time to weep and to honor the fallen, to rebuild and restore. Ulthar had not fallen, even if it was in bad shape. Allies had come to aid the cat yasha, many allies that had risked their lives. With sword and spear, with magic and might, they had fought in spite of the losses and the wave upon wave of terrible monsters that crawled and flew to bring calamity to Ulthar and the Isle.
At the dawn of the fourth day, when the comet had hung overhead so giant and foreboding, the Inu no Taisho had risen along with a dragon lord that just had arrived to complete the ritual and banish the comet again. Sango knew that her father had wanted to do this but he had a long recovery before himself before he could fly again. As soon as the ritual had been finished, the dragon had left, but the dogs had remained, aiding in purging the area of stragglers. It took the better part of the day, the yasha forces depleted ad in need of rest, many of them shaken by the brutality of the battle. The healers were doing their best to aid the injured in cams located in various spots around the ruined city.
Sango had helped move the bodies of the fallen, fighting back her nausea and willing her body to move as she carried corpses bearing marks of terrible pain. She had stopped when she had found Kohaku among the rows of bloodied, torn corpses, his expressive eyes closed by a kind hand, his sickle laid across his chest. Soon, she knew she would have to go back, to try and help others, but now she wanted to just hold him, to apologize to him for not being there to save his life. She had heard of his death from a friend and then had gone to see her father to learn the truth about the fate of the little cat prince. He had been slain and used to attack his father ad his comrades in a terrible attempt to wipe of the cat king and his party. How cruel a fate to be forced to attack one's sire and mentors, unable to resist that foul command.
She was about to kiss Kohaku's brow for the last time when a chorus of voices reached her ears, making her anger spike.
"Come on, Sesshomaru, move your fluffy ass and help already!"
There was no mistaking that voice, it was that mutt. He had come to aid her more than once, a few times actually saving her life during an ambush or when a new swarm of monsters surrounded Kirara and her. Sango had repaid some of those gestures easily, for the dog had the tendency to jump into a fight without making sure his back was safe. Sango had grumbled about that to Kirara but her teammate had told her that maybe the dog wasn't that reckless, but instead trusted them to have his back. He fought well, especially with that sword of his, but was obnoxious and unruly.
Sango lifted her head, annoyed that the mutt disturbed the solemn atmosphere of the field. Many others wept over their close ones, there was no excuse for him to bark so loudly. In the fading sunlight she saw the group approaching the field. There was her father, supported by two of his guards. He looked proud despite needing to lean on others, his armor partially off, his clothing ruined. She barely could smell him over the stench of blood, gore and death filling the field.
Next to him walked Inu no Taisho and his two sons. Leave it to the white mutts to look almost as pristine as the snowfields. Sango bit her bottom lip, wondering if the vain creatures had special spells to preserve the pure white of their robes no matter the circumstances. Only the mutt in his red garment was dirty, but even his shaggy mane shimmered in the light. There were more yasha with them, tanuki and ookami, tengu and kitsune, chiefs of the armies in the recent battle. All looked grimly to the field where the dead rested, many of them not of the cat tried. Only one host had not suffered any lost lives, even if they had some wounded members - the shiro inu.
"Come on, I'll let you defeat me," the mutt offered, looking at his older brother who merely looked at him for a long moment, while the Inu no Taisho and the cat king, along with other leaders, assessed the field.
"This one doesn't need your permission to gnaw at your ears," he replied levelly. Neither seemed to pay much attention to the fallen warriors and their father acted as if they weren't talking at all.
"Keh, I let you do that the last time!" the younger dog declared. Sango felt Kirara shift beside her, probably as amused as she was by the bickering. Couldn't the dogs just act civil for a change? "It's just one boy."
"This one has no compassion for traitors. Now cease your foolishness and let this one act."
Sango froze. She had heard rumors about her brother's actions. She had heard some arguing about that during their short breaks or visits to a healer. Those who knew the truth were spreading the tragic tale, but most of the allied forces were confused about the role her brother had in the cat king's wounding. She hissed angrily , how dare the dog spew that foul lie about her little brother being a traitor.
She stared at the tall, pale figure as he reached to his obi, drawing a sleek sword, one of the two he wore at his side. She was not sure what he needed a sword for here, in the field of death, Inuyasha growled but moved to the side while the dog leader smiled as if to soothe the other chiefs around them.
Sesshomaru stepped forward, his cold gaze sweeping over the field as if he was scrutinizing the mourning people kneeling over their close ones. He swung his sword at the air in a few elegant slashes, the lade glowing blue. Potent youki washed over the field like a gust cold wind. Sango winced at the touch of that energy. That prideful cur had a look of boredom on his face and his youki felt as cold as a glacier.
She wanted to jump to her brother's defense, but before she could will her body to rise, the younger brother of the two dogs barked again.
"He ain't no traitor!" Sango paused at the sound of that voice. He sounded determined and annoyed, so sure of his words. She would have never thought a dog would depend the honor of a cat. Sango was so stunned that it took her a while and for Kirara to call her name for her to realize that the field of corpses was no more.
"Sango, look!"
She stared with wide eyes, hearing many cries of shock as the fallen bodies mended and drew in breath once more. So many of them sat up, crying in pain and shock only to stop abruptly as if realizing they were in no danger, in no pain. There were a few that still remained motionless, their remains too badly injured to be brought back but before Sango's eyes a miracle of rebirth took place and she was speechless. All around her people cried and hugged their close ones, confused exclamations of names and assurances of well-being filling the air that no longer stank so severely.
The Inu no Taisho smiled and turned to the cat king, who had a befuddled look on his face.
"Keep in mind, friend, this is a one time thing," he said. "And those who were too damaged couldn't be revived."
"Truly, your heir is powerful," the cat king said and bowed his head in thanks towards the silent dog who sheathed his sword.
"This one does not fancy waiting for the long mourning ceremony to end so he may leave and rejoin his mate," he stated. There was no warmth in his voice and Sango wondered how such a cold creature could wield such magic. Was he not known as a ruthless assassin, this son of Inu no Taisho, merciless and heartless? And yet, there were so many who were given a second chance, a new life thanks to that peculiar sword of his.
How could the cats of Ulthar repay that stuck-up dog? How could her kin bear to owe him anything?
Yet, as much as she hated to admit it, she was thankful for that miracle, the sight of returning life to so many fallen was like a soft warmth that she had forgotten in the days of battle. There was hope now, some of the grief lifted.
She glanced down and a feeble hope that had spark led in her heart vanished. Her brother was one of those not affected by the spell. His wound was still gaping open, despite being not as severe as some that had been healed on the other fallen warriors. He was denied the second tears pricked her eyes. Her little brother was still gone. This loss hurt so much when she could hear sounds of joy and reunions all around her. She felt numb.
"What about the cat kid?" asked Inuyasha's voice.
"This one has no desire to waste his power on traitors."
An iron band seemed to tighten around her chest at the sour realization that her only sibling was gone. Gone, because she had failed him. Gone, because that prideful mongrel thought one of her clan would betray their own kin.
Anger awoke in her heart, just and hot. She welcomed it, it made her limbs move again, her head lift. She knew how to use anger. Kirara rose to her feet at Sango's side when Sango stood tall and spoke.
"My little brother was no traitor," she declared glaring at the cold-faced dog. He seemed to measure her with those narrowed eyes. "No neko would have betrayed their kin."
She stood proud and glared at the dog who stood there, silent and motionless. A few voices joined softly from somewhere behind her. Even her father gave a small nod.
"Kohaku was possessed in the middle of the battle," he said and turned to the Inu no Taisho. "Can your son not return my son to me?"
The dog leader glanced at his spawn and shook his head with a sigh when the ice mutt stared at him with those indifferent eyes. "I cannot order him. Tenseiga will obey only the true wish of his heart."
Sesshomaru looked at them all impassively and didn't even glance at the fragile body at Sango's feet. That fluffy bastard. Sango gritted her teeth and balled her fists. Attacking him was what she wanted to do, but she knew that this would not yield any good results. She was the neko princess, her father's heir. Assaulting the heir of an ally, one who just helped to save Ulthar - that would be a disaster.
Luckily, Inuyasha could do as much without causing a war.
And he did.
The smaller dog leaped at his brother, claws ready to slash. He swiped at the spot where Sesshomaru had been just a moment ago. Sango gasped, finding the attacked yasha not two meters from that place, glaring at the dog-eared one.
"Surely, you have not lost your reckless foolishness, little brother. Do you wish for many others to witness this one as he chews those ears of yours?" he said coolly.
"Feh, as if I'd let you!" Inuyasha shifted his stance to lower his center. "I'm challenging you! I win, you use Tenseiga on the kid!"
"Which is an unlikely outcome. What will this one acquire from beating you up?" a slender eyebrow was risen. Then, suddenly, a smile appeared on his face. It was a simple smile, his face was handsome enough, but there was something repulsive, foreboding about that expression. Sango felt ashamed for feeling relieved that it wasn't aimed at her. "Ah, this one knows. You shall swear on your name that when you lose, you shall yield to this one the Tessaiga."
The agitated growl that the inu in red had been emitting was gone. That warm, wild youki suddenly disappeared like a collapsing dust devil. One of his hands flew to lay on the hilt of the sword hanging at his hip. Sango had seen that sword in action, bringing destruction to many monster.
A rustle of whispers flew over the field. A demand such as this was s rare nowadays. A yasha to lose their weapon would be forever shamed and no longer treated as a warrior. They wouldn't be allowed to inherit or lead, they would be stripped of their titles and - in some cases long in the past - forced to serve the winner. Sango imagined for a yasha of a sakura tree the humiliation would be unbearable.
Inuyasha's actions over the past three days had been puzzling and his fierce defense of her brother was admirable, but he shouldn't be asked to wager his sword for the sake of someone he didn't even have ties to.
Sango took a breath. It was clear to see the hesitation in the younger inu, even if he didn't move, only his fuzzy ears laid back. He admitted by that pause not only that he wasn't entirely certain that he could win, but also semblance of intellect. No sane yasha would accept such terms without consideration, especially after witnessing Sesshomaru's power.
Sango thought of how many times she'd seen that idiot jumping in the thickest swarms of monsters with little regard for his own safety. He was brave, but he was not entirely a moron. And, despite being a dog, she actually liked him a little. Even more now as she saw him staring down his older brother.
Still, it was not his place to issue such a challenge, to fight for her little brother. This was a thing a big sister ought to do. It should be her Hiraikotsu proving the cold bastard was wrong. She glanced down at Kirara and Kohaku before she walked over to where the boy in red stood.
"It should be me who challenges the shiro inu heir for the life of my brother," she declared in her most steady voice. The older inu was not a yapping mutt, he was a dangerous yasha, and she had heard many stories of his deeds. Yet, truly, how could she allow Inuyasha to fight a battle that was clearly her own? It was her little brother's life and she had enough debt to the boy without him challenging his older sibling for her clan's sake. She was honor bound to step in, and in a formal challenge there was no way that she could cause a war. If she could just strike a bargain with the dog...
"Well, Sesshomaru?" asked the Inu no Taisho. The shiro inu leader was observing his sons with calm she glanced at her father she saw a glint of pride and worry in his gaze. "Which challenger do you accept?"
That malevolent smirk still lingered on Sesshomaru's lips.
"Both."
A/N: Oh my, what is going to happen now? What adventures wait for Kagome? What about Inuyasha and Sango vs. Sesshomaru? Will they win?
