He had been at it for hours. He was on a rampage. Tearing through his lands in a chaotic and mindless state, and striking down any unfortunate soul who had the misfortune of being caught in his path. He needed to kill. Needed to destroy. He at least had his mind about him enough not to go to any villages to seek out human victims. But any lowly demon who was unlucky enough to be in the vicinity was traced, tracked, and extinguished.

That didn't stop those in the nearby villages from cowering in fear. They knew whose powerful aura was out loose and wreaking havoc. And from the terrifying unleashed youki that permeated, it was clear that he was in no mood to be trifled with. Even though he was quite a distance away, it was a shelter in place. Lights were out and not a sound would be made, and they huddled in their huts; trembling with fear as they rode out this storm.

Youkai were on the run as well. But these were his lands. And he was an accomplished predator. Until he had his fill, he would rip down the forests, rattle the mountains, and dig up the earth until every mindless beast was dead.

He was continuously transforming; as if he couldn't make up his mind. A large white dog could be seen soaring overhead; tongue hanging out and fangs bared as he looked for his next meal. Moments later, he was back to striped cheeks and poison claws; brandishing his demon whip like a marksman, cutting down all forms of life in a stunning display of light and skill.

The sounds of trees crashing and dirt exploding were the only ones left in the dark night to be made. Aside from the disruption he himself was causing, all was deathly silent. It appeared that any creature who had once been capable of making noise had been dispatched, if it hadn't been deft enough to escape him in time.

But it wasn't enough. His pain was still raw. And because it hurt far too much to keep it to himself, he decided that the world would need to know his pain as well.

It was really over. He couldn't accept it. Not yet. Nothing was impossible for him. He never failed. How could it be that he finally, after all this time, got to feel the true power and pleasure of finding love and reveling in it, only to have it taken from him almost as soon as it had appeared?

His whirlwind romance had blindsided him. It was nothing he had searched for, sought out, or longed for. It was nothing he ever knew he even wanted. But now that he'd had it, he decided he didn't want to live without it. The thought of taking his own life had crossed his mind several times in the last few hours, but there was only one way he would be willing to accomplish it.

He was a born and bred warrior. He knew his whole life that there would only be one way in which he would meet his end. He would go down in battle, with honor. Though the circumstances of his father's death were less than admirable, he went down fighting. Sesshoumaru had long sought out the most powerful beings in existence to challenge, to prove his power and dominance. Now, he was still seeking such beings out, but desired a far different outcome.

His pride would allow for no less than to be taken down by the most powerful creature he would come across. They would indeed need to be powerful to let him meet such a fate. But it seemed he had been successful in his path to supreme conquest. There were none who could even hope to defeat him. And he currently was loathing that fact. He just wanted it to be over. How could he go on? Now that he knew the pleasure of her touch; the warmth of her light, only to have it removed in a most devastating fashion? It was cruelty.

But still he was searching desperately for a fight that could free him from this terrible pain. It became clear that all he would accomplish out here was blowing off steam, and it was hardly putting a dent in his anguish. He would have to resort to other means.

When he made his way to one of the demon villages he saw over, it appeared to be a ghost town. Auras were masked, and the roads were bare, as its inhabitants hid in their homes. They would make no attempts to escape as they felt him draw near, as it would only incite the chase his beast would surely induce once witnessing them flee. So they could only remain perfectly still, and hope that he would pass them over in favor of more satisfying prey.

When he blew out the door of the lord of the village's home, his mate shrieked in terror and his children cried and wailed as they dove under their furniture in a vain attempt to elude him. The lord trembled as Sesshoumaru approached, but at least managed to hold his ground, and simply awaited his inevitable fate.

"M-My Lord! W-What can I-?"

"Demon sake," he demanded in a growl.

It took the lord a moment to register his request. He made sure not to insist he clarify, lest he become frustrated with him. He quickly made his way to the cabinet where he held his best liquor, and shakily held out his finest bottle to the demon lord.

Sesshoumaru grabbed it from him harshly, and downed the full bottle in one long pull. He had been able to manage himself fairly well the last time he had taken to drinking the stuff. But then, he had conservatively taken his time, drinking the bottle over a matter of hours and sharing it with others. Downing a bottle in one gulp would hit him much harder, and his unstable state would add fuel to the fire of its effectiveness.

But that's what he was going for. He needed to numb the pain. To feel anything other than the weight of this loss. The loss of the love of his life.

The lord looked on him with uncertain fear. Sesshoumaru was always the picture of perfectness. Unavoidably unaffected. To see him in such a state was akin to a young boy witnessing his father delve into the depths of madness. It was terrifyingly nerve wracking. And though Sesshoumaru appeared to be looking back at him, his gaze was actually going right through him. When he felt the desired affects from the demon strength alcohol, he was satisfied that he had completed his mission. To the great relief of the family, and the village they resided in, he left.

The travel back to his fortress was less than graceful. Impaired by the drink and wrought with despair, he zigzagged through the air in the night, nearly missing his turns and having to constantly right his course.

But he knew these lands well. He likely could have sleep walked back home, and it wasn't far from what was occurring. He knew himself enough in that moment. Enough to get by. But he was pleased that the sake had made strides in tempering his pain, if only briefly.

When he finally made it back, however, he found himself not at the door to his chambers. The one he knew would no longer lead him to the miko who had stolen, and abused his tender heart. The sake had started him on the path to forgetting his pain, but there was more to be done if he would be able to forget it tonight.

He knocked forcefully at the door to the guest room, but not as loud as he had wanted. It didn't matter. The demon inside could most likely sense his approach well before his knuckles made contact with the wood.

When Touran opened the door, she couldn't prevent the gasp that escaped her at the sight she was greeted with. He looked awful. He was spattered with blood and dirt, and had an unsteady gait. And there was something about the redness in his eyes that told her they were not tinged on account of his beast's desire to break free. Though it appeared that it might.

She hadn't enough time to think on it any further, as he crossed the threshold into the room, and pulled her forcefully to his lips as he took them roughly and desperately. She was neither prepared for the action, nor able to resist. She closed her eyes and pulled him closer to her as he let himself into her room, and closed the door behind them.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

A/N: You hate me, I know. But I'm gonna speed up the updates, cuz I love them, and I love you, and I don't want to hurt you (or my OTP). Do you trust me?