Gosh, it's been like a year and a half hasn't it? I am so sorry. I promise this story hasn't been abandoned. I actually started this chapter right after I posted the last one, but I had some serious stuff going on last year. I won't bore you with too many details. Let's just say I was sick for a long time last year and I'm just finally back in a place where I feel creative and like writing again. I will not leave this story unfinished. I've wanted to write it for so long and I love how it's going so I promise we will make it to the end together.
Edited as of 08/24/2020: Spelling and grammar errors fixed. Sentences reformatted to be more reader friendly.
Disclaimer: I own nothing Inuyasha, nor do I own anything by Noah Cyrus or Gallant.
Recap: In our last chapter. Our foursome used the herbs they stole to trick Minoru and his men into thinking Sesshomaru and Mika had been staying in the village all this time. When our dog and fox were finally able to leave the barrier again, they ran into a little trouble with another demon. When Mika went to aide Sesshomaru in battle, she ended up hitting him with her powers instead! Our two teens argued and Sesshomaru finally discovered the reason for Mika's strange behavior. While Sesshomaru can't promise Mika he'll be loving like Yasuhiro, he can promise the two of them will be friends and comrades on the battlefield. Mika is just fine with that because she'd rather have only that, then the dog trying to be someone he's not.
In the present, Sesshomaru explains how the foxes pulled off their latest trick. Kagome discovers that Inuyasha might be the only one who the foxes can't fool. Will this be enough for them to rescue Rin?
It's gonna be hard as hell and baby, you know me well. No matter what you do I can never be mad at you. And you only love yourself. For me there's no one else. No matter what you do I can never be mad, mad, mad at you.(Noah Cyrus and Gallant: Mad At You)
*The Demon Village, Many Years Ago*
The next several weeks seemed to drag by for Sesshomaru. He and the others had decided it would be safer to only leave the village once every few days as they didn't want to risk Minoru becoming suspicious of them again. Unfortunately, this meant Sesshomaru was forced to spend more time trapped inside the barrier, surrounded by the southern foxes. If he was with Mika or all three of his friends, it wasn't so bad, but he'd met the angry glare of several villagers a few times while walking on his own and the dog was smart enough to know he still wasn't welcome here. Sesshomaru wondered if the "fight" he'd had in the village square with Yasuhiro played a part in their anger towards him, or did the foxes still just hate the idea of a dog demon walking in their midst. Either way, it didn't bother him if they truly disliked him. The only thing that concerned him is what his father would say if he came back to find his son the enemy of an entire clan who they desperately wanted to ally permanently with.
Well, not the entire clan, he supposed. Ever since their talk in the woods, Mika seemed more relaxed around the dog. Sesshomaru no longer felt like he had to tip toe around her during those strange quiet moods. They'd come to an understanding. Mika would stop expecting him to be as affectionate as Yasuhiro, if Sesshomaru would stop acting like he didn't need Mika. Which he did. She was one of the few people in the dusty village who helped him stay sane. Sesshomaru knew he was prideful, but he also knew that without Mika he never would have survived being forced to live among the southern foxes. They were an odd pair, as Yasuhiro would sometimes joke, but Sesshomaru knew that when he was older, the bond he'd formed with the crimson haired girl would be unbreakable.
It was on one of the days they chose to stay in the village that Sesshomaru awoke on his own, sunlight streaming into the room and dancing across his face. He stood to his feet slowly as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes with the heel of his hand. Even on the days they didn't leave the barrier, Mika was always the one to wake him. She told him one morning that if she didn't, he'd sleep through the whole day, so it was strange that she'd left him alone this morning. Sesshomaru threw on his armor and left his room. He walked down the quiet hall to where the girls stayed. The door was slightly ajar, so Sesshomaru gently called for Mika. There was no answer, so he peered into the room. It was empty. Sesshomaru slid the door shut and left to try Yasuhiro's room.
The dog could hear the loud snoring of his friend before he even reached the door. Sesshomaru entered to see Yasuhiro fast asleep, spread eagle with his thick hair in messy tangles around his face. Sesshomaru rolled his eyes at his friend as he moved to stand by him. He promptly kicked the fox in the side.
Yasuhiro yelped as he jerked awake. He grasped his now sore ribs and looked up to see his favorite dog demon staring down at him. Sesshomaru was biting the inside of his cheek again, most likely to stop himself from laughing.
"We need to work on your manners, Pup. That's no way to wake someone up," the fox grumbled, his voice raspy from sleep.
"It worked, so I see no problem with it." the dog teased. Yasuhiro rolled his eyes.
"Why are you waking me anyway? Moriko usually does." He held his hand out to his friend.
"The girls are gone this morning. I woke up on my on just a bit ago and went looking for them. They're not asleep still, so I'm not sure where they've gone off to." Sesshomaru grasped the older boy's hand and hoisted him to his feet.
"Let's try the rest of the house, or the gardens, maybe. I'm sure they wouldn't have wandered too far without us."
Sesshomaru waited for Yasuhiro to strap on the chest armor he normally wore, and then both boys left to go search for their friends. They looked in the few rooms they were allowed to enter in Lord Minoru's home, but there was no sign of the girls. They stepped outside, Sesshomaru squinting at the sudden brightness. They knew the next best place to try was the village gardens, but there were several and the younger boy didn't want to waste time looking in all of them. Yasuhiro shook his head at his friend and steered them towards the center of the village. He remembered Moriko telling him once that her youngest sister liked to spend her time with the other villagers. He hoped she would be able to tell them where her older siblings had gone.
They found Maiko skipping back and forth between the other fox demons. Some ignored her silly games, though a few chuckled at her while she played. Yasuhiro called out to her. She turned and ran over to them, a big dimpled smile on her face as she greeted them.
"Maiko, have you seen your sisters? We can't seem to find them," Yasuhiro asked. Maiko nodded.
"I sure have! I saw them this morning!"
"Where did you see them at?"
Maiko pressed a finger to her lips and tilted her head in concentration. "Umm... I think it was near Papa's herb garden, but I don't think they would have stayed there. We're not supposed to go there."
"Well, where would they have gone after that?" Sesshomaru wondered.
"Moriko has a special place where she likes to grow things just for me and Mika. Like one time, she grew Mama's favorite flowers and another time, she grew melons!" Maiko bounced up and down happily at the memory.
"Where's this at?" Sesshomaru asked. Yasuhiro grabbed his arm and nodded his head south of the village.
"I actually think I know what she's talking about. C'mon, it's this way."
They waved goodbye to the younger girl and then made their way to the field. They bypassed the path that normally led them to the river and instead headed toward the treeline just west of them. It wasn't long before Sesshomaru picked up the scents of the two younger girls. Yasuhiro pointed at what was unmistakably Mika's vivid head of red hair so the boys headed over to them. The girls were facing away from them, so Sesshomaru opened his mouth to call out their names. Before he could though, the fox beside him was shoving his hand in his face to stop him from yelling. Sesshomaru pushed the older boy away and glared.
"Sorry," Yasuhiro whispered, "but I think they're arguing about something."
Sesshomaru turned back to where his friends were sitting and concentrated on what they were saying.
"You can't be serious?" he heard Mika say.
"I am. Father seems really concerned about it being spotted so close to the village." That was Moriko. Sesshomaru was surprised by how frustrated she sounded.
"Who cares if it's close?"
"Father does and you should too!"
"I'm not worried about some weak little demon."
"This beast isn't weak, Mika," Moriko stressed, "It's already decimated several of the smaller demon clans in Father's territory. I heard him say there was only two survivors out of that badger demon clan just south of us."
"Then why doesn't Father do something about it? Even if it is strong, I'm sure it would be no match for him." Mika asked.
"Because he doesn't know what kind of demon he's up against. No one's gotten a good look at it still and the two who'd managed to get away weren't making any sense."
"What do you mean?"
"Father said he'd sent two scouts to go speak with them, but they just kept talking about something in the woods and the smell of death."
"Well, they were probably just a little shook up still," Mika argued. "Father could still go find this demon and teach it a lesson for wreaking havoc in our territory."
"You're always so quick to act. You have to think, Mika. Father says its attacks have been to clans on all sides of the village."
"So?"
"I think it means it knows we're here! I bet it can sense my barrier so it's trying to lure us out."
"Well, let it then. I'm not afraid."
"You don't understand," Moriko sighed in exasperation. Yasuhiro gave Sesshomaru a look and then stepped closer to the girls.
"I think Moriko's right, Mika. You're not understanding what she's trying to tell you." The girls whipped around in surprise at the sound of the older boy's voice. Moriko pressed a hand to her chest to calm her rapidly beating heart.
"What do you mean?" Mika asked. Sesshomaru and Yasuhiro sat down beside them.
"If this demon can sense that you're here, then it's either extremely powerful or extremely intelligent." Yasuhiro said. Moriko nodded.
"Exactly, and if that's the case then it would be dangerous for Father to rush into battle with no knowledge of what he's up against," she said.
"I guess I see your point," Mika sighed, "but he can't keep ignoring this thing forever. Who knows what trouble this demon will cause if it isn't stopped soon."
"I know, and I'm sure Father knows too. He just needs to be smart about this." Moriko reached over to squeeze her sister's hand.
"I'm surprised you're not all for attacking this demon, Fox. You were never the type to strategize before," the dog teased.
"I guess Moriko's been a good influence on me!" Yasuhiro laughed.
"How did you hear about all this anyway, Moriko?" Sesshomaru asked. The brunette girl suddenly looked a little sheepish.
"I may have been eavesdropping on Father when he was talking to some of his men. I was worried he was suspicious of you two leaving the barrier again."
"He isn't, is he?"
"No, I don't believe so. At least, he didn't mention anything about it while I was listening."
"Speaking of the barrier," Mika said, leaning towards Sesshomaru, "Moriko thinks we shouldn't leave as often right now."
"What?" Sesshomaru looked at Moriko.
"Just until Father deals with this demon. I'm worried about what could happen to the two of you while you're out there alone."
"I think they'll be fine." Yasuhiro said, waving his hand in the air as if to brush away her concerns. The other three turned to him." You have to remember, Sesshomaru and I both have been traveling with our Fathers since we were much younger. Sesshomaru has been in battles with demons much stronger than him. If they ran into trouble out there, I'm sure the two of them together could hold it off until they found a way to escape."
Moriko considered this. "Alright. As long as you two promise that you'll come back to the village if you get in any sort of danger."
"We can do that," Mika said. She smiled at her sister.
The foursome spent the rest of the day sitting in the little garden they'd found the girls in. The boys told their friends all about the places they'd been to with their fathers. Mika was especially interested in Sesshomaru's stories about the western lands. She hoped they'd be able to convince Inu no Taisho to let them both leave. She could see it now, the two of them traveling the west, discovering new things and fighting anyone who stood in their way.
"So, where do you think they went while we were distracted?" Inuyasha asked.
"Most likely they headed in the direction where we first caught Yasuhiro's scent." Sesshomaru turned to face toward the ruined village they had just come from. "Moriko must have circled back around to plant the herbs while Yasuhiro ran off with Rin."
"I guess we better go back to the village then," Kagome said, climbing onto Kirara's back.
The group made their way back to the remains of the village. Kagome insisted on stopping to bury any bodies they could find. Sesshomaru was annoyed at the delay, but he didn't feel like arguing, so he ordered Jaken and Ah-Un to assist them. It took a few hours for the graves to be dug, which meant the two foxes had plenty of time to distance themselves from the dog and the others. Sesshomaru stayed near the edge of the field. He was staring off into the trees, thinking about everything they knew so far.
First, Yasuhiro and Moriko had showed up in his lands for the first time in two centuries, and instead of finding him, they immediately had gone to find his ward. How they even knew about her in the first place,Sesshomaru wasn't sure, but it at least seemed like the two foxes weren't planning on harming her. The fire in the village was the only sign of aggression from them so far, and it made the dog wonder if what they were assuming happened wasn't wrong. The bodies of the bandits were covered in deep claw marks and burns, all of which pointed to Yasuhiro being the one to have attacked. If that were the case, Sesshomaru wondered if perhaps the bandits were the ones to attack the village, and the fox had fought off the bandits. Sesshomaru knew Rin would have been frightened when she saw the thieves, given her history. Had that been the reason Yasuhiro had killed them?
Secondly, why had they even taken Rin? When he had met Yasuhiro in the woods, it seemed like the fox only wanted to speak with him. Why bother kidnapping his ward, and what had Yasuhiro been about to say before Inuyasha had interrupted them?
"Hey," called the half-demon. Sesshomaru turned to face his brother and the priestess. "We're done here. Ready to go?"
"Do you have any idea where Yasuhiro and Moriko might be headed, Sesshomaru?" Kagome asked. Sesshomaru considered this. Since they'd taken Rin a few days ago, the fox demons had ran a straight path through the woods north of the village Rin stayed in. There was only one place they could be headed to, he was sure of that.
"Yasuhiro's lands are a few days travel from your home. I expect he's headed there."
"His land?" Inuyasha asked. Sesshomaru nodded.
"He's the lord of the northern lands and we're nearing the border. My best guess is that he's taking her there. I still don't know why though."
"Did something happen in the north that he would want you to go back for?" Kagome wondered.
"Nothing of significance. I've aided him in battle, but I doubt any of those fights would warrant all of this."
"Who cares what the reason is, let's just find them. Then I'll show them what happens when you come barging into our home and taking our friends!" Inuyasha took off into the forest in the direction Yasuhiro's fading scent was headed. Kagome followed after him on Kirara and Jaken climbed onto Ah-Un. Sesshomaru followed after. He knew Inuyasha was wrong. They should care about the fox's reasoning. Because Yasuhiro never did anything without a purpose and he could be as cruel as he was loyal. If they rushed into this without knowing, they might make a mistake, and Rin could end up injured or worse. If that were to happen, it wouldn't be just Yasuhiro and Moriko dealing with Sesshomaru's wrath. He would make sure everyone in that village who was supposed to be protecting her would pay.
*Outside The Demon Village, Many Years Ago*
It was a few days later that Mika and Sesshomaru ventured outside of the barrier. They knew Moriko was nervous about them leaving while this mysterious demon roamed Minoru's territory. So, Mika suggested the two of them stay near the village. Not close enough they risked being sensed by her father, but if they needed to make a quick escape, the village wouldn't be too far away.
Mika was wiping the blood of a mindless demon off one of her swords with the grass of the field they were sitting in. The weak beast had tried to surprise them, but Mika had swiftly defeated it all on her own. Sesshomaru was rather impressed with how quickly she had taken care of the demon. Though he had not outright told her so, Mika could tell by the proud smirk he was trying to hide from her.
Sesshomaru had removed his mokomoko and was lying back against it. He'd even left room for Mika as well. The red-haired girl could feel her mouth pulling up into a smile at the gesture. The dog didn't let just anyone touch his mokomoko.
The two of them relaxed for a while in the sunlight. It was a beautiful day. A gentle breeze was blowing and cooling the sweat on their brows. Sesshomaru was feeling drowsy, what with the warmth from the sun and Mika's heavy scent filling his senses. Mika was fiddling with his silver hair, twisting it carefully around her fingers. It was in these moments she was so glad they'd found this little bit of freedom. The fox was sure they'd have never gotten here had they been stuck inside the barrier all this time.
Sesshomaru was finally drifting off when a horrible scream ripped through the air. The two young demons shot up, looking around frantically for the source of the noise. Several birds screeching and flying out of the trees on the other side of the field caught their attention. They stumbled to their feet as another scream echoed around them. Sesshomaru wasn't sure whether to grab Mika and head back to the village or to find the source of the noise. A big part of him didn't want to run, he wasn't a coward after all, but he knew that whatever made that noise was moments away from death. It wouldn't be wise for the two of them to stay here any longer.
Mika seemed just as conflicted as he was, but she was inching towards where the sound had come from. Sesshomaru reached over and grabbed her arm.
"We should go," he told her.
"But... what if someone needs help?" Mika asked. She was nervously chewing on her lip. Sesshomaru pulled her in the opposite direction.
"It's too late, trust me."
"You don't know that for sure," she argued. Sesshomaru opened his mouth to snap at her that they needed to go, but a rancid stench filled his senses and made him gag instead. He had never in his life smelled something like this. Not even the herbs they used to fool Minoru could compare. Mika looked shocked at how quickly Sesshomaru was getting sick, but he noticed her face was scrunched up in distaste as well. Obviously whatever this was, the smell was strong enough for it to be affecting her as well. Mika removed her arm from Sesshomaru's grasp and grabbed his hand instead. She quickly lead them away from the field and back to the dead log they always used to cross over. It took a few minutes for the barrier to open again. Once it did though, they hurriedly crossed back into the safety of the barrier. Moriko was waiting to greet them, a worried look on her face.
"What happened? You came back so quickly," she asked.
"We heard this terrible noise and then suddenly the field we were in reeked like... like-"
"Death," Sesshomaru supplied.
"Right, death. So we came back. I don't know what it could have been though," Mika explained.
"In any case, we promised you we'd come back at the first signs of danger." Sesshomaru said. Moriko let out a sigh of relief.
"I'm so glad that you did. Honestly, it couldn't have been a better time."
"What do you mean?" they asked the brunette.
"Father sent guards to find Yasuhiro just a little while ago. I think he's received word from your fathers."
"What? When?" Sesshomaru urged.
"Like I said, just a little while ago. They'd just started speaking when I felt your presence near the barrier." Moriko motioned towards the village. "Why don't we head back. Maybe they're finished and Yasuhiro can tell you what's going on."
The threesome made their way back towards Minoru's home. Sesshomaru's mind was reeling. He had not had any correspondence from his father for weeks, not since the letter they'd received saying he and Tamotsu would be gone even longer than expected. Would they finally be returning? Would Sesshomaru finally be leaving this horrible, dirty village where he was constantly surrounded by fox demons who hated him? The young dog hoped so. He couldn't wait to be up in the clouds again in his own home, far away from these unfamiliar lands. Sesshomaru looked at the crimson-haired girl beside him. He wondered if Mika would like it up in the sky. He supposed it didn't really matter if she didn't, because unlike here, Sesshomaru was free to go whenever he pleased. The two of them could travel anywhere they wanted in the western lands.
Mika looked over at him as they stepped into her home. Sesshomaru wondered if the hopeful excitement shining in her crimson eyes was reflected in his as well.
He had a feeling, as he looked at her, that she was going to absolutely love it in the west. In fact, he was certain it would become home to her, just as it was for him.