Updated Feb 2017

With all due respect to Rumiko Takahashi for brilliance!

The Third (part 1)

There was no sense of comfort from the fire that warmed its tense audience. Even though they had had no interference from the hidden youkai from the village, they couldn't relax regardless of how comfortable the environment around them was. Kagome, Sango, Miroku, and Shippo ate silently on ramen and grilled fish, while Inuyasha sat away from them, unmoving, staring off in the distance. His mind had been mulling over what happened after his fight with Kilomaru ever since they left the village. Who in the world is this guy, he thought, he smelled just like that bastard, Sesshomaru…but…something about his scent was…off. He looked down as he curled his toes through the dirt and growled to himself in frustration. Damnit! Who the hell is he?!

Miroku leaned toward Sango, eyes ever-present on their hanyou companion, voice low with unease, "He still hasn't spoken."

Sango mirrored his concerned look, "He hasn't eaten anything either," she glanced over at the worried monk, "And it's his favorite."

Shippo looked up with a mouthful of food. Though he had been just as quiet as the others, he seemed to be the only one that had some positivity left, the naiveté of youth blurring his sense of fear. "Whoever that youkai was must've really spooked him," he said after swallowing, "He was shaking as much as I was!"

Coming out of nowhere, Myoga the flea jumped up onto Shippo's shoulder. "It must have been the odd scent that Inuyasha-sama picked up after his battle with Kilomaru," his squeaky voice grabbed everyone's attention.

Shippo smiled, eyes glinting at their tiny friend, "Oh, hey Myoga!"

Inuyasha broke out of his thoughts and turned towards them, "What was that, Myoga?!" His voice was clearly annoyed, but at least he was speaking.

Myoga ignored Inuyasha and continued, "Yes, that was a strange scent indeed," his four stubby arms crossed nonchalantly across his chest, "It was a great deal like Inuyasha-sama's older brother, Sesshomaru-sama, but there was definitely something differe…"

Inuyasha bolted at Shippo and Myoga, yelling irately at the little flea, "YOU MEAN YOU WERE THERE ALL ALONG AND YOU DIDN'T SAY ANYTHING?!"

Myoga squealed and dashed behind Shippo's neck, "I'm s…sorry Inuyasha-sama, f…forgive me for not mentioning it sooner."

Inuyasha snarled, grabbed the flea, squished him between his fingers, and let him fall to the ground. Myoga re-inflated with a pop and jumped back up onto Inuyasha's shoulder, annoyed and fearful, but overall unharmed.

Fearing further squishing he didn't quite deserve, Kagome decided to try and direct some of Inuyasha's violence away from the old flea, "How could another youkai have Sesshomaru-sama's smell?"

"Hmph, that's what's buggin' me," he sat down in a huff with his arms crossed, "I know it isn't Sesshomaru. I mean, he's got a pretty distinct smell." He wrinkled his nose and looked down at the ground, "Apart from that…they were basically the same...even down to his youki."

Myoga added confidently but carefully, "If I may say anything master, the scent did smell a great deal like your father as well. And his was definitely a scent you remembered I have to say," he smiled at the memory, "Ah, one of the better traits you and your brother inherited."

"But didn't Inuyasha's father die a long time ago?" Kagome asked, her growing curiosity ebbing through the tones of her words.

The flea nodded, "Yes, you visited his grave yourself when Sesshomaru-sama tried to gain possession of the Tetsusaiga."

"Is it possible that Inu no Taisho-sama could have been resurrected?" Miroku asked curtly.

Inuyasha broke in, "Not likely," he pointed to his right eye, "The only way you can get to the old man's tomb is right here."

The monks eyes grew in wonder, "Fascinating!"

Shippo was equally surprised, "You mean the path to your father's tomb is in your eye?"

"Yup, that means there's no way anyone can get to his remains without me finding out. Well…at least none that I've seen," he added with a shrug. Internally he began to wonder about the possibilities. Could someone have found a way to his father's remains? What would happen if a youkai that powerful were to be resurrected? He couldn't help but shudder at the thought.

"That still doesn't explain why he smells so familiar to you Inuyasha," Sango added, "And, like hoshi-sama said back in the village, the youki was like nothing we've ever felt before."

Miroku closed his eyes in concentration. "Yes, we sensed an enormous youki, to the level of daiyoukai if I'm not mistaken, but…it was very strange. Youkai usually have this…evil energy surrounding them, jaki to those who know the many youkai terms," he motioned to Shippo and Inuyasha, "Even if they are good by nature and action, they will still have a level of jaki that surrounds them…but…" his eyes fell again, "I could feel nothing like that from this youkai, just his powerful presence. Youkai, yes, but no darkness, no jaki. Very strange indeed."

"That's the feeling I got when I felt the sacred jewel shards," Kagome said quietly, almost to herself.

The group all turned to her in surprise.

Inuyasha was the first to speak, "What do you mean, Kagome?"

She looked up, realizing she did, in fact, speak aloud. Her eyes dashed between each of them and she swallowed, "Well, Kilomaru's shard was tainted with darkness…jaki…because he was a youkai," she lowered her eyebrows as she focused on the memory, "These shards felt like they were still pure, like they weren't even being tainted at all. They were…like ours."

"So this youkai seems to be collecting shards like we are, yet not tainting them," Miroku's hand went to his chin as he thought hard, "Even though he isn't using the shards, they should still be tainted with his jaki. Hm, troublesome and intriguing at the same time. What could his plans be?"

"I don't have any idea what the guy plans to do with 'em. But if he's got shards, then he's gonna hand 'em over," Inuyasha clenched his fist and smiled, his usual confident tone had returned though there was still a hint of apprehension behind his words, "As long as Kagome can keep track of him, we won't have any problem finding out where he's hiding."

"Um…" Kagome couldn't help but fall into herself slightly, "About that…"

Inuyasha's glare was hard, "About what?"

"I uh…" her fingers fiddled nervously, "I couldn't sense them anymore after we left the village."

"WHAT?!"

"I don't know! It's like they just disappeared!" She couldn't look up at him, her shame at failing at the 'only job she was good for' kept her eyes glued to her feet.

Inuyasha was nearing lividity in anger, "Well, how the hell are we gonna track him now?!"

"Well if we had fought him like all of us wanted, then we wouldn't have to look for him," Shippo's words were that of a confident child, but they made sense.

"Don't change the subject, Shippo!"

"No, the kitsune has a point," Miroku looked at him and raised an eyebrow, "Why didn't you engage him earlier?"

Inuyasha stuck his nose in the air, "Can't I learn a little bit about my opponent before barging in unprepared?"

The monk smiled and arched his eyes sarcastically, "Yes of course you can, however…you are more of the barging in type."

"Keh, whatever," Inuyasha mumbled.

Kagome was gratefully amused by Miroku and Inuyasha's little squabble, and secretly thanked both the monk and kitsune for rerouting Inuyasha's ire away from her. The atmosphere was finally returning to a sense of normality. Well, maybe not completely normal due to their new, unknown, possible adversary, but normal enough to at least get Inuyasha back to his usual 'charming' self again. She managed to just get a much needed smile on her face when a sharp, familiar bolt hit her senses. She jumped up to her feet, fear masking over her face as she stared at the wall of fire-lit fog to the west of their campsite.

"I'm picking up jewel shards…the jewel shards. They're coming this way," she was shaking but her voice was serious.

Her reaction stopped all aspirations of a comfortable evening in an instant. Inuyasha rushed beside her while the others gathered behind, weapons drawn, prepared for the worst.

"How close is he Kagome?" Inuyasha asked through clenched teeth then tensed as the familiar, yet unfamiliar, scent reached him again.

She noticed his change in posture. "Real close," she started to back up towards Inuyasha and pointed directly in front of her, "That way."

Kagome could feel the youkai's presence now. It was just as Miroku had described, no darkness, just power. It was a wonder she hadn't noticed the difference before, though, her initial thought in the village had been on the jewel shards and the hanyou who had frozen, yet again, at her side.

The youki didn't necessarily feel stronger than Naraku, and it definitely didn't have the sheer evil jaki that Naraku had around him, yet something about the way Inuyasha was reacting and the sheer foreign nature of it on their senses made chills run down her spine stronger than what she had ever felt with Naraku. Who could this youkai be to make them react so strongly? In the back of her mind, she almost wished the youkai was evil. Evil they could handle. Evil they were used to. It was just…there…like a mountain standing in a barren field.

"It's definitely him, Inuyasha. This is the same youki as before," Miroku said, obviously picking up the same feeling as Kagome. She could hear the fear in his words though he tried his best to keep it off his face.

Taking initiative, Inuyasha broke out of his frozen state, ran in front of the group, and yelled out to the fog, his sword's glow burning through the thick air, "Come out and fight you coward!"

As if on command, a tall figure slowly began to take shape through the mist, his steps making no sound even through the tense silence. The fog-muted silhouette looked a great deal like Sesshomaru, almost unwelcomingly so. The armor he wore was just like the daiyoukai lord except it arched over both shoulders instead of one, making his large frame seem even more massive. The pelt he wore didn't come over his right shoulder like Sesshomaru's but fell behind his left and his thigh length hair wasn't left loose but pulled high up behind his head.

Myoga's voice came out in an astounded huff, "I…Inu no Taisho-s…sama. It…it can't be…"

Inuyasha froze again and turned to Myoga on his shoulder, his eyes angled in a furious glare, "Myoga, don't you dare say that! The old man is dead remember?"

The figure's smooth bass resonated through the tensed group, "Indeed, Inuyasha…"

Inuyasha turned quickly back toward the sound, just as the youkai's form took shape through the fog. The breeze blew through his long, silver-white hair, reflecting the moon's glow like it was producing its own light. His narrow, golden eyes pierced through each member of the group, be it measuring them up for a fight or out of curiosity, they didn't know.

His gaze finally fell back on Inuyasha and the slightest hint of a smirk crossed his lips, "…Our father is dead."

A bolt struck Inuyasha as his words hit like a stake through the chest. His grip on the Tetsusaiga faltered and the blade fell to the ground with a metallic clunk. "O…our f…fath…" the utter astonishment made his body shake and his voice heavy.

The youkai continued calmly, his stoic face never betraying anything, "I am the daiyoukai, Inunomaru, son of Inu no Taisho-sama, and your eldest brother, Inuyasha."

All their eyes practically bugged out of their skulls, "WHAT?!"

bum Bum BUM!

Till next time ;)