The True Holder of Shikon
Disclaimer - I do not own Inuyasha.
4 - Answers under the Moon
The small fire they made crackled and snapped as they sat in a deadly lock-down of silence. Sesshoumaru gazed steadily and emotionlessly at her. Sango stared into the fire, as if enchanted by the seductive spell it had cast.
"I have come to seek answers to my questions." Her gaze flicked to him when he began to speak, her chocolate brown eyes guarded and masked.
"Well, Sesshoumaru, there are probably some answers that I cannot provide for you." He narrowed his amber orbs. She gazed at him. Inside, she was screaming to burst out with compliments about how gorgeous he was. She would not risk a blush because she knew he would catch it and it would only cause him to taunt her.
"To get to the point, why did you help me?" She knew exactly what he was talking about.
"To be truthfully honest in every way possible, Sesshoumaru, I helped you because I knew that my brother was there. And it would have been my responsibility if he had harmed the little girl. I apologize to you for his behavior."
"You need not do that, taiji-ya." He said in a chill voice. "My brother already explained it." She nodded and closed her mouth. "Second question, you were wounded and knew you would die. Why help me control my bloodlust?"
"Because I could tell how much it hurt you to hold it back by yourself. Don't get me wrong, you were... doing well considering the situation. But I didn't want you to go into a killing spree. There has been enough violence in my life and I'm sure in yours, as well. Besides, the only violence I need is to kill Naraku." At this, her eyes dimmed.
"Revenge cannot go to you, correct?" He asked quietly. She nodded.
"Inuyasha seems to think that I am the successor of Midoriko. He just only now told me about the fact that our scents are similar. And I guess my memories..." She trailed off. "That was the only evidence we needed."
"What will you do?"
"About what?"
"Naraku." He said in an impatient tone.
"Oh." She looked back down into the fire. "We are currently searching for his location. Our miko, Kagome, has gone back to her time for a while so we came in search of Midoriko's scent." She explained. "We know only that Naraku is no mere push-over."
"That in itself is true." Sesshoumaru leaned back and studied her more. "He did plan to use me to kill that half-breed brother of mine."
"Now?"
"Before you even joined this pathetic little group." He scowled. His tone was tinged with annoyance and impatience.
"Well, this pathetic little group does fine by itself!" She snapped suddenly, annoyed with him for calling them pathetic. He growled and, before she knew it, had her pinned to the tree by her neck.
"Think before you speak and choose your words carefully, human." He said in a low, menacing voice. And there was no doubt in either of their minds that he would kill her without a second thought.
"Fine, youkai." She stated. "Do you have any more questions that you might want answers to?"
"Yes." She kept herself still. She didn't want to shiver and show him that he had an affect on her. He released her and she dropped to the ground, not being able to catch herself. She glared up at him silently then crawled back to her spot and tenderly touched her sore neck. "Why did you hold me?" She stiffened.
"E-Excuse me?" She asked, gazing up at him incredulously. He knew she heard him and that was very clear by the expression on her face. He simply gave her his impassive look and she bit her lip. She really hadn't known why she had done it. "Well..." She began. She knew he could tell if she was lying. She was, in some circumstances, a good liar. But this was different. He was monitoring her with every little sense he could. "I-I felt you tremble." She closed her eyes, reliving the memory. "Y-You were... afraid of losing control and I worried that you would slip." She felt her eyes sting a bit. "My brother used to do the very same thing. He would shake out of fear and I would hold him. I would help him fight his nightmares, his fears, away." The Taiyoukai remained silent for a moment, deep in thought.
"Tell me why you believe it would have worked." He could smell that she was uncomfortable with the subject and even afraid of the truth. But he didn't care. He wasn't out to worry for her or her petty emotions... He was out for answers. He didn't care what he had to do to get them.
"It worked for me, also. When I was young, my mother used to hold me. Then she died, giving birth to Kohaku." She sighed. "After that, it was up to me to be the caretaker of my father and brother. I was the only woman living there and my father never remarried." She snorted. "I was surprised that he didn't take a wife. I knew he was interesting in one woman in particular. I didn't take to her and neither did my brother. But he continued to flirt and see her, thinking we didn't know." He frowned. "And there was never a time when he held me. Never."
"Humans." He said in disgust. She looked up at him and her eyes glinted.
"All right. If you want to play it that way. Tell me, did your mother ever hold you?" He stiffened.
"I do not need to answer to you." She let out a short laugh.
"That's youkai for yes." She muttered. "I understand the way you talk. Inuyasha does it all the time. Scoff and say things like that all you want. I won't believe a damn word." He scowled.
"You dare to compare me to that whelp AND insult me?" He was almost losing grip of his anger.
"Sure, I'll do all of that and more. Don't think you can tell me any lies, youkai." She shot back. "And that whelp happens to be a friend of mine so you can back off on the insults towards him."
"Friend?" He asked, frowning. "His scent is all over you. I could almost call that a lie and say you were lovers."
"Shows how much you know, bastard!" She growled, her eyes narrowing. "He wouldn't sleep with me nor I him! He's after Kagome."
"And why would you not go after him, hmm, taiji-ya? Is it that houshi?"
"That is none of your damn business!" He smirked at her, though he was angered at her insolence.
"That, of course, is youkai for yes."
"Asshole." She stood up. "I don't need to take some verbal abuse from a sick, twisted youkai lord who can't even admit that he was young once and even HAD a mother to care for him and who still holds a childish grudge against his brother for some damn sword!" He stood quickly to his feet.
"I dare you to repeat that, foul human."
"You're a spoiled little coward, hiding under a facade that just proves and screams that you have bad memories and hurt feelings!" He growled and grabbed her by her hair. She didn't even flinch. She just kept staring up at him in anger.
"Such a stupid little human." He said in a soft, dangerous voice. "You dare to defy me by talking back to me and saying that I am a coward."
"Go ahead and deny to yourself that I am wrong. But I know it is the truth. I know you're hiding something, youkai." She said just as softly. "Go ahead and continue to lie to yourself. Keep telling yourself that you're the greatest and need no adjustment. You'll realize that the world as you view it is merely something that does not require your acceptance." Her words hit him and he growled. "Keep believing what you wish."
"Shut your treacherous mouth."
"Or what? You'll kill me? Go ahead and have some fun doing it, while your at it. Kill me and solve all your problems." He stared in anger at the girl who was mocking him, even while they both knew that he could kill her.
"You stupid little wench. How dare you mock me?"
"How dare I? Oh my goodness, did I just mock the great Lord of the Western Lands?" She feigned shock and mortification. This only served to anger him more. "You should think about what I said, you bastard. Then maybe you wouldn't be such a stupid jerk." He threw her against the tree next to him and he had wonderful images in his head of killing her.
"You seem to not fear death and that is why you do not fear me." His amber eyes glinted. "Is it possible that you, little human, are afraid of life?" This time, she realized, he was getting to her. "Am I such a coward in your eyes? At least I do not fear to live."
"You bastard!" She hauled off and slapped him. Right across the face. He stared at her before his eyes went red. "Go ahead and fucking kill me or let me live! Do whatever the hell you damn well please because I don't care!" Her brown eyes flashed. "You're just a stupid asshole who can't even tell yourself the truth!"
"What the fuck is going on!?" Inuyasha barged in on the scene, after hearing every single word of the conversation and finally decided that enough was enough. Sesshoumaru ignored him and stared down at the human whose life he held in his hand. She still stared up at him with defiance.
"I think you should let go of me now."
"I follow no one's orders." He snarled. "All humans are alike and you are nothing but a little human wench." Inuyasha found a certain respect for Sango. She sure as hell was a spitfire. She had one fiery temper. That's when Inuyasha saw it. That certain spark in his older brother's eyes. The one that meant he wasn't going to back down. No, this was a challenge.
"And you are just like most of the bastard men out there. Ones that care nothing for anyone else but themselves." The hanyou realized she was trying to make a breakthrough. She would be going at it for a while, he thought. "You hate everyone and believe you need no one."
"Feh, you little wench. You need to learn some respect."
"I need to learn respect?" She asked, scowling. "You need it more than I do. I'm not the one who started this damn fight."
"You are telling me that it is my own fault?"
"Yes, I am." Sesshoumaru was now seeing the fiery anger of this woman, not the fierce taiji-ya, not the laughing, kind human woman. He was seeing raw anger and pure hatred. "In fact, with that god-forsaken emotionless facade, I'm surprised you allowed yourself to show your anger."
"You are delving too deep."
"I don't give a damn." She was trying to stir up his anger, his frustration. She was trying to get him to talk. But she was getting angry and hurt at the same time. But she saw it in him. And she wasn't liking him at all right now. She was hating this bastard of a youkai.
"Okay, you two. Shut your damn mouths and come back to the village. We're gonna eat soon. I'm hungry and I know you, Sango, have not eaten all day." The two looked over at the hanyou. Sango looked ready to kill anyone who crossed her path and he knew better than to get in her way.
"Fine." They said in unison and the Taiyoukai let her go, walking ahead of both of them.
"What did you hear?" Sango asked the hanyou in a steady voice.
"Next to all of it." He walked forward and took her chin in his hand, tilting and turning her head to examine her neck. "I didn't trust him enough to leave the both of you alone." She said nothing but stared straight ahead.
"He is-"
"Look, I think you should drop it and leave it alone for now. I mean, you're gonna get yourself all fired up and we'll never be able to stop both of you once you go at each other's throats." He let go of her and crossed his arms. "He was born to be an asshole. That's all there is to it." She nodded. "Besides, the last thing we need is for you to get yourself killed now. Then you would never help to get revenge."
"I'll keep my distance as long as that bastard does the same." He had never seen her so rigid, so angry. Not even at Naraku.
"Okay."
Kagome looked guiltily at her friends.
"I wish I could explain it but I can't. You wouldn't believe me if I told you." The young miko was caught and worried. "But I will assure you that this will be over soon."
"What will be over?" Yuka asked, curious. Kagome sank to her knees and looked down at the ground. Now she couldn't even tell her best friends what was going on. She hated this... but somehow... she loved it. The feeling of her power.
"The fight. I hope." A tear rolled down her cheek and she fought with the rest. The truth was, she seldomly thought about something like this happening in her time. She should have been prepared. "I'm leaving tomorrow, guys. I can't stay here. It'll be too dangerous. The only reason I'm not leaving now is because I don't want to wake my mom by going back home."
"Kagome..." Eri frowned. "What happened? You used to tell us everything."
"I know I did and I'm really sorry that it has to be this way." She looked up at her friends. "I wish I could so much... but you'd be in danger."
"Kagome, are you in trouble?"
"Not in the way that you're thinking." Kagome shook her head. "Perhaps someday..."
Sango opened her eyes and yawned, exiting her home. She gazed around, searching for someone who was awake. Inuyasha and Miroku weren't outside...
"Figures." She muttered. But she knew this was the perfect time to bathe in the river. She kept a sharp eye out for her nemesis, Sesshoumaru... and her stalker, Miroku. She gave a short laugh. He was like a stalker. It was funny. But he wouldn't do anything to hurt her. He would just look for any excuse to see her naked or grope her. And she constantly slapped him or hit him with large objects.
"Where are you wandering off to?" She stiffened and turned around, narrowing her eyes.
"Why is that your business?" Sesshoumaru frowned and ignored her question.
"You still seem rude." Sango snorted.
"Do you think you can change my mind about you by slamming me into a tree?" She laughed dryly. "Sorry to say that it didn't work."
"Wench."
"Sadistic bastard." She gave him a glare and continued on her way. He didn't bother to go after her. She wasn't worth his time. Sango growled and tried to clear her head and rid herself of the anger she felt. Ohh... She wanted to kill him so much. She just wanted to take all of her frustration out on him. But she told Inuyasha that she would handle the situation. She would back down and give herself the chance to cool off. Besides, all of this at once was too much. And Kagome wasn't even here to talk to. There was just too much anger and stress on her mind and she had an even shorter fuse. Time to relax and hope no one pissed her off for a while.
Inuyasha felt tension. Too much tension.
"What happened?" Miroku asked, raising a brow when the hanyou growled.
"I'm guessin' there was a fight. I didn't hear one so maybe one of 'em walked off." Miroku still had no idea what happened and he sort of wanted to keep it that way. But he was curious.
"A fight?"
"Sango and Sesshoumaru. Their talk really went great last night." Inuyasha's sarcasm did not go unnoticed.
"How much did I miss?"
"Anger, pride, and a heated argument that went well beyond what happens when I argue with either of them." Miroku tensed.
"Is Sango all right?" The hanyou snorted.
"She can take care of herself." He mumbled. "Though, I don't know how far it would've gone if I hadn't interfered."
"Sango has had a temper lately. I would not be surprised if he would've killed her."
"Strange thing was, she hit some real dangerous spots with him. But he refrained from killing her. Of course, I would've stepped in if he even thought of the idea." Inuyasha was protective of the taiji-ya, that much was clear. But, also adding to his protectiveness was the fact that they needed her, she was their friend, and Kagome would do him some major damage if he let anything happen. "Here it comes." Sesshoumaru came back into the village, looking highly pissed off. He ignored them and went to sit somewhere quiet so that he could get rid of this feeling. Inuyasha smelled no blood in the air so he waited for Sango. When the taiji-ya finally came back, about an hour later, she seemed calm.
"Something happen?" Miroku asked, frowning at her. She simply waved his question off with a flick of her wrist and went to occupy herself by making them all something to eat.
"Hopefully, this will be all that we have to worry about." Shippou said quietly. He had heard about what had happened and it was clear that something did because of the marks on her neck.
Kagome packed herself and got ready to leave her friend's house. She waved good bye to them and began her walk home. She still had two days to gather herself together. Maybe Inuyasha would be pleased that she beat a youkai on her own and got them another shard of the jewel.
Maybe...
End of chapter 4! Please review!
Man, major dislike from Sango and Sesshoumaru. What new challenges will the next chapter bring?