AUTHOR'S NOTE: So, It's been a while since my last update and for that I am sorry. I'm honestly not sure how many of you actually read this, I rarely do, so if you don't its cool. But on the off chance you do, then I would like to say the reason I have been unable to update is because I am a full time college student and when I'm not in classes I'm at my job. I'm currently working so much, trying to save up money so I can afford a custom made Sesshomaru cosplay – so, fingers crossed – also I'm immensely excited about it. I don't know where any of you live but I'm planning on attending the Orlando, FL Anime Convention next year (2015) in a fully done Sesshomaru cosplay. So, if you end up attending and see me come say, "HI!" 'Cause that would be amazing, anyway sorry for boring you with my personal stuff – but once I have the entire cosplay completed and my make up has come in the mail, I'm getting some photos done and if you'd like to be linked to it let me know! (: It would be best to get feedback from ACTUAL Sesshomaru fans. Anyway, hope you enjoy the newest chapter!
Also, this storyline does not exactly line up with the series, I know. I am only in season five of the show as I recently have decided to go back and watch it. I was 12 almost ten years ago when I watched it for the first time and never watched it in order. So, that being said, in this story Sesshomaru did go to Totosai to fix Tenseiga and he learned the Meido – but he has not procured Bakusaiga and he did not break Tokijin. I know in the series there are "feelings" conveyed between Kagura and Sesshomaru (be it compassion, loss, or something more) but for the intent of this story just pretend that doesn't exist.
xxx.
{WHEN OUR STORY BEGAN…}
Lord Sesshomaru known throughout the land as the Formidable Lord of the West, son of the Great Demon Dog, Inutaisho and wielder of the sacred fang, Tenseiga. His reputation precedes his presence, for it instills fear in any human and demon of consequence. Although, the reputation of a certain half-breed stretches farther into even the knowledge of common men and meager demons, the Tale of Inuyasha and his perpetual quest for the shards of the Shikon Jewel. Sesshomaru knew this, for he himself had heard of his half-breed brother's feeble quest whilst he made an unusual stop at a human village, only then learning his brother had been awoken from the sacred arrow that spelled him to a tree 50 years previously.
The knowledge of this did not send familial emotion through the demon lord, but a thrill of excitement, Tessiaga was within his grasp once more. Lord Sesshomaru was a demon driven a single desire, power. He longed to exceed his late father in strength and with the Tessiaga at his hip he not only surpass his father but all demons in the land. With that he had left the village, as he had appeared in it, unseen by the dull-witted mortals. He then made his way to the Village of the wretched mortal priestess who had subdued his humiliating half-breed of a brother.
Yes, Inuyasha's reputation had preceded his own, but by only the folly of his humiliating existence.
Half-breeds, to Lord Sesshomaru, for all intents and purposes were below that of even the dull-witted humans that plagued his lands.
Half-Breeds were a disgraceful blot on the memory of any self-respecting demon and as such, deserved nothing more than death.
xxx.
{THE PRESENT.}
"Sesshomaru, huh?"
Inuyasha snorted with a bored drawl as he leaned back beneath a tree outside of his village. Below the hill was the small village he'd learned to call home over the past few years, although most of his time was still spent on the road with his friends, he did return from time to time for a leisurely break – more so because Kagome commanded it.
The Flea demon jumped to Inuyasha's shoulder from the knee of cross-legged demon sword smith sitting across from Inuyasha.
"Indeed, Master Inuyasha. It seems Sesshomaru may desire a new sword."
Myoga noted from his seated position of the dog demon's shoulder. Inuyasha huffed as he slipped Tessiaga from his waist and placed it against his shoulder,
"Yeah well, Sesshomaru is as arrogant as the day is long," Inuyasha stated as he looked over at the silent sword smith, "Hey! Totosai, why're you so damn quiet?" Inuyasha demanded as he sniffed towards the thoughtful demon, attempting to ascertain Totosai's mood from his scent.
"This is not good…" Totosai's rough voice grumbled as his brow furrowed, he still seemed to pay no mind to Inuyasha's presence.
"Hey," Inuyasha was now standing up knocking on the top of Totosai's head. "I'm right here, ya know!"
"Master Inuyasha, there's more," Myoga continued. Inuyasha stopped his abuse of the Sword Smith's noggin and looked down at the flea demon.
"Yeah? Well why don't ya just spit it out, Myoga?" He asked in brash irritation as he fell back into his cross-legged position against the old tree.
"When he left Totosai's mountain we felt…well…a presence," Sweat began to appear upon the brow of the flea demon. "The Priestess Tsubaki-"
"Tsubaki? I killed that sorry excuse for a priestess years ago!" Inuyasha retorted before Myoga could continue.
"It would seem, Master Inuyasha that the priestess was more demon than human."
Impatience marring the gold of Inuyasha's inquisitive orbs as he stared down at the flea demon, "Well, Myoga? Ya gonna tell me what ya mean by that?"
Myoga was now sweating profusely as if the mere thought of the priestess and his own unspoken thoughts had made him deaf to Inuyasha's words. Though this was short lived as suddenly Inuyasha picked Myoga up between two fingers,
"HEY! How bout you start telling me exactly what's going on Myoga?"
"Master Inuyasha," wheezed the small demon as he attempted to find his breath from Inuyasha's rough grasp. "I simply meant that if even a part of the priestess had remained after your battle with her those many years ago.."
"YEAH? SPIT IT OUT MYOGA!"
"…she could have regenerated."
Inuyasha scoffed at this and let the flea go, who promptly jumped back onto Inuyasha's right shoulder.
"Impossible, Myoga. I used the Backlash Wave on her, nothing was left."
"Are you certain, Master Inuyasha? Did you check?"
"What? No, I mean…" Inuyasha pouted slightly, he hadn't thought to check, I didn't even know that was a possibility. Tsubaki being powerful enough to regenerate..
Inuyasha became so lost in his own thoughts he hadn't noticed Kagome's approach only minutes before but it was her voice that pulled him from his internal anxiety.
"Well, clearly it is possible, Inuyasha. Myoga, you said before that Totosai was on the run? Does it have to do with Tsubaki?" Kagome asked as she curled her knees to her right and sat leaning against her left hip.
"No, It was Sesshomaru we were initially fleeing…" Myoga spoke with a visible shudder at the thought of the Demon Lord. Then suddenly Myoga took his gaze from his own hands and looked pointedly at Inuyasha who was now sitting quietly.
"Master Inuyasha shortly after we left from feeling Sesshomaru's aura it abruptly disappeared."
"What'd ya mean? Like he hid it?"
"Precisely, though I know not why."
At this Inuyasha laughed, "That's a first usually he's walking around flaunting it," after a moment though Inuyasha's face hardened and his mouth grew into a taut frown, " That bastard must be up to something…"
"That is very true," Totosai's gravely voice finally entered the conversation. "Sesshomaru is a proud demon and would not hide it otherwise."
As the small group sat in silence under the swaying green leaves in the breeze of the bright summer sky, Kagome's thoughts shifted from Sesshomaru's potentially malevolent intentions and to his kind hearted companion.
"I wonder how Rin is doing…I haven't seen her in a few years now."
At this Inuyasha's quiet revere was broken as he looked at his girlfriend (because she refused to be referred to as a "mate") incredulously and Kagome did not miss the look. She crossed her arms and indignantly stared back,
"What?"
Inuyasha scoffed and looked away from Kagome, his attention resting in the cloud above him and his friends.
"She may not even be alive anymore, Kagome. That smug bastard hasn't changed since the day you first met him. He's still the same cold and heartless human hating bastard."
"I don't think so, Inuyasha. When you look at Sesshomaru that's all you see and I get that…" She paused and she let her attention divert to the hem of her green skirt as she flattened it against her knees. "…But I think he's changed having Rin around him, something seems different."
At this Inuyasha scoffed and laid down, placing his arms underneath his head as he stared up into the bright blue sky. Totosai sighed as he gave Myoga a nervous look, Mo-Mo mooed complacently from a patch of shade on the opposite side of the tree, and Kagome looked off into the distance.
It's not as if everything was going to be easy forever…Naraku may be gone, but it seems an old evil has returned…but we'll be ready.
Kagome thought confidently.
I do hope Rin is alright though…its been so many years since any of us have seen either her or Sesshomaru.
xxx.
The day began to slowly creep away beneath the horizon as the crisp scent of twilight began to tinge the air.
Sesshomaru sat resolute against a large oak that was far enough from his companions' camp that he could find solace from the unyielding stare of his befuddled vassal and the worried aura of his ward.
His eyes narrowed as his mind drifted over the events of the past few days, he had set out to approach Totosai for a new sword and the sword smith had evaded him once again.
However, Sesshomaru's mind was no longer focused on obtaining a new sword but hunting down the witch who cursed him.
Strange…Sesshomaru considered his hand, he still had claws but they were shorter. His brow furrowed as he brought his hand up to touch his right ear, it was soft and warm. He twitched at the sensation and and wave of rage hit him, another sign of weakness in his newly cursed form.
Sesshomaru had attempted to regain his true form many times over the last couple of days and to no avail. He could feel his power swirl around him and expand through every inch of his being from his core.
He pulled his hand from the soft dog ear and clenched his fist, feeling his nails dig into his palm viciously.
This is unacceptable.
The attempted transformations caused him to almost loose his control, all the demon blood flowing through his veins was superfluous without the strength and the body of his true self.
How quaint…This must be how that disgraceful half-breed feels…
At this thought Sesshomaru restrained himself from laughing at how ironic his current predicament was for he too was now a disgraceful half-breed.
That vile woman…I will kill her.
He felt his teeth clench, his mind moving towards thoughts of slicing the woman to bits with his bare hands.
"Lord Sesshomaru,"
A small voice brought his attention to reality; he turned his head to face Rin. She was kneeling to his right a worried look on her face.
"What is it, Rin?" His usual baritone conveying none of the internal turmoil and rage he was currently experiencing.
Rin looked up into his unreadable amber eyes that seemed to convey very little if no emotion ever. But when Rin looked into his eyes she was unable to hold back the small gasp that left her lips.
Sesshomaru's eyes were not cold and indifferent tonight, though his voice and face conveyed nothing more than usual. But Rin felt herself lean involuntarily forward and she was uncertain why she was leaning towards him and was expecting him to stop her, but he did not.
"Lord Sesshomaru?"
Sesshomaru heard the question in her voice but was distracted by her scent and felt helpless to move away from her and let a low growl rumble from deep in his chest. She was so close to him and her breathe brushed against his lips and suddenly Sesshomaru felt something ignite within him he'd never felt before, it was something he had always considered himself above.
But it was there swirling at the pit of his gut and it was warm and overwhelming, an unknown energy that seemed to pop and crackle with him. Making his throat dry and his heart beat thud erratically.
This sensation was like those he'd experienced in the past around Rin, but now they were enhanced and began to consume his resolve.
Rin could not remove her gaze from her Lord's amber eyes.
He was tired.
His eyes conveyed his exhaustion and…hopelessness?
No.
Lord Sesshomaru was strong she thought she could not possibly be seeing anything so human in her Lord.
Rin looked back down at his hand.
A small puddle of blood had begun to form beneath the still tightly clenched fist.
Being braver than she'd been ever in her many years she reached out gently and touched his hand.
Involuntarily and to Sesshomaru's own surprise his hand relaxed in her small grasp, she turned his hand over and inspected the palm.
"Hmm…you should be alright."
"Rin…" his voice forcefully frigid in its demand for her attention, she looked up but still hand his hand gently in her own.
"Yes, Milord?"
"Why are you not asleep?
"I was worried about you, Milord."
xxx.
author's note: Okay, writing Sesshomaru believably in Half-Demon form is probably one of the most difficult tasks I've ever under taken and I'm still not fully happy with it. Hopefully I'll figure it out and become more comfortable as I continue writing. Please Review!