Author's Note: Well, hi again. Um… not really much to say, but here's chapter two…
Chapter Two
"Take me damn it!" Sou'unga's voice scattered through the forest it landed in. Its voice echoed through the dusty plains. The yōkai got closer to the sword, doubting if it should reach out and take the talking thing. "I can give you power beyond your wildest dreams, and make you ruler of this world," Sou'unga said in a devious voice. 'This yōkai's body should do until I find a better suitable one, and I know just where to find it.' The yōkai reached out his hand. As he was just about to rest his hand on Sou'unga's handle. "Take me!" Sou'unga demanded. Without further hesitation, the yōkai took a firm grip on Sou'unga. "Perfect," Sou'unga spoke. "Onto Takemaru's grave."
Sesshōmaru stepped on the rocky surface. His eyes were full of frustration. 'Damn it Sou'unga, where have you gone?' He was searching for his father's sword who escaped but only yesterday. He looked at his left arm, now with confusion in his eyes. 'Why did father stand up from the grave? Why is he here?' Sesshōmaru turned around and looked at the cliff where his father had cut Inuyasha's arm off. He was now a far distance from the cliff and lower than it. He turned to look in front of him again. 'Sou'unga went in this direction. Tenseiga should tell me when I am close to it.'
"Sesshōmaru-sama!" Rin ran up after him. "Where are we going?"
As usual, Sesshōmaru didn't answer the little girl's question.
"Jaken-sama, where is Sesshōmaru-sama going?" Rin asked the green coloured creature, goblin thing.
"Baka! Don't you know that Sesshōmaru-sama is going after that sword?" Jaken informed the little girl.
"Oh," Rin said with amazement in her eyes then she looked up at Sesshōmaru again. "Jaken-sama…"
"What!"
"I'm hungry…"
Kagome threw some water over the fire to make sure it's dead. "Well so much for cleaning up the campsite."
"I wonder where Inuyasha went with his dad…" Sango said whilst giving Kirara something to drink.
"Obviously they'd like to be alone, we've kept them company all night last night and they couldn't really speak in private with each other," Miroku said, wiping the dust off from his staff.
"I wonder why Inuyasha's dad only waited until daylight to have some time alone with Inuyasha though…" Kagome replied.
"Hmm? You mean you don't get it?" Saya spoke.
"What do you mean Saya-jichan?" Kagome spoke to the old man.
"Inu no Taishō wanted to know you guys better as well," Saya explained.
"But why would he rather get to know us first than his own son?" Kagome asked and sat down on a dusty rock.
"It's dangerous to go out on your own late at night," Myōga jumpe dup and down on Kagome's shoulder, "And Inu no Taishō doesn't know how strong Inuyasha-sama is. Not to mention that Inuyasha-sama is injured and if Inu no Taishō was just revived then he still has the wounds he got in the battles he died in. It was just a matter of not putting Inuyasha-sama in danger!"
"Oh, that makes sense, I guess," Kagome told the flea.
"Well let's just give them some time," Miroku said, and sat down next to Sango…
"You've sure gotten bigger since I saw you," Inu no Taishō stood in a beautiful field of flowers, with a breeze of wind blowing in his hair. Inuyasha was sitting in his normal doggy-position, down on all fours, next to his father. (A/N: You know, like when Kikyo and Inuyasha used to meet up in the… place… then Inuyasha stubbornly sat like that the whole time)
"You died, it's understandable…" Inuyasha spoke in his old stubborn-shy voice. (A/N: Same voice he used to speak with Kikyo with)
Inu no Taishō looked down at his son, then kneeled down on one knee, his left arm resting on his left knee that was in the air, and his other hand resting on Inuyasha's right, injured shoulder. "I'm sorry I wasn't there for you, I would've loved to have been there through your childhood."
"Like I said, you died, it's understandable…" Inuyasha repeated himself. "Besides… you died for me… and that's enough that you did for me."
"Well I'm glad you're not mad at me."
"Mad? Why would I be mad? Just because I've never seen your face before or ever spoken to you doesn't mean I'm mad or don't like you…" Inuyasha spoke from deep within his heart, last time he spoke like this was with Kagome. "It's just hard to have a great father when you never knew how great he was or what he looked like. And Sesshōmaru wasn't any help either."
Inu no Taishō chuckled at that remark. "Well I'm here now," he stood up but kept his eyes on Inuyasha. Inuyasha remained in his position, no bone in his body moved, not even his head, he was just staring at the ground now. "Well get up, we have a sword to catch."
Inuyasha got up and stood in front of his father now. They stared at each other, face to face, eye to eye. The wind carried their hair through the air, cherry blossom pedals falling on them.
"Dad…" Inuyasha suddenly spoke, and fell into his arms like a little puppy. Inu no Taishō welcomed the embrace.
The yōkai stopped in front of a grave, holding Sou'unga up. "Arise from your grave, Takemaru," Sou'unga demanded.
"Why should I?" Takemaru replied.
"Hmp, don't you want revenge on Inu no Taishō? For stealing the woman's heart whom you loved?"
"He's dead, so am I. There's nothing more that can be done. Go away."
"Oh, but he has two sons, you can kill them for revenge. Besides, Inu no Taishō has been revived. I've seen him with my own eyes."
Silence.
"Where?" Takemaru's voice crept out from his grave.
"Arise and I will happily show you. And we can have revenge on Izayoi too, for choosing that mononoke over you."
"Izayoi?"
A moment of silence occurred.
Takemaru's grave started to tremble, and the ground scattered away making a hole in the ground which Takemaru climbed out of, his skin returning to him.
Standing on the cliff and looking at the direction Sou'unga flew to, Kagome walked up to Inuyasha and Inu no Taishō.
"Um… now what?" She asked them.
"Now we go find Sou'unga," Inu no Taishō spoke. Then felt a twinge in his stomach. 'Something's not right…'
"But Oyakata-sama (A/N: Master)! Sir!" Myōga bowed down to him on Inuyasha's shoulder. "Surely you still have the wound from Ryukōssei! You can't go out and fight Sou'unga with hat wound, it caused your death last time!" Myōga reminded him and brought back the unpleasant memories.
"You still have the wound from Ryukōssei?" Inuyasha suddenly snapped.
Inu no Taishō nodded. "It's not as bad as it was before I died." There was a little pause, "Inuyasha."
"Uh… aa?" Inuyasha said surprised at his father's sudden demand.
"I don't suppose you know about anyone with the name Takemaru?" His father asked.
"Uh… no, why? Should I?" Inuyasha asked.
"Sou'unga obviously went to his grave. Just follow the direction Sou'unga went, Tessaiga should lead you there."
"But what about you?" Inuyasha asked.
"I'm going to your mother's grave. I don't know where it is, but I'll find it," He said in his old jolly voice, hiding the bad feeling he has within.
"Aa," Inuyasha nodded. (A/N: Aa, as in an informal yes in Japanese )
"I'll eventually meet up with you, so don't wait for me," Inu no Taishō said then without any further delay, he ran off.
"Okay… did your dad mean Tessaiga will lead you to Sou'unga, or this Takemaru's grave?" Kagome questioned.
"I think he meant Sou'unga, but let's just see where it leads us, maybe we'll come across this Takemaru's grave. If Sou'unga has been there, we should come across there." Inuyasha spoke.
"Inuaysha-sama, don't you think we should wait until your arm has fully recovered?" Myōga asked.
"It already did! Baka! Did you forget that I am a fast healer?" Inuyasha yelled then allowed Kagome to get on his back.
"But Inuyasha-sama-" Myōga couldn't finish his sentence as Inuyasha flicked him off. "Miroku, Sango, let's go."
"Sesshōmaru-sama… I'm scared!" Rin cried. "The forest went all creepy!" The forest wasn't as beautiful anymore as from where they started. It looked like there was a fire there to be exact.
Sesshōmaru rested his hand on Tenseiga which was pulsing. 'What is Tenseiga trying to tell me? Did I go the wrong way?' He then turned around and walked to opposite direction.
"Sesshōmaru-sama?" Rin asked.
"Sesshōmaru-sama!" Jaken yelled and ran after him.
"Jaken-sama!" Rin ran after Jaken.
Inuyasha stopped when he arrived at a hole in the ground. A newly dug hole.
"This must be Takemaru's grave then…" Inuyasha said and let Kagome down.
Kirara landed and Sango and Miroku got off, leaving Kirara to change back to her small self again. And Tōtōsai landed with his three-eyed cow.
"I take it Takemaru isn't in his grave anymore," Inuyasha said with thoughts racing through the back of his head. 'I wonder what Sou'unga wanted with a human?' Inuyasha felt Tessaiga pulsing, then grabbed onto it. "Tessaiga?"
"Move it, I was here first," Sesshōmaru demanded, making his grand entry.
Inuyasha looked at Sesshōmaru with a disgusted face. "Uh… no you weren't," he growled.
"Hello? Firstborn? I was here first," Sesshōmaru reminded him and drew Tōkijin. (A/N: Hey let's get some pens and paper in here people! These yōkai wanna draw! Heheh)
"He's got a point there…" Sango confirmed.
Inuyasha pulled Tessaiga out of its sheath allowing it to transform. "This is a human's grave, what's your connection with this human?"
"If there were to be any connections with this insect, it'd be on your side," Sesshōmaru informed his little brother.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Inuyasha asked, letting his guard off a bit.
"What would you know? You're a hanyō. You were born ignorant. You live ignorant. With that said, you will die…" Then Sesshōmaru sliced Tōkijin at Inuyasha, but Inuyasha dodged by jumping through the air. "…ignorant." (A/N: I just LOVED that line so I had to keep it, with a few other lines as I am sure you picked up )
"Keh!" Inuyasha spat like the dog he is and landed on all fours. He jumped up and ran full speed at Sesshōmaru and attacked him with Tessaiga. Sesshōmaru instantly blocked the attack. 'Father had left… had he gone back to the dead world?' He thought as their father, no, his father wasn't there anymore. Sesshōmaru's eyes twitched. 'No.' He hit Inuyasha backwards again causing him to slide through the sand. "Just die and hand over Tessaiga!" Sesshōmaru demanded and threw another attack at Inuyasha with Tōkijin. Inuyasha again jumped up into the air and landed behind Sesshōmaru, on the ground, on all fours again.
"Have you forgotten something?" His head popped up and he picked up his entire body and slammed Tessaiga against Tōkijin, "You will never be accepted by Tessaiga's barrier!"
Sesshōmaru shot him a death glare and lifted up his left hand with Dakkasō. Inuyasha's eyes widened. "Shit," he murmured. He quickly pulled his and Tessaiga's weight away from Sesshōmaru and Tōkijin and jumped back retrieving his balance in no time. "Well I can end this in one easy blow! Kaze no Kizu!" Inuyasha swung Tessaiga.
"Tōkijin," was all Sesshōmaru said and held up his sword in front of him. Kaze no Kizu surrounded Sesshōmaru but instantly faded away, leaving him standing there without a scratch.
"Scary guy…" Tōtōsai spoke.
"Inuyasha!" Kagome yelled, "We've got better things to do than fight Sesshōmaru! Just quit while you're ahead!"
"Quit!" Inuyasha exclaimed, "Are you kidding me?"
"Ahhhh…" She moaned, "I should know better… Inuyasha never backs down from a battle…" Kagome sighed.
"I'm gonna end this today," Inuyasha said to himself in a determined voice. "Kaze no Kizu!" He swung Tessaiga again in an attempt to get Sesshōmaru to let out a bigger attack with bigger yōki so that he can use the Bakuryuuha.
Tōkijin glowed blue and let out an attack at the same time Inuyasha let out the Kaze no Kizu. The two attacks collided and formed a sphere between the two brothers.
'So he didn't leave. I was right,' Sesshōmaru thought and put Tōkijin back.
"What the?" Inuyasha spoke and looked at the giant sphere in front of him. It was blue and a yellow golden colour, resembling the Kaze no Kizu and Tōkijin's attack. 'What's going on?' Inuyasha studied the sphere as the two attacks started to fade away. Inuyasha's eyes widened, "Dad!"
Inu no Taishō stood there with his sword unsheathed (A/N: I might not have mentioned it, but I'm giving him another sword besides Sou'unga, I don't know if he actually HAS another sword) and he obviously either sucked the two attacks up, or canceled them out with one of his own attacks, stronger attacks.
"Father," Sesshōmaru said.
For a minute it looked like Inu no Taishō had to catch his breath. He closed his eyes for a mere second then opened them again. "I cannotbelieve how you two behave!" He finally scolded.
Inuyasha sheathed the Tessaiga, regardless of his father's words.
"You're brothers for crying out loud! Start acting like some for a change!"
Both brothers remained wordless. Inuyasha stood there with his normal 'Why should I care' look, and Sesshōmaru as emotionless as always.
Inu no Taishō sheathed his sword. "Well don't just stand there," he demanded still in an angry tone.
"Fine, then I'm leaving. That beats standing around, doesn't it?" Sesshōmaru expressed in his usual cold manner then turned around and started to walk.
"Sesshōmaru."
Sesshōmaru stopped in his tracks at the instant of his father's voice. "What is it, father?"
"Come here," He spoke, the angry tone in is voice vaguely fading away. His head turned to Inuyasha. "You too."
Sesshōmaru turned around again to face his father and Inuyasha. The two brothers eyed each other for an instant. Then at the same time placed a foot forward and walked with a normal speed towards their father. They stopped. Each one of them on a side of their father. Inuyasha being on the right and Sesshōmaru the left. (A/N: No duh)
"Aren't you just a littleashamed of yourselves? Not even one tiny bit?" Inu no Taishō spoke in a calmer voice, he obviously calmed down a bit now.
"Why do I need to be ashamed when you were the one who brought shame onto this family by marrying a human and thereby having a half human son?" Sesshōmaru told his father but was shooting daggers at Inuyasha with his eyes all the way.
"You say that yet you're the one who'll let a human girl travel with you, but you can't even accept your own brother? He's related to you, while he only has half of human blood, you'd rather go on and accept a little girl that's completely human all over and that isn't related to you in any way," Inu no Taishō informed his son.
Sesshōmaru's head turned from Inuyasha to his father. No words escaped his mouth; he just glared at his father, finding it hard to admit that he was right.
With shutting his one son up, his head rolled over to Inuyasha. "And you. Aren't you ashamed?"
"Why should I be ashamed? If I didn't fight back he'd have killed me. Then I would've needed to be ashamed," was Inuyasha's reply.
"But you rather kill him than run away from the battle?" Inu no Taishō asked.
Inuyasha's ears flickered and his eyes found it hard to keep eye contact with his father.
"Thought so," Inu no Taishō said disappointed and broke the eye contact by turning his head in a different direction.
Inuyasha sighed in disappointment. He hasn't even known his dad for an entire day and already he disappointed him.
"I'm going to let this one aside," Inu no Taishō spoke. "I'm not even going to bother to have you two apologise to each other as it is obvious neither of you will mean it."
"Great," Sesshōmaru said in his emotionless tone, "Can I go now?"
Inu no Taishō sighed, "Sure why not."
Sesshōmaru turned around and walked away, followed by Rin and Jaken.
"Wow…" Kagome started in amazement.
"Yes, Oyakata-sama can get very angry indeed," Saya said. "But unlike Inuyasha and Sesshōmaru he can keep his anger under control, but I suppose that comes with age," he said whilst scratching his head.
"Inuyasha," Inu no Taishō said not facing his son.
Silence.
"What?"
"I went to your mother's grave, and her grave looked very similar to this one," he spoke.
"W-what do you mean?" Inuyasha said suddenly his voice cracking into a worried tone.
Inu no Taishō finally turned to look at Inuyasha. "It's been dug up. Her body isn't there anymore."
Author's note: Somehow I like to end off with Inu no Taishō, it's the second time I finished a chapter with him speaking teeheehee. Well comments are welcome, not fond of critique, flames accepted but not recommended.
Ja ne
Kiyoshi Kaiiki Rindō