Hello everybody! Sorry that I am so late but I have several good reasons. One two of my pets died within the same week. Two I had to deal with scheduling for my classes next year. Three I had to try to figure what is going on with the paper work for my job. Last I finally got ONE review a few days ago. So I do want to thank my ONLY reviewer PassionIsLove. Anyway, I don't think I am going to split the story because I really want to reach my goal of one hundred reviews. Soon, I will begin posting for The First Family Affair which shouldn't conflict with this story because it is pretty planned out. Ok, so this chapter is going to show the confrontation between Healo and Sesshomaru. Bye the way, no one has said this yet, but I am not trying to make Fluffy look bad. Anyway I hope that you all review.

CHAPTER XXLVII

A SURPRISING SUCCESS

Healo's POV

The Northern Lord took a deep breath as he quietly opened the door to find his younger half-brother shifting through a pile of papers on his desk. Healo felt a small flash of sympathy for the Western Lord as he thought about the hours of tedious work that would be spent approving those measures. Most of them had to do with Sesshomaru's attempts to increase the numbers and training of his army and navy. It was a necessary task considering the obvious strength of the forces under Naraku and his pet Eastern Lord, Bianen.

Healo resisted the urge to speak so that his brother could finish up with the paper he was working on. Once Sesshomaru had carefully placed his signature on the bill the Northern Lord said in a dangerous tone ", Why do you have to needle at Inuyasha so? Don't you understand that he is necessary for the defeat of Naraku?" The Western Lord was silent for a moment but his golden eyes flashed as he responded ", I did not force the hanyou to overreact. I am not responsible for his actions and have never claimed to be."

The demon lord was not dissuaded by the obvious attempt to brush aside an argument. Healo continued in a brusque tone ", No you didn't force Inuyasha to do anything, but you made sure to remind him that he would never be able to mate Kagome. Then you took it upon yourself to interfere in something that was none of your business. If you had not arrived and inflamed your brother's anger then there would have been no battle. Instead you, knowing the probable outcome, decided that you had to reveal your presence to the hanyou and set him."

Sesshomaru responded quietly ", I cannot be held at fault for the hanyou's anger. Inuyasha has a powerful weakness in his temper that Naraku will use against us if we allow him to. If he cannot learn this then he must be destroyed." The Northern Lord nearly growled as his eyes filled with blue flame but when he spoke it was in an icy tone ", Inuyasha has been trying to gain control over his anger. For a while he was making excellent progress, which even you cannot deny, but how did you expect him to respond to your taunts?"

The Western Lord said icily ", He should have hardened himself against my words. The fact that he was unable to do so only confirms the fact that he has yet to defeat his own inner demons." Healo calmed slightly and said firmly ", He is just like you were when you were younger; before Father died. Can't you see that?" Sesshomarus eyes blazed but his tone remained cold ", Yes, and who was the one who helped me to learn that emotions are a weakness if they are not tightly controlled? Who showed me the weakness of a tender heart with his betrayal?"

Healo's eyes filled with pity as he said softly ", You speak of emotion as a weakness, but a far greater weakness is the inability to let go of a grudge. It eventually clouds your perception of everything from people to events. Your inability to forgive me has led you to increase your mistrust for me and to those who I try to help the most. Yes, you blame Inuyasha for your Father's death but you blame me far more. If you could just let go off your grudge you would be surprised by how wonderful others can be."

The icy demon lord eyed his brother for a moment before replying acidly ", You speak of my weaknesses but what of your own? Lord Healo Tepes, the only son of Emperor Malus Tepes, surely he has no weaknesses. We both know that that is a lie. If I am clinging to a grudge then you are definitely clinging to the past itself. The glorious days of the past are gone. Avia is dead and the North is held in the iron grip of a murderous hanyou. Your constant reviewing of the past does not help you any, but only increases your own despair. Is this not a grave weakness?"

The Northern Lord responded calmly ", Yes, but my weakness does no harm to anyone but myself. In time I will learn how to distance myself from the past." Sesshomaru shook his head slightly and said neutrally ", Do you honestly believe that? Everyone who comes into contact with you notices the clinging sadness and regret in your eyes. How can you expect me to trust your judgment on what I should do when you don't even trust yourself?" Healo was silent for a moment as he reflected on the truth of this statement before he responded quietly ", It is true that in the past I have regretted certain decisions that I have made. However, my advice to you has always come from my own experiences."

The Western Lord was silent for a moment then responded ", I will attempt to limit the interaction between the hanyou and myself. However, I cannot be held responsible if he seeks me out." Healo felt warm relief at the concession and responded with a smile ", That is more than acceptable. Will you also cease to speak openly about Inuyasha, and, especially, not refer to him as a disgrace?" Sesshomaru shifted slightly and said firmly ", I will keep my opinion to myself." The Northern Lord was overwhelmed by this promise and said kindly ", Thank you brother. I assume that we will be leaving in the morning?"

Sesshomaru smiled thinly and replied softly ", Of course. I will finish this backed up paperwork tonight so that we may leave early tomorrow. You should go prepare." Healo gave a small bow of acknowledgement and swiftly left the room with a bright smile on his face. The interview had been a complete victory, and he felt confident that his coalition would now be stronger then it had been before. Plus they still had to check out this lead to another possible location for Yamikura. The Northern Lord became serious as his thoughts turned again to the dark sword. He remembered the ominous warnings that many had given him about the cursed blade. However, there was nothing that could be done, yet…

Kagome's POV

The young miko found herself, yet again, sitting down underneath a tree inside of the garden which had occupied so much of her time. The children were of course playing some game a short distance away, but they were still completely unaware that there friends and parents were planning to leave the next day. Kagome knew that Shippo would be especially upset about being left behind again, but the young woman knew that Ionin was a far safer place then wherever they would end up.

Her eyes were concentrated on the children's antics, but her mind was clearly elsewhere. The miko was horribly confused by the sudden breakdown in the fairly complex relationship between the brothers. One day everyone was making plans to try to gain more allies and info to use against Naraku, and the next a battle ensues where one brother nearly kills two of the others. In fact, Inuyasha would only barely be ready to travel by the next day; even if the stubborn hanyou didn't want to admit how badly he had been wounded.

Kagome was not angry with the Northern Lord. She understood that Healo had done his very best to prevent provoking a fight with Inuyasha, but Sesshomaru was a different matter. The miko was still unable to think of a reason for the Western Lord's actions other than jealousy of his hanyou brother, and a desire to remove a rival for her own hand. This was only reinforced by the demon lord's slow reaction to draw off his attack after Healo placed himself between Inuyasha and Toukijin. It was the only reason that really made any sense to her, but the young woman couldn't help but hesitate to point a finger at the Western Lord. Something about the whole chain of events felt wrong to the miko.

This feeling persisted even as she felt the presence of the Northern Lord quickly approach her. When he spoke Kagome was surprised by the obvious happiness in his usually somber voice ", Sesshomaru has promised not to provoke Inuyasha anymore." The miko considered this for a moment then replied without turning ", Do you think that he was sincere?" The demon lord strode to stand just in front of her as he answered calmly ", Once Sesshomaru gives his word he never breaks it. Despite the many things I disapprove about his personality I must admit that I have always been impressed by his integrity."

Kagome glanced sharply up at the Northern Lord who was now watching his son with a prominent smile on his face. For a moment she did not respond but then the miko said ", Yah. I had noticed that." A few minutes of comfortable silence followed this then Healo spoke quietly ", Kagome, you don't have to worry about us." Confused she turned with a questioning look but before she could ask the Northern Lord continued ", Inuyasha, Sesshomaru, and I; things generally sort out in time."

The miko sighed and pointed out calmly ", Not when there might be someone behind the scenes who is manipulating everything." Her friend frowned and said with a tired voice ", You are painfully correct. Naraku stands to gain everything from dividing us and setting us against each other. I believe that that is way Sesshomaru put up such a small fight over Inuyasha. Perhaps he realized that too." Kagome replied carefully ", That's not all that I am worried about. At the rate we're going we'll never find Yamikura in time." The Northern Lord smiled lightly and replied ", You still have plenty of time Kagome. I promise you that we will find the sword before it is too late."

Kagome had been thinking about that too, but her main concern was that Naraku would grow too powerful before they could find the cursed blade. If they didn't hurry at least one of the devilish hanyou's plans would succeed. It wouldn't take anything grandiose; just one carefully planned assault could spell doom for the entire alliance. Then the last hope of the world would be crushed. The miko shivered lightly as she shook herself out of her thoughts and turned to watch the sunset. Out of the corner of her eye the young woman noticed that her friend was eyeing her with sympathy in his eyes. Well, that is what she assumed it was…

Riath's POV

The young captain watched the Northern Lord and Kagome with a nervous glint in his purple eyes. Naraku would not be pleased by his failure to break apart the brothers. However, Riath felt that he might be able to make it up to his secret master by delivering something that would make it far easier to get his hands on Healo and the strange miko. The demon's gaze hardened as he turned to regard the three young children who were playing only a short distance away. Once the group left Ionin there would be no one who would be able to stop him from taking them to Naraku. Once this was all over with the Northern Lands would be free again; did it really matter if the true Northern Lord was ruling them or not? The people's happiness was what was truly important…

Alright so I finally got that chapter done. Next chapter will finally allow the main story to move on to the next step. This next journey is not going to be anywhere near as easy, or short, as the first one. Naraku is not going to be happy about the mending of the coalition. Anyway, I hope to update by Wednesday assuming that I get a few reviews. Also might get to start typing the prequel within the next few days. Hope to start posting it sometime this week. Don't forget to let me know about anything you like, dislike, or anything else you want to tell me. I hope to hear from everybody. REVIEW!!!