Sesshoumaru Takes Charge

When Sesshoumaru reached the village where the Shikon jewel was kept, it was already night and he reigned in his youki so that he could make a silent and unnoticed inspection. The scent of death hung in the air as did the remaining aura of purifying energy. To lesser youkai than he, this would perhaps not be quite so noticeable, but for him it had the effect of making him nauseous and he didn't know how Inuyasha could have stood staying around here. But then he reasoned that Inuyasha's scent was not very conspicuous in the village, it was more apparent in the forest and the high hills surrounding it.

Sesshoumaru decided that nothing would be gained by attempting to disturb the Priestess until the morning; she had a young sibling to protect, which might make her dangerous even to him. But he could not be idle until the daytime; his usual habit of meditating would not suffice at the moment because thinking was making him angry and disturbing his youkai. Inuyasha had gone too far this time and if he started to prejudge the boy before hearing from Kikyou, there would be further trouble. So he took himself off to explore the surrounding areas of forest and grassland that would serve to calm him and give him a more peaceful frame of mind.

For a while Sesshoumaru relished in the solitude and the fragrance of the wild grasses; so much so that he indulged himself by taking off his boots and walking barefoot, a childhood luxury he rarely permitted himself now. It would not be seemly for the Heir to the West to be seen in anything less than perfect attire, at least not in public; but for now with his youki suppressed, no one else would be any the wiser. In all directions barring the village, the aspect was pleasant to his senses except for another small area that seemed to be no part of the human dwellings. Something was strange and alerted the young Taiyoukai; therefore, pushing aside his natural revulsion to the rising and appalling smell, he made his way silently to a small cave.

The sound of voices however stopped him from going in and he listened from outside; they were talking about the jewel. Sesshoumaru learned that one was a human male bandit who was gravely injured from burns, and who lusted for both the jewel and the young Miko who nursed him. The other was a youkai; too small to gain the jewel himself and who had been thwarted by Kikyou from obtaining it when she slew his bigger host. Sesshoumaru was then appalled at the suggestion of the youkai who encouraged the human to allow him and other base youkai to consume him and continue to live through them.

Between them they could easily overcome the Miko and violate both her and the jewel; she deserved nothing but misery, pretending to be pure minded whilst at the same time trysting with an abomination such as the hanyou. Sesshoumaru had heard enough and entered the cave forthwith; he had already determined that the human was dying and was disgusted with the creature who contemplated such a fate for the kind minded girl who had been nursing him. Her clean scent was obviously untainted by any male, let alone his still immature brother; and Sesshoumaru had no compunction in ending the life that hung by a thread, swiftly and cleanly.

Next he turned his attention to the conniving and thoroughly malevolent spider youkai. Eight red eyes glowed maliciously at Sesshoumaru as the creature hissed angrily at him, blaming him for destroying yet another who could have helped him. The spider wished to know why the Inu youkai had interfered. When Sesshoumaru deigned to answer that the only abomination around the Miko was the now dead human and not Sesshoumaru's young brother, the spider knew he was doomed. He died hissing more threats, but thankfully without power to carry them out, and Sesshoumaru used his Dokkaso to eradicate any traces of the bodies. In the morning, the stench of decay had almost cleared outside the cave and was far less offensive to the sensitive nose of an Inu.

Sesshoumaru had just finished his breakfast of fresh rabbit and was sitting with his back against a tree trunk when he saw a human girl walking towards the cave. She was only a child and not old enough to be the Miko, therefore Sesshoumaru concluded that this was the younger sister. He watched as the girl went inside and then immediately came out at a run calling for Kikyou and soon the Miko appeared. Instead of going into the cave, the older female turned in Sesshoumaru's direction and had an arrow nocked and pointed at him in one smooth movement. Sesshoumaru stood still and waited; she couldn't see him clearly, stood as he was beneath the shadow of the trees and he was quite certain he could catch any arrow that might be let loose, but nothing happened, Kikyou too was patient.

Meanwhile;

"Are you very angry with me Papa?" Inuyasha whispered, but Inu no Taishou was pleased to see that his son could look him in the eye, albeit askance and from beneath his fringe.

"Yes My Son; I am very angry at, and immensely disappointed in you. Do you know why?"

"No Papa." Inuyasha replied, but he had to look away at that, his reply was not quite honest and his father's face was too stern. There was also no warmth in the golden eyes that surveyed him and the young hanyou knew his trouble was serious and he couldn't help but tremble. Suddenly this imposing male was not familiar, he did not seem to be his father and Inuyasha realised he was looking at the face of the Western General, Alpha of the Inu and one who brooked no dissembling when he was wanting straight answers.

"Very well, I shall take into consideration your plea of ignorance when I decide what to do with you. I am concerned with your dealings with the Shikon no Tama jewel." The father said while taking note of the flash of anger in the eyes and the blush that he saw spread over his son's face. "I shall tell you what I have been told already Inuyasha, if you wish to agree or dissent anything you may do so after you have waited until I ask. Do you understand?"

"Yes Papa." Inuyasha said softly. Inu no Taishou understood the pup was nervous but he had used the no nonsense technique often on many young Inu in his armies and knew it worked. It would work again to get to the bottom of this mess even though Inuyasha was still much younger than any of the soldiers.

"I'm led to believe that you heard of the strength giving jewel from merchants to your land and that you sought out further information on the night of your humanity. You then lied to me about where you would be spending your holidays and took advantage of your school break to search out the Guardian Miko in her village. Your purpose was to assess how you could procure the jewel for yourself and then you learned it could convey a wish. Thereby after gaining the girl's trust, you decided that you should become human and live with her, whilst becoming a human lord and cementing ties with your father. Although after giving Kikyou some assurances you then decided on your way home that perhaps once you were in possession of the jewel you could revert back to your original desire to become full youkai, either way would destroy the jewel. Is my information correct in essence Inuyasha?"

"Who told you all of this Papa?"

"One whom I trust, one who is worried for you and who loves you dearly. But you have not answered my question Inuyasha."

"It was Shinju, wasn't it…she shouldn't have interfered…it's not her business to tell tales about me…"

"INUYASHA; answer my question." Inu no Taishou thundered, taking the wind out of Inuyasha's sails. He stopped the self-righteous sulk that was starting and answered his father.

"Some of it's right; I did find out about the jewel, I wanted to be stronger and then when I found out it could grant a wish I wanted to be full youkai. No one would think I was different if I weren't hanyou. I did a lot of thinking about it. No one would be ashamed of me then. Is it wrong to want to be full youkai?"

"No, it isn't wrong of itself and I do understand why you would be tempted by the wish. I want you to tell me all, and I mean all, of the thoughts that have occurred to you since you learned of the jewel. I do not care how silly they seem to you, nor how long they take to tell and if I have to I will beat them out of you." Inu no Taishou threatened fiercely in order to make his son speak freely. There was something sinister about the unnatural aura that was clinging to Inuyasha and the father needed answers. With an alarmed glance at his father, Inuyasha sighed and started to speak, after a while it became less difficult and when Inu no Taishou opened his arms to his son the boy found it easier still.

Morning in the Village;

"You do not attempt to kill This Youkai indiscriminately Maiden; that goes in your favour." The young lord said, still making sure he was shadowed; he didn't want the Miko to connect him with his brother yet, not at least until she told him what he wanted to know.

"I do not consider myself a murderess Youkai; unlike you, that preyed upon a sick and defenceless man."

"The creature was at death's door with no hope of recovery; I merely put him out of his considerable misery, however he was far from harmless. He was planning to allow himself to be devoured by youkai and then come for you and the jewel; he was aided by a small youkai that bore you a grudge. I despatched them both as was my right; the unnatural abomination that would have resulted could have caused problems." Sesshoumaru said firmly and as Kikyou digested his words she felt a shudder run through her frame and she sought out his aura.

"You do not lie Youkai; why are you here though, do you seek the jewel's power? I warn you that I will not give it up. My life's duty is to see that it remain pure."

"I have no interest in artificial power; I have no need of such, my own strength is almost unmatched and will continue to grow." His words were conceited and yet Kikyou knew them to be true and not mere bragging. His aura stayed the same.

"Again you do not lie, Youkai; yet you are here for some purpose."

"I have no need to fabricate; it matters little to me whether or not the truth is desirable to you. I do as I do and am only answerable to my father. Tell me what is to be the fate of this jewel; it would seem an onerous responsibility and it is nothing but danger for human and youkai alike while it exists. "

"I have a plan to use it properly…not that it concerns you."

"Let me be the judge of that; is this a plan of your own mind or does it come from another source? Before you become angry I will alert you to the gem. I can feel it trying to gain influence over me; it suggests that I take your sister hostage, that I can move faster than you and that you could not stop me. These thoughts are not my own, it is beneath me to harm a child or any who do not deserve death. Therefore I conclude that the jewel can suggest ideas to those it is close to or whom it chooses, and any plan you make should be made only with the knowledge that it may be the jewel who wants it carried out."

Kikyou thought long and hard, she was a sensible girl and had great self-control; her life had not been easy and she worked hard, genuinely caring about those in her care. But it was true that she had never considered marriage before, let alone with someone who she knew little about, even if it had seemed an ideal solution for them both. The youkai was just watching and waiting, she still wasn't sure of his motive for coming but he had great power, restrained and controlled and yet she was not uneasy.

"I have no choice, I have an agreement and it will use the jewel's wish. It is not a selfish or harmful desire; only to turn a despised hanyou into a human whom I shall wed, thereby giving him a home and both of us a normal life.

"Did this hanyou say he was despised and homeless?"

"He didn't have to; a hanyou has no place in either society that spawned him, a cruel but true fact and one he didn't deny." Kikyou said but to Sesshoumaru it seemed as though she were more resigned than in love. He would feel no remorse at disillusioning her about his brother, but he also had an idea of his own.

"If there was another wish that would prove effective, and the hanyou released you from your arrangement, would you feel relieved?" Sesshoumaru said, his golden eyes missing nothing and his face impassive, despite his growing anger at the hurtful claims of his little brother. In fact he was so caught up in the realisation that Inuyasha had virtually disowned his family for the sake of the jewel that he almost missed the whispered reply.

"Perhaps; I suppose I know that he would rather be youkai than human, it was what he wanted in the beginning…it was a sudden change. You are probably correct about the jewel's influence; but I will not have him harmed just to change the wish."

"Inuyasha has withheld pertinent information from you; or to be charitable he has not corrected your erroneous impression. He is far from an abused and hated pup; indeed he is much loved and is a Prince of the West, second son of Inu no Taishou and half-brother to This Sesshoumaru. He is only a child in reality and although acceptance is not always forthcoming outside of the family, he is not neglected."

"Inuyasha is your brother? He seemed young, but not a child."

"Perhaps not as humans view things, but to youkai, he is but a pup."

"I thought him a friend…he seemed honest…I thought he liked us, both my sister and me."

"I am sure he does and most of the time he is truthful. We found out about this business only last night and I am sure our father has got the truth from him; but for now I would like to see this jewel, it is of importance to the peace of my father's lands and peoples." Sesshoumaru waited while Kikyou tested his aura once more to make sure this was no act of cunning in order for him to gain the jewel himself. He permitted the search only because his father insisted on diplomacy even for humans; but had he wanted the jewel, Kikyou would not have proved a hindrance to him.

The Miko made a decision and invited Sesshoumaru to see the Shikon no Tama in situ at the shrine; however she asked him to be discreet. He was surprised; it was quite an unremarkable gem, but once again he could feel it trying to intrude on his mind, it seemed agitated and Kikyou noticed its disturbance. The jewel seemed afraid of the Taiyoukai if that was at all possible for an inanimate object; perhaps there was something in the thought that it had a form of life after all.

"Miko, you should take the jewel in your hands to keep it pure, meditate to strengthen your mind against any suggestion and wish for it to cease to exist."

"Could it be that simple?"

"I don't see why not; are you strong enough not to allow it to speak to you? If not This Sesshoumaru can do it."

"No, thank you; I am strong enough and it is my responsibility…should something go wrong?"

"This Sesshoumaru will be here and I will guard you." Once more he just watched as the Miko prayed over the jewel and meditated and suddenly in an anti-climactic puff of pink, the Shikon no Tama vanished and Kikyou could feel in her spirit that the influence was completely gone. The dissipation of its power was felt for many miles and the unknown oppression it had exerted over the minds of all was lifted.

"I thank you for your advice Lord Sesshoumaru."

"There is no need, but I think my brother wishes to speak with you." He replied as he saw Inuyasha standing with their father over by the forest edge. Sesshoumaru saw that the pup had his head bowed and there was strong evidence that tears had been shed, apart from the shame that was rolling off him. Suddenly he felt great anger again and he walked away after nodding to his father who had a tight grip on his younger son's arm. Sesshoumaru left in a ball of youki as Kikyou walked over to Inuyasha.

With the jewel gone, it was as if her eyes had been opened and Kikyou could now see quite clearly that the hanyou was still a child in manner and in his way of holding himself. She felt some grief for her lost opportunity, but was old enough to know that if their plan had come to pass, they would more than likely have regretted it in the long run. Kikyou went over and forestalled Inuyasha's apology for misleading her by holding up her hand.

"You do not need to worry about me Inuyasha; I know now that the jewel spoke with you, influencing you. Perhaps in the future you could be more open if people misunderstand you though; it might save you further punishment." Kikyou said. She was absolutely certain from Inuyasha's demeanour that the boy had been disciplined by the stern faced parent. Inuyasha blushed, but he spoke clearly;

"I do like you Kikyou; really I do, but…"

"We can remain friends then; Kaede would miss you and Shinju, that is if…"

"My Son will be able to visit; you are very kind and understanding. We need to return now though. You have my grateful thanks Miko…Kikyou, for your kindnesses to my errant son." Inu no Taishou then steered Inuyasha away and the pair took off on the father's youki cloud to return to the Palace where Inuyasha was going to be at leisure to ponder over his father's words and actions of the previous night, for the rest of the day.