Closer and Closer

The leader of the Shades had called together his own crude council of outcast demons. When Lord Daiyami decided to call his meeting, he'd cleared a patch of forest large enough for his guests and remote enough that no one would hear the council for miles. He also had several of his fastest runners carry the message and to escort those who accepted his invitation to the clearing.

None of the demons he called upon could necessarily be deemed allies. Instead, the leaders of the clans were people he was able to lure here on personal favors or promises of wealth. Needless to say, each of the clan leaders had brought his or her own assemblage of guards and warriors. The air was tense with hostility. Daiyami doubted that the real demon council ever had these types of problems. No one here had the sense of the decorum or honor that Daiyami had once been bound by. But that time was very long ago. Being a Lord of the council would never be a reality for him again. Be that as it may, since the Silkworm demon Queen had brought to his attention that the ancient prophecy was playing itself out, he realized that he had to do something to stop it. Of course, he also realized that this may have been the opportune moment that his people had been waiting for.

A half-demon, half-priest was a paradox that could not be tolerated. Those children would be an insurmountable force once they matured. The real Demon Council would eventually come to see that those children would upset the balance. They would only have to submit to the demon laws, but nothing would keep their holy abilities in check. Soon enough, the Demon Council would begin to distrust the Lord Sesshoumaru's spawn and call upon the Shades as so many others had done. But that was the farthest thing from his mind. He had had enough of his people being little more than spies. He had been a Lord and his people should not be at anyone's beck and call. No, what Daiyami envisioned for himself and his clan was a much more powerful existence.

So here he was, presiding over a council of vagabonds in an attempt to gain assistance for his plans. As far as the Lord of the Shades was concerned all of the other clans here were inferior. Most of the clans were arguing with each other and his warriors were getting restless. Most of them were disguised as members of the attending clans, but he could tell which ones they were. Daiyami looked around the clearing, , taking in the state of clans that he had lured here from faraway lands on personal favors. There was the King of the Taratulans and the Rhinos, the Queens of Jaguars and Ravens, and some other demon clans. At present, the Rhinos were in a heated argument with the Jaguars over use of some filthy watering hole. While it would have been entertaining to watch them kill one another, it would have put somewhat of a kink in his plan. So, unfortunately, he was forced to intercede.

Daiyami gestured to his guards, letting them know that, if necessary, they would need to force compliance from those assembled.

He stood from his place on the forest floor and roared, "Silence!"

Everyone went deathly still except for one of the younger Rhino guards, which was a shame because the Lord of the Shades wasn't looking forward to starting this council meeting off on the wrong foot. The young one was only trying to protect the honor of his king, but it was impudent to speak to someone of Daiyami's caliber that way. He nodded to one of his female Shades. She was disguised as a Rhino and when given her order she did not hesitate to unsheathe her dagger and plunge it between the young man's ribs twice. He fell down dead.

There was some uproar, but Daiyami was able to talk over it. "If anyone else has something to say, then I suggest he or she not speak out of turn.

Ki-hun, the leader of the Rhinos, drove his sword into the ground, fuming. If any other person had threatened his clan so blatantly, he would have torn their entrails out and left them to the crows. However, he knew better than to try it with Daiyami. One of his Shades would disguise themselves as someone close to him and slit his throat while he slept.

The Lord of the Shades smirked to himself. "You all know why you're here. The Demon-Priest prophecy has begun to play itself out. Already Midoriko's reincarnation is full with child."

The King of the Tarantulans was the first to speak out. "That prophecy was from a long dead generation. It no longer applies to today's world. And it no longer poses a threat."

Several of the others nodded in agreement.

"I thought some of you might respond that way," Daiyami sighed, stroking his chin. "Bring her."

A Shade escorted the blind Besammit into the center of the clearing. She smiled, her eyes a spectral white, her lipped spiritual plate in her arms. No one here yet knew that she was the facilitator of the prophecy. She alone was in charge of forcing things along to the imminent conclusion. The Queen of the Jaguars rose. As one of the Cougar clan, she was a distant cousin to many of the other cat clans. As expected, Besammit knew the Queen of the Jaguars on a personal level.

"Cousin!" she raved. "Up to your old tricks again? I banished you! You dare to show your face to me?"

Besammit rolled her eyes, completely unconcerned with the outburst. "Kitani, you are a fool. Silence yourself before I end your miserable existence."

The Cougar Demon witch had once served with the Jaguar clan as a foreseer. However, she had given her cousin a reading predicting the demise of Kitani's only child, a son. Besammit had only told the Queen about the things she had seen, but she admitted it might have been a bit much to take that in as well as the fact that someone not of high-born blood would eventually come to lead the Jaguars. For that, Besammit had been outcast. Still, it was the truth. Kitani's son had already died in a sparring match. The rest would come to pass soon enough.

Kitani sent one of her guards to apprehend the witch, but by that time she was already chanting a very powerful spell. The demon's essence was sucked from his body and into the dish she held. It swirled, fighting the draining powers of the plate. Eventually, the soul gave up and Besammit's eyes began to glow a pale green.

"You know better than to stand against me, Kitani." She said with an odd timbre in her voice before she turned to address the others. "I will now show you a possible future that lays ahead, the one that will come to pass if the prophecy comes to pass."

Everyone stared in silent awe as Besammit turned the plate upright to show them the future. Images flitted across the center of the dish and they all bore a striking resemblance to the world the Kagome lived in. It was filled with humans and devoid of any demon existence. She expected that the whole place would seem odd and strange to those present. The tall buildings and metal beasts were something they had yet to experience though Besammit had taken many spirit walks through the place. To them, it was an existence unimaginable.

She blinked away the foresight as the Jaguar guard's soul was completely used up, absorbed by the plate.

"This is the future, the world that will exist if those children live?" queried Ki-hun. "There are no demons."

"Yes," Besammit said, affirming his fears. "But this world runs very closely to our own. At many points in time they cross so that if crucial events here are altered, the future will shift to accommodate that change."

The Tarantulan King grumbled, "And I assume that the death of these offspring could be one of those alterations?"

She smiled almost insanely. "It is."

Daiyami held up his hand to silence her. He knew that the crazed witch had her own personal agenda. He guessed that she was trying to tilt the world into chaos though he couldn't be sure. However, if Daiyami was to have his revenge he would need everything in order so that his plans would run smoothly.

"That is enough Besammit."

She began to cackle the way she did when it seemed she lost a sense of the divide between past, present, and future.

"I will tell you when it is enough, Daiyami. I can see your future already. Let me tell you, it is grim."

He immediately lost his composure and with it the appearance he had been projecting. All that remained was a shadow figure with blazing black orbs for eyes.

"Seize her!" he roared.

The guards rushed her but she was already disappearing.

'Damn that witch!' he thought to himself before turning back to his makeshift council.

"So," he growled, "cast your voices if you wish to ally with me and stop the prophecy."

Ki-hun was the first to say, "I."

The King of the Tarantulans said, "I," as did the Ravens.

At the end of it, the Jaguars were the only ones to decline Lord Daiyami's offer.

"If I know Besammit, Dayami," Kitani murmured as she rose from her place, "She is leading you all into a trap. Keep this in mind: you may win whatever battles you fight, but it will come to nothing. I've known her long enough to know that change is inevitable. All you who have chosen to fight are not fighting for your own survival. You are fighting for Besammit and whatever future she is pushing this world towards. So long as that is the case, I want no part of it."

No one watched her as she left with her guards. A few of them picked up the body of the fallen comrade in order to give him a proper burial when they returned home.

"So, Lord Daiyami," Ki-hun rumbled with his gravelly timbre. "When does this glorious battle take place?"

"The Queen of the Silkworm Demons has already offered herself up to Lord of Sesshoumaru. She tried to go against him on her own, but was defeated. She will wait until we arrive to make her move on the Lady of the Western Lands."

The King of the Tarantulans cried out, "The Lady?! That would set us against the Demon Council! I thought she was some common human whore!"

"We are all outcasts, half-wit. As far as the Council is concerned, we're already set against them," Ki-hun laughed.

"Therefore," Daiyami continued, "knowing Sesshoumaru, he will leave the Queen alive for some amount of time. He will want to exterminate her entire clan, but will need to seek the approval of the council. I propose that we all meet here six days from now with the amount of warriors we are willing to commit. On the seventh day, we will make our way to the Western Lands and destroy them!"

A hearty cheer of assent went up from the crowd. Then, they were dismissed to assemble their forces…

…A safe distance away, Kitani turned to her nephew, Raziel.

"One week?"

"Yes, aunt."

Kitani tore the seal from her shoulder and handed it to him.

Raziel, take news of this to Lord Sesshoumaru. He may be less than pleased to see you, but tell him that I will commit soldiers to guarding his mate and personally fight against his foes. Tell him that he must decide quickly and that I can be there in four days with four-hundred—"

"Aunt Kitani," he gasped. "Our numbers are already dwindling—"

"Raziel, do not interrupt me! Just tell him. The seal will let him know that you are one of my clan. Go now."

"Yes aunt," he sighed tersely. She did not watch him go as he ran away. She knew she was threatening the extinction of her clan by offering so many, but she couldn't find sympathy enough to care. She believed that Besammit had killed her son and would do anything to avenge his death. Anything.

Sesshoumaru had been out all night just letting his demonic side vent. He'd killed almost everything in sight on the borders of his lands. Then, he'd transformed into his dog form and tore up trees, snatching their roots up out of the ground. When that didn't yield any relief, he fed; but even that did not fill the gaping hole in his heart.

The cold rain from the night before had wearied him somewhat, but Rin still had him all wound up inside. He didn't know what to do or what to say to her and he didn't know where to go. He wouldn't endanger and his children by leaving the Western Lands. But at the same time, he couldn't make himself go back to her. He felt like a caged animal so he was pacing and dragging his feet like one.

He saw her try to find him a couple of times during the day, but it was not until later that evening that he decided to go back. He knew staying away so long was because of his own cowardice. But Rin saw through his mask, no matter what he did, and that unsettled him. Even though he didn't know how to confront her, he was going to go back to his home. Maybe when he saw her he would know.

Lord Sesshoumaru had just come out of the woods and was making his way to the front gate when he saw his guards leading what looked like a restrained cat demon towards the house.

"Lord Sesshoumaru!" the cat shouted before one of the guards kneed him in the gut and let him crumple to the ground.

At any other time Sesshoumaru would have just let the whole situation go. But since he had barred his lands from any outside visitors, he was especially curious as to why he had received two demons from outcast clans in just as many days. So, he called to his guards to bring the prisoner over. Upon closer inspection, Sesshoumaru realized that it was a cat demon, one of the Jaguars.

"We found him trying to come into your lands, my Lord. He didn't put up much of a fight. Said he had a message for you. We were going to take him to the dungeon and let you know about his arrival, my Lord."

"Let him go," the taiyoukai ordered. His guards did so as he addressed the Jaguar demon. "And what was this message you had to deliver?"

"I am Raziel of the Jaguar clan, nephew of Kitani, Queen of the Jaguars," he handed Sesshoumaru the seal to prove his lineage. The Lord nodded, prodding him to continue. "Lord Daiyami gathered a group of outcast demon clans last night in order to form an army against you and your mate. My aunt sent me here to tell you that she is willing to commit soldiers—"

"Why should I believe you? Your people, your distant cousins and relatives have altogether proven themselves to be untrustworthy."

Raziel glared up at Sesshoumaru with disdain. "Frankly, I don't care at all whether you believe me or not. We are already on the verge of being wiped out. I would be ecstatic if you were to decline my aunt's offer. Then we would see what would become of your precious mate."

One of the guards punched him across the face for hoping that something bad would befall the Lady of the Western Lands. Sesshoumaru did not care at all for his brazenness, so he was pleased with the punishment that his guard dealt. And though he would have liked to kill the pitiful little hairball on the spot, if he hid that there would be no one to take his decision back to Queen Kitani.

"Take him to the dungeons," Sesshoumaru ordered his guards. "Leave him there for two days then bring him before me. We'll see if I find him more agreeable then."

Raziel glared ahead of him, his jaw clenched with hatred as the guards marched him along and a couple of levels beneath the main floor. He was unceremoniously dumped onto the floor of a cell. It was quiet for a long time after they left the cell block. But once they began to talk to each other to pass the time, he heard a strong feminine voice call out to him.

"Sesshoumaru has himself another prisoner, I see," she murmured with mirth.

Raziel was still upset with how he had been received and didn't care that his voice held a note of anger that was uncalled for. "The Queen of the Silkworm Demons, I presume?"

"I do not know of you," she chuckled to herself, surprised. "How do you know of me? News of my captivity could not have travelled to far too fast."

Huge stone walls separated them. Raziel was not even sure how many cells she was away. All he could hear was the horribly distorted sound waves as they bounced around the cell block. So, he might have been mistaken in hearing a sad tone when she spoke of being imprisoned. The anger slowly seeped out of him. It really wasn't fair to set loose his anger on her.

"I am Prince Raziel of the Jaguar clan. And to answer your question—"

"You are from one of the clans that Daiyami said he would call upon. Yes, I remember. What brings you here? Aren't you needed among your people?"

Raziel could not help the anger that flared to life within him at the thought. It did not go unnoticed by the Queen. "My aunt sent me here to offer our people as an aid to Sesshoumaru."

The Queen of the Silkworm Demons turned that over in her mind as she responded. She doubted Daiyami would have left them alive if he knew they would have proved a hindrance. "You don't sound very enthused. One would think Sesshoumaru would be feasting you for your bravery."

"As you might do with your guests?"

"Always, Raziel. We treat our allies like royalty, not like criminals."

"Yes, well I envy your guests in that respect."

She paused before continuing. "You know, you are just as much royalty as your aunt. You do not have to agree with her decisions. In an ideal world you'd have your say in clan decisions."

Raziel scoffed to himself. He could see what she was trying to do. She was completely transparent. And she had a reputation for being a ruthless cutthroat. It wouldn't have surprised him if she received an ally that way, feasted and laughed with him over dinner, then slit his throat as dessert hit the table. After all, one person's ally was another's traitor. If his aunt had taught him nothing, she had taught him that. Traitors that would turn on their own clan would just as soon turn on ones who were not of their clan. The fond memory made his pride swell.

"I will not betray my Queen or my clan. You would do well to remember it."

Her lip began to twitch in rage. It was no wonder that Sesshoumaru had sent the whelp down here. Of all the impertinent things she had heard in her life! He really must have no concept of the thin line he was walking between life and death. If she were not in a cell right now…

Still, she was in a cell. And these were not usual circumstances. This was a game she was playing with him, a very dangerous one. And she had to play it with the utmost care and poise. She cleared her throat and tried to put a natural sweetness in her voice that she was not used to.

"I wouldn't dream of suggesting that. It just seems to me that she's being a bit shortsighted. In my domain more than one unfit ruler has been removed when he or she has proved themselves incapable of doing what is right for the clan. If I remember correctly, your clan has grown quite small over the years. If you were to wind up on the wrong side of this little skirmish, it could be catastrophic for your people. Am I wrong?"

"Unfortunately, you are not," he sighed to himself. "What do you care anyway?" he spat back at her, realizing that his loyalty was coming under question.

"Oh, I suppose I don't really. I'm just looking at all this from a strategic perspective. I hope you enjoy your stay here as I have been enjoying mine, Prince Raziel."

Though she couldn't see his face, she knew that he was considering all that she had said. It didn't take a genius to realize that he was too greedy a demon to have next in line for the throne. He wanted power that much was obvious. Though she would never have told Kitani as much, she thought that anyone who disagreed with their ruler, whether or not he or she was family, should be put to death. The Queen wasn't lying when she had said that her people had killed to place more fit rulers on the throne. Her grandmother had done it. That is why she knew the danger of having a covetous second in command who could not find the decency to quash his own jealousy. And the Queen recognized that the pressures of battle could cause Raziel to reassess his loyalties.

Rin had fallen asleep in her mate's study. She was slumped over his desk in a fitful sleep and most of his papers were littering the floor or precipitously close to doing so. She was having a nightmare that she couldn't escape. In it, she began walking down a long corridor. There was light coming from one of the rooms so she stepped inside, curious.

Standing in the center of the room was a demon woman. She smelled of putrid, rotting flesh.

'I've been waiting for you,' she chuckled, smiling cruelly as many other demons entered the room behind her and began to encircle her and press in, stabbing and slicing at her tender flesh until she could no longer fend them off. Just as the darkness began to close in over her she awoke in bed and stepped into the hall to see if her dream was real on to find the whole ordeal begin again.

She had no idea how long she had been there, stuck in the perpetual nightmare and neither did Sesshoumaru when he found her there.

She looked so beautiful to him even though her face was screwed up in terror. Two lines of her pale skin showed from beneath her make-up. She had been crying and he knew it was his fault. The realization came like a blow to the chest. His heart squeezed almost painfully in his chest as he reached out to touch her shoulder and bring her back from whatever bad dream she was having.

At first she lurched away from him in fear. Rin did not yet believe that she was no longer dreaming until she saw that she was not in the bedroom where her dream first began. She was in Sesshoumaru's study where she had fallen asleep crying.

The daiyoukai saw the conflicting emotions on her face. He didn't know how she would react so he just kept the look of indifference on his face and hoped it would be enough. When she was upset she usually was the first to come out and say it. But, somehow, he knew that this time was going to be different. It had to be.

"Rin," he murmured. "Your heart is racing."

"I had a bad dream."

The longest silence spanned between them. She sighed to herself.

"Well I'm sure you have a lot of work to do. I'll leave you to it. And I'm sorry about your papers."

She had just opened the door to leave when he came up behind her and shut it forcefully. She squeaked, startled, and turned around to stare into his blood red eyes. She swore she could hear his teeth grinding. The action annoyed her. Why was it so hard for him to do this? It wasn't like she was asking him to pull out his fangs.

"If you're going to act like that, I don't want to hear what you have to say, Sesshoumaru! I don't even know why I put up with you! You're the most pig-headed insensitive dog that I've ever—"

He cupped her face in his hands and kissed her hard, cutting off her rant. All of it was true, he just couldn't admit to it. He kissed his way down her neck, pulled her kimono aside, and licked at his mating mark. It didn't take long for her anger to seep away.

"Rin," he groaned and stared up into her eyes, everything he wanted to say on the tip of his tongue.