A/N: SHOUTOUT TO VAMPIRESIREN THANKS FOR THE REVIEWS YOU'RE THE BEST! /cries waterfalls of joy
*cough* now where were we.. ah yes! where we last left off, the trio (Sesshy, Getsu and Korihime) had retraced their steps to the ruins of the Western Wolf Clan mansion to pick up a lead to follow Naraku and get revenge for what he did. Korihime found a lead but before they could follow the scent a stranger appeared. who is this stranger?
disclaimer: i don't own InuYasha; my OCs belong to me.
Chapter 07: Lungs, Pt1: Run, Howl, Sun
A figure cloaked in a hooded beige pelt with a blue baboon skull stood there solemnly, reeking of the same poison that they had caught the scent of.
"Naraku," she hissed as her fiancé extended his arm infront of them protectively, bristling like mad as both she-wolves bristled as well. "What do you want?" She demanded.
The figure seemed to sneer. "I came to offer my condolences for your parents' devastating demise. And a proposition." He bowed lightly before straightening, the blue mask starting to get on her nerves as she had the instinctive urge to swipe it off with her claws.
"'Proposition'?" Her sister repeated softly.
The figure nodded. "Work with me, and I will bring your parents back from the grave they did not deserve." He stated.
Both sets of blue and silver eyes widened.
Getsu was the first to recover, bristling angrily. "At what cost, Naraku?" She spat.
The figure shrugged calmly, undeterred by her angered tone. "There is no cost, not for the last two she-wolves of the Western Wolf Clan; I only offer protection and power for you both. Even a new life." He explained in that drawling voice.
An arrow being loaded into her long bow sounded as the string creaked and she aimed the arrow at his head. "That's a load of crap and you know it! You're a fool to think either my sister or me would ever work with a disgusting half-demon like you." Korihime snarled coldly, her blue eyes icy as she gritted her teeth.
The figure snickered, "ah so you found out my true lineage. You will regret not working with a powerful demon like myself… just as your father should have regretted it before his heart was eaten by my demons." He growled lowly.
The arrow screamed at the figure, making a direct hit with the spot where the throat should have been; the figure crumbled into large clumps of smoking dirt, the illusion fading as the arrow lay on the ground a few feet away from the dirt clumps.
Korihime swore under her breath and moved closer to retrieve her arrow, lifting it off the ground and, after noting that it carried no scent of poison or danger on the projectile, placing it back in her full quiver.
Sesshomaru looked at the older of the two, seeing her fists were shaking at her sides. "Getsu," he began quietly.
Getsu snarled and flicked her wrist, sending a small jet of blue fire at the dirt clump and setting it aflame, the putrid stink of poison rising into the air when the flames burned the dirt clumps. "We follow him; Kori, let's move." She ordered, sprinting in the direction his scent led.
He followed until he was at her left side, her sister flanking him as the trio set off in search of Naraku.
That vile bastard… He'll regret the day he ever fucked with my family! Getsu vowed.
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Stars shone brilliantly overhead.
His gold eyes stared up at the full moon that sat in the middle of the velvet sky, reminiscent of a giant white orb of light and solace.
It was several months already and they hadn't had many good leads; the ones that did seem good were only wild goose chases and they were basically brought back to square one all over again.
He hated getting the run-around.
A crisp breeze stole through the small clearing they'd taken shelter in, making him tense a little and dig the claws of his left hand into the stole at his right shoulder, bringing it closer.
He looked over at the two females he was traveling with; the blue-haired Korihime slept peacefully by the fire, turned on her left side and away from the amber glow of the fire curled up in a ball; his eyes roamed to the ebony-haired Getsu that slept across the fire from her sister, sleeping soundly as she was slightly curled into a ball as well, his eyes softening at the sight.
It was because of this she-wolf that he was out here in the woods, tracking the scent of that vile half-demon.
She shifted a little and exhaled softly, stirring his attention; he smiled a little.
But even though he should have left, even though he should have gone back to his own home, he didn't mind this. As much as his former self would have never believed possible, she was worth it.
"You look cold." Her soft sleepy voice jerked him from his thoughts; he blinked, looking to see her silver eyes were open half-way, glancing over at him as he sat against a tree keeping watch over them.
He shrugged. "I'm fine, get some sleep. You need it more than me," he replied quietly.
She shuffled and sat up a little, right arm supporting her weight, throwing him an instinctive eye-roll. "Liar." She sniffed, nimbly lifting herself up to move closer to sit with him against the tree.
A pout made its way to his lips. "Shut up," he grumbled, looking away as she snickered softly.
For the past two weeks, due to the crisp uptake in climate –a sure sign that winter was on its way— she had fallen asleep close to his side, but in the mornings she would be snuggled into his chest or his back, clinging to him for warmth. It wasn't like he minded, not like he once would have several months back; considering she had the gift of using fire, she was actually a source of warmth in and of herself.
His inner beast, on the other hand, was doing the lewd thought-process for him, especially when he would wake up the next morning with his arms around her small waist and her backside pressed so very close to his manhood. Of course he silenced the beast's perverted notions as soon as they made him aware of just how close he held onto his female counterpart, but even as he did so, sometimes he couldn't deny that it had a point (non-literally-speaking).
"Sesshomaru," she began softly, jarring him from his thoughts; she noticed that he had stiffened minutely while sitting next to her, a twinge in his cheek making his upper lip curl as if he was inwardly arguing with himself… Or his inner demon, which wouldn't have surprised her.
Her own inner demon had been tamed long ago, as soon as she had fully mastered and perfected her inherited wolf fire, that is; being so close to her betrothed had made her inner beast rumble in the face of a challenging case such as Sesshomaru of the West.
"What is it?" He demanded rather gruffly, perking her ears.
She quieted and then shrugged, "you seemed lost for a second back there, I was just checking to see if you were still in the world of the living." She mused.
He quieted at this and looked at the campfire, "I'm fine." He mumbled.
"You're lying again." Getsu sighed and shook her head softly, making his ears twitch.
Sesshomaru eyed her from the corner of his eye, "how am I lying?"
"You say that you're fine, but my nose tells me otherwise. I may not be an Inu-Daiyokai like you but I am an Okami-Daiyokai, therein making my nose sharper than yours." She explained, seeing his ears twitch again.
He made a face, grumbling under his breath and looking away again. "Damn," he growled.
She smiled cheekily, the smile faltering before she sighed and followed his gaze to the dying embers. "Is your home bigger than mine was?" She asked quietly.
Sesshomaru blinked at the strange question; he quieted and smiled a little. "If you're referring to how large of a mansion it is, then yes, it's spacious." He mused.
Getsu smiled slightly, nodding. "Sorry if I sounded jealous or something, for asking about your home." She muttered.
He looked at her, exhaling and lowering his gaze. "Once you've gotten your vengeance against Naraku, will you want to go back to the West?" He wondered.
She looked up at him, quieting and recalling her parents' smiling faces in a much brighter time; she shrugged. "I don't have much of a choice, do I? I mean, the Western lands are first and foremost your territory, not mine; my clan only lived there for a few centuries, compared to how your father conquered the land and claimed it as his own. Besides, since we're supposed to marry one day, then I don't have much say in deciding where to live." She replied softly.
Sesshomaru nodded, looking at her and seeing a sad light flicker in her eyes. "You miss them."
"Every day." A sharp inhale before it was released, a nearly-translucent fog escaping her lips. "But I keep seeing my father, in his last breath before he died… And it only makes me want to rip that slimy fucker to shreds for laying a hand on a demon that could have just as easily crushed him with a flaming fist." The growl of anger rumbled in her chest before it rose to escape from between grinding teeth, her fangs showing.
"You behave a lot like him, your father." He mused softly; she looked up alertly at the mention of her father, seeing his gold eyes look wistful. "Of course I have yet to see you in combat, but I would imagine you fight just like the daiyokai you were born to be."
She blushed humbly, lowering her gaze out of shyness as her cheeks flared that hue of reddish pink he loved to see stain her slightly round cheeks. "Don't think you can flatter your way to get me into your bed, dog demon." She warned, shooting him a look.
Sesshomaru chuckled and smiled cheekily. "I haven't the slightest idea of what you're talking about."
Getsu snorted, keeping her gaze lowered. "Shouldn't you be sleeping?"
His claws dug into the stole on his shoulder as another breeze stole past them, scowling at the fire. "Shouldn't you?"
She smirked a little, "I thought I'd keep you company."
He looked at her and then smirked slightly, looking away. "Your antics cease to surprise me."
Getsu smiled, resting against his left shoulder and sighing. "Your ego ceases to get any larger."
Sesshomaru's eyes softened at seeing her get accustomed to her usual sleeping position resting against him, shrugging the stole from his left shoulder to reach and fold it across her shoulders, seeing her open her silver eyes and blink in confusion.
She quieted and blushed slightly at his gesture, pulling the stole to fold over her left elbow; this is warm, she thought, leaning against him again and closing her eyes.
He smiled a little at seeing her eyes close and she soon fell asleep; he gingerly lifted a clawed hand to stroke her hair.
"Lord Sesshomaru!"
His gold eyes shot open at the formality; the female he'd fallen asleep with yelped and scrambled away from him, her sister leaping to her feet at the noise, both she-wolves reaching for their weapons as he stood quickly.
A small green imp demon sprinted forward into the brush, slightly surprising both sisters, as they noted he carried a staff with two heads on either side of the staff, one pointed forward and the other behind.
His shoulders slumped and then straightened effortlessly as he looked at the imp that skidded to a halt just short of where he stood, flopping over and panting from having run so far and fast. "Jaken, what possessed you to seek me out?" He wondered, turning business-like, irking the female daiyokai as her sister's ears twitched.
"M-milord, it's your father! He…" The imp started to weep, fat tears falling down his cheeks as his bulging yellow eyes looked up at his master. "Sire, he's dead!" He cried hoarsely, weeping harder.
Sesshomaru's eyes widened sharply; Getsu and Korihime gasped in chorus.
A/N: dun. dun... CLIFFHANGER. again~ xD just a note i will give a small spoiler and say that the cause of death of the Inu no Taisho will be mentioned in the next chap, therein giving a small glimpse of what happened in Swords of an Honorable Ruler. just an FYI. until next chap!