A/N: where we last left off, the trio had a run-in with Naraku, or rather one of his puppet messengers, with the proposition for both Getsu and Korihime to work with him.. well of course the girls declined this offer, i mean who wouldn't? at the end of the chap we find that the Inu-Daiyokai the great Inu no Taisho has died.. and that's where this chap begins. enjoy!

disclaimer: i don't own InuYasha; my OCs belong to me.

Chapter 08: Lungs, Pt2: Mourners, Loss, Pulsing

"Father?" He breathed before his gold eyes sharpened again, looking cold, as he grabbed the imp by the scruff and lifted him up, making him yelp and flail. "How did he die, Jaken?" He demanded lowly.

The toad-looking imp looked into his angered master's cold gold stare, whimpering a little. "H-he died defending a human woman who had birthed him a son… a half-demon!" He informed, squawking when the Inu-Daiyokai dropped him to the ground.

He glared at where the imp had been held at, his hands dropped to his sides and balling into fists that began to shake.

The older of the two sisters shared a look with her sister before she wordlessly approached him, lifting a hand to his shoulder. "Sesshomaru," she began softly.

He shook her hand off with a terse growl, making her flinch a little, before he quieted and looked away from her concerned silver stare that bore into his skull. "I'm fine. Let's go." He growled softly, turning on his heel and leading the way into the thick brush.

She stared after him and sighed a little, looking at her sister and nodding. "C'mon," she mumbled, following him quietly, the blue-haired female at her heels.

"W-wait for me, Lord Sesshomaru!" The imp squawked before he flew after the trio of yokai.

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Korihime sighed.

They had been traveling for three days nonstop with Sesshomaru spear-heading the lead position, her concerned sister Getsu at his left, and she herself at her sister's heels.

The imp had followed them along the three day trek, strangely quiet despite the fact that both females could easily tell he was the annoying type.

Apparently males took losses differently than females; it was just as her mother said once, long ago in a memory she had kept from her puppyhood.

She didn't really blame him, to be honest: losing their father was hard on both she and her sister, even though they kept the grief buried deep inside their broken hearts, so she could only assume that, seeing as Sesshomaru was an only child up until recently, losing his father was exceptionally hard on the currently-grumpy-and-silent Inu-Daiyokai.

Poor guy.

Her blue eyes briefly roamed to the imp behind them and softened a little out of sadness and sympathy.

Jaken was being quiet for his master's sake: he was letting him have time to grieve his loss.

Even though he clearly looked to be annoying if he ever opened his mouth, Korihime had to give him credit for maintaining his respect for his master's grieving period.

:::::::xXx:::::::

"Sesshomaru."

He jerked his gaze up from looking into the darkened green, meeting her silver eyes; he paused in beginning to respond as he saw the currently-present concern flash in her gaze, and something else was there too… Was it sympathy? Or was it pity?

Either way, both of those feelings were something he did not currently wish to be showered with: he had always hated pity, especially moreso if it was extended to him, the son of the great Inu no Taisho, a purebred Inu-Daiyokai…

But he didn't feel hatred towards her, for being like that: he could easily sense that this wasn't out of self-gain... she just wanted to help.

"What is it?" He finally replied, his voice quiet.

He had to give her credit for being able to keep at his pace, despite the fact that her legs were shorter and didn't seem to be built for endurance, moreso speed.

"I'm sorry for your loss." She apologized softly, making his ears twitch.

This, even though he was expecting it sooner or later, took him by surprise; he was getting condolences from a female that had lost both of her parents, as well as home she had known for the majority of her life?

He nodded a little, meeting her sympathetic silver eyes. "Ironic enough that I am the one receiving condolences instead of vice-versa." He mused.

She blinked before she smiled weakly and nodded, looking down. "I know it is. But look at it this way, I mean, you have a pack now, y'know?" She tried to lighten his mood, as she had been hoping to do since a week ago. "Kori, Jaken, me… We're your pack." She nodded a little in the direction of her sister and the aforementioned imp, looking up at him and seeming to silently hope that he would let it wash over like water from a duck's back.

His gold eyes widened a fraction at her words before he quieted and lowered his gaze, "I hadn't thought of it like that…" He looked up, gold locking on silver. "But I must apologize for worrying you this past week. I said I would stay at your side and so far I haven't done so well performing said task." His head dipped once in apology.

She quieted and smiled softly, taking his hand in hers and slightly surprising him, seeing him look down at their clasped hands before he squeezed. "Well as your future wife I suppose I should get used to worrying over you, what with you bein' an arrogant dog and all…" She mused, trying at a joke.

He huffed and looked away, his left brow twitching. "Don't start with that again, not when I basically showed my belly to you just now, princess." He growled.

She chuckled, squeezing his hand. "I'll be good just this once, only because I would imagine you're still sore from the news. Besides, don't get so huffy; it makes you look like a bigger noble than I ever pegged you to be." She sighed.

He glanced at her and smiled a little, nodding. "I won't get 'huffy' so long as you don't act like a brat." He quipped.

She blushed and huffed, pouting. "Piss off."

His gold eyes softened; there's the princess I am to marry, he thought.

Even though the loss of his father still weighed on him, he was at least grateful to have a concerned female to look out for his sanity's well-being… as well as his physical well-being.

The stink of poison hung in the air as the quartet neared an abandoned temple as the sun was starting to wane.

Getsu bristled and allowed a low growl to rumble in her throat, looking at the sight of the dilapidated building, the fine hairs on the back of her neck standing on end as she could almost physically feel the aura of the lesser demons surrounding the temple.

"This is strange, even for him, to be out in the open like this." Korihime grumbled as she reached for the quiver at her back, shrugging her bow from her shoulder down to her left hand's grip.

Sesshomaru looked at both of his female compatriots, his gold eyes lingering on the female Okami-Daiyokai longest. "I can smell his poison, but to say that he's in there would be gambling our lives if we blindly charged into the temple." He reasoned quietly, gold eyes leaving her petite form and lifting to glare at the building that sheltered the horde of lesser demons.

"Sesshomaru has a point; if we were to act like idiots, everything would be shot to hell... We'll need a distraction." Korihime agreed thoughtfully, tapping her chin with the curved side of her bow.

Silver, blue, and gold eyes slowly rounded on the green imp that had shadowed the Inu-Daiyokai.

Jaken squawked in horror and surprise.

A/N: sorry to leave off on another cliffhanger.. ^^; whew first assault on Naraku! lol what will the outcome be? will this be just another wild goose chase? or will the trio have struck gold? until next chap!