Author's Note: I did a little more reorganizing with the last chapter than I expected, but I think it turned out rather well considering how broken up the drabble grouping was. One question I got was how old Kagome is currently in the grand scheme of things. I would say she's around 12 or so, making Sesshie about 16. As always, thank you all for the reviews, favorites, kudos, and follows!

~*Flame

Disclaimer: InuYahsa & Final Act are all owned by Rumiko Takahashi, Shogakukan, Viz Media & Madmen Entertainment.

Chapter Eight

Father's death sparked many changes for the West, as one would expect. Our great enemies had yet to appear, but we all knew it was only a matter of time. The fear was knowing that the more time passed before they made the move, the more power they would amass. With the loss of Father's swords, there was only so much I could do to protect our people. Mother knew this better than anyone and uprooted the Western Court to the Shiro in the Sky. Even if the Western Lands were taken, our enemies would not reach our seat of power. The Western Shiro I had spent the entirety of my young life was now the Western Fortress and left for the army to do with as they will.

Though the Court wanted me to join them at the Shiro in the Sky, I refused. Joining them would be akin to hiding and leaving our people to defend themselves when our enemies finally made their move. Against all their wishes, I stayed on land, joining the generals in strategy sessions, the army in their training, and patrolling the border on my own. Though I used patrolling as more than just ensuring the status quo had not changed. It was a chance to search for Toutousai and demand he relinquish Father's swords to my care.

It was during one of these patrols a long buried memory surfaced. When I was a young pup, Father had taken me beyond the Shiro to meet with one of his closest friends and allies, Bokusenou. I remember little of the meeting. The old magnolia spoke in riddles when Father asked him about my unique ability to reach the Dream Realm. And I paid them no mind, more excited to be outside the Shiro than what they were discussing. But it was a lead I hadn't already exhausted as I had with my search for Toutousai. If Bokusenou didn't know where to find the old sword smith, he might know where to look for Father's swords.

On my way back to the Western Fortress after my recent border patrol, I took a detour to Bokusenou's grove. The old tree was clearly waiting for me, and likely had been for a while. My blood boiled as I stared at Father's old ally, Tenseiga pinned to his bark with a sign baring my name for all to see. I stood there, feet away, the atmosphere of the grove growing uncomfortable with each second that passed.

"I was wondering when you would come." The old magnolia cleared his throat. "Toutousai left your inheritance here for you." His eyes gestured down to the blade, and my eyes narrowed. Of all the things to leave me, Tenseiga? How could I protect the West with a sword that could not cut? Even in his death, Father was doing everything he could to harm the West.

"Bokusenou," I nodded my head in greeting, making no move to take the blade. "Where are Tessaiga and Sou'unga?" I didn't bother asking about Toutousai. The old tree wouldn't reveal his location, even in riddle. The smith had no plans to face me. Leaving Tenseiga in such a way was proof of that. Bokusenou's loyalty toward the old smith was unlikely to falter, so the question was a waste of breath.

"How fairs your brother?" I bristled at the question. Not only because of my own question being ignored, but because no one dared mention the hanyou to me. Mother and I didn't fault the hanyou for Father's fall and demise, nor did we hate him for his continued existence. He was pack, regardless of how diluted his blood. It was his mother that was the issue.

That human… I growled at the thought of the woman who so quickly leapt into another man's bed so soon after Father's death. She wanted her son to grow up living among humans. She refused to allow him to interact with other youkai, to learn about his heritage and abilities. She was keeping him sheltered and the longer it took for her to come to her senses, the less control he could have over his youki.

No matter how many times we hard reached out, the woman refused to budge. When Mother took the Court to the Shiro in the Sky, she even asked the woman to join them. She was willing to allow the human that brought so much pain to the West to live among us, because of Father's blood that flowed through the child's veins. Yet, she refused. So when Mother left for the sky, she washed her hands of the issue. I, however, refused to do so.

The human would one day perish, long before the hanyou would reach adulthood. At that time, I would step in. Even if I had to make myself his enemy, I would make sure to be a part of his life. It was now my responsibility to help train him in Father's stead. It was something Mother and I would never agree on, but should he be left to his own devises, he could become a problem to the West. Hanyous had the potential to be unstable and Father's youki was very powerful. There's no telling what was passed down to his youngest progeny.

"He will not be forgotten." It was the only answer I could give the old youkai for the moment. Even then, I only responded in order to get him to answer me; an answer for an answer. "Now, tell me where I can find Father's swords." Silence filled the glade, the awkwardness from earlier returning.

"Why do you seek the swords?" I glared at the old magnolia as he once again answered my question with a question. He clearly knew something, and I had no time for these games.

"Without Father, the West is vulnerable. I need the swords to protect the people of the West until I can become stronger." Bokusenou grew quiet once more, thinking hard on my response.

"What you seek will not be easy to find, as it is not yours to keep." I nodded in understanding, trying to ignore the irritation his words brought. It was clear what my inheritance was. Though, as firstborn son, it still chaffed to be left something that could not aid me in my goals. "Give up upon the Sword of Hell as it has been lost in the Well of Time."

Sou'unga was a weapon without equal. It had always fascinated me as a child, all that power within the blade, yet rarely used. Even with Father's strong will, the temptations uttered by the blade were difficult to ignore. Using the sword frequently gave power to that voice. Perhaps it was best that it was lost.

"And what of Tessaiga?"

"The Sword of Destruction lies within the Belly of the Beast, found only once the Old Man laughs." Without warning or chance for me to respond, Bokusenou returned to his sleep, his face melding back into the bark of the tree, leaving me along with Tenseiga and my thoughts.


"Do you know of a legend about an old man and a powerful sword?" Kagome blinked at me from the tree she was climbing. After Bokusenou retreated into himself, I had taken Tenseiga and left the glade to connect with Kagome in the Dream Realm. If anyone could help solve the riddle, it would be her. Not just because she had so much more information at her fingertips, but because her family were shrine keepers and knew many of the nearly lost and obscure legends.

"Me? Nothing." I huffed, irritated at being no closer to solving the riddle behind Tessaiga. "But Ji-chan might." Kagome spoke in a rush, almost as though she knew I was about to turn away and leave. "I'll ask him when I wake up."

"That would be most appreciated." I knew that even if her grandfather knew something, the details would have changed vastly over the centuries. But there was always some grain of truth to legends, and I was hoping to find that grain and use it as a starting point for my search.

"If you wait, I can see if he's awake now. He normally gets up early to start the shrine chores." It wasn't often she acted this way, usually only when something was wrong at home and she didn't want to be alone. My gaze traveled over her, looking for anything that might be amiss. I couldn't see anything, but that didn't mean something wasn't there. Was she just lonely? It had been a while since we've enjoyed each other company. Not since the night Father died.

Things were still quiet, so I could take the time to spend with her; ease her loneliness before things got too hectic. The Western Fortress and the army residing inside were close enough that I could hear them and quickly wake up should our enemies strike.

"Hn." Watching the smile light up her face as I moved closer made my chest feel tight. Even if I would be too old to be her friend once I reached her time, I would still watch over her. By then, all our enemies would be vanquished, the West and all the lands I had conquered would be safe, and I could afford to ensure that smile never left her face.

"I'll be right back, promise!" Kagome faded out of existence as I sat at the base of my favorite tree. I didn't know how long she would be, so I didn't want to get too involved in training. Instead, I started focusing on my whip to do more than just destroy. If I could use it to knock allies out of the way without harming them, that would be a huge advantage in battle.

I spent more time than I was willing to admit lashing out at various tree branches, attempting not to strip them of their bark. By the time I felt more confidant in the ability to try it on living creatures, Kagome returned looking excited.

She quickly sat, or popped rather, in front of me, that bright smile on her face. "You were successful?"

"I think so! I tried to remember everything, but Ji-chan can sometimes go off topic." She giggled before parting her lips and reciting a legend I had never heard before.

Long ago, the great Imp King wandered the lands. His power was known throughout the four mighty Youkai Kingdoms. He lived for many centuries, only to perish at the hands of a human. Though this human was no ordinary man. The Kami themselves sent him to rid the land of the Imp King.

Though it wasn't well known, the Imp King had one weakness; his Nintoujou. All the Imp King's powers resided within the staff, and the Kami told this to their savior. Through trickery any Kitsune could be proud of, the human stole Nintoujou.

Unable to defend himself from his enemies, the Imp King perished without his staff. Sadly, the human fared no better. The Kami wanted the Nintoujou destroyed. The powers of the staff contained were too strong, for the Nintoujou was the only item that could return the Sword of Destruction to the human realm.

Greed corrupted the human as he ran from the Kami. But, he should have remembered that you cannot run from the heavens. The human took shelter in a waterfall, only to be lost within. The Kami sealed both the human and the Nintoujou never to be seen again.

I cocked by head to the side after the story. I could only imagine the embellishment Kagome's grandfather added. "I have never heard of this Nintoujou," I admitted.

"Maybe it hasn't happened yet?" She shrugged. Or, more likely, it was a mixture of various other stories all meshed together centuries later. There had once been an Imp King long before the time of my grandfather, who would wander the lands advising youkai leaders, but he wasn't known to be powerful. Still, the legend was a good place to start. "Though I hope you appreciate what I did to get that legend for you." She pouted, and I had to stop myself from smirking at her.

"Hn." She glared, forever hating that response.

"It took Ji-chan over an hour to tell me the tale, and now he thinks I want to be a Miko." She hardened her glare, and the smirk broke through my defenses.

"Does he not realize you are too old to begin training as a Miko?"

"Things are different in my time." She shook her head. "Youkai don't exist outside of legends." She frowned, a deep sadness filling her eyes. It was one I understood.

"Don't be silly, of course youkai still exist. Do you truly believe this Sesshoumaru would fail in protecting his people?" I knew she didn't think that, but I didn't want her to hold on to such sadness.

"Jerk," she kicked my leg with her foot. "That's not what I meant, and you know it." She groaned before flopping on her back in the grass. "To be honest, I've always wished I was living in your time. As scary as it would be, there are just things there I wish I could experience, like what a real Miko is like."

"Do not wish such a fate upon yourself." I shuddered, imaging the danger she would be in and how I would be unable to fully protect her.


I returned to the Western Fortress soon after Kagome woke up for the second time. Much of the army was training in the courtyard, as I had in my youth. Some were focused on various katas where others were engaged in mock battles. My chest filled with pride watching our warriors prepare for any threat that may appear. With a nod to one of the commanders, I left the soldiers to their training, not wanting to distract them, and moved through the empty halls towards the library.

It always felt odd not seeing servants scurrying about or courtiers whispering in the shadows. With all non-essential personnel relocated to the Shiro in the Sky, the Western Fortress had lost all that made it the grand Shiro it had once been. Many of the comforts of the court were still here, the soft beds, decorative screens, and delicate paintings, but the heart of the Shiro was gone. Had it not been for the sounds of the soldiers' shouts echoing from outside, it would feel completely abandoned. I think if Kagome were to see the change, she would be rather sad. But, for me, it was a stalk reminder of what was at stake. The thought of villages all over the West feeling the way the Western Fortress did was unacceptable. This made finding Tessaiga a priority.

Entering the library, I glanced around all the scrolls so neatly organized. Mother had not seen fit to take the collection with her, leaving it for the generals should the knowledge be needed. They were under strict order to burn it all should the Fortress fall. Should the worst happen, our enemies would not gain our secrets. Passing many of the stacks, I focused my attention on some of the oldest scrolls. If this room held any information on the Imp King or the Nintoujou it would be in those long forgotten, dusty writings. I didn't relish the idea of spending valuable time searching for scraps of information, but my hands were tied. Pulling out the first of the scrolls, I blew the dust from the paper before unraveling the secrets inside.

Most of the scrolls were useless, at least for my goal. But eventually, I found some information on an Imp King that ruled long before the West was established. As expected, there were differences from Kagome's legend. The biggest difference being that the founder of the West, a fellow youkai and my ancestor, defeated the Imp King and not a human.

The Nintoujou was created from the corpses of the Imp King's original tribe. This gave the staff the ability to sense the dead and spew fire from the pits of hell. It was implied that the staff disappeared because only another Imp could wield the power it held. I nearly groaned once I realized the next step in my quest for Tessaiga was finding an Imp willing to travel with me; an impossible task considering Imps refused to leave their territory. Bokusenou was not exaggerating that it wouldn't be easy to find the sword. I will have to search hundreds of Imp tribes before I could even think of locating the Nintoujou.

Replacing the scroll, I moved back to the front of the library where the central map was kept. Hidden behind a painted scroll of a sakura tree was a map that showed all the villages, both human and youkai, and any tribal territories within the West. It was vital for any campaign should it occur. If we were to be invaded along a particular border, we could quickly and easily determine where the targets of the attacks could be.

Memorizing the various pockets of Imps along the borders of the West, I closed my eyes in irritation. Even ignoring the ones far from the borders visiting all the tribes searching for one particular Imp that may or may not be alive would take me far longer than was acceptable. But staying here and lamenting wouldn't find them any quicker. Leaving the library, I made my way out of the Western Fortress and toward the first of the many tribes to visit.


Things had been relatively peaceful in the West far longer than I, or anyone else, expected. When our enemies finally started reaching beyond their borders, it was the East that struck first. There were rumors that youkai of the Eastern Mountains were terrorizing small tribes in the West.

This was unforgivable.

Before I could lead an attack against the West, I needed to confirm the rumors. So I made patrolling the board of the West a priority. If any youkai stepped over the border into the West, I would be there to witness the action and I would have all the justification needed to make them pay.

Thus far, the border was deserted. There were no signs of invaders, but there were also no signs of villages. Once Father died, many had left their homes along the border for safer, more inland retreats. They couldn't be faulted for it. No one wanted to be the target for an initial invasion. Though, the abandoned towns I came across would make excellent outposts. An entire village full of nothing but soldiers… our enemies would never suspect it.

By the time I came across the Eastern Mountains, I had grown used to the quiet and desolate atmosphere. Which is why my ears instantly twitched at the sound of fighting ahead. I didn't pick up my pace; the sounds didn't indicate an emergency, and by taking my time I could adequately assess the situation and ensure if there was an invader we had all the rights to slaughter them.

Just ahead was one of the larger Imp tribes, consisting of hundreds of youkai. They were surrounding a far larger youkai with a few other lower level youkai scattered about. With the Imps vast number, the lesser youkai were no match for them. As I drew closer, I seemed to recognize the leader of the invaders. Bikuni wasn't the strongest of the Eastern Lords' retainers, but was a retainer nonetheless. Even if Bikuni was acting on their own, their actions reflected on the East. Clearly the Lord there felt that West was unprotected and ripe for the taking. It was my duty to clarify that for them.

As I reached the outskirts of the skirmish, Bikuni grabbed the Imp leader, mouth wide, and prepared to devour the smaller youkai. The Imps capture turned the tide of the battle; his henchmen succumbing to the invading youkai around them, their numbers quickly falling. The Imp leader struggled to escape, pausing as he noticed me in the corner of his bulging yellow eyes. Though Bikuni had clearly invaded the West and was causing irreparable harm to my people, a warning was still required to satisfy the Eastern Lord that no misunderstanding was made. So I continued my leisurely patrol of the border, refusing to stray from my straight path.

"You're in my way. Move." I didn't shout, but Bikuni clearly heard me as they paused in their attempt to eat my subject. The warning wasn't a verbal one. Bikuni knew very well who I was and that their actions were noticed. I could see them weigh the options of retreating or lashing out to test my strength.

"Who are you?" The Imp leader gasped. It wasn't unheard of for some of the Western subjects not to know me on sight. I had only recently begun traveling, after all. But that didn't excuse not recognizing the Western Royal Family's crest upon my brow. Clearly Mother and I have been locked away in the Shiro far too much. That will need to change. The West should know who protects them so they can better seek aid as needed.

The Imps interruption gave Bikuni all the time to respond to my warning, but distracted him enough to hesitate. Unfortunately for him, I was not one to grant a reprieve for such a reason. I lifted my right arm, Dokkasou pooling along my claws as I prepared to form my whip.

"I said you're in the way. Do you not understand?" I growled, whip lashing out and amputating both of Bikuni's arms, leaving him to bleed out. The Imp leader fell to the earth, surprise clear for all to see at his rescue. With Bikuni out of commission, lying upon the ground, waiting for death, I twisted my wrist, sending my whip out to kill the remaining invading youkai fighting the other Imps.

Screams filled the air as blood soaked the soil with each Eastern youkai that fell to my power. "Clear… clear the path!" The Imp leader shouted to his henchmen above the screams. He didn't need to be so concerned. I would never purposely harm a subject of the West. Not unless they became a threat.

Continuing straight ahead, I kept my eyes from straying to the remaining imps bowing on either side of me. Their awed whispers filled me with pride. I had faced many invaders since Father's death, but never had I faced them in front of my people. Proving to them that the West was safe, and they were under my protection. It was the greatest feeling in the world. How could Father have given this up?

Just as I passed the last of the Imps, I heard footsteps following in my wake. "Jaken-sama!" The footsteps paused just long enough for a response.

"Forget me!" Shouts of the Imp leader's name spilled from the lips of the henchman as the footsteps continued to chase after me. It seems I might have found an Imp willing to travel with me after all, and it didn't even take me a decade to find them.