InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Every Heart ❯ Chapter 4

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

Disclaimer: The Inuyasha concept, story, and characters are copyright Rumiko Takahashi and Viz Media.

The title “House of the Moon” is original to Resmiranda’s Tales from the House of the Moon. It is used here in homage to said fantastic story.

This is merely one girl’s dream of life after “The End.”




“No! Stay here with the others.” Inuyasha crossed his arms over his chest as he stared down at Kagome, who was busy tying her shoes.

“Come on, Inuyasha! How much do you really trust him?” she asked, swiftly doubling her knots before standing. She felt so much more comfortable in her street clothes than her old uniforms.

“Sesshoumaru may be a cold-hearted bastard, but he is honorable,” came the smarmy reply. “Besides, we’re meeting in broad daylight in the middle of a field. Hardly a conspicuous place to kill me.”

Kagome thought fast. “What could my presence possibly hurt? Do you trust me or not?”

Inuyasha glared at her for a full minute, but relented. “Fine. Just don’t complain about the trip.” He turned on his heel and marched off. Kagome lifted her backpack and threw it across her shoulders, barely having a chance to catch up.

The pair walked in silence for most of the journey. Kagome had no real idea where they were travelling, and Inuyasha seemed tense. Understandably, she mused. The idea of Sesshoumaru as an ally was relatively novel.

They arrived, as predicted, shortly after noon in the middle of the designated clearing. Inuyasha crossed his arms again and stood at attention, his nose working the air over with a vengeance. Kagome stood slightly behind him, trying to stay out of the way. There was nothing particularly interesting about their surroundings, so her gaze eventually fell to her own feet. How strange to be peering down at sneakers instead of penny loafers…

“Hmph,” Inuyasha grunted, bringing Kagome’s attention back to him. She noticed the huge dust cloud descending from the sky, and was momentarily blinded by the light of Sesshoumaru’s landing.

“I see you still have no sense of timing,” Inuyasha called insolently as Sesshoumaru’s humanoid form materialized.

Sesshoumaru brushed the sleeves of his kimono before looking at his brother. Kagome took that moment to study him. There was something ethereal about him: he was tall and lean, with alabaster skin and pure, almost shimmering silver hair that fell to his knees. The markings on his face and hands denoted his status as a taiyoukai; his body was partially obscured by the heirloom pelt he wore over his armor. Altogether, he was a magnificent, intimidating package.

“I see you still can’t travel by yourself,” Sesshoumaru replied, eyeing his brother with a look of complete boredom. He cast his gaze to Kagome for a moment before shifting back to Inuyasha.

“What you do want, Sesshoumaru? I thought our business was done.” Inuyasha’s stance radiated defensiveness even if his words didn’t.

“I did not summon you to fight with you, although I still hold the first right to your death,” Sesshoumaru announced. “I merely wanted to inform you of my plans to conquer our father’s ancestral home.” He paused, allowing this news to settle.

“What do I care what you do now?” Inuyasha asked sarcastically. “It’s not like the old man left me his territories.”

Sesshoumaru considered his words. “Our father lived in the western lands, ruling his vast territories from a castle called the House of the Moon. Upon his death, his vassals fought amongst themselves for his territories, and one of the family enemies rose up to destroy them all.” He paused, as if the memories brought back forgotten pain or anger, though neither emotion showed on his face.

“My father abandoned me to protect you and your human mother,” he practically spat, his mouth curling into a sneer. “He left everything in pursuit of you two, though for the life of me I can’t imagine why. However, that is not of importance now. With the interminable problem of Naraku finally solved, and with the emergence of my own power, it is time to take back what is rightfully mine.”

“Please, continue with your personal glory story,” Inuyasha interrupted. “Don’t let a point get in the way.”

“My point,” Sesshoumaru continued, “is that I do not want the tedious task of fighting you to distract me.”

“Don’t worry, I won’t get in your way. I couldn’t care less about this House of the Moon or anything else our father had.” It was Inuyasha’s turn to sneer. “After all, you’re the one with the memories.”

“You are no longer my enemy, Inuyasha, but know this: I will one day call upon you and your powers to aid me in my quest. And, if you have any familial honor in your pathetic half-breed body, you will respond in kind.” Sesshoumaru did look pained to admit that, but only fleetingly.

The tension rode high in the air as the brothers glared across the field, sizing each other up. Sesshoumaru’s gaze once again slid to Kagome, who had inched further and further away as the conversation between siblings heated up.

“Kagome, I may call upon your abilities as well,” he commented.

Kagome’s stomach fell to the ground. Inuyasha stepped in front of her. “You have no business with Kagome. Don’t drag her into your delusions.”

“She is a mere human, but she has extraordinary powers. If nothing else, she can teach Rin how to defend herself as she comes of age. This mission will be far more dangerous than merely chasing a youkai across the country.” As Sesshoumaru spoke, Kagome could feel his stare, even through the barrier of Inuyasha.

“Rin is still travelling with you?” Kagome asked, finding her voice.

“Indeed. I should like to leave her in your care, however, to learn how to use a bow. There are battles to be fought before she can return to my protection.”

“Uh-of course,” Kagome replied. She could hardly believe Sesshoumaru was still allowing Rin to follow him, as she proved a great weakness to him in the battles with Naraku.

“It is settled, then. I will bring her to you in due time.” With that, Sesshoumaru once again took flight, disappearing over the horizon.

“I can’t believe he’s still caring for that little girl,” Inuyasha remarked as he watched his brother’s apparition leave.

“Makes you wonder, doesn’t it,” Kagome mused, “if he might know where Kohaku is?”

Sesshoumaru settled himself at the top of a particularly gnarled, ancient tree. He wasn’t taken to hiding among the leafy green treetops, but he needed a moment of reflection following that meeting. He felt it went well; he also knew that this was a rare moment in time and he had to seize it. The final incarnation of Naraku was filled with all kinds of demons, and with its destruction, the landscape was unusually quiet. Those demons not seduced by Naraku had not yet come out of hiding, and those who were wounded in the final battle had not yet finished licking their wounds. If ever there was a time for him to strike, it was now.

The situation he found himself in now was partially his fault. While it was true that his father had abandoned him and his mother shortly before Inuyasha’s birth, that wasn’t the sole reason for his lost inheritance. His mother retreated to her own familial estate, and he abandoned all pretense of his childhood home, the House of the Moon, upon learning of the marriage contract his father had arranged without his knowledge. It was a political alliance with a nearby family, one that would have joined the next-largest territory with his own, thereby creating an incredibly powerful empire.

Perhaps, Sesshoumaru mused, if the sequence of events had been different, so would his fate. Yet everything happened all at once: he found out about his father’s betrayal, then the arranged marriage. He watched his mother move out of his childhood home, stoic but ashamed, and it all combined to create a reckless wrath within him. He also left his home, now filled with bitterness, and struck out on his own path, determined to conquer on his own terms. Seeking out his father’s offensive weapon, Tessaiga, was to be merely the first step in that plan.

Unfortunately, things went completely pear-shaped. His father’s will seemed to favor his bastard half-brother at every turn. Tessaiga was bequeathed to the little idiot hanyou, and even struck the first blow when Inuyasha severed his left arm. His own heirloom sword, Tenseiga, had powers that were locked against him, and spent most of its life as a useless ‘blade of healing.’ It was even revealed to be a cast off of Tessaiga! What his father must have thought of him, to not even give his eldest son the eldest sword!

Yet, in the end, Sesshoumaru passed his father’s many trials, earning the full use of Tenseiga and eventually gaining his own offensive sword, Bakusaiga, when his left arm regenerated. He had to make up with his mother to some extent to learn the full range of his powers, and he learned the painful lessons of being a true leader, as well as compassion for humans, whom he so detested for his father’s betrayal.

Always, in the back of his mind, he wanted to reestablish his base at his childhood home, to take back what was rightfully his and move on from there. When he acquired Rin, he wanted even more to give her a stable home, a place to grow up in relatively security.

The little human girl had been the key to unlocking his true power, and as such, had been his greatest weakness against Naraku. He was not so naïve as to believe she would not continue to be his weakness as he set out to build his empire. As her guardian, it was his duty to see that she learned to defend herself against her – and his – enemies. He wondered if this was how his father felt, protective but pushy: ready for his child to be strong, but not patient enough to teach her himself.

Whatever short period of time she remained with him, he would continue to protect and provide for her. She could grow up in the House of the Moon, before marrying and raising her own family with her human husband. Maybe then, he would reconsider that marriage contract. It was valid for a few hundred years, after all.

Now, however, was not the time to worry about providing for Rin. It was the perfect time to assemble his army of loyal youkai vassals and retake his homeland, while his enemies were weak or distracted. Thus, the need for peace with his brother at this time.

Sesshoumaru pondered the providence of Kagome being at his little meeting with Inuyasha. Seeing her, he suddenly found a solution to the dilemma of where to keep Rin while leading the battle for his home. He still didn’t think much of humanity as a whole, but Kagome was different. She was a tough woman with a singular soul. If there was any human he wished Rin to emulate, it was her.

A rare smile graced Sesshoumaru’s lips as he again took flight, now under the cover of night, back to his campsite. Soon, he told himself. Soon I will be home again.

“What?!” Sango screeched, sounding amazingly like Kagome’s little brother for a moment. She looked across Kaede’s hut at her friend, not able to believe her ears.

Kagome’s attention was focused on Miroku’s hand, which was she was carefully re-wrapping with gauze and tape. The wind-tunnel wound was healing nicely, albeit slowly.

“I told you not to tell her,” Inuyasha mocked from across the room, where he lay on his side observing the scene.

“And how could I not? If Rin is coming here, they deserve to know!” Kagome glared at him as she repacked her first aid kit.

Inuyasha shrugged. “You’re the one who thought it’d get her hopes up in the first place.”

“What?!” Sango repeated, still not able to grasp the full extent of Kagome’s news.

Kagome moved closer to Sango. “Sesshoumaru asked me to take in Rin and teach her how to defend herself. He said she’d be coming here soon, though I do wish he’d been specific. I’m not sure how long I can stay around with the jewel.”

Inuyasha sat up at that. “Don’t worry about that, Kagome. You know I can defend you.”

“But if Rin is coming here, that means Sesshoumaru is bringing her, right?” Sango appeared to have regained the ability to complete whole sentences again.

“Well, maybe –” Kagome began.

“And Kohaku was last seen under Sesshoumaru’s protection, right?” Sango continued, her eyes growing a bit wild with excitement.

“Yes, but –”

“Then that means, my search may not be fruitless!” Sango breathed. “I just know Kohaku’s alive, somewhere, somehow!”

Kirara mewed at his mistress’s change in tone before moving to rub against her knee. Sango absent-mindedly reached down to caress the two-tailed cat, her face alight with unusual happiness.

Kagome couldn’t bear to spoil her friend’s good will, but she was not so optimistic. Kohaku was last seen alive in Sesshoumaru’s presence, it was true, but in the aftermath of Nakaru’s destruction, all hell literally broke loose. There had been no sign of the young demon-slayer. All any of them had to go on was Sango’s insistence that he was, indeed, still alive.

“Don’t forget that Sesshoumaru still has a motive to kill you,” Miroku reminded her. “I wouldn’t get too close if I were you.”

“I have to think that if Sesshoumaru wanted me dead, I wouldn’t have lived long enough to beg for my life,” Sango replied, letting Miroku put his arm around her shoulders and leaning close to him. Such a sentiment earned a grunt from Inuyasha, but the scene was cut short by a shout from outside.

“Youkai!” cried a villager, sounding the alarm. The group rushed from the hut, Kaede in the lead with her bow ready, to join the others outside. Inuyasha drew Tessaiga and pointed it at the sparkling apparition in the immediate sky, ready in his battle stance.

“Aw, damn,” he sighed when he realized who it was. He eased up and waved his sword at the crowd. “Nevermind, he means no harm!”

The villagers weren’t quick to believe him, still wielding their implements. Kaede relaxed her arrow in her bow and called again to the villagers. A few still resisted, but most lowered their weapons and watched.

Sesshoumaru appeared and floated lightly to the ground, one hand held out ready to use his toxic poison claws, the other securely around Rin, who was cuddled next to his mokomoko. He eyed the villagers as he landed before walking purposefully toward Kagome.

He deposited Rin at her feet. “Stay here, Rin. I will return for you.” He turned on his heel and prepared to leave, but Rin grabbed the end of his pelt and cried out.

“No, Lord Sesshoumaru!” she wailed. “Please take me with you!”

He looked down at her, his expression still flat. “Rin, you must stay here. Kagome will teach you to defend yourself.” His narrow glare lifted to the whispering villagers, who were amazed that a human child would cling to a taiyoukai. With one sweep of his eyes, the crowd shut up.

Kagome reached for Rin. “It’s okay, Rin. Sesshoumaru wants you to be safe while he’s gone.” She pulled the little girl away from him and hugged her close. Sesshoumaru didn’t look back at his crying ward, instead moving away from the crowd once more.

“Lord Sesshoumaru!”

Sesshoumaru stopped, but again did not face the crowd.

“Where is Kohaku, Lord Sesshoumaru?” Sango called.