InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ A Simple Legacy (II) ❯ Chapter 2 ( Chapter 2 )

Disclaimer: Inuyasha and its characters are created by Rumiko Takahashi, not me, but the new plots are mine. This fanfiction had been written for entertainment purposes only and without intention of infringing upon any copyright.

A Simple Legacy II by elle6778 - Chapter 2


The spherical barrier around him shimmered with an eerie golden light as Sesshoumaru concentrated on his meditation. Soft and fleeting, the edge of his consciousness detected a harmless presence, someone whose scent was vaguely familiar. And then it was gone. Sesshoumaru did not let it bother him. After all, it posed no danger to him.

Calming his mind, he allowed himself to relax back into his meditation. His conscious thoughts slowly seeped away, leaving him with a sense of peaceful calm. He let himself float weightlessly, his mind in harmony with nothingness.

Little by little, the sound of soft footsteps and a familiar scent roused him from his meditative state and Sesshoumaru's eyes snapped open to land on the moss-covered circular wall of the cavern. A growl of irritation rose in his throat before he could stop it. Would he have no peace today?

Then his barrier wavered precariously as recognition dawned. It was the scent of the human miko. His apprentice. He had forgotten how pleasant her scent was. The familiar warm peach scent was so calm it was almost soothing. Ironically, her scent was in complete contrast with her bubbly, highly-strung nature which was nothing but calm.

Completely distracted now, Sesshoumaru closed his eyes and allowed himself an internal sigh. There was no way he could continue with his meditation now that she was here. Dropping his barrier, he stood up and awaited her.

An odd feeling of anticipation washed over him at the thought of seeing the miko. Her presence would mean that he could conclude his business in the Eastern Territories sooner than he had thought. However, he realized that he could not collect the debt she owed him until he had ascertained the position in regards to the Prince of the Eastern Territories. His meeting with the prince might unveil something which could change the nature of his request.

A moment later, she stepped into the cavern with the kitsune in her arms. Her eyes widened in surprise when she saw him. “Sesshoumaru!” she called out in an excited voice.

“Miko…” he said in acknowledgement as the object of his attention walked into the cavern he was occupying.

He let his senses sweep around them cautiously. It did not take him long to detect the faint scent of Inuyasha mingled with the miko's scent. But the only other being with her at the moment was the little kitsune, who gave him a timid wave with his thin paw. Sesshoumaru gave the kit a small nod of acknowledgement and then turned his attention back to the miko.

He allowed his eyes to scan over her. Clad in a pair of blue hakama topped with a white hakamashita, she appeared to be healthy, albeit a little thinner than he remembered. The past one month living in the wild in this harsh weather must be taking its toll on her. However, the effect was only physical. He could still feel her undampened enthusiasm and her buried strength underneath that deceptively fragile façade.

“It's a nice surprise to see you here, Sesshoumaru,” she said as she stepped closer to him.

“Indeed.”

With that shining expression on her face, anyone with eyes could see that she was happy to see him. She was so happy to see this Sesshoumaru, that he could almost feel her giddiness in his own bones. The foolish miko, he thought, unsure what to make of the awkward feeling inside him.

He had almost forgotten how strange it was to feel her every emotion. It was truly puzzling how the miko managed to project so much more of her to him than any other being he had met, whether it was youkai or human. She should learn to shield her emotions.

Golden eyes clashed with brown ones as he stared down at her. “What brings you here, Miko?” he asked.

She simply grinned at him. Although she had left his home over a month ago, that grin still seemed so familiar to him.

“There's a blizzard out there. Kouga found us this place to shelter from the wind,” she explained. “I guess you're here for the same reason, but aren't you a little bit far from home?”

Sesshoumaru's eyes flickered in surprise. The prince was here? What was he doing traveling with Inuyasha? The last Sesshoumaru had heard, Kouga and Inuyasha was not the best of friends. Perhaps the miko was referring to another.

“The Kouga you speak of, is he the wolf prince?”

A look of astonishment came across her features, confirming Kouga's identity to Sesshoumaru. “You know Kouga?” she asked curiously.

“Yes.”

Without another word, Sesshoumaru stepped around her, intent on meeting his objective. He hoped that Kouga had not allied himself with Ryokusen. Otherwise, he would have to dispose of the wolf in a manner he saw fit. And somehow, something told him that the miko would not approve. It would make things more difficult than it needed to be. Tamping down his irritation, Sesshoumaru's resolve hardened. The sooner he finished with the wolf, the sooner he could collect the debt from the miko and head back to the Western Lands. With Ryokusen and Naraku so close, he had no intention of leaving his lands for too long.

“Hey!”

Sesshoumaru gritted his teeth at her familiar slip. It astounded him that the miko could forget her station so easily, even after spending more than five weeks of being constantly told off for her insolence. It seemed to be the one thing that she had failed to grasp out of all the training she had been subjected to. Ignoring her pointedly, he continued to walk towards the main cave.

A small hand grabbed his left arm and he froze. Before he could berate her, she spoke softly. “Sesshoumaru, what do you want with Kouga? He's my friend. I can't let you hurt him,” she said, her voice carrying a tone of genuine concern.

At the innocently questioning look on her face, Sesshoumaru felt his annoyance ebb. He sensed nothing but her concern over her friend. However, her concern was her business and it did not mean anything to him.

“Miko, your memory must be failing you. This Sesshoumaru recalls no agreement to that effect.”

The miko's lips pursed, but she did not deny his words. “What do you want with him?”

“That, Miko, is none of your concern.” With that, he continued to walk away from her, feeling her annoyance bouncing off his back. The corner of his lips lifted by a fraction. Obviously, her fiery temper was still intact.

When he finally reached the main cave, his eyes landed on the wary looks worn by the occupants. The taijiya paused in the cleaning of her large weapon. The houshi was staring at him nervously. His objective, Kouga, stood up slowly from his position at the cave entrance. Strangely enough, Inuyasha was nowhere to be seen.

Instead, the taijiya was the first one to step forward. “What are you doing here, Sesshoumaru-sama?” she asked warily.

Ignoring everyone but the fur-covered wolf prince, Sesshoumaru greeted. “Kouga.”

Sesshoumaru had no intention of using an honorific, knowing from past experience that the prince did not stand on ceremony and was unlikely to reciprocate anyway. Sesshoumaru bit back a grimace of disgust at the manner the wolf clan had let themselves slip in the matters of protocol.

The wolf prince stepped forward and inclined his head in polite acknowledgement, a gesture which elicited surprised gasps from the rest of the cave's occupants.

“Sesshoumaru.”

“We have matters to discuss,” Sesshoumaru told him, telling him wordlessly that it was serious.

Kouga flicked a glance at the rest of his companions just as the miko and the kitsune joined them. In a measured tone, the wolf said, “If this concerns Naraku's presence, then they already know.”

Unable to maintain her silence as usual, the miko interjected. “Do you know where Naraku is, Sesshoumaru?”

Sesshoumaru grimaced. Of course, she was completely unaware of the proper protocol. No one should interrupt when two lords, or in this case, one lord and one prince were discussing matter pertaining to their lands.

“Silence, Miko,” he said quietly, earning himself a glare from said miko.

Obviously affronted, the miko started, “Sesshoumaru, you-”

Kouga held out his hand in warning. “Kagome, please stop,” he beseeched.

The miko and the rest of the cave's occupants gaped at the wolf. Sesshoumaru resisted the urge to smirk. It was clear to him that this was not a side of Kouga they knew.

Giving Sesshoumaru his full attention, Kouga finally said, “Let us find a more suitable location to continue our discussion.”

“I know of such place,” Sesshoumaru told him and led the wolf prince deeper into the cave.

When they were in the cavern in which he had been meditating earlier, Sesshoumaru stopped and turned to the prince. “So, you sensed his presence as well?”

Kouga nodded. “Yeah. But not recently. I think he's masking his scent with something.”

“Indeed.”

“I have a feeling he's still around. We're actually out here to look for him. It's just that in this blizzard, the Kagome, Sango, Shippou and Miroku are not doing so well.”

“The kitsune is too young and humans are weak,” Sesshoumaru stated coldly. Although he was aware of the taijiya and the houshi's skills, it was clear to him that their human needs would hamper the speed of travel.

A small smile lifted a corner of Kouga's lips. “Oh, yes. I almost forgot you're like that. But these humans…” Kouga nudged in the direction of the cave. “They're not weak.”

“You will find Naraku faster without them.”

Kouga shook his head. “Kagome can detect jewel shards. We need to have her around.”

Sesshoumaru inclined his head in a small nod. After all that training, she should be able to do more than that. And he had every intention of taking advantage of it. “The miko will be able to protect herself sufficiently. She is not without resources.”

Surprise flashed across Kouga's face, warning Sesshoumaru that he had said too much. Gritting his teeth, Sesshoumaru waited for the inevitable question.

“I would ask you how you knew that, but I guess you must have fought at some point in the past.”

“Perhaps.” The taiyoukai fell silent in thought, and then he continued, “What are your plans?”

The prince looked at him thoughtfully. “I don't have any great plans on how to take Naraku down, except just to find him and kill him.”

Sesshoumaru suppressed the urge to groan. Clearly, Kouga shared more with Inuyasha than just the puzzling affinity for human beings. “That would be inadequate for one such as Naraku,” he said meaningfully and watched as the wolf prince bristled.

“You got a better idea, Sesshoumaru?” Kouga challenged.

He had. However, he had no intention of sharing his strategies with others. Divulging his plans might mean that they would end up getting in his way. Regardless, the wolf prince should be made aware that Naraku could not be simply brought down by brute force alone. Strategies had to be made and backed-up with contingency plans.

“It would be wise to come up with a strategy to bring Naraku down,” Sesshoumaru remarked.

Kouga stared at him in confusion. “Wasn't that what I just said? Find him and just kill him.”

It occurred to Sesshoumaru that the wolf tribe must have been extremely lucky if all they did was charge blindly into battle without any advance plans, let alone contingency plans. But then again, his worthless half-brother had been doing the same as well. And the hanyou was still alive.

“That had not worked for the last three years,” Sesshoumaru pointed out dryly. “It is time to rethink your strategies.”

Kouga's eyes narrowed suspiciously. “Is there something you're not telling me, Sesshoumaru? You have some sort of plan, don't you?”

Not a single muscle moved on the taiyoukai face as he replied, “This Sesshoumaru does not share his strategies.”

Kouga snorted. “Then what are you here for?”

Sesshoumaru kept his expression bland as he studied the prince. There was no need to tell Kouga that he was also seeking the miko. The wolf prince did not need to know of it. So he simply settled for, “To ascertain your position.”

Surprise flared on Kouga's face before comprehension dawned, and then it was immediately replaced with righteous indignance. “Are you suspecting me of helping Naraku?” he flared up heatedly.

Having obtained the answer he was searching for from Kouga's affronted expression, Sesshoumaru just inclined his head. “It is clear that you're not. This Sesshoumaru needs to be certain, considering the proximity of your territory with the Western Lands.”

Frowning darkly, Kouga bit out, “You're one distrustful youkai, you know that?”

“A trait which serves this Sesshoumaru well.”

Kouga's lips twitched.

The sound of footsteps from the distance drew Sesshoumaru's attention away from the prince. A second later, a familiar scent hit his senses, making the taiyoukai stiffen in annoyance. He really did not care to waste any of his time fighting his half-brother. There were more important things for him to deal with at the moment.

“The hanyou is here,” Sesshoumaru stated.

Kouga's eyes narrowed as he swiveled around just as Inuyasha appeared. “Hey, mutt, we have business to deal with here. Get out of the way.”

To Sesshoumaru's amusement, Inuyasha just ignored Kouga and turned his eyes to him.

“What are you doing here, Sesshoumaru?” he snapped rudely.

“Attending to the affairs of the Western Lands, of course,” Sesshoumaru replied, his expression showing his disdain.

Inuyasha stared at him disbelievingly, and then to Kouga. “What? With this mangy wolf?”

“Hey!” Kouga protested indignantly. “I happen to be the Prince of the Eastern Territories, so shut up!”

Inuyasha immediately rounded on the wolf.

Sesshoumaru looked back and for the between the two of them as they continued to bicker. It baffled him how Kouga could lower himself to argue with Inuyasha. But then again, perhaps it was their age. After all, both of them were several centuries younger than he was.

The bickering quickly escalated to a fistfight. Somehow, Sesshoumaru were not surprised at the development. There could only be one conclusion to anything involving an irate Inuyasha.

As the wolf and the hanyou tumbled out of the cavern into another one, Sesshoumaru lowered himself on the smooth rock he had meditated on earlier.

Since Kouga was not allied with Ryokusen, then the presence of the latter with Naraku must mean that they were up to something. And as far as Sesshoumaru knew, Naraku had only ever wanted the Shikon jewel and the strength of a taiyoukai. The former because of obvious reasons and the latter because of the capability of a taiyoukai in withstanding purification. With that ability, Naraku would be able to get his hands on the remaining jewel shards from the miko with greater ease and to ensure that he would never be purified.

Sesshoumaru's eyes narrowed a fraction. Naraku had long been a thorn in his side. First, the detestable hanyou had tried to use him to destroy Inuyasha, and then he had the nerve to kidnap Rin. Strangely enough, Kagura's death had been another thing to add to the long list of reasons to wipe Naraku off the face of earth. It was time that the hanyou was taught a lesson.

Sesshoumaru mulled over the plan he had made ever since he had regained his left arm. It was risky and he had to be careful who he spoke to about it, considering Naraku's never-ending spies. If Naraku found out about it, not only the plan would fail but lives would no doubt be lost.

However, since he had no intention of sharing his plans with anyone, that should not be too much of an issue.

Now that he knew where Kouga stood, all that was left was for him to speak to the miko.

He would seek her out and do so tomorrow.


…***…***…


Sounds of light snoring surrounded her as Kagome rolled around restlessly in her sleeping bag. Everyone was asleep apart from Ayame, who had chosen to stand guard near the cave entrance.

Kagome's eyes went to the dark opening at the back of the cave. Sesshoumaru was somewhere in there. And from what Rin had told her, the taiyoukai did not sleep much. Perhaps she should go see him. After all, she had barely had a chance to catch up with him earlier. He and Kouga had disappeared without them and when Kouga returned, the wolf had seemed more thoughtful than usual. Kagome wondered what was going on between the two of them.

She glanced again at the dark passage at the back of the cave, uncertain if her visit would be welcomed by the taiyoukai. He had not been harsh to her earlier, but he had not been overly friendly either. Instead, she had only sensed a confusing mix of emotions emanating from him.

It was weird.

Shrugging away her thoughts, Kagome shuffled out of her sleeping bag, careful not to disturb Shippou. Since she could not sleep, she might as well pay him a visit. Anyway, she had been wondering how Rin was getting along in the last one month. She missed the little cheerful child.

With that, Kagome stood up. At Ayame's questioning look, she gestured towards the back of the cave. If Ayame was surprised, she did not show it. A few minutes later, Kagome descended gingerly down the naturally formed tunnel with a small torch in her hand.

The tunnel eventually widened out into another cavern. Her eyes immediately went to the still white form surrounded by a golden barrier. His long, silver hair streamed down his back contrasting sharply with the fluffy white fur draped over a shoulder. His eyes were closed and his expression was even as he sat cross-legged on a flat rock.

Was he sleeping?

“Sesshoumaru?” she called out cautiously.

Sesshoumaru did not respond. There was not even a flicker in face which told her that he acknowledged her presence.

Kagome grinned. Of course he knew she was there. With his senses, he could not have possibly missed her scent. He seemed deep in meditation. She tried to read him. His face showed nothing, but she could sense that he was feeling satisfied about something and there was also a keen sense of anticipation within him.

Her grin died, replaced by a small frown of uncertainly.

How the hell did she know that?

Her frown deepened. Since when had Sesshoumaru allowed anyone to see any of his emotions? She was not even aware that he had any until she had spent that month in his place. Come to think of it, her ability to sense Sesshoumaru's feelings had started just shortly before she left.

It was weird.

Sesshoumaru's lifted his lids and trained his carefully blank golden eyes on her. The barrier around him slowly fizzled out.

“I'm glad you're still here,” she exclaimed, sitting down cross-legged opposite him on another rock, pushing back her concern about being able to read his emotions. It was probably just her overactive imagination.

“The weather is not suitable for traveling in,” he replied smoothly in his usual disinterested tone.

He did not change at all. She had left his place a month ago and he was the same stoic taiyoukai, she thought with an inner grin. But instead of trying to kill her like he had always done before their agreement, at least now he tolerated her presence, albeit grudgingly.

Remembering his last words to her at his castle, a smile crept onto her lips. He had all but admitted that her presence as his apprentice was not totally deplorable. The mighty taiyoukai still had hope. She wondered if he still felt the same. Well, she supposed he did since he was talking to her quite civilly.

“How's Rin?” she asked.

There was a slight pause before he replied in a measured tone. “Rin is… lonely.”

Kagome's eyes softened. It must be hard for the child to adapt to the loss of Shippou's companionship. After all, one month was a long time.

“She could come visit us for a while, couldn't she?” Kagome suggested.

His golden eyes flicked to her momentarily before they shifted away to focus on a point in front of him. “It is unsafe.”

“Inuyasha can protect us,” she insisted.

“No.”

“Oh, come on, Sesshoumaru. What harm could it do?”

“Naraku is around.”

Kagome slumped. “I guess you're right.” Sighing, she continued in a softer voice, “I wonder if we'll ever bring him down.”

“You are better trained for it now,” Sesshoumaru pointed out. “The task is not insurmountable.”

This was what she missed about being with Sesshoumaru, she suddenly realized. Although he was arrogant and cold, he had never belittled her skills without a good reason. Sometimes, like now, he would state something which made her feel better, even if he did not deliberately intend to do so.

Brightening a little, Kagome said with a smile, “Yes.”

“Have you been keeping up with your training?”

Kagome blinked and then looked away sheepishly. Trust Sesshoumaru to be the one to make her feel guilty. Apart from the one time she had gone back home, she had never had enough privacy to practice what she had been taught. Unless, of course, she wanted the rest of her traveling companion to find out. Not that she really minded, but she wanted it to be a surprise.

“Miko. Practice is essential,” he told her in a hard voice. “Do not waste the training.”

“Sorry.” Her voice was small. She sensed that Sesshoumaru was disappointed with her and somehow, that made her feel very insignificant.

A long silence followed before Sesshoumaru spoke. “Get up.” His voice contained a hint of resignation and irritation.

Her eyes widened. “Why?” she asked.

He unfolded his legs and stood up. “Do as you're told.”

“Um…Sesshoumaru? What are you doing?” she asked uncertainly, watching as he placed himself a few arms length in front of her.

“Making sure that your training had not been completely wasted.”

Her lips parted in surprise. Sesshoumaru wanted to spar with her? Now? She peered at him, trying to gauge how serious he was. His face was set in his usual mask, giving away nothing of his thoughts apart from the impression of great boredom. But somehow, she could sense the underlying feeling of anticipation in him.

Anticipation?

How strange.

As she continued to hesitate, he began to look impatient.

“Miko.”

She glanced nervously at the entrance to the cavern. “Um…we're going to wake them up.”

He gave her a thoughtful look and she could feel his surprise emanating from him. “Your companions are unaware of the training?”

She shook her head. “I wanted it to be a surprise.”

He nodded curtly. Then, with a flick of his wrist, a solid barrier formed at the entrance to the cavern.

The familiar feeling of anticipation rose within her. Grinning, she prepared herself for Sesshoumaru's attack.


…***…***…


A/N: They finally met! Hope it lived up to expectations. As usual, it'll be greatly appreciated if you could review and let me know what you think of this chapter. Thanks for reading!