InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Eien Ni Nakunatta Shunkan: A Moment Lost Forever ❯ Chapter 21 ( Chapter 22 )

I WILL MOST LIKELY COME BACK AND ADD MORE TO THIS CHAPTER WHEN I HAVE TIME --- WRITING A DOUBLE-RATED STORY IS A PAIN!!! There's nothing too adult here, keeping with the "If I've Seen It In An R-Movie I Can Post It Here, I Think?!?" Rule --- subtle innuendo and a few kisses don't cross the line, do they? I can't tell anymore.

I just wanted to get this out there before next week's manga as Sesshoumaru is poised to become the lovely Kagura's knight in shining --- fluff?! And then I'll feel too warm and fuzzy to write angst. (Just don't let him die, think happy thoughts!)

Don't sue! Once again, I don't own these characters, just borrowing them for my own petty reasons! Thanks for reading!

Oh --- and please, please! If someone saw Episode 162: Together with Sesshoumaru-sama Forever, please tell me all about the Sess/Rin goodness! (I can't believe she gets kidnapped AGAIN, can't they come up with something else?!?) I just saw some screen-caps and I'm dying to know! I mean, I can use my imagination how it ends, but Sess sure looks insanely rampaging mad (you DON'T mess with Rin! EVER! EVER!)! Guess he's trying to get out of some kind `o holy barrier.

THANK YOU NOTOES, and JANE (I'm so sorry I had to update now, I'm about to leave on a camping trip for two weeks! I'll add your corrections when I return! Thank you both for your time!)

And THANK YOU to Resmiranda, SmartyCat and Nokomarie the Snake. I so don't deserve that!

THERE WILL BE TYPOS, BUT IF I DIDN'T POST THIS NOW, IT WOULDN'T BE UP FOR ANOTHER 2 WEEKS AS I'M HEADING BACK OUT ON THE WATER.

Whew - I'm done whining! On to the story ---

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Chapter 21: Setsunai Tabi

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Aun did not seem fond of trudging through the deep snow at all. Whenever they paused for a moment, the great beast would alternately lift his scaly feet one at a time, trying desperately to keep them out of that horrible freezing powder. Rin made sure to pay especially close attention to the creature at these times, stooping down low to pick at the ice that accumulated painfully between the webs of his sharp talons. For the dragon's sake, she hoped they would return to the sky soon, but she understood the need to trudge across this icy plain. The moment they had crossed into the wolves' territory, they HAD to cease their flight in order for her master to search out clear signs and definitive proof of Inuyasha's trail.

"Mou," Rin pouted as she studied her ice-covered surroundings. The landscape was really quite dreary --- though the tall trees had seemed lovely at first, now it was just miles and miles of the same old thing! And she hadn't seen any wildlife for ages --- not even a single chattering bird or nervous little hare! Those fat, stupid, stinking wolves probably ATE them all! she seethed inwardly.

With nothing to really focus her attention on, there was no way to combat her boredom other than replaying the disastrous events at the forge in her mind. All that awful bickering! What had gone wrong? She still couldn't figure out why everyone was mad at one another but she had the distinct impression her master was rather worried about --- about something. Almost as if he was keeping some secret to himself --- a secret that somehow had to do with her?!

Walking about twenty paces ahead of girl, Sesshoumaru came to an abrupt halt, his senses honing in on her inner turmoil. "Are you cold?" he asked evenly, without so much as turning around.

"No," she exclaimed quickly (and truthfully). Even after all the years she had spent in his care, she was still amazed by his keen instincts and intuition. She hoped he would be satisfied with her clipped reply and not press her further for answers to what was truly weighing on her mind. For some strange reason, she wanted to keep her present suspicions hidden. Some impulse deep inside told her that this mystery was something she should work out independently --- relying solely on her own judgment.

But the taiyoukai was not to be so easily deterred. "What is it then, little one?"

He was just standing there, unmoving, as the snow fell lightly all about him. It was obvious he had no intentions of continuing on his way until he had her answer. Rin felt instantly contrite for distracting his attention from the task at hand. "It's n-nothing," she stammered. "It's just that it sure would have been nice if we could have accepted Totosai's hospitality a bit more, errr --- graciously. I would have liked to show you some of the other armor I helped craft!"

"There is only one thing this Sesshoumaru regrets we were not able to partake of at the horrible place. And I plan to remedy that right now." He inclined his head slightly and Rin got a small glance at his profile, surprised to find that his lips were curved in a strange, mysterious smile.

"Come." The demon lord dramatically altered the direction of his steady march and stepped off the open trail. He headed purposefully for a thick stand of mighty, wind-sculpted pines, ducking carefully under a few of the twisted, low-hanging branches.

Rin exchanged a puzzled glance with Jaken before heaving a persistent tug on Aun's reins, causing the beast to bellow out a reluctant growl before grudgingly following them into the woods. Striving only to place her feet in Sesshoumaru's widely-spaced footprints in the hope of avoiding the deep drifts, she made her way into a dark clearing. Rin smiled at the telling shimmer of glorious steam that rose up before her, and inhaled deep breaths full of that wonderfully familiar and most welcome mineral smell.

"A sping," the young woman sighed in pure, undisguised ecstasy. She dropped Aun's lead and collapsed happily on her back in the thick powder with a loud thud. "A bath! Relaxation!" she sang out, sweeping her arms and legs in the snow to create an odd star-shaped depression.

Sesshoumaru stood back in the shadows. His expression was perfectly bland, as if he was trying to project the attitude that he would find NO pleasure at this lovely place and that this stop was merely for the benefit of his exhausted companions. But as he continued to watch Rin's playful antics, he found it harder and harder to disguise his curiosity --- why the hell was she doing that? He thought back to his childhood, suddenly recalling a time when Chichiue had brought him to a poor ningen village. He could remember how Father had tried to push him into a circle of ruddy-faced human brats as they rolled in the snow in a similar fashion. Even now, he could remember his arrogant, vehement refusal, and his deep-rooted confusion as Chichiue had explained to him that they were merely playing and that HE should join them in their `fun'.

Sesshoumaru was snapped back to the present as Rin squealed in wicked delight, having inadvertently knocked some snow under her own collar. How the hell was this fun? he wondered, just as he had all those centuries ago. He inclined his head to the side, wrinkled his nose, and bit his lip with a long fang. Well, humans WERE a frightfully strange race, prone to irrational displays and incredibly brain-less outbursts. But still ----

Thankfully, Jaken interrupted his musings, before the demon lord was even remotely tempted to sink to his knees and finally discover what he might have been missing.

The toad was currently cursing loudly, seeming to be rather perturbed by this idyllic location and the unspoken command to set up camp HERE. "Perfect," he scowled, staring from that far too intimate looking spring to Rin and then back again. "I guess this Jaken will not be welcome here this night! And besides, I wouldn't want to stay --- I've already been subjected to one trauma already, and that was quite enough!"

Rin threw him a patronizing sneer and then turned back to regard the moon, the stars and clear, crisp night air, her thoughts in a jumble at the obvious fact that she was most likely going to share yet another bath with her master. Nothing Jaken said would spoil her night! She was really looking forward for this chance to be alone with Sesshoumaru, and desperately hoped he'd be different than that severe and demanding creature he'd been at the forge. Her anxious fretting was suddenly interrupted as something flashed oddly in one quadrant of the heavens, capturing her full attention.

"Sesshoumaru!" she gasped, gesturing wildly with both arms while staring open-mouthed into the night sky. "Sesshoumaru! What IS that?!"

The taiyoukai's impassive gaze followed the direction of her frantic pointing, a faint smile creeping to his face when he recognized what she was so excited about ---

A portion of the dark northern sky was alight with dancing color. Broad patches of ghostly green blinked between faint smudges of nearly translucent violet. Quick explosions of red flared and then vanished in a haze, sinking back to midnight black as if they had never been there at all. And, most spectacular of all, each of these bursting colors were intersected by wavy, churning channels of purest white that arced and dipped across the entire dome of the sky.

Trying to hasten his response, Rin rose to her feet and raced to her master's side. The girl stumbled a bit as she refused to take her astonished eyes from the dazzling spectacle above her, and eagerly awaited his answer.

"That Rin --- that is the Moon's Rainbow. The aurora," Sesshoumaru replied quietly, savoring her innocent, awed reaction as much as he did the display of lights above him. "I have not seen them in a very, very long time."

Rin beamed up at the demon with obvious pride. "I just KNEW you'd know!" Her mind was full of questions and she rattled them out just as soon as they formed, not caring if it seemed a bit overwhelming. "What is it really, Sesshoumaru?! I mean, what MAKES it so?! Is it a youkai?! Why do we never see this in the western skies?! And how can they move so fast? What causes the colors to change? If it's called a `rainbow' why doesn't it stay still so I can get a good look?! And if a rainbow only comes after rain --- does this only happen after snow!? Please, tell me everything! Everything!" she clamored breathlessly, wringing her fingers on the hems of her sleeve.

Sesshoumaru marveled at her eagerness to learn and paused to throw a warning glare at Jaken, who was once again shaking his head in disgust at the young woman's seemingly boundless excitement. Under that murderous stare, the small toad blanched to a noticeably lighter shade of green and hurriedly busied himself with removing Aun's tack.

Ignoring his shaking, and now thankfully occupied, servant, the demon lord closed the distance between himself and the girl. He reached to take her small hand in his and drew her onto a large snow-bank, pausing to enjoy the strange beauty of the night sky. "What are they?" he echoed, his face still expressionless as he tried to answer her many jumbled queries one at a time. "They just ARE, my Rin. They appear in the northern sky, but very, very rarely."

The girl was staring at him, hanging on his words with avid enthrallment. Sesshoumaru reached out to capture her pointed chin with his clawed fingers, tilting her head upwards to focus her gaze on the eerie lights once more. "Are they youkai?" he whispered, trying not to grin at the rapt fascination in her hazel eyes. "No, I do not believe so. Though there are demons and spirits that personify natural wonders, like the clouds, and the thunder, and the rain --- some things just --- happen. And even I cannot fully explain how. In any case, if it IS a youkai that causes that strange glow, then this Sesshoumaru has yet to meet him." Taking advantage of Rin's naive distraction, the taiyoukai leaned down to press a lingering kiss to her temple. He felt her sharp intake of breath, and her free arm came round to encircle his waist, and ---

"If you don't mind my saying, milord," interjected Jaken, as he struggled up the snowdrift to stand behind the pair, fully oblivious to the fact that he was interrupting what could have been a potentially romantic moment. "I KNOW what causes the lights in the sky! And it's not a `him' --- those are `her'! Those are tennyou!"

"Tennyou?" Rin giggled, swiftly releasing the taiyoukai and dropping her arm modestly back to her side. She stared up dubiously as another shock of violet burst above some of the forbidding mountains in the distance. "Jaken-sama, I did not think YOU believed in nonsense and fairy-tales! Aren't you a little old for that?"

"Old?! And fairy tales! I tell you I've seen them!" he screeched indignantly, slamming the Nintojou into the deep snow, and raising his fist in threat.

"Are you sure you weren't drunk at the time?" Rin quipped smartly, just a little irked that her dreamy interlude was fading as quickly as some of those winking lights up above! "That was sure a lot of sake you hoarded at the shiro last time!"

Choosing not to intervene, Sesshoumaru folded his arms across his armored chest, and marveled at the girl's fearless, teasing nature, and how her biting wit never failed to catch his grouchy vassal off-guard. How could someone with such a pretty, angelic face possess such obstinate courage and sarcastic humor?

"Why you! No --- tennyou exist, you rotten little --- " Jaken's scratchy voice died as he caught Sesshoumaru's eyebrows arching to disappear under his silvery bangs, expectantly awaiting the rest of the toad's insult. The small youkai released a nervous titter of laughter and quickly amended the rest of his delivery. "You sweet-little-clever-little-darling ---" he crooned, patting the girl on the hand.

Rin, of course, was still not convinced and she quickly whirled around to face her master again. "Sesshoumaru, have you ever seen a tennyou?" Her thoughts suddenly filled with jealous images of the handsome youkai lord reclining among petal-soft clouds, surrounded by a lustful host of heavenly `maidens' all clamoring to tend to him. She quickly amended the distasteful little daydream by imagining herself arriving on the scene to tear each and every one of the fawning creatures away by their sleek, perfectly-styled, and perfumed ebony hair. Mechanically, the girl reached up to smooth her own ever-unruly, wind-blown tresses in self-conscious embarrassment.

Sesshoumaru blinked in curiosity, wondering what the twitchy movements and the envious, violent and somewhat self-satisfied light in Rin's eyes were currently all about. "No, Rin, I have never seen a tennyou," he confirmed. She relaxed visibly, allowing him to easily (and correctly) guess what had been making her so tense. Could it be that his sweet, gentle little Rin was jealous? "No, I have never seen a tennyou --- nor do I believe they exist," he added quickly.

Rin spun in a neat pirouette and stuck her tongue out at Jaken, knowing her master could not see the undeniably childish gesture. "Ha! If Sesshoumaru-sama doesn't believe there are tennyou, then I don't believe in them either!"

With that firm declaration, the rather odd trio slipped back into stony silence, each one of them content to simply stare into the starry night sky in wonder.

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Having spent so many long years traveling together, setting up camp was a fairly routine, and speedily accomplished, chore. In no time at all, a small fire was blazing cheerily in the middle of the grove, Rin had staked her claim on a rather promising looking sleeping area, and Aun had received his thorough, and much appreciated, nightly grooming. Afterwards, Jaken and the young woman relaxed, leaning cozily against the exhausted dragon's warm flank. At some unspoken signal that came from years upon years of reconciling their utterly opposing personalities (and knowing the limits of one another's patience), the irritable demon and the little human put aside their differences to enjoy a small meal of toasted goma together. As usual, Sesshoumaru wandered off from the group for a short while, seeming more interested in coolly inspecting his great swords than partaking in any further conversation.

The demon lord never strayed too far though, and even now, Rin could see his formidable silhouette through the dense screen of fragrant pines. At the moment, however, her main focus was not so much on HIM, but, surprisingly, on Jaken. The girl kept her shrewd gaze trained on the tiny imp, just waiting for him to fall into sleep. She chewed at her fingernails impatiently, watching in anxious anticipation as his head bobbed drowsily and he heaved a great, noisy yawn. After several excruciating moments, she breathed out a small sigh of relief as he curled closer to Aun and closed his yellow eyes.

And what seemed like long ages later, HER own eyes took on a devilish glow as she heard that first deep, rattling wheeze and watched the Nintojou slip from his grasp. Wanting to be absolutely certain that he was TRULY asleep before she got her hopes up, the young woman crept to his side and waved her hand crazily in front of his flat face. But the toad merely mumbled incoherently, turned on his stomach, and continued with his now deafening snores.

Humming quietly to herself, Rin picked up her naginata (after all, she would take no chances in the territory of those foul wolves!) and hurried after Sesshoumaru. She burst through the bowed, prickly branches of the pines, and into the adjoining clearing --- but --- but he wasn't in the place where she saw him last! The young woman stared down at his large tracks in the virgin snow, shaking her head at the fact that they led unmistakably, clearly and directly towards the onsen. With a delighted smile, she turned and made her way stealthily towards the springs herself, laughing to find her master already standing at the water's edge, just waiting for her. Those amazing youkai senses again! she mused inwardly. Even though HE had been at least a hundred yards away, he still must have heard the exact moment Jaken had fallen asleep!

For the second time that evening, the stoic demon lord addressed her without so much as turning, merely muttering out the sarcastic quip, "This night, it took Jaken a rather longer time than usual to begin with those appalling snores. Would you agree?"

"Un!" she concurred, stabbing her weapon down into a deep drift and reaching up absently to remove the ornate pearl combs from her hair. "It WAS a tiresome wait, but, luckily, as you know, when Jaken-sama does finally find sleep, it is rather difficult to wake him!" She shook her head slowly, quite surprised that she still had the ability to think up that silly little jibe, transfixed as she was by the alluring sight of this peaceful, hidden spring, and the shining moon above, and those impossibly bright trees with their boughs weighed down sparkling ice and --- and him.

Rin steadily unlaced the ties of her haori and eased off layer after layer of fine silk, allowing them to pool carelessly at her feet. Hugging her own shivering form, she raced into the dark waters of the onsen with a resounding splash and an even louder shriek. Sesshoumaru watched her for a few moments as she dove to the bottom of the pool, still astonished by the way everything seemed to delight her. The girl resurfaced seconds later, and his amusement faded, replaced by a more immediate emotion. The youkai leaned against a fallen tree, finding it increasingly difficult to concentrate on the task of removing as his own attire as he continued to observe his lovely companion.

Rays of moonlight glistened on her pale skin, every curve haloed in that soft light. Her fragrant hair spilled in heavy waves over her slight shoulders and her jewel-bright eyes, framed by those dark, impossibly long lashes, lit up as soon as she noticed his attention was fixed squarely on her. "Speaking of Jaken again, the little toad might actually have been correct earlier. I feel that I could be gazing upon a tennyou right now," he stated in a husky whisper, still quite confused by this myriad of strange feelings unfolding inside him.

Rin looked up at those flattering words and blushed, as unaccustomed to receiving his compliments as he seemed in offering them. "I'm not like a tennyou," she murmured with an embarrassed, self-depreciating shrug. She stood on her tip-toes and watched with rapt interest as his hands worked at the many clasps of his armor.

"You are lovely enough to be one," Sesshoumaru countered, holding her gaze as he hurriedly tugged at the stubborn ties of his white hakama next. Rin's blush grew to extend from her cheeks down to her throat, yet she laughed idly, dismissing his praise.

Catching her mischievous giggle, Sesshoumaru shook his silvery head. "That was terrible, was it not?"

The girl nodded shyly. "A bit terrible."

The taiyoukai gave an elegant snort at her humor, as he laid his fine clothes and weapons in a neat pile next to the girl's. "That was the kind of drivel my dim, imbecile half-brother would probably say to impress his equally stupid woman, was it not?"

Rin ducked her head back into the hot water again, plastering her wild hair to her scalp, and then waded steadily to meet him as he entered the hidden pool. "I'm not sure about that! You'll just have to forgive me --- I'm still not used to ANY of this! Especially those far too kind words! And besides, I would have been a terrible tennyou, for you would not have to trap me," she breathed, grabbing his wrist and tugging him closer. "I would have given up the sky willingly if it meant I could stay forever with you!" She waited for Sesshoumaru to crush her in his arms or capture her lips in a dizzying kiss or --- or show her ANY sign of affection, but he merely stiffened uncomfortably and shifted away. She watched as he moved past her, heading further into the clear water, his long, beautiful hair fanning out behind him.

Rin tried to mask her confusion. For some reason, her sweet, encouraging words did not have the effect she had hoped!

Sesshoumaru swallowed hard and glanced back up at the sparkling night sky. Some foreign sentiment was haunting his conscience --- was this --- guilt, again? He remembered the pressing conversation he needed to have with the girl and realized he had put it off long enough. Damn Totosai, he chanted over and over again in his mind. And damn HER for her selfless nature and that childlike sparkle in her hazel eyes.

He drew near to the young woman and clasped her hands gently. She seemed so small and fragile. She was just staring up at him, her heart-shaped face so doting and optimistic. Why was he suddenly afraid he was going to hurt her?

"Rin, there is something I must tell you. Something I should have told you weeks ago perhaps." Astonishingly, the taiyoukai found himself struggling with his next words. And his scrambled thoughts were only distracted further as he watched a thin rivulet of water drip down from her wet hair to wind its way along those ragged scars on her throat --- both the old, and the one that he had inflicted himself.

Rin's brow furrowed and she broke away a bit, concerned by his rather displeased demeanor. In mounting trepidation, she watched as his eyes shifted to the markings on her neck and, pained by HIS strangely mournful gaze, she found herself hurrying to reassure him. "It's perfectly alright, my lord," she soothed. "I know what you would speak to me about."

"You do?" the youkai asked, somewhat surprised and feeling greatly calmed and comforted by the serene acceptance in her expression. Of course, he had been correct all along --- she WOULD understand this easily!

But Rin's response soon dashed his momentary respite. "Yes," she answered almost offhandedly, using her tiny fingers to stir up gentle ripples on the surface of the steaming water. "You --- you're concerned that I am afraid of the wolves and that my childhood memories will distract you from the mission at hand?" She bit her lip and looked up at him hopefully.

The taiyoukai blinked in shock. "Yes," he answered, not sure what else to say.

Rin offered him a breath-taking smile of relief, touched that he seemed so worried about her. It would appear he was not only concerned for her safety, but anxious about her peace of mind as well! "Please don't trouble yourself with me!" she exclaimed lightly. "I AM a bit nervous, but I will have you and Jaken-sama beside me! I trust you to protect me --- as you always have!"

Sesshoumaru turned to hide his scowl. Perfect --- why did that statement suddenly make him feel worse? Before he could return her attention to the REAL matter weighing on his mind, she captured his hand again, turning it to place a soft, chaste kiss into his palm. The demon lord opened his mouth to speak, but closed it just as quickly as the girl began to nudge persistently (and mischievously) at his ribs, guiding him to stand perfectly still before her. Continuing to fumble over what he should possibly say next, he decided to at least comply with her not-so-subtle urgings. Why the hell was this so damn difficult?!

Rin took a moment to admire the taiyoukai's form, from the solemn, fine features of his handsome face, to the planes of his chest, and on to those long legs obscured by the shifting water. Though still very embarrassed by his compliments, at least those fiery blushes no longer stained her cheeks when she looked at him like this! She was pleased to find herself fully relaxed in his presence and she smoothed her hands over his pale skin, running them along the cords of his neck, back down to his shoulders, and on to his muscular biceps. Offering special attention to his still-healing left arm, her fingers kneaded at those weaker muscles as they contracted reflexively. She found her lips twisting into a deep frown as she noted the strange difference in the complexion of that wounded limb. The skin was nearly translucent, appearing waxy and ashen, and there was a strange crimson band running just above his elbow. And --- that stripe wasn't like one of her scars --- it was even and smooth to the touch, just like his natural markings.

It was terrible.

It wasn't that she found her master flawed --- not by any means! She just HATED to be faced with such a tangible reminder of his pain and defeat. Wisely deciding to move on before she got too worked up with resentment at Inuyasha and the still continuing sibling feud, she stepped behind Sesshoumaru and took his heavy, silken hair in her hands. Humming softly, she began to weave it into a thick, single braid to keep it out of her way.

"What are you doing, Aijin?" he asked, his tone slightly apprehensive as he tried to crane his neck to see for himself.

"Fixing your hair," she answered matter-of-factly, her attention fixed solely on her handiwork, completely ignoring his uncertain expression.

"I suppose I should at least consider myself fortunate that it is not springtime. No doubt you would attempt to torment this Sesshoumaru by trying to plait in leaves and flowers!" he retorted with a wounded pout.

Rin snickered, trying to shake what the taiyoukai would definitely find to be a most unbecoming mental image from her mind. "I wouldn't do that to you!" she retorted, her eyes filled with feigned indignation.

He raised an eyebrow in amusement. "Why are you doing that anyway? I believe you once sought to make it perfectly clear that you preferred it loose." He reached up playfully to pull a few trailing locks back out of her eager hands.

"Yes, normally that's the case --- but right now it is in the way for what I plan to do next," she responded roguishly.

Sesshoumaru tried to turn quickly, almost forgetting that Rin had a rather tight grip on the majority of his sodden hair. His eyebrows disappeared under his thick bangs in shock --- gods --- this little thing was too damn innocent to understand how bold her words seemed for just a second!

Rin watched as something stirred in the depths of his golden eyes and struggled to hide her triumphant grin. That look was most definitely an unmistakable invitation to do whatever she wished! Though her pulse doubled in response to the heat of his gaze, she merely sighed in mock-exasperation, and pushed weakly at his chest. Using her toes, the girl kicked up a few small stones from the bottom of the pool, catching the grit and rolling it in her palms to chafe at the skin of his back. The taiyoukai sighed in contentment and let his eyes drift shut, losing himself in the simple pleasure of the hot water and her gentle fingers as they continued to massage and knead at his muscles.

"Ima dou? How are YOU feeling?" he asked, suddenly struck with some selfless desire to offer her the same treatment. After all, she was the one who carried an unfamiliar new burden now! "The armor Totosai crafted --- has it been any trouble to you?" he inquired, his voice a bit strained, still unsure of how the clever little thing managed to convince him to accept that utterly outlandish and offensive gift.

"Of course not. Ojii-sama did not lie," she quipped, reaching forward to draw one teasing finger across his striped cheekbone. "It is exceptionally light. In fact, sometimes I even forget that I'm wearing it, until I have to move suddenly."

Sesshoumaru scowled once more, suddenly picturing the girl as she had been in that filthy forge --- in that awful moment when she had gleefully brandished her weapon like some would be warrior. When she had performed that classic parrying motion as if she were pretending to fight off legions of attacking demons. For a split-second THAT image shifted, and he suddenly envisioned himself standing over her broken and lifeless body, holding the Tenseiga, desperately trying to understand why the sword's power wouldn't flare. Realizing, to his horror, that he was too damn late to save her, and she was truly gone and beyond his reach ---

"That weapon of yours," the taiyoukai bit out, his mouth seeming almost too dry to form words. He focused a mistrustful, accusing eye on the naginata, still sticking haphazardly out of a snow-bank at the edge of the hot spring with the rest of their belongings. "Did the old fool instruct you on how to use it?"

"A little," Rin answered modestly. "I think Ojii-sama might have been quite the fighter in his younger days!" She couldn't help but notice the sudden snap of tension in her master's frame --- quite obviously, the subjects they presently spoke of did NOT please him at all! Hoping to relax him again, she dragged her tapered fingernails down his spine, and tried to hide her amusement as Sesshoumaru rumbled out an inhuman purr and leaned further into her feather-light touch. "I used to practice all the time --- there was really nothing else I could do at the forge once the snow began to fall."

"I should like to see a demonstration," he stated in a flat tone, breaking away from her touch reluctantly. He turned to face her once more and stared down his straight nose as if issuing some royal decree. "Totosai implied that you have some skill, but this Sesshoumaru wishes to judge for himself. Perhaps tomorrow after we make camp again."

He was most definitely NOT making a suggestion, Rin realized with a wry grin. Those words, that tone --- this was a command, and NOT one she was inclined to protest! Finally, she was being offered the opportunity to serve him in a more substantial, specialized way. He would teach her how to fight and, in time, no one would question her relationship with him! She would no longer be so hopelessly dependent and her usefulness, strength, and skill would be apparent to all --- just like Kagome-sama and the powerful taijiya! "You will teach me how to fight?" she sought to confirm in breathless anticipation. She hardly dared to believe this could be true!

Sesshoumaru took a deep breath. The girl's eyes were impossibly wide, and as much as he hated crushing her enthusiasm, he had to put forth one small correction. "NO --- but, perhaps, I will teach you how to defend yourself," he stated vaguely.

The girl smiled happily, completely undeterred by that small amendment. Whatever, she could figure out the rest! With practiced ease, she floated up onto her back. She swept out with her delicate arms, drawing herself into a deeper section of the pool as her long black hair flowed all around her. There was a small break in the pines overhead and she cooed aloud. "I can still see the Moon's Rainbow!" she called back excitedly, urging him to follow her. "How long will it stay in the sky? Why is it only in the north? Is there anything else you remember about it!?"

Sesshoumaru moved to her side again, still able to reach the bottom of the spring, though Rin was now lazily treading water. He searched his mind, trying to recall anything that he could about the aurora, just wishing to keep that innocent smile on her face for as long as possible. "Humans have many idiotic superstitions about them," he blurted without thinking. "Apparently, they foolishly believe that a child conceived under their light will be exceptionally powerful and blessed with good fortune!"

Rin looked up at him in shock, choking on the hot water as she floundered momentarily, astounded by what her master had just admitted. Humans believed what?! How would Lord Sesshoumaru know about such a silly HUMAN superstition?

Realizing his own mistake, the taiyoukai gasped in EQUAL astonishment.

But Rin was not at all ready to let that little remark slide. "Humans believe WHAT?" she exclaimed aloud, her words echoing her own clamoring thoughts. "Sesshoumaru, how would YOU know something like that?"

The demon lord looked a bit queasy and remained silent, and then the answer became amazingly obvious, hitting her with the force of a landslide or a raging typhoon. "Of course, you --- you heard it from the hanyou's mother? Sometimes, it's hard for me to imagine all the loooong years you must have seen! But you KNEW Inuyasha's kaasan, didn't you?"

Sesshoumaru paused before answering, his entire posture tense again. "Yes. Before the hanyou was born, my Great Father used to bring that low, simple-minded woman to the West. At his command, she stayed at the shiro from time to time." For just a second, his eyes glittered with a most wicked light before he continued in a dangerous whisper, "I quickly found a way to bring a halt to those little visits, but not before I was forced to endure listening some of her inane beliefs and tedious prattle. At any rate, it WAS a long, long time ago."

Rin struggled to contain her excitement. What might have occurred between her master and his Great Father and HIS human woman?! Could Sesshoumaru be persuaded to reveal more about his younger days? Though her mind was brimming with countless curious questions about the past, she quickly decided to change the mood in hopes of avoiding another scene like the one at Totosai's mountain. She did NOT want this peaceful interlude to disintegrate under his dark and bitter brooding. Paddling back to his side, she slid her hands up his chest and around his neck, loving the fact that despite the heat of spring, he still shivered as her body came into intimate contact with his own. "Kono yakei ni wa yarusenai koto wo omoidasu nante imi ga nai. It's too, too lovely for sadness here," she murmured.

At her warm words, his expression softened again, his large hand came up to cup her cheek, and his full lips touched hers for one achingly-sweet instant. Once again, he held her so tightly, cradled her SOprotectively close to his heart, that Rin felt confident she had earned her place there.

"I love you --- forever," she declared softly, wondering if THIS would be the night he would offer his own response.

But Sesshoumaru merely crushed her closer, offering a deeper, more thorough, and indescribably breath-taking, kiss. Rin's lashes fluttered closed at that incredible, mind-numbing sensation, causing her to miss the troubled look paining his golden eyes.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Dawn was edging the frosty grey sky with rosy pink. Skimming over the ice-encrusted tree-tops, Shippou made his way steadily back to the southern provinces, hoping to arrive at the village within the next few hours. The trip had been disappointingly uneventful as of yet. Though he was still glad he had volunteered to take this journey and give poor Sango some peace of mind, this was --- this was SO damn boring and Kohaku definitely owed him one! The fox bit his lip with a sharp fang, certain that by now Inuyasha and others were up to their very shoulders in all manner of adventure. And, who knew --- maybe it was all over already and that scruffy half-demon had already claimed Naraku's head? And maybe --- maybe, Kagome was purifying the tainted jewel at this very moment! His quick, triumphant grin died, and he shuddered and shook his bright head, knowing it couldn't possibly be that easy --- after all these years they were still going around in circles! But --- but he had to think positive, any other possibility or outcome was just too scary to dwell upon right now, especially when he was all alone.

Not much further to travel now, he mused. Though thick clouds and the threat of snow seemed to dog at his heels for the duration of the journey, the weather HAD remained cooperative for the most part and he had arrived at the borders of Musashi several hours earlier then even he had anticipated. The damn freezing winds suddenly gusted again, as if trying to remind him not to get so over-confident and he was forced to an abrupt, screeching halt. Those winds --- this time their drafts carried the unmistakable odor of blood. The fox's sensitive nose twitched as he tried to examine the foul scent some more. No doubt about it! That was most definitely human blood! And the distinctive, thick coppery tang was made even more horrible by the fact that he could recognize the particular human it belonged to ---

Relying purely on blind demon instinct, every one of his senses focused on locating the origin of that distasteful scent, Shippou wheeled sharply from the sky, crashing down through the tangled, dead forest canopy. The rough, dry branches tore at his blue haori and snagged his long red hair painfully --- but still he kept going. That scent --- it was Kaede --- he was positive! But why the hell would she be way up here? He quickened his pace as another unmistakable odor began to assail his keen senses. There was no denying it, he could smell another creature now --- A DEMON.

The fox broke into a snowy thicket, his whirlwind pace churning up a wave of fine powdery snow in his wake. "Kitsune bi!" he cried, not even allowing his opponent a moment's warning to mount a defense. His strong powers flared at his fingertips and he hurled a wall of blinding blue flame between the wounded, shaking old miko and her youkai attacker.

It was hard to tell what the beast really was --- it was covered with roll after roll of matted brown fur and it stank something like something decayed! Shippou quickly decided that he really didn't CARE what it was --- all that mattered was that he drive it away and quickly! He shifted the flow of his fox-fire, focusing the flames at the lumbering creature while willing himself not to gag at the smell of stinking and now singed fur! And now time for the final blow, the kistsune thought smugly, transforming himself into a towering blue oni much like the one he had once seen the wicked Sesshoumaru take command of all those years ago.

The ugly demon turned away from the miko and batted at his burned snout stupidly. It stared through the column of magic fire, blinking its tiny multiple eyes at the formidable youkai now suddenly looming above; its imposing frame dwarfed even the tall trees of the clearing! The dumb brute squealed in terror and bowed submissively to this far greater creature, apparently deciding its old, dried up prey was not worth a fight with something so menacing. Without further resistance, it slunk back into the woods with a frustrated snarl.

Flashing an arrogant smirk that rivaled Inuyasha's own, Shippou allowed his illusion to fade, shrinking back to his original form even as he raced forward to cradle the injured priestess in his arms. "Kaede-sama, are you alright!?" he exclaimed, fervently hoping that she recognized him and didn't decide to use any of her purifying powers as he held her so close. He really had no wish to discover what it felt like to be sealed --- however temporary it might be before she realized her mistake! The fox gingerly held up the woman's right arm, wincing at the deep gash that ran across it. He was afraid an artery had been nicked and he stared down at the snow of the clearing, noting the many scattered stains of red, clotted blood. Wordlessly, he took the hem of his sleeve in his pointed fangs and tore a fine strip of silk free to bind the wound as the priestess moaned in pain. "What happened?!" he bellowed, when she finally focused on him with a look of dumb astonishment. "And what the hell are you doing way up here?"

Though battered and bleeding, luckily, the old woman still seemed to be somewhat lucid. "Oh, thank heavens!" she cried out in the raspy tone of one whose voice had been burned by away by fierce winter weather. "There's no time, fox-child! You must listen to me! Is Inuyasha with you!? If not --- you must find him quickly! I fear he and Kagome are in great danger!" Shippou tightened his grip in reflexive panic as he stared at the priestess in growing shock. Kaede was always so stoic and calm --- now she was hysterical, her dark eye darting wildly over the clearing, her hands clenched with involuntary tremors, and her whole solid frame shivering uncontrollably in her great fear. "What the hell, Kaede-sama? What happened?" the kitsune shouted, squeezing her fingers tightly as he desperately tried to reassure her.

But Kaede merely shook her head stubbornly and wrenched her hand free. Though nearly overwhelmed by a wracking coughing spell, she reached into her outer robe to withdraw a small strip of ghostly white fur. Shippou's eyes widened in horror. He knew what THAT was in an instant. He KNEW that terrible scent at once --- after all, it even played a part in his worst nightmares!

"Naraku!" he gasped, gazing open-mouthed at that tattered scrap of baboon pelt. His fluffy tail lashed in agitation as he frantically tried to gauge what this might mean. "Naraku was in OUR village? Kaisei!? Kohaku!? Are they even alive?!" he continued, his voice rising in volume as his own panic grew to match Kaede's. He roughly shook the priestess, causing her eyelid to flutter weakly as she struggled to keep from slipping into unconsciousness.

"Gods --- I've got to get you out of here!" Shippou hissed, scowling at the fact that the woman's blood was still seeping through his makeshift dressing. The cut was so damn deep and, judging by the filthy appearance of the youkai that attacked her, it was sure to be infected! He needed to find a healer and fast! The young demon rose quickly, his tiny paws sinking into the deep snow as he hoisted the old woman into his arms. "Damn --- you're still heavy," he muttered, trying to keep them both calm by lightning the mood with an easy jibe.

But Kaede was not to be distracted. "No!" she cried angrily, struggling to recover her strength and fighting to escape his tight grip. "Forget about me, boy! You must return to Inuyasha and Kagome! They must be told! They are in danger!"

With a loud, rumbling growl, Shippou shot back into the air, ignoring her obstinate pleas. He hunched his broad shoulders to offer the woman some protection as he hurtled back up through the canopy and fixed her with his most intimidating glare. "Don't argue with me, baabaa! Tell me what happened!" The fox nudged the injured woman gently, as he resumed his rapid southward course. "And no sleeping!" he added. "I hate your snoring!"

Kaede offered a groggy half-smile at the young youkai's obvious concern and teasing humor, and leaned gratefully into his warmth. "Anyone can tell in an instant that you were raised by Inuyasha," she murmured wistfully. "Your bark is now just as bad as his!" She sighed in defeat and began her frightening tale, trying to keep her dizzy eyes from focusing on the rapidly blurring ground below. "Two days ago, I awoke late --- mid-afternoon, you see," she whispered, her throat tight with emotion. "To my surprise, I discovered the rest of the villagers still slumbered as well. I could easily detect the presence of strong shouki about the village, and I knew in an instant we had all fallen under the influence some strong demon. I glanced outside, perceiving that the force seemed to originate and flare strongest around Inuyasha's forest. You couldn't imagine my surprise then when I discovered Kaisei propped outside the threshold of my hut, cloaked in this foul pelt. The child was terrified --- too terrified to even move or speak for several hours."

Shippou cursed under his breath, his thoughts flashing to the already over-burdened and emotionally taxed Sango and Miroku. How was the couple going to react to this dreadful news?! "How is the little one now?!" he asked quickly, almost too afraid to hear to the answer. In his anxious fear, he nearly misjudged the distance between two large boulders as he tried to leap agilely across a frozen pond.

Kaede shook her gray head sadly, pressing her hand to her stomach to quell the resulting queasiness from their near plunge. "She is still frightened and does little but wail for her mother and father! Luckily, I was able to summon Hatchi, and he took her away. But, that is not the worst of it and is not Kaisei we should be too concerned with --- she is well-cared for and safe at old Mushin's temple."

"You ARE as stubborn as an old goat!" Shippou grated, interrupting the priestess as the full weight of what she'd stated so casually registered in his mind. "YOU should have stayed with Kaisei yourself! If you were able to find Hatchi, why the hell didn't you send HIM up after us! He could have made the journey in no time!"

Kaede choked out a dry, mirthless chuckle. "Do not take that tone with me, young man! And though I am old, do not mistake me for a fool! Believe me, I thought about it. But, no offense to that old tanuki, what would he have been able to do if he ran into enemies such as these! That shouki was SO strong! The wolf prince must be wide of the mark --- AGAIN! Naraku is NOT in the north! He's HERE!"

Shippou swallowed hard. Kouga was mistaken? It could very well be possible, he mused. After all, though quick with an insult, the ookami demon wasn't the brightest creature he'd ever come across. And, not only that --- this wouldn't be the first time Naraku had deceived and outwitted them by successfully drawing their attention away while he moved in on his TRUE targets. "Kaede," the fox whispered, ducking agilely under a wide branch. "You haven't answered my question about Kohaku? Is he --- is he alright?"

The old miko sighed and stared off into the clouds looming on the northern horizon, wondering how Inuyasha was going to take all this news. "I'm not sure, child. Kohaku is gone --- vanished without a trace. I fear that he has returned to Naraku. Either that or he was slain ---"

"Don't say that!" Shippou hissed between clenched teeth, cutting off her terrible words, not even wanting to consider the grim prospect that his young friend could be dead. "When I return you to the village, I'LL know for certain. I can try to locate his scent, and I'll know his fate then! But until that moment, I DON'T want to hear about the possibility that he was killed!"

"Aye," Kaede whispered, sighing in relief as the outskirts of the village and its familiar farms came into view. "We will know soon."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Inuyasha awoke to the most delicious sensation. Kagome's clever fingers were currently trailing in a feather-light caress, moving from the base of his furry ear and winding slowly to the delicate tip. He sighed drowsily and nuzzled deeper into his soft pillows, gasping in pleasure as her other hand reached up to twine in his long hair. And judging by those exaggerated, languid strokes, he felt confident it wouldn't take much persuasion on his part to urge her to move on to a few more thrilling places. Damn --- he wouldn't have expected her to be this amazingly adventuresome when they were so far from home and in such a strange location! But then again, he HAD set up their sleeping pallet in a hidden corner of Kouga's den and if Kagome was satisfied with their level of privacy then who the hell was HE to argue!

His yawning growl melted into a throaty, appreciative purr and he leaned into his woman with a seductive smile. "You naughty kitten! Asobitee ka? Saa, yasashiku oshieteyagaru ze ---" Inuyasha murmured in a hoarse voice, his breath catching once more as she continued with her merciless tease.

The half demon reached forward blindly, seeking to wrap his willing mate in a tight embrace, his lips parting to seek her sweet mouth ---

And his eyes snapped open in rude shock at the chorus of little giggles suddenly echoing all around him. He stared up in mortified disbelief, cursing in anger at the sight of one of those damn blue-eyed wolf whelps poking at HIS head with a long twig.

The hanyou rolled onto his back with a snarl, only to find that another child --- that quiet little girl who insisted she was to marry Shippou one day --- was currently weaving his silver hair into a jumbled mess of tight little braids. And still another of those little beasts was picking his runny nose and wiping the drippy mess on HIS fire-rat haori!

"Temeraaaa --- you little brats!" he screeched.

Kicking off the soft furs, Inuyasha jumped up with an animalistic bark, sending the children scurrying in all directions, and causing the REAL Kagome to sit up with a confused moan.

Several minutes later, he sat glaring at the smoky breakfast fire, trying to forget about ALL the bothersome things that had happened since he had arrived in this awful place. Even before his sleeping pallet had been invaded by that wild troupe of monsters that Kouga called children, he hadn't gotten much sleep at all anyway! Kirara had been choking on some nasty hairball for nearly half the night, keeping him awake as each and every one of her wracking, dry coughs caused an instant shiver of revulsion to course down his spine. Stupid cats and their disgusting habits! he thought, pausing to kick at a bothersome itch behind his ear with his toes.

And whenever he DID manage to find sleep, he was plagued by outlandish nightmares --- the most horrible being an awful vision in which he had never won Kagome's heart at all! The dream had gotten steadily worse from there, for in his frantic mind, the young miko had somehow ended up as Kouga's mate instead and --- and all those filthy, disobedient wolf runts were HERS! He shuddered again, and hurried to mask his ill-mood as the others began to rise as well.

Kagome, her face freshly scrubbed and looking as bright and optimistic as ever, moved to settle beside him and gently laid her hand on his shoulder. He flashed a quick, grateful smile at that unspoken show of support. But --- but she wouldn't be able to remain next to him for long, the half-demon of mused with a grouchy sigh. As soon as any cooking aroma filled the cavern, she'd become ill and he would be spending the next hour or so holding her long, damp hair back as she lay doubled over and fighting off that strange morning sickness. No doubt about it, they would be off to a late start this morning. But then again, it seemed they were ALWAYS off to a late start these days.

At that very moment, Kouga burst into the darkened room, kicking snow from his fur-wrapped feet as he dropped a dead, gutted boar on the hearth with a loud thump and a proud grin. Sure enough, Kagome took one look at the bloody carcass and raced out into the main hall, hand clapped firmly over her mouth. As the poor miko darted out into the main corridor, those damn pups charged forward, pouring out of ever corner and crevice, cheering their father's success and clamoring anxiously to hear all about their great `hero's' hunt. The wolf-prince threw the beleaguered half-demon a rather haughty look. Great, Inuyasha thought, like this yase-ookami's needs anything else to add to his already out-of-control ego. Please, please, don't let them start howling together or something! He suddenly found himself experiencing a wave a nausea that most likely rivaled Kagome's.

But any thoughts of retaliation or taking that conceited youkai down a few pegs died as Miroku and Sango stumbled sleepily into the room. "So, when do we leave? I just want to get this over with," the taijiya muttered, her groggy tone unmistakable proof she had gotten little or no sleep last night either. And judging from her husband's bright eyes and overly solicitous behavior, the real reason had little to do with Kirara's hacking.

"Believe me, we're getting out of here as soon as we can," Inuyasha grumbled, valiantly trying to keep his eyes on ALL of those screaming, laughing, jumping miniature versions of Kouga. He had no wish to fall victim to another sneak attack. He rose to his feet, pausing to fix everyone with his petulant scowl. Without another word, the half-demon slapped at the thick pelt covering the door, and ducked into the damp stone corridor. He strode down wide hallways, desperately seeking out his poor mate's scent and trying not to sneeze at that awful reek of --- DAMN, DAMN WOLVES!

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Shippou paced around the Goshinboku in agitation, kicking up clouds of snow, desperate to take his anger out on --- something! Anything! He cast a dark scowl at Kaede. The stubborn old woman's wound had been cleansed and tended to, and she had insisted on accompanying him out here, even though he had ordered her to stay behind and rest. He sighed in exasperation. At least the miko had been practical enough to accept additional aid. She was now supported at each elbow by a pair of strong, sturdy village men who had volunteered to look after her and help her return to the village when they finished inspecting Inuyasha's Forest.

The kitsune turned his attention from the priestess and inhaled deeply. He fought the urge to wretch as his nostrils were flooded with the foul scent of Naraku's shouki, and he searched desperately underneath it all, trying to find any trace of the young demon slayer ---

His emerald eyes widened with deep relief. "Kohaku IS alive," he murmured with finality, as he squinted into the dense screen of trees. "Or at least he WAS alive when he was taken from this clearing."

At the fox's confident declaration, Kaede's shoulders slumped and she poked at the frozen ground with her walking staff, trying to phrase her next words as carefully as possible. She fixed Shippou with a stern, motherly look that demanded all honesty. "Kohaku was taken from this clearing or did he leave WILLINGLY, my boy?" she asked pointedly. "Do your powers give you any means of knowing the answer to that?" The priestess hated causing the usually cheerful kitsune's eyes to fill with such sadness, but she had to know. Besides, she NEEDED to prepare the demon boy for the very real possibility that his closest friend may now have become a VERY deadly enemy ---

Shippou growled in nervous anger. "I can't tell!" he exclaimed, throwing his hands in the air. "Inuyasha's better at this then I am! Kohaku's scent is here! And it definitely leads westward though I have no CLUE why he'd be headed in that direction! And as for Naraku, I could detect his scent all over the well, but not in it. So I guess that's one thing we can be thankful for!" He rubbed at his throbbing temples. "Kagome's going to --- to put it in her words --- `freak' when she hears about that little detail!" he muttered under his breath, his shape automatically shifting to form an imitation of the young miko as his thoughts centered on her for those few seconds. At that strange sight, the two village men backed up a step, still not quite comfortable with what they collectively termed `tricky fox magic', even after all these years. But Shippou ignored their reactions, focusing his full attention on Kaede. "You were right," he sighed. "I have to leave at once and get Inuyasha back here. And I DO have to hurry! The way the weather is now --- there soon won't be much of a trail left to follow!"

"Be quick, Shippou!" Kaede urged. "And be careful!"

"Yeah! Don't worry," the fox shouted sarcastically over his shoulder. "These days, I'm becoming a regular messenger boy!" His youki flared once more, and his form popped into a fiery orange comet, the shape much more streamlined and far quicker than that ridiculous bright pink balloon he had assumed in his youth. In the next instant, he was gone, the only sign of his presence being a few fading and whistling sparks ---

Shippou squinted his emerald eyes through the brilliant glare of his own power, and groaned at the long distance he would have to race across --- AGAIN. His thoughts strayed to his missing friend, and he puzzled over this latest mystery. West? Why the hell would Kohaku head west?

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Inuyasha and his companions had finally begun this last leg of their journey in the early afternoon, starting off at a swift pace to make up for their lost time. Kouga, of course, had sought to claim an enormous, exaggerated lead --- not out of any great rush to find his enemy, but mostly just to see Inuyasha's face darken in jealous rage. A fabulous brawl was the end result of his childish teasing, though neither the wolf nor the half-demon were able to claim victory before Miroku put a quick end to the battle with a few well-placed ofuda. Both youkai, in fact, were still struggling to rearrange their long bangs, desperate to hide the angry matching scorch marks that hadn't yet faded from their foreheads.

After that unavoidable fight, the hours continued to fly by. They gave up their hurried pace, and had begun walking over these past two miles, abandoning speed in the hopes that they would ALL arrive at their mysterious destination with the strength to fight. After all, despite his eagerness to find and kill Naraku, Inuyasha would take no chances with Kagome's safety.

They were trekking single-file down a narrow trail leading to a gloomy, isolated plain and the hanyou's soft ears flicked forward repeatedly. Those small, twitching actions were not to discover any hidden menace in the terrain ahead but actually an attempt to ignore the steady drone of children's names as his miko read aloud from that cursedly huge baby book again. Well, Inuyasha mused sourly, at least it was better than this morning. After Kagome had successfully staved off her nausea, she had spent the reminder of their time at the wolf-den holding up swatches of that carpet stuff that would soon be in his child's nursery. Together with Miroku and Kouga, he had stared in confusion at those far too similarly shaded scraps of fabric, while Sango and Ayame cooed in delight. He still couldn't understand what the big deal was --- it all looked like the same damn color to him! "This is eggshell, this is fawn, this is linen, this is ecru, this is mushroom, this is beige, this is taupe," the half-demon mimicked sourly. He tried to keep his voice low and his lips from moving too much, years of fearing the shrill cry of `osuwari' at any given moment having taught him to remain wary. He focused on the miko's words now. Damn --- she was still in the `A's'! This WAS going to be a long, exhausting day.

And --- and --- it was all the fault of that awful, ancient yellow back-pack! Fat books with names, bits of fabric --- what the hell else was in there?! He stared down at his razor sharp claws. Maybe he should have ripped the seams out of that cursed, seemingly bottomless contraption years ago --- when she wasn't looking! Then he wouldn't have to suffer like this! It would have been easy enough to do! he thought. Just as easy to destroy, in fact, as that rattling, squeaky old bicycle! Even now, he smiled at THAT particular ruse --- smashing Kagome's bike all those years ago so she'd have to cling to HIM. Gods, he was so fucking clever it was scary!

Even though the contents of the back-pack still gave him slight cause to panic, at least he didn't really have to worry about Kouga all that much any more. Surprisingly, after their last brawl, his greatest sympathy and support was coming from that yase-ookami. Judging by way Kouga would wince each time Kagome ticked off a new potential name, it looked like the wolf-prince was reliving similar experiences with his own mate. Still a bit wary of his rival's sudden shift in behavior, Inuyasha fixed the demon with a questioning glance. To his surprise, Kouga met his eyes and offered him an understanding nod.

"This is nothing, Inukkoro! Just wait till she starts craving things!" he whispered conspiratorially, cupping his large hand over his mouth to keep his words hidden. "When my Ayame is this far along, she's unstoppable!" The demon scrunched his nose in annoyance and tried to imitate his mate's angry voice. "I want some nice fresh venison! What do you mean to say all the deer are heading further inland to escape the snow! KILL me something NOW --- I don't care how far you need to travel! I don't care that it's the middle of the night! I thought you're supposed to be fast!"

Hearing Inuyasha's small snigger, Kagome looked up in annoyance. She merely chose to fix him with a warning glare and continued on with her book, dramatically raising the volume of her voice. "Ai, Aiko, Akako, Akiko, Akina, Asa, Aneko, An-na, Ami, Aya --- ohhh, I like that one! What do you think, Inuyasha?"

The hanyou threw her a rebellious smirk. "I don't know why the hell you keep on insisting reading through the girl's names!" He leapt back over the astonished heads of Miroku, Sango and Kirara, landing easily beside Kagome to pat her belly fondly. "After all," he whispered in a gentle voice. "This IS a BOY!"

"Can you really tell?" Sango questioned, her thin eyebrows arching skeptically.

"Keh. I just KNOW!" the hanyou bit back with smug confidence, flexing his biceps. "This is ME, here! Strong, powerful man means strong powerful sons! No offense, Miroku!"

The priest merely shrugged and continued walking, not at all interested in getting drawn into another inane little argument. Oh great, he mused, knowing what was sure to follow. Here comes another one of Kagome's rants on male chauvinism, the unjust repression of females, and the-evil-patriarchal-subjugation-and-unfair-exploitation-of-women. The priest decided to begin chanting some sutras to drown out the now all too familiar lecture. But his planned recitation died at a sudden squeal from Kagome. Much to his surprise, the noise was followed by shocked yelp from Inuyasha.

"Did you feel that!?!" Kagome was hissing, pressing the hanyou's clawed hand tighter to her belly.

"Y-yeah," Inuyasha answered, golden eyes wide --- his formerly sardonic expression now one of absolute awe. "Is he --- is he kicking?!"

Everyone crowded closer to get a better look and to feel for themselves. "Wait --- what the hell? This is MY moment!" Inuyasha barked. "And that means YOU especially!" He growled at Kouga, knocking the wolf's hand away as it reached for the miko far too eagerly. It looked like the temporary truce was over.

The hanyou sunk to his knees, pressing his cheek flat to Kagome's stomach hoping to feel that small flutter again. Judging by the half-demon's goofy, ever-widening grin, it was easily apparent to all those watched that the infant WAS continuing with its rather fierce assault on its poor mother's tummy.

Without warning, Inuyasha's clawed hands shot out to clasp the miko under her knees and about the shoulders, and with one mighty leap, he whisked her further down the winding trail.

"Inuyasha?" Kagome protested breathlessly, as she stared over the hanyou's shoulder, and a few wispy tree-tops, to watch her companions shrink into the distance. "What are you doing? Where are we going?"

"Shhh," he urged. "Show some patience! I just need to talk to you."

The young woman sighed, but didn't argue any further, choosing instead to burrow closer to his form. She pressed her cheek against the warm skin exposed by that deep `v' of his collar and listened to the drum of his hammering heart.

When Inuyasha was adequately satisfied that they were far enough away from the others, he came to a sudden stop. They had reached the crest of a barren plateau, and looked down upon the empty, desolate valley sprawling beneath them. Inuyasha carefully set Kagome on her unsteady feet, and pulled her close. Tenderly, she reached out with her cold hand, tracing the curve of his jaw as she anxiously waited to hear whatever was troubling him.

Not knowing exactly how to begin, he stammered shakily, "Kagome, I ---"

"What is it?" she murmured, pausing to push back a few wayward tendrils of hair that escaped from her thick woolen cap.

"I love you, you know that?" he blurted. At his tender words, he miko relaxed visibly.

"Of course I know that! And I love you!" She rubbed at her belly with an exaggerated flourish, and corrected her own statement with a wide smile, "WE --- love you!"

Before she could say another word, however, she found herself crushed against his body, his next words breathed against the shell of her ear. "Please listen to me. You are everything that I have --- I don't know where we're being led, and I don't know what we're about to face! But I need you to ---"

"You're not going to ask me to go HOME again?" Kagome interrupted with a furious shriek, stomping her foot in the wet snow. "We've been through this hundreds of times! I HAVE to be here now ---"

"You drive me insane!" he bellowed, a tone of panic creeping into his voice. "Can you ever just SHUT UP for two minutes? Listen, until you came along, no one made me feel like I belonged anywhere! No one accepted me for what I am! If anything ---"

Though Kagome seemed to be making an effort to remain silent and listen to him now, Inuyasha would take no chances and pressed a claw tightly against her mouth. "If anything should happen to me --- I want YOU and MY CHILD to get out of here! I don't care if you have to steal Kirara --- I don't care if you have to knock Sango off of her to do it --- and I don't care who you have to leave behind! No heroics, no more Shikon no Tama --- just get yourself back to that well!"

He removed his hand from her lips, rather surprised that she didn't have a smart-ass retort ready to fling back at him. Her face was hidden by her bangs and he turned her chin up to face him, surprised by the tears in her brown eyes. "I'll do what you ask as l-long as you make me a promise as well," she whispered haltingly.

"What kind of promise?" he asked, his nose wrinkling in his suspicion. After all, he knew her only too well ---

Kagome's thin arms were wound around his neck in the next instant, and she buried her face in his fine hair. "YOU have to promise me that you won't put me in that situation. That YOU won't do anything too dangerous!"

Tightening his own embrace, Inuyasha snarled back, "Damnit --- you know I can't do that! Keh - I'm being serious here!"

"WELL SO AM I!" Kagome shot out snippily, tugging at his sleeve for emphasis. "Don't ask me to make ridiculous promises like that! I won't leave you --- no matter what happens! And I can't leave the others --- you can't ask me to do something YOU wouldn't do yourself!" Deciding that tugging at his clothes wasn't nearly dramatic enough to get her point across to someone so damn thick-headed, she wound her trembling fingers around a lock of his hair instead and yanked --- hard! "Pay attention!" she continued, as the hanyou yelped in astonishment. "You say I'm the only person who's accepted you! Well, here's a news flash, super genius --- it wasn't very hard to do!"

Kagome stared up into those striking amber eyes, surprised to see them so full of shock and confusion. "You're great, loyal, beautiful, courageous, kind, powerful, b-brave and --- and the only one who doesn't see that is YOU! I LOVE YOU! I LOVE YOU!" she bellowed, the words echoing down across the bleak, wind-ravaged canyon.

With a playful growl, Inuyasha dragged her down to the snow. Kagome stopped her awful, ear-piercing racket the minute his lips touched hers, instinctively sliding her hands over his broad shoulders and yielding to his rough-tender kiss. At her warm acceptance, a shudder ran through him and his slid his claws into that thick ebony hair, lifting her closer.

When he finally broke away long minutes later it was only to whisper `ai shiteru ze' --- the adoring, tender words breathed against the pale skin of her throat.

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Hurriedly readjusting their clothing, they returned to the others before the hour had past, and Inuyasha scowled when he discovered the distasteful nature of THEIR current conversation! Damn --- how he still missed the days when it was just him and Kagome!

"So, what's Inukkoro's evil son-of-a-bitch brother been up to these days?" Kouga was presently inquiring of Sango, as he slapped her on the shoulder to prompt her speedy reply.

The taijiya rolled her eyes, and edged closer to the growling Kirara. The demon huntress was still not quite used to the wolf's rough and tumble nature and not particularly fond of the subject he had chosen to bring up! "Sesshoumaru!" she snorted angrily, her tone dripping with scorn. "I guess he's still up to the things he excels at --- killing, maiming, and murdering, you know, that kind of stuff!"

Kouga heaved a deep chuckle at her obvious sarcasm, but then his expression became deathly serious. "Does he still got that noisy little mouse tagging at his heels?" he muttered, struggling to appear somewhat casual.

"Why do you ask?"

Kouga squinted at the grey sky and shrugged, "Some of my kind did --- something --- to that girl long ago. Now, from time to time, I can't help but wonder if Sesshoumaru will show up at our dens one day, seeking some kind of revenge. While that cold-hearted, overgrown hound doesn't scare ME --- I worry for Ayame and the little ones. Having a family --- changes everything," he muttered sheepishly, seeming embarrassed to be admitting this depth of feeling in front of an audience. The wolf demon blushed and quickly sprang a small ways ahead of the group to drag a mighty fallen cypress tree across a deep gorge cutting across the trail.

"We understand perfectly," Miroku chimed in brightly. He ran forward to catch up with the ookami and nudged at the makeshift bridge with his staff, trying to test it's stability before his wife crossed it. "We have a child as well. And I don't know what I'd do if anything were to befall her." Sango offered the priest a grateful smile, blushing at his tender concern. Feeling distinctly more light-hearted than she had in days, she decided to offer Kouga some additional peace of mind.

"Don't worry about it so much, Kouga! Yes, as a matter a fact, Sesshoumaru does still travel with that girl," the taijiya confirmed with a gentle laugh as she raced agilely across the tree trunk. "But trust me, she's not so little anymore --- and from what we've been told, I think HE might have fallen in love with her. So who knows!? Maybe I'm wrong and his thoughts aren't TOO much on revenge these days!" Sango turned back to the others, not surprised to find that Inuyasha's white ears were pinned back to his skull at all this talk about his estranged older brother --- maybe she should find away to change the subject soon, before another fight was underway!

"Sesshoumaru took that human girl?! Sesshoumaru-the-Lord-of-the-Western-Lands-let-all-who-see-me-fall-at-my-fee t-and-tremble-in-awe-of-my-great-unmatched-power took that little, tiny human girl!?" Kouga choked, collapsing to his knees and pressing his hands to his belly as he sought, rather fruitlessly, to keep from laughing. Several minutes later, he seemed to regain his composure and called out to Inuyasha, who was still glowering and straggling at the rear of their strange procession trying to enjoy just a few more moments of peace with the beautiful Kagome. "Bet you had great FUN getting back at `aniki' with that one?!"

The hanyou's thick brows furrowed, his lips turned in an even deeper scowl and he kicked at the snow in frustration. "Actually, that stuck-up bastard managed to find some way to cheat me AGAIN. I can't even really mock him on this human thing --- for something that grew up around HIM, the girl is actually kinda likable. Gentle and sweet and kinda brave," Inuyasha admitted grudgingly. "But there must be something wrong with her mind, maybe something you guys did, `cause I can't figure out what she sees in someone as evil and stuck-up as him!" He tossed his long mane over his shoulder and sighed in general annoyance. "Yeah --- after all those years of inferior human this and `know your station' that --- look at what he chooses! Typical Sesshoumaru, he always manages to find a way to screw me out of enjoying ANY victory or satisfaction in my life. I hate the bastard, but damn, I have to give him credit. That bakayarou always manages to surprise me."

"Well, take some happiness in this, Inukkoro!" Kouga snarled with grim satisfaction as he rose back to his feet. "Soon ONLY me and your brother will be your enemies! We're coming up on that place now!" He gestured down to where to trail came to an obvious end, branching off into a desolate wasteland of sharp, jagged rocks that sunk down into a dark, foreboding culvert. The rime-covered granite mirrored the clouds looming in the wolf-demon's eyes. "In a few hours, we'll both have our revenge and Naraku will dead, eh?!"

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Another day gone. As usual, they had broken camp at dawn and it was now nearly time to seek out a new place to settle for the night. Sesshoumaru was rather pleased with the distance they had covered, especially since he had given the order that they return to the air. His musings were interrupted by a sudden shift in the wind, and he drew up sharply, scanning the horizon with a dark scowl. Something didn't feel right --- and had it nothing to do with Inuyasha.

He had found the hanyou's scent quite easily, not that it was really necessary. His brother's foolhardy actions left just as many clues to his whereabouts as his foul, distinctive odor. There was very nearly ALWAYS some measure of destruction following wherever that wretched half-breed roamed. Even when Inuyasha was a wide-eyed pup and Sesshoumaru had trailed him from time to time out of curiosity (secretly hoping to learn what was so special about the creature that had come to push him from his Father's favor), most everything in that half-breed's path was left in smoking ruins behind him. With a feral smile, the dog demon supposed the same could be most definitely be said for himself, but at least the slaughter and destruction that followed HIM was much more thorough, precise and exacting.

The taiyoukai stared pointedly at a track of scorched earth that extended for several hundred meters across the ground. Measure of destruction indeed, he mused --- that was no doubt the result of some wayward blast from Tetsusaiga. He inhaled deeply. Many, many, long hours ago Inuyasha had obviously skirmished here. And his opponent had been --- that --- that gravelly-voiced obnoxious wolf prince. He took another deep breath. There was no taste of blood on the air and the two demons had apparently given up their fight rather quickly to continue on their way together, making no effort to conceal their trail.

Morons --- still behaving like clueless, immature pups, he mused. Fortunately, Lord Sesshoumaru did NOT make such telling and obvious mistakes.

Which was why he was currently stopped. There was something glowing faintly in the sky ahead, but it wasn't some distortion caused by the sharp glare of sunset. This --- this was some strange force of energy that demanded his careful examination.

Rin swung Aun to her lord's side, holding the obviously distressed dragon steady as they, too, regarded that strange shimmer. "Now what?" she asked curiously. "That's not the Moon's Rainbow again? I didn't think we would be able to see it in the daylight?"

The taiyoukai's cool gaze remained trained on that distant flicker of light. "That's correct, Rin. This is something else entirely," he murmured distractedly as the bizarre wall began to pulse faintly. What the hell was that? Could it be ---

Before he could even shout out a warning, the wall had snapped forward, rushing towards them at a pace that even took him by surprise.

Everything seemed to be a blur. Dimly, from the corner of his eye, Sesshoumaru watched as Aun was engulfed. The dragon bucked and pitched violently, trying in vain to escape, his two heads snarling and hissing in their agony. The creature twisted and rolled vertically, and the taiyoukai watched in horror as Rin and Jaken spilled from his foaming back with matching screams of terror. Cursing in fury, Sesshoumaru dove after them, the roaring wind and his pounding heart drowning out nearly any other sound. Dimly, he was aware of Rin's shriek as she cried out for him once more --- but a moment later, the pain-maddened Aun rocketed upwards, filling his entire field of view. There was no time to dodge as the enraged creature spun into him ---

Everything seemed to be in slow motion for Rin, too. She was hurtling through the air; there had been just enough time to scream as she tumbled from Aun's saddle, and now she stared beseechingly up at her master as he swooped down upon her. In the next moment, she saw that dark looming shadow that could only be ---

"Aaaauuuuun!!!"

A split second later she watched as Sesshoumaru's eyes widened in shock as Aun collided with him at full, blinded speed. She heard the taiyoukai's uncharacteristic grunt of pain as the breath was knocked from his lungs and he was sent spiraling toward the frozen ground himself. The girl screamed for the third time, not knowing how badly he was injured --- but the shrill sound was cut off as she slammed into some invisible barricade. Seconds later, before she could even pause to wonder JUST how she had been saved, Jaken crashed to her side with an unpleasant crunch. Her stomach churning in utter dread, she watched as her naginata and the Nintoujou went sliding past her, carried over a crackling current of air, somehow repelled by an unseen force.

Rin yelped as she and Jaken began to skim along the strange barrier next. To her continued confusion, she suddenly realized the toad seemed much further above her, as if he were floating --- as if he were being pushed aside! What? Instead of spilling across this strange wall of light, she --- she was somehow plunging through it! SHE was slowly being sucked down, while Jaken --- and their weapons --- were blocked! She was --- she was falling again?!

The toad valiantly tried to extend a stubby arm to reach her before it was too late. "Jaken-sama, please! I can't!" she shouted, her teeth gritted. The frantic little youkai was suddenly knocked out of the way with a surprised squawk as Sesshoumaru reached her again, an angry purple bruise marring his furious face, the sleeves of his fine haori in tatters from Aun's sharp talons. His clawed hand extended, reaching wildly to grab her hands, her wrist, her robes, her long hair --- anything --- to keep her from plunging further.

"Sess ---" she choked out just as the pull intensified and she felt herself slip through that freakish, crackling wall.

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