InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Genuine Desires : Unity ❯ A New Alliance ( Chapter 15 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

By: Scooda

A New Alliance

8:88:888:88:8

Sango watched as Kagome, Sesshomaru and InuYasha walked away from the mansion with Shippou in tow. She had a feeling her friend was hiding something from her---Kagome hadn't said anything about the weird necklace since that day Sesshomaru pointed it out. If it really was what Sango thought it was . . . than of course Kagome had a good reason, right? 'She wouldn't do that without one. Kagome wouldn't . . . she'd never . . .'

Sango shook her head, grabbing the necklace and rubbing the fang between her two fingers. With a ragged sigh she turned and met eyes with Miroku. He smiled warmly and gestured for her to come to him. "I feel much better you know," He said with a little chuckle.

She smiled and giggled. "I don't know what possessed you to run when it was a miracle that you could stand up anyway," She said, brushing his bangs out of his face. "I guess you took advantage of it?"

His gaze darkened, took on a hint of sadness as he forced a smile just for her benefit. If she noticed it, she didn't show it. He sighed and tangled her fingers in his, kissing each knuckle softly. "I guess so."

Silence fell over the two as Sango laid her head on his shoulder. Kirara mewed nearby, curled into Miroku's lap as Sango sighed and closed her eyes. It had been a while since the two of them had a moment to themselves. So many things were going on . . . and Kagome was working so hard . . .

When Sango had felt Kagome's head, something shot through her but she just assumed it was concern. Though she didn't like the feeling, she knew that nothing could happen to Kagome as long as InuYasha was around. The contact was a burning sensation on her hand, and Kagome didn't seem like she felt the flash of pain Sango did. Sango removed her hand immediately, so she had no bruises. "Are you okay?"

Startled out of her reverie, she grinned and toyed with his jaw. "I'm fine, don't worry so much."

He shrugged and pulled her a little closer. "You just seemed . . . preoccupied ever since I proposed to you," His tone held a hint of teasing in it. "Were you trying to avoid my question?"

She raised her hands in defense. "Wha---no! I don't even remember what happened . . . I must have passed out," She said with a giggle. "That had to happen."

Miroku watched as her hair fell over her face and she fell quiet again. Trembling slightly, whining softly she looked lost and alone. He pulled her into his chest and smoothed her hair. "It's okay . . . I understand. Take your time. I'll wait. .. For you."

Sango giggled and grabbed handfuls of Miroku's shirt. "Really? That's unbelievable," She said with a cringe when she felt his hand on her backside.

He chuckled and braced himself for her assault when her body stiffened. When nothing came, he opened his eyes and looked at her. Her face was flushed, her mouth slightly parted as she grinned. “Are you finished?"

He yelped as his face exploded in color. She sighed and moved his hand, placing it on his chest and toying with it, making him hit himself lightly. "I mean . . . maybe once you've gotten your way with your little 'obsession' maybe you'd grow out of it."

He didn't dare comment to that. His color turned crimson when she broke into a soft laughter. The action made his heart warm, and he smiled himself. "You're truly evil, you know that?" He said in a whisper. "I'm starting to think you are hanyou,"

Sango tapped his chin and sighed, cuddling closer. "That means I'd be able to beat you up when you made me mad, no?" When he fell silent, she laughed again. "Just kidding Miroku. I could never hurt you."

He smiled and kissed her forehead.

"Not on purpose, anyway."

"Oi!"

8:88:888:88:8

Kagome sighed as InuYasha and Sesshomaru continued to glare at each other. No matter how hard she tried to catch either of their attention---they either crossed swords or snarled at each other. There was nothing she could do . . . she yelled and screamed and tapped on their shoulder countless times . . .

"Ugh . . . Sit!"

InuYasha went colliding into the ground and barked when Sesshomaru broke into a smug grin. Kagome leaned forward and whistled. Sesshomaru and InuYasha both winced and fell into a long silence. "You two act worse than Souta," She said through clenched teeth.

"It's not my fault he's a . . ."

Kagome turned and pinned InuYasha with a dark glower. "I suggest you don't finish that, InuYasha,"

Opting to just sit on his elbows and watch as Kagome tried to negotiate with Sesshomaru, he snorted and pouted, grumbling to himself as Sesshomaru ran his fingers through his hair. The tai-youkai seemed tired . . . like he had been through a lot since Kagome had last seen him. With a sigh she leaned forward and peered at Sesshomaru. "Where did you say her grave was?"

Sesshomaru didn't say anything at first. But after at least a half a minute, he cleared his throat. "I was mistaken. Nobody knows where she was buried," He said, shooting InuYasha a dark look.

InuYasha returned the favor only to get hit on his head. He whimpered but fell silent. "Oh . . . okay. Do you think you can travel with us without you and InuYasha trying to kill each other? Or do you need a kotodama rosary as well?"

Sesshomaru's anger flared. "I will not be controlled by a weak human,"

InuYasha hopped off of the ground at his brother's raised tone. "Talk to her like that again and see what I do,"

Kagome sighed and grabbed InuYasha's ear, pulling him back behind her. "I understand. Will you travel with us? We have to travel back to Kaede's village first and touch bases with her . . . and after that we head directly to the next village where a young lady named Ryoko lives. It should take us at least two days if we leave immediately, so we need to stock on food and such."

Sesshomaru's gaze flickered over Kagome's tiny form. His eyes lit with satisfaction, and InuYasha broke into that unsettling snarl. He shrugged and snorted. "As you wish. Shall we return to retrieve the rest of the pack?"

Kagome began to walk away. InuYasha waited until she was out of hearing distance and bared his fangs at his brother. "Try anything, you bastard," He said through clenched teeth. "And I'll kill you."

Sesshomaru's nostrils flared. "As if I'd let some no good half-demon defeat me."

InuYasha growled. Sesshomaru snarled. "InuYasha! Where are you?"

Without another word, InuYasha followed Kagome's voice. Sesshomaru's hand rested on his sword and he began to follow slowly.

The wind blew softly, blowing his hair back and toying with the tips of his ears. The old tree acknowledged his presence immediately. "What brings you here, son of InuTaisho?"

Sesshomaru bowed respectfully and tossed his hair over his shoulder. Rin clamped onto his legs and stared at the tree in fear. "I seek your aid. Totosai tells me you are an old friend of my mother."

Bokuseno's branches swayed as he laughed softly. "Yes . . . your mother was truly incredible. It touches us all when she died. I was surprised your father lived through it all,"

Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes and growled. "What do you mean?"

"Your father knew from the beginning that she wouldn't live her full life. She had two children before you, Sesshomaru . . . but they never lived to see the next moon."

"I have . . . older siblings?"

Bokuseno sighed as leaves began to fall off of his branches. "In order to bring back a life . . . you have to give another. Your mother sacrificed their lives in order for you to live. You see . . . they understoodwhy they had to be sacrificed, and agreed to it. Your mother mourned for days . . . and because of the dark magic she used;after you were born she had died."

Sesshomaru took a step back as Rin gasped and held on to his legs tighter. Without a word he placed his hands on her head and looked at her. "Return to Jaken, and please do not cause him any trouble."

She hugged his legs a little longer, and she shot him a reassuring smile as she ran off into the forest. Sesshomaru turned to Bokuseno. "Can you tell me . . . the reason she died?"

Bokuseno fell silent for a while. After a couple of minutes, his usually strong voice was a little shaky. "Your mother died . . . because she saw into the future. The dark magic had taken over her whole being. She sacrificed her two other children . . . giving you their powers and skills. You have poison flowing through your system . . . as well as your sight and smell isfar stronger than any other youkai. She did this because she knew that she would need you one day . . . she was to be reborn as a new person, and she needed you to be strong for the task that she had to complete. You mother died after she had you . . ."

'Mother . . . will traveling with InuYasha lead me to you? Will you be able to finish telling me the story of why you did what you did? Will I ever see my siblings?'

8:88:888:88:8

Sesshomaru rolled his eyes as the villagers screamed when he entered the village. Kagome sighed and ordered for him to follow her to the hut. He didn't comment when she children rushed over to InuYasha, pointing and asking questions about him. InuYasha merely looked over his shoulder, and to his surprise told the children that he was his brother and to respect him just as they would InuYasha.

'He . . . he cares what they think of me?'

'He's your brother. He's supposed to care.'

Sesshomaru's jaw tightened as Kikyou's younger sister, Kaede came into view. An old short lady with long light brown hair, Sesshomaru had heard many things about this woman. Bowing respectfully, he decided to ignore the cold glare InuYasha was giving him when he stood behind Kagome despite his actions earlier. "Lady Kaede? This is Sesshomaru, as you already know. He's going to be traveling with us . . . which means most likely he's going to be at this village often as well."

Kaede looked over Sesshomaru, mumbling some things to herself as Kagome stepped to the side. Sesshomaru resisted the urge to growl. 'Humansare suck weaklings that they have to make sure I won't kill them?'

'It's the same like when you left Keiko to take care of Rin. You watched her to see if she'll do any harm to her, right? Well it's the same thing, even though Keiko is youkai.'

A mere snort caught Kaede's attention, and she narrowed her eyes as she leaned forward and clasped her hands behind her back in that old way she did. "Tell me: Why do ye desire to travel with Kagome?"

Sesshomaru looked her up and down. A short, stocky woman but no doubt strong, he decided there was no way to avoid this. Kagome shot him a reassuring smile, and he sighed. "I seek the grave of my mother," He said dryly. "There is no other way to find it unless I travel with them."

Kaede didn't look pleased with his answer. Her lips curved into a deep frown as the villagers began to form a circle. If there was anything Sesshomaru hated, it was when a large number of humans stare and whisper about him. Kaede must have sense his irritation rising began she stomped her foot to catch his attention. The villagers shied away when he allowed a terse growl to escape his throat, gasping when InuYasha shoved him back and retaliated with his own vicious growl. "I don't know why he keeps doing that," Kagome apologized quickly through gritted teeth, yanking InuYasha back behind her.

Kaede nodded in understanding and eyed Sesshomaru again. "Do ye promise not to harm any of these villagers, or your brother?"

This made the villagers whisper even louder. After glaring at a couple of them, he sighed. "As you wish."

Kaede smiled and patted him on the shoulder. He watched her through narrowed eyes. She didn't falter. 'What a strange old woman,' "In order for ye to stay here," She said a hint of playfulness in her eyes. "Ye must make ye-self useful. Why don't ye and InuYasha go fishing? Kagome and I'll collect the vegetables, and ye can be on ye way by dawn. "

InuYasha and Sesshomaru looked at each other and growled. Kagome rolled her eyes as Kaede ordered for them to go fishing and dragging Kagome along. "Why is he acting like that?"

Kaede giggled as she let Kagome go. "InuYasha is the alpha male---the leader of his pack. And apparently . . . the villagers are like his pack . . . his family. If you think about it, inus don't let outsiders in with open arms. InuYasha doesn't trust Sesshomaru because Sesshomaru desires ye and has shed human blood. It is something that must be done. If they begin fighting, it would be best for ye not to break it up."

Kagome looked over her shoulder as the two brothers disappeared into the forest. With a sigh, she used her fingers to rub her forehead as Sango latched on her arm and giggled. "Their brothers, you know," She said, having eavesdropped on the conversation. "Sure, Kohaku and I had arguments---but at one time or another they'll come around."

Kagome shrugged and wrapped her arm around Sango's shoulder playfully, pushing her side to side and bumping her hip with hers as they walked towards the vegetable field behind Kaede. "That's if they don't kill each other first. Kaede watched when they entered the vegetable patch and Kagome and Sango got to work.

Kagome didn't realize just how special she was, did she? A reincarnation of her older sister, a splitting image yet completely different at the same time, she managed to do the impossible, make a way out of nothing. 'She truly is destined to be the strongest miko ever.' Kaede mused with a smile.

The old women knew her time was short. She was suffering from back pains; her fatigue began to strain her system and would strike her more and more each day. Kagome had taken her duties for a little bit, and when they were gone Kaede resumed with young Shippou helping her along the way. Kaede saw great things for this young girl . . . and that's why she wanted Kagome by her side when it was her time to head into the next world.

'It is her destiny . . . she can't avoid it. Kagome will be strong . . . she'll do what she has to.'

8:88:888:88:8

InuYasha watched as Sesshomaru stood poised over the water. Lips drawn together in a tight line, his face burrowed with concentration, Sesshomaru looked like he wasn't just doing this because Kaede asked him to . . .but because he needed to in order to survive. With a slight chuckle, InuYasha walked over to him and tapped him on his shoulder. "You're scaring the fish away, you know that right?"

Sesshomaru was ready to throw back in insult, but seeing the grin on InuYasha's face cut him off short. InuYasha gently pushed Sesshomaru out of the way and stood poised over the water, claws ready, ears quirking, ready. "InuYasha? I was just doing the same thing---"

He snorted and flattened his ears. "You're youki is too . . . I don't know. It's just . . . the fish can feel your irritation, and they won't come because they know it'll be the last day they'll ever see. Once you're in a cheery mood, they'll come. That's why I usually get Kagome to go in the water. Everything is attracted by Kagome. She's a magnet for trouble."

"Yet she's your chosen mate."

InuYasha's ear flattened and then resurfaced again. He turned around and looked at Sesshomaru, a defensive look crossing over his features. "Look, I don't want any trouble---"

"I seek to give no trouble. I only wish to find her grave, and then I'll let you live your life. I've decided . . . Kagome is out of my reach, and this is your pack."

InuYasha shrugged carelessly and stood poised over the water again. "Don't ask why I give a damn your traveling with us, because I really don't," He lied. "But just don't get in the way."

Sesshomaru watched as InuYasha's claws flashed in the water, and then out, making a fish fly into the air. He caught it then with a smug grin handed it to Sesshomaru. "Gut it. Kagome hates to watch me do that."

Sesshomaru took the fish without commenting. He watched as InuYasha headed back to the water. His youki was caring, inviting, and Sesshomaru just had to wonder why InuYasha was acting this way towards him. The leader of a pack should never be this inviting to anyone, so why did he trust him so easily?

"I know you're wondering why I'm not trying to kill you," InuYasha said without taking his eyes off the water.

Sesshomaru sighed. "It ran across my mind," He said simply.

InuYasha shrugged. "I don't know myself. If the old man wanted us to fight. .. Than our swords wouldn't save us if the other is getting ready to win. Not to mention, now is not the time. So let's make a . . . a deal? I won't hurt you as long as you don't betray me. Brothers aren't . . . brothers aren't supposed to bicker. It'll make a bad impression on the pup, and Shippou." InuYasha said, a blush tinting his cheeks.

Sesshomaru blinked. "Are you trying to end the feud between us, brother?"

InuYasha snorted. "Keh! I knew this was a bad idea. Take it on the bastard to rub it in your face---"

"I'll agree to your 'deal' . . . if you promise me something."

InuYasha caught three more fish before answering. He brought them over to Sesshomaru and sighed. "Okay, whatever."

"If I . . . if I die . . . promise me you'll take care of Rin?"

InuYasha coughed. He knew his brother was fond of the little girl, but asking InuYasha to take her under his wing? "Sesshomaru?"

Sesshomaru blushed. "I mean . . . she's been with me for nearly three years now, InuYasha. I think of her as . . . as my only friend. She's the only family I have left."

InuYasha narrowed his eyes. Sesshomaru ignored it.

He shrugged. "Okay, whatever. No more passes at Kagome, either?"

Sesshomaru laughed and nodded as InuYasha waded back to the pond. "Right."

8:88:888:88:8

A/N

Okay . . . I've ended a lot of 'I'LL KILL YOU IF YOU MAKE A KAG/SESSHY PAIRING'emails and such. I didn't see the big deal . . . I mean a lot of people do it on this site, on practically every site. I thought it was kind of funny, actually how crazy people got over a little twist in my story. LOL Enjoy!