InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Naraku's Desire ❯ Chapter 34 ( Chapter 34 )
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By: yugis_girl98 
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Action / Romance / Drama | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 10.12.2006 | Updated On: 09.01.2007 | Pages: 2 | Words: 8.0K | Visits: 237 | Status: Work In Progress
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Action / Romance / Drama | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 10.12.2006 | Updated On: 09.01.2007 | Pages: 2 | Words: 8.0K | Visits: 237 | Status: Work In Progress
Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha…. I do however own Yanna and any other character that create as well as the storyline…..
A/N: ~~…~~ denotes flashbacks, dreams, and nightmares; **…** denotes changes in scenery; * denotes special notes at the bottom of the chapter
Chapter 34 ~ The New Dog Demon Princess of the Western LandsInuYasha continued running towards Naraku’s castle. He just hoped that Yanna was okay. Just then, InuYasha stopped running and clutched his hand to his chest as he fell to his knees. Just by the pain, he knew that something bad had happened to Yanna.When the pain in his chest had subsided, InuYasha got to his feet and started running towards the castle once again. He continued running until he came to the castle. He walked into the courtyard and was met by no one, which he thought was odd. The castle looked like it had been abandoned.InuYasha knew that Yanna had to be there somewhere. So, he started searching the castle when he caught an unknown scent in the air. InuYasha also noticed that Sesshoumaru had been there by the smell of it. Just then, Naraku appeared, with Kagura by his side, out of nowhere.“Well, well, well. If it isn’t InuYasha. You just missed a wonderful show between Sesshoumaru and InuYanna,” Naraku said, smiling.InuYasha turned around and glared at Naraku. He could have sworn that he was the only one there in the castle, but he was wrong.“Where is InuYanna, Naraku?” InuYasha screamed at him.“She is not here at the moment. Sesshoumaru took her limp body away from here and back to the Western Lands,” Naraku said as he glared at InuYasha.InuYasha didn’t stick around the castle to hear anymore. He heard what he wanted to hear. He ran as fast as he could through the forest towards the Western Lands. He had to know if Yanna was alive and well.**Meanwhile**Sesshoumaru continued flying towards the Western Lands. He knew that there was something different about Yanna. He was also able to tell that her scent had changed to that of a full-blooded demon. Just then, he felt Yanna starting to stir in his arms.“Aniki….” Yanna said weakly as she yawned.“Shhh. Go back to sleep, shimai chiisai*. You’re safe now,” Sesshoumaru cooed in her ear.Yanna did as she was told. She cuddled as close as she could to Sesshoumaru so she could stay warm. For some odd reason, she felt safe in her older brother’s arms. Yanna smiled as she slowly drifted off to sleep once again.Sesshoumaru smiled slightly to himself when he felt Yanna snuggle closer to him. When Yanna laid her head on his shoulder, he could feel that she had come down with a fever. He knew that her having a fever couldn’t be good. Sesshoumaru flew faster towards the Western Lands. **Meanwhile at the village**Kagome had walked back into the hut when InuYasha had disappeared through the trees. She didn’t look at the others as she walked over to her sleeping bag. It didn’t take long for the others to bombard Kagome with questions about where InuYasha was at.“Where is InuYasha at, Kagome?” Sango asked her friend.“He went after InuYanna,” she said solemnly.The others couldn’t believe what they had heard. They all turned white as ghosts as what Kagome had said finally sank into their brains. Kouga was the first one to speak his concerns about InuYasha leaving.“Kagome. If InuYasha goes after InuYanna, then Naraku will kill her when he shows up,” Kouga said worriedly.Kagome knew that Kouga was right but she also knew that InuYasha would have left on his own. She was worried for both InuYasha and Yanna.“I understand what you are saying, Kouga, but I couldn’t and won’t stop him from going after InuYanna. He has been through so much with her since Naraku came into the picture,” Kagome said as she sat down on her sleeping bag and started to cry.Shippou made his way over to Kagome. He knew that she needed to be comforted and he didn’t trust either Miroku or Kouga to do it. He finally reached Kagome as he climbed into her lap.“Don’t cry, Kagome. I’m sure InuYasha will find InuYanna and bring her back to us alive and well,” Shippou said as he hugged Kagome around her stomach.Kagome nodded as she pulled Shippou away from her. She looked into his eyes and smiled lightly at him.“Thank you, Shippou, I really needed that. Why don’t we all get some sleep and then we can talk more in the morning,” Kagome said as she laid down in her sleeping bag.The others agreed with Kagome. They too laid down and soon fell asleep. Shippou had fallen asleep next to Kagome as she remained awake. Her mind quickly drifted to InuYasha. She hoped that he would return soon with Yanna, safe and sound.“Please be safe InuYasha and return soon with InuYanna,” Kagome whispered as she too fell asleep.**Back with InuYasha**InuYasha continued to run towards the Western Lands. He needed to know if Yanna was okay or not. He also needed to know who the strange scent belonged to back at Naraku’s castle. InuYasha finally stopped running and decided to rest for the night. All the running that he had been doing since he left Kagome was starting to wear him out. InuYasha found the nearest tree and jumped up into it. He settled onto the branch that he landed on. Once he was settled on the branch, he leaned his back up against the tree trunk and looked up at the stars.“Please be safe wherever you are, InuYanna,” InuYasha whispered into the night.After InuYasha said that he drifted off into a dreamless sleep.**Back with Sesshoumaru**Sesshoumaru flew off as fast as he could back to the Western Lands when he found out that Yanna was running a fever. He could finally see his castle in the distance. It didn’t take him long to cover the distance to the castle. Just before he reached the castle, he felt Yanna stirring in his arms. He landed on the ground and quickly made his way to the castle.Once he reached the castle, Sesshoumaru quickly made his way up the stairs to Yanna’s old room. After he took over when their father died, Sesshoumaru kept her room just as it was before she was taken away from their world.Sesshoumaru walked into the room and went over to the bed. He laid Yanna on the bed and then turned to walk out of the room. He was almost to the door when he heard Yanna moaning in pain. He then turned back towards the bed as he reached out and touched her forehead. Sesshoumaru immediately pulled his hand away from her forehead because of the heat that was pouring off of her.“This can’t be good. I need to know why she has this fever,” Sesshoumaru said to himself.Sesshoumaru once again stood up and walked out of the room. He really didn’t want to leave Yanna alone but he had no choice. He needed to get the healer so Yanna would survive. He walked down to the healers section of the castle. When he reached the healers section, Sesshoumaru walked into the dimly lit room. He looked around the room until he saw the head healer.“I need your help, Anise,” Sesshoumaru called out to the female demon.Anise slowly turned around and looked at the young lord standing before her. She was a full blooded inu-youkai. She wasn’t much older than Sesshoumaru. Her silver hair was just as long as Sesshoumaru’s also. She also had the same demon markings with the exception of the crescent moon. In its place she had a red star instead. Anise slowly shook her head so that her silver mane billowed out behind her.“Now, what do you need my help with, Lord Sesshoumaru?” Anise asked, bowing slightly.Sesshoumaru just looked at the old healer. He remembered that she was the one that had taken Yanna away from him. He had long since forgiven Anise for taking Yanna away from him. He had allowed her to stay on as the castle’s head healer. Sesshoumaru also knew that Anise was just following his father’s orders when she left with Yanna.“It’s InuYanna. She has come down with a very high fever,” he said poignantly.Anise just looked at Sesshoumaru with wide eyes. She couldn’t believe what he had just said. The last thing that she knew was that Yanna was safely hidden away in the modern times.“What do you mean InuYanna has come down with a fever?” she said.“It’s a long story, Anise. I will tell you all about it later. Just please help her,” Sesshoumaru pleaded with the elderly healer.Anise just looked at him. She could tell that he was worried about Yanna. That was when she decided to help Yanna.“Okay, Sesshoumaru. I will see what I can do for InuYanna, but in return I want to know why she has come back,” Anise said as she looked at him sternly.Sesshoumaru knew exactly what Anise wanted to know. He was going to have to explain to Anise sooner or later how and why Yanna was back in the feudal era.Sesshoumaru and Anise walked out of the healer’s section on the castle. They slowly and painstakingly made their way back up to Yanna’s room. As they were walking up the stairs, Anise looked over at Sesshoumaru.“So, are you going to tell me why InuYanna has returned?” Anise asked the demon walking beside her.Sesshoumaru stopped walking in the hallway. He turned and looked at the female demon beside him. He didn’t say anything at first. Sesshoumaru had to think of how he was going to explain it to Anise about Yanna.“Let’s see, where to begin. It all began when I found out where you had hidden her, Anise. When I found out where she was at, I went looking for her. With Naraku becoming more of a threat, I had decided that it was time for her to come home. But I never expected InuYasha to find her also,” Sesshoumaru said as he started walking once again.Anise started walking also. “So, your father has told you what InuYanna’s destiny is then. You know that she is the only one that can kill Naraku then,” Anise said as she continued walking next to Sesshoumaru.“Yes he did, Anise. He told me the night he had you take her away. Father also had me promise not to let Naraku hurt InuYanna in anyway. But it seems that I have failed in that department,” Sesshoumaru said as he let his head hang low.Anise looked over at the young demon lord. She could tell that there was something else bothering him. She could see the hurt in his eyes. It pained her to ask him her next question.“What do you mean you have failed, milord?” Anise asked him, fearing what his answer will be.Sesshoumaru really didn’t know how to answer that question. He knew that he couldn’t lie to Anise. For some odd reason, she could always tell when he was lying. So, he decided to tell her the straight out truth about how he had failed in protecting Yanna.“Well, Anise, Naraku has already killed InuYanna once and I brought her back to life. And now she is lying in bed with a severe fever after Naraku caused her to change into her true demon form,” Sesshoumaru said, not looking at Anise.Anise didn’t say anything to Sesshoumaru at first. She knew how much he had adored Yanna when she was younger. It hurt Anise when she was ordered by InuTaishou to take Yanna away. Anise wanted to say something but she decided against it.They continued walking to Yanna’s room in silence. Anise still wanted to say something to the demon lord beside her but she couldn’t think of anything to say.**Meanwhile in Yanna’s Room**Yanna continued to sleep on the bed that Sesshoumaru had laid her on. She unconsciously pulled Sesshoumaru’s haori tighter around her still naked body. She smiled in her sleep. Just then, Yanna was plagued by horrible nightmares.~~Begin Yanna’s Nightmares~~Naraku was mad that Yanna had betrayed him. Just before Yanna could reach InuYasha, Naraku grabbed her by the neck and squeezed, cutting off her airway.**scene changes**Just then, Yanna couldn’t take anymore of them fighting over her. So, she jumped in between them. Kouga saw her as she got in between them so he was able to stop his attack on InuYasha. InuYasha, on the other hand, didn’t see Yanna and so he couldn’t stop himself in time. Before InuYasha knew it, he had hit Yanna square in the jaw. The force of the impact had sent her flying into a tree.Yanna hit the tree with so much force that she was knocked unconscious instantly.**scene changes again**At first Yanna didn’t know what was going on. She looked at InuYasha with a scared look on her face. He saw the scared look in Yanna’s eyes as Naraku pulled her away from him.“Let her go, Naraku,” InuYasha seethed.InuYasha saw Yanna’s eyes get wide with fear at the mention of Naraku’s name. He also saw her eyes flash amber-gold.“I don’t think so, InuYasha. She is mine now,” Naraku snickered.Just then, Yanna could feel Naraku remove the jewel shard from the back of her head. She felt herself getting dizzy. Just before she lost consciousness, Yanna looked at InuYasha and said, “Please help me, nii-chan.”**scene changes again**Yanna was at school right after she had changed into a half-demon. She could see that the other kids were staring at her like she was some sort of disease. Just then, Yanna saw her friends and she walked up to them. Her friends didn’t recognize her at first.“Hey guys,” Yanna said to her friends.“Go away. We don’t want you any where near us, you freak,” her so-called friend Jason said.Yanna couldn’t believe how her friends were treating her. She knew that the only thing that had changed about her was the way that she looked but she didn‘t know that she looked that bad. She started crying and ran from the school back towards home.~~End Yanna’s Nightmares~~Yanna continued to moan and howl in her sleep as the nightmares continued to plague her. She continued to hold onto Sesshoumaru’s haori tightly. It seemed that it was her only salvation at the moment.**Back with Sesshoumaru and Anise**Sesshoumaru and Anise finally made it to Yanna’s room. He reached for the doorknob and turned it. He then pushed the door open so that him and Anise could walk into the room. Once they were in the room, Anise saw Yanna laying on the bed. She could tell just by looking at Yanna that she was sick. Anise then turned back to Sesshoumaru.“Tell me exactly what Naraku did to her to make turn into her true demon form?” Anise asked curiously.Sesshoumaru continued to look at Yanna as he replied, “ He used the almost completed Shikon jewel on her.”Anise looked from Yanna to Sesshoumaru. She now knew what was causing Yanna to have such a high fever. She couldn’t believe that Yanna was forced to change into her true demon form. It was going to take a lot of time and patience for Yanna to recover completely.“Let just hope, milord, that InuYanna can remember who and what she is when she wakes up,” Anise said as she walked over to the bed.Sesshoumaru followed Anise over to Yanna’s bed. He watched as Anise sat down on the edge of the bed. He sat in the chair that was beside the bed so that he could try and comfort Yanna as need be. ‘I really hope for Naraku’s sake that InuYanna does survive or there will be hell to pay,’ he thought to himself as he looked at Yanna’s sleeping form.Anise smiled at Sesshoumaru as she watched him look at Yanna. What Anise wasn’t telling Sesshoumaru was that there is a good possibility that Yanna won’t make it through all this. She also knew that if Yanna didn’t make it that it would break Sesshoumaru’s heart not to mention that it may kill InuYasha in the process. Just then, Anise spoke up.“You know there is also the possibility that InuYanna will not make it, my lord. If she dies this time, then so will InuYasha,” Anise said sadly.Sesshoumaru didn’t look at the old healer. He knew what she was telling him was the truth. Just then, he reached up and moved a piece of Yanna’s silver bangs out of her eyes. “Anise, what can we do in order to get her fever to break?” Sesshoumaru asked worriedly.“Well, first off, you can go and get me some water in a bowl and cloth,” Anise said.Sesshoumaru got up and left to get the water like Anise asked him to do. He walked into the adjoining room to Yanna’s room, which housed a hot spring. He filled up a bowl with the coolest water from the hot spring. He then grabbed a washcloth as he headed back into the room. Sesshoumaru walked back over to the bed and set the bowl on the headboard and handed the washcloth to Anise as he sat back down in the chair.Anise dipped the cloth in the water and placed it on Yanna’s forehead. Yanna moaned slightly as the cloth touched her scalding forehead. Anise leaned down and whispered something incoherently into Yanna’s ear. Yanna calmed down at hearing Anise’s voice.“All we can do now is wait for her to wake up,” Anise said as she got up and walked out of the room.Sesshoumaru looked down at Yanna when he saw Anise walk out of the room. He wasn’t going to leave her until he knew that she was going to be okay. He remained there so that someone could dip the cloth in the water when it needed to be done.**Back with Naraku**Naraku watched as InuYasha ran out of the castle courtyard and towards the Western Lands. He smiled to himself. He knew that Sesshoumaru would kill anyone who dared to enter his territory, including InuYasha. Once InuYasha had disappeared completely, Naraku turned and walked back into the castle. Kagura was hot on his heels.“What are we going to do about InuYanna, Naraku?” Kagura asked as she followed behind Naraku.Naraku didn’t answer her at first. He just kept walking into the castle. He knew that Kagura hated to be ignored, so he just kept walking towards his room. When he reached his bedroom, Naraku turned around and looked Kagura dead in the eyes as he finally answered her.“InuYanna will not be able to do any anything for awhile, Kagura,” Naraku said as he opened his bedroom door and walked into the room.Kagura couldn’t believe that Naraku would say something like that. She knew that he had been after Yanna for the longest time. She watched as Naraku entered his room and shut the door. Kagura then turned around and walked away from Naraku’s room. She didn’t know where she was heading. All she wanted was to get away from the castle so she could do some thinking.**Back with InuYasha**InuYasha was sleeping in the tree when he was jarred awake by the images that flashed in his mind. He was so shaken with fear that he almost fell out of the tree that he was perched in. He sat up and was breathing heavily. He tried to get his breathing under control. He couldn’t think of anything else as the images of Yanna, being in pain, flashed through his mind. InuYasha then jumped down from the tree and leaned up against the trunk as he thought to himself.“What was with all those images of InuYanna? What has happened to her?” InuYasha said out loud.With those questions running through his mind, InuYasha once again started running towards the Western Lands. He needed to talk to Sesshoumaru about the strange scent that invaded his nose back at Naraku’s castle.**Back with Sesshoumaru**Sesshoumaru stayed by Yanna’s side the whole night. He would remove the cloth from her forehead and dip it in the water in the bowl and then replace it back on her forehead. He would also take the cloth and wipe the sweat off of her face every now and then. Sesshoumaru had put his arms on the edge of Yanna’s bed and laid his head down on it. Before he knew it, he had fallen asleep.Sesshoumaru was awakened by a hand touching his arm. He slowly opened his amber eyes and saw another pair of amber eyes staring right back at him. He smiled at Yanna as he raised his head off of his arms. He then reached up and gently touched her face. Yanna returned his smile as she tried to speak.“Aniki, where am I?” Yanna said weakly.Sesshoumaru just stared at Yanna as he replied, “Shh, ‘Yanna. You are safe. I have brought back to the Western Lands.”Yanna tried to speak once more but Sesshoumaru stopped her. “Rest, Little Sister. I will be back in a little bit,” Sesshoumaru said as he got up from the chair beside Yanna’s bed.Yanna watched as Sesshoumaru walked out of her room. She couldn’t understand why her older half-brother was being so nice to her. She tried to sit up but had a hard time doing so. So, she decided to just lay there on the bed until Sesshoumaru returned.Once Sesshoumaru had walked out of Yanna’s room, he immediately headed down to the healer’s section of the castle. He searched around for Anise. He soon found Anise in her room. Sesshoumaru knocked on the door before he walked into her room.“Anise, InuYanna is awake,” Sesshoumaru said with no sign of emotion on his face whatsoever.Anise looked up when she heard Sesshoumaru walk through her door. She could tell that something had happened to Yanna. She waited patiently as she looked at Sesshoumaru. She couldn’t believe her ears when she heard Sesshoumaru say that Yanna was awake. Even though his face showed no emotion whatsoever, Anise knew that Sesshoumaru was relieved that Yanna was awake.Sesshoumaru and Anise walked out of the room and headed back up to Yanna’s room. They walked up the stairs in complete silence. When they reached Yanna’s door, Sesshoumaru pushed it open so that they could walk in. As Sesshoumaru and Anise walked into the room, Yanna turned and looked at them. Anise slowly made her way over to Yanna’s bedside. Once she had reached Yanna’s bed, Anise sat down on the edge and looked at the young dog-demon princess.“How are you feeling, young one?” Anise asked as she looked at Yanna.Yanna just looked at the older demon before her. She wasn’t sure if it was safe for her to answer Anise or not. Just then, Yanna looked over at Sesshoumaru, who was still standing by the door. When Sesshoumaru saw Yanna look over at him, he nodded his head for her to answer Anise.Yanna then looked back at Anise as she answered, “Fine, I guess. Just a little tired. What has happened to me?”Anise looked from Yanna to Sesshoumaru. She knew that question was going to come up sooner or later. The look that Anise saw on Sesshoumaru’s face basically said what she was thinking. Anise then looked back to Yanna before she answered the young princess.“I will leave that question for your older brother to answer,” Anise said as she smiled down at Yanna. “I will now take my leave so that you can rest, your highness.” Yanna watched as Anise got up from her side and started walking towards the door. She saw Anise stop and look at Sesshoumaru. She could tell that the healer was saying something to her older brother but she couldn’t make it out. Once the healer was gone, Yanna watched as Sesshoumaru walked over to her bed. Yanna watched as Sesshoumaru sat back down in the chair that was beside her bed. She smiled up at him as best as she could.“So, aniki, are you going to tell me what has happened to me?” Yanna asked her brother.Sesshoumaru just looked at Yanna. He was having a hard time trying to decide how he was going to tell her what had happened. Just then he spoke.“InuYanna, how much do you remember?” Sesshoumaru asked her.Yanna looked away from Sesshoumaru. She searched her mind for anything that would tell her how she ended up here with Sesshoumaru. Once Yanna couldn’t find anything in her head, she looked back at Sesshoumaru with a blank look in her eyes.“I’m afraid I don’t remember much. What I do remember is being with Kouga and then being with Naraku. After that, it pretty much gets hazy,” Yanna said as she started to cry.Sesshoumaru reached out to wipe away her tears. He decided not to tell her anything just yet. He wanted her to be at full strength when he did finally tell her what had happened. “Sleep, ‘Yanna. I will tell you later. We need to concentrate on getting you well first. Then we will worry about what has happened,” Sesshoumaru said as he lightly kissed her forehead.Yanna did as she was told. She closed her amber eyes and sleep once again overtook her body. She smiled as she drifted further off into oblivion. Just before she was completely taken by sleep, Yanna said something that caught Sesshoumaru’s ear.“I love you, aniki,” Yanna whispered in her sleep.Sesshoumaru smiled as he heard Yanna’s words. He got up from the chair that he was sitting in and headed towards the door. Once he reached the door he turned back around and looked at the now sleeping Yanna on the bed.“I love you too, InuYanna,” he said as he walked out the door and quietly closed it behind him.Sesshoumaru knew that Rin would be up by now. So, he headed towards the kitchen to make sure that there was adequate food prepared for her. Once he saw that the food was prepared for Rin, Sesshoumaru sat down and waited for Rin to come into the kitchen. Just then, the bubbly child, that travels with him, came skipping into the kitchen with her normal smile on her face. She sat down next to Sesshoumaru and started eating.Sesshoumaru watched as the child ate her breakfast. He couldn’t help but smile at Rin. Just having her around has made things easier for him. He has changed his outlook on humans since she had been traveling with him. Sesshoumaru wiped the smile off of his face when he realized that Rin was looking at him.“What are you looking at, Rin?” Sesshoumaru asked the young girl.“Just the smile that you had on your face, milord,” Rin said as innocently as she possibly could.When Rin was done eating, she got up from her spot beside Sesshoumaru and headed for the garden. It had been awhile since she was outside. When they returned to the castle, Rin was not allowed to go outside until Sesshoumaru had returned from wherever he had ventured. So, she figured now that he was back, she could go outside and play.“Rin, make sure that you take Jaken with you if you are heading outside,” Sesshoumaru said to Rin’s retreating back.“Yes, milord,” Rin said over her shoulder as she disappeared through the kitchen door.Sesshoumaru smiled to himself once more as he got up from the table. Before he left the kitchen, though, he made sure that he told the cooks that he wanted them to fix something for Yanna so that she could eat when she woke up later. Once he was done talking to the cooks, Sesshoumaru left the kitchen and headed up the stairs to his room.**Back at the village**Miroku and Sango were the first ones to wake up that morning. They both looked around and saw that everyone else was still sound asleep in the hut. They got up and headed out the door so that the others could sleep soundly. Once they were outside, Sango sat down on the right side of the hut door while Miroku sat on the other side. Just then, Sango turned towards Miroku and spoke.“Do you think InuYasha will find InuYanna alive, houshi?” Sango asked Miroku.Miroku didn’t look at Sango as he answered her question.“I don’t know, Sango. I sure hope that he does for all of our sakes,” Miroku replied.Sango and Miroku continued to sit outside the hut in silence. They were just content with knowing that hopefully InuYasha will find Yanna safe and alive.A couple of hours passed before Kagome woke up from her slumber. She slowly looked around the hut and saw Shippou and Kouga still asleep. She also noticed that Sango and Miroku were gone. She got up and walked outside only to find Sango and Miroku sitting under a tree, talking. Kagome walked over to the two and sat down next to them.“Good morning, guys,” Kagome said as she looked at the two of them.“Good morning, Kagome,” Sango replied back to her.“Good morning, Lady Kagome,” Miroku said, looking out towards the forest.Kagome and Sango followed his gaze towards the forest. They both knew that he was thinking about InuYasha and Yanna. They too were thinking about the inu-twins. Just then, Miroku’s soft voice broke their thoughts.“Do you think that InuYasha has found InuYanna yet?” Miroku asked with his eyes closed.No one was able to answer Miroku’s question. They all just looked away from each other. None of them wanted to think about it at the moment. Just then, they heard someone come out of the hut.“So, what’s going on out here?” the voice said.They all turned around to see Kouga standing there. They couldn’t believe that he was up and walking around after the beating he had gotten from Naraku.“We were just wondering if InuYasha had found InuYanna yet,” Kagome said to the wolf demon standing before them.“Well, if he was smart he will just forget about her and come back here,” Kouga said sarcastically.It was Miroku’s turn to look up at the wolf demon before them. He had a strange look on his face.“Why do you say that, Kouga?” Miroku asked.Kouga didn’t look at any of them. He kept his eyes focused on the forest before him.“Because I told you all last night that if anyone comes after her, then Naraku will not hesitate to not only kill her but the person who came after her as well. There is a reason why Naraku wants InuYanna so bad. He will not let her go so easily,” Kouga said as he started walking towards the forest.“Wait, where are you going, Kouga?” Kagome asked.“Back to the wolf den,” Kouga said without turning around to face them. “See ya around.”With that said, Kouga took off into the forest as fast as he could. He didn’t want to be there any longer since he knew it was his fault that Yanna was taken by Naraku to begin with. He headed back to the wolf den like he said he was doing. Once he gets back there, he will gather up what supplies he needs and he will go after Yanna himself.**Back with InuYasha**InuYasha was heading towards the Western Lands once again. He was running faster than he had ever ran in his life. He couldn’t get the images of Yanna in pain out of his head. He knew that something serious had happened to Yanna. He continued running until he saw Kikyo’s soul gatherers flying up ahead of him. “I wonder what Kikyo is doing out here,” InuYasha said to himself.InuYasha then started heading towards the spot where he knew that Kikyo was at. He knew that if Kagome ever found out that he had seen Kikyo, she would sit him so hard that he wouldn’t be able to walk for a week. At the moment, InuYasha didn’t care what Kagome thought. He hadn’t seen Kikyo since before he met up with Yanna in the modern era. InuYasha came to a clearing and saw Kikyo standing there looking off into the distance at something. He slowly and quietly made his way up to Kikyo. He stopped a good five feet from his former love. That was when he saw Kikyo turn and face him.Kikyo had sensed that someone had entered the clearing in which she was standing in. She also knew that it was InuYasha since Naraku had been preoccupied here lately with something else. When she heard the footsteps stop just short of her, she turned around and faced InuYasha.“What are you doing here, Kikyo?” InuYasha asked her.Kikyo just smiled at InuYasha. She already knew that something more serious was happening. “Your sister in more danger than she knows, InuYasha,” Kikyo said to him.InuYasha was shocked that Kikyo knew he had a sister. He hated it when people would speak to him in riddles. He took a couple of steps towards Kikyo as he asked her his next question.“What do you mean InuYanna is in more danger? And how do you know that I have a sister, Kikyo?” he asked the woman in front of him.“I have always known that you had a twin sister, InuYasha. Naraku will not give up on InuYanna even though she is with your brother. Do you know what your sister’s role is in all this, InuYasha?” Kikyo asked her former love.InuYasha just looked at Kikyo with a look of confusion. He knew that Naraku had been searching for Yanna for the longest time but he had no clue as to why though. He needed to know more about why Naraku was so hell-bent on getting his sister on his side.“No, I don’t know what her role is in all of this. Tell me, Kikyo,” InuYasha stated.Kikyo turned and started to walk away from InuYasha. She wasn’t going to tell him that easily. “If you truly want to know, then I suggest that you talk to your brother about it,” Kikyo said over her shoulder as she continued to walk away from him. “Until the next time we meet, InuYasha.”InuYasha watched as Kikyo walked away from him. He couldn’t understand why Kikyo was being so helpful to him when she normally wanted to either kill him or take him to hell with her. It was as if something had changed Kikyo.Once Kikyo was out of sight, InuYasha started his trek once more towards his brother’s castle and his old home. As he continued towards the Western Lands, InuYasha couldn’t help but think about what Kikyo had said about Yanna. He eventually slowed to a walk and continued to contemplate what Kikyo had told him. Before he knew it, InuYasha had reached the Western Lands. He looked up and saw his brother’s castle. He once again started running towards the castle.**Meanwhile with Yanna**Yanna started to stir on the bed. She slowly opened her eyes once again to find that she was all alone in the room. She then sat up in bed slowly as not to get dizzy or suffer a headache. She looked around the room. Yanna still had Sesshoumaru’s haori wrapped around her. She slowly got out of bed and walked over to the closet and saw that it was filled different colored kimonos. She picked out a purple one and walked behind the dressing screen and put the kimono on.Once Yanna was dressed in the kimono, she then walked over to her bedroom door. She needed to get something to eat before she starved. So, she walked out of her room and then down the hall. She continued to wander the halls until she had herself completely lost. “Now where am I? I need to find the kitchen before I starve to death,” Yanna said to herself.Yanna continued to wander the halls in search of the kitchen. She had soon come upon a servant in the hallway that she was in.“Excuse me, but could you tell me where the kitchen is? I am sorta hungry,” Yanna said to the servant.The servant bowed slightly to Yanna.“If you wish, your highness, I can show you where the kitchen is at,” the servant said still bowing.Yanna was a little taken aback by being called ’your highness.’ She smiled slightly as she nodded to the servant.“Thank you. That will be really helpful,” Yanna said to the servant.The servant then stood up straight once more and led Yanna down the hallway towards the kitchen. Yanna started to memorize the way that the servant was taking so that she could make her way back to her room when she was done eating.“Here we are, my lady,” the servant said, bowing once more to Yanna.Yanna slowly walked into the dining room that was attached to the kitchen. The servants in the dining room looked up and saw Yanna walk in. They immediately went into the kitchen to tell the cook that Yanna had arrived. The servant, who had led Yanna to the dining room, led her over to a chair for her to sit in.“Thank you,” she said. “Where is my brother?”“He is in his room. I can take you to him when you are finished eating, if you would like,” the servant whispered as he bowed to her slightly.Yanna nodded her head to the servant as food was brought out to her. She was astonished at the amount of the food that was placed before her. She slowly filled her plate with small amounts of the food so she wouldn’t make herself sick once again. Once she had enough food on her plate, she started to eat to her heart’s content. When Yanna was finished eating, she looked over at the servant who had shown her to the kitchen/dining room earlier.
“Can you please take me to Sesshoumaru’s room?” Yanna asked the servant as she got to her feet.
The servant nodded his head as he bowed slightly at Yanna.
“This way, milady,” he said as he motioned Yanna towards the door.
Yanna and the servant walked out of the dining room and up many sets of stairs. They walked along in silence. Yanna was getting tired of the silence so she decided to speak up.
“How long have you been a servant in the castle?” she asked the person walking beside her.
The servant looked up at Yanna and smiled slightly.
“For about a hundred years now,” the servant replied.
Yanna gasped when she heard how long the person beside her had been in working in the castle. She continued to follow the servant towards their destination. They both came to a stop in front of an ornately decorated set of doors.
“Here you are, milady,” the servant said as he bowed slightly to Yanna. “Your brother is inside this room.”
“Thank you,” she whispered quietly as she watched the helpful servant walk away from her.
Yanna smiled at the servant as she turned to look at the door. She couldn’t believe how it looked. She saw the carvings of a massive dog demon, who she suspected was her father and another demon that was attacking him. She lightly ran her hand over the door as if admiring the workmanship of the carving. She then knocked lightly on the door.
**meanwhile**
Sesshoumaru was busy working in his room on things that would help protect the Western Lands from not only unwanted intruders but also to keep Yanna safe from Naraku until it was time for her to destroy him. He was so wrapped up in his work that he nearly jumped when he heard a soft knock on his door. Sesshoumaru looked up at the door and growled slightly.
“Come in,” he growled out slightly.
Sesshoumaru watched as the door to his room opened slightly as Yanna walked into the room. He noticed that his sister had a fearful look on her face. He let his features soften slightly as he looked at Yanna.
“I see that you are up, InuYanna,” he said to her.
Yanna nodded her head at Sesshoumaru as she walked further into the room. She eyed her brother closely.
“Sesshoumaru, why am I here?” she asked him as she moved closer to the desk.
Sesshoumaru sighed as he got up and walked around his desk so that he was in front of Yanna. He knew that he had to tell her sooner or later about what had happened to her.
“Yanna, this may be hard for you to hear but it is necessary if you are going to be taking your place as the princess of the Western Lands,” he said to her.
Yanna just looked at her older brother with a confused look.
“What do you mean by that?” she asked him.
Sesshoumaru looked at Yanna sternly.
“It means that you are next in line to rule the lands if something should happen to me and InuYasha,” he said to her. “Now on to what happened to you. Yanna, you are the key to destroying Naraku once and for all. He used the nearly completed Shikon no Tama on you and forced your body to change into your true form. And once he removed the jewel from your body, your body became that of a full-fledged dog demon.”
Yanna sat down in the nearest chair as she let everything that Sesshoumaru had just told sunk into her head. She looked down at her clawed hands that were in her lap. She then looked up at Sesshoumaru with her gold tinted eyes.
“But why me?” she asked quietly as she felt the tears falling down her face.
Sesshoumaru knelt down in front of Yanna as he gently wiped her tears away. He hated to see her cry over something that she had no control over.
“That I don’t know, ‘Yanna. All I can tell you is that I will be right there with you and I won’t let anything happen to you,” he said to her.
Yanna looked up at her older brother with a slight smile on her face. She could tell that he was being sincere.
“Thank you, aniki. So what do we do now? You know that InuYasha is going to be looking for me as well as Naraku and Kouga,” she whispered quietly.
Sesshoumaru got back to his feet as he walked back around to sit behind his desk. Once he was sitting in his chair, he looked at Yanna and smiled.
“I know that they will be looking for you. That is why we are going to announce you to the other lords of the land that are under our protection,” he said to her.
Yanna leaned forward as she put her elbows on her knees. She looked directly at Sesshoumaru with her piercing gold eyes.
“And what is the purpose of that?” she asked him.
Sesshoumaru smiled slightly back at his sister.
“It to let them know that when I am not around or incapacitated that they are to answer to you in my absence,” he said to her.
Yanna sat back up straight. She smiled at her brother as she got to her feet. She walked around the desk and headed towards the window. She looked out at the luscious scenery before her eyes. She was happy to see trees, flowers, and other things that she had seen since she was taken from the Western Lands.
“Sesshoumaru, I was born a half demon. Why am I a full demon now?” she asked her brother as she continued to look out at the scenery.
Sesshoumaru got up and walked over to her. He too looked out at the scenery before them.
“That I do not know the answer to that, InuYanna. Father never told me why you were able to change into a giant dog demon like him and I where InuYasha couldn’t,” he said to her. “I think that your body reacted to the Shikon no Tama when it was in your body.”
Yanna turned away from the window. She walked back over to the chair that she was sitting in previously. She didn’t sit down but she also kept her back to Sesshoumaru. She sighed heavily as she turned around and stared hard at her brother.
“So when are we going to make the announcement about me?” she asked him as she sat back down in the chair.
“As soon as possible. Naraku isn’t going to wait much longer before he comes after you again, InuYanna,” he said to her as he turned back around to look at Yanna.
Yanna nodded her head at her brother. She smiled slightly at him. She started to get up from the chair and staggered slightly. Sesshoumaru was immediately by Yanna’s side as he steadied her against him.
“I think that we need to get you back to bed. We will worry about everything else later,” he said as her helped back to her room.
**with Kouga**
Kouga continued to make his way back to the wolf den when he stopped and looked around. He noticed that somewhere along the lines, he must have slowly diverted himself towards the Western Lands. Kouga also knew that if Sesshoumaru found intruders in his lands that they would be killed on the spot, no questions asked. He smiled to himself as he slowly started walking towards the castle that he saw in the distance.
“I am coming for you, InuYanna,” he whispered quietly to himself.
~~~~~~~~
*Shimai chiisai means little sister in japanese
A/N: ~~…~~ denotes flashbacks, dreams, and nightmares; **…** denotes changes in scenery; * denotes special notes at the bottom of the chapter
Chapter 34 ~ The New Dog Demon Princess of the Western LandsInuYasha continued running towards Naraku’s castle. He just hoped that Yanna was okay. Just then, InuYasha stopped running and clutched his hand to his chest as he fell to his knees. Just by the pain, he knew that something bad had happened to Yanna.When the pain in his chest had subsided, InuYasha got to his feet and started running towards the castle once again. He continued running until he came to the castle. He walked into the courtyard and was met by no one, which he thought was odd. The castle looked like it had been abandoned.InuYasha knew that Yanna had to be there somewhere. So, he started searching the castle when he caught an unknown scent in the air. InuYasha also noticed that Sesshoumaru had been there by the smell of it. Just then, Naraku appeared, with Kagura by his side, out of nowhere.“Well, well, well. If it isn’t InuYasha. You just missed a wonderful show between Sesshoumaru and InuYanna,” Naraku said, smiling.InuYasha turned around and glared at Naraku. He could have sworn that he was the only one there in the castle, but he was wrong.“Where is InuYanna, Naraku?” InuYasha screamed at him.“She is not here at the moment. Sesshoumaru took her limp body away from here and back to the Western Lands,” Naraku said as he glared at InuYasha.InuYasha didn’t stick around the castle to hear anymore. He heard what he wanted to hear. He ran as fast as he could through the forest towards the Western Lands. He had to know if Yanna was alive and well.**Meanwhile**Sesshoumaru continued flying towards the Western Lands. He knew that there was something different about Yanna. He was also able to tell that her scent had changed to that of a full-blooded demon. Just then, he felt Yanna starting to stir in his arms.“Aniki….” Yanna said weakly as she yawned.“Shhh. Go back to sleep, shimai chiisai*. You’re safe now,” Sesshoumaru cooed in her ear.Yanna did as she was told. She cuddled as close as she could to Sesshoumaru so she could stay warm. For some odd reason, she felt safe in her older brother’s arms. Yanna smiled as she slowly drifted off to sleep once again.Sesshoumaru smiled slightly to himself when he felt Yanna snuggle closer to him. When Yanna laid her head on his shoulder, he could feel that she had come down with a fever. He knew that her having a fever couldn’t be good. Sesshoumaru flew faster towards the Western Lands. **Meanwhile at the village**Kagome had walked back into the hut when InuYasha had disappeared through the trees. She didn’t look at the others as she walked over to her sleeping bag. It didn’t take long for the others to bombard Kagome with questions about where InuYasha was at.“Where is InuYasha at, Kagome?” Sango asked her friend.“He went after InuYanna,” she said solemnly.The others couldn’t believe what they had heard. They all turned white as ghosts as what Kagome had said finally sank into their brains. Kouga was the first one to speak his concerns about InuYasha leaving.“Kagome. If InuYasha goes after InuYanna, then Naraku will kill her when he shows up,” Kouga said worriedly.Kagome knew that Kouga was right but she also knew that InuYasha would have left on his own. She was worried for both InuYasha and Yanna.“I understand what you are saying, Kouga, but I couldn’t and won’t stop him from going after InuYanna. He has been through so much with her since Naraku came into the picture,” Kagome said as she sat down on her sleeping bag and started to cry.Shippou made his way over to Kagome. He knew that she needed to be comforted and he didn’t trust either Miroku or Kouga to do it. He finally reached Kagome as he climbed into her lap.“Don’t cry, Kagome. I’m sure InuYasha will find InuYanna and bring her back to us alive and well,” Shippou said as he hugged Kagome around her stomach.Kagome nodded as she pulled Shippou away from her. She looked into his eyes and smiled lightly at him.“Thank you, Shippou, I really needed that. Why don’t we all get some sleep and then we can talk more in the morning,” Kagome said as she laid down in her sleeping bag.The others agreed with Kagome. They too laid down and soon fell asleep. Shippou had fallen asleep next to Kagome as she remained awake. Her mind quickly drifted to InuYasha. She hoped that he would return soon with Yanna, safe and sound.“Please be safe InuYasha and return soon with InuYanna,” Kagome whispered as she too fell asleep.**Back with InuYasha**InuYasha continued to run towards the Western Lands. He needed to know if Yanna was okay or not. He also needed to know who the strange scent belonged to back at Naraku’s castle. InuYasha finally stopped running and decided to rest for the night. All the running that he had been doing since he left Kagome was starting to wear him out. InuYasha found the nearest tree and jumped up into it. He settled onto the branch that he landed on. Once he was settled on the branch, he leaned his back up against the tree trunk and looked up at the stars.“Please be safe wherever you are, InuYanna,” InuYasha whispered into the night.After InuYasha said that he drifted off into a dreamless sleep.**Back with Sesshoumaru**Sesshoumaru flew off as fast as he could back to the Western Lands when he found out that Yanna was running a fever. He could finally see his castle in the distance. It didn’t take him long to cover the distance to the castle. Just before he reached the castle, he felt Yanna stirring in his arms. He landed on the ground and quickly made his way to the castle.Once he reached the castle, Sesshoumaru quickly made his way up the stairs to Yanna’s old room. After he took over when their father died, Sesshoumaru kept her room just as it was before she was taken away from their world.Sesshoumaru walked into the room and went over to the bed. He laid Yanna on the bed and then turned to walk out of the room. He was almost to the door when he heard Yanna moaning in pain. He then turned back towards the bed as he reached out and touched her forehead. Sesshoumaru immediately pulled his hand away from her forehead because of the heat that was pouring off of her.“This can’t be good. I need to know why she has this fever,” Sesshoumaru said to himself.Sesshoumaru once again stood up and walked out of the room. He really didn’t want to leave Yanna alone but he had no choice. He needed to get the healer so Yanna would survive. He walked down to the healers section of the castle. When he reached the healers section, Sesshoumaru walked into the dimly lit room. He looked around the room until he saw the head healer.“I need your help, Anise,” Sesshoumaru called out to the female demon.Anise slowly turned around and looked at the young lord standing before her. She was a full blooded inu-youkai. She wasn’t much older than Sesshoumaru. Her silver hair was just as long as Sesshoumaru’s also. She also had the same demon markings with the exception of the crescent moon. In its place she had a red star instead. Anise slowly shook her head so that her silver mane billowed out behind her.“Now, what do you need my help with, Lord Sesshoumaru?” Anise asked, bowing slightly.Sesshoumaru just looked at the old healer. He remembered that she was the one that had taken Yanna away from him. He had long since forgiven Anise for taking Yanna away from him. He had allowed her to stay on as the castle’s head healer. Sesshoumaru also knew that Anise was just following his father’s orders when she left with Yanna.“It’s InuYanna. She has come down with a very high fever,” he said poignantly.Anise just looked at Sesshoumaru with wide eyes. She couldn’t believe what he had just said. The last thing that she knew was that Yanna was safely hidden away in the modern times.“What do you mean InuYanna has come down with a fever?” she said.“It’s a long story, Anise. I will tell you all about it later. Just please help her,” Sesshoumaru pleaded with the elderly healer.Anise just looked at him. She could tell that he was worried about Yanna. That was when she decided to help Yanna.“Okay, Sesshoumaru. I will see what I can do for InuYanna, but in return I want to know why she has come back,” Anise said as she looked at him sternly.Sesshoumaru knew exactly what Anise wanted to know. He was going to have to explain to Anise sooner or later how and why Yanna was back in the feudal era.Sesshoumaru and Anise walked out of the healer’s section on the castle. They slowly and painstakingly made their way back up to Yanna’s room. As they were walking up the stairs, Anise looked over at Sesshoumaru.“So, are you going to tell me why InuYanna has returned?” Anise asked the demon walking beside her.Sesshoumaru stopped walking in the hallway. He turned and looked at the female demon beside him. He didn’t say anything at first. Sesshoumaru had to think of how he was going to explain it to Anise about Yanna.“Let’s see, where to begin. It all began when I found out where you had hidden her, Anise. When I found out where she was at, I went looking for her. With Naraku becoming more of a threat, I had decided that it was time for her to come home. But I never expected InuYasha to find her also,” Sesshoumaru said as he started walking once again.Anise started walking also. “So, your father has told you what InuYanna’s destiny is then. You know that she is the only one that can kill Naraku then,” Anise said as she continued walking next to Sesshoumaru.“Yes he did, Anise. He told me the night he had you take her away. Father also had me promise not to let Naraku hurt InuYanna in anyway. But it seems that I have failed in that department,” Sesshoumaru said as he let his head hang low.Anise looked over at the young demon lord. She could tell that there was something else bothering him. She could see the hurt in his eyes. It pained her to ask him her next question.“What do you mean you have failed, milord?” Anise asked him, fearing what his answer will be.Sesshoumaru really didn’t know how to answer that question. He knew that he couldn’t lie to Anise. For some odd reason, she could always tell when he was lying. So, he decided to tell her the straight out truth about how he had failed in protecting Yanna.“Well, Anise, Naraku has already killed InuYanna once and I brought her back to life. And now she is lying in bed with a severe fever after Naraku caused her to change into her true demon form,” Sesshoumaru said, not looking at Anise.Anise didn’t say anything to Sesshoumaru at first. She knew how much he had adored Yanna when she was younger. It hurt Anise when she was ordered by InuTaishou to take Yanna away. Anise wanted to say something but she decided against it.They continued walking to Yanna’s room in silence. Anise still wanted to say something to the demon lord beside her but she couldn’t think of anything to say.**Meanwhile in Yanna’s Room**Yanna continued to sleep on the bed that Sesshoumaru had laid her on. She unconsciously pulled Sesshoumaru’s haori tighter around her still naked body. She smiled in her sleep. Just then, Yanna was plagued by horrible nightmares.~~Begin Yanna’s Nightmares~~Naraku was mad that Yanna had betrayed him. Just before Yanna could reach InuYasha, Naraku grabbed her by the neck and squeezed, cutting off her airway.**scene changes**Just then, Yanna couldn’t take anymore of them fighting over her. So, she jumped in between them. Kouga saw her as she got in between them so he was able to stop his attack on InuYasha. InuYasha, on the other hand, didn’t see Yanna and so he couldn’t stop himself in time. Before InuYasha knew it, he had hit Yanna square in the jaw. The force of the impact had sent her flying into a tree.Yanna hit the tree with so much force that she was knocked unconscious instantly.**scene changes again**At first Yanna didn’t know what was going on. She looked at InuYasha with a scared look on her face. He saw the scared look in Yanna’s eyes as Naraku pulled her away from him.“Let her go, Naraku,” InuYasha seethed.InuYasha saw Yanna’s eyes get wide with fear at the mention of Naraku’s name. He also saw her eyes flash amber-gold.“I don’t think so, InuYasha. She is mine now,” Naraku snickered.Just then, Yanna could feel Naraku remove the jewel shard from the back of her head. She felt herself getting dizzy. Just before she lost consciousness, Yanna looked at InuYasha and said, “Please help me, nii-chan.”**scene changes again**Yanna was at school right after she had changed into a half-demon. She could see that the other kids were staring at her like she was some sort of disease. Just then, Yanna saw her friends and she walked up to them. Her friends didn’t recognize her at first.“Hey guys,” Yanna said to her friends.“Go away. We don’t want you any where near us, you freak,” her so-called friend Jason said.Yanna couldn’t believe how her friends were treating her. She knew that the only thing that had changed about her was the way that she looked but she didn‘t know that she looked that bad. She started crying and ran from the school back towards home.~~End Yanna’s Nightmares~~Yanna continued to moan and howl in her sleep as the nightmares continued to plague her. She continued to hold onto Sesshoumaru’s haori tightly. It seemed that it was her only salvation at the moment.**Back with Sesshoumaru and Anise**Sesshoumaru and Anise finally made it to Yanna’s room. He reached for the doorknob and turned it. He then pushed the door open so that him and Anise could walk into the room. Once they were in the room, Anise saw Yanna laying on the bed. She could tell just by looking at Yanna that she was sick. Anise then turned back to Sesshoumaru.“Tell me exactly what Naraku did to her to make turn into her true demon form?” Anise asked curiously.Sesshoumaru continued to look at Yanna as he replied, “ He used the almost completed Shikon jewel on her.”Anise looked from Yanna to Sesshoumaru. She now knew what was causing Yanna to have such a high fever. She couldn’t believe that Yanna was forced to change into her true demon form. It was going to take a lot of time and patience for Yanna to recover completely.“Let just hope, milord, that InuYanna can remember who and what she is when she wakes up,” Anise said as she walked over to the bed.Sesshoumaru followed Anise over to Yanna’s bed. He watched as Anise sat down on the edge of the bed. He sat in the chair that was beside the bed so that he could try and comfort Yanna as need be. ‘I really hope for Naraku’s sake that InuYanna does survive or there will be hell to pay,’ he thought to himself as he looked at Yanna’s sleeping form.Anise smiled at Sesshoumaru as she watched him look at Yanna. What Anise wasn’t telling Sesshoumaru was that there is a good possibility that Yanna won’t make it through all this. She also knew that if Yanna didn’t make it that it would break Sesshoumaru’s heart not to mention that it may kill InuYasha in the process. Just then, Anise spoke up.“You know there is also the possibility that InuYanna will not make it, my lord. If she dies this time, then so will InuYasha,” Anise said sadly.Sesshoumaru didn’t look at the old healer. He knew what she was telling him was the truth. Just then, he reached up and moved a piece of Yanna’s silver bangs out of her eyes. “Anise, what can we do in order to get her fever to break?” Sesshoumaru asked worriedly.“Well, first off, you can go and get me some water in a bowl and cloth,” Anise said.Sesshoumaru got up and left to get the water like Anise asked him to do. He walked into the adjoining room to Yanna’s room, which housed a hot spring. He filled up a bowl with the coolest water from the hot spring. He then grabbed a washcloth as he headed back into the room. Sesshoumaru walked back over to the bed and set the bowl on the headboard and handed the washcloth to Anise as he sat back down in the chair.Anise dipped the cloth in the water and placed it on Yanna’s forehead. Yanna moaned slightly as the cloth touched her scalding forehead. Anise leaned down and whispered something incoherently into Yanna’s ear. Yanna calmed down at hearing Anise’s voice.“All we can do now is wait for her to wake up,” Anise said as she got up and walked out of the room.Sesshoumaru looked down at Yanna when he saw Anise walk out of the room. He wasn’t going to leave her until he knew that she was going to be okay. He remained there so that someone could dip the cloth in the water when it needed to be done.**Back with Naraku**Naraku watched as InuYasha ran out of the castle courtyard and towards the Western Lands. He smiled to himself. He knew that Sesshoumaru would kill anyone who dared to enter his territory, including InuYasha. Once InuYasha had disappeared completely, Naraku turned and walked back into the castle. Kagura was hot on his heels.“What are we going to do about InuYanna, Naraku?” Kagura asked as she followed behind Naraku.Naraku didn’t answer her at first. He just kept walking into the castle. He knew that Kagura hated to be ignored, so he just kept walking towards his room. When he reached his bedroom, Naraku turned around and looked Kagura dead in the eyes as he finally answered her.“InuYanna will not be able to do any anything for awhile, Kagura,” Naraku said as he opened his bedroom door and walked into the room.Kagura couldn’t believe that Naraku would say something like that. She knew that he had been after Yanna for the longest time. She watched as Naraku entered his room and shut the door. Kagura then turned around and walked away from Naraku’s room. She didn’t know where she was heading. All she wanted was to get away from the castle so she could do some thinking.**Back with InuYasha**InuYasha was sleeping in the tree when he was jarred awake by the images that flashed in his mind. He was so shaken with fear that he almost fell out of the tree that he was perched in. He sat up and was breathing heavily. He tried to get his breathing under control. He couldn’t think of anything else as the images of Yanna, being in pain, flashed through his mind. InuYasha then jumped down from the tree and leaned up against the trunk as he thought to himself.“What was with all those images of InuYanna? What has happened to her?” InuYasha said out loud.With those questions running through his mind, InuYasha once again started running towards the Western Lands. He needed to talk to Sesshoumaru about the strange scent that invaded his nose back at Naraku’s castle.**Back with Sesshoumaru**Sesshoumaru stayed by Yanna’s side the whole night. He would remove the cloth from her forehead and dip it in the water in the bowl and then replace it back on her forehead. He would also take the cloth and wipe the sweat off of her face every now and then. Sesshoumaru had put his arms on the edge of Yanna’s bed and laid his head down on it. Before he knew it, he had fallen asleep.Sesshoumaru was awakened by a hand touching his arm. He slowly opened his amber eyes and saw another pair of amber eyes staring right back at him. He smiled at Yanna as he raised his head off of his arms. He then reached up and gently touched her face. Yanna returned his smile as she tried to speak.“Aniki, where am I?” Yanna said weakly.Sesshoumaru just stared at Yanna as he replied, “Shh, ‘Yanna. You are safe. I have brought back to the Western Lands.”Yanna tried to speak once more but Sesshoumaru stopped her. “Rest, Little Sister. I will be back in a little bit,” Sesshoumaru said as he got up from the chair beside Yanna’s bed.Yanna watched as Sesshoumaru walked out of her room. She couldn’t understand why her older half-brother was being so nice to her. She tried to sit up but had a hard time doing so. So, she decided to just lay there on the bed until Sesshoumaru returned.Once Sesshoumaru had walked out of Yanna’s room, he immediately headed down to the healer’s section of the castle. He searched around for Anise. He soon found Anise in her room. Sesshoumaru knocked on the door before he walked into her room.“Anise, InuYanna is awake,” Sesshoumaru said with no sign of emotion on his face whatsoever.Anise looked up when she heard Sesshoumaru walk through her door. She could tell that something had happened to Yanna. She waited patiently as she looked at Sesshoumaru. She couldn’t believe her ears when she heard Sesshoumaru say that Yanna was awake. Even though his face showed no emotion whatsoever, Anise knew that Sesshoumaru was relieved that Yanna was awake.Sesshoumaru and Anise walked out of the room and headed back up to Yanna’s room. They walked up the stairs in complete silence. When they reached Yanna’s door, Sesshoumaru pushed it open so that they could walk in. As Sesshoumaru and Anise walked into the room, Yanna turned and looked at them. Anise slowly made her way over to Yanna’s bedside. Once she had reached Yanna’s bed, Anise sat down on the edge and looked at the young dog-demon princess.“How are you feeling, young one?” Anise asked as she looked at Yanna.Yanna just looked at the older demon before her. She wasn’t sure if it was safe for her to answer Anise or not. Just then, Yanna looked over at Sesshoumaru, who was still standing by the door. When Sesshoumaru saw Yanna look over at him, he nodded his head for her to answer Anise.Yanna then looked back at Anise as she answered, “Fine, I guess. Just a little tired. What has happened to me?”Anise looked from Yanna to Sesshoumaru. She knew that question was going to come up sooner or later. The look that Anise saw on Sesshoumaru’s face basically said what she was thinking. Anise then looked back to Yanna before she answered the young princess.“I will leave that question for your older brother to answer,” Anise said as she smiled down at Yanna. “I will now take my leave so that you can rest, your highness.” Yanna watched as Anise got up from her side and started walking towards the door. She saw Anise stop and look at Sesshoumaru. She could tell that the healer was saying something to her older brother but she couldn’t make it out. Once the healer was gone, Yanna watched as Sesshoumaru walked over to her bed. Yanna watched as Sesshoumaru sat back down in the chair that was beside her bed. She smiled up at him as best as she could.“So, aniki, are you going to tell me what has happened to me?” Yanna asked her brother.Sesshoumaru just looked at Yanna. He was having a hard time trying to decide how he was going to tell her what had happened. Just then he spoke.“InuYanna, how much do you remember?” Sesshoumaru asked her.Yanna looked away from Sesshoumaru. She searched her mind for anything that would tell her how she ended up here with Sesshoumaru. Once Yanna couldn’t find anything in her head, she looked back at Sesshoumaru with a blank look in her eyes.“I’m afraid I don’t remember much. What I do remember is being with Kouga and then being with Naraku. After that, it pretty much gets hazy,” Yanna said as she started to cry.Sesshoumaru reached out to wipe away her tears. He decided not to tell her anything just yet. He wanted her to be at full strength when he did finally tell her what had happened. “Sleep, ‘Yanna. I will tell you later. We need to concentrate on getting you well first. Then we will worry about what has happened,” Sesshoumaru said as he lightly kissed her forehead.Yanna did as she was told. She closed her amber eyes and sleep once again overtook her body. She smiled as she drifted further off into oblivion. Just before she was completely taken by sleep, Yanna said something that caught Sesshoumaru’s ear.“I love you, aniki,” Yanna whispered in her sleep.Sesshoumaru smiled as he heard Yanna’s words. He got up from the chair that he was sitting in and headed towards the door. Once he reached the door he turned back around and looked at the now sleeping Yanna on the bed.“I love you too, InuYanna,” he said as he walked out the door and quietly closed it behind him.Sesshoumaru knew that Rin would be up by now. So, he headed towards the kitchen to make sure that there was adequate food prepared for her. Once he saw that the food was prepared for Rin, Sesshoumaru sat down and waited for Rin to come into the kitchen. Just then, the bubbly child, that travels with him, came skipping into the kitchen with her normal smile on her face. She sat down next to Sesshoumaru and started eating.Sesshoumaru watched as the child ate her breakfast. He couldn’t help but smile at Rin. Just having her around has made things easier for him. He has changed his outlook on humans since she had been traveling with him. Sesshoumaru wiped the smile off of his face when he realized that Rin was looking at him.“What are you looking at, Rin?” Sesshoumaru asked the young girl.“Just the smile that you had on your face, milord,” Rin said as innocently as she possibly could.When Rin was done eating, she got up from her spot beside Sesshoumaru and headed for the garden. It had been awhile since she was outside. When they returned to the castle, Rin was not allowed to go outside until Sesshoumaru had returned from wherever he had ventured. So, she figured now that he was back, she could go outside and play.“Rin, make sure that you take Jaken with you if you are heading outside,” Sesshoumaru said to Rin’s retreating back.“Yes, milord,” Rin said over her shoulder as she disappeared through the kitchen door.Sesshoumaru smiled to himself once more as he got up from the table. Before he left the kitchen, though, he made sure that he told the cooks that he wanted them to fix something for Yanna so that she could eat when she woke up later. Once he was done talking to the cooks, Sesshoumaru left the kitchen and headed up the stairs to his room.**Back at the village**Miroku and Sango were the first ones to wake up that morning. They both looked around and saw that everyone else was still sound asleep in the hut. They got up and headed out the door so that the others could sleep soundly. Once they were outside, Sango sat down on the right side of the hut door while Miroku sat on the other side. Just then, Sango turned towards Miroku and spoke.“Do you think InuYasha will find InuYanna alive, houshi?” Sango asked Miroku.Miroku didn’t look at Sango as he answered her question.“I don’t know, Sango. I sure hope that he does for all of our sakes,” Miroku replied.Sango and Miroku continued to sit outside the hut in silence. They were just content with knowing that hopefully InuYasha will find Yanna safe and alive.A couple of hours passed before Kagome woke up from her slumber. She slowly looked around the hut and saw Shippou and Kouga still asleep. She also noticed that Sango and Miroku were gone. She got up and walked outside only to find Sango and Miroku sitting under a tree, talking. Kagome walked over to the two and sat down next to them.“Good morning, guys,” Kagome said as she looked at the two of them.“Good morning, Kagome,” Sango replied back to her.“Good morning, Lady Kagome,” Miroku said, looking out towards the forest.Kagome and Sango followed his gaze towards the forest. They both knew that he was thinking about InuYasha and Yanna. They too were thinking about the inu-twins. Just then, Miroku’s soft voice broke their thoughts.“Do you think that InuYasha has found InuYanna yet?” Miroku asked with his eyes closed.No one was able to answer Miroku’s question. They all just looked away from each other. None of them wanted to think about it at the moment. Just then, they heard someone come out of the hut.“So, what’s going on out here?” the voice said.They all turned around to see Kouga standing there. They couldn’t believe that he was up and walking around after the beating he had gotten from Naraku.“We were just wondering if InuYasha had found InuYanna yet,” Kagome said to the wolf demon standing before them.“Well, if he was smart he will just forget about her and come back here,” Kouga said sarcastically.It was Miroku’s turn to look up at the wolf demon before them. He had a strange look on his face.“Why do you say that, Kouga?” Miroku asked.Kouga didn’t look at any of them. He kept his eyes focused on the forest before him.“Because I told you all last night that if anyone comes after her, then Naraku will not hesitate to not only kill her but the person who came after her as well. There is a reason why Naraku wants InuYanna so bad. He will not let her go so easily,” Kouga said as he started walking towards the forest.“Wait, where are you going, Kouga?” Kagome asked.“Back to the wolf den,” Kouga said without turning around to face them. “See ya around.”With that said, Kouga took off into the forest as fast as he could. He didn’t want to be there any longer since he knew it was his fault that Yanna was taken by Naraku to begin with. He headed back to the wolf den like he said he was doing. Once he gets back there, he will gather up what supplies he needs and he will go after Yanna himself.**Back with InuYasha**InuYasha was heading towards the Western Lands once again. He was running faster than he had ever ran in his life. He couldn’t get the images of Yanna in pain out of his head. He knew that something serious had happened to Yanna. He continued running until he saw Kikyo’s soul gatherers flying up ahead of him. “I wonder what Kikyo is doing out here,” InuYasha said to himself.InuYasha then started heading towards the spot where he knew that Kikyo was at. He knew that if Kagome ever found out that he had seen Kikyo, she would sit him so hard that he wouldn’t be able to walk for a week. At the moment, InuYasha didn’t care what Kagome thought. He hadn’t seen Kikyo since before he met up with Yanna in the modern era. InuYasha came to a clearing and saw Kikyo standing there looking off into the distance at something. He slowly and quietly made his way up to Kikyo. He stopped a good five feet from his former love. That was when he saw Kikyo turn and face him.Kikyo had sensed that someone had entered the clearing in which she was standing in. She also knew that it was InuYasha since Naraku had been preoccupied here lately with something else. When she heard the footsteps stop just short of her, she turned around and faced InuYasha.“What are you doing here, Kikyo?” InuYasha asked her.Kikyo just smiled at InuYasha. She already knew that something more serious was happening. “Your sister in more danger than she knows, InuYasha,” Kikyo said to him.InuYasha was shocked that Kikyo knew he had a sister. He hated it when people would speak to him in riddles. He took a couple of steps towards Kikyo as he asked her his next question.“What do you mean InuYanna is in more danger? And how do you know that I have a sister, Kikyo?” he asked the woman in front of him.“I have always known that you had a twin sister, InuYasha. Naraku will not give up on InuYanna even though she is with your brother. Do you know what your sister’s role is in all this, InuYasha?” Kikyo asked her former love.InuYasha just looked at Kikyo with a look of confusion. He knew that Naraku had been searching for Yanna for the longest time but he had no clue as to why though. He needed to know more about why Naraku was so hell-bent on getting his sister on his side.“No, I don’t know what her role is in all of this. Tell me, Kikyo,” InuYasha stated.Kikyo turned and started to walk away from InuYasha. She wasn’t going to tell him that easily. “If you truly want to know, then I suggest that you talk to your brother about it,” Kikyo said over her shoulder as she continued to walk away from him. “Until the next time we meet, InuYasha.”InuYasha watched as Kikyo walked away from him. He couldn’t understand why Kikyo was being so helpful to him when she normally wanted to either kill him or take him to hell with her. It was as if something had changed Kikyo.Once Kikyo was out of sight, InuYasha started his trek once more towards his brother’s castle and his old home. As he continued towards the Western Lands, InuYasha couldn’t help but think about what Kikyo had said about Yanna. He eventually slowed to a walk and continued to contemplate what Kikyo had told him. Before he knew it, InuYasha had reached the Western Lands. He looked up and saw his brother’s castle. He once again started running towards the castle.**Meanwhile with Yanna**Yanna started to stir on the bed. She slowly opened her eyes once again to find that she was all alone in the room. She then sat up in bed slowly as not to get dizzy or suffer a headache. She looked around the room. Yanna still had Sesshoumaru’s haori wrapped around her. She slowly got out of bed and walked over to the closet and saw that it was filled different colored kimonos. She picked out a purple one and walked behind the dressing screen and put the kimono on.Once Yanna was dressed in the kimono, she then walked over to her bedroom door. She needed to get something to eat before she starved. So, she walked out of her room and then down the hall. She continued to wander the halls until she had herself completely lost. “Now where am I? I need to find the kitchen before I starve to death,” Yanna said to herself.Yanna continued to wander the halls in search of the kitchen. She had soon come upon a servant in the hallway that she was in.“Excuse me, but could you tell me where the kitchen is? I am sorta hungry,” Yanna said to the servant.The servant bowed slightly to Yanna.“If you wish, your highness, I can show you where the kitchen is at,” the servant said still bowing.Yanna was a little taken aback by being called ’your highness.’ She smiled slightly as she nodded to the servant.“Thank you. That will be really helpful,” Yanna said to the servant.The servant then stood up straight once more and led Yanna down the hallway towards the kitchen. Yanna started to memorize the way that the servant was taking so that she could make her way back to her room when she was done eating.“Here we are, my lady,” the servant said, bowing once more to Yanna.Yanna slowly walked into the dining room that was attached to the kitchen. The servants in the dining room looked up and saw Yanna walk in. They immediately went into the kitchen to tell the cook that Yanna had arrived. The servant, who had led Yanna to the dining room, led her over to a chair for her to sit in.“Thank you,” she said. “Where is my brother?”“He is in his room. I can take you to him when you are finished eating, if you would like,” the servant whispered as he bowed to her slightly.Yanna nodded her head to the servant as food was brought out to her. She was astonished at the amount of the food that was placed before her. She slowly filled her plate with small amounts of the food so she wouldn’t make herself sick once again. Once she had enough food on her plate, she started to eat to her heart’s content. When Yanna was finished eating, she looked over at the servant who had shown her to the kitchen/dining room earlier.
“Can you please take me to Sesshoumaru’s room?” Yanna asked the servant as she got to her feet.
The servant nodded his head as he bowed slightly at Yanna.
“This way, milady,” he said as he motioned Yanna towards the door.
Yanna and the servant walked out of the dining room and up many sets of stairs. They walked along in silence. Yanna was getting tired of the silence so she decided to speak up.
“How long have you been a servant in the castle?” she asked the person walking beside her.
The servant looked up at Yanna and smiled slightly.
“For about a hundred years now,” the servant replied.
Yanna gasped when she heard how long the person beside her had been in working in the castle. She continued to follow the servant towards their destination. They both came to a stop in front of an ornately decorated set of doors.
“Here you are, milady,” the servant said as he bowed slightly to Yanna. “Your brother is inside this room.”
“Thank you,” she whispered quietly as she watched the helpful servant walk away from her.
Yanna smiled at the servant as she turned to look at the door. She couldn’t believe how it looked. She saw the carvings of a massive dog demon, who she suspected was her father and another demon that was attacking him. She lightly ran her hand over the door as if admiring the workmanship of the carving. She then knocked lightly on the door.
**meanwhile**
Sesshoumaru was busy working in his room on things that would help protect the Western Lands from not only unwanted intruders but also to keep Yanna safe from Naraku until it was time for her to destroy him. He was so wrapped up in his work that he nearly jumped when he heard a soft knock on his door. Sesshoumaru looked up at the door and growled slightly.
“Come in,” he growled out slightly.
Sesshoumaru watched as the door to his room opened slightly as Yanna walked into the room. He noticed that his sister had a fearful look on her face. He let his features soften slightly as he looked at Yanna.
“I see that you are up, InuYanna,” he said to her.
Yanna nodded her head at Sesshoumaru as she walked further into the room. She eyed her brother closely.
“Sesshoumaru, why am I here?” she asked him as she moved closer to the desk.
Sesshoumaru sighed as he got up and walked around his desk so that he was in front of Yanna. He knew that he had to tell her sooner or later about what had happened to her.
“Yanna, this may be hard for you to hear but it is necessary if you are going to be taking your place as the princess of the Western Lands,” he said to her.
Yanna just looked at her older brother with a confused look.
“What do you mean by that?” she asked him.
Sesshoumaru looked at Yanna sternly.
“It means that you are next in line to rule the lands if something should happen to me and InuYasha,” he said to her. “Now on to what happened to you. Yanna, you are the key to destroying Naraku once and for all. He used the nearly completed Shikon no Tama on you and forced your body to change into your true form. And once he removed the jewel from your body, your body became that of a full-fledged dog demon.”
Yanna sat down in the nearest chair as she let everything that Sesshoumaru had just told sunk into her head. She looked down at her clawed hands that were in her lap. She then looked up at Sesshoumaru with her gold tinted eyes.
“But why me?” she asked quietly as she felt the tears falling down her face.
Sesshoumaru knelt down in front of Yanna as he gently wiped her tears away. He hated to see her cry over something that she had no control over.
“That I don’t know, ‘Yanna. All I can tell you is that I will be right there with you and I won’t let anything happen to you,” he said to her.
Yanna looked up at her older brother with a slight smile on her face. She could tell that he was being sincere.
“Thank you, aniki. So what do we do now? You know that InuYasha is going to be looking for me as well as Naraku and Kouga,” she whispered quietly.
Sesshoumaru got back to his feet as he walked back around to sit behind his desk. Once he was sitting in his chair, he looked at Yanna and smiled.
“I know that they will be looking for you. That is why we are going to announce you to the other lords of the land that are under our protection,” he said to her.
Yanna leaned forward as she put her elbows on her knees. She looked directly at Sesshoumaru with her piercing gold eyes.
“And what is the purpose of that?” she asked him.
Sesshoumaru smiled slightly back at his sister.
“It to let them know that when I am not around or incapacitated that they are to answer to you in my absence,” he said to her.
Yanna sat back up straight. She smiled at her brother as she got to her feet. She walked around the desk and headed towards the window. She looked out at the luscious scenery before her eyes. She was happy to see trees, flowers, and other things that she had seen since she was taken from the Western Lands.
“Sesshoumaru, I was born a half demon. Why am I a full demon now?” she asked her brother as she continued to look out at the scenery.
Sesshoumaru got up and walked over to her. He too looked out at the scenery before them.
“That I do not know the answer to that, InuYanna. Father never told me why you were able to change into a giant dog demon like him and I where InuYasha couldn’t,” he said to her. “I think that your body reacted to the Shikon no Tama when it was in your body.”
Yanna turned away from the window. She walked back over to the chair that she was sitting in previously. She didn’t sit down but she also kept her back to Sesshoumaru. She sighed heavily as she turned around and stared hard at her brother.
“So when are we going to make the announcement about me?” she asked him as she sat back down in the chair.
“As soon as possible. Naraku isn’t going to wait much longer before he comes after you again, InuYanna,” he said to her as he turned back around to look at Yanna.
Yanna nodded her head at her brother. She smiled slightly at him. She started to get up from the chair and staggered slightly. Sesshoumaru was immediately by Yanna’s side as he steadied her against him.
“I think that we need to get you back to bed. We will worry about everything else later,” he said as her helped back to her room.
**with Kouga**
Kouga continued to make his way back to the wolf den when he stopped and looked around. He noticed that somewhere along the lines, he must have slowly diverted himself towards the Western Lands. Kouga also knew that if Sesshoumaru found intruders in his lands that they would be killed on the spot, no questions asked. He smiled to himself as he slowly started walking towards the castle that he saw in the distance.
“I am coming for you, InuYanna,” he whispered quietly to himself.
~~~~~~~~
*Shimai chiisai means little sister in japanese