InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Serendipity ❯ Upcoming Crisis / An Unexpected Miko ( Chapter 6 )

Hello! Hope the wait wasn't too long for this chapter. Have big Socials Final Exam coming up next week, then have a trip, so I don't want to put this off another week or two, so here you go!

"Blahblah" - Dialogue
-------- Scene change [may go back in time a little to incorporate the POV of another character during the same time.]
/Blahblah/ - thoughts
[Blahblah] - AN & translations / explanations

Serendipity
~ sometimes blessings are disguised in the most unexpected ways ...

Last time:

Sesshoumaru seem to sigh, as he let a deep breath out through his nose. Looking down at the scroll again, he stated simply.

"War is imminent."

Chapter 6
Upcoming Crisis / An Unexpected Miko

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Inuyasha stared, while the shocking news slowly registered in his brain ...

"WAR WHAT?!!?"

"You heard me fine. Now calm down and stop adding to my already piling problems; I really do not need a panicking imbecile on my hands." Sesshoumaru bit out with a sweltering glare directed at the almost panicking hanyou currently looking aghast.

"But-but the last war lasted for almost a century! With unprecedented losses and unbelievable extents of destruction on all sides! If father had not sacrificed himself to seal Ryuukossei, who knows how long that devastating war would last? Besides, how do you know there will be a war anyway? This rocky peace has lasted for over 4 centuries, nothing's changed recently to indicate a cause for war." Inuyasha sputtered, horrified at the possibility of a war on the magnitude of the previous one. He was only a kit at that time, but he had seen and understood enough to know he never want anything like that again. He still remembered the pain from the loss of both his parents to that war all too clearly, and the pain had magnified with time instead of diminishing.

"That's where you are wrong, something has changed. This is a report from one of my spies rooming the lands, he says that Ryuukossei is missing from his tomb. There are-" Sesshoumaru replied evenly, having calmed himself somewhat during Inuyasha tirade.

"Missing?! Ryuukossei MISSING??!!" Inuyasha became agitated again, his voice raising unconsciously. "How can that sealed corpse be missing?!"

"If you haven't so rudely interrupted me, I was just getting to that." Sesshoumaru gave Inuyasha a hard look, clearly stating that any more of his nonsense and he would not be leaving the study in one piece.

"There are traces of a strange jaki [AN: evil aura of youkai] where Ryuukossei's body was, my spy did not recognize it as anything he had felt before. Also, he reports that Ryuukossei's body did not seem to be removed, there were no sign of movement of such a large being as the dragon youkai. Rather, his scent and youki seem to just have abruptly disappeared. From the residual scent and youki, it would seem that this happened about a week ago. The strange jaki also seemed to have just appeared and disappeared out of nowhere, there was no traces of it approaching or leaving the body."

"So what do you make of this? How would this cause a war anyway?" Inuyasha still refused to believe that a war would commerce from such an event, he did not see what it had to do with anything.

"I will need to see the tomb for myself to determine the possibilities this incident represents. However, it is my current belief that any being interested in the body of Ryuukossei, our father's sworn enemy, will not be harbouring amiable feelings towards the Western Lands." Sesshoumaru explained.

"So...what do you need me to do? You didn't just call me here to tell me about this." Inuyasha knew Sesshoumaru probably had something that he needed him to do; he was one of the very few that he trusted, and he could tell this was high confidential.

"If it wasn't you we're talking about, I would have thought you have gotten smarter over the years." Sesshoumaru said with a slight smirk. In fact, he had gotten used to the brat over the centuries, and did not mind him as much as he let on. "I want you to travel to the Northern and Southern lands to inform Lord Miroku and Lord Kouga about this. Remember, this is highly confidential; you must deliver the message to them, and only them, first hand. Then bring their responses back to me, I should be back at the Western castle by then."

"Alright. You do not want me to go see that Lord of the Eastern lands?" Inuyasha inquired.

"No, a lord that does not show his face in public is not to be trusted. Furthermore, the tomb is situated on his lands, he should already know of it. He might even be responsible." Sesshoumaru said.

"When will you be leaving then?" Inuyasha wanted to know.

"Early tomorrow morning. You will leave then too." Sesshoumaru told him. Then he proceeded to ignore his presence by pretending to become engrossed in reading the scroll.

Inuyasha left quietly, recognizing Sesshoumaru's dismissal, deep in though mulling over the information he had just been given. /This does not seem good, Sesshoumaru's deductions are rarely wrong. If he thinks this is a sign of war to come ... I hope we can find out what's going on and stop the war in time./

Before he knew it, he had arrived at the door to his room. Suddenly, he felt the hair on his body stand on end and strange tingle travel down his spine, and his senses were assaulted with a strong scent of mint and power. His preserving instincts went on red alert, telling him to high tail it out of there while the rest of his brain was shocked out of his momentary stupor and registered that the strange power was emanating from his room.

"Kagome!" He muttered under his breath as he burst into the room. There, on his futon, was the girl tossing and turning in a nightmare. The power rolled off her in waves, fluctuating with her struggles with an invisible foe.

/Purifying powers! She's a miko!!/ Inuyasha registered the strangely familiar power for what it was, the purifying energy of a miko.

Squashing down his instincts screaming at him to get away from the danger, he rushed to Kagome's side, cautious of the energy that could blast him into oblivion. Grasping Kagome's shoulders, he pulled her into his arms, and tried to shake her awake.

"Kagome!! Kagome, wake up!" Inuyasha called urgently, worried about the girl that had been the first in almost 5 centuries to touch his heart.

With a sharp gasp, Kagome tensed up impossibly and her eyes poped open wide as she grasped Inuyasha's arm with a death grip. Her face was positively ashen, and in a strange strangle voice she uttered breathlessly:

"The dark one who shall consume all has come! The twin swords of the West is the only hope!"

With another gasp, Kagome went completely limp, and collapsed into Inuyasha's arms.

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Sesshoumaru continued to read through the reports of his various spies all over the lands as Inuyasha left. He must admit, though he would never let the brat know, that Inuyasha had been a vital help to him over the centuries. In fact, he was in part what had kept him sane during the war all those years ago, witnessing the death of one loved one after another. When Inuyasha's mother had passed away, the knowledge that someone else shared the same pain at losing her kept him from finally losing it and going over the edge.

Inuyasha's mother had been like a second mother to him. His own mother, Lady of the Western Lands, was killed by Ryuukossei while trying to protect him. Her murder was the reason for the war, and what a horrific war that was. Fueled by the pain, guilt, and hate of losing his mate, their father Inutaishou put everything he had into the war. For a few decades at the beginning of the war, Sesshoumaru barely recognized his own father, so twisted by hate and vengeance he was.

Izayoi, Inuyasha's mother, had been one of the courtesans at the castle. A few years before the war, Inutaishou had been ensnared by her vibrant beauty after getting drunk at a banquet. She conceived Inuyasha that night.

Inutaisho had begged for forgiveness, and received it from his mate. He still loved her, that night was only a slip, a mistake of drunkenness. However, when Inuyasha was born, Inutaishou's time spent with his mate decreased drastically, as he became engrossed with his new son. Izayoi's gentle fragility fascinated him, Inuyasha's adoring love captivated him. He no longer seemed interested in the welfare of his mate and elder son.

During those years, young Sesshoumaru developed a hatred for the human courtesan and her son for stealing his father away from his mother and him, making his beloved mother so sad. Then on that fateful day, when his mother was teaching him fighting techniques in some woods close to the west-eastern borders, they were attacked by Ryuukossei. Sesshoumaru blamed his father for her death; she never would have been teaching him if Inutaishou had not neglected his duty of instructing his elder son, and she would not have been so far away from the castle if she was not driving by the pain of losing her mate.

When the war started, Inutaishou made sure to instruct Sesshoumaru well and thoroughly to be a great warrior, driving him beyond physical limitations. He was cruel and harsh in his treatments, which could be due to Sesshoumaru's resemblance to his deceased mate. Often Sesshoumaru would be left bloody and and exhausted on the dojo floor after a training session. Ironically, Izayoi, the woman he hated, was the one who cared for him in his time of need. She painstakingly took care of him time and again, despite his insults and accusations. Inuyasha had also done his part in trying to cheer him up when he was stuck in bed healing, innocently bringing his big brother his human story books and toys.

At first Sesshoumaru had been exceedingly hostile towards the small hanyou. However, the kit had only looked at him like a whipped puppy, then would come back the next day with more things as if trying to make up for making him angry. Sesshoumaru's young conscience felt bad about his treatment of the sweet and innocent kit, and became more friendly in his treatment of him. He may have even learnt to care for him, though any feelings he might have was lost when he became an icicle after Izayoi's death.

Gradually Sesshoumaru started to see Izayoi as his mother, they were both so gentle and caring. Under the warm embrace of Izayoi's love, he was able to come to terms and let go of his mother's death. With her and Inuyasha to take care of him, he was able to endure the brutal treatment from his father all those years.

Finally, Inutaishou started to truly see the carnage he had been partly responsible for. With Izayoi's gentle persuasion, he was able to come back to his right mind, and notice the cruel way he had been treating his elder son. However, the damage had been done, and Sesshoumaru had never forgive his father.

Almost century after his mother's death, the beginning of the war, his father finally has had enough of the carnage. In a final resort to destroy Ryuukossei and end the war, Inutaishou sacrificed his life to seal him, using his life force to force the dragon youkai into eternal slumber.

Even though he still blamed his father for his mother's death, and hated him for his cruel treatment of himself, Sesshoumaru still loved his father in the deep corners of his heart, and he took his father's death very hard. Soon after, while he was still vulnerable from his father's death, the final blow came. Izayoi, heartbroken over Inutaishou's death, had killed herself. He almost became lost to his first demon rage, and be doomed to be a crazed animal for the rest of his life until he was hunted down and killed. It was only Inuyasha who had kept him sane. Inuyasha had clang onto him for months after her death, seeking comfort from him yet at the same time comforting him.

It was then that he vowed never to let anyone into his heart ever again.

Suddenly, his youkai instincts set off red alerts in his mind, startling him out of his reminiscing. Concentration on his senses, he was mildly shocked at feeling strong purifying energy, inside his castle! Standing up immediately, he set off to investigate the source of this power.

Tracing the power, he could only stare in shock when he arrived at Inuyasha's door. Inside, he could see Inuyasha holding his new slave girl in his arms while she trashed around, struggling for all she's worth, the purifying energy rolling off her in waves. He was hard pressed to stop himself from becoming slack jawed with shock when she abruptly tensed up and gasped:

"The dark one who shall consume all has come! The twin swords of the West is the only hope!"

Then the girl collapsed bonelessly into Inuyasha's arms.

"Kagome! Are you alright? Come on, wake up! Please!" Inuyasha pleaded with the unresponsive girl.

Sesshoumaru decided to make his presence known then. "Inuyasha," he called commandingly, "what is the meaning of this? Why have you brought a miko into my castle?"

With a start, Inuyasha whipped around to stare at Sesshoumaru, tightening his hold around Kagome.

"I had no idea she was a miko, I swear! Please don't kill her!" Inuyasha, terrified out of his mind over Kagome's welfare, begged Sesshoumaru before he knew what he was doing.

Sesshoumaru was taken aback at Inuyasha's response. He wondered what was their actual relationship, for Inuyasha to be so concerned over her life.

Just then, Kagome started to regain consciousness. With a slight moan, she blinked her eyes open drowsily.

"Kagome! You're awake! Are you alright? What happened? Why didn't you tell me you were a miko? What did you mean by what you said?" Inuyasha shot one question after another at her, attention focused on her and had all but forgotten about Sesshoumaru's presense.

"Whaa...Inuyasha?" Kagome muttered, pulling herself up to stare at Inuyasha's face, their noses almost touching. "Is that you Inuyasha? Why is everything so blurry?"

Inuyasha was too startled to control the blush that spread over his face, which Sesshoumaru noted with interest. Before he could make a reply, Sesshoumaru decided to remind them of his presense.

"Miko, explain yourself." He demanded, eyes hard as steel trained on the disoriented girl.

Kagome turned her head to look at him, then immediately shut her eyes in pain with a groan. "Oww...my head hurts..."

"Miko, answer me!" Sesshoumaru was losing his patience, and he was not used to not getting his way immediate when he want it. The ones who had not complied with him were all pushing daisies, with the only exception of the annoying hanyou currently clutching the girl protectively against himself.

"Hey, back off, Sesshoumaru! It's obvious she's in no shape to answer you!" Inuyasha came to Kagome's defense.

"I did not ask you, hanyou. Miko, I will not repeat myself again." Sesshoumaru glared at the girl.

"Sesshoumaru...? Miko...?" Kagome was now utterly confused. She blinked at the man standing in front of her, trying to focus her sight. Long, silky silver tresses were the first thing that registered in her mind. Then she noticed the beautifully sculptured face, with strange markings. It was the piercing gold eyes currently assessing her hostilely that brought her back to her senses.

"You're Sesshoumaru! Lord of the Western Lands!" Kagome uttered in shock, her jaw dropping.

"That would be correct. Now, are you going to answer me?" Sesshoumaru asked one last time.

"Answer you? Did you ask me something?" Kagome was truly muddled, she had no idea why the feared Lord Sesshoumaru would be in Inuyasha's room talking to her, while the said hanyou held her to his chest tightly.

/Wait a second ... Inuyasha's Holding me! I'm practically in his lap, no, I AM in his lap. What's going on!?/ Kagome's mind panicked. All she remembered was going to sleep after Inuyasha left, then suddenly she's stuck under the glare of the Taiyoukai of the West.

/This girl is annoying./ Sesshoumaru decided. Before he could act on his thoughts, Inuyasha intervened.

"Kagome, why did you not tell me you were a miko?" He asked.

"A miko? Me? What are you talking about?" Kagome stared at him, uncomprehending.

"Do not lie, girl. It was obvious from the purifying energy you gave off just now who you are." Sesshoumaru was starting to become very irritated.

"I...I'm a miko? You're joking right?" Kagome could only stare.

"This Sesshoumaru does not joke. Though, it would seem that you do not know of your power." Sesshoumaru prided in his ability to read people, and he could tell she was telling the truth in not knowing about herself.

"He's right, you know. You were giving off miko energy just now, in your sleep. That reminds me, what happened just now? Did you have another nightmare? And what did you mean by what you said?" Inuyasha wanted to know.

"What happened just now? I think I had a nightmare, though not the kind I usually get ... I do not remember this one. All I know was that it was horrible ... but I couldn't escape from it, from him." At this, Kagome shuddered and pressed herself even tighter against Inuyasha's comforting presence. Then she registered the second question. "What do you mean what did I mean by what I said, what did I say?"

"You said 'The dark one who shall consume all has come! The twin swords of the West is the only hope!', and what do you mean you couldn't escape from him? Who is 'him'?" Inuyasha asked while Sesshoumaru looked on, letting Inuyasha inquired about what he also wanted to know.

"I ... said that? I don't remember anything ... nor do I have any idea what that meant. He...it was something in the nightmare, I don't know!" Kagome suddenly felt scared, fear gripped her whenever she thought back to the 'he' in her nightmare. She did not remember anything, but somehow knew that this 'he' was not someone she want to ever really meet.

"It's alright." Inuyasha muttered, trying to comfort her by awkwardly stroking her hair softly.

"It would seem that the miko does not know anything. However, she would need to be removed from the castle. She also need to be trained, as she is a potential hazard. " Sesshoumaru ordered.

"No! She's mine and I won't let anyone take her away!" Inuyasha yelled in defiance.

"Inuyasha, even you must know that an untrained miko in the midst of a castle full of youkai is hazardous to both parties involved." Sesshoumaru was getting exasperated. Now he had more problems added to his mountain of them.

"Fine! I was taking her with me on my mission anyway, so she won't be in the castle while we're gone. We can worry about her training later, but I will not let you just take her away from me. Even you can't order what slave I can or cannot have." Inuyasha conceded, determined.

"Fine." Sesshoumaru conceded, impatient to be on his way. "I trust you will keep her out of trouble until your departure."

Turning on his heels, Sesshoumaru swept out of the room, thoughts occupied with one annoying untrained miko and her strange prophecy.

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There! That was my longest chapter so far~ Hope you liked it! Wow, Sesshoumaru talked so much ... though ... he is semi-different from the original since this is AU, besides, this is a complicated situation and he needs to talk to get his point across, especially when the other two weren't paying much attention to him most of the time XD. Wow ... I'm surprised at the turn of events, my mind and hands just flew away from me XD This was not what I originally planned ... what did I originally planned anyway x_X I forgot ...

What will happen now~? Ooo I'm excited to know too XD Who knows what strange turns the plot will take when I write the next chapters, the story has a mind of its own! I have lost control! =.=

Thank you to all who have reviewed, and I really appreciate the comments and ideas. I have made my decision regarding how Sesshoumaru/Kagome will have their first time ... though it will be a long way to go until they get together.

-Kura

PS: If you would like to be notified by email when I update, join my mailing list here: http://kura-sama.notifylist.com

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