InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Soul Exchange ❯ Father's Son ( Chapter 14 )
[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]
By: RozeFire 
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Drama / Comedy / Angst / Action | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 04.11.2003 | Pages: 6 | Words: 4.5K | Visits: 1.6K | Status: Completed
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Drama / Comedy / Angst / Action | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 04.11.2003 | Pages: 6 | Words: 4.5K | Visits: 1.6K | Status: Completed
AN: Grab the tissues before you read this - my disclaimer warning!
Soul Exchange
Father's Son
"Inuyasha - please be reasonable about this!" Lady Inu held her skirts up as she hurried after her son. Kagome followed at a safe distance along with Sango.
"He could still be alive, I can't just ignore this!" he snapped his shoulder.
"Of course you shouldn't ignore this - but at least postpone it for a while!" She exclaimed. "Sesshomaru will attack at any moment now - you have to stay here in case he attacks - and if he learns you're gone now then he surely will attack us all and give us no mercy."
"He didn't find out last time." Inuyasha pointed out as he burst through the palace doors and slipped down the steps, heading towards the stables. Lady Inu continued after him, despite her being shoeless.
"Well he might find out this time - I'm serious Inuyasha! If you leave us you leave us all to perish!" she yelled.
"And if I go and bring him back then there will be no war whatsoever. Sesshomaru won't attack Dad." Inuyasha pushed past the stable hands to grab the reins of his horse.
It was looking like Lady Inu was losing the argument again. "Think about this Inuyasha!"
"I have thought about it." He shrugged at her as he started gearing up his ride without the help of the stable hands.
"We need you here!" she ground out.
"I won't be gone for long."
He wasn't listening to her at all. He was bent on leaving and short of knocking him unconscious and tying him up, there was little she could do to stop him. And like she had the power or will to do something like that. With a growl of irritation that resembled Inuyasha's in a way, she pivoted on her heel and stormed back towards the palace. She paused briefly beside Kagome and Sango.
"Why don't you have a go Kagome, see if you can talk some sense into him." Lady Inu said shortly. Kagome gulped slightly and tiptoed off towards Inuyasha. Lady Inu turned to Sango. "Make sure nobody else in the palace finds out he's gone. If anyone asks, he's just down in one of the villages visiting... someone. Ok? I don't want any spies getting a hold of this."
Sango nodded obediently as the older woman swept past her on her way back up the steps, wincing a little as she stepped on little sharp stones with her bare feet.
Kagome sidled up behind Inuyasha and smiled tightly when he turned to give her a suspicious look. "Let me guess... Ma told you to convince me to stay?"
"Yeah... so... blah, blah, blah, you shouldn't go and risk war while you're gone, you're being selfish and so on, et cetera..." Kagome sighed... "But I can't stop you and no one else can either... so I just want to say good luck, and I hope you find him."
Inuyasha blinked at her in surprise. "Thanks... I guess..."
"And..." Kagome clasped her hands together. "You're taking me with you."
Inuyasha snorted. "Yeah right, good one Kagome."
"I'm serious!"
"You are NOT coming with me!" he told her bluntly as he positioned the saddle onto the horse's back and fastened it on tightly with the straps across the horse's chest and flanks.
"Oh please - you'll barely know I'm there!" Kagome smiled as she pleaded.
"Of course I'll notice you there if you're sitting right pressed up against..." he stopped himself. "Of course I'll know you're there!"
"You don't have to take me on that horse - I can take my gelding." Kagome pointed back at the brown horse that was listening intently to the discussion.
Inuyasha gave her a flat dead look. "Oh in that case, no, no and NO!"
"Oh come on!"
"You are not coming - and you are definitely not going to bring that monstrosity along." Inuyasha glared at the horse who snorted contemptuously back at him.
"Oh please...?" Kagome slipped in between him and the stallion, making him stop in his tracks to regard her. "If I don't go with you then all I'll have to talk to will be Sango, your mother... and mostly Kouga. You know he'll drop by more regularly when you're out of the picture."
That made Inuyasha hesitate and almost change his mind about leaving her. Almost. But he had more pressing worries. "Kagome... if I take you with me then I'll put you in all kinds of danger."
"But-"
"Just shut up and listen to me for once." He cut her off. "You saw those samurai on the beach. Did they look dangerous to you?"
They HAD taken down his father none too gently... "A bit..."
"And the Miko?"
She had been the main person to neutralise Lord Inu... Kagome hadn't recognised her... but she had looked incredibly powerful, maybe even as powerful as Kikyo had been.
"I guess..." Kagome sighed with disappointment. "But I really want to go with you." She really wanted to see if his father had the Shikon no Tama... if so, she would be able to hide from Naraku.
"You can't, you'll just have to stay here." He gently, but firmly moved her out of the way so he could swing himself into the saddle.
Kagome swallowed her dismay and pasted on a weak smile. "Inuyasha?"
"What?" he glanced back down at her with a frown.
"Take care please..." she said quietly, feeling her cheeks heat up. "And bring him back to your mother."
Inuyasha's heart warmed to her even more. He smiled again and ran a hand over her hair as he moved off, messing it up as he did so. "See you when I get back, Kagome."
He stopped his horse beside Sango as Kagome irritably straightened her hair back to its original style. He leaned down and jerked his thumb towards Kagome. "Keep an eye on her... keep her out of Kouga's sight. I don't want to get any horrible surprises when I get back."
Sango gave him an exaggerated wink. "Got ya."
Inuyasha shook his head at her before spurning to horse into a run. First he had to go collect Tessaiga from the blacksmith, Toutousai, and then he'd hopefully manage to swipe one of the barges the wolf men had used to reach the island, in order to reach the mainland.
From there he would head straight for Hinohara country to pay the warlord a little visit there.
^_^
"So how are we doing?" Lady Inu asked Sango who pulled the list from her kimono.
"Um... well it's four - three to Kagome."
"You gave them both more points?" Lady Inu looked at her with interest.
"Well... I gave one to Kagome because of her fierce loyalty for Inuyasha - as shown when he was leaving - and another because she has a nicer voice that Urami, but then I gave one to Urami because she was more glamorous."
"And the fourth point for Kagome was...?"
"Um..." Sango twiddled her fingers. "I thought she and Inuyasha make a cuter couple..."
"Valid reason enough." Lady Inu inspected the little tally chart for a moment before ripping it up and tossing the pieces over her shoulder. "That settles it then. Kagome it is."
"What about Urami."
"She can stay in the palace... and meanwhile we can use her to bring Inuyasha and Kagome closer together - and in no time at all I'll have my grandchildren!"
"Do you think..." Sango began tentatively. "... lord Inu will see his grandchildren too?"
Lady Inu fell silent. She didn't answer... because she didn't know the answer.
>_<
The palace belonging to the Warlord of Hinohara was probably one of the grittiest palaces in the land, even though it belonged in one of the largest countries around. But that's what happened when corrupted power got a hold of the throne.
For some reason Inuyasha felt very tense and vulnerable as he slowly made his way towards to reinforced timber gates of the palace. It was raining again... and when it rained at this time of year it didn't just rain, it poured it down. Inuyasha was already soaked from head to toe and the cold was beginning to take its toll on him, but it would all be worth it if his father was inside that palace.
The guards at the gate saw him coming and quickly straightened up and steadied their staffs, blocking his way. The last thing Inuyasha wanted to do was stop out in the rain to get even wetter, but because it would probably just be quicker to do what they wanted, he stopped a few feet from the gate. Peering through the rain he could just about see the two guards were samurai, wearing jade and black colours... with emblems of little birds on their chests.
These were definitely the samurai Kagome had seen.
Then suddenly they both seemed to recognise him. "What are you doing out here?!" one suddenly snapped.
"Who let you out?" the other barked, both advancing on him while drawing their swords.
"I'm Lord Inuyasha, I'm here to retrieve my father." Inuyasha snapped, stopping them both in their tracks. He quickly added another sentiment. "Pillocks."
The guards looked at once another before one of them came to his side. "There be no Lord Inu here - be off with you scruff!"
"Who said his name was Lord Inu?" Inuyasha shot back.
The guard spluttered for a moment, realising his mistake, before he managed to find his voice again. "Leave here now."
Inuyasha's patience was already running thin due to the rain and the long journey, and it ran out on the guard unfortunately. With a violent jerk, he grabbed the man by the lapels and literally lifted him up off the ground to shoulder height. The horse beneath him shifted uneasily with the sudden addition of weight, but at least it stayed put (more than Kagome's gelding would have done).
"Tell your lord I am here, and then I will decide whether or not I leave." Inuyasha told the man evenly before dropping him again. "Quickly, before I completely lose my patience with you all."
The guard straightened proudly before marching off through a side gate, muttering things he didn't presume Inuyasha could hear. "The lord will decide whether you leave or not... not you brat..."
Inuyasha ignored him and ran a hand over his face, wiping away as much of the water from his eyes as possible... but it wasn't very effective. He needed to find shelter soon.
^_^
"My lord... there is a young Inu Youkai at the gate," the wet guard announced as he bowed before the warlord.
"Send him away. We already have another young Inu Youkai." The warlord laughed, causing his attendants to laugh in example.
"He... he claims to be the Youkai's son." The guard said hesitantly. "He wants to see his father."
"His son?" the warlord sat up and smirked. "As in the little Prince Inuyasha? Send the toddler away."
The guard gulped. He didn't want to displease his lord. "He's no toddler..."
"What do you mean?" The warlord demanded sharply.
"He... he's a young man..." the guard told him, head still bowed.
The warlord looked thoughtful for a moment. "Send him away. If he resists, get the Miko."
"Yes, my Lord." The guard bowed again and headed out of the room.
^_^
Inuyash a's patience was growing even thinner than before, if that was at all possible. He did not like being caught out in the rain, with water trickling into his ears that made him want to just hang upside down for a while until it all trickled out again. Other than have a glaring contest with the samurai standing around the gate, all he could do was just stand by his horse and wait.
He partially wished he could have brought Kagome along, just for her company alone. But once again, her safety came before his social comforts, so it was best that she stay home. He wondered what she was doing at that precise moment...
It was late night... so she was probably asleep curled up in her warm... dry... toasty... lavender smelling bed. Inuyasha just about managed to hold back a sneeze.
Bitch.
The small side gate opened and the guard he'd threatened before stepped back out, followed by a young woman wearing dark robes and dark jewels in her dark hair. Something about her made the fine hairs on the back of his neck stand up (a difficult task when ever hair on his head was plastered to his back and neck).
"The lord doesn't grant you permission to enter these premises. Leave." Was the guard's simple statement.
Inuyasha had just spent a whole day and night travelling none stop to come here. Telling him to piss off was not going to go down well. With a snarl Inuyasha grabbed the not-so-little man and dangled him up in the air again. "Well you better just go back in your cosy little palace and tell the fucking lord that I am NOT leaving until I see my-!"
A cold, but dry hand suddenly reached out and touched his wrist, sliding the palm down along his forearm, pushing back his sleeve as it went. Inuyasha snapped his gaze to the woman beside them, just as he felt a strange almost static charge pass through his arm and through his body. If his neck hairs had stood up before, that was nothing... now his whole scalp crawled with a mixture of apprehension and foreboding.
Her hand lingered on his arm, squeezing him slightly as a small smile crept onto her expressionless features. Not really a smile though... more of a smirk. Somehow she seemed to be the only person out there that wasn't drenched by water. It was like the rain miraculously managed to miss her.
Something told Inuyasha not to mess with her. She seemed even more dangerous than Kikyo.
Inuyasha dropped the man without hesitation, and whipped his arm out of her grip. He glared at her a moment before turning and swinging himself back onto the saddle to ride away without a word.
"Well that took care of that problem quite nicely." The Miko smiled to herself before heading back through the gate.
"What a coward..." the samurai sneered at the retreating Prince.
^_^
Inuya sha took the horse off the road the minute he was out of sight of the guards at the entrance. He knew he wouldn't be able to get through the gate, not with the Miko there to stop him... so he'd just have to go round another way.
He quickly tied his horse to a tree by the reins and darted off through the forest, heading away from the gates, to the perimeter fence further along. They weren't on the look out for him, having expected him to have run away in fear of the corrupted Miko, so it was a fairly easy task to scale the fence and jump down on the other side without being seen. Inuyasha slipped between the individual buildings on the inside of the fence, heading vaguely in the direction of the main building, the palace, where his father would probably be.
Occasionally he had to stop and hide behind a corner when little bands or pairs of samurai came marching along in the rain... But the minute they were gone, he was off again.
As quickly and quietly as possible, he ducked in through the doorway of the main building and ran down the passage, leading deeper inside the structure, hoping to catch a scent of his father at some point.
He rounded a corner and came skidding to a halt, nose to nose with two samurai. They stared at him for a moment before both snapping to the same assumption the guards at the gate had. "How the hell did you get out?!"
Before they even had a chance to raise their swords from their belts, Inuyasha's hands swept out and cracked their heads together. Unfortunately, this wasn't the movies and they didn't pass out... just looked a little dizzy and teetered slightly. Inuyasha sighed, mentally noting the thick skulls of human idiots before punching one in the stomach and backhanding the other around the brow, knocking both unconscious... or worse.
Not wanting to alarm anyone else of his arrival, he stuffed the two men into an empty room to his side, before proceeding on.
He stopped the moment an old familiar scent reached his nose. He turned his head slightly, trying to decipher the location of the source... before he was off again, racing down the corridor, regardless of who he bumped into.
He literally slid to a halt outside a set of Shoji sliding door and at once notice the whole door was plastered with large, fierce looking ofuda charms. He tried to reach out to touch the door, but the energy spiked and crackled around his hand... a lot more painful than when the Miko had touched him. He hissed in pain and pulled back a moment, mulling over what to do.
Inside he could hear movement, heavy clumsy movement of human guards... but he could also smell his father...
He wouldn't give up, not when he was this close, not when his father was on the other side of the door. So with a determined expression he bore through the pain and knocked on the door.
"Who's there?"
"Come out here, the Warlord wants to speak to you." Well it usually worked.
Footsteps sounded inside and he tensed up in anticipation. The door pulled back and one lone samurai looked out at him shrewdly. "What does he want to- "
Inuyasha's fists smacking into his jaw cut off his words, and the man reeled back, his eyes rolling up into his head as he tipped backwards.
Inuyasha was past him in a flash before he'd even hit the ground. But he stopped dead once more when his gaze fixed on the one person he thought he'd possibly never get to see again.
But his father looked a little odd.
"Dad...?" Inuyasha's heart was in his throat, as he cocked his head slightly and stepped towards the wrought iron bars in the middle of the room, stretching from the floor to the ceiling to enclose a little pen area. His father sat on the floor in the middle of the iron cage, eyes closed as though he was asleep. He wore the similar colours of black and red that Inuyasha's always seemed to wear these days... and the weird thing was...
He looked a couple a years younger than Sesshomaru.
Inuyasha stepped forward again, purposefully. "Dad-"
"Stop, Inuyasha." His father seemed to snap awake at once, his gaze on Inuyasha's feet.
Inuyasha followed his eyes and looked down, to see little trip wires as thin as hairs lined up a few inches above the floor, all the way around the cage.
"Don't trip up now... I've seen those wires take of many people's feet." His father told him with a humourless smile.
Inuyasha stepped over the trip wires without hesitation and crouched at the bars. "I'm gonna break ya free... we're gonna go back to the island together."
"Is that the way I taught you how to speak?"
Inuyasha reddened slightly. "So be it... let us just get going, shall we?"
His father grimaced. "Oh... don't bother... you just sound constipated."
"What happened to your face?" Inuyasha asked bluntly. "Where'd all the wrinkles go?"
"It's just an illusion." His father said quietly. "You don't want to see my real face right now."
"It doesn't matter..." Inuyasha stood and began to pull at the bars. "I'll break you free, we can get outta here once and for all."
"Inuyasha... don't waste your energy." His father took a deep sigh.
He looked back down at the older man and frowned. "Why not?" when his father didn't answer he crouched down and reached through the bars to grab his father's sleeve to get his attention. "What's the matter, dad?"
"Promise me something...?" Lord Inu asked.
Inuyasha waited for it.
"Promise me you'll take my throne... you're my heir... my only heir."
"No..." Inuyasha shook his head. "No, I don't have to - I've found you now - you can be King again and save me the hassle..."
Lord Inu said nothing. "I'll give you the Shikon to take back with you... I've been guarding it from the Warlord... it is what has been keeping me alive for the last few months... Take it, it's yours, from Kikyo."
"But... if I take..." Inuyasha suddenly glared at him. "No way! You are keeping that jewel until I get you to some help!"
Lord Inu glared stubbornly at his son before reaching into his robes and pulling out a pale pink jewel that could have been made from tinted glass. Without much warning he rolled it through the bars to Inuyasha and gave him a plain look as if almost to say 'so there, make me keep it'.
Then he fell backwards, his youthful appearance melting away as he slumped gently to the ground.
"Dad...?" Inuyasha grabbed the bars to urgently see him. "Pa!"
With a growl of effort he managed to tug two of the bars loose and slipped inside the cage to crouch beside his father and grab his shoulder. Well... all he could think of was how right Lord Inu had been about concealing his true appearance.
He was so battered, bloody and bruised that Inuyasha had a hard time associating him with the strong, lean man who'd left the palace just over six months ago. He was, in appearance... over fifty at least... but now he looked even older... and much weaker.
"Dad..." Inuyasha heard him drag in a suffering breath and winced. "Please hold on..."
But his father would always be too stubborn to do as he said. Lord Inu lightly touched Inuyasha's forearm. "Tell your mother... I love her... tell Sango... she's still my best daughter..."
"I will..." Inuyasha said... feeling strangely hollow inside.
"Oh... love you too by the way." His father smirked at him. "But only if you take... my throne... and Tessaiga..."
"That's a nasty bribe." Inuyasha told him.
"It'll work... won't it?" Lord Inu closed his eyes. "If you see little Sessho... tell him... I'm disappointed, but... I still love him."
"I won't." Inuyasha said bluntly.
"Oh well... I didn't... really expect you to." Lord Inu swallowed with some intense difficulty. "I know I can trust you to take care of them all... you've always been good to Sango... your mother..."
A long pause stretched out... Inuyasha just waited for his father's ragged breaths to just stop. But he still held on. Obviously having more to say.
"Just... promise me... I'll get Grandchildren?"
"I promise," Hopefully, one day he would.
"And... I just want to say... before I go..." his father frowned slightly. "Kikyo was... and always shall be... a bitch..."
A horrible lump had formed in Inuyasha's throat, and he was having a hard time swallowing past it. He quickly pulled his father into a tight hug, wishing that if he held on tight enough then his father wouldn't be able to go anywhere.
"Inuyasha..." Lord Inu sighed.
The ragged breathing stopped and everything was deathly quiet. Inuyasha tensed slightly as the silent room around him seemed to drone with... silence...
Ever so slowly he lowered his father down from his embrace, half surprised that the injuries had vanished, and Lord Inu looked now, in death, more like his usual self. Still... he looked unhealthily pale and thin... but at least Inuyasha could look at him without pity, which was probably what Lord Inu had intended.
He probably didn't want to let Lady Inu see the state he was in.
Inuyasha was having trouble breathing, and the lump in his throat wasn't going away. He took a few steadying breaths before standing swiftly and moving to snatch up the Shikon no Tama.
This jewel had cost a lot of people their lives... people dear to him. He wanted nothing more than to destroy it, or just toss it into one of the lakes outside the palace. He didn't care that it was a beloved relic from Kikyo... Kikyo was dead... Kikyo had betrayed him...
Inuyasha jammed the jewel into jacket and glanced back down at his father.
"Look what you did to him." A soft female voice said from the doorway. Inuyasha spun back around and fixed an intense glare on the dark Miko. "I was coming to torture him for the jewel... I suppose I'll just have to torture you instead, puppy."
Inuyasha's hands were trembling with an overwhelming anger. His cheeks felt itchy... and when they felt itchy it meant the demon markings were appearing on his face... The usual pattern after this would be to lose control. His demon blood would feed off the anger he felt... and he would only be normal when he was no longer angry.
He would NOT lose control now of all times. And blindly, he groped to his side to draw Tessaiga, the itchiness fading at once. He was glaring so intently at the Miko, bent on getting his vengeance... that he didn't realise the sword transformed.
^_^
Sesshomaru watched Urami carefully. "Are you sure?"
"I couldn't find him anywhere in the palace, and when I asked the Queen's hand servant, she told me that Inuyasha was in one of the Southern villages." Urami clasped her hands nervously behind her back. "I later heard the queen and her servant talking... apparently Inuyasha has left the island completely. And they don't expect him back from the mainland for a week at least."
Sesshomaru quirked a tight smile on his face. "Is that so?"
Urami nodded quickly.
"And where is Tessaiga?"
"He told me he doesn't like to use it. He likes his own ordinary katana. I think he's left it at the blacksmith."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes, my lord..."
"Good." Sesshomaru stood from his throne and brushed past her. "With Inuyasha gone, and the Tessaiga parted from him, then the South is ours for the taking."
"But what about the wolves?" An advisor asked from beside the throne.
"What about them?" Sesshomaru sneered. "They're all pretty pathetic."
"But their leader..." Urami spoke up. "He's amazingly fast and strong."
"So one good warrior in a motley crew." Sesshomaru wasn't impressed. "Still... Inuyasha is gone... he's the leader - with him gone then Tessaiga won't be used against us. We could stroll up to the gates without much resistance."
Urami gulped visibly as Sesshomaru locked his gaze back on her. "Now... my favourite little spy... go back to the Southern palace and tell them you were off visiting your 'family', yes? But don't worry, you won't be alone soon..."
He turned back to the advisors. "Inform the men to prepare for invasion. We'll move in soon... and we'll destroy everything in our way."
AN: Well you all though Urami was a spy... well... you were right. ^_^ Next chapter - 'For Hate'
Soul Exchange
Father's Son
"Inuyasha - please be reasonable about this!" Lady Inu held her skirts up as she hurried after her son. Kagome followed at a safe distance along with Sango.
"He could still be alive, I can't just ignore this!" he snapped his shoulder.
"Of course you shouldn't ignore this - but at least postpone it for a while!" She exclaimed. "Sesshomaru will attack at any moment now - you have to stay here in case he attacks - and if he learns you're gone now then he surely will attack us all and give us no mercy."
"He didn't find out last time." Inuyasha pointed out as he burst through the palace doors and slipped down the steps, heading towards the stables. Lady Inu continued after him, despite her being shoeless.
"Well he might find out this time - I'm serious Inuyasha! If you leave us you leave us all to perish!" she yelled.
"And if I go and bring him back then there will be no war whatsoever. Sesshomaru won't attack Dad." Inuyasha pushed past the stable hands to grab the reins of his horse.
It was looking like Lady Inu was losing the argument again. "Think about this Inuyasha!"
"I have thought about it." He shrugged at her as he started gearing up his ride without the help of the stable hands.
"We need you here!" she ground out.
"I won't be gone for long."
He wasn't listening to her at all. He was bent on leaving and short of knocking him unconscious and tying him up, there was little she could do to stop him. And like she had the power or will to do something like that. With a growl of irritation that resembled Inuyasha's in a way, she pivoted on her heel and stormed back towards the palace. She paused briefly beside Kagome and Sango.
"Why don't you have a go Kagome, see if you can talk some sense into him." Lady Inu said shortly. Kagome gulped slightly and tiptoed off towards Inuyasha. Lady Inu turned to Sango. "Make sure nobody else in the palace finds out he's gone. If anyone asks, he's just down in one of the villages visiting... someone. Ok? I don't want any spies getting a hold of this."
Sango nodded obediently as the older woman swept past her on her way back up the steps, wincing a little as she stepped on little sharp stones with her bare feet.
Kagome sidled up behind Inuyasha and smiled tightly when he turned to give her a suspicious look. "Let me guess... Ma told you to convince me to stay?"
"Yeah... so... blah, blah, blah, you shouldn't go and risk war while you're gone, you're being selfish and so on, et cetera..." Kagome sighed... "But I can't stop you and no one else can either... so I just want to say good luck, and I hope you find him."
Inuyasha blinked at her in surprise. "Thanks... I guess..."
"And..." Kagome clasped her hands together. "You're taking me with you."
Inuyasha snorted. "Yeah right, good one Kagome."
"I'm serious!"
"You are NOT coming with me!" he told her bluntly as he positioned the saddle onto the horse's back and fastened it on tightly with the straps across the horse's chest and flanks.
"Oh please - you'll barely know I'm there!" Kagome smiled as she pleaded.
"Of course I'll notice you there if you're sitting right pressed up against..." he stopped himself. "Of course I'll know you're there!"
"You don't have to take me on that horse - I can take my gelding." Kagome pointed back at the brown horse that was listening intently to the discussion.
Inuyasha gave her a flat dead look. "Oh in that case, no, no and NO!"
"Oh come on!"
"You are not coming - and you are definitely not going to bring that monstrosity along." Inuyasha glared at the horse who snorted contemptuously back at him.
"Oh please...?" Kagome slipped in between him and the stallion, making him stop in his tracks to regard her. "If I don't go with you then all I'll have to talk to will be Sango, your mother... and mostly Kouga. You know he'll drop by more regularly when you're out of the picture."
That made Inuyasha hesitate and almost change his mind about leaving her. Almost. But he had more pressing worries. "Kagome... if I take you with me then I'll put you in all kinds of danger."
"But-"
"Just shut up and listen to me for once." He cut her off. "You saw those samurai on the beach. Did they look dangerous to you?"
They HAD taken down his father none too gently... "A bit..."
"And the Miko?"
She had been the main person to neutralise Lord Inu... Kagome hadn't recognised her... but she had looked incredibly powerful, maybe even as powerful as Kikyo had been.
"I guess..." Kagome sighed with disappointment. "But I really want to go with you." She really wanted to see if his father had the Shikon no Tama... if so, she would be able to hide from Naraku.
"You can't, you'll just have to stay here." He gently, but firmly moved her out of the way so he could swing himself into the saddle.
Kagome swallowed her dismay and pasted on a weak smile. "Inuyasha?"
"What?" he glanced back down at her with a frown.
"Take care please..." she said quietly, feeling her cheeks heat up. "And bring him back to your mother."
Inuyasha's heart warmed to her even more. He smiled again and ran a hand over her hair as he moved off, messing it up as he did so. "See you when I get back, Kagome."
He stopped his horse beside Sango as Kagome irritably straightened her hair back to its original style. He leaned down and jerked his thumb towards Kagome. "Keep an eye on her... keep her out of Kouga's sight. I don't want to get any horrible surprises when I get back."
Sango gave him an exaggerated wink. "Got ya."
Inuyasha shook his head at her before spurning to horse into a run. First he had to go collect Tessaiga from the blacksmith, Toutousai, and then he'd hopefully manage to swipe one of the barges the wolf men had used to reach the island, in order to reach the mainland.
From there he would head straight for Hinohara country to pay the warlord a little visit there.
^_^
"So how are we doing?" Lady Inu asked Sango who pulled the list from her kimono.
"Um... well it's four - three to Kagome."
"You gave them both more points?" Lady Inu looked at her with interest.
"Well... I gave one to Kagome because of her fierce loyalty for Inuyasha - as shown when he was leaving - and another because she has a nicer voice that Urami, but then I gave one to Urami because she was more glamorous."
"And the fourth point for Kagome was...?"
"Um..." Sango twiddled her fingers. "I thought she and Inuyasha make a cuter couple..."
"Valid reason enough." Lady Inu inspected the little tally chart for a moment before ripping it up and tossing the pieces over her shoulder. "That settles it then. Kagome it is."
"What about Urami."
"She can stay in the palace... and meanwhile we can use her to bring Inuyasha and Kagome closer together - and in no time at all I'll have my grandchildren!"
"Do you think..." Sango began tentatively. "... lord Inu will see his grandchildren too?"
Lady Inu fell silent. She didn't answer... because she didn't know the answer.
>_<
The palace belonging to the Warlord of Hinohara was probably one of the grittiest palaces in the land, even though it belonged in one of the largest countries around. But that's what happened when corrupted power got a hold of the throne.
For some reason Inuyasha felt very tense and vulnerable as he slowly made his way towards to reinforced timber gates of the palace. It was raining again... and when it rained at this time of year it didn't just rain, it poured it down. Inuyasha was already soaked from head to toe and the cold was beginning to take its toll on him, but it would all be worth it if his father was inside that palace.
The guards at the gate saw him coming and quickly straightened up and steadied their staffs, blocking his way. The last thing Inuyasha wanted to do was stop out in the rain to get even wetter, but because it would probably just be quicker to do what they wanted, he stopped a few feet from the gate. Peering through the rain he could just about see the two guards were samurai, wearing jade and black colours... with emblems of little birds on their chests.
These were definitely the samurai Kagome had seen.
Then suddenly they both seemed to recognise him. "What are you doing out here?!" one suddenly snapped.
"Who let you out?" the other barked, both advancing on him while drawing their swords.
"I'm Lord Inuyasha, I'm here to retrieve my father." Inuyasha snapped, stopping them both in their tracks. He quickly added another sentiment. "Pillocks."
The guards looked at once another before one of them came to his side. "There be no Lord Inu here - be off with you scruff!"
"Who said his name was Lord Inu?" Inuyasha shot back.
The guard spluttered for a moment, realising his mistake, before he managed to find his voice again. "Leave here now."
Inuyasha's patience was already running thin due to the rain and the long journey, and it ran out on the guard unfortunately. With a violent jerk, he grabbed the man by the lapels and literally lifted him up off the ground to shoulder height. The horse beneath him shifted uneasily with the sudden addition of weight, but at least it stayed put (more than Kagome's gelding would have done).
"Tell your lord I am here, and then I will decide whether or not I leave." Inuyasha told the man evenly before dropping him again. "Quickly, before I completely lose my patience with you all."
The guard straightened proudly before marching off through a side gate, muttering things he didn't presume Inuyasha could hear. "The lord will decide whether you leave or not... not you brat..."
Inuyasha ignored him and ran a hand over his face, wiping away as much of the water from his eyes as possible... but it wasn't very effective. He needed to find shelter soon.
^_^
"My lord... there is a young Inu Youkai at the gate," the wet guard announced as he bowed before the warlord.
"Send him away. We already have another young Inu Youkai." The warlord laughed, causing his attendants to laugh in example.
"He... he claims to be the Youkai's son." The guard said hesitantly. "He wants to see his father."
"His son?" the warlord sat up and smirked. "As in the little Prince Inuyasha? Send the toddler away."
The guard gulped. He didn't want to displease his lord. "He's no toddler..."
"What do you mean?" The warlord demanded sharply.
"He... he's a young man..." the guard told him, head still bowed.
The warlord looked thoughtful for a moment. "Send him away. If he resists, get the Miko."
"Yes, my Lord." The guard bowed again and headed out of the room.
^_^
Inuyash a's patience was growing even thinner than before, if that was at all possible. He did not like being caught out in the rain, with water trickling into his ears that made him want to just hang upside down for a while until it all trickled out again. Other than have a glaring contest with the samurai standing around the gate, all he could do was just stand by his horse and wait.
He partially wished he could have brought Kagome along, just for her company alone. But once again, her safety came before his social comforts, so it was best that she stay home. He wondered what she was doing at that precise moment...
It was late night... so she was probably asleep curled up in her warm... dry... toasty... lavender smelling bed. Inuyasha just about managed to hold back a sneeze.
Bitch.
The small side gate opened and the guard he'd threatened before stepped back out, followed by a young woman wearing dark robes and dark jewels in her dark hair. Something about her made the fine hairs on the back of his neck stand up (a difficult task when ever hair on his head was plastered to his back and neck).
"The lord doesn't grant you permission to enter these premises. Leave." Was the guard's simple statement.
Inuyasha had just spent a whole day and night travelling none stop to come here. Telling him to piss off was not going to go down well. With a snarl Inuyasha grabbed the not-so-little man and dangled him up in the air again. "Well you better just go back in your cosy little palace and tell the fucking lord that I am NOT leaving until I see my-!"
A cold, but dry hand suddenly reached out and touched his wrist, sliding the palm down along his forearm, pushing back his sleeve as it went. Inuyasha snapped his gaze to the woman beside them, just as he felt a strange almost static charge pass through his arm and through his body. If his neck hairs had stood up before, that was nothing... now his whole scalp crawled with a mixture of apprehension and foreboding.
Her hand lingered on his arm, squeezing him slightly as a small smile crept onto her expressionless features. Not really a smile though... more of a smirk. Somehow she seemed to be the only person out there that wasn't drenched by water. It was like the rain miraculously managed to miss her.
Something told Inuyasha not to mess with her. She seemed even more dangerous than Kikyo.
Inuyasha dropped the man without hesitation, and whipped his arm out of her grip. He glared at her a moment before turning and swinging himself back onto the saddle to ride away without a word.
"Well that took care of that problem quite nicely." The Miko smiled to herself before heading back through the gate.
"What a coward..." the samurai sneered at the retreating Prince.
^_^
Inuya sha took the horse off the road the minute he was out of sight of the guards at the entrance. He knew he wouldn't be able to get through the gate, not with the Miko there to stop him... so he'd just have to go round another way.
He quickly tied his horse to a tree by the reins and darted off through the forest, heading away from the gates, to the perimeter fence further along. They weren't on the look out for him, having expected him to have run away in fear of the corrupted Miko, so it was a fairly easy task to scale the fence and jump down on the other side without being seen. Inuyasha slipped between the individual buildings on the inside of the fence, heading vaguely in the direction of the main building, the palace, where his father would probably be.
Occasionally he had to stop and hide behind a corner when little bands or pairs of samurai came marching along in the rain... But the minute they were gone, he was off again.
As quickly and quietly as possible, he ducked in through the doorway of the main building and ran down the passage, leading deeper inside the structure, hoping to catch a scent of his father at some point.
He rounded a corner and came skidding to a halt, nose to nose with two samurai. They stared at him for a moment before both snapping to the same assumption the guards at the gate had. "How the hell did you get out?!"
Before they even had a chance to raise their swords from their belts, Inuyasha's hands swept out and cracked their heads together. Unfortunately, this wasn't the movies and they didn't pass out... just looked a little dizzy and teetered slightly. Inuyasha sighed, mentally noting the thick skulls of human idiots before punching one in the stomach and backhanding the other around the brow, knocking both unconscious... or worse.
Not wanting to alarm anyone else of his arrival, he stuffed the two men into an empty room to his side, before proceeding on.
He stopped the moment an old familiar scent reached his nose. He turned his head slightly, trying to decipher the location of the source... before he was off again, racing down the corridor, regardless of who he bumped into.
He literally slid to a halt outside a set of Shoji sliding door and at once notice the whole door was plastered with large, fierce looking ofuda charms. He tried to reach out to touch the door, but the energy spiked and crackled around his hand... a lot more painful than when the Miko had touched him. He hissed in pain and pulled back a moment, mulling over what to do.
Inside he could hear movement, heavy clumsy movement of human guards... but he could also smell his father...
He wouldn't give up, not when he was this close, not when his father was on the other side of the door. So with a determined expression he bore through the pain and knocked on the door.
"Who's there?"
"Come out here, the Warlord wants to speak to you." Well it usually worked.
Footsteps sounded inside and he tensed up in anticipation. The door pulled back and one lone samurai looked out at him shrewdly. "What does he want to- "
Inuyasha's fists smacking into his jaw cut off his words, and the man reeled back, his eyes rolling up into his head as he tipped backwards.
Inuyasha was past him in a flash before he'd even hit the ground. But he stopped dead once more when his gaze fixed on the one person he thought he'd possibly never get to see again.
But his father looked a little odd.
"Dad...?" Inuyasha's heart was in his throat, as he cocked his head slightly and stepped towards the wrought iron bars in the middle of the room, stretching from the floor to the ceiling to enclose a little pen area. His father sat on the floor in the middle of the iron cage, eyes closed as though he was asleep. He wore the similar colours of black and red that Inuyasha's always seemed to wear these days... and the weird thing was...
He looked a couple a years younger than Sesshomaru.
Inuyasha stepped forward again, purposefully. "Dad-"
"Stop, Inuyasha." His father seemed to snap awake at once, his gaze on Inuyasha's feet.
Inuyasha followed his eyes and looked down, to see little trip wires as thin as hairs lined up a few inches above the floor, all the way around the cage.
"Don't trip up now... I've seen those wires take of many people's feet." His father told him with a humourless smile.
Inuyasha stepped over the trip wires without hesitation and crouched at the bars. "I'm gonna break ya free... we're gonna go back to the island together."
"Is that the way I taught you how to speak?"
Inuyasha reddened slightly. "So be it... let us just get going, shall we?"
His father grimaced. "Oh... don't bother... you just sound constipated."
"What happened to your face?" Inuyasha asked bluntly. "Where'd all the wrinkles go?"
"It's just an illusion." His father said quietly. "You don't want to see my real face right now."
"It doesn't matter..." Inuyasha stood and began to pull at the bars. "I'll break you free, we can get outta here once and for all."
"Inuyasha... don't waste your energy." His father took a deep sigh.
He looked back down at the older man and frowned. "Why not?" when his father didn't answer he crouched down and reached through the bars to grab his father's sleeve to get his attention. "What's the matter, dad?"
"Promise me something...?" Lord Inu asked.
Inuyasha waited for it.
"Promise me you'll take my throne... you're my heir... my only heir."
"No..." Inuyasha shook his head. "No, I don't have to - I've found you now - you can be King again and save me the hassle..."
Lord Inu said nothing. "I'll give you the Shikon to take back with you... I've been guarding it from the Warlord... it is what has been keeping me alive for the last few months... Take it, it's yours, from Kikyo."
"But... if I take..." Inuyasha suddenly glared at him. "No way! You are keeping that jewel until I get you to some help!"
Lord Inu glared stubbornly at his son before reaching into his robes and pulling out a pale pink jewel that could have been made from tinted glass. Without much warning he rolled it through the bars to Inuyasha and gave him a plain look as if almost to say 'so there, make me keep it'.
Then he fell backwards, his youthful appearance melting away as he slumped gently to the ground.
"Dad...?" Inuyasha grabbed the bars to urgently see him. "Pa!"
With a growl of effort he managed to tug two of the bars loose and slipped inside the cage to crouch beside his father and grab his shoulder. Well... all he could think of was how right Lord Inu had been about concealing his true appearance.
He was so battered, bloody and bruised that Inuyasha had a hard time associating him with the strong, lean man who'd left the palace just over six months ago. He was, in appearance... over fifty at least... but now he looked even older... and much weaker.
"Dad..." Inuyasha heard him drag in a suffering breath and winced. "Please hold on..."
But his father would always be too stubborn to do as he said. Lord Inu lightly touched Inuyasha's forearm. "Tell your mother... I love her... tell Sango... she's still my best daughter..."
"I will..." Inuyasha said... feeling strangely hollow inside.
"Oh... love you too by the way." His father smirked at him. "But only if you take... my throne... and Tessaiga..."
"That's a nasty bribe." Inuyasha told him.
"It'll work... won't it?" Lord Inu closed his eyes. "If you see little Sessho... tell him... I'm disappointed, but... I still love him."
"I won't." Inuyasha said bluntly.
"Oh well... I didn't... really expect you to." Lord Inu swallowed with some intense difficulty. "I know I can trust you to take care of them all... you've always been good to Sango... your mother..."
A long pause stretched out... Inuyasha just waited for his father's ragged breaths to just stop. But he still held on. Obviously having more to say.
"Just... promise me... I'll get Grandchildren?"
"I promise," Hopefully, one day he would.
"And... I just want to say... before I go..." his father frowned slightly. "Kikyo was... and always shall be... a bitch..."
A horrible lump had formed in Inuyasha's throat, and he was having a hard time swallowing past it. He quickly pulled his father into a tight hug, wishing that if he held on tight enough then his father wouldn't be able to go anywhere.
"Inuyasha..." Lord Inu sighed.
The ragged breathing stopped and everything was deathly quiet. Inuyasha tensed slightly as the silent room around him seemed to drone with... silence...
Ever so slowly he lowered his father down from his embrace, half surprised that the injuries had vanished, and Lord Inu looked now, in death, more like his usual self. Still... he looked unhealthily pale and thin... but at least Inuyasha could look at him without pity, which was probably what Lord Inu had intended.
He probably didn't want to let Lady Inu see the state he was in.
Inuyasha was having trouble breathing, and the lump in his throat wasn't going away. He took a few steadying breaths before standing swiftly and moving to snatch up the Shikon no Tama.
This jewel had cost a lot of people their lives... people dear to him. He wanted nothing more than to destroy it, or just toss it into one of the lakes outside the palace. He didn't care that it was a beloved relic from Kikyo... Kikyo was dead... Kikyo had betrayed him...
Inuyasha jammed the jewel into jacket and glanced back down at his father.
"Look what you did to him." A soft female voice said from the doorway. Inuyasha spun back around and fixed an intense glare on the dark Miko. "I was coming to torture him for the jewel... I suppose I'll just have to torture you instead, puppy."
Inuyasha's hands were trembling with an overwhelming anger. His cheeks felt itchy... and when they felt itchy it meant the demon markings were appearing on his face... The usual pattern after this would be to lose control. His demon blood would feed off the anger he felt... and he would only be normal when he was no longer angry.
He would NOT lose control now of all times. And blindly, he groped to his side to draw Tessaiga, the itchiness fading at once. He was glaring so intently at the Miko, bent on getting his vengeance... that he didn't realise the sword transformed.
^_^
Sesshomaru watched Urami carefully. "Are you sure?"
"I couldn't find him anywhere in the palace, and when I asked the Queen's hand servant, she told me that Inuyasha was in one of the Southern villages." Urami clasped her hands nervously behind her back. "I later heard the queen and her servant talking... apparently Inuyasha has left the island completely. And they don't expect him back from the mainland for a week at least."
Sesshomaru quirked a tight smile on his face. "Is that so?"
Urami nodded quickly.
"And where is Tessaiga?"
"He told me he doesn't like to use it. He likes his own ordinary katana. I think he's left it at the blacksmith."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes, my lord..."
"Good." Sesshomaru stood from his throne and brushed past her. "With Inuyasha gone, and the Tessaiga parted from him, then the South is ours for the taking."
"But what about the wolves?" An advisor asked from beside the throne.
"What about them?" Sesshomaru sneered. "They're all pretty pathetic."
"But their leader..." Urami spoke up. "He's amazingly fast and strong."
"So one good warrior in a motley crew." Sesshomaru wasn't impressed. "Still... Inuyasha is gone... he's the leader - with him gone then Tessaiga won't be used against us. We could stroll up to the gates without much resistance."
Urami gulped visibly as Sesshomaru locked his gaze back on her. "Now... my favourite little spy... go back to the Southern palace and tell them you were off visiting your 'family', yes? But don't worry, you won't be alone soon..."
He turned back to the advisors. "Inform the men to prepare for invasion. We'll move in soon... and we'll destroy everything in our way."
AN: Well you all though Urami was a spy... well... you were right. ^_^ Next chapter - 'For Hate'