InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The Red ❯ Beginning The Journey ( Chapter 1 )

Chapter 1: Beginning the Journey

With a quality of gentle coolness, the wing blew on what was a hot summer's day. All around, creatures lazily sat about in the thick heat of the day. However, the situation was different for a certain youkai lord.

Sesshomaru, who had been traveling non-stop for a day or so, was quickly approaching the borders of his and Inuyasha's lands, where the scent of the little rag-tag group was strongest. One might wonder exactly why he would be approaching the territory of his half-brother. Of course, the first thing to come to mind would be the Tetsaiga. After all, he had spent a large portion of his time trying to acquire the weapon, being that it was rightfully his. However, this time, he had no such motivation.

Truth be told, after that last dream, Sesshomaru decided it was time to put an end to the madness. Desperately, he needed to find out why this woman seemed to forever plague his thoughts. He hoped that by finding the source of this ridiculous fascination, he'd be able to conquer it and rid himself of the consuming thoughts.

Of course, he could not just waltz in their presence and interrogate the wench. No, that would definitely not do. Sesshomaru did indeed, have a plan. He would offer his assistance in finding the rest of those shards that his half-brother and his companions so diligently searched for. He didn't see there being too big of an obsticle in obtaining this little position as he had, after all, assisted them in the defeat of the hanyou Naruku.

During that time, he had been under the misconception that once Naraku was defeated, they'd have the rest of the shards. Alas, it would not come to be, for, though the evil hanyou's portion of the tama was great, he still hadn't found all the shards. After putting the pieces together, Kagome had confirmed this by saying there were at least eight shards left.

Inuyasha had been lavid at this point. He ranted and raved about risking his and his necrophiliac lover's lives to kill Naraku.

Sesshomaru, to say the least, had become angry then. That impudent bastard dared to yell in Kagome's face when it was she who risked her life to save his sorry ass.

Before he could make the inevitable move to rip his half-brother's head off, however, it was she who stepped up to stand against the loathsome hanyou.

~Flashback~

"Inuyasha, you are a selfish bastard, do you know that?"

"Look wench…"

"No, you look. It wasn't just you risking your life against Naraku, this wasn't just your battle. We each had a reason, a need to fight against him and reclaim the honor that he stripped from us. So what if we made a little mistake in calculating the number of shards left. We'll find the rest, and the jewel will be whole again, but not so you can waste it to become full youkai."

"The hell you say, bitch! You know good and well that the Shikon no Tama is rightfully mine to do with like I want!

"Listen, and listen good, Inuyasha. I am the current guardian and protector of the jewel, and I will not allow any more lives to be taken because it. And I damn sure won't allow the jewel to be tainted because of your insecurities and self-consciousness. So fucking deal with it," she growled, leveling her unwavering gaze upon him, daring him to retaliate.

"Feh. Whatever," was his response, as per usual, as he jumped into the higher branches of a near-by tree to sulk away the day.

~End Flashback~

The red that had been leaking into Sesshomaru's eyes at the mere thought of the argument began to recede, melding back into their original molten gold.

Inuyasha might have been dead had not Kagome chose that time to intervene. Yet, to this day, the reason for such feelings still succeeds in eluding him. As said before, this was the reason he was purposefully trying to encounter the group. He needed to know why this woman affected him so deeply. More importantly, why was he not resisting?

*****

In a massive, lush tree nearby, a figure awoke abruptly, back ram-rod straight, senses spreading about the immediate area and a little beyond like a spider's web, trying to find exactly what it was that called for such immediate alertness even in the thickness of sleep.

Kagome stood, wrapping her arms around a still sleeping fox kit, careful not to jar him awake with any sudden movements.

They'd been resting on one of the higher branches of the tree, making it easier to watch over their companions below while Inuyasha was away hunting for breakfast. It seemed such a position came in quite handy at the moment as Kagome began sniffing the air.

Almost instantly, her eyes flutter closed, deeply inhaling the fine, distinctly masculine scent of sandal wood, parchment, and something else, something indiscernible and mysterious.

"Sesshomaru?"

Confused, Kagome let out a tendril of her power, focusing on the aura in the same area as the scent.

It exuded power and nobility, yet, it was permeated with a fierce sense of sadness and lonliness hidden under a mask of cold indifference and frigidity.

Yes, it was definitely Sesshomaru she sensed, and he seemed to be heading straight for their camp. But what could he want with them. It couldn't be the Tetsaiga; Inuyasha wasn't in camp, and Sesshomaru could have easily found him. And it couldn't be that be that he'd want to kidnap them or something stupid of that nature; Sesshomaru thought himself too noble for such acts of cowardice. But if all that was true, exactly what did he want?

'Well,' Kagome thought as she descended the tree, branch by branch until her booted feet silently touched the ground, 'only one way to find out.'

End Chapter 1