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Unexpected Endeavors	By : Scottishfae Category: InuYasha > Het - Male/Female > Sessh?maru/Kagome > Sessh?maru/Kagome Views: 70551 -:- Recommendations : 4 -:- Currently Reading : 5
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Chapter List
- 17
- 18
- 19
Unexpected Endeavors
scottishfae

Arc 2: Of Grief
Chapter 17: Anger

Kagome and Cho were sitting in the garden having tea. The cooks had provided them with speared dango that Kagome was happily munching on. Sango’s mood since the rest of the group left had soured again. She still spent time with Kagome, but spent more and more out in the surrounding area training. Shippo would occasionally join her.

“I had very limited experience with Sango’s taijiya clan, but I can see they instilled a very high work ethic in their children,” Cho commented.

“Revenge and the hope she can save her brother also drives her. Naraku, who destroyed her clan, also holds her brother a prisoner to his whim.”

Cho hummed. “Revenge is a great, if not destructive, motivator. Love is a much better one. It’s a wonder she stayed here and didn’t set out with the others.”

Kagome looked down at her lap. She had wondered the same thing. When she had made her final decision, she had thought she had been making the best choice by not fighting Sesshomaru on the deal. But now she was wondering how selfish that decision actually had been.

In the distance, Sango stopped her training. Ah-Un was galloping into the clearing. He was heavily injured--a blood trail following him from behind. His left head was a mangled mess; the right was carrying something it its mouth.

“Kagome-san, Cho-san!” The Taijiya called.

The two women immediately stood and ran towards the beast. “What happened to him?” Cho asked.

“Where’s Rin-chan” Kagome asked; desperately looking around.

“It’s Jaken,” Sango identified.

She carefully eased him out of Ah-Un’s mouth and into her arms. “He’s badly hurt. Looks like a lot of blood loss,” Sango assessed.

“Where’s Rin-chan?” Kagome asked again.

Ah-Un snorted in pain with both heads. He tried to move around--to go back--but his body was too badly damaged. His right foreleg gave out under him, and he fell partially to the ground. With great effort, the beast tried to right himself; to continue on, but his body gave out again. There was a loud whine, then a groan, before Ah-Un hit the ground hard in a flurry of dry dirt. Kagome rushed forward to him. He struggled to try and get back up. “No, Ah-Un. Stay down. It’ll be okay.”

She looked to Cho. The inuyoukai had signaled for the few servants there to come to her. She was shouting orders before they had even reached her. “Bring buckets of water, tear bedding into strips. We need to stop his--their--bleeding.”

A hacking noise caught their attention. Cho and Kagome looked at Sango. Jaken was struggling into consciousness. “R-Rin!”

“What happened, Jaken? Where is Rin-chan?” Kagome asked.

She stayed by the exhausted Ah-Un, petting his necks, to calm both him and her. The toad croaked and coughed and wheezed. “H-humans...took,” he explained weakly.

“Humans?” Kagome asked.

“The village east of here,” Cho guessed. “Let’s get him inside. Kagome--send word with one of the guardians in the next barrier to retrieve Sesshomaru. Let him know exactly what is going on.”

Kagome nodded. The servants had arrived and began looking after Ah-Un. She patted his left head gently. “Hold on, Ah-Un. You did such a good job. Now you need to stay alive to see Rin-chan come back to us.”

The beast rubbed his head against Kagome’s hand before lying it back down. The miko jumped up seconds later and ran towards the first barrier. She ignored the indecency of running in a kimono.

The distance seemed miles.

“Um,” Kagome said once she got there.

She realized she really didn’t know how to get their attention. “Excuse me?” She shouted. “I need some help.”

There was a slight movement before a brown-haired inuyoukai showed himself. He bowed low; his eyes adverted even after he stood back straight.

“Um. Hi. Yeah. I need you to fetch Sesshomaru-dono. Tell him Rin-chan has been kidnapped by the village east of here. Jaken and Ah-Un are severely injured. Tell him to hurry!”

The inuyoukai bowed again. “Please, Miko-sama. I will go, but you must stay here. Do not go to find her on your own,” he advised.

“Yes, yes. Please, go!”

The guardian nodded and took off. Kagome held her breath that he would make it quickly.

*
They were making slow progress. Between the five males, the group had tons of sources to tap. Except very few were actually helpful. None of them seemed to know anything. And those that thought they knew had conflicting stories. It was getting annoyiing.

“Something’s coming,” Inuyasha announced.

The other four turned around. Sesshomaru instantly recognized the youki. “I am going to meet him.”

Haru and Inuyasha exchanged looks with each other. This was definitely an oddity. “Man, being a Taiyoukai must be a bitch. You can’t even wander about without having someone come looking for you for something,” Koga commented.

“It’s called responsibility, asshole. Like not running out on your tribe whenever you feel like it, prince.”

“And yet, that’s what Sesshomaru-nii is constantly doing,” Haru commented.

Inuyasha looked at him oddly. Haru shrugged. “It’s the truth. He spends more time wandering about than in the court.”

“Aren’t the Western lands one of the most prosperous of the four directional territories?” Miroku observed.

Again the inuyoukai shrugged. “It is debatable if Sesshomaru-nii is the reason behind that prosperity.”

Inuyasha growled. It wasn’t like he was particularly happy defending the eldest brother, but he was certain Sesshomaru was still the power source that drove this area. Plus, of the two, Inuyasha trusted Sesshomaru much more; Haru was just...fishy.

A force slammed into the four; surprising them all. They turned to Sesshomaru. “Shit, he must be pissed to give off this much youki,” Koga commented.

Inuyasha had already taken off to the Taiyoukai. He was there in a matter of seconds. The others following at a slower pace. “What’s wrong?”

Red eyes turned to look at him. “They have taken Rin.”

“Calm down. Who took her? Where is this news coming from?”

“Miko-sama sent me,” the guardian explained. “Sesshomaru-dono’s retainer came back near death. He was managed to explain that the girl had been taken by the humans in the eastern village.”

“And Kagome? You didn’t let her go after her? ‘Cause she would do something that stupid.”

“Miko-sama said she would stay.”

Inuyasha snorted. “Yeah, right.”

“I am going to collect Rin,” Sesshomaru stated.

He had calmed himself down enough so that his eyes had turned back to their usual antique gold colour. “Fine. Don’t kill...too many, at least. Kagome wouldn’t like that.”

“No one shall be forgiven for kidnapping my ward.”

Inuyasha shrugged. “Just sayin’. You’re the one who has been trying to smooze Kagome, and this will pretty much ruin your chances.”

The Taiyoukai looked at his youngest brother with a calculating eye. He said nothing on the subject. “Return to the estate and make sure Kagome is safe.”

The hanyou nodded. He turned to address the other males. “Koga, go on ahead. Scout the area to make sure Kagome hasn’t already left--or for some indication of a trap. Miroku--you up for some running?”

“I’ll only slow you down. I’ll go on ahead. There are a couple of human villages that I can check for rumours. I’ll wait for you to return there.”

Inuyasha nodded then turned to Haru. “You--you go with Sesshomaru and make sure he doesn’t destroy everything.”

“I do not require a chaperone.”

“Maybe not, but you’re getting one. ‘Cause I don’t want the bastard tagging along with me.”

Miroku snorted. “Up until then you were starting to sound very--”

“Like a son of our father,” Sesshomaru cut in.

Inuyasha twisted around and started at the Taiyoukai. his brows knit as he tried to figure out the meaning. It was almost as if Sesshomaru was being...nice.

“Let’s go,” the Taiyoukai commanded; he and Haru departed moments later.

“Go,” Inuyasha commanded Koga.

“Good luck,” the monk commented.

Inuyasha nodded to his friend. “I think Sesshomaru will need it more.”

Miroku clasped Inuyasha’s shoulders. “See you,” he said simply before walking in their original direction. Inuyasha took off back towards the Momoiro Estate. He had a bad feeling about this.

**

Aiko was eating her meal in silence. She often did. Kiyoshi was always the more talkative, but his conversation always ebbed when the food was actually being consumed. Today a strained tension also hovered over the odd couple. They sat side by side; directly across from the newly ‘rescued’ girl.

But Rin didn’t show any signs of appreciation for their efforts. She hadn’t said a word since returning from the mid-wife. Instead, she just sat there and glared. “Are you sure she isn’t telling the truth?” Kiyoshi whispered. “She obviously has Sesshomaru-dono’s glare down.”

Aiko rolled her eyes at the her husband. “There is obviously something wrong with the girl. Whoever heard of a youkai taking care of a human child? Much less Sesshomaru, of all youkai.”

“But,” Kiyoshi argued. “Hanyou exist--and even Sesshomaru-dono’s father fell in love with a human.”

The woman snorted. “You live too much in fantasy. As if a youkai could ever fall in love. I’ve never seen on that possessed the ability.”

Kiyoshi dipped his head down. Knowing better than to continue arguing with his wife. He looked at the girl with pity.

Suddenly, there was a loud crash outside. Another crash was heard quickly following, this time accompanied by screams and calls for Aiko.

The woman put down the pot she was holding, and walked towards the door. “Keep her safe, Kiyoshi-kun,” she commanded.

Outside was a mess. A cloud of rubble at the north side of the village obscured the fields that lay beyond it. “What’s going on?” Aiko asked a fleeing woman.

Two of her watchers ran up to her; the civilian woman continue to run frightened from the scene. “Aiko--” they stammered. “It’s the Taiyoukai!”

There was a second of panic that coursed through the woman’s veins. She shoved it from her mind. “Hina-san,” she began, seeing the other woman jogging up to her too. “Stay with Kiyoshi-kun and the girl.”

The woman nodded and entered the potter’s home. “Everyone else, split into your teams. Take the civilians to the southeast safety zones. The rest accompany me north.”

One of the male watchers handed her a long spear. She nodded her thanks. Waiting a few seconds to assure the civilians were being taken care of, she took a deep breath, and stepped forward. Without looking, she knew that behind her other watchers were stepping forward with her.

More buildings shuttered and shattered under the invisible assault. Aiko approached the disaster; hiding away her fear. Youkai could smell it; she needed hide it well. “Leave this village, Taiyoukai,” she yelled into the debris cloud.

The air went still. The anger that was already present in the air stiffened and amplified. Aiko repeated herself. From the cloud of dust and debris, two inuyoukai stepped out. There was no mistaking the current Western Taiyoukai. Despite the dirt that was flying around, he was pristine in his white clothing. His eyes shone a pale red. The youkai next to him, dressed oddly in blue and brown, was obviously of some relation.

“Where is Rin?”

There was no hint of anger in his voice; just pure malice.

“The little girl is none of your concern. Now get out of this village!”

Sesshomaru’s face cracked; his eyes blazed. The youkai next to him spoke something and the Taiyoukai calmed down again. “I will ask only once more before—“

“Before what? You act like the beast you are? Aren’t you suppose to be nobility?” Aiko spat.

Sesshomaru growled dangerously. “You are brave,” he commented. “Stupid, but brave. Now where is Rin?”

“Why do you want a human girl? What have you done to her?”

Sesshomaru brought up a hand and whipped his wrist back and forth. The building to Aiko’s right exploded into splinters. The watchers behind her ducked and shielded themselves as best as possible. Despite the splinters tearing into her flesh, the strange woman did not move. “Haru,” Sesshomaru spoke. “Go collect Rin.”

“Stop him,” Aiko commanded in return.

“Human, do not push me. I have spared the lives of all humans here upon a request, but I will not be trifled with.”

“By a request from whom?”

“That is none of your concern.”

Aiko scoffed. There was a commotion behind her as several of her watchers struggled to keep the other inuyoukai back.

Under his breath, Sesshomaru groaned about another stubborn woman to deal with. Aiko processed this slowly; thinking back to the travelers who had passed by not too long ago. “Where are the other humans?”

“I know not what you speak of.”

“There were two women and a man. They were being held captive by several youkai and a hanyou. They were heading west, near where we found the girl. What happened to them?”

Haru, who had paused in his avoidance of the humans and their attacks—they weren’t really a match for him anyway—and looked back at his brother. “I think that was us. We were escorting Kagome-chan to the estate.”

“Kagome? The miko? You kidnapped a miko?”

Haru chuckled. The odd girl had definitely made a name for herself. “Stop wasting time, Haru, and collect Rin.”

“Don’t let him near her!”

“This is a futile resistance. I will collect my ward, even if I must destroy your whole village to do so.”

“You said you wouldn’t kill a villager,” Aiko challenged.

“Buildings are not people.”

“But this village is our life’s blood. It would be one and the same.”

“The after effects are not my concern. You need to learn your place.”

He flicked his wrist and another building exploded. The sizzle of the acid of his whip was more pronounced. He was getting angrier the longer he waited.

“This is why we won’t give her to you. An innocent girl should not be with a monster.”

Another building was destroyed. The Taiyoukai was done talking. “Aiko, what should we do? Attack?”

She shook her head, knowing it would be suicidal.

“Please! Stop!” a man cried.

The humans looked back to see Kiyoshi running down the street; a crying Rin cradled in his arms. Hina was running behind him with an apologetic look on her face.

“Kiyoshi-kun, get to the safety zone!” Aiko yelled.

“No! She wants to go back to Sesshomaru-dono. Why let our village be destroyed for keeping her away? We would deserve the punishment.”

“He’s a youkai! And she’s just a child; she doesn’t know—“

Kiyoshi shook his head and put Rin down. Haru was there immediately to pick her back up. He cradled her carefully against his frame. “She’s not injured,” he reported after a quick inspection.

He smiled a little when he heard a little growl. “But I think she’s hungry.”

Sesshomaru nodded. “Take her back. Give her food, and then have Cho take a look at her.”

“Is Jaken-san okay?” Rin whimpered.

“He made it back to the estate,” Haru answered. “Cho-chan and Kagome-chan are taking care of him. He was so worried about you.”

“H-he got hurt because of me,” she wailed.

“Haru, don’t make her cry more. Go. Now.”

Haru hesitated for a second. “Fine, but don’t kill anyone.”

“I will not.”

The younger inuyoukai nodded and took off. Sesshomaru looked down at the humans before him. “For your defiance,” he growled and rushed forward.

Aiko and Kiyoshi’s house was destroyed instantly and two others fell with it. “I will not spare even a single building.”

The woman’s eyes widened. She looked over to Hina. “Tell them to evacuate the civilians into the fields,” she ordered.

Hina and two other watchers nodded and ran off. All they heard as they ran were the rapid toppling of buildings.
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Unexpected Endeavors