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The Great Trial	By : WinterDovane Category: InuYasha > Yaoi - Male/Male > InuYasha/Sessh?maru > InuYasha/Sessh?maru Views: 22203 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 3
Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha and Co nor do I make any money from this fic.

Chapter List
- 8
- 9
- 10
Warning: I do not own InuYasha and Co., nor do I make money off this fic. Please be aware this is a YAOI, boy/boy, male/male, INUCEST (Sess/Yash).
VIII: Might of the Strong
I
From the open doorway, Lady Arikura regards the two on the floor of her personal ritual room. The circle (its' excess energy dispersed by the hanyou's own youkai) holds no dangers, and the room is back to dormancy. The beast in her son has abated, and the youngr pup recovers from the separation without difficulty—it has taken the majority of the day for the hanyou to return to one hundred percent and night is beginning to fall. As she hopes, the energy of the younger's aura is slowly yet certainly settling back into calm patterns. It seems he would not suffer long term effects of such a difficult ritual, or that his youkai would have been damaged from removing a part of scent marker...in actuality, once he hits his maturity, the real power in his blood will manifest, and the West will have quite a weapon on their side.
Watching the two, the lady sighs very gently. Perhaps, well, perhaps she could finally be at ease with her own pup for the first time since he was taken from her arms and left in the woods to fight...or die. The first time she met the adult he had become, here in this tower, moved the lady in a way she did not believe possible. Of course she felt pride in his survival and prowess as a fighter, but his absence from her side is what ultimately drove her from her mate, Touga. His decision to put their offspring through the tradition was her duty as an Elder to carry out. Her secret hatred for him grew into a thick, cancerous mass, one for which forced her to leave his side and his castle. She completed her duty, fully expecting her son's hatred for her upon their first true meeting. However, his accusations still added to the pain in her heart—Sesshomaru would grow to forgive his sire, of whom doomed him to exile, but would never have a kind word for her. She sacrificed her son's affection for tradition's sake, and it would leave a bitter taste for the remainder of her life.
His disdain for her only compounded when she came to take the hanyou child and his mother from the Western Castle, once again earning nothing but hatred for the sake of her late mate's wishes. It was the only time in eight hundred years that she actually feared for her life. Her son's rage scorched the servants around him, and two of her fellow elders were felled by his poison and his sword. He struck them down, but did not raise his hand to her, less than a few feet from the bodies.
"You would take all this Sesshomaru has, and cast it out into the world that curses its' very conception. Truly, woman, you are the epitome of vanity and shame. Not an ounce of maternial compassion exists within your breast."
"...it is because I am to honor your father's wishes and the path he wishes both his sons travel that I will deny my maternal love and, instead, take the role of villan. It is not for you to decide your brother's fate, Lord of the West, but for his tribulations to determine the ruler he should someday become."
Her only hope manifested when he sought her out for the Mediou, and to save a human child, no less! Even with that mask of indifference mixed with disdain, his eyes had changed. This, her first sight of him in four hundred years, and she knows her son is no longer the coldly distant monarch she once believed him to be. Hope, her hope, would not die out, not now that the younger is finally through the trial alive. Besides, who knew what the smart-mouth, brash young hanyou might do to change his sibling for the better. They might make an exceptional ruling pair after all, but only time would tell. Her difficult decisions to carry out Touga's will had hopefully led them for the better.
However, she once would have said that Touga would have ruled for a millennia and join the council. Yet, her strong previous mate had been felled by a simple human—not a great warrior of human lore—but a simple samurai. It would then be simple fate that a hanyou would eventually be the downfall of her own son as the offspring falls not far from the sire.
Lady Arikura finally feels the burden of her age as well as the curse she and the other Elders agree to bare by influencing the present. Their own lives become secondary to the needs of the country. In the shadows of the door, the great sorceress seems to falter.
II
The Elders can damn well wait. The Lord of the motherfucking West silently demands time for his younger brother to collect himself before they would be moved. The swine could stand in the doorway all night for all it mattered to him; yet, should one of them nudge a dainty foot over the thresh hold of that door, and he would actually be happy to show them how easily he slaughtered two previous Elders without even breaking a sweat. And oh, oooohhh did he momentarily hope for one of them to move or speak; his whip and poison would be finales, slow ends for the bastards that crossed him and his kin.
The four, however, seem to be respecting the invisible line (or fear his demonic energy breaking loose). Whichever. With his recovering brother still shaking with a cleaner scent finally in his arms, this Sesshomaru couldn't possibly give a flying fuck. His gaze remains focused on the curled bundle of red in his lap—InuYasha's attempt at caving in on himself after the intense shock to his system. The minute trembling of his strained muscles combined with his own experience tells him more than he already knows about the effects of the spell—this ritual took longer than his own. Unlike human magic, demonic magic has more impact since demons have their own source power, youkai, to pour into a spell or curse while humans needed to harness the power of nature or of their own Gods in the case of monks and mikos.
However, amalgamate a demon's blood as well as the youkai of several extremely powerful Elders (added in the hanyou's stubbornness that probably caused the scent to be resistant for removal), trauma and exhaustion are predictable results. The true question remains: would he be forever scarred? Would his own senses reject his new scent?
Lord Sesshomaru knows from personal experience that the removal of the scent marker is also in the dangerous realm of demonic magic; a practice few truly master partly due to eventual insanity of sorcerers and sorceresses that believe themselves to be some sort of deities after prolonged exposure. More so, demon magic is often used for twisted and nefarious purposes, and stories of backlash have kept practicioners of magic to few that are heavily trained before they are loosed upon the world. Finally, the effects of the removal, like all demon magic, have a costly consequence on the body and mind of the weak. Some did not regain themselves afterwards—the shock of their own scent changed was too much for their senses, especially since inu relied on scent for identification.
It is Sesshomaru's slight fear for the hanyou. Strong-willed and obstinate as he is, he should be fine. But, there is always a chance...
InuYasha sighs and his muscles begin to uncoil. After a moment, he seems to become aware of his surroundings once again...he doesn't even have to open his eyes to realize where the hell his ass is planted.
Faster than Sesshomaru has ever seen him move, the hanyou jerks away so hard and fast, he lands halfway across the room in a crouch before the elder can do more than blink (it's a bluff, however, the demon lord can smell the adrenaline that sudden kicked in and knows the boy will probably fall over if he really has to fight at that moment). Trying to look as non-threatening as possible, Sesshomaru keeps quiet and merely waits for the younger to speak—pointedly ignoring the annoying parasites hovering in the doorway to watch the show. He keeps the calm façade, but his insides churn with the bitter flavor of the past.
Kneeling on the damned stone floor, bile still rose in his throat. The ritual has been hours of torture, and he has come through it, finally. It feels like his skin has been pulled off slowly, but no bleeding, raw wounds remain. It is his very spirit that has been peeled, and he has no idea how long he has lain here, trying to get his breath back and healing in the aftermath. Fighting the urges of nausea has taken at least twenty minutes; he doesn't really understand it's his own changed scent that sickens him so violently. The younger Sesshomaru made every effort to swallow his morning rabbit back down in his gut. Vomiting in front of the Inu no Taisho was not acceptable: no weaknesses could be shown. So, he just concentrated on breathing and staying upright even though his arms are shaking like an infant's. It took him a few minutes to manually re-orient his surroundings and senses while coping with the change in his own scent and the violation of his person the ceremony forced.
Movement.
The silver head snapped up as his hackles immediately rise, low growls already reverberating in his chest. Touga paused in coming forward and held up both palms in a non-threatening gesture of peace. For the first time in his memory, his father is not wearing any swords...or an expression of neutrality. His father's face, the concern made Sesshomaru forget about the sickness and straighten, his growl trickled away, but he remains wary. The Inu no Taisho continued to move slowly forward to finally kneel down less than a few feet in front of the son that despised him. Golden eyes met, Sesshomaru scrutinizing while the elder inu took him in from head to foot. He is already prepared for a spew of taunts and hatred.
However:
"You have made your father proud... so very proud, my son."
The words Sesshomaru had been pining for fell from his father's lips. Here, on this floor, he finds redemption... Salvation! Deliverance from being the stain to his bloodline, release from exile. His father really came to rescue him from the wilderness? Sesshomaru caught a sharp breath, his eyes mysteriously stinging. Only in his years as a young pup can he even recall crying, and the sensation is so utterly alien, he glanced down at his hands to be sure his own poisen wasn't oozing from his fingertips to cause his eyes to water. But no. Nothing.
To his utter shame, the breath ended in a half-sob, half-whine. His chest felt too tight, and he automatically panicked. No one could see such weakness; his humiliation was complete. Whirling to his feet, Sesshomaru stood with his back to his father and gathered back his iron-clad control before making his father regret freeing him from this forced trial.
Taisho stood immediately, one hand already reaching out for his only offspring.
"The pain will pass," the dulcet tones of Lady Arikura's tone cut through the father/son moment and the younger inu could turn to look at them both. Near mirror images of stillness, and he reflected them both...
Reality is back, somewhat. The hanyou is finally filling his lungs in a wheezing gasp, staring at his elder brother and taking in the few seconds in which the lord's face is less than still. His eyes, Sesshomaru's eyes are wide and... and sad? Two days ago I didn't know that dirty bastard even had facial expressions other than pissed, pissed off, and royally pissed off, and now I might actually believe he's not a total cocksucker! The bastard's emotional side has surfaced again, too many times in such a short time that InuYasha is figuratively floored.
Meanwhile, unbeknownst to him, the expression on his own face is as clos to broken as he's been since his mother's death: ears drooping, eyes full to overflowing of so many emotions, mouth drawn into a tight line. He wants to believe, Gods how he wants to believe! The only thing the hanyou has ever had faith in is his own claws and his innate sense of right and wrong—his knowledge of what is honorable and his refusal his baser desires that would really make him what everyone always claimed him to be: a filthy, disgustin, bastard half-breed. It was fine before now, perfectly fucking fine to believe in only himself and his fighting skills (well, later, much later, he gave a little, teeny bit of trust to that ragtag pack of humans). But now, now, he wants to look into Sesshomaru's twisted face and be able to trust its' sincerity. His instincts scream for the chance to have his family; but, the past would never go away. His mind and warrior's heart war within. The forces of demon and human again tear him apart as he stares into his brother's eyes and fight his instinct to strike out.
With his own eyes, he'd witness the demon—the instinctual responses—in his older brother rise to the surface and come to his aid. For the first time in his cursed existence, his sibling acted actually like it.
The hanyou's mind reels with implications once his sense come back; if his brother's instincts reacted like that...then this trial bullshit is real. Had to be, right? His brother didn't hate him, didn't want him dead, didn't want his sword. It's a first, but Sesshomaru aiding him, concerned for him, is one of those deeply buried yearnings in the hanyou's subconscious. Besides, if Sesshomaru wanted the sword, he could have lifted it in the last ten minutes instead of holding InuYasha in his lap like a puppy. But again, the hanyou had imagined this occurrence, fantasized the "what if's" in his life if Sesshomaru had been there to be his brother rather than his source of misery. What if he'd been born a full-blooded demon? God, would he have gotten mixed up with Kikyo and the cursed Jewel? Would he have been sealed away..?
The young demon's chest aches, and not from the ritual nor from his new, cleaner scent (one that makes the inside of his nose itch). Fuck, the hanyou has to blink fast as the realization finally slams into the strongly-built, pre-conceived notions of his life. The world comes crumbling apart at his feet as reality shifts dramatically, here, in this white tower. If it's real, I'm not a fucking failure...an honorless exile... Sesshomaru wouldn't have hunted me if he didn't give a fuck about me. He wouldn't have brought me here if he didn't want me...right?
In reactions, InuYasha's eyes sting slightly (just like that time when he thought everyone was dead at the hands of the Band of Seven); in reaction, he completely freaks-the-fuck-out.
Whirling to his feet, the hanyou has to turn away for a moment so Sesshomaru doesn't see him pansy out with water in his eyes. That would totally kill any self-respect he had for himself.
Think manly thoughts, think manly thoughts, think manly thoughts... Slaughtering Ryukotsusei, killing spiders so Kagome wouldn't scream and make my ears bleed, being poisoned, smacking around ogres, knocking Shippo in the head, cutting off the bastard's arm, using the Wind Scar for the first time, saving Kagome time and time again, the monk's perverted hand, Sango knocking the shit out of him, watching Kouga get beat a few times before I saved his furry ass...
"InuYasha,"
Fuck! He's right behind me.
More together, he turns with hands in his sleeves to hide the fact he is slightly shakin, "Keh! So, it's over, big damned deal. When do we leave?"
The demon lord softens as respect and pride swell in him so that he finally gives the hanyou a very small, almost not there, smile, making the younger's eyes widen to the size of dinner plates. "Little brother... this Sesshomaru—I—am so very proud of you."
That's it, mother-fucker! Why didn't the bastard just fucking pull his act-like-a-bitch switch? Those few words touch a place in him that none have ever seen, a place that never expected to be reality: the place that has gained his brother's acceptance. The hanyou's face heats even more and the damn water is back.
Instinctual reaction takes over, and the overwrought inu intuitively draws back and yells to cover his intense feelings, "who the fuck are you trying to kid?" Deep breath in, "proud of a hanyou? Proud of your bastard brother?" Kami, kami, I'm dreaming, I'm under a spell...No, he's got all this magic here, for what real purpose? It could be like with the un-Mother; he needs the magic circle to negate Tetsuaiga's barrier! Maybe he needs me to give up ownership to him! Well, fine, mother-fucking, fine!
Sesshomaru's golden eyes widen a fraction, one hand coming up to stop the tirade, but InuYasha jerks further away, already pulling Tetsuaiga still in its' sheath from his sash. Ignoring the part of him that sees the sword as an extention of his father, he throws it at his brother's feet with a flick of the wrist. The motion shields his fast blinking to keep the liquid from spilling down his cheeks.
"There! There it fucking is! You want it, asshole? You take the goddammed thing, I'll give it to you! It's yours now. It's what you want, what you've always wanted! Now stop playing this fucked-up game. Great trial bullshit, my ass!" I can't take anymore almost spills out of his mouth, but his pride bites down. He just watches with teeth bare and fists by his sides—if the bastard doesn't take the sword, well, if he doesn't take it...then maybe...maybe...
Sesshomaru looks down at Tetsuaiga, the remains of his father, and back up to his sibling, his brother. What would Father do to make him believe...? His whole life of pain, and it all comes down to the gift Father made to protect his youngest son. Why did this Sesshomaru have to start this nonsesnse with the fang in the first place? Nnh, necessity, that is why.
With his face smoothed into calm lines, the demon lord pointedly reaches down and places a single fingertip on the hilt of the mighty weapon. His eyes, however, stay on his younger brother's face...as the barrier of Tetsuaiga does not react to his touch and burn him.
The hanyou's jaw drops in slack-mouthed surprise. The single finger becomes his hand grasping the hilt, and a surge of nostalgia strikes him in the chest. Tetsuaiga could not give him the same connection to his father as holding this piece, the one that was meant to protect. His gaze darts to it briefly in a moment of pain, but he comes a few steps closer to the red-faced hanyou. His hand falters a bit but still reaches out to turn the sword around and offer it hilt-first to his purified kin,
"No games. No swords. No lies."
The two stand, staring each other down, with Tetsuaiga hovering between them.
Finally, the hanyou's eyes dart down and back up to his brother. "The minute I do, you're gonna shove your arm through my gut again, ain't ya?" But, from the look in that son of a mangy bitch's eyes, InuYasha knows better and his voice has a hoarse catch, like he knows the truth.
"Take it and find out for yourself."
Hesitantly, InuYasha begins to do just that, wrapping his fingers around the hilt.
Sesshomaru moves then, too fast for the eye, and is wrapped around his younger brother before the latter could escape. The embrace is secure but not crushing, not painful. A clawed hand strokes down the length of InuYasha's hair, and Sesshomaru's cheek is nuzzling against his own in an attempt to soothe the distraught hanyou. The other hand rubs calming circles on his back. The chest InuYasha is pressed against vibrates with a gentle purring, and the Tetsuaiga clatters, abandoned on the floor. InuYasha's chest flutters frantically as he tries to breathe, but... strangely enough, he doesn't fight to jerk away. His arms can't shove Sesshomaru away, not with the calming motion of his hair being stroked...just like Mother used to do when he was a little pup. Only memories of his mother could make him feel accepted and...safe.
Before long, the hand in his hair finds the triangular ears and starts scratching the base of first one and then the other. It had a desired effect in that the hanyou's knees knock together and a strange feeling races up his spine. The tight muscles in his back and arms, the tension and intense distrust is being slowly replaced with a warm and tingly feeling the hanyou has never experienced—not even with Kagome.
"This Sesshomaru has never wanted the sword, little brother. Only you. Only you." The demon lord haunches over the younger and lays his face in the crown of InuYasha's hair. The younger sucks in a painful breath at the feel of something wet on his ear. Not spit or blood or a lick. Oh gods... His own eyes are overflowing again, and he can't wipe them away since the bastard is holding him too tight.
"Never again you be given up to the wilds. This lord will do what he can to make you believe in him—no matter how long it takes." That voice, the one InuYasha expected to send him to the afterlife with disgust and hatred, wobbles. Sesshomaru doesn't care about the Elders in this moment, doesn't care that his stinging eyes spill over, and doesn't care that his brother can smell the salt in the air between them. His inner instincts purr with contentment; his constant state of unfullfillment is easing at this very moment.
"You just need me untainted to fight the war, so your men don't attack me, you sonofabitch" the younger grasps at straws with desperation. If he can pick this situation apart, then he could keep his dignity, fight in the war, and tell Sesshomaru to go fuck himself later.
"You do not need to fight for the West or for this lord. The impending war was used as an excuse to free you from exile." The voice is thick.
"Gods...Gods...This—This is real..." InuYasha's voice chokes.
"Yes, my brother. Yes. This is real."
Pride be damned. Like a dam falling, his shield of brash strength falls. The young hanyou finally, finally, sobs in earnest; two hundred years of pain begins to wash away and the seeds of a new beginning sprout in the heart of a warrior.
III
"He needs a few moments, then he and this Sesshomaru will go."
The young hanyou is overlooking the sea from the Elder's balcony, white hair blowing in the breeze. The demon lord understands the need for a few moments of solitude to collect one's thoughts and stands back in the sanctuary, content to watch. The only annoyance in this perfect moment is standing slightly behind him just as calm and serene as she could be. However, the demon lord has more pressing matters to worry about than his bearer. In his light form, he is fast enough to get InuYasha back to the Western Palace and settled in a locked room (safely away from any enemies and guarded around the clock) with enough time to make the battleground.
His thoughts are interrupted:
"The young one is not ready." Something about his mother's voice is strange—different than her usual demeanor. The demon lord's eyes slide to catch her profile out of his peripherial view.
"This Sesshomaru's nose works perfectly well."
Slight pause and a sigh. "I have... a solution for him."
Not a good one, that is for certain. "One of your many "kindnesses," Mother?"
"Not one that will prove to be once he reaches full Heat. It is a potion. One that will give him seven days and seven nights without symptoms; the drawback is that his Heat will be twice as intense one the effect wears off." She moves with a swish of her kimono to face him. "I will give him this since he desires to fight the invaders for your lands."
Unconsciously, a snarl curls Sesshomaru's upper lip, "there will be time for other wars. He is still young yet."
Her son's dismissal irks the Elder, but she merely changes the subject. "Has he any prospects to ease his Heat now or would you leave him in agony until the fighting is finished?" Her sarcasm touches the animal in her son that is still raw with regaining its kin. His eyes churn with hatred as he slowly turns to give her the full blast of his gaze.
"He can be given a potion to make him sleep through the first heat, and this elder brother will tend to him when the fighting eases—not that you need concern yourself with him." The bitterness in his voice makes her eyes widen. Even brought here for the end of his own trial, Prince Sesshomaru has always been emotionless as a winter storm. This attitude is a different side to him she has longed to witness for the majority of his life.
"I do not hate your father's second son." She states slowly, bluntly.
Sesshomaru scoffs, "what lies you speak, as though it matters."
"I only hated the boy's mother for taking your affections from me, my son." The admission is as bitter on her tongue as poison berrys used to make love potions, but if she is hopeful for a relationship with him, then the truth must come to light. They must be able to meet on some kind of grounds.
"There is no one to blame for this occurrence but you," he spins on her, "Lady Izayoi showed this Sesshomaru the first female kindness of his life. She is the one that deserved the title 'Mother,' and you cast her from the Western Lands out of spiteful jealousy."
"And you believe I would do so, my son? That I would dishonor tradition for my personal feelings?" The Lady Arikura asks gently.
"You would cast your own offspring out into the wilderness. Why not do so to the Inu no Taisho's half-breed son because he turned from you to a human female?" The lord counters.
"And yet, now that you know your father's wishes, my son. Do you still hate your mother for taking Izayoi from your household?"
"You are unworthy of this Sesshomaru's hatred. His scorn, his disappointment, and his ambivalence, yes." Well-told lies. Did he hate her for taking his pseudo-mother even at his father's request?... Yes. Yes, he did. As an Elder, she had the power to refuse the Trial, to keep his brother home in the West.
Her shoulders drooping an inth surprises the demon lord—perhaps he is merely seeing things. "I see...Then, perhaps you will accept this gift from your mother as a bridge to the gap we have suffered." Her dainty and deceptively tiny hand holds out a simple silver flask. "Have him take half of the potion as soon as possible. Then the final half when his symptoms start to manifest yet again."
In his own exile and later position as a ruler, Sesshomaru knows the subtles to trickery and subterfuge. "How does this lord know you do not seek his brother's demise under the guise of aid?"
She does not flinch at the accusation, but it is an effort, "all of my kindnesses come with a price, Lord Sesshomaru, as you must have realized when I opened the Mediou for your child—yes, I opened it, but it was up to you to save her and only your compassion for her allowed the stone to bring her back from the afterlife. This is no different than that time. I give this to your hanyou in exchange for the excess time I kept him in exile...and for our part in the rise of the demon Naraku to be his ultimate test. For that pain, of the priestess Kikyo's death and his seal to the God Tree, I would offer this small respite. Besides, I would gain nothing from the hanyou's death but would actually regain a bit of my honor for finally coming to his aid. Therefore, take this or do not, my son."
Long moments of his eyes narrowing on her, gauging her answer. Finally, without thanking her, Sesshomaru sweeps the flash from her palm and strides away to leave her staring at his back. There is no need for idle threats should the potion prove poisonous for his sibling; two hundred years of appeals to bring InuYasha home assures her how important the young half-breed is to him. No, Lady Arikura knows the penalty. Rather than focus on that distasteful woman, Sesshomaru fixes his eyes on the vision in red before him—the natural scent of forest and sun, wind and rain, clean and crisp—floods his senses against the heavy aroma of an inu youkai's oncoming heat phase. Again, the demon lord is caught up in his little brother's freedom.
He moves to stand by the younger's side at the balcony's edge, watching the tide roll in to crash against the shore.
The red tint to InuYasha's cheeks is not phased by the icy winds blowing off the sea and blowing his silver hair; the symptoms are getting worse. Judging by the scent, the hanyou would have less than two days before the full onslaught weakens him physically. It would not be prudent to mince words or waste time.
"How fare you, little brother?"
The younger turns, ears crook with puppy-ish innocence. His eyes and expression, however, tell a different story. The golden gleam has aged so much in such a short time. Less than two days (two eventful days!) have passed since the younger was plucked from the wilds, and the demon lord firmly reminds himself to respect the torturous last few years InuYasha has suffered without a pack.
"Dealing." Deep breath, "this—well..." He absently scratches behind his ear in a reflex action.
"It is a great deal to cope with, this Sesshomaru understands." Slowly, he takes a few steps closer, immediately noticing the younger flinches automatically and his hand hovers over the hilt of Tetsuaiga. Very gently, "As your brother has sworn, he will not harm you anymore. This Sesshomru is a demon of his word, and this is no trick."
Another deep breath, "yeah, yeah... Sorry about that but—"
"It will take time," the elder replies in the same tone, "you have been trained the majority of your life to fight your brother. All these years of anger and reactions will not ease within a day or a few or even longer... You and this lord will have time to forge a new relationship as brothers instead of enemies." Slowly, giving InuYasha time to step back or away, Sesshomaru lifts one striped arm and lays the palm of his hand against InuYasha's cheek. The younger one's eyes widen a bit as the thumb swipes over his face and no claws sink into his skin. Just as easy, the taller demon leans down to press his forehead against the other's.
All the heat building under InuYasha's skin comes to the fore while he stares up into a face that is not so different, yet is, than the one he is used to dealing with. The mask of cold calm is there, but his brother's eyes are not the same he is used to seeing. The act of giving back Tetsuaiga has made the hanyou re-live key moments in his life when he questioned Sesshomaru's real intents. Well, the asshole was right about one thing, coming here did answer some of the questions he's always had.
The block of emotion in his chest from the last day of pain and revelations keeps him rooted to the spot, his forehead pressed against his brothers'. Part of the reason he came outside is to try cooling his feverish skin and rid himself of the increasing ache in his spine. His other symptoms could be backlash from having the scent marker removed: the ache in his skull, tingling in his chest, arms, and hands. He can even pass the fever off as this whole trial thing coming to a close. But, staring up at Sesshomaru makes him forget all that crap and actually have a bit of hope that they could really have a chance at working things out...
I have left you in the darkness long enough...
Die...
You are safe in my care, this Sesshomaru swears it...
Taint to our Father's great lineage...
Nothing like this shall occur again...
You will never be anything but a pathetic stain in this Sesshomaru's bloodline...
No lies...
Your death will be at this Sesshomaru's hands, half-breed...
Panic wells up abruptly and the hanyou steps back abruptly, unable to take his brother's golden eyes full of acceptance and serenity rather than hatred and disdain.
"There will be ample time," the elder repeats, "and this Sesshomaru will try to be as patient as possible." The animal side of his whines at this sentiment; it wants to hold their sibling, roll about in his purified scent, and feel the touch of kin once more. The demon lord, however, can deny his inu urges for the good of his brother's well-being.
"...Thanks." InuYasha sighs, rubbing his neck in an attempt to nonchalantly alleviate the strange tingling. "Should we get going or something? I mean, these guys probably don't like me too much after all the crap I said to them in there...and, uh, keh, I kinda destroyed their book collection."
It has been a long day, and Sesshomaru does not wish to stay here long enough to demand an explanation of the battle between his brother and mother. More so, a glance at the horizon only shows the final vestiges of the sun disappearing over the mountains. There will be ample chances for the re-telling another day. "There is time for setting up a camp for the night, if that is agreeable?"
The hanyou nods slightly, "good plan. Tomorrow we can start out for the shoreline and get this fighting shit over with. A nice war might be what I need right about now."
"Hn," the weight of the flask in Sesshomaru's haori reminds him that talk needs to happen before getting to the battle ground. "Fighting will help for a while."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
The demon lord turns to face the landscape, subtly giving an elegant shrug, "after...After this Sesshomaru was released from exile, all he desired was to fight. However, it did nothing. Before, fighting proved your brother was stronger, faster, more capable of surviving regardless of what the great General said. Afterwards, fighting did not aid in cope with Father's acceptance or the change. Fighting did not mean the same, nor did it give any reprieve for the anger."
Who woulda thought, me and Sesshomaru actually talking like this? Curious and not wanting this moment of peace to end, he asks, "What changed for you...well, between you and the old man?"
Sesshomaru's head turns for just a moment so that their golden eyes met before he looks gently away, "In all truth...your mother...played quite a part in bridging the gap between Father and son."
The younger catches a breath, staring incredulously.
"...This Sesshomaru was never comfortable with the Inu no Taisho, even after the exile was over. He fought beside the general, learned from the general, made political decisions with the general, ruled along side the general...but could not be at ease in the general's presence. Not until Father met your mother and brought her to the Western Palace did this Sesshomaru believe he was sincere in his claim of paternal feelings. Lady Izayoi...is the one that convinced your brother of his father's authenticity."
The younger couldn't have been more surprised if he'd been hit by a flying monk with a tainted hand, "Ka-san?" Maybe he was serious about not hating Mother.
"Indeed. Lady Izayoi...was the first female to show this Prince of the West any true kindness." The voice of his bad-ass demon lord brother is too soft, and InuYasha arches brow. "She is one of the few humans that has earned the respect of this lord."
... Maybe, her death makes him sad too, but som'more stuff makes sense now. "She never spoke a cruel word against you. Always wondered why."
"Now you know...Someday, this Sesshomaru will tell you much about the past—before and shortly after your birth. Not now, but some day."
The younger nods, hopeful that his older brother will keep his word—in more ways than one.
IV
The two inus had set up camp far from the ivory tower, had hunted dinner for a certain starving hanyou, and had a roaring fire before Sesshomaru told the younger of his slight problem.
"Heat? Feh, that's why I've been fevering and stuff..." InuYasha, sitting comfortably against the trunk of a tree, watches the fire burn rather than meet Sesshomaru's eyes. The slight tinge of embarrassment at the subject matter makes him slightly pissed off...oddly enough, who knew his brother would actually be the one to talk to him about his maturity? "It won't be a problem; I'll take care of it after the battle."
Since leaving the Elder's place, InuYasha has been fighting his own body every step of the way. With the scent marker gone and residual magic still affecting him, his senses are extremely off base. At first, standing on that balcony with Sesshomaru behind him, he felt a very real thrill of fear that maybe his scenses were permantly fucked up somehow since his nose didn't pick up the normal barrage of things around him. His hearing, it seems, is also suffering. No matter how many times he twitches his ears to gather sound, he can't seem to pick up anything further than a half mile. Shit, it took him waaaay too long to find dinner as it was. But, some of his inner anxiety eases when Sesshomaru starts explaining what Heat is and how it affects demons.
But, his trepidation returns when Sesshomaru starts speaking again.
"You are much too close to be able to fight. Facing the Mongols...would prove dangerous to you. Other demons, even those in the Western army, would fight one another for the right to mount or be mounted by you. Combined with demonic blood-lust, one may even mate you...to the death."
Holy shit. He's serious. "Fuck," is breathed softly in reply. "The invaders would be forgotten an'..."
"Yes." Simple.
"...So, how long does Heat last for normal demons? It may not last as long for me since I'm a half-breed. Y' never know, it might not be as intense as full demons." Maybe my senses will get the hell back to normal by the time we get there. Then, I'd be able to defend myself against any fucker that might try to get at me. 'specially one that wants to slit my belly open at the same time.
Sesshomaru shrugs elegantly, "That is uncertain, little brother. You are very late in what this Sesshomaru assumes is your first Heat?"
The hanyou nods, cheeks redder still.
"And are you...untouched? Completely?"
Blink, blink.
"A virgin to both males and females?" The elder specifies.
Does he mean...? Gah, of all the times I've imagined actually talking to this bastard instead of fighting, this is not the shit I wanted to say...
Another nod and deeper blush. "I kissed a girl, twice. That's about it." He's reluctant to admit this much, but the possibility of rape scares him more than he's comfortable disclosing.
"Hn. Unfortunately, kissing is not intercourse, little brother. This will prove to hinder you more than if you had experienced intimacy before this. Most demons hit the first Heat around one hundred fifty years...since you were sealed to Goshinboku, it is possible that is why you are so late in your maturation period. However, the first Heat coupled with the first sexual experience makes the intensity more severe and could last for up to a fortnight in the most extreme cases."
The younger lays his head back and sighs hard. "Dammit..." A fortnight?
"...Do...InuYasha, is there anyone you would prefer to have see you through this time? Anyone you would be—comfortable with intimacy?"
The hanyou's eyes actually meet his brother's; it takes effort for Sesshomaru to remain completely passive and not flinch over the flat look.
"No one in their right mind wants to fuck a half-breed, Sesshomaru. So, if you have a dungeon in the Western Palace or something, I can be locked there. If not, then I'll go to my forest back closer to Edo and hide in a den or go to Miroku and Sango at the Slayer's Village..." the fuck I'd put them in danger, but Sesshomaru doesn't need to know I'd probably just find a well-hidden cave and take my chances.
The demon lord actually sighs and draws InuYasha's attention. "There...is another viable option should you want to take part in the battle."
The hanyou hikes a brow in question.
Sesshomaru pulls the flask from his haori and holds it in the fire light, "this potion will give you more time before the full onslaught of your Heat sets in. If you take half the potion now and half when it begins to wear off, you will be able to fight for about seven days. However, the side effects will have consequences."
The curious hanyou tilts his head with one ear crooking slightly and takes the silver flash.
"Your Heat will be twice as intense if you use this method to postpone it. That is the only problem. You should be thinking of one that may be willing to mate with you when the time comes. There are many of whom you have aided through the years—would not one be willing to give you aid in return?"
Twice as intense? Shit. The younger stares at the small flask engraved with a baying inu in full form. I've suffered intense fevers on my human night, but seven days is going to be a bitch. Don't have any other option though. Hell, if this is just poison, then that solves the whole problem anyway.
"...Keh. Like I said, no one would willingly fuck a half-breed. Son of the General or not, I'm still a taint to his blood line. But, seven days would give me time to get somewhere secure..."
"This Sesshomaru swears he will make certain you are cared for either way, little brother. You do not have to concern yourself; no one will be allowed to harm you against your will." The elder inu is well aware his virginal little brother does not see the double entendre in his words...there would be time later for explanations. Besides, InuYasha's eyes are glued to the offering while his mind works on his next move. Put off the Heat and fight with the West, or refuse the potion and leave now to prepare himself for the worst.
Feh. Death is inevitable anyway. Opening the flask, his eyes remain on the elder as he tips it and drinks deeply.
V
Yao Xin watches his section of soldiers run through their paces; hand to hand combat on one side of the sandy shore and weaponry practice on the other. Should the enemy make it to their shores, it is imperative the infantry already know how to fight on the terrain. Luckily, their forces have reached the shores sooner than they had anticipated and have time to prepare before the two Lords of the West arrive.
Earlier, he and Matsu divided up the soldiers in sections of twenty and had them scour ever inch of beach and rock to become accustomed to the terrain should the invaders actually reach their shores. Sure, close to the castle, the ground is hard-packed earth and dirt, but here the environment is one some have not battled on before. Knowing one's surrounding could prove crucial should the Mongols manage to make it to land.
The world spirals down as a wave of power erupts from the north. It makes the hair on the back of his neck stand up on end, a recognizable youkai.
Matsu, even with his limitations as a human, also knows something is coming. "Assemble!" He yells, "Assemble!" For a human, it's somewhat surprising that super-powerful demons respect him enough to snap to his order and fall in lines according to rank. The shore is covered in soldiers when the huge white dog makes his appearance in the sky, temporarily blocking out the sun in his massive leap. For a moment, Xin has a sharp sting of nostalgia and time rewinds. He sees that same shape snarling, drooling acidic death with the intent to end his life...
He blinks hard and the demonic dog is Sesshomaru, not Touga. Xin lets out a long sigh of relief, jarred back into the here and now.
Holding onto Sesshomaru's fur—transformed Tetsuaiga in hand—InuYasha wants to give in to his inner child and whoop it up. With the landscape tiny below them and the wind rushing through his hair, he feels a sense of childish glee—like he's finally getting to do something his inner child has longed to do for ages. The moment Sesshomaru suggested he transform into his inner dog, the hanyou felt a mixture of fear and excitement. From previous experience, he knew how formidable the bastard was as a towering mutt, but when the next statement assured him he could ride on his brother's back, he suddenly got excited enough that his ears perked.
"Really? I get to ride on your back?"
"This Sesshomaru's true form will give the troops the spirit they need before a fight of this intensity. You may ride upon your brother's back if you wish."
Oh yeah. Fuck, yeah.
He resists the urge to call out, but just barely. His fever and aches left in a rush after swallowing half the bitter contents of the flask; his senses sharpened again, and now he is ready for Ass-kickin-Palooza. He is hungry for battle (the chance to fight now that he no longer has to worry about being exiled and whatnot), invigorated at the chance to prove himself. This is the opportunity for a new start, away from the life of a half-breed bastard cast out of his father's lands. This war is going to be the first step. More so, riding on the transformed dog's back just seems to feed his youkai even more. His skin is itching, his hands tingling to bring Tetsuaiga down on some skulls. At Sesshomaru's mighty leap, the transformed dog howls an ear-splitting call meant to reach the invaders crossing the sea to make sure they realize the Western lands are ready for bloodshed. This call only raises the hanyou's spirit even more... This is what it feels like, to be part of something...
Landing on the beach before his men, Sesshomaru regally stands in full form with the half moon on his forehead radiating deep, violet light. His red eyes sweep the assembled soldiers with calculating thought, resting on the dragon riders and sections of elementals standing at attention. The boats have not been launched as of yet and line the shore in preparation. In the trees behind him, deeper in the sparse trees, the birds of prey caw in subdued tones—aware a real predator is close; the scent of Tengu assures him the birds will be allies rather than adversaries. He would have to tell Xin to keep a close eye on the birds after the fighting, regardless. Yet, having the Elder present and on their side is more than heartening.
InuYasha hops off the demon dog with shit-eatin' grin giving him a younger appearance; he faces the army with his massive sword over one shoulder. His is so invigorated that it takes a second to realize the whole army (generals and all) is looking straight at him. He notices after a second and his smile loses its luster at being the center of attention. The huge white dog at his back gives him a not-so-subtle nudge of encouragement.
"InuYasha-sama," Xin bows low with both hands at his side.
In a mass move, the entire Western army and allies gives a fighting shout ("hwaaa!") and bow low before him. The beach full of bowing demons of every type, with some humans thrown in, give a little more proof of his new status.
"Yeah, Yeah," the hayou calls loudly, his voice carrying far along the beach. "So, -uh, oh yeah—Well, the fact that yer all here speaks for you. Just like me an' my brother, Sesshomaru, you feel responsible to keep the Western Lands safe... You fight beside us...and, well, you may bleed beside us, too, all in the name of this land that is ours to protect." Before their eyes, this former miscreant, a foul-mouthed, bad-tempered, quick-acting half-breed, turns into a charismatic speaker with charming bluntness and sincerity that flashes from his eyes as he emphasizes 'ours'.
"We're here today to make a stand against those that want to our lands, our women, our children, and everything that we got. Those are the enemy. That's why we're here." His sword buries to the hilt in rock, "This land ain't perfect, and bad things happen to good people some times, but this place is ours," clapping and cheering burst from the ranks, "... and no 'across-the-sea,' cold-ass, motherfuckin', my-ancestors-are-better-than-yers, invading cocksuckersare gonna take it! Not while I'm still breathing and hefting my sword!"
Calls and declarations erupt from the mass that agrees.
"Those invading bastards ain't gonna tell us how to live. They ain't gonna tell us who to follow or when to fight! They ain't gonna rule me, that's for fuckin' sure!" His voice carries over the din stirs more to raise their arms in agreement. "They think their better than us, faster than us, an' meaner than us! So, we're gonna show 'em their dead wrong! I'll be damned if their soldiers are better than any of you, or their weapons better than my Tetsuaiga!" Here, the legendary sword thrusts into the air for emphasis.
Even Shikazu cheers from the front lines.
"We're here, each and every one of us are here for the same reason. We're gonna defend what's ours!"
Weapons fly in the air, held aloft by the declaration. Spots of glowing fire from powerful youkai seal the pact.
"Tonight, we pray. At dawn, we attack."
VI
The war tent is in the process of being moved and re-assembled at the beach, formerly hidden back in the dense foliage for subterfuge. It is where the land generals and head fliers will set up base command. Several parties of stealth birds map the invader's progress as they paddle through the now tranquil oceans, lacking a breeze for their sails, to come ever closer to the shores of Nippon.
By dawn, they would be mostly through the wide, open space to be less than fifty miles off-shore. Soon as the sun peeks over the horizon, the ally boats would set sail to meet the Mongols head-on, thirty to fifty-miles off their own coast. Launched one after another, five groups of thirty ships would be deployed one after another to make a solid line of defense, with the back line able to break away and catch spare ships passing. While the elementals previously worked miracles for the Inu no Taisho, many could not function after a massive attack— most fell unconscious after use of incredible energy—and added to the high death toll. Thus, elementals are in ships but not on the back of dragons.
Foot soldiers line the coast in command of the secondary catapults in line with the horizon. The trebuchets are for short range attacks if the first line of defense breaks. Other soldiers are in-line behind the catapults with fire-shooting cannons (similar to Renkotsu from the Band of Seven) and an assistant to re-load. Behind the first two lines, armed foot soldiers are at the ready.
At night fall, the army stays on alert and camp out in their position, cooking what might be the last meal over multiple fires while the cooks run from station to station to give out bread and dry goods while meat is roasted by humans and picky demons or non-picky demons consume their fare raw. Soldiers on loan from the other nations camp out with the West, preparing for the attack. While the anticipation tinged with fear run rampant through men and demons (the basic surge of emotions before battle), the group as a whole eats, laughs, and tells stories as one nation rather than four. Their comradiarie will prove a strength in battle, for every soldier knows that he must trust the man at his back, regardless of North, South, East, or West.
Few exceptions rise alone from the whole; InuYasha stands on the beach, allowing the waves to lick at his feet. His keen senses focus on as far passed the waves as he can sense; he even concentrates on pulsing his aura to reach further than usual. Just as spies have reported, the slight waves of power roll across the endless stretch of blue. The invaders are out there, on their way to his shores with weapons and the new things called "guns." InuYasha has already been briefed of the plans for attack; he and Sesshomaru will take to the water with the rest of the first attack. He wasn't so certain of this plan, especially considering his powerful attacks would have enough force to blow him off of any ship, but Sesshomaru only had to say, "InuYasha will be at this lord's side while we attack." And, he was on-board. It would be fine—dogs are good swimmers after all.
The wind flirts with his hair, for once pulled into a top knot to keep the extreme length out of his face. He needs as few distractions as possible while in the middle of the blue since it is his time to prove his worth in the eyes of the people and Sesshomaru. This Great Trial business is still messing with, not only, his self-perceptions but also reality as he had previously known it. Not the demon Elders; nah, those sick fucks are powerful enough to crush him if he attempts retaliation for exile. Maybe in a few decades (when they are not expecting it), he might go back to pay them a little visit, or he could fuck the trial up by helping the next poor pup subjected to the wilds of Nippon. Yeah, that would probably be the best way to get back at 'em: make sure all the exiles survive.
But more so, his last human night now leaves him more unbalanced than before by his brother's complete change: Sesshomaru showing him patience and protection. The promise sealed by lips, making him slightly uncomfortable. Not a ruse (or so it seems so far). If he fights now, kills, wins, then life may keep on this track. His brother, the strongest youkai lord in the land, would keep claiming him as kin. Those cruel words (stain, filth, mongrel) might one day fade—if he only fights and keeps winning.
Fate...the universe's way of manipulating an outcome.
Standing solitary with the sounds of the army behind him, the hanyou cuts a figure untouched by the will of the world—only his exists. He will not fail. Not Sesshomaru and not the Western people.
VII
Day dawns bright and clear, without the hint of fog. Before the sun peeks even a inch over the horizion, the army of Nippon is preparing for war. Armor is tightened, blades are sharpened, quivers are filled with arrows, spears are tested and final prayers to the Gods are uttered.
It is time to protect what is theirs.
Not able to sleep, the hanyou has unabashedly walked the beach all night in the blistering cold. He had ignored his brother's invitation to share a pallet in the Lord of the West's tent, choosing to use the quiet to keep watch with the guards on duty. His night, while watchful, gave him ample time to think about the changes in his life so far, and to come to some kind of understanding. He would fight with his whole heart, just as he had done to protect Kagome and Shippo, Miroku and Sango, if he is truly free from exile, then his duty is not to protect more than just a little pack. The Western lands is his pack now.
"My lord!" Xin approaches the hanyou without earning an indication of the younger's attention. He bows in a slight apology before speaking, earning a raised brow in response. "We are ready to launch the first battalion of ships at your command." The advisor clasps InuYasha's elbow discreetly turning the hanyou between the rows of ship.
"Mine? Keh. This is Sesshomaru's show—" Each captain is standing with crew beside the first wave, bowing to him as he passes, and the hanyou just huffs in good-natured annoyance with all the lousy pomp and circumstance. He knows his ship by two-legged demon lord shining white in the early morning hours, impatient (it seems) for the retaliating move to begin. They are close to dead center in the first line, first in the on-coming clash.
"And yours mi'lord. He awaits you at the head ship, and the others stand by in preparation." One arm behind his back, the other hand comes to stroke his fu in a usual tick.
"Hn," the hanyou gives Xin a scrutinizing eye, "you'll keep an eye on stuff here?" Remembering his conversation with the old fox at the Western Palace, InuYasha recalls the advisor's history. Well, he certainly wouldn't want to fight his own people after he left 'em (for whatever reason), so he couldn't blame Xin for staying with the land troops.
"Aye, sire. Not long before your birth, I waited while your father and Lord Sesshomaru went for, uh, negotiations. I will have everything in control for your safe return." "I'll keep Sesshomaru in line, you worry about the rest. That's all I ask." The hanyou replies with mock exasperation. "Long as that simple bastard doesn't blow us all to hell with his sword, the other guys ought to be pretty damn easy to take out."
The foreigner's eyes widen a mere second before he bursts out with laughter.
"Apparently that's my cue." Wiry grin in place, InuYasha pats the chuckling Xin on the shoulder and strides down the beach while working his tight shoulders and arms. All the boats are built with the same simple design to keep the other side from knowing which are crucial (ones with extra ammunition or ones with their prize elementals), or so he guessed. Well, maybe making a few super spiffy boats was just too much to ask for, who knew?
VIII
The upper deck could hold up to fifteen people for war while the lower deck holds ten men to work the rudimentary system of power to propel each boat—keeping supplies and finicky dragons hidden until the invaders emerge. The first battalion remains spread out over the calm wave as the water elementals in the first, second, and third lines use minimal effort to keep the sea tranquil and water eddies clear for the crews to steer around. As the sun continues its' rise, the navy moves closer to the advancing Moguls. Three scouts meet the head ship, land dragons on deck, and dismount to kneel at InuYasha's feet (since Sesshomaru is currently below deck). The hanyou blinks for a second in surprize then guffaws loudly.
"They are incredibly close, armed with the new weaponry, milord. Precisely due North at five clicks an houri" The first rider bows his head with the report.
With less than a moment to think about what he should say in moments like this, the hanyou blurts out, "Uh, good—good work. Fly back to tell our troops to send the next waves out. Warn them the fightin'll be on, so the sea'll be rough. Get some food in ya and come back for the hunt!" The grin on his face, a boyish excitement gleaming in the depths of his golden eyes, all strike the scouts as so similar to the confident charm of his great father. Unlike their Lord, his younger brother seems almost...well, nice.
The other two hide grins at the young lord while the first rider makes an effort to keep his face straight instead of laughing. The three bow to him with an, "Aye, sire!" as well as the conviction to alert the land forces before riding directly back on rested dragons. It seems fighting with the young hanyou would indeed be an experience they don't want to miss.
As the gorilla-faced riders take to the sky, the ship rocks minutely with the kick-off. Sauske, the captain of their vessel (a boar demon with golden ring through his nose and sharp blue eyes), watches the waves in front of them. He has remained by the hanyou's side on deck throughout the journey; in his eyes, the young one is the picture of his father in youth. The shape of his face and hands, determination set in his jaw-line, and gleam of anticipation in his eyes all reminds Sauske of the late Inu no Taisho. While Sesshomaru has proven himself as a fair and just Lord of the West, he is not as approachable as his sibling; in this way, he and the great general differ. It seems the second son takes after the father in a completely different manner.
Both, as integral parts of the Inu no Taisho, amplify the general's strength two-fold; the two brothers together will make the Western Lands an eventual power house. With these hopeful thoughts, Sauske intends to make sure the younger lord's first time on a war vessel goes without incident.
InuYasha, on the other hand, is oblivious to the future; his mind is focuses in the here and now. His sharp eyes scan the waves and his heightened sense of smell can detect the sweat of many men closing in mixed with the sharp bite of salt. "Signal the other ships. The bastards are close enough that I can smell 'em." "Aye, sire," Sauske glances over at the two soldiers by the flares. The blue one goes up quickly, and the other ships slightly behind them scramble into action.
The kept dragons and riders armed with fire cannons and arrows are brought above deck. In small groups (to keep boats from overturning with the force of ten dragons lifting off all at once), the sky is quickly filled with low-flying soldiers with make-shift explosions in saddle bags and fire breathing beasts.
From below, Sesshomaru follows the dragons to stand beside his younger brother and the captain of their ship. His armor is tightened and complete with the other set of shoulder spikes. The expression on his face is the grim determination that reminds the younger of the battle with Sou'ung; once the infected Takemaru spewed shit about the family, Sesshomaru's icy-ass face changed to something the younger learned to fear and even respect. No disdain or superiority, but the determination that someone was going to get a severe ass-kicking—and not even to feed an oversized ego or to make a point to an enemy—but for matters of principle and honor alone. It was his first glimpse of his brother's ethical side.
And there, finally amidst the waves, the first sight of their enemy breaches the frigid mid-morning light.
IX
As expected by the allied forces, the Mongols indeed learned from their past failures.
Xin, maintaining their stand on the beach, and his subordinates keep a keen eye on the skies and waves to anticipate anything. From the words of spies, these new weapons (called "guns") could mean anything in the first clash.
Similar as the last time the invaders attempted to reach the shore, Yao Xin waits with outer-calm while the apprehension churns in his gut. One day, the true elementals of his people would make an appearance in one of these skirmishes and change the turn of sea warfare. Of course, the Inu no Taisho knew of the secret kept by the Mongols—Xin had sworn an oath to be true to his new lord—and anticipated a clash of the elements on both sides in each battle. Previously, Nippon's own force of demons had, however, swayed the outcome in their favor. But...
Why attack now of all times?
Answer: a new generation of elementals has matured, come into their powers, and are ready for bloodshed.
The problem: even one of Xin's six children could add to the Mongols' numbers—his children that all have power, intense power like both their sire and carrier. Any of his four male or three female children (all of whom would be well over two hundred now—even his youngest daughter) could be in the midst of entanglement, or on the other end of the mighty Wind Scar. For this, the betrayal of his people, Xin feels the slow creep of fear up his spine as the consequences have a very real opportunity to manifest. As he, his children had shown promise in wielding the forces of nature—each showing an affinity for a specific force overall, just like him. His own daughter and son could be generating the wind power for the ships to sail...
His concern for his newer people takes precedence in the fore of his mind, and the advisor forces himself to focus on the present.
"Sir!"
The call comes from a young raccoon demon perching precariously on the top of a trebuchet, and Xin's gaze follows a pointing finger to a group of small black dots in the north-west skies.
Good thing we've got fire power of our own!
"Load the catapults!" is followed by ordered yet frantic scrambling in all directions; not only are two men assigned to load the Western land's specially made, flaming projectiles, but each general lining the beach makes a similar order while the archers ready themselves to send a barrage flying by notching the first arrow. Around each, a ring of arrows ready for rapid fire. Meanwhile, men and demons strain to lift the heavy bundles of wood soaked in accelerant into the baskets and set the counterweight to make the arm fall and fling the soon-to-be flaming logs through the skies. The catapults in carts (regardless of the sandy terrain) are quickly re-positioned while the dots become clearer and are closing in, fast.
Unaware he is ankle-deep in ocean, Xin allows his inner senses to be open at the ebb and flow of power vibrating through the morning sky. Demonic in nature, supernatural auras... A number of powerful ones come their way. All upper-ranking demons strain themselves to get an accurate count of how many the land forces are up against as well as the nature of the fliers.
"Steady, not yet!" He calls while immersed in the surge of new power.
The animalistic screeching shatters the crashing of the waves as they come within his super-sensitive earshot. Some are riding bird-like animals—well, definitely winged creatures, that much is visible—while others seem to have wing spans, but these are false constructions made of wood, metal, and cloth shaped around each warrior. Mumbling breaks out among the demonic soldiers at this rare phenomenon as the fliers get ever closer. A few must be elementals to keep the wind in their favor, speeding more and more to fill the sky with sheer numbers. The reverberation becomes even more unbearable, making even the humans tighten with the feeling of impending battle and the mixture of chemicals in the brain that creates fear and anticipation. Just waiting for the signal, gunners twitch and pace.
"Warning shot!" Halfway down the beach, Matsu Shikazu watches the fuss while standing with his foot soldiers. His hand tightens on the shaft of a spear, one he can throw long distances. The anticipation of battle is already sharp on his tongue.
One catapult is manned, and the demon pulls the counter weight. His corresponding archer stands with string taunt and another lighting his arrow. The arrow-head follows the flying logs in an arch before his weapon will not lose the flame while sailing to meet its' target.
A small paff is the projectile catching fire, and the band tying the logs together split and the wood breaks off to take down several fliers with one blow and create general chaos in the sky. Three hundred or more keep baring down on the Western shores—no signs of slowing.
"Ready the first barrage!"
X
The enemy fleet is made up of thirty larger ships (presumably carrying weapon and ammunition) and a hundred smaller, more maneuverable vessels waving out across the horizon—no colors. The first explosion comes from the head Mongol ship; one that also carries newer technology as well as old world magic with a pink-hued dome constructed around the lead ships. Their defenses are powered by the equivalent to youkai: inner chi. From behind the safety of the barrier, their blasts are able to surpass the energy field while giving protection from enemy fire. The ingenious humans teamed up with more than elementals.
Two men perch on the bow bracing a large, metal cannon to fire the first projectile. The small puffs signals action. No attempt at political maneuvering; Sesshomaru raises one hand to signal the ready.
"Oi, Sesshomaru," the hanyou merely says his name before, earning a glance. The hanyou is back twenty feet, sword in hand, and the other instinctively turns. Gold eyes meet with shared determination, and pointedly, the demon lord bends slightly and cups both hands before him. Again, the feeling strikes InuYasha with less time than a breath: Fate. Gods, this is where it's all lead... he thinks inanely while looking at his brother and the first instance of cooperation.
This signals the beginning of the Western offense. He darts forward and trusts him brother to help him. With Sesshomaru's propulsion, the hanyou (deciding to make an example in the first shot) shoots off like a cannon and leaps with his sword braced to meet the projectile's path. He doesn't shake the feeling this time, but merely accepts that this battle will determine the outcome of his life. Some indications have already given him the needed proof of Sesshomaru's sincerity and the Elder's cruelty...but only time will give him what he needs to make a final decision with regards to his brother (the one whom he is trusting enough to give him a boost into the air).
His foot lands in the cup of the demon lord's hands, and the moment of doubt is replaced with the strength of his kin propelling him into the sky. As always, the feeling of gravity falling away and the on-coming onslaught slows time even though the controlled power of his brother launching him upward is immense; time slows enough for him to see the power of the attack swirling around the blade and the scar to appear in the wind current the ball of lead makes as it cuts through the sky. Cruising into the blue spans separating the armies, he swings with might.
The opposing side had learned of the Wind Scar through stories of survivors from the last great war; their generals expected an intense energy wave shaped like claws that had once cleaved their many ships in twain. Their own demon population on the ships amasses in the bow of each boat as soon as the Nippon are spotted, and the barrier of energy is meant to rebound a wave of powerful youkai.
However, what they did not account for is the Adamant Barrage, and the effect it has on more than just one lead ball.
Flying diamonds obviously make for a change in strategy—shards that have an incredible knack for finding the weaknesses in the Mongol's defenses. Several of the ones creating the shield flinch or fail in the face of the unexpected attack. Their barriers are meant to take a spread out blow of demonic energy, but the oncoming diamonds raise an outcry of fear and warning. The cry jolts the ones making the barriers and concentration is broken. Some ships are taken out completely, and others are filled with holes punched through hulls or sails destroyed.
All in all, it's a good first shot for the hanyou (whom is casually cruising backwards through sky with the momentum from the barrage) and he can't help the smug little grin as the sword still in hand seems to pulse in similar arrogance.
Of course... Some things never change.
The blow strikes the intended mark with better destruction than he had hoped for (let's be honest, getting close enough to use the red barrier breaker in a water battle? He may be impulsive, but not stupid), yet—as in his usual style—he had not thought the move completely through. The landing part is still a bit sketchy but not something to worry about since one of those damn boats should be behind him somewhere... If not, well, he could swim okay (even though he hates getting wet in the first place).
Unbelievably, he expects to land on the deck and ends up bumping into his sibling's chest only ten feet in the air. The lord moved with stunning speed to keep the younger from missing the head ship and landing in the ocean. Below, their own forces are cheering at the destructive power of the new lord—sending quite a message in the first blow.
"Play time is over," Sesshomaru sets InuYasha back on deck and cracks his knuckles before pulling his iiBakusaiga. Even at this distance, the lord knows retaliation will be fire power rather than elemental shifts. His attack can disintegrate their puny weapons so the army can have ample time for the next attack. His ki cloud forms at his feet, zipping him from the boat while the Mongols scramble to plug the holes in their defenses and return fire. Already, more projectiles sail. Under the boats, the water turns choppy and turbulent as the Elementals on both ships try using wind and water to overturn the other.
In a quick withdraw, Bakusaiga's attack (similar to the Wind Scar and the same version of nightmarish demise the Mongols' ancestors suffered) rips through water and air to make the final blow needed to take out the shield and in-coming fire in one swoop. Of course, watching the damage closely, he could not miss the sound of InuYasha nudging Sauske and murmering, "Keh! Show-off."
...He came very close to smiling—in front of the Western army.
Absurd.
Rather than wait for retaliation, Sesshomaru turns with sword raised above his head and voice carrying clear: "Full weapons, FIRE!"
XI
"FIRE!"
More flaming bundles fly at the in-coming brigands. The trebuchets nearly sound in unison, creaking as the tension is released for another offensive move. The second and third lines are busy now that a vast amount of the black dots have maneuvered through the mine field of catapult fire and flaming arrows to streak across the sky closer to mainland; some have even landed on the shores and face the infantry of humans and demons. Swords, axes, staves (the plural of staff :P), spears, and all matter of weapons fly; the smell of a hundred different blood spills throughout the beach.
Above the skirmish, the skies darken while the span of cloud coverage swirls and blackens out the sun. The shadows of the half-bird, half-beast creatures dips over the fighting armies, dropping small explosives. But they were not the ones changing the sky. The darkness has a master, a creator. Yao Xin, in the midst of ordering the attack, senses the pulsing of power in the sky to his very core.
The elder demon actually pauses; anger, guilt, and anticipation roll through him in a great, sudden wave.
His sword (or axe) arm, still frozen in the command to fire, trembles minutely as his eyes widen. Everything around him slows to a crawl: the soldiers yelling in front of the catapult, calf deep in ocean, raise weapons for the next strike or take glancing blows off their black, lacquer and steel armor. The machines themselves decelerate to inches in releasing the next round of boulders this time in the worm hole slowing time for Xin.
Even the battle cries and keening death knells ring in sluggish decrescendo.
And out of the sky, his worst fears are made reality.
XII
"Fffffuuuuuucccccckkkkkkk—yyyyyeeeeaaaaaahhhhh!"
The drawn-out call comes from one certain hanyou, swinging through mid-air with one hand gripping a dragon's leg and the other with Tetsuaiga held out in a powerful arch. The Wind Scar around the blade swirls as his vision spirals to the wind's cut between the moving head vessel and line of attack ships flanking it.
Rather than draw back and swing to use momentum to release the attack (which could potentially kill his ride), he tries holding the blade flat in front of him and uses will and youkai alone. It takes only seconds for his youkai to build around his flying form and transfer to the blade.
"Careful sire!" The young female directing the dragon calls as the blade takes on its' otherworldly glow.
"Wind Scar!"
Mayhem.
The force of the attack rakes through the enemy ships and obliterates or severs each that it strikes. Mongul humans have taken to the water to be pulled up by still functioning ships or drown. The remaining vessels intact are charging at the Western army, full speed and still firing. Half the cannons are pointed at the opposing side while the other half fires at the dragons and riders in the sky. A few are not able to out-maneuver the enemy barrages and fall to the ocean or onto enemy ships to continue the fight.
Scared at the blast, the dragon veers sharply, even with its' handler jerking uselessly at his reins. The hanyou eeps (not like a girl or anything, but a—you know, manly kind of eep) as his hanging body fights the incisive move; his grip tightens on the lower belt of the beast's saddle, pulling himself up one-handed to try getting in the saddle behind the rider. A spot- on arrow, however, sinks deep in his upper thigh and another sinks deep enough in his bicep to come out the other side. The abrupt pain causes his hand to spasm and the hilt of Tetsuaiga to escape.
No!
He lets go of the dragon immediately, free-falling through the sky after the heirloom.
"Sire!" The rider screams just as another barrage of steel (steel, not wood!) wiz close to her mount. The soft 'paffs' must be these new weapons she has heard about; ones with tiny lead balls that could kill a man with one stroke. She pulls up sharply, making the dragon veer up out of the way. Her eyes never leave the young, plummeting lord as she wheels the dragon around.
While falling, InuYasha jerks the arrows out of himself and holds an arm to cover his eyes in case any more arrow would attack while watching his precious Tetsuaiga falls just out of reach.
Meanwhile:
Sesshomaru, eyes narrow, watches the clash on the invader's side from their moving ships. Closing in with guns still firing, the Western army sends long range shots from smaller guns in combination to powerful ki attacks from the first line of ships. Each has both demon offensive and human defensive forces with multiple cannons; on the demonic command, ki blasts in all the colors of the rainbow rain from the Western army.
Their mounted dragon riders and passengers create gale force winds and swirling whirlpools in several spots to trap the more maneuverable ships and drop explosive charges in the midst of the cluster.
Thus far, the battle plan is working beautifully. Few of their forces are lost while the invaders have taken quite a beating. So...what is happening? What is their real motive? By his count, so many more should have been on the water to meet them; so obviously, the Mongolians are focusing their attack elsewhere. Whether it be the shores or one of the four palaces, he is not certain. Sauske already had the psychically talented demons on board send messages to the forces back in the palace to keep them aware. Nothing back from Xin yet, and the demon lord is almost certain a battalion or two snuck around the island to reach the shores from the southern end. They needed to finish this, and quickly.
Turning to the captain, he gives orders to keep the offensive and creates his cloud to journey out to the thick of the fighting.
Tetsuaiga hits the frigid water, plunging into the deep. Its' carrier dove straight in after it. Arrows hit the surface of the water right after him. But, the abrupt shock of the dive and the instant cold doesn't give him time to worry about the pain in his calf or back. He has the sight of Tetsuaiga gently gliding down to the depths. InuYasha gives a powerful kick to propel him closer, clawing frantically to reach the sword before he loses sight or some fish comes by to snap it up. Hell, as weak as his half-blood is, even the chance of hypothermia is enough to make him keep moving.
As much as his luck ran, the sword would be in the grips of some sea god that he'd have to fight to get it back, yadda, yadda, yadda. Hell, maybe even Kagome could help with her shitty aim but decently powerful arrows...
His numb hand snatches this hilt as that thought tickles across him brain out of nowhere. Kagome?
Kagome isn't waiting for him on the surface...She's gone, been gone. No, it's Sesshomaru, right? Sesshomaru is the one waiting for him on the surface.
Something massive shakes the waves around him, creating a heavy vibration, and the hanyou snaps himself back to the deed at hand. He's further from the surface than he originally thought and slightly panics at the shapes flittering around him. The vibrations hit harder around him and an explosion rocks the surface. Quickly, the hanyou tucks the sword back into his belt and starts with long strokes upward before another explosion throws debris everywhere. However, his lungs are burning for air and the pain in his back worsens with each frigidly cold stroke.
Just as he is nearing the top, the water shifts again and something dark falls right above him, a metal cannon from the invaders' ship hits right overtop the straining hanyou. The force hits his chest and drives him again back down into the deep.
XIII
The two plunge down in twin swishes of blurry humanoid shape. While chaos erupts around him, Xin's eyes are only for the set of twins that literally appear before him.
Dressed in warrior's clothing from his old tribe, the two emit a deadly, powerful, and singular aura. No weapons are necessary for the two staring at him, for they are dangerous without such frivolities. The male is only half a head taller than his sister, with narrow and angry eyes. His own fu Manchu barely reaches the center of his chest. The girl, however, is the ice to his fire. She calmly regards the destruction and death around them, her own eyes a steel gray with blue flecks in contrast to her twin's black gaze. Under her iiilemallar armor, she is thin as a reed, willowy and graceful as the wind: the perfect opposite to her brother's blunt and brutal style.
"He is alive!" The male, his son ivBadzar, roars in the Mongolian language. He throws back his head and streams of flames erupt from his throat to sear the sky.
The Dragon's Cry... Xin blinks and breathes at them, now ignoring the consistent grind of the catapults firing or the swishes and wet pops of a sword sliding into flesh for the kill. His senses become hyper-alert in order to scent his eldest children: ashes and electric, spring and rain.
"It is you," his very own daughter, vSarangerel, asks with curiosity rather than assumption.
He mentally recalculates his rusty knowledge of the vocabulary while trying to express painful truths. Since his original name is long forgotten, he simply nods at them, "I am called Yao Xin here."
"You should not be alive! You should have killed yourself when they took you prisoner," his son rails, and the winds start to pick up around them.
"I joined them willingly." He counters, "I found a worthy leader to follow here."
The mirror of shock on both their faces makes his chest ache for their pain. "I thought it better that you never know."
Sarangerel raises a single finger at him, "you left us, all of us, for another leader? Another khan? Are we such a disgrace to you, Father? We who have trained in your honor until we are the elite?"
With the battle churinging around them, Yoa Xin still has enough conscious to feel the burn of pain in his chest at her hurt tone. "No. My defection had nothing to do with you or any flaws in any of mine offspring. The old regime surpassed cruelty and gluttony when we first came to these shores for plunder and women. The General we fought, however, was a man of his word, and a man of the people. He did not take my life in exchange for my place as his advisor. I have been such ever since, even now unto his offspring."
This enraged his son even more, as noted by the small plumes of black smoke that puff out of his nostrils with heaving breath. "To his offspring? What about your own?"
"Never have I forgotten my children. But, returning to the clan in disgrace was not an option, and here, the General gave me freedom as well as honor. I have made sacrifices, son of mine. Some from which I have never recovered." He simply states, "your anger is justified, but you must not attack. You may surrender and stay here, for I will use my power here to keep the both of you from a prisoner camp; or, my children, you must go. Leave now and return home without battle but with your lives. For your own sakes, flee and do not attack the Western army!"
"We are no cowards afraid of your lord and master!" Badzu mouth trickles flame.
Saranagerel stays silent and mourns for her father on the inside.
"Do not flee as cowards, but return home as survivors!" But, Xin knows he is begging for a lost cause. The two look at one another and take a step back, dismissing their so-called father, and the attacks begin. A wall of water amasses with speed and accuracy of a true elemental while a bolt of blinding lightening streak down into the battling crowd. The twin's aura shifts and surges to command nature. The wave grows as it speeds toward the shores and sends both armies to forget the fighting and run for safety.
Xin watches and refuses to run.
XIV
Dying this way...suuuucks...
On his way to the deep, shadows dance around the hanyou. He is so cold, even the precious oxygen still in his lungs is freezing. He can't maneuver around the cannon weighing him down, and his limbs are non-responsive anyway.
Fuck'n fate, huh?...Never meant to come back outta exile in the first place.
He keeps sinking, further into the blue.
Kagome...miss you. Glad yer not here to see me die like this.
Lights blast above the water, fading...
Too bad, Sesshomaru...all of it—for nothing
Out of nowhere, something firm snatches him by the ear and he wastes precious air to yelp. An arm, then a hand, and then two grasp his arms and pull. The weight boring him down to ocean floor continues its' descent to be forgotten in time while he is sped toward the surface at fantastic speed. His mind, numb as the rest of him, barely registers much but movement.
Breaking the surface is like rebirth in that he finds himself propelled into the air while spewing water from his lungs and belly. He manages to land on the deck of a ship, too disoriented to do much more than roll to land on his side so the arrows in his back and leg aren't driven deeper.
"Motherf—" he starts and glides to his numb feet with rusty Tetsuaiga drawn as he stands.
The shocked Mongolians stare at him while the demon in the bow of their ship merely gapes.
Goddammit! What grabbed-? Wrong ship!
The heartbeat of dumbfounded silence gives him the much-needed moment to hold up his sword and let it transform into the full fang. Good think since the soldiers are on him in an instant, and the hanyou forces himself to move, to keep fighting, ducking and weaving along the deck with fluid finesse honed in five years of unaided fighting as the crew members apparently realize he is not one of them. Fighting is helping the numbness in his limbs, generating heat to make the blood flow and fight off the cold. Taking out one human after another helps keep his mind on the next move; a sword thrusts into his right shoulder and the arrow in his back is shoved deeper in the meelee.
The Elemental of the ship stops manipulating the waves and shoves a harsh wind at the hanyou. Some sixth sense makes InuYasha duck in time to see three soldiers thrown over the side by a harsh gust. He grins, jumps back up and takes a leap before the Elemental can draw another burst. But, the bastards draws a magical sword and tries to take a chunk out of the hanyou's hide. The two dance, exchanging blows while the turbulent sea tosses the ship back and forth. Nimble-footed, InuYasha has the upper hand. He backflips to take himself out of sword's way and watches other soldiers pour out from below deck, many holding the new 'gun' weapon-thingies. A line of the bastards kneel and point the barrels directly at him.
Just for fun, the hanyou sticks his tongue out with the sword held in front of him to shield from the metal pellets about to be imbedded in his hide. Luckily enough, a mini-explosion dropped from a certain, female dragon rider hits the side of the ship and send the humans and their weapons off-kilter. The shots go wild and only two or three actually whiz close to him. His grin feral, the hanyou dives back into the frey.
Overhead, more riders are dropping the small, flaming projectiles and the cacophony of zooms with pin-point accuracy fly now that the West is in proximity. The Mongolian vessels are being individually attacked and boarded by smaller eight- man boats, and many behind the front line (the ones not sunk or burning or a battleground) are sounding a retreat.
It seems victory is eminent.
The youth, however, thinks of nothing except the new move, the next step, the next twitch, the next swish, the next jump, the next attacker at his back. He leaps from ship to ship to stop the retreating vessles and take out as many bastards as he possibly can. While his hands, face, and front become coated in the blood of his enemies, his mind remains in perpetual motion of a deadly killer (reminiscent of a certain aristocratic assassin). Anarchy explodes on the seas around them, and still he leaps over floating debris and bodies. If it wasn't for the invading troops, he probably just would have Wind Scarred the bastards into oblivion. However, the young prince will not kill him own men in order to take out the final, main body of the invaders.
One ship's final demon waits for the slaughter of his companions and attacks after bodies fall in haphazard piles. The demon sees chance to take out the impossibly effective warrior and perhaps gain bragging rights. The hanyou advances and the demon feins stepping back while his aura pulses with energy. With the mythic sword raised for a killing blow to his middle, the demon throws out an arm and makes a pulling gesture as if yanking on an invisible rope.
The ship rocks sharply, impossibly to the right with a created wave; the elemental is already holding onto the left side to anchor himself and merely waves an arm. As expected, the sure-footed hanyou eeps a second time (manly eep, mind you) as he tumbles across the deck, without cutting the hell out of his already beaten body, and manages to catch himself with one hand before going overboard.
He makes a single leap back up to the righted ship, sword drawn back, when a wet flop makes the boards under his feet vibrate. The mer-man (similar to little Ai on viMystic Island but with a crazy iridescently scaled tale) that washed in the boat defies gravity to leap up and slam the elemental demon with his wide tail and send the enemy tumbling over the side. The mer-man gives him and wink and vanishes back over the side of the vessel. He leaves the hanyou with a pile of bodies, slumped form, tilted head, and incredulous expression.
The fuck...? His mouth closes with a soft click. No big, I've seen crazier shit than that.
An explosion beside the boat rock it again, faster then before, and there is no time for footing. Time for another dip in the ocean, apparently. At least he's more prepared for it. He's holding his breath, gripping the sword and preparing for breaking the turbulent surface of the water...when a furry tail wraps around him and hauls him up in the air.
Sesshomaru's little cloud gets longer as the blinking, sputtering hanyou is set behind him so that he can make a decisive down strike to sink the ship and two getting away.
InuYasha grins behind his brother's back, wounds forgotten, and leaps to his feet to stand back-to-back with the demon lord to strike from the other side. Rather than use the Mediou, Kongosoha, or Kaze no Kizu (considering their troop on the water still fighting), he has the space and time to concentrate on the only attack that would give their men time to get the hell out of the way: viiRyuurin. With his inner strength, he feels the rough cloth on the hilt and focuses on drawing alien youkai into the blade...
Swirling energies pull from its' masters at the call of the mighty sword. The Elementals and demons causing such a ruckus scream in denial as their strength is drawn in this—a highly unexpected move. From the waters' depths and the ships' recesses, glowing energy leaves its' hosts unconscious all around. Winged creatures fall out of the sky, and the turbulent waters finally seem to calm. With five years of solitary fighting under his belit, he can focus on the invaders and leave their own forces unharmed by the attack. His own youkai can seek out the energy signatures in the Mongols and set them apart from the soldiers of Nippon.
While Sesshomaru keeps up active offense, InuYasha chooses the more passive attack; he keeps an eye on the in-coming blows (that always miss thanks to Sesshomaru maneuverability...and the tip of his tail wrapping around the ankle of the younger when the cloud is about to dodge) while the sword pulses in his grip.
Whirlwinds of energy rise to light up the sky and flow seamlessly to the sword.
XV
On the shoreline, Yao Xin still opposes his offspring closer to the forest (where he has deliberately driven them) and away from the coast. Saranagerel's water waves and whips are no longer a cause for concern, yet still she proves herself his daughter by wood as well as water. Badzar, pyromaniac he must be, has also proven his prowess in the singed holes in his sire's clothing and wind slashes slowly leaking onto his clothing and in his fu manchu. The advisor purposely allows them some blows and others...well, perhaps he is getting too old to fight with the younger generation. Kami knows how much Sesshomaru gets on his nerves at times, too.
"Oooph!" Again, the wild, whirling winds hurl him down the beach. He retaliates with a mere wave of his hand, and a powerfully controlled gusts whips the twins in the air, spins them around, and whaps them both right back down on their asses like naughty children forced to sit out of a game.
"Stop playing with us old man!" Badazar shakes a fist as the two stand and brush themselves off. "We will kill you for dishonoring us and our mothers!" He opens his mouth to roar; the ensuing inferno scorches the very tip off his nearly two-foot fu Manchu.
Xin jumps back and comically holds up his poor, singed hair.
As he looks forlornly at the ruined perfection, the earth beneath the twins give way in an instant and without any move from their sire.
The wet but firm sand becomes pliable, pulling the two down in a whirling vortex of quick sand. With the merest flick, Xin hardens the land around them to stone-like density, both children trapped at all limbs. Saranagerel, hands initially reaching down to pull at her feet, becomes encased. Badzar manages to get just his palms out, fingers still stuck in the trap. The two struggle to free themselves, but without the ability to move, are essential powerless. The Dragon's Cry is Badzar's most powerful attack, and Saranagerel uses Kung Fu to manipulate the elements.
Putting his painful injury aside, Yao Xin strides down the beach to watch his struggling children, both bent over with bums in the air. While maintain face, Xin is heart broken at this turn of events. No doubt, the stories of his treason are infamous and used by the newer Khans to scare the people into submission and suicide attacks; he had hoped, however, that his children would be taken far enough into the land that they would not ever have to hear of his abandonment. He had hoped the people would have forgotten him or assumed him dead—not send his own offspring to finish him.
Sadly, Xin knew his past mistakes would return to haunt him, and the vision of divine retribution is here in these two, grown hating him, grown without his direction and tutelage. Though they would have to be taken as prisoners of war, he is certain Sesshomaru would give the two asylum if they pledged to serve as his subjects, but the advisor is uncertain whether or not they could ever be trusted. Mongolian spies in the Western Kingdom are not unheard of and are executed upon proper proof. The two might have to sit in the dungeons for a few days to get the point.
He looks down at the younger versions of him: Saranagerel with his nose and ears, his calm strategy, and subtle aura; Badzar with Xin's cheeks, brows, and eye color.
His gaze goes from them to the clashing noises on the beach. As he expected, the groups of Western allies versus the secondary force are tearing into the remaining invaders. Yes, many of the catapults are lost (swept out to sea) or destroyed; of course, some of the bodies lying in the sand are of the allied forces; certainly, their side has seen catastrophe. Yet, they have come out the victors.
Ah, and look who is running up the beach. Matsu doesn't look the worse for wear, but humans are sometimes difficult to interpret.
"The sky is cleared, and we are going to start rounding up the prisoners."
"Excellent news. Any sign of the ships?"
"Yes. A few dragon spies landed during the fighting and went back to the lords."
"Hm. We will have the beach clean for their return, then." Xin catches Matsu's curious gaze lowering to the struggling twins. "These are two royal but dangerous prisoners...my youngest son and daughter. I will remain here until Lord Sesshomaru determines what to do with them." A clog of fear chokes him briefly as the death sentences looms over the twins' heads.
Matsu's brow shoots up in surprise. Children? He recovers himself and bows at the waist, then returns to begin re-establishing order. Briefly, the human feels a pang of sympathy for the foreigner.
XVI
His hands and arms burn, a weighty pain comes close to bowing him over.
The only problem with using the Ryuurin: Tetsuaiga, even as fuck-tastically powerful as it is, has a limit. With his half-human blood, InuYasha can make the sword absorb only so much power...if he tries to overshoot it, the backlash is a real bitch. He knows, he's tested this theory before and cursed his half-human blood for again giving him a pointed weakness. As it is, the boundary is on-coming; he can feel it but can't move to make a swing or stop the sword from pulling more youkai. Kind of like a wagon careening out of control, one can watch the disaster, but not stop the momentum. All around the Ki cloud, the whirling, mingling colors of youkai flow in a huge conflagration to surround the blade and its' swordsman—generating more and more energy in a cylinder bigger than him and Sesshomaru combined.
What he can't see beyond the blinding shield of color is the Western navy in his path carrying out Tetsuaiga Plan #1:
When the sword is out and glowing, Get. The. Hell. Out. Of. The. Way.
Diving off ships in a general, hurried retreat, Western troops are swimming, flying, and sailing away from the enemy ships in his path, leaving the devastating aftermath of battle in their wake. The invading forces are far from decimated, however, and even as the West pulls back, the Monguls are trying to re-group and re-arm.
"InuYasha!"
Oh yeah, Sesshomaru's back isn't pressing against him anymore. There's a hand on his shoulder... is it going to dig in? To spill more of his blood than it already has?
"Release the attack!"
Can't...
"InuYasha, now!"
Fuck me, this is going to hurt when it explodes. The heat from the sword makes sweat trickle down his face, down his back under the haori, makes him legs and arms tingle like before...
He realizes, then, that the bastard will be caught in the blast with him. His arms straining to hold on, the hanyou finds the moment to speak,
"Gonna blow up...get the fuck back." Smoke starts curling from his clenched hands.
"Dammit, InuYasha! I will not leave you!"
What? Sesshomaru, Lord of the Icicles, swearing?
But, Sesshomaru's arms are just suddenly around him, crossing his chest under his arms. The feel of his brother's youkai makes an inner sense in the half-demon rise to the fore. With his only remaining kin standing with him, the hanyou's youkai strengthens. Like a dam, his own youkai give a sick and sudden surge forward through his chest under Sesshomaru's arms, expanding in a way that has nothing to do with Tetsuaiga and everything to do with him.
The pulse, one he fears will send him over the abyss of madness, reverberates in a non-lethal manner. He can't, won't, breathe for the surge of electric burning his veins, tinging his golden eyes with splashes of red. His power, curls around his spine, straightening his stance with the sword suddenly lighter in his burning palms. I choose when to kick ass and when to stand by! And his youkai swells through all extremeties to complete his will. His power, his true power, floods down his straining arms and meets the Tetsuaiga's.
In the clash, the hanyou has a brief epiphany, a new and awesome way he and the sword can function as one with their mutual powers feeding one another; a second later, the spinning cylinder is triggered: akin to Bakuryuuha, the swirling vortex of youkai, gold and red, explodes in a twister more intense than the Wind Scar and Kongushuho combined. The raw force's vaccume demolishes everything in and above the surface of the water. Debris and water rain down as all ships in its' path are destroyed. The final threat of the invaders is squashed beneath their own power.
The few retreating vessels are reaching the horizon, but the rest of the initial forces are either dead or being taken prisoner. Huffing like he's run for days without respite, the hanyou stays frozen in his position for less than a second before his weak knees give out, and Sesshomaru is the only thing keeping him standing. The blood pounds in his ears, blocking out the sounds of the army cheering around them. He is barely aware that Sesshomaru gently lowers him to kneel on the surprisingly sturdy cloud, one that allows the smoking Tetsuaiga to sink in but not to fall through. It's a good thing, his hand is still stuck to the hilt, and he's using it to keep himself propped up anyhow.
Even with the youkai released, the heat is not going away. It is welling up in the center of his chest and spreading throughout his limbs in an uncomfortably heavy sensation.
"Hold on," Sesshomaru's hand is on his shoulder again, but the half-demon cannot muster up the energy to raise his head and look at the bastard. The fluffy tail curls around his ankle, and strangely enough, InuYasha is somewhat comforted by the contact. "I am taking us back to shore."
"Good" huff, huff, "idea. I think—I could use—a bite—to eat."
XVII
Sesshomaru sets his cloud down high up on the shore and lets InuYasha off close to the forest. The younger moves gingerly off the fluffy substance and promptly props his ass down on the first big rock, regaining his strength. The heat is gnawing worse, and the shadow of his brother suddenly over him does nothing to make it better. The hanyou waves him tiredly away, "looks like we've won the day. Go on and do lord stuff. I'll be right here."
Gracefully, even with dark smudges on his aristocratic face, the demon lord kneels (actually kneels) to look at his brother's face.
"InuYasha." The deep voice doesn't need a questioning tilt to expect an answer.
"It's fine."
"Take the other half of the potion. I must check with Yao Xin and Matsu to find out our losses. I will leave them to gather our troops, then I shall return for you."
"Fine, Fine. Go do what you do. I'm not going far."
"Very well, little brother." His aura fades away, and the hanyou finally looks up to make sure he's really gone. When he's certain no one is looking, he cradles his burnt hand together, bending over for a few long seconds to become accustomed to the pain. The Ryuurin didn't seriously hurt him this time, just his palms. Even his claws suffer from the attack, crackling from the intense heat. Not broken off, but now more brittle. Since his claws grew quickly anyway, he should be essentially all right, but no Iron Reaver or Blades of Blood for a while. The arrow holes and little balls of lead still in his bicept and leg haven't healed yet either, so it looks like he's a shit outta luck for a few hours. Keh, the blood will eventually clot.
After private pain-time is over, he reaches a hand into his haori to root around for the silver flask. Battle done, good guys won, he can now feel the effects of his impending heat returning. Being around all that youkai might have thrown him back into his maturity trial, but he would need a bit more time to scout around for a safe and fortified den...
His hand freezes in mid-search. Nothing. It's not there.
"Holy shit," the hanyou roots around again, still coming up with nothing. He's lost the potion, maybe some time during flight or in his dip in the ocean, the flask must have gotten carried out somehow.
Jumping to his feet, the panicing hanyou relives his impulsive day and, without alerting his brother, takes off into the forest like a flash.
To be continued
Lady BloodDove: Thanks so much for noticing! I try to keep transitions to the next scene interesting but this one was soooo hard I, apparently am not the best at big war scenes, so I kept hopping back and forth. Did it work well?
Bibi11: Thanks so much for your review! Your musings help find plot holes and give great suggestions on plot progression n whatnot, and I'm so glad you find the characters acceptable even if Sesshomaru is somewhat different than in the manga
Pumpkinpi: your wish is my command! Never, bad ;) The first lemon will be complete! There's a little teaser at the bottom.
Lunamist: Thanks, thanks, thanks! I love your reviews. Share your thoughts!
Suto-Chan, ikki aka rose, Slate Grey, Sola05, Inumimi1, Wiccan Queen, Demonic-Otaku: Thank you all SO MUCH for reviewing! The writer's block almost destroyed me this time.
Puretorture27: Totally awesome suggestion. I took it but made it a potion instead of a spell. Ty,Ty!
Yukitrain: I'm honored to be on your scale! That is indeed a perk! Ty for reviewing.
All of you keep me going with this story ;)
i So sorry, started writing a water battle and, gee, I know no sea/boating terminology :( If anyone wants to send me some basic terms, that would be nifty and I'll re-edit it later.
ii Information on Bakusaiga: wiki/Bakusaiga
iii Mongolian armor from the 15th century: .?topic=117125.1125 and q/#!/Mongolian_armour
iv
Badzar: Thunderbolt
v
Saranagerel: Moonlight
vi Movie Four: Fire on Mystic Island
vii The Dragon Scaled Tetsuaiga: /iy_manga/mg_ Tweaked a bit for this fic
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The Great Trial