Eyes to Life: Scroll 9

Sesshomaru walked forward, his ears trained to hear the footsteps that would or would not be following him. After a few strides Sesshomaru heard only one set of footsteps and the scent of his otouto. He had come alone.

 

Sesshomaru could barely keep every emotion that was swirling through his mind under the blanket of control. When InuYasha had stepped out from behind that tree, Sesshomaru thought he was otou.

 

Stopping by a small clearing, was a small pond, the water rippled as the sun peeked over the hills. Sesshomaru looked into the water, his own reflection stared back. Closing his eyes, Sesshomaru tried to get a grip on what he had just seen.

 

InuYasha was Inu no Taishou's son. There was no argument, Sesshomaru felt that anger burn and then diminish. How, how in Kami's life did his otouto turn into a youkai the way he did? It made no sense.

 

Sesshomaru turned to see InuYasha walk up and lean against a small tree, his arms crossed. Sesshomaru just stared, his mouth twitched and looked into the two golden eyes that was now even in height with him.

 

"Well?"

 

Sesshomaru turned and looked over the rising morning. He heard an irritating tapping noise and slightly glanced back to see InuYasha tapping his foot slowly on the ground. InuYasha's face no longer had that emotionless look about him; he had a well-planted scowl that leaked over his entire face.

 

"I'm leaving if you have nothing to say."

 

"This Sesshomaru does."

 

"Then spit it out, I can't read your mind."

 

"Explain."

 

"I did, there was just these weird feeling and then I'm wearing this stupid stuff, I don't know." InuYasha stood straight and jerked at his armor. "Stupid annoying armor."

 

"If you remove that I remove your head."

 

"Excuse me?"

 

"That was given to you for some unknown reason, this Sesshomaru suggests you keep it."

 

"Why? It's in my way."

 

"You are a fool."

 

"How?" InuYasha spat. "How the fuck am I such a fool?"

 

"Your arrogant."

 

"Well excuse me, but I have someone extremely worried about me." InuYasha scoffed. "So I better go comfort her before she passes out again."

 

"Why did the miko pass out?" Sesshomaru asked.

 

"Shewell maybe because I turned into a" InuYasha stopped and turned around. "I'm going if you have nothing more to say, or unless you want your Tokijin to do all the talking."

 

"Can you wield Tessaiga?" InuYasha stopped and turned around.

 

"Yes."

 

"I see." Sesshomaru still stared straight ahead.

 

"There still something that you're not telling me." InuYasha spat.

 

"Look in the water, that is what this Sesshomaru sees." InuYasha still stood there, completely confused. Then he walked over to the side of the pond and peered over. His face scrunched up and ran one of his claws over his cheek. He stood up straight and continued to glare into the water.

 

"Do you see?" Sesshomaru glared.

 

"I'm not blind, I look like you a bit, is that why you're freaked?"

 

"Freaked?" Sesshomaru cocked an eyebrow. His otouto always had a habit of using the wrong choice of words. "No, I do not see myself in the water, I see our otou." InuYasha blinked and turned to face him.

 

"Otou?"

 

"You have never seen him, though this Sesshomaru has."

 

"Sesshomaru shut up." InuYasha turned the other direction, his hand on Tessaiga's hilt. "I don't want to talk about otou."

 

"Good." Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes, "Because this Sesshomaru doesn't either." Sesshomaru grabbed Tokijin's hilt and ran toward InuYasha. InuYasha was caught off guard and managed to doge a deathblow, but it scratched his cheek.

 

"Fucking bastard! I knew I shouldn't have trusted you!" InuYasha hissed. He ripped out Tessaiga, the fang transformed before him and he surged forward, and slammed it down just as Sesshomaru moved.

 

Sesshomaru was caught off guard how fast and hard Tessaiga came down, the blade would have cut him in half if he hadn't moved in another second. Moving Tokijin in front of him, he turned around and aimed the sword at InuYasha.

 

"So you can wield the fang of destruction."

 

"Are you just trying to prove something or fight?" InuYasha spat.

 

"Both actually."

 

"Filthy bastard, why the fuck do I trust you!"

 

"You don't" Sesshomaru glared.

 

"Yea, my mistake, Kaze no Kizu!" InuYasha slammed the fang down and the yellow jet of energy came shooting straight towards Sesshomaru. Sesshomaru let out a growl and dogged the attack, just as it flattened the trees behind him.

 

"I assume your mate saw that."

 

"Kagome and my mating had nothing to do with you asshole!" InuYasha hissed, he floated to a tree, and got into a crouching position. His eyes red and bloodshot and Tessaiga gripped tightly in his right hand. "Tessaiga has been waiting too long to be soaked in your filthy blood!"

 

"Otoutoyour mad."

 

"Am I! And here you just wanted to talk!"

 

"Talk and prove that you are not a vermin that had to be removed from this Earth."

 

"Oh? The only 'vermin' I see is you!" InuYasha hissed. He jumped and with great speed slammed Tessaiga down again, almost taking Sesshomaru's only other arm with it. Sesshomaru hissed and jerked his Tokijin at his otouto's head and just managed to cut a small piece of hair. InuYasha flew back and rounded again to prepare another Kaze no Kizu, but Sesshomaru surged up and locked swords with the fang.

 

"I'm no fool InuYasha." Sesshomaru glared.

 

"Shut up asshole!" InuYasha spat. He pushed and swung Tessaiga, almost causing Sesshomaru to lose hold of Tokijin, and slammed it again hard into the ground. Sesshomaru felt a small scratch come on his face.

 

"You'll pay for that otouto."

 

"Humph, looks like Tessaiga's on my side, it sure got extremely light!" InuYasha smirked. "Now die!" InuYasha barreled down and locked swords again; Sesshomaru gripped Tokijin tightly and jerked it in a circle, causing InuYasha to lose hold of the fang sending it straight behind him.

 

"Why you" InuYasha hissed. InuYasha jumped back and cracked his claws. "I'll take you out the old fashion way."

 

"Otouto, you obviously have not learned much."

 

"Oh yea?" InuYasha hissed. "Then say that once I scratch out you filthy tongue!"

 

"InuYasha!" InuYasha froze just in time to see the miko, exterminator, and houshi come into view. The miko's face was quite red. "I leave you two alone for ten minutes and look what happens!"

 

"Miko, this is none of your concern" Sesshomaru was too distracted to see his otouto come up and land a well landed punch. Sesshomaru was sent backwards, and InuYasha's large body caused him to go further back. InuYasha grabbed Tessaiga' and pointed it at Sesshomaru.

 

"Now youre dead!" InuYasha spat.

 

"Osuwari!" InuYasha slammed into the ground with the same force as before, once again making quite a large crater in the ground.

 

Sesshomaru stood up and wiped his hand over his face, some blood was plastered on his skin. He glared at the hole in the ground and started to walk over to it, but the miko got there first and blocked his way. She crossed her arms and gave him a dirty look.

 

"That's enough, out of both of you." She snapped.

 

"You may be able to subdue InuYasha, but this Sesshomaru does not take orders from humans." Sesshomaru glared at the miko.

 

"Sesshomaru, can we talk this over?" the houshi said. "This doesn't always have to end up clashing swords."

 

"My Lord you're bleeding!" Sesshomaru to see Jaken come scurrying up and stared up at him. "That filthy hanyou will not get away with that!"

 

"Jaken"

 

"Yes My Lord?"

 

"Be silent."

 

"Damn it Kagome!" InuYasha jumped out of the crater and got right in his mate's face. "Stop doing that!"

 

"Get out of my face InuYasha!" the miko snapped.

 

"Bitch." InuYasha hissed.

 

"InuYasha!" The miko stomped on his foot, causing him to jump back in surprise. "Give me the Tessaiga now!"

 

"No!" InuYasha hissed. He glared in Sesshomaru's direction. "I'm going to kill you."

 

"No you're not!" the miko slammed a fist on his chest plate and grabbed the beads around his neck. "Don't make me say it again!"

 

"Sesshomaru-sama?" Sesshomaru turned to see Rin holding Ah-Un's reins. "I thought something was in the bushes." Sesshomaru stopped.

 

"It's probably a rabbit Rin, nothing to worry about." Sesshomaru reassured the girl.

 

Sesshomaru turned back to the matter at hand. His otouto's attention went from him to his mate, he was shouting so loud in her face, Sesshomaru thought the women would go deaf.

 

Suddenly InuYasha stopped ranting and stood up straight fast. His ears twitched from side to side and he sniffed.

 

"What's the matter InuYasha?" the exterminator asked.

 

"ShhhhI hear something." InuYasha hissed. He walked right by Sesshomaru, apparently their scuffle completely forgotten. "Show yourself! I can smell you!" InuYasha spat.

 

"There he goes again." The young fox youkai mumbled. "Smelling things."

 

Sesshomaru wasn't as blind as the young fox; obviously InuYasha did smell something, but what? "Otouto, do you smell that 'youki' again?"

 

"I'm about to be smelling your blood if you don't shut up Sesshomaru." InuYasha spat.

 

"InuYasha" The miko's voice drug on. InuYasha closed his mouth and walked around the clearing, his nose in the air. It surprised Sesshomaru how much power that women really did have over his otouto.

 

"I swear, it's like it knows I smell it and then it vanishes." InuYasha grumbled and shook his head. "One big chicken of a youkai."

 

"We better continue, before any more fighting happens." The exterminator glared. "I have a feeling the youkai stalking us is not after Kagome's Shikon no Tama shards."

 

"It's not." InuYasha snapped. "It's after me."

 

"Why would it be after you InuYasha?" Miroku asked.

 

"Beats me, maybe me turning into a youkai has something to do with it." InuYasha shrugged.

 

Sesshomaru sheathed his Tokijin and walked beside his otouto. InuYasha jerked back and placed Tessaiga at his throat. "Otouto sheath the fang." Sesshomaru growled warningly.

 

"I made the mistake of trusting you once; I am not doing it again!" InuYasha spat.

 

"InuYasha put the sword awayNOW." The miko's came over InuYasha and he jerked his fang back into his sheath, his face painted with a stricken of plain fear. He glanced behind him to see the miko coming and grabbed him roughly be the wrist. "I can't believe you two." She muttered.

 

"Miko" Sesshomaru glared.

 

"Sesshomaru I thought you knew better." She glanced up at him. "I know InuYasha would start a fight and I thought you could handle and be the onii you are."

 

Sesshomaru glared, damn that women could talk sense. Sesshomaru felt that thought was a human's and quickly just growled in response to the woman's accusation.

 

"InuYasha can I climb on this?" Sesshomaru glared down to see the young fox youkai clinging to InuYasha's 'tail'.

 

"Hue? Climb on what?" InuYasha turned around and glared at Shippo. "No!"

 

"Ohh" the young fox youkai hung his head and walked back to the houshi.

 

"InuYasha that was mean." Kagome pouted.

 

"I don't think this a toy Kagome." InuYasha scrunched up his face. He turned to Sesshomaru. "Exactly what the hell is for anyway?"

 

"Otouto, shut up." Sesshomaru said.

 

InuYasha cocked an eyebrow. "That's a first."

 

"InuYasha, for Kami's sake can you stop fighting with your onii?" the miko snorted.

 

"He started it." InuYasha growled.

 

"You asked him a question stupid." The miko turned her heel and started to walk ahead everyone else. "I"

 

"Kagome, just zip it okay?" InuYasha spat.

 

"Enjoy the ground." Sesshomaru heard the fox pup mumbled.

 

"Osuwari." InuYasha shot to the ground, Sesshomaru watched as even his silver hair disappeared from view. Sesshomaru heard Rin giggle and Jaken snort.

 

The miko shook her head. "I sometimes wish you weren't so stubborn."

 

 

---

 

 

Miroku tapped a finger on his staff and looked down and Sango who was patching up Kirara's head with some of Kagome's healing supplies. Miroku's eyes went to the Inu brothers who were still weary of each other. InuYasha kept his hand on Tessaiga's hilt and Sesshomaru looked like he would unleash the poison whip any second. The both gave each other cold, then dirty looks. Most of the dirty looks came from InuYasha, but even Sesshomaru scowled at InuYasha already more than once.

 

Miroku couldn't help but stare at his hanyou friend more than often for the rest of the trip. The whole day was mainly coated in silence with himself cracking a joke or two. Miroku saw that even Sango seemed too surprised to say much. It did explain quite a bit, why InuYasha's stripes had been there, and why he had been acting strange. InuYasha had been turning into a youkai, how? Miroku had no clue.

 

"Houshi, you okay?" Miroku looked down to find Sango staring at him.

 

"Yeajust lost in thought Sango." Miroku shook his head. Looking at InuYasha he had turned his back and was just staring at the path up ahead. Rin climbed off Ah-Un and happily jumped into the fur that leaked off InuYasha's back. InuYasha gave the young girl a funny look, but didn't complain. Sesshomaru watched as the young girl gripped the fur tightly and looked up at the Youkai Lord.

 

"It's as soft as yours Sesshomaru-sama!" Rin happily announced.

 

"Rin, dear I don't think InuYasha likes that." Sango said.

 

"She's fine, as long as Shippo doesn't join her." InuYasha scoffed.

 

"Ohhh" Shippo hung his head. He had just walked over to join the little girl. "Why not InuYasha?"

 

"Because I said so." InuYasha growled.

 

"InuYasha , Shippo's just as curious as Rin, be nice." Kagome huffed.

 

InuYasha snorted but gave no response to his mate's compliance. Miroku walked up to InuYasha's side and stared at the sky.

 

"Nice day, isn't InuYasha?" Miroku sighed.

 

"What do you want Miroku?"

 

"Nothing, well an explanation, but I'll save that for later." Miroku said.

 

"I got none for you." InuYasha spat.

 

"Can you describe the youki you keep sensing?"

 

"Uhhh" InuYasha stopped and stared up. "It's extremely strong, a lot stronger than Naraku's, Sesshomaru's, or even mine for that matter." InuYasha put his hand up and scratched his head were a large chunk of his hair was tied back.

 

"Hmmmanything else?"

 

"Yea, why can't you sense it?" InuYasha looked him dead in the eye. Miroku was never really antagonized when it came to InuYasha, but by how tall he was now, Miroku had second thoughts. InuYasha stood a good foot taller, his staff probably as tall as to InuYasha's nose. The fur on his back and his tied hair made him even look taller.

 

InuYasha looked like something you just wanted to get out of their path. He walked closely how Sesshomaru did, the only difference, he may have changed physically, but mentally, the old grouching hanyou InuYasha was still there.

 

"Honestly InuYasha, I don't know. When you say you sense this youki, I try my hardest to find it as well, but always come up with stale air." Miroku sighed.

 

"You said earlier we were going on a 'hunch'." InuYasha's voice sounded like a nasty sneer.

 

"InuYasha, when I can't sense a youkai, there is a problem that it may just be another illusion." Miroku stopped. "What did you sense when Kagura attacked?"

 

"II was human baka." InuYasha gave him a weird face.

 

"Oh." Miroku forgot about that little problem. "Could you explain how you disappeared all of a sudden, so far from camp when you were in a human body?"

 

"I" InuYasha stopped and looked at his claws. "I just saw a flash of color that my claws are now."

 

"Gold?" Miroku said. InterestingMiroku thought. "Can I see your claws?" InuYasha gave him his hand without argument, and Miroku moved a finger on the claw. The first thing was, it was unnaturally cold, like a metal that has been sitting there for years, but had not rusted. The gold color was weird itself, but there was still something funny about them.

 

"InuYasha you mind if I put a sutras on your hand?"

 

 

"As long as I don't get fried."

 

"No, I won't plant a spell; I just want to see if they react to your claws in a way." Miroku said as he slipped a sutras from his robe and flatten the paper between his hands.

 

"Houshi, what are you doing?" Sango asked from behind.

 

"I'm just seeing something." Miroku answered the young exterminator. Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes, but didn't interfere. Kagome was looking at both of them, a hint of concern in her eyes.

 

Miroku bit his lip and placed the sutras on InuYasha's hand. Nothing happened.

 

"What the hell were you expecting?" InuYasha asked suddenly.

 

"I was just" Miroku glared at the sutras. "A very powerful spell had to have happened when you were moved in your human form, and when you said it had been this color you had seen, I thought your claws had something to do with it."

 

"I had no claws that night." InuYasha grumbled. He looked down at his covered hand and reached over to pick it off when he shot back as the sutras zapped his hand. "Miroku get this off!"

 

"Sorry." Miroku quickly removed the spell. "It didn't do that to you as strong when you were a hanyou."

 

"I was a hanyou." InuYasha glared.

 

"InuYasha, you don't plan to stay this waydo you?" Miroku turned around to see Kagome tightly holding her yellow bag.

 

"Kagome, why are you asking?" InuYasha's voice sounded like he was angry, but the concern leaked through like a waterfall.

 

"I" Kagome looked down. "I was just wondering." InuYasha blinked and walked over to the miko, dragging a small Rin on his fur with him.

 

"Kagome, do you want to talk to me about something?"

 

"When we're alone." Kagome shoved him off and walked ahead. Miroku could see a small tear come down her cheek before she turned her head out of his view.

 

"Kagome" InuYasha started.

 

"Not now InuYasha." Kagome snapped.

 

InuYasha put his hand down to his side in defeat. Miroku rubbed his head and sighed. Walking back over to Sango, he placed a hand on her shoulder.

 

"How's Kirara?"

 

"Fine houshi." Sango sighed. She held the young youkai cat in her arm, while Kirara slept soundly. "She'll be better in about a day. The bruise is healing fast thanks to Kagome's herbs."

 

"I see." Miroku sighed.

 

"What were you doing with InuYasha's hand?"

 

"Just to see if there was something funny about his claws."

 

"There is something funny about his whole body." Sango glared. "Or have you not noticed?"

 

"Sango, I think a blind bat would notice." Miroku smiled his hand groped her.

 

"HOUSHI!" Sango smacked him with the same force she always did. Kirara shot up in alarm, but laid her head back down when Sango put her hand back on her head, and rubbed the youkai cat behind the ears. "I thought you've learned!"

 

"Never escapes me Sango." Miroku smiled as he rubbed the hand print on his cheek.

 

"Immaturity." Miroku turned to see Jaken staring at them.

 

"Well, I don't see you with a mate." Miroku smiled at the toad youkai. Jaken's eyes nearly popped out of his head.

 

"Why you!"

 

"Jaken."

 

"Sorry My Lord." Jaken bowed his head, but gave Miroku a dirty look.

 

"Houshi." Miroku turned to the Youkai Lord.

 

"Yes Sesshomaru?"

 

"Is there any forces that might be humans at work?" Miroku shot an eyebrow up and turned to look at InuYasha. He was trailing right at Kagome's feet, almost begging her about something. The next instant, InuYasha was planted in the ground.

 

"Do you mean like a spell that was used by a human houshi or miko?" Miroku asked.

 

"Yes."

 

"No, I don't sense anything of that sort." Miroku shook his head.

 

Sesshomaru turned his head and looked back to InuYasha, who had gotten out of the 'osuwari' crater and walked silently behind Kagome. Rin jumped off the InuYasha's fur and then onto Sesshomaru's. The Youkai Lord ignored the girl.

 

Jaken snorted and laid down on Ah-Un's back to take a short nap. He snores soon was the only noise heard for the time being. Miroku tapped his staff again and looked at Kagome. She looked a little upset about the question she had asked earlier to InuYasha. Would InuYasha want to stay this way? Miroku was told by Kagome when they had first met that InuYasha wanted to be a full-fledged youkai to be more like his otou. For some reason, Kagome was extremely upset about it. She wanted InuYasha the way he was, Miroku only was glad that InuYasha as a youkai was not the red-eyed devil when his youkai blood took over him. He was still InuYasha, just more powerful.

 

"Do you think InuYasha and Sesshomaru have reached some kind of truce?" Sango asked. Miroku nearly fell over as he wasn't expecting her to talk.

 

"I guess, the tension is still there." Miroku sighed. "But I doubt those two will ever get along."