After Midnight

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Inuyasha. Rumiko Takahashi does, and she made it end! ::cries::

Chapter 9:
Slight of Hand

“Self-conceit may lead to self destruction.”
-Aesop


Emerald eyes fluttered open, blinking dazedly up at the sky. His ear twitched, taking in the sounds of deep breathing from his slumbering companions. ‘Where am I?’ Shippou shifted to roll onto his side and felt a dull pain in his ribs protesting his movements. He drew in a sharp breath before carefully propping himself up on his elbow.

Across the fire he could see the blurred form of a sleeping Kikyo and Inuyasha’s empty bedroll. Out of habit he searched the trees for a flash of red, but found nothing. Miroku and Sango were curled up together on his left, Rin on his right. His gaze swept over the camp again. Where was Kagome? Her sleeping bag was empty, her sword gone, and her scent stale.

“Kit,” the voice that addressed him was soft, but very deep. His brow furrowed as he searched for its owner. From behind Rin he caught a glint of gold in the firelight.

“Oh,” Shippou rubbed a hand across his brow. “Hey Lord Sesshomaru. Where’s my mother?” The kitsune’s fuzzy sight came into focus just in time to catch the muscle jump in the demon Lord jaw.

“She is returning.”

A lazy yawn broke from the Shippou’s mouth as he scratched the back of his head. Drawing himself up into a sitting position he eyed the daiyoukai and dropped his voice down to a volume only a youkai could hear. “You like her don’t you?”

Sesshomaru let loose a very undignified snort. “Do not speak of what you do not know.” He replied just a lowly.

“Sure, sure.” Shippou shot him a look full of disbelief. “You don’t let anyone else talk to you the way she does. You’ve killed people for less.”

“Are you advocating the death of the miko?” Sesshomaru raised a brow. “I allow you to speak to me loosely.”

A sly grin stretched the kit’s face. “Yeah, but you like me. I think if you dropped the act a bit you two might get along. You could use a few more friends, or do you enjoy baiting her?”

It was Sesshomaru’s turn to smirk. “Perhaps.”

“Well, you should give it a rest. At least for now. She has enough to deal with, you know.”

“You speak of Inuyasha.”

Shippou‘s brows drew together. “Him, and being around everyone. She’s not used to it.” He cast a glance over his companions. “Inuyasha is... complicated.”

The daiyoukai sniffed. “Hardly.” He cocked his head to the side slightly. “Why have you not returned to the castle? Jun’Ichi has asked of you.”

Unwillingly Shippou’s gaze slid towards Rin. “I just haven’t.” His head perked up as he sniffed the air. “Inuyasha’s with her?”

Sesshomaru took the change in subject, noting the direction of the kitsune’s eyes. He nodded mutely and watched the scowl deepen on Shippou’s face.

To the left of the demon Lord the brush rustled, drawing the attention of the two demons. Kagome and Inuyasha stepped out side by side. A tiny gasp was heard before the miko rushed forward toward her son.

“Shippou. You’re awake.” She exclaimed.

“Way to state the obvious Mama.” He watched Inuyasha tuck his hands into the sleeves of his haori and cross to the other side of the fire to wake his mate.

Kagome swatted him lightly on the arm and sat down next to him. “What happened? Are you okay? Does anything still hurt?” Her eyes shone with concern.

He reached a clawed hand up to run it through her hair. “I’m fine Mama. Just a little sore.”

She nodded and observed Kikyo move to wake Sango and Miroku. Rin rose slowly, shivering slightly in the still cool pre-dawn air.

Inuyasha turned toward Kagome. “I’m gonna go get some food.” He gestured towards Miroku as Sango lovingly pat down her husband’s unruly hair. “Have the monk build up the fire.”

Kagome blinked. “Sure.”

With a wary gaze Shippou observed the hanyou’s red clad form melt back into the shadows. It was unusual for Inuyasha to be so helpful and, dare he say, polite.

Miroku threw a log on the fire, causing small motes of ash to spiral upwards. “So, what happened Shippou?”

A small growl escaped the kitsune. “The bastard fights dirty.” The frightened shouts of the villagers rose in his memory. The flicker of torches dancing in his mind’s eye. “It was just him. He wasn’t interested in the villagers, but...” His eyes glazed over in contemplation.

“What?” The miko prodded.

Shippou shook his head. “I couldn’t smell him coming,” he finished softly.

Everyone jumped a bit as the daiyoukai spoke, having forgotten about his presence. “That is not unexpected. He and his army are capable of masking their scents completely.”

Wide blue eyes stared back at the demon Lord. “That shouldn’t be possible without the help of sorcery.”

“Indeed.” A silence descended on the group, broken only by the renewed crackling of the campfire.

Miroku cracked his neck. “So, Lord Sesshomaru, you believe he has a sorcerer on his side?”

“It is possible.”

Kagome bit her lip, turning her attention back to her son. “The girls got away though, right?”

“Yeah,” Shippou nodded. “The guy wasn’t very strong in his own right. Like I said he fought dirty. He used a bunch of taijiya tricks, scent and flash bombs, to get his hits in on me.”

Sango leaned forward sharply. “What!?” Camp focus turned to the demon slayer. “That is not possible. Kohaku and I are the only one’s that-”

Sesshomaru cut her off, speaking slowly in his deep commanding voice. “Where is your brother slayer?”

The taijiya bristled. “Just what are you implying?” She bit out, her face turning red.

“Whoa, whoa.” Kagome held up her hands between the two begging for peace. “He’s not implying anything.” She shot a pointed glare at the daiyoukai. “Right?”

Receiving a sniff in answer she took a deep breath and rubbed the bridge of her nose. “Look, we haven’t seen Kohaku in years.” Sango showed every indication of breaking in so the miko rushed her next words. “BUT that doesn’t mean it was him. He could be teaching other slayers. Naboru could have gotten the knowledge somewhere else. We shouldn’t jump to conclusions.”

Shippou broke in, confusion plain in his voice. “Naboru?”

Inuyasha re-entered the clearing in time to catch the last half of the conversation and chose this time to speak up. “Yeah. Tall black hair, green eyes, snooty attitude, dressed like a Lord.”

Shippou nodded at the description of the man that had attacked him.

“That’s him.” Inuyasha sat down near the tree line, gutting and skinning the rabbits he caught.

“He is the new Southern Lord,” Miroku added.

“Whoa.” The kitsune’s brows rose into his bangs. “How did he ever become Lord?”

The group looked at each other in question, but it was Sesshomaru who answered. “As you said kit. He is not honorable.”

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The leopard youkai grinned at the two cubs. It was all too easy. He could have taken his prey while they were still blissfully ignorant of his proximity, but he had to make sure. He was confused. Why did the two young girls carry no scent? Ones so young should be unable to mask themselves and even then it would never be a complete lack of scent. It had taken him circling twice and hearing the comment about the Western citadel to confirm their identity. His Lord would have been highly displeased if he had returned with the wrong hanyous.

He took another step forward, threat emanating from every ripple of muscle. Sayuri felt her nerves humming. Her fists clenching involuntarily in indignation. That arrogant youkai! Just because they were young and hanyous he didn’t expect them to put up a fight. She could see it in his eyes. He was mocking them! A flash of fang and claw glinted in the first true ray of sunlight.

Akitsuki jerked as her nose was clogged with the thick stench of blood. Her eyes traveled down her figure expecting to see the leopard’s claws embedded in her chest. To her surprise she was uninjured, but when she glanced up she saw four beading crimson trails welling up across the soldier’s left cheek. Sayuri had leaned half over her sister’s shoulder to swipe at the leopard’s face.

“Bitch,” the soldier hissed. The markings peeking from beneath his collar grew dark and jagged. His eyes flashed in fury, tinting the previously eerie sea-green with hints of red.

The elder hanyou’s instincts kicked in and she dove to the side feeling her younger sister’s blood stained claw slap wetly across her arm. She sprung to her feet intent on bolting into the cover of the trees. Before her thudding heart could beat again she was granted with the view of the soldier’s livid face as he dangled the pair above the ground like unruly kittens. She kicked futilely. The pain of the talisman’s chain cutting into her neck while her sister clung to her waist desperately attempting to keep her from being strangled.

It lasted only a second before they were both dropped to the ground. Akitsuki’s knees impacted hard. Pain shot up her back. Sayuri’s weight caused her to overbalance and her right palm sliced against a rock imbedded in the forest floor when she fell forward. Above them a howl of agony erupted from the soldier as he clutched at his wrist.

“What did you do?” He snarled.

Sayuri gasped causing her sister to snap her head up. She felt her stomach lurch at the smell of burned flesh. It was thick and coated her throat.

Akitsuki choked. “How?” Her eyes traveled up the youkai’s arm. From a few inches below his elbow down to the tips of his fingers the skin was blackened and bubbling. Angry purple blisters were already rupturing and trickling a clear putrid smelling liquid down his forearm. She wrinkled her nose in disgust and she scrambled backwards on all fours away from the still advancing demon.

The soldier reached for them with his other hand but a shimmering pink barrier rebuffed his claws. A wave of purity raced up his arm like lightning, leaving a jagged trail in its wake. He hissed. Too enraged and blinded by pain to stop he pushed forward again. His youki whipped around him, blurring his form. The resulting winds ripped the leaves from nearby trees as he gave himself over and transformed.

A whimper escaped Sayuri. Little hands fisting desperately in the fabric covering her sister’s back. They couldn’t outrun a full youkai, let alone a transformed leopard. She knew the magic in the necklace would protect them, but she had no desire to test its limits. Unfortunately it seemed that would be exactly what would happen.

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The fire crackled merrily in the clearing surrounded by five bleary eyed humans, one rumpled kitsune, and an unusually reticent hanyou. Kikyo rose to her knees and reached forward to turn the spits of rabbit. Satisfied with their progress she turned to her mate, taking note of the scowl on his face, and sighed. “Inuyasha,” she called.

Said hanyou continued to pout. The ruddy patch along his jaw already fading to a sick yellowish-green. His eyes were downcast and he refused to acknowledge anyone. Every so often he would cast a glare at the demon Lord watching the sky near the edge of the glade.

Kikyo’s jaw tightened as her mate continued to sulk. “Mate.” Her tone turned clipped.

“What?” He snapped.

Miroku and Sango edged away from the group. Having encountered similar situations before they knew it was best to leave before the shouting started. Kirara followed on their heels and they began to make a production out of packing up camp. Kagome merely propped her elbow on her knee and rested her head in her hand. Shippou was staring intently at the roasting meat, appearing in deep thought. Another moment passed before a decisive look flashed over his features and he reached out to pluck one of the spits from the fire. Food in hand he retreated away from the angry priestess.

“I want your word this will not happen again.” Kikyo frowned at her mate when he jerked and gave her an incredulous look.

Inuyasha sputtered for a moment before finding words. “HE hit ME!”

“And you deserved it. You should never have insulted him like that.” She paused and then added, “or Rin.”

Kagome took note of the way Inuyasha’s face reddened and his ears pinned back against his head. A sigh escaped her, he was working himself up to a bout of bellowing. She watched Shippou munch on his rabbit while conversing with Miroku and considered eating her own meat rare.

“All I said was that if she,” one red clad arm pointed at Rin, “could keep a better eye on her runts we wouldn’t be out here looking for ‘em.”

A very human growl sounded around the fire before Rin stood up and marched off toward Sesshomaru. Apparently so many years living with demons caused her to pick up a few of their traits. At times like these Kagome regretted removing the subjugation beads. She got up to leave the elder miko to deal with her mate.

“Hey!” Inuyasha jumped to his feet. “Where do you think you’re going?”

“For the love of Kami, Inuyasha.” Kagome whirled on the hanyou. “I’ve got to pee. Is that alright with you?”

His face lit up with a blush. “Keh,”

As she stalked away Kagome heard Kikyo continue to lecture her mate about the value of keeping his mouth shut and his nose out of other people’s affairs. Once in the woods and finished with her business Kagome took a moment to collect herself. She sighed and rubbed her temples, already feeling the telltale beginnings of a headache.

Every time, EVERY time, his brother was near something like this happened. It didn’t matter that Sesshomaru had stopped fighting with Inuyasha. He would never stop fighting with Sesshomaru. Even the fact that his son, Jun’Ichi, had been invited by the demon Lord himself to train and join in the Western army had not lessened Inuyasha’s dislike of his older brother. Inuyasha’s son had accepted, and it had only caused greater animosity. The hanyou simply wouldn’t accept that the daiyoukai’s views had changed.

Kikyo was right. Inuyasha had deserved the punch to his jaw. The group had finished their conversation about Naboru, and Sesshomaru suggested they ready themselves to leave. That had been all that was need to start Inuyasha on a rant about his brother giving out orders. Which naturally lead him to the slight on Rin’s parenting skills. Idly the miko wondered how many centuries it would take for him to learn to keep his mouth shut. ‘Many,’ she surmised.

She turned to head back into the camp knowing that if she took too long the overbearing hanyou would come looking for her, bathroom break or not. Re-entering the clearing, she was glad to hear that the couple had finished their fight, for the time being.

Miroku and Sango were done packing up and were once again seated around the open fire, each with a stick of meat in their hands. Rin was eating hers while engaging in quiet conversation with Sesshomaru, and Kikyo greeted Kagome with her own portion of breakfast. As everyone dug into their meal silence reigned in the Inu-tachi.

The sun peeked over the horizon. The first true ray illuminated the ground near Kagome’s feet. Halfway through the motion of taking another bite the miko stiffened.

Cold fingers pressed down her spine followed by a wave of heat and a tug on her soul. Shippou’s brow drew together in confusion when his mother gasped, drawing everyone’s attention. Her eyes darkened to navy and she leapt to her feet. She could feel the talisman’s call. Rin’s cubs were in danger.

“Sesshomaru!” A slight turn of his shoulders and a raised eyebrow were the signs of her acknowledgement. Kagome was already gathering her bow and arrows, her food forgotten. “Can I travel with you in your energy sphere?”

The demon Lord watched the little miko rush around camp before skidding to a halt in front of him. “No.”

“Is that a no you don’t want me to, or a no it‘s not possible?” She persisted.

Curiosity tugged at him. “It is not possible.”

The rest of the group watched the conversation with rapt attention. Sure, the youkai had gotten considerably more tolerable over the years courtesy of Rin, but it was a well-known fact that he and the miko did not get along. Which was strange considering how many times Kagome had gone to the castle. It and the village were the two places the miko spent most of her time.

Kagome sighed in exasperation, knowing his light orb was by far the fastest means of travel. “Okay. Then you need to go directly North from here and look for the girls. They’re in trou-”

Before she could finish the daiyoukai was gone. Rin looked pale and shaky, but flashed a grateful smile when Kagome squeezed her upper arm. “I’m following,” Kagome said to the group at large before taking off into the woods, backpack in tow.

“Oi, wench. Wait!” Inuyasha made to run off after her but Kikyo caught his arm.

“Inuyasha, Kirara can not hold four people. You need to help.” Her lips were set in an uncompromising line.

His ears twitched, having already lost the sounds of Kagome‘s hurried footfalls. “But-”

Shippou grabbed Rin who squeaked a bit in surprise. He tossed a “hurry up” over his shoulder and bounded off after his mother. A flash of reddish-orange hair the last thing swallowed up by the still dim forest.

“Keh,” the hanyou grunted. He bent down so his mate could climb onto his back. Miroku smothered the fire and then jumped on Kirara with Sango. A moment later the clearing was empty.

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After an hour and a half of flying he spotted it from the air. It wasn’t hard considering he could have found it by smell alone. The stench was putrid. It flooded the woods like a fog, the barest tang of miko power seeping through.

Sesshomaru materialized next to the unconscious and horribly burned body of a transformed leopard youkai. He wrinkled his nose in distaste at the acrid scent of burning fur. Parts of the youkai’s hide had peeled away revealing raw muscle. The worst of the damage seemed to be his right paw and arm which still sluggishly leaked fluid. Sesshomaru felt a small bit of envy that the mere offshoot of the miko’s aura could hold such power.

It was incidents such as these that served to reinforce his opinion of the woman. He had not lied when he said he did not dislike the miko. Quiet the opposite. She was strong, and only a strong being such as she was worthy of a battle of wills. But perhaps the kitsune was right, and for the time being he should not goad her. She had seemed stressed this morning.

Sesshomaru circled the clearing sniffing and tracking in vain. The only sign to be found was a small bit of Akitsuki’s blood smeared on a rock to the left of the body. He concluded it to be a minor wound and had hopes that a trail would be left. Traveling in ever widening concentric rings, he searched for any further blood that might have been smeared on a tree or dripped on the ground. Once again Haruki’s training was followed flawlessly by his daughters.

With the passing of each hour the demon Lord’s frustration grew. When the sun reached its zenith he felt the approach of the miko in the distance. She would meet him within the hour.

A low whine brought his attention back to the leopard. He drew near the cat, watching as its lids lifted revealing a pair of glazed red eyes. It hissed when it spotted him and struggled to move. The daiyoukai resisted the urge to roll his eyes at the lame demon’s display. Without wasting further time he spoke to it in Inu, demanding to know who it was. A choppy growl was his reply. It lay there completely helpless yet still it was insolent. Sesshomaru let a warning growl rumble through his chest. He again demanded information. The youkai lifted its lip in a snarl and Sesshomaru felt his patience slip. Before he could start extracting answers with his claws another presence caught his attention.

He scented the air, filtering through the smell of burnt flesh and woods until he identified the intruder. “Come out.”

A lizard hanyou stepped boldly from the trees. “My Lord,” he bowed low.

Sesshomaru raked his eyes down the demon searching for any identifying markers. His scent was unfamiliar and the West did not employ a lizard hanyou. The male did not wear a uniform but rather black hakama and a simple white haori. “Identify yourself.” He commanded.

The lizard rose and took three steps closer, bringing himself within five feet of the demon Lord. Something was wrong. Sesshomaru’s instincts were screaming at him to kill the fool and leave the questions to the carrion eaters, but he held his ground. If this was a messenger from one of the other Lord’s it would be considered an insult to kill him.

The hanyou drew a small bamboo container from his waist and held it out to Sesshomaru, as if in offering. A wrinkle formed on the daiyoukai’s forehead. The male had yet to state his business. His instincts almost succeeded in causing him to pull away when the lizard crushed the container in his hand releasing a cloud of white powder.

He jumped back waiting for the cloud to clear, anticipating another attack while visibility was low. The muscles around his eyes tightened. Whatever the substance was it stung and made his skin tingled. Some form of poison, he was sure. Unfortunately for the hanyou, Sesshomaru was immune to poison. The heavy thud of a dropping body reached his ears as the veil of powder settled.

The lizard hanyou lay on the ground, twitching and gasping. Blood dribbled from his eyes and nose. When he coughed, it spattered onto his chin. “They said...” he gasped, “it would make you... unconscious.” His chest wheezed and he fought for breath.

“Apparently, they lied.” Sesshomaru responded coldly. “Who are they?”

The demon Lord reached forward and grasped the hanyou’s collar. Black eyes went wide. “They...” he trailed off, his breathing faded and his life ceased. Disgusted, Sesshomaru dropped the lizard back onto the dirt.

The substance had dispersed through the clearing, dusting the area in a thin blanket of white. Sesshomaru caught the cessation of the leopard youkai’s heartbeat, as it too succumbed to the poison. He sniffed and rolled his shoulders, feeling slightly stiff. Now he would receive answers from neither.

Frustrated at the lack of trail for Rin’s cubs, the death of his only informant, and the pitiful attack of the lizard hanyou, Sesshomaru started walking in the direction of the miko. She was only a few miles off, trailed closely by the kitsune and Rin. He allowed his thoughts to wander as he walked.

Why would his enemies attack him with poison? Surely they knew he was a poison master and so immune to such. It made no logical sense. But then, none of the recent actions of his enemy made sense.

Why invade the East blatantly when Naboru had been sacking from the shadows for almost a year? Why kidnap Rin and then make her so easy to find and rescue? Why show up personally at the attack on Edo and purposefully provoke the miko? And if Naboru orchestrated this latest attempt on his person, why attack him with a substance to which he was immune?

Absently, Sesshomaru noticed that the miko had halted abruptly about three miles from his current position. Perhaps she was waiting on him. He could sense no other presence in the vicinity.

He growled audibly turning back to his thoughts. None of it made sense. A twig snapped to Sesshomaru’s left, and he walked past.

There was something he was missing. No doubt it would reveal itself in time.

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AN:

Thanks to my reviewers who keep me plugging along on this story. Candy for everyone!

Indigo: Poor Sessho, overconfidence sucks.

Sessho: ::moans in background::

Indigo: My muse showed up at the end of this chapter and hit him with something nasty. Bad news for Sessho, good news for me. I can’t wait to write the next chapter. ::bounces::

Koga: I thought you said I was going to be in this chapter.

Indigo: ::pats Koga on the head:: I promise you are in the next chapter. BTW, do you have any idea how hard it is to write a chapter when your shift keys don’t work? It’s a pain in the ass and damn near impossible. But I waded through it for you readers, because I love you.

Well I’m off to write the next chapter while things are rolling so...

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Preview!

Chapter 10:

“So,” he drawled. “What does it take to bind the great Sesshomaru?” Naboru’s voice was mocking.

“Much,” she purred.

The corner of his lips quirked. “Your hatred of your family is strong.”