The Sacred Trees

Hi all, Have been rather busy so this is a little late but I have guests down this week and stuff to do. Went to a tropical Island for snorkeling – Highly recommend it. :)

Please read and review I really appreciate it. Will respond to reviews next time.

Thanks all. Read and Enjoy

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CHAPTER 14 : To save the Future!

** “The Ancient ones sent us to you child.” the female said with a smile, the Canine attacking the barrier she put up had no effect on it what so ever.

“Gods of my father, its good to see you boy,” the lead male said though his eyes never wavered from Sesshoumaru. **

Inuyasha pushed Sesshoumaru aside. “Matiana!! Dionne!!” He gasped in recognition.

Firmly Sesshoumaru hauled Inuyasha back to him, wrapping a possessive arm around his brother's waist. He glared at the 6 Inu Demons all whom had long think Beige and black hair, in different shades and combinations. He growled and gestured with this free hand, the Canines stood down but remained on guard. Shippo completing his spell, he released the Chakra against the barrier, creating a crack. He and Kouga stepped through. Shippo standing next to Inuyasha and Kouga on the other side beside Sesshoumaru. Kouga's liver wound was healing, he was in a great deal of pain, but pain was not something that would stop the Canine General from doing his duty.

“That was impressive young one.” Matianna said to Shippo. The Kitsune growled back, these two felt more of a threat to his relationship with his father then anything else so far.

“Let me go, Sesshoumaru. These are friends of mine. They are the ones who helped train me. Let me go!” Inuyasha demanded, but the arm was like titanium around his waist.

“It may be best that Lord Sesshoumaru not release you, young one” A melodious voice said from above, Lady Shiba hovered on crimson wings. She landed gently beside Kouga. “They are foreign Inu demons, and if they make a claim on what the Shogun has marked as his, war will result. Look around Inuyasha, this situation is really dangerous. One false move and Inu Demons from two countries will find themselves entangled in a needless turf war. You marked the Shogun a well young one, please, we have to avoid a war.”

Inuyasha froze. He looked around. The Canine's had stood down but they were geared to go into battle. The Lieutenants fairly bristling to attack. Shippo and Kouga were focused and battle ready as well, Sesshoumaru's eyes were ringed in red. Dionne, Rameal, Jeon and two other being colored Dog Demons that he vaguely recognized as villagers from Canada bristled with similar battle energy. Inuyasha could almost see the hackles rising on the two packs of dog demons. But more then this, he sense a difference, this would not be a simple battle. The energy was different from the energy of feuding packs during the Feudal era, then it was one of skirmishes and fights. This was different. This would be war. As warriors of the era of the Secret Wars once battle was declared, they gave no inch, showed no mercy. Once was was declared the two packs would fight until one was destroyed, all warriors killed and the non combatants knelt in abject surrender, that was the legacy of Secret Wars.

Only Matianna and Lady Shiba seemed calm, the two women nodding at each other in recognition. Even so they stood with their chosen side. They would not do more to avert or encourage a battle. The tension weighed down and kept growing.

His brother's warmth seemed to wrap around Inuyasha. Shippo and Kouga's scents strong in the air... it was .. home.

The few years he had spent in Canada could not match the bonds developed in the Feudal era, the hanyou had missed them so much. In the end, his fucking bi-polar jackass of a brother's perversions aside, this was home. He stopped struggling. And forced himself to relax. There would be no war here. Once he relaxed he gently pulled free from Sesshoumaru and took a single step to the front.

He intended to ask nicely, to diplomatically bring the tension to an end. And Inuyasha did so in his trademark Hanyou style.

“All you fuck-ups STAND THE HELL DOWN!!!!! The first IDIOT to attack goes though ME!! Weapons down NOW!!” Inuyasha yelled, he scooped up Tessaiga, unsheathed he waved the glowing sword around, warningly. “Both sides are my friends and I'll Wind Scar the ass of any friend stupid enough to attack my friends.”

Matianna winched, “Well I see that the lessons in diplomacy did not take.” She muttered with a fond smile at the hanyou, she began to walk forward.

“Feh, watcha mean didn't take, old lady. You see any fighting? I don't, looks pretty damn effective to me.” Inuyasha responded with a similar smile. He dodged Sesshoumaru's grab and bounded forward, meeting Matianna in a big hug in the middle. “It is good to see you in your true forms.” Inuyasha said in a slightly accusing voice as he looked at his friends.

Dionne grimaced, he put his weapons down, walked up to Inuyasha and squeezed his shoulder. “It was not our idea, we didn't want to do it, but the Ancient ones felt that if you knew we were Inu Demons, it would have made it harder for you to leave us. According to them you had to return to Japan, and though we wanted you to stay, we could not go against the Ancient Ones.”

“Of course he had to come back to Japan, THIS is where father belongs.” Shippo latched himself to Inuyasha's other arm. Glaring daggers at Dionne.

“If you wish to keep that arm, release my mate dog! I am well within my rights to remove that arm if you touch my marked mate without my leave” Sesshoumaru said, his voice colder then ice, his face was impassive, but his eyes drilled holes in Dionne. This was the warrior who had trained his brother, Sesshoumaru sensed it. He KNEW IT!! Like rising poison, his temper rose, the air around him froze. It was HIS place as Aniki and Shogun to train his younger brother! HIS RigHT! That this 'person' had done it, and had done a very good job of it, burned in Sesshoumaru's gut.

Dionne tightened his grip, but Inuyasha turned, consciously or unconsciously forcing Dionne's hand away. The hanyou glared at his brother.

“The only person who slices off other's people's hands is ME!” Inuyasha glared at Sesshoumaru.

Matianna grasped Inuyasha's arms tightly. “Inuyasha is what the Shogun saying true? Are you marked?” She asked her voice very tight and worried.

Inuyasha went red, he growled low, but he couldn't lie not wit the tension still so high. Reluctantly, almost involuntarily he nodded once, earning a glare from his brother. Inuyasha ignored that.

There was a definite increase in the tension among the beige Inu, Dionne glared at Sesshoumaru, his hand dropping to his sword, Sesshoumaru returned the gesture. Matianna's grip tightened to the point of almost drawing blood “Inuyasha! Did you mark him in return?” Does he bear your mark?”

“Course he does! Keh! Since when am I the kindda hanyou that lets someone bite him without biting back.” Inuyasha asked perplexed at the questions.

“Show us the mark!” Matianna demanded of Sesshoumaru.

“This Sesshoumaru will show you nothing! Who are you to.. Lady Shiba!!! YOU DARE!!” Sesshoumaru glared at the Phoenix Demoness who had coolly turned and slashed at Sesshoumaru's already damaged clothing. Revealing the mark on Sesshoumaru's chest, that with a little imagination looked like the canopy of Ginshenboku.

“Of course I dare!” She replied her voice silk in steel. “I would dare anything to prevent needless bloodshed, stepping on YOUR EGO in such a small matter is not something I would not think twice to do. And If you weren't going primeval and possessive of Inuyasha, you would agree with my actions.”

Sesshoumaru just growled then he turned to the beige Inu female. “Satisfied?” He asked flatly.

It was Dionne who answered, “NO! I for one am less then satisfied, I would have preferred to take Inuyasha back with us!” The Canines growled as one. In their minds the hanyou was already theirs.

“Dionne! Hush!!” Matianna reprimanded. She visibly relaxed. “Lord Sesshoumaru we are most satisfied, you completed the requirements of the Ancient Ones. You choose to protect the young one, and not give in to lust, you choose to create an equal marking instead of marking Inuyasha as property, and most of all you did it keeping his spirit and being intact, and have a pack that would war on Inuyasha's behalf. With these conditions met, we will not remove Inuyasha from Japan, instead the Demons of Thlingchadinne Tribe will finally leave the shadows and openly ally with the Canine tribe.” Matianna held out a hand to Sesshoumaru.

The Shogun did not hesitate, he ignored that small over arrogant part of himself what wanted to bark THIS SESSHOUMARU does not need help. Instead with the learning and losses of the Secret Wars and perhaps more importantly knowing it would please Inuyasha, he took the old Lady's hand and kissed her knuckles. The tension dissipated a little.

“We tentative accept that a group with ties to our Hanyou should be allied with us, however before we formally accept this alliance, My Lady, there is much that needs to be clarified, including how you managed to hide from the Canines while operating in Japan, I have never even heard of your tribe.” Kouga said, his eyes narrowed in suspicion, as he asked the question the distracted Sesshoumaru should have asked before accepting the truce.

Inuyasha observed curiously, as Sesshoumaru seemed to tense and then relax at Kouga's words. So it seemed that Kouga was much more than what Jaken ever was, he wasn't a lap dog. Sesshoumaru actually seemed to be relying on the wolf. Inuyahsa was happy about that – but at the same time he was just a little irritated. He frowned in confusion.

Lady Shiba nodded, “Matianna it is good to see you alive, but your tribe did seem to disappear over 500 years ago. I had thought you dead.”

“I will explain as much as I can, however it is not an explanation that all need to hear, nor is this the best place for its telling. May we be accepted as guests in your home and perhaps continue this discussion in more secure and comfortable surroundings, My Lord Shogun?” Matianna asked politely.

At the Shogun's agreement, they made their way back to the mansion. Inuyasha found himself being herded by all of them into the mansion. Shippo refused to leave his side, and Sesshoumaru placed a hand around his shoulder, finding and stroking the mating mark on the Hanyou's neck. Inuyasha wanted to yell and jerk away, but he didn't.

He had almost shot Sesshoumaru. The feel of the gun going off in his hand still made him cringe. He had almost killed his own brother, and his brother would have LET him, encouraged him to. Too much had happened, too fast. Inuyasha could not seem to find his balance. He had his mission, and he would not surrender it. The healing, the way the demons had turned on him, meeting everyone again after getting used to being alone, and that strange bone melting pleasure of his mating, and the war he had just averted, all of it pressed on the hanyou.

How was he going to make everything alright? He was scared, the way the demons had reacted to the healing, Inuyasha knew was not a one off thing. Inuyasha knew he would heal again, he didn't know how was he going to get away from the demons to do it? This feeling of home.. it was not for him. He could not afford to get used to it. He would do what he needed to do.

Inuyasha moved away from Shippo and Sesshoumaru, Shippo released him, Sesshoumaru tightened his hold.

***

The 6 beige Inu sat in comfortable chairs in a large hall, facing Sesshoumaru, Lady Shiba, Kouga, Shippo and the two sub-generals, all 12 sat in chairs, creating a balance for negotiations. Discussions had yet to begin, instead a formal tea ceremony to welcome the guests had been carried out. Inuyasha as the odd one out and a member of both sides stood leaning against the window sill. He felt too nervous to sit for long.

Finally Matianna began her tale.

About 700 years ago her, mother who was a far-seer had a terrible premonition of a time where magic would decline. She saw the decline of the Youkai, and ultimately the chaos that would ensure in the World. She had tried desperately to find answers, and as she went into deeper trances, divined that the Ancient Trees had some connection with the loss of magic. She tried to communicate with individual trees, but failed. None could communicate with a single tree, finally she heard rumors of a grove of Ancient trees. She made her way there, and the rare collection of Ancients allowed her to communicate with them in dreams. The Village had been relocated to be close to the Ancients. At first even the trees had no hope. There was nothing they could do to stop the loss of magic, to halt the destruction of Ancients. As nature was destroyed so were they. As progress could not be stopped, there seemed no hope, no way to stop the loss, and the trees seemed resigned to their fate.

Then about 550 years ago, something changed. A stirring among the Ancients, a growing joy that confused the Youkai. The Ancients had formed a new, unique connection, and were celebrating it. Everyone looked at Inuyasha who was listening intently, noticing the eyes on him, he went beet red. He grumbled at Matianna to continue.

Matianna grinned at the flustered Hanyou and continued. Even the joy did not really lend to any solution to the magic, until 50 years later, when a connection to the future was opened. The connection was unique as it was stable, and the connection gave Ginshinboku, something it did not have before. Information of the future. The information was limited to what happened in direct connection to the tree, and to only the time of the Miko. The Ancient One had 'seen' Inuyasha's death by poisoning beside the well, the future after that had been uncertain.

Matianna was sad at this point. To save the Hanyou and through him have hope of saving the Ancients, a further sacrifice was needed. Matianna's mother had used all her power, all her energy, to secure some hope for her children's future. She literally created a bypass in time, where instead of dying the Hanyou would be allowed a chance to change the future, by being brought to the future. For all purposes he would 'die' in the past, to be brought to a future where he had a chance to chart the unknown waters. Something it seemed only this particular young one could do. Again Inuyasha squirmed as the group looked at him.

Matianna's mother, before she died, charged their tribe with a critical mission. To prepare for when Inuyasha came to the future. The tribe had gone into hiding, finding ways to blend with society. They had developed specific weapons and technology. Specifically they developed cloaking abilities that far surpassed anything possessed by other demons by a couple of hundred years. Some of their people, Martianna and Dionne in particular, probably due to their distance to the Ancient Grove, began to dream and get instructions from the Ancients. They had done things like putting up a dampening barrier around the area of Kagome's school and home, so that when Inuyasha visited their time before his 'death' the other Youkai in the area would not sense it and have the Hanyou identified prematurely. The whole tribe was dedicated to the Ancient grove, and to trying to halt the loss of magic, but their information was limited. Their ability to act more so, when they could not even identify a sleeping Ancient One. It had been a shock to them, when they had enough evidence to confirm that there was an active force, destroying the balance, and forcing the trees to sleep. They began investigations, but the need for secrecy meant their success was limited.

Their main task was to prepare for training the Hanyou.

For what exactly, they did not know!

How exactly, he would save the trees they did not know.

The Ancients were unable to communicate the details. All they knew was that the Hanyou was the only hope they had of even having a chance of saving the Youkai and returning magic to the world.

Inuyasha was pensive. So he was supposed to have died, if not for being stuck to Ginsenboku he would have died. He should have felt bad, or surprised, but somehow he wasn't. A part of him had heard the story before, Matianna seemed to be just reminding him of something he had forgotten.

Inuyasha finally noticed the silence, everyone was looking at him again. They seemed to be waiting for an emotional outburst from the Hanyou. Inuyasha just looked at them “WHAT?!” he asked, when they kept staring.

“Err.. Inuyasha are you okay with this?” Kouga asked almost tentatively.

“With what?” Inuyasha asked his eyes wide.

“With what they said about you and stuff.”

Inuyasha shrugged, “Its my past, it had to happen. Really I have nothing to get upset about.”

Sesshoumaru had to consciously clench his jaw to stop it from hanging open like Kouga's and Shippo's were doing at the moment. Inuyasha had changed... he was unsure if he approved. Especially since Matianna and Dionne seemed to be taking his brother's easy acceptance with such ease. They had knowledge of Inuyasha that Sesshoumaru did not, and Sesshoumaru was not happy about that. Not a single bit.

Dionne met Sesshoumaru's glare and smirked.

Inuyasha did not notice the exchange, we finally recalled what the Ancient One he saved had said. He jerked upright, a sense of urgency hitting him. “Hey, do you guys know a Bakusen-oh? When is the next new moon?”

“The new moon is in three days brother and Bakusen-oh is a talking tree Spirit, a friend of our father's.” Sesshoumaru answered.

“He can talk with his own words?” Inuyasha asked excitedly. “I can't always understand the trees because I have to understand what they say words. Wait, the new moon is in two days! Fuck!!! We have to get to Bakusen-oh today!! I can't recover well when I am human. Where is my robe Sesshoumare?”

Sesshoumaru stood up, suddenly. His eyes narrowed, “You must be joking Inuyasha, you have barely recovered. This Sesshoumaru will not allow you to do this to yourself. Surely someone else can..”

“Someone else?!” Inuyasha interrupted his voice his voice calm and soft. “Keh! Weren't you listening? Go ahead Sesshoumaru, find someone else who was stuck to a tree for 50 years, and maybe they could do what I do.” Inuyasha's voice raised. “Bakusen-oh is going to die – if I do not help him now. I can live with the pain, I cannot live with his death.”

'Inuyasha I do not know if I can stand to see you in pain.” Sesshoumaru said softly.

“Then don't look.” Inuyasha said his voice hard. “In fact it is better if all of you do not look. Youkai cannot see me heal. Just tell me where is the tree, keep your distance. I will heal him, and we can meet up after that. I am sure you will want to listen to what Bokusen-oh has to tell us.”

Matianna and Dionne looked away, they knew better then most the impact of seeing a healing on Youkai. The only reason they had been able to control themselves when they viewed Inuyasha healing was because they had consumed the strongest emotional and sexual blockers known to demon-kind. Even then they had been affected. Shippo and Kouga both shivered as they remembered the lust, the madness that had almost driven them to cross a line from which there was no return.

“Inuyasha please do not do this.” Sesshoumaru repeated, his voice almost pleading. The Shogun did not want to see his brother writhing in pain again, he would prefer never to feel such helplessness. But he knew that one did not always get what they preferred.

“Do not try to stop me Sesshoumaru, the choice to heal is mine alone. I will not cower away from it because of a little pain. I can do this alone.” Inuyasha said his voice pure determination, he would leave the Canines if Sesshoumaru tried to stop him, to him, there was just no choice. Inuyasha stood looking out the window, home was not for him.

Sesshoumaru caught his brother's chin and forced him to meet his eyes. “This Sesshoumaru will not allow... you to do this alone anymore. Inuyasha, you are mine, and if you must do this, you will only do it with me beside you. The Canines will back us up.” Sesshoumaru to prove his claim, drew Inuyasha firmly to him, and kissed him hard. Inuyasha struggled for a moment, then went plaint under the relentless force of his brother.

Inuyasha trembled. He did not know if he could believe his brother or not, but the warmth drove off the cold of loneliness that had invaded him for so long. Inuyasha just didn't know what to do, he didn't know how to defend himself from Sesshoumaru's domination. His fists clenched Sesshoumaru's arms, the kiss overwhelming him. What was he to do?!!


--tbc


Man I thought Id get to Bakusen-oh this chappie, but put it off as I needed to explain why the Beige Inu's were waiting for Inuyasha and how the time travel would not cause paradoxes or splinter timeliness. (ala- X-men.. winch). I am trying to keep or simple and tight.. please tell me if I managed. Or ask questions if you need clarification.