What the Darkness Brings

PART I: The Consequence of Recovery
Chapter 16: Preparations for Retrieval

Contrary to popular belief, he did have emotions, though he wasn’t sure such a rumor was so popular any longer.

He didn’t understand how such a tale could have started. It was foolish. Emotions were the foundation of any basic or even rational decision, were the basis of each and every memory one had. If he had no trust for a person, or if he felt they were lying to him, he would kill that being. If he sought entertainment, he would find Rin, or would tear the head off the nearest creature. All of it was based on emotions.

So perhaps it was the feeling of eagerness and excitement flowing through him that had him sparing the girls life. After all, he’d never allowed any who yelled at him so callously to live another day. It was disrespectful to him and his station and they were deserving of such a fate. But, he had let it go, this time. He allowed her to vent her suppressed anger upon his person and even comforted her afterwards; had forgiven her. All without even a minor punishment as was his right.

But he couldn’t help his unusual behavior. It was almost time… Something akin to giddiness shivered through his spine as he glance up to see the moon nearly gone and a tiny smile appeared on his lips. Ah, yes, it was so close now.

Sesshou-Maru ran his tongue over a fang, his eyes roving over the little miko’s form. Was she ready? He did not truly know the limitations of a human being. He had studied them yes, but he had no true experience with their healing capabilities. The girl could be in bad shape still and seem perfectly health. He couldn’t trust his nose any longer either. Not with the way her scent had changed so much.

It was very strange. Like nothing he had never encountered before. Her scent had gone and shifted in the matter of two weeks, effortlessly easing out of the continuous scent of death and rebirth and into that of something immortal. How she had done it was a mystery, and if he were to hazard a guess, he would have to say that she had no idea of the dramatic change (Inu-Yasha had to have some inclination of it. He had the nose for it after all). He was still trying to pick through the new scent, trying to decipher each of the changes. He’d gotten nowhere so far.

But that was neither here nor there. What was important was something far more worthy. Something he had been very eager for since the beginning of their deal.

The return of his arm.

He himself was very eager to have her complete her end of the bargain, very eager to have his long lost arm returned to him. He knew she could do it. He knew she could restore what was lost to him. More to the point, she could and would do it. Any other priestess would damage his arm, even if they could get it.

He would admit to himself, and only himself, that he was as giddy as a pup what received a new bone, or at least a pup with such anticipation. If he’d been any less of a youkai he was rather sure his tail would be wagging. Drool (without venomous intentions) might have been a factor as well.

Several more reasons to appreciate that he was a taiyoukai. There was no dignity in wagging ones tail or drooling all over one’s self. He would do that in privacy of his own home once it was private. Perhaps not the drooling though. He didn’t want to destroy his flooring.

“What the fuck is with the smirk, bastard?”

Inu-Yasha’s grating voice broke Sesshou-Maru out of his reverie, and slowly he blinked, hiding again behind a stoic mask. “If this Sesshou-Maru felt it necessary to tell you every small thing that crossed his mind, I would tell you so.”

The hanyou grimaced, crossing his arms and casting his eye into the forest. Pouting like a child. How amusing.

He ignored his half-brother in favor of studying the girl, searching for any frailties aside from what he knew to be true now. She would need to be near the physical condition she had been in before her fall. Or at least in the same mindset, and as far as he knew, she was… plus a bit of depression. Which really wasn’t so bad, not as bad as some of his soldiers had been after such a debilitating wound. Some had even tried suicide before he beat some sense into them.

But she…

Sesshou-Maru watched covertly as she talked animatedly with her kit and his ward, giggling girlishly and speaking in quietness at times, as if planning some sort of mischief. He had not known her very well before their ‘formal’ introductions other than the occasional purity-charged arrow directed his way or a glare and a bit of poison her way. The only way he could know that her manner was normal was to pay attention to the way her companions reacted to her, and so far they showed no signs of her acting abnormally.

In fact, aside from a bit of coddling, they were treating her like an equal, one of the pack. And they were coddling the monk more than she.

Lithely, Sesshou-Maru stood from his place and wandered over to the young priestess, “Come, Priestess, walk with this Sesshou-Maru.”

The girl blinked up at him for a moment, looking at his proffered hand with skepticism before shrugging and accepting. Gently he pulled her up, waiting a moment for her to steady herself before letting go. He turned away and began down his chosen path, listening for the sounds of her following. He wasn’t disappointed.

When he was sure he was far enough away from his brother (so he could not overhear) he turned to her. “It is almost time.”

She blinked stupidly, “Eh?”

“Your end of the bargain. It is almost time to fulfill it.”

Her eyes widened. “Already? How do you known?”

“I have studied your recovery, and you seem to have hit the peak. Your pack mates are not treating you as an invalid any longer.”

She blinked again, almost as if she was trying to process the information and it wasn’t going so well. Sesshou-Maru wanted to smack her upside the head to help her along.

But suddenly, as if it processed, she nodded, her lips pursing contemplatively, “I guess so. I mean, Sango didn’t even offer to come with me to the hot springs the other day.”

What? “You went alone to bathe?”

She nodded, a bright smile on her face, “Yep! I guess you can call that progress!”

“This Sesshou-Maru would call it stupidity.”

“What?”

“I did not think that you would be so foolish as to be alone while bathing. You are not safe when you are alone and nude.”

She seemed to take offence, “Are you telling me that I can’t defend myself.”

“I did not imply that you could not defend yourself, Priestess.”

“Then why is it foolish that I bathe alone?”

“You are female.”

The scent of her ire increased with his statement. “Just because I’m a girl doesn’t mean that I can’t defend myself! Are you really that sexist?”

He suppressed a sigh. Damned hormonal females and their presumptions. Why was it that they all assumed males were the chauvinistic ones? “A female is more likely to be raped than a male, Priestess. It is basics. I did not apply that you could not defend yourself, only that you would not be safe.”

Her lower lip suck out in a pout, her arms crossing as she threw a silent temper tantrum reminiscent to a six year old child.

“Your bathing habits are neither here nor there. Very soon, tomorrow night to be exact, you will retrieve this Sesshou-Maru’s arm.”

“O-oh, but… Um, Sesshou-Maru, I don’t think that’s a very good idea.”

An eyebrow rose. “Why?”

She blanched, obviously not ready with an excuse. “Well, you see… the group… We all enjoy that night off. Like a holiday! It’s become a tradition, you see!”

He forced his amusement not to show. “And this would have naught to do with the new moon’s effect on my half-brother?”

Her face contorted in an odd expression of panic and horror. “Shh! Don’t be spreading that around!” She glanced around nervously, as if Naraku would jump out of the bushes. When nothing happened, she glared at him, poking at his chest with her anger, “And just how do you know about that night, mister?”

“Priestess, there is a moon upon my brow, my fur is the color of the full moon, and my original lands are called The Lunar Forests. Any fool would realize the Western Family is closely associated with the moon, and so with its disappearance, we become weaker.”

Her eyes were large, “Really?”

“No. We do not become weaker. Our demonic instincts, however, become less prevalent.”

“Oh.” She shook herself slightly, “But still why do you have to wait for Inu-Yasha’s time of the month? Can’t you wait some other night?”

“I was wondering the same thing.”

The new voice started the woman before him enough to make her jump a good three feet into the air, but Sesshou-Maru, being who he was, had sensed his little brothers approach. He waited until the hanyou had joined them before explaining, “This Sesshou-Maru must remove the black pearl from your eye again. It is the only way to get to fathers grave. I assume that you do not want the pain you had the first time it was removed, so there is a potion I can give that will enable a painless removal.”

“Yeah, and why do you have to wait for the new moon to give me the damn potion?”

“Your body would fight it off more quickly than if you were human.”

Inu-Yasha grimaced, “Feh, fine whatever. Anything else I need to know?”

“You will not be going with her.”

“WHAT?”

“Nor will I.”

“WHAT?!” This time the hanyou was joined by the girl.

He fought to maintain a neutral face. Their anger was quite amusing in this instance. “Nor will any other.”

“ARE YOU CRAZY?!”

“I can’t do this alone!”

He waved off any further interruptions. “Were it possible for this Sesshou-Maru to go and retrieve his arm, I would have removed the pearl from your eye long ago.”

The priestess wasn’t past her whining. “But why can’t any one go with me?”

“I was going to ask the same question.” Inu-Yasha growled.

“Father’s tomb is in a holy place, like most taiyoukai tombs. He designed the pearl so it would only allow this Sesshou-Maru in once. That includes you, too, Inu-Yasha. Only a holy human, one with an old soul, like yourself Priestess, would be able to return to his grave.”

She was biting her nail, her expression worried. “Would Miroku have been able to come with me?”

“Possibly. Though his soul is not as aged as yours, it still has some years.”

“What the hell do you mean by that, anyway?” Inu-Yasha questioned, “How could a soul be more ‘aged’ than the human?”

Sesshou-Maru barely spared him a glance, “It means a soul has been through many life cycles, dimwit. You should know this, considering you nearly mated with the previous owner of this girls soul.”

Inu-Yasha sniffed insolently, “Just checking.”

“Hn.”

The priestess spoke up shyly. “Can’t… can’t we wait ‘til Miroku wakes up then? I mean. I don’t want to do this alone. The last time I was there, it was really creepy. I don’t like being inside an old guys body, dead or otherwise.”

“Waiting for the monk to wake up, it would more than likely be a waste of time. Besides, this Sesshou-Maru’s arm will not be within the skeleton. If you remember, Inu-Yasha cut off my limb while on our sire’s shoulder.”

“Oh, yeah. But still, I think that waiting for Miroku-“

“Again, it will most likely be a futile attempt. We do not know for sure if he will be ready for such a journey as soon as he wakes.” He held her gaze, “And with the nullification of his energies, I am not sure if he will be able to go at all.”

Her face fell, “Oh.”

The hanyou dropped a hand on her shoulder, “Feh, like you need that perverted monk alone with you. He’d just take the chance to feel you up more.”

“And there will be no need for any sort of protection.” Sesshou-Maru added. “The spirit world is a calm one. None will attack there.”

“Really?”

He nodded resolutely.

She smiled at both brothers, “Thanks, both of you.”

Inu-Yasha blushed like a child, “Whatever, I’m going to hunt down some food now,” He leveled a glare at the elder brother, “You’ll get her back safely.”

Sesshou-Maru only stared at him for a moment before Inu-Yasha got the picture and ran off.

Biting back a growl of irritation, the taiyoukai turned back to the Priestess, finding her nervously studying the ground.

“There is no need to be so nervous.”

“What if I don’t come back.”

“You will.”

“But-“

“You will, or I will be very irate with you.”

She looked up startled, but gave a short laugh moments later. “I think we’re rubbing off on you, Sesshou-Maru, if you’re making jokes like that.”

It wasn’t a joke, but he didn’t correct her. Why make her even more nervous. “I have a gift for you which should aid you in your journey.”

Her eyes lit up, “Really? A present?”

The eagerness in her eyes was rather endearing, like his Rin when he came back from a trip. Reaching into his empty sleeve, Sesshou-Maru pulled out the item he had created for her and presented it.

Her eyes widened at the forest green cane, her hands reaching out to accept it. “Sesshou-Maru, it’s beautiful!”

He watched as she studied the piece, tracing soft fingers over the dog figure he’d carved into it. His pride swelled at how she seemed to appreciate the craftsmanship that went into it. Good, she better know that it was a special piece. And she better know that she was lucky too.

“Sesshou-Maru, you did a beautiful job on this. I didn’t know you could do anything like this.”

“This Sesshou-Maru’s talents are not limited to sword play and doctoring.”

She gave him a soft smile, and, to his pleasant surprise, bowed deeply, “I am honored to receive such a gift.”

He nodded, biting back the comment he would usually make. No need for her to become angry with him.

“How did you make it such a pretty green?”

“A dark wood and a coating of my poisons.”

Her eyes widened in shock this time, and she looked up at him, her grip slackening on the cane.

He sighed, “It is a crystallized form of my poison. It will not harm you.”

“But, why did you use your poison?”

“So you might channel your energy into it without it shattering like your last few walking sticks.”

She blushed, her hold tentatively tightening on the gift. “How will it help me find your arm?”

“Nothing too dramatic, it will just recognize the energy signature of my arm.”

She nodded, “Wow.”

Grasping her arm lightly, he pulled her back towards the camp.

“Tomorrow, then?”

“Yes.”

She sighed, “Tomorrow it is.”

---IA---

She is alive! Mwahahahahahahahahahhaha!

Alright excuse time. I know I haven’t written in awhile, but there are two valid reasons that kept me from it. The first reason is that I took summer school. Yes, summer school. I took A+P. A fifteen or sixteen week course jammed into five weeks. I died.

The second reason I haven’t written... I got bored of it. ‘It’ meaning everything. I didn’t do jack for the longest time. Sorry, but my mind works in ways that even I get befuddled with. Plus, I’ve gotten all obsessy over Avatar the Last Airbender. Aang is freaking adorable! (I’m all sad that it’s over though, tear ;_;)

So, after a long wait, a measly chapter! Yay!

Please Regard Me Kindly,
I Agree

P.S. Sesshou-Maru’s original line when talking about how they shouldn’t wait for Miroku to get his arm: “We could wait for him, however, it would be much more appealing plot-wise if you went on your own.”