Inuyasha: The Curse of the Orange Lantern

Note to reviewers:

ajj7sunhawk: Yes, one of two of my most favourite monsters of legend. I had to do a shoutout to the Headless Horseman, and I’m actually going to try and get in my other favourite to the story as well. I might as well. This one won’t be a very long or involved story. I'm saving all the internal feeling conflict for the others :o)

Nikkie23534: Thank you! I’m trying my best for the whole eerie ghostie thing.

Chapter 2
After dark, along this way


A billowing pile of thick red fabric crouched by the side of the road. An equally thick and billowing mane of white hair cascaded down its slouched back to tickle the dirt of the road. No skin or limbs were visible beneath the plumes of the protective attire. Save for a pair of delicate, triangular white furred dog’s ears perched on guard a top the rugged mope of hair. One ear twitched revealing its soft candy pink inner skin and the bundle of red made a throaty noise of disgust. “Keh, I told you it was a waste of time to come this way.”

“I’m sorry, but I thought that demon was going to eat that kid. How was I to know the demon guards this village and the kid is its companion?” A pretty girl with wild dark hair and wearing a school uniform that showed far too much skin that was proper for this era demanded of the red back before her.

“I confess, Kagome was not the only one who believed the child to be in danger,” Miroku’s passive voice cut in. He stood lightly holding his staff beside the irate priestess.

“I’m just glad we learned the truth before we hurt the demon too badly. She should recover by tomorrow night,” the gentle voice that came from the lithe woman holding a giant bone boomerang to her shoulder was a sharp contrast to her brutal fighting spirit. The demon slayer tenderly placed a hand on the head of her nekomata companion and scratched under her chin.

Kirara purred happily, her two tails curling around her black fire-spewing paws in contentment. Her head coming up even to a height around Sango’s shoulder. Her red eyes were squeezed shut happily at the petting.

“Yeah, Inuyasha would have killed that poor creature if Kagome hadn’t sat him.” A small fox kit quipped from his safe perch on Kagome’s shoulder.

The red pile spasmed, leaped up and swivelled around in a rush of red fabric and white hair to point a clawed finger at the green-eyed kit’s face. The figure was svelte and strong of body with no fat to be seen. His skin was sun-kissed by living outdoors his entire life and his features attractive. He had a young, rounded face and his large over-expressive eyes glimmered a golden shade surrounded by thick lashes. At the moment those expressive eyes were narrowed. He immediately burst into a shout, displaying his gleaming canines at the small kit. “Only ‘cause you were begging me to kill it and save the girl! You’re as bad as Miroku you perverted pip-squeak! If you and Kagome hadn’t whined so much, I woulda left the guardian alone!”

“Inuyasha,” Kagome’s voice was a calm sweet breeze before the impending violent clash of a storm. Everyone in the group cringed. The hanyou with the soft dog-ears froze in preparation the soft appendages going flat to his skull. He could feel her purification energy swirling inside her. “SIT!” She shouted glaring over his head.

Inuyasha hit the dirt with a thud and a string of grumbles. He could lunge up and yell at her but knew from experience it would result in him ending up back in the dirt. Fucking fine. Instead he hopped out of his hole and squatted back down in his original position. With his back expressing his ire.

Kagome sighed and rubbed her face tiredly. “Sorry, Inuyasha, that was uncalled for… I guess, but you can be such a jerk! And I can’t help it!”

“Keh. Well, try and help it, wench!” The back spat in retort.

One eye twitched. “Inuyasha! That’s what I’m talking about! At least try to be nice and maybe I’ll try not to use the beads so much!”

“Fine!” The hanyou growled.

“Alright then!” The girl hissed before swirling back to other friends who had stepped away from her slightly. The small fox was now perched on Miroku’s shoulder watching her with weary green-eyes. Being a full-blooded demon he knew better than to perch on a pissed off miko with great purification powers. Absently he checked his fluffy tuft of a tail for burn marks. “Oh, sorry Shippo! I didn’t hurt you, did I?”

“Nah, I’m fine.” He assured.

Kagome sighed, “What are we going to do now? We aren’t welcome in this village anymore, and I was rather hoping for a night under a roof. It’s been so damp and cold lately.”

“Hmm, I believe there is a small village past the woods ahead. It’s only mid-day, we still have plenty of time to find it.” Miroku said thoughtfully.

“Perfect, that sounds like a plan everyone!” Kagome said enthusiastically.

“Mmm, a warm bed and food!” Shippo’s fluffy tail wiggled with joy at the thought.

Sango on the other hand frowned as she gazed out to the sinister, dark trees. Their naked branches seemingly trying to reach for her heart with their gnarling finger branches like the fingers of death. “Are you certain we should travel that way? It feels…wrong.” She murmured. Couldn’t the others see or feel anything sinister in those unnatural branches? “Any sign of that jewel shard, Kagome?”

“No, we lost it days ago, but it was headed this way.” The miko said adjusting her backpack.

“It’s just an old forest displaying the first hints of winter, my dearest Sango. If there are any hungry youkai, I will protec-”

“Protect yourself monk. It’s not youkai or me I’m worried about.” Sango growled and eyed both the monk’s outstretched hands. She had to keep an eye on those things at all times.

“Keh.” The hanyou was standing with them now. His hands jammed in his haori sleeves as he stared out at the trees with his large golden eyes. Yeah, he could feel it too. There was an eerie stillness to that forest that just didn’t sit right. The trees weren’t right either. They weren’t like any other tree he knew, they were dark and angry if anything. Not alive either. The path seemed to just be eaten by the dark. It was rather creepy. But, Inuyasha had seen a lot of creepy in his life and he was sure he could handle a little more.

Plus, he wanted to leave this last village behind. He still felt really bad about beating up that demon. She turned out to be a pretty nice fish-thing. She wasn’t mad at him at all. Said that sort of thing happened to her all the time. Still, he didn’t like killing stuff just to kill. He only killed if he had to, and only the bad stuff, or so he liked to tell himself. To top it all off, they‘d made the little girl cry ‘cause they hurt her friend. He hated crying. Especially kids, it made him feel like a runny turd inside and he never knew how to make them stop crying. “There ain’t nothin’ in there to be scared of except us. I’ll protect ya all from the branches and terrifying mice.” He snorted as he turned his back and knelt down on one knee. “If there’s a youkai, we’ll take care of it too. C’mon, Kagome, let’s get a move on if we’re going to make it for dinner to this village.”

Kagome climbed onto his back and hugged his shoulders. The hanyou stood and began to bounce lightly toward the forest. Sango mounted Kirara with Shippo while the monk ran beside them.

“Wait!” An aged voice called to them breathlessly from behind.

Aix faces turned to regard the old woman who had been pulling vegetables from a nearby field in surprise. “What?” Inuyasha demanded with usual gruffness, one ear askew in curiosity on his head.

“That village,” the fossil adjusted the basket against her hip. “Is cursed. You do not want to be in that forest at night.”

“Cursed, you say?” Miroku’s deep blue eyes sparkled with the thought of a challenge and perhaps a reward.

“Yes, young monk. There is an evil creature in those woods that hunts the living at night. It can not be killed it is said, and many have lost their lives trying. It is also known to take its victims heads.” She stated matter-of-factly.

“Ew.” Kagome touched her own neck.

“Head?” Shippo stuttered thinking back to his friend Kanta, the otter demon whose father’s head had been removed by Naraku.

“Well, it never met us before. We’ll see how indestructible it really is.” Inuyasha smirked. It would seem there might be a decent fight with something deserving of death here after all.

The old woman just shook her head. “It is always the good looking ones that are so foolish…you are young, brave and most likely dumb young ones. So long as you reach the barrier around the village by nightfall and remain on the path you may survive. I hope for your sake that you do. The path has been blessed by protective wards that seem to keep the beast at bay. But, it is uncertain if it might breach the wards if determined enough.”

“We will do as you suggest, thank you for your kind concern,” Miroku said to the old woman as they once again moved forward. This time the group aimed their travel directly for the overgrown path between the menacing trees.

Sango’s frown remained in place as they entered under the first fringe of skeletal branches. The warmth of the afternoon sun seemed to immediately be pulled from her bones to be replaced by a hallow cold. She suppressed a shiver and adjusted her weapon on her black-clad shoulder. “I have a bad feeling about this,” she murmured under her breath.

“Bah, don’t be a scaredy cat Sango. This ain’t nothing’,” Inuyasha hmphed as they walked at a decent pace on the growing and rocky path. He felt the rough stones jab at his toughed bare feet and the slippery moss made him require using some care as he moved so as not to lose his balance. He could also feel his skin tingling do to the sudden, unnatural chill in the air. As well as something that was making the fur on his ears itch. Glancing to the side he noticed that just like the old hag had said, there were wards at even intervals along the path’s edge.

Kirara growled at Inuyasha and Sango bristled.

“Er, sorry Kirara. No offence,” he dismissed as he crept over to inspect one of the wards with a sniff. He bent over to look closer and blinked at it with his large curious golden eyes. On his back Kagome latched onto him wide-eyed to keep her balance.

“Careful Inuyasha, that’s meant to hurt demons,” she warned.

Shippo watched from his perch on Kirara, the two standing in the center of the path as far from the wards as possible. “He’s so going to get purified doing that.”

“Keh. It doesn’t seem very strong to me. Aiiii!” He yipped in startled surprise as he got too close and his hair touched the fucking thing. A strange zapping sensation shot through his entire body that made his hair and fur stand on end and his skin crawl. “Shit! What the fuck was that?!” He howled after lurching away on instinct. His teeth jarred closed painfully on his tongue as his muscles had convulsed against his will. He flailed wildly about as he struggled with his footing. At the last moment he managed to right himself and stop from falling and crushing his precious cargo.

“Inuyasha!” She shrieked in his ringing and overly sensitive ears as they plastered to his skull. Did he smell burnt hair? Kami the girl could squeeze. He actually thought his shoulders and neck would be bruised where she was strangling him and daggering her fingers in. Plus, she was kneeing him most uncomfortably in the kidneys.

“Aome, uh ee ouk!” He growled in annoyance. His ears were ringing, he was seeing spots dancing in his vision, his skin wanted to crawl off, his hair was tingling and he still smelled something burning damnit.

“You ok? I think we were just mildly electrocuted.” She asked easing her muscles from their death clamp on his neck and kidneys. He really had to take a piss now, damnit. His tongue was bleeding too. Great, blood and burning hair, wonderful things to smell for the rest of the fucking day. He spat out his own vile blood instead of swallowing it. No need to taint himself further or taste that metallic shit. “Inuyasha! You’re bleeding! And that’s just gross.” Kagome exclaimed with concern in her warm brown eyes.

“I bih mah ung,” he slurred out with his swelling appendage miserably.

Kagome hopped off his back, adjusted her short skirt, and came around to place her soft hands on either side of his face. “Let me see.” She urged.

“Eeb me awone!” He tried to escape.

“Inuyasha let me see it!” She demanded with authority. Her own skin was tingling still but her friends had taken the worst of it.

“O!” He started squirming away desperately.

“Inuyasha, you will let me help you, you stubborn jerk!” She growled.

“Hmm, intriguing.” The monk’s placid voice hummed. He was crouched on one knee by one of the wards. A lean, strong, hand was hovering over it as star-touched blue eyes starred at something only he could see.

Sango was bent at her slim waist looking at the ward as well over his shoulder. “These are strong at close range, but I don’t think they would keep a demon off the path so far apart. Nor have I seen their like used against demons before. Are you familiar with them Miroku?”

Shippo and Kirara remained in the center of the path. The kitsune’s green and the nekomata’s crimson eyes following Inuyasha as he ran from Kagome’s care.

“Yes, I have, my dear Sango. It is true they are a repellent to demons up close, but these wards are not made for demons. These are made specifically to protect against a hostile spirit.” Miroku explained quietly.

Sango blinked in surprise. “A Shito Dama?” She glanced around the shadowed tree limbs and adjusted her Hiraikotsu.

Shippo’s eyes had grown twice their size. “A g-g-ghost?” his tail bristled and he hid between Kirara’s paws.

“Yes,” confirmed Miroku. “I know not if it is a Shito Dama, but it must be a tortured soul that is still haunting the living world with some need of revenge by what the old woman told us.” He rose to his feet and bowed his head thoughtfully. “I would like to put this soul to rest. It is a cruel fate to be left to roam the living world when your time is past. Frozen with the last injustice you suffered always fresh in your mind.” Despite the fact he was dishonest, manipulative and a pervert, Miroku had an honourable, sincerely caring and wise spiritual side as well. It never ceased to amaze his companions when he used it. Sango was gazing at him now with respect and understanding. Naturally, standing this close to the beautiful, passionate and impossible to charm demon slayer was making his fingers twitch with wicked desire.

“What about Kikyo?” Kagome asked from her position straddling Inuyasha’s back and pulling on a lock of his hair trying to get him to face her.

The hanyou’s eyes went distant with memory and concern. Kikyo was the first human after his mother who looked at him as more than a monster. She had cared about him. They had shared warmth and affection and could have had a deep love and passion had their lives together not been cut apart by Naraku’s betrayal and games. He would always be loyal to her in a way. He would always care about her. Even if she could no longer care about him. Considering she was rather dead and made of clay. “eeo?” He whispered sadly.

Honestly, the same lost look and spaced out awareness always happened when he said that woman’s name. It was almost like he was under a spell or something. Considering that the woman in question was a powerful and now selfish priestess, maybe he was. No matter, Kagome was given her opening. As Inuyasha stared into space, she pried open his mouth and peered inside which resulted in him squeaking and growling at her.

“I doubt this soul has any relationship to your soul’s split past persona, Kagome,” Sango replied, stepping out of Miroku’s reaching hand span and moving her weapon discretely so it knocked the limb aside. “I think we should move on. Miroku may get some answers to the spirit’s past in the village.”

“There, it’s almost healed you big baby. Why did you make such a fuss?” Kagome demanded as she crawled off Inuyasha’s back, stood and retrieved her fallen bow.

“I could have told you that! And I did not make a fuss!” The hanyou sat up and spit again trying to clear his mouth of the taste of blood and Kagome’s prying fingers. Sheesh. Sometimes that girl just cared too much than was healthy for him. And why was she always so jealous of Kikyo? He hauled himself to his feet and glanced around, noting the slayer’s posture and drawn expression. “Hey, Sango, you look tense,” he commented.

Sango was wondering why the others seemed so oblivious to the feeling of a powerful dark presence which loomed all around here. One that was lurking and watching from the living shadows of the dead trees. “I don’t like dealing with spirits.” She stated firmly. “You can not fight or outmanoeuvre them. Plus, I just…there is something fundamentally wrong with this forest.” She confessed.

“Yeah…I know what you mean. It’s dead but shifty.” Inuyasha flicked an ear and glanced at the silent, hanging trees. “I never fight spirits. Only shit I can beat into the ground with my claws that deserves it.” He shrugged. “I guess we gotta leave them to deal with the ghost stuff.” He gestured a clawed hand to Miroku and Kagome. “We’ll just have to watch their backs and make sure they don’t get hurt doin’ it.” Despite the fact they fought constantly, she had a nasty temper, and was far too jealous, he was fond of Kagome. She had a good heart and she was his friend, he would protect her no matter what. But no one said they had to get along all the time.

“Well,” thought Kagome. “I do have a bit of experience with a ghost. That little girl, Mayu.” She looked up and determination shone in her warm eyes. “I will be glad to help Miroku figure this out and put the spirit to rest. I’d hate to leave it alone out here wanting revenge for eternity. We’ll give it justice and let it sleep. Let’s go!”

“The lovely Lady commands, I must follow.” Miroku teased as he began to walk after Kagome with Kirara and Shippo.

Both Inuyasha and Sango sent him a glare. “Keep your hands to yourself, monk!” The hanyou barked after him. He then exchanged a wary glance with Sango as they followed their friends.

Sango still couldn’t shake the foreboding feeling that was screaming at her.

Inuyasha was feeling rather nervous and useless. He needed enemies he could sink his claws into that were doing bad shit. That was easy. Dealing with something that could hurt his beloved friends that he might not be able to touch, thus not be able to defend and protect them from harm -- that was utterly terrifying for him. Plus, his fur was still on end and his skin was still tingly. This was driving him nuts and making his leg twitch against his will. On top of that all he could smell was old dead blood. The weird thing being, he knew it wasn’t his from his mouth, but he couldn’t tell where it was coming from. He swore it was in the trees…but that couldn’t be right. Could it? His nose must still be fucked up from the zapping. Not good. He needed to fix that fast or he’d be even more useless.

They made decent progress. The air seemed to be getting thick and possessed a numbing cold against the flesh which seeped in and refused to let go. The shadows and bits of fog swirled together in a weird dance that made the members of the group needing to keep giving second looks. They would think they would see the shape of a figure in the trees, or a face among the withered trunks. But a second look and it was just the play of shadow and fog. Shippo came to curl up on Kagome’s shoulder. His bright eyes were darting this way and that while the bristling of his tail indicated more than anything his fear.

Kagome had returned to her regular spot on Inuyasha’s back. She felt cold and tired and didn’t know why she should be so sleepy. Sango was behind them on Kirara and Miroku was running rather sluggishly at her side. She glanced over at him a few times and frowned. Eventually, she invited him up on Kirara and the monk gladly agreed. He got on and sat a little closer than was necessary. She made him place his hands in front of her on his staff so she could see them.

Despite the unnatural cold of the air there was no wind. So the scents simply hung congested in the air like a stagnant pool around them. This mingled with the fact that despite there being no leaves on the trees, the only light that got to them looking like it was sick and demented, gave the whole place an oppressed feel. Inuyasha’s nerves were going a bit. He was trying to keep himself occupied by sorting through all the different flavours of scents and identifying them. He smelled a lot of musty fear and decaying land and that disturbing old blood scent. There wasn’t much life here. A few small critters and birds about summed it up. But no game larger than a rabbit. For such a decent sized forest that was really weird. Mind you, it did seem to be dead and smell so much like blood…he guessed that would keep most animals away. It couldn’t possibly be all dead though. It was a fucking forest. You can’t poison an entire forest. His ears were strained for any sound that was not a skeletal tree branch screeching against its neighbour. Any time he would hear a bird he would practically piss himself in surprise and grin with relief that something out there was alive. Something other than what ever the hell he was sure was watching them. He could feel eyes but he couldn’t see it or hear it or fucking smell anything but that damned rotten blood that was beginning to give him a headache.

“This place sure is creepy,” Shippo whispered a couple hours in. The group had been silent mostly. Kagome and Miroku kept drifting off and the others were too high strung on the impropriety of the place to relax and break the silence.

“Yeah, it sue is,” mumbled Kagome without her usual fire.

Inuyasha just snorted at the stupidity of both observations. But the kid was just trying to break the silence. You couldn’t blame him. It was so fucking quiet you could hear a snake fart.

Sango sighed. They were just coming to that conclusion now?! Creepy was an understatement. Dead and possessed was more accurate in her mind.

“Despite the obvious lack of life, there is something here,” Miroku commented from where his face was smushed against Sango’s shoulder.

“And it’s been making my hair stand on end for a couple hours,” Inuyasha muttered in agreement and saw Sango’s nod in response.

They went a few more paces before Inuyasha skidded to an abrupt halt. The action nearly knocked Kagome and Shippo off of his shoulder. The two stirred and looked around for a moment in confusion.

Inuyasha inhaled deeply once. Then parted his lips slightly and took in another healthy lungful of scent, mulling it over. His body tensed and his eyes narrowed in recognition. It would seem his nose wasn’t completely fucked up after all. Though why hadn’t he noticed before? That damn blood smell must be drowning out everything else. But this smell he knew instinctively and intimately. He could never forget it. He should have picked it up at once.

“What is it?” Kagome asked over his shoulder. The other members of the group had stopped and were looking at him quizzically. Except for Kirara, who had bent her head to sniff a spot on the ground near Inuyasha. Her ears perked and she lifted her head to blink thoughtfully. She too knew those smells.

“I smell dragon, manic toad, human girl…and bastard,” the last word was said with a note of excitement and anticipation. He flashed his fangs before charging forward along the path with a purpose. Honing in on the distinctive, faint and musky trail left by his half-brother with a vengeance. Finally, something he recognized that wasn’t so fucking dead or blood scented around here. Something he could sink his claws into.

Why was the fucktard here anyway?

Behind him Kirara with her passengers rushed to keep up to the now energized and bounding hanyou. The slayer and monk exchanged a look of worry and expectation. They too wondered why Lord Sesshoumaru had come this way. They also worried about Inuyasha and the confrontation he seemed so eager to have. When the brothers met it never ended well. True, they had hadn’t been shedding blood recently, but that could always change depending on Sesshoumaru’s mood.

Kagome and Shippo were desperately clinging to the red blur and ending up with mouthfuls of uncontrolled white hair. “Slow down Inuyasha! Please!” Kagome shouted at a wind plastered ear.

“I’m going to fall off!” Shippo wailed hanging on the best his small hands could.

“If you do, I ain’t stopping’ to get ya!” Inuyasha snapped over his shoulder. Sesshoumaru’s distinctive smell was getting closer. It was both sharp and musky and tended not to linger in his passage. The initial hit of the smell was crisp like a mint plant, then it seemed to dull into a very masculine faint smell, like old pine bark on a dry mountain rock face. Not that he analyzed his brother’s stench or anything. But damn, he was happy to come across it out here. He’d never say that out loud though. Ever. His feet picked up the pace so that he was as close to flying as he could get.

As his ears picked up the soft, sleepy sound of the child’s voice and the annoying sound of the Kappa’s voice, he bounded to a halt just behind the group of travelers and held a stance prepared to fight, “Sesshoumaru,” he said with his customary dislike, though this time it wasn‘t as strong as usual. “What are you doing here?” He momentarily forgot the quivering fox-child and the enraged miko who nearly went sailing over his shoulders at the abrupt halt.

A pair of half-lidded amber-gold eyes slanted in the group’s direction as they piled to a stop around Inuyasha. Strangely, the serene figure was seated in the ashen dirt of the ground. His silken platinum white hair was pooling at his waist along with the folds of the plush fur that adorned one of his broad shoulders and normally trailed down his body to just touch the ground as he walked. One pristinely white clad knee was bent upwards while the other opposite leg was stretched straight, the black booted foot pointed elegantly upward. A double striped wrist rested against the bent knee and a relaxed long fingered hand ending with razor sharp claws was slightly curled against the inside of the knee. The long billowing sleeves that covered his arms were as white as his wide hakama which protruded from his ankles. The upper garment tied somewhere hidden beneath his dark plated armour which was a wide panel over his chest, back and smaller triangular panels from the waist that pointed down to his knees. One over his abdomen and groin, one on each side and one at the back thus allowing him easy movement of the legs with protection over his organs by the nearly black panels with their silver edging. Not, that the demon lord required such protection, but the sheer mass of the garment added to his imposing figure. The chest plate had two spikes protruding at the silver band with red tassels beside. Another row of spikes decorated a band of silver that arched over his shoulder to protect his arm. The kimono-style white garment and the hakama seemed to be of the finest quality demon silk. It was smooth and thin but durable as a rock. The white billowing sleeves were adorned with red cherry blossoms in a honeycomb pattern near the bottom of their hem. The red, regal pattern repeated over his broad shoulders as well. Two blades shimmered under the murky light, one with a soft glow and the other seemed more malicious from where they were fastened securely to his trim hips beneath a double looped wide silken obi of blue and yellow. Two marks of a colour that seemed to change on occasion from violet to a bloody pink which looked as though someone had clawed him lay across each high boned cheek. These two marks on each side of his ethereal lit face matched the two that adorned his wrist. The other wrist once held these marks as well, but that billowing sleeve was now empty from the bicep down due to Inuyasha’s Tetsusaiga. A single blue crescent moon high on his brow between the fringes of his bangs held more weight, mystery and authority then any crown ever could.

He was divine in his perfection. Even sitting in the dirty gloom, surrounded by a young girl who was resting against a two-headed dragon and a kappa who wouldn’t shut up. He was elegant, poised and deathly beautiful. The chill of his countenance and hint of his unmatched lethal skill in the relaxed claws seemed to be perfectly at home amid the bloody trees and breathless air.

The frigid cold of his gaze, so hot it froze the soul, swept over the group dismissively to land on Inuyasha briefly. Then those eyes with their dark markings on the lids swept away to stare in front of him. To a place more worthy of his disinterest. “Inuyasha, resorting to being a mounted pack animal. How humiliating for you.” His deep steal voice caressed the ears of those around him with a sensually frightening touch.

The Kappa shut up at once and turned to stare at the new arrivals. Utter disgust and horror on his small, constipated green face made his opinion abundantly clear.

Inuyasha bristled and was about to snarl out a biting retort when Kagome’s voice whispered softly in his pointed ear. “You know, I always wondered if he has more stripes, and I mean, if he does…does his whole body have stripes? Where are they? Do you know, Inuyasha?”

The hanyou froze, a scathing comment directed to his bastard brother lost on his lips. His golden eyes went wide at the sudden mental image. He then promptly turned bright red in humiliation as he had pictured his brother’s strong, fucking perfect body naked and all stripey. Why’d he hafta be so good-lookin’ anyway? Even if he did look a bit like a girl in the face with the hair and all. But he was also masculine with the…ah hell. He was probably a skinny wretch under all that crap he wore. And what was with the furry boa that hung off his arm anyway? Would it come off or stay with him when he was naked too? Crap. Another picture of naked Sesshoumaru assailed his mental eyes and he turned a deeper level of horrified embarrassment. “How the hell should I know Kagome?! And why are ya thinking’ that anyway?!” Now he couldn’t look at Sesshoumaru. Who was gazing at them with narrowed eyes. Yeah, the bastard had frigging amazing senses. He’d have heard Kagome’s comment. Now Inuyasha would have to fight him to save her loud ass because she upset his delicate sensibilities by daring to mention his pure demonic stripes with her lowly human mouth or some shit. “Ya better get off me.”

Kagome and Shippo hopped off his back and stepped over to stand beside Kirara, Sango and Miroku. The fox-kit seated in Kagome’s arms as he glanced worriedly at Sesshoumaru’s narrowed eyes and Inuyasha’s hand on Tetsusaiga. “Is Lord Sesshoumaru going to beat the shit out of Inuyasha again?”

“Shippo you runt! He ain’t never beaten me once!” Inuyasha turned and growled at the kitsune in aggravation.

Before he could even close his lips from the last comment he had the all too familiar feel of an iron vice grip with five pointy parts wrap around his neck and slam him face first into the nearest tree. Bark cracked at the contact and there was a loud thud as Inuyasha’s lean, muscled body made full contact with an unyielding hunk of dead wood. He bared his teeth and struggled, just ending up smushing his face around against the tree. He started to lift his legs up to either side to get a good grip on it and shove backwards.

Sesshoumaru saw the red-clad legs rise and knew what Inuyasha intended. He simply stepped forward and smothered the struggling hanyou’s body against the bark with his own body. The legs ended up splayed on either side of the trunk awkwardly. Inuyasha found himself hugging a tree off the ground with his arms and legs.

“What the fuck? Fight me fair Sesshoumaru, so I can kick your scrawny ass!” Inuyasha spat, taking off a hunk of bark with his claws in his struggles. Yes, having Sesshoumaru’s heavy, armoured body pressed seamlessly to his back was relieving the stress on his neck so that the Daiyoukai’s body was holding him aloft as much as the hand was. He could breath a bit better and get out some insults. And the bastard couldn’t skewer him since his only hand was occupied. Sometimes he wished he’d taken off a leg instead, and then the bastard wouldn’t be able to move so damn fast! The hanyou continued to struggle and slash out in vain. The two damned spikes in the front of Sesshoumaru’s armour were digging into his back, any closer and he’d be impaled on them. Great. There’s a laugh. Being stuck on the front of his bastard brother’s armour. The mental image of abhorrence on Sesshoumaru’s face almost did make his bark out a laugh. Almost.

Lord Sesshoumaru was not in the mood to deal with his half-breed younger sibling at the moment. He had come here because he had felt the disturbance in the land. What was occurring to the trees was not a natural occurrence.

There had also been a number of youkai living in these woods. Two of which had been powerful in their own right. Now, he could sense none of these. Correction, he could sense vaguely the two more powerful ones, but so subdued it could simply be a remained of their power left after they had departed.

He did not like that something could have warped the lands and driven away the protecting youkai as well as the animals so completely in less than six months. For the last time he had ventured this route had been in that time frame. All had been lush, healthy and virile when he had last drifted through.

Considering there was such a lack of human activity in the area as well, it was doubtful of their involvement. He could not sense any trace of Naraku either. A most irksome mystery.

Lord Sesshoumaru considered this as part of his territory; he would not stand for its destruction. Even though it was but a small slice of the whole. What affected it had an effect on his as well. It was his duty to discover what was behind it, and bring it to bay beneath his might.

Having Inuyasha interfere was not a part of his plan. On the other matter, it was fortuitous that he had brought the monk and priestess with him for it allowed him to make an observation. Lord Sesshoumaru presumed their state of fatigue to be related to the same that affected his gentle ward, Rin. It would seem those with any form of spiritual power were being subdued by the oppressive, and enchanted air of the forest. Intriguing. “Inuyasha, contrary to your own self-importance, I have no desire to waste the menial effort required in defeating your worthless hide this day. Leave this wood at once. It is none of your concern.”

“Keh! Like you know have any say in my concerns, ya asshole! Let me go an’ I’ll break your head off. Keeping me here so I can’t hurt ya I bet!” He was spewing crap and he knew it. But that’s what he was best at. Besides, Sesshoumaru had no right to tell him where to go or what to get into. The fucker hated his guts and showed nothing but the desire to rid the world of the hanyou filth for as long as he could remember. The all-mighty dog-ass had never even acknowledged him as a kid. He had no right. None. Inuyasha could do what he damn well pleased. With that thought he slashed more, his extended claws taking another bite out of the tree. He froze.

Sesshoumaru had not been planning to respond. Simply to toss the hanyou aside and carry on after Rin had rested properly. He felt the lean, small creature below his body freeze suddenly. Frowning he leaned against his little brother, crushing the warm, squirming red-clad body to the tree with his own and sniffed curiously. Both could smell the old blood strongly now. Inuyasha moved his hand and gasped. Something thick, wet, warm and sticky was oozing over his fingers from the gash he had made. “Inuyasha, hold up your hand.” Sesshoumaru commanded.

At first Inuyasha thought to say fuck you and ignore the request on principle. But, he too was morbidly curious and did as he was ordered. He lifted his clawed fingers up at an awkward angle to his shoulder. Hey, if he was lucky, he might be able to claw Sesshoumaru in the face. He glanced at the hand with the only eye that could see it, the other being closed against the tree, and flinched. There was no doubting it. What was on his fingers was old, nearly black, clotting blood. It smelled like it should have come from a human or an animal…not like a tree’s sap at all. He felt his face drain of colour. Sick. Just sick.

Sesshoumaru’s frown remained as he inspected the hanyou’s hand from out of face-slashing range. “Hn.”

“Inuyasha?“ Sango asked her hand on her weapon. She had no desire to fight Sesshoumaru. He was an opponent beyond her fighting abilities, plus, this was Inuyasha’s elder brother and it was up to them to settle their own battles. But, something was wrong. The two had been still like that staring at Inuyasha’s hand for too long and she couldn’t tell what was on it.

Miroku seemed to be falling asleep again and Kagome was leaning against Kirara. “Bah, let them fight it out….they always do…” she yawned.

“What the hell is going on here, Sesshoumaru? Why is the tree fucking bleedin’ on me?!” He demanded glaring one-eyed at what he could see of his brother’s face. Yes. This was freaking him out. The overpowering smell of old blood. The trees were full of it. Full of human and animal blood. The weird cast to the light in here despite it should be clear and normal. The cold of the area that sucked your heat out. The fucking shadows that were making faces at them and the silence. And he knew, just knew he was being watched. In fact, he could feel those eyes on him now. A shiver ran down his spine before he could stop it. Crap. His fur on his ears was rising too. Great. Sesshoumaru would get a real kick out of his scared pussy-ass now. He wasn’t scared. He was…unsettled…yeah. That was it.

Sesshoumaru rolled casually to his side and used the tree as a leaning post against his shoulder. Apparently oblivious to the fact there was a hanyou pillow between him and the tree. His eyes were narrowed on his impassive features as he lifted his face and inhaled deeply. He wished Inuyasha would cease to wiggle about beneath him. It was distracting his thoughts. He could not release the hanyou or he would end up having to defend himself from a wind scar. Which would be a waste of time and effort. Ever since learning of Tetsusaiga’s ability to control Inuyasha’s demon blood, his desire to have the sword had waned, with it the desire to destroy the wielder. Such thoughts could be mulled and dissected another time.

This was a most curious turn of events. The trees were indeed full of dying blood. “Perhaps if you ceased to claw at the tree, it would not shed blood on you, half-breed,” he responded automatically. His internal thoughts attempting to make sense of this new development. Who, or what could cause this?

His thoughts were once more interrupted by the shiver that ran through the hanyou’s trim body. His Rin had mentioned she was cold here. Perhaps the hanyou found that as well. A weakness of his human side. Most unsatisfactory.

Sesshoumaru tilted his head toward Inuyasha and sniffed. Curious, did he detect fear? His little brother was frightened of something? Another odd development. The only thing that brought fear to his brother’s heart seemed to be the thing which made him so strong. His desire to protect his companions. An urge he, himself was attempting to understand. Sesshoumaru did not know anything else which had made the hanyou pause over the years. The fact he shivered with fear now was most mystifying. Surely he could not fear a bit of bloody enchantment? “What makes you tremble beneath me, little brother?” He murmured low enough that the humans would not hear.

Inuyasha growled in annoyance. “Pervert! Get off a me, right now!”

Sesshoumaru blinked. His brother thought him perverse, how strange. “I hardly see why you would believe me to be a pervert, little brother.”

“Yeah, you’re a pervert ‘cause you keep humpin’ me against this tree, whisperin’ in my ear, and won’t get off me!” Inuyasha was blushing again. Heat swept over his cheeks and ears which only added to his frustration. Great. First he’d been freaked out and tried to get over it by beating up Sesshoumaru, now he was getting into a really messed up conversation with his elder brother that was probably going to get him impaled on his arm…again.

Sango, Kirara, Shippo and Jaken just watched in mild horror, confusion and amusement.

“If you believe this to be humping, you are in need of a lesson in sexual relations along with your vocabulary range,” Sesshoumaru droned unaffected by the comment as he stepped away. Leaving Inuyasha to fall onto his backside under the bleeding tree. “Besides, I think it was you who were discussing the full extent of my markings earlier.”

Jaken could keep silent no longer, in fact it was a miracle he had remained silent this long, “Impudent half-breed! How dare you insult My Lord Sesshoumaru’s perfect body with your crude speculations!”

“Jaken.” Lord Sesshoumaru said simply, the unmentioned possibilities of punishment were enough to send the Kappa scrambling after his beloved Master in silence. “Bring Ah Un.” Jaken hastily took the reigns of the two headed dragon and scurried after Lord Sesshoumaru’s steady and silent footfalls. Rin slept peacefully with a soft smile curled on the dragon the entire time.

“Hey!” Inuyasha hollered after his brother’s strong, imposing back. “We’re headed that way!”

“…” Lord Sesshoumaru and his retainer were swallowed by the silence and shadows up further along the path.

Inuyasha climbed to his feet and glared ahead.

“Inuyasha?” Sango tried again. “Should we go back?”

“What was that all about? You’re lucky he didn’t kill you for being a pervert. I think you need to get laid or something. Should we get you and Kagome a room in the next village?” Shippo snorted.

“He’s the fucking pervert! Not me! No way, we’re not going back. We’ll just go that way too! And shut the hell up Shippo! Kagome and I ain‘t having sex! You‘re turning into a damn mini-Miroku or something.” The hanyou’s ears were flipping violently and he couldn’t help but growl in annoyance. The bane of his life, Sesshoumaru! He knelt on a knee, “C’mon runt, Kagome, let’s go!”

Kagome, who had been resting her eyes against Kirara’s side started and stood up straight again. “Huh? Wha? Oh…’k. Where’d Sesshoumaru go to?” She asked as she climbed into position on Inuyasha’s back and Shippo hopped onto her shoulder.

All she got was a growl as the hanyou took off along the path.

Sango gently urged Kirara on and cast a look back at Miroku. To find him fast asleep, his hands lax and not even hinting at a grope. She frowned in concern as she rode after her half-demon friend. Something was very, very wrong here.

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A/N First of all, I feel like shit on a stick, so let’s just blame all the mistakes on that. Though, I’m honestly not certain if it should be Dai youkai or Tai youkai. Anyone know? Also, while writing this chapter, I was wondering what the hell Sesshoumaru thinks about all the Inuyasha-shaped holes in Japan everywhere he goes.

Sesshoumaru: Inuyasha came this way. It would seem he upset his Priestess. *Jaw clenched*
Jaken: My Lord Sesshoumaru! Your sense of smell is truly amazing!
Sesshoumaru: *kicks Jaken into a hole, that is the exact mould of Inuyasha’s splayed form. Walks away*
Jaken: Lord Sesshoumaru! Wait for me! *scrambles out, not noticing the hole’s distinctive shape*