Who Let the Dogs In?

Aftermath

Jaken waited beside the limousine outside the house that was home of the Sunset Kitsune Clan. He was in his mortal guise of course though it always riled him that he, the loyal vassal of the great Lord Sesshomaru, should have to hide his appearance from the mortals. But then he remembered the last time he had allowed himself to be seen in modern Tokyo.

“Eeee, a toad!”
The group of school girls had stomped him before running off screaming.
“They would not have had such an easy time if I had not been caught unawares without my staff!” The Toad Demon murmured. Of course that would only have made things worse with the restrictions on Demons posed by King Enma.

Jaken snapped to attention as Sesshomaru came out of the house grounds.
“Jaken,” the Demon Lord said.
“Yes, Master.”
“Bring me Tenseiga.”
“Yes…but Master you swore you wouldn’t touch Tenseiga again after Rin died.”
“Bring me the Fang, I know you keep it with you.”
“Yes Lord.”

~~~

In the house the others were slowly getting dressed. Their motions almost robotic as they tried to deal with what had just transpired. A cloud of smoke enveloped Yoko as he changed back into the form of the red haired teenager Shuichi.
“Ayame!” Kouga yelled obviously distressed. “What have I done!”
The Wolf Youkai ran out of the house leaping over the far wall and disappearing from sight.
Kit watched him go understanding. Like himself, he had broken the Canine Life Mate bond and even the fact that it was done under a spell couldn’t absolve him.

Toshiro stood and walked towards his room.
“Toshiro,” Shippo called after him. “It wasn’t your fault.”
“I know Father,” the Hanyou said as he left the room.

“Someone tell me what the hell is going on!” Inuyasha screamed at no one in particular.

~~~

Jaken brought the sword and Sesshomaru drew it from the scabbard and held it in front of him. The sword pulsated with energy.
“Why is it doing that my Lord?”
“It senses its brother Tetseiga. It is resisting opening the Meidou.”
“Tetseiga is here but that means Inuyasha is here,” Jaken said looking around then suddenly looked back at Sesshomaru. “But Master opening the Meidou here would cast the house and everyone in it into the netherworld!”
“Shut up Jaken,” Sesshomaru said as he concentrated on his sword. “Obey me Tenseiga.”

~~~

Toshiro laid out the white cloth and placed his swords and materials on it. He proceeded to conducting the cleansing rituals. What had happened was not his fault but the dishonor remained just the same. He wished he had a second to assist him but he could not ask his father to do so and Kit’s gaijin sensibilities would not allow him to. He would have to complete the seppuku alone.

~~~

Inuyasha stared at the others, eyes wide.
Shippo took a step towards him, hand outstretched, but Inuyasha leapt away into the yard and over the wall.
“Inuyasha! Wait!” Shippo cried and then slumped to the floor.
Kurama came over and placed his hands on Shippo’s shoulders. Shippo looked up at Kit standing in the patio doorway staring out at the sky.
“Kit?”
The Coyote didn’t answer; he just looked up at the sky. Shippo thought he saw a tear in the American’s eye.
Shippo fell down on all fours as he realized his life and that of all those he loved was in ruins.

~~~

Jaken looked on in terror as Sesshomaru fought to bend Tenseiga to his will.
“My Lord please; if you open the full Meidou,” Jaken said to himself. “Humans will die too; it will draw the wrath of King Enma. It will be the end of your house.”
Sesshomaru ignored him as a tinge of blackness surrounded to sword.

~~~

“I wish we could all just forget!” Shippo said, tears flowing down his cheeks. He felt a strange warmth under his hand and saw the Wish Bone glowing briefly there.

~~~

Kouga ran and ran. He couldn’t reach the speeds he could when he had the Shikon shards in his legs but he was still faster than any mortal.
‘Ayame,’ he thought. “I must….”
Suddenly he couldn’t remember what it was he must do.
‘I must get to Ayame,’ he thought.
He had gone to Tokyo knowing she was coming into heat and wouldn’t want him around but suddenly the thought of being in her arms and another cub was very appealing. With a grin he ran faster towards the distant mountains.

~~~

Toshiro reached down and drew the blade and with a deep breath picked up the cleaning cloth and proceeded to oil it. He was uncertain why he felt so unsettled but cleaning his blades always helped to find his calm.

~~~

Sesshomaru Lord of the Western Lands looked at the sword in his hand. He didn’t remember how he came to be standing here holding the sword he had forsaken when it failed to save his mate’s life so long ago but he contemplated it now. Tenseiga pulsated in his hand.
“Yes Tenseiga,” he said. “Perhaps it is time to put the past behind and move on.”
He turned to a bewildered looking Jaken.
“The scabbard.”
“Yes, Lord.” Jaken said handing him the scabbard.
Sesshomaru slid the scabbard into his belt and placed the sword in it.
‘Yes that did feel right.’
“Let’s go Jaken.”
“Yes, Lord.”

~~~

As the last of the memories faded, Shippo closed his fist around the Wish Bone shattering it to dust.
“I need to go,” Kurama said picking up the broken potion container. “Its probably a good thing that the potion was spilled causing no further harm, Lord Koenma will be pleased. Goodbye Shippo.”
Shippo walked over to stand behind Kit as they watched the red haired boy go.
“Jealous?” Shippo asked.
“Yea, a little I guess. I mean he is a nine tail; what am I against that?”
“Silly,” Shippo said turning Kit to put his arms around him. “Yoko is my past, you are my present and you are very special to me.”
“Me special?”
“Yes,” Shippo said and kissed Kit, silencing any further complaint.

~~~

Inuyasha ran looking for Kagome.
‘Shippo is alive!’
He couldn’t remember what happened today but there was one thing he clung to desperately. Shippo was alive and in modern Tokyo. Kagome would be so pleased he had to tell her.
‘Shippo is alive! Shippo is alive! Shippo is alive!’
Some strange magic sought to erase the memory from his mind. He was clinging to it by repeating the phrase over and over again in his head. If he could only find Kagome and tell her before he lost his concentration.
‘Shippo is alive!’

He heard Kagome’s voice! There she was, arguing with her little brother. Several dogs barked at them from the pet shop next to them.
“…you weren’t supposed to let him out of the house.” Kagome was saying. “He is bound to attract all kinds of unwanted attention dressed up in that gaudy red outfit.”
“Sorry I couldn’t help it.” Sota said.
Inuyasha ran towards them.
‘Shippo is alive!’
He was so close, if he could just keep his concentration a few minutes longer!
“Ahhug!” Kagome turned towards the barking dogs in the pet shop. “Will you mutts be quiet? Sit!”
Inuyasha felt the necklace around his neck respond to the trigger word, pulling him face first into the concrete and taking all his concentration away.

“Inuyasha, what are you doing here?”

~~~

Author’s Note: For those who have not read the other stories in the Coyote Tricks series. In my universe, Sesshomaru eventually took the adult Rin as a mate and gave her a long happy life using Tenseiga to extend her life. I wrote this before the most recent episodes where we learned the Tenseiga can only work once on a Human. Eventually as she grew tired of life and no longer wanted to live on the sword refused to resurrect her and Sesshomaru laid the sword aside and never used it again. After her death, he returned to his old disdain for Human/Demon relationships and the Hanyous that result.

Fans will probably recognize the last scene from the Second Movie. I imported the scene here since it worked so well and now you know what he was doing before that scene since he didn’t go straight to Kagome at the school like he had done in the past.