Love through the ages

InuYasha awoke with the smell of blood wafting through his nose. Getting up quietly, as to not disturb the others, he left the hut. Walking towards the smell in the forest he was stopped by Sesshomaru’s appearance. The stench of blood surrounded him.

“What did you do to her bastard!” InuYasha fumed as he recognized the scent of Taijina was on him as well.

“What this Sesshomaru does to those who betray the pack is none of your business,” he replied as he stared down his younger brother.

“I may not know about pack law, but I know we both owe a lot to Taijina,” InuYasha screamed as he pulled out Tetsusaiga transforming it. “She saved me when my own brother had forsaken me.”

“Indeed, but this means nothing to me,” Sesshomaru replied as he dodged InuYasha’s attacks. “I intended to allow you to be officially considered pack, but before that you must know who is the Alpha here.”

“Feh,” InuYasha snorted as Sesshomaru pulled out his poison whip. Striking InuYasha down, he was itching for the fight that was to come. Dodging his strike, and sending his own, the brothers quickly placed Taijina in the back of their minds.

Taijina slowly opened her eyes, her wounds screaming in pain, but the approaching aura was more important. A Youkai was approaching, no doubt lured by the smell of her blood, and she was too drained from blood lose to fight. Sitting up quickly, her eyes squinted in pain as her wounds protested the action. She saw a bear Youkai approaching, and fast.

“Fire,” a voice from above cried, as a bright triangle of flames impaled the bear Youkai and sent him running in the opposite direction. “My, my getting yourself killed already? Where is the fun in that Youkai?”

“Please tell me I am hallucinating,” Taijina quickly prayed as she looked up at the trees. There sitting on one of the lowest branches was a girl in a pale green dress. Her strawberry blond hair blew in the wind, as green eyes stared at her. “Shouldn’t you be dead by now? That would make you a figment of my mind.”

“I told you before I have been cursed with immortality,” the girl snorted as she hopped down from the tree and stood by Taijina. Whistling, she assessed Taijina’s wounds. “Some deep scratches you got there. Pissed someone off, huh?”

“Indeed,” Taijina sneered, s the girl got down on her knees. “I do not need help from some crazy human.”

“You owe me your life,” she giggled, as she went to touch Taijina’s neck. Quickly snapping her body away from the girl, Taijina glared at her and sent a low warning growl. “Come now, will you always growl at me no matter how many times we meet?”

“Thirty years ago I saw you,” she growled, as she sniffed the air for any signs of approaching Youkais. “I don’t believe in immortal humans, therefore I do not believe you exist.”

“Then you are having one crazy dream,” she laughed, and sat next to Taijina. “And since this is a crazy dream, why not let me help you?”

“I must be going crazy,” Taijina sighed, showing defeat. The girl got up and went behind a tree, walking back to Taijina with a bucket of water and strips of cloths. She started cleaning and bandaging Taijina’s wounds. “What is your name again, it seems to have escaped my mind.”

“It has been long since someone asked me that question,” she sighed, her brow furrowed as she sought the answer. “I do not remember my true name, but you may call me Ash.”

“How can one not remember their own name?” Taijina questioned as Ash finished cleaning her neck, and was going to her back wounds.

“Well I’m not sure,” Ash replied, as she pealed back the ruined Kimono. “All I know is I never age, and I was once human. A witch, who was to be burned for my crimes against the King. An Alchemist saved me and used me to gain immortality for himself, cursing me with it as well.”

“How is it possible immortality is a curse?” Taijina muttered, as she felt the sting of the water on her back. “Ow! What is it you put on my back?”

“Calm yourself,” she said as she removed the cloth from her back. “There are herbs in here to fight against infection. Of course I shouldn’t worry do to your superior Youkai blood. I am just trying to help.”

“Indeed,” Taijina sniffed, as Ash went back to cleaning her back. “Now answer my previous question.”

“Sure,” she sighed, as she rolled her eyes. “Do you know what it is like to see the people you loved and cared for grow old and die? To know you can never take a lover forever because you can never join them in death? Never have children because you couldn’t bare the thought of watching them grow old and die. I would rather have died on the pyre then have my mortality stolen from me. At least I would have the knowledge I could join those I love one the other side. Now I am stuck in this world forever.”

“It can’t be all that bad,” Taijina replied. “You never have to worry about being sick, or how you can make it out of a fight alive.”

“I wish to have the fear of death over the fear of living forever,” Ash replied as she started to bandage her back. “Now lets get off this dreary subject. The brothers are still feuding?”

“Of course,” Taijina snorted, as she replaced her Kimono over her bandage back. “Did you think thirty years would make a difference?”

“You do know the Alpha has gone to prove his dominance and mark the younger as pack,” Ash said as she stood, and look at Taijina, who took off towards the feuding brothers. About to follow, Ash found herself being pulled in another direction, as Taijina came upon them.

Sesshomaru was standing over InuYasha, who was holding an untransformed Tetsusaiga on all fours, his breath ragged. She was over come by the stench of InuYasha’s blood, yet Sesshomaru had no visible wounds.

“Submit to you Alpha,” Sesshomaru’s cold voice rang out.

“Never,” InuYasha replied, as he coughed up blood. Kicking him upwards, then planting his elbow in InuYasha’s back, he grinned as InuYasha cried out in pain. Taijina found herself struggling not to interfere. Dominance of the Alpha had to be shown if InuYasha was to be officially pack.

“Just bear your neck,” Taijina whispered to herself, still ignored by both brothers. Sesshomaru knew she was there, but refused to acknowledge her, until InuYasha submitted. Placing his foot on the back of InuYasha’s neck, he decided to end the fight. Either he would submit willingly, or he would pass out, also showing submission. The main point would still stand, that he, Sesshomaru was the dominant Alpha male.