The Sacred Trees

The vote went for shorter posts. This is what I consider a short post. Lol. Ok again to get this out FAST Reviewers get thanked in the future – though I have sent members of ff.net PMs. In thanks. Again the posts are thanks to the WONDERFUL reviewers. I really thank you. Err next chapter should be out fast – mainly cause I need to get it out.
For all those out there who have kept asking... presenting Sesshoumaru!!!!
Enjoy and please review..


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Chapter 7 : The Impersonator


The Shogun flew over the city, the faint demonic aura that he could perceive even through the most advanced illusions, were clearing rapidly from his area of hunt. The mockery of a scent he was following blanketed an area, confusing his Canine hunters, the Shogun however was not so easily fooled. From his birds eyes view, he captured the hidden messages behind the scents, time, heat, overlay – all became apparent to him. He could almost see the imposter making his way around the city, setting up the wide scent trail, probably creating a trap. Then he saw it, the area where the laying of scent abruptly vanished. His smile was that of the devil. How fitting the creature had retreated to the sewers, where it belonged, where it would now die!

His movements graceful and deliberate the Shogun descended into the sewers, his booted feet never landing on the offending ground. The waters itself seemed to shrink away from his inspiring presence and the aura of fury surrounding him.

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Inuyasha didn’t bother drawing Tessaiga, he had tried earlier and the ceiling had trembled even before he released the windscar. He took chunks out of the numbers of lesser demons attacking him with his bombs and clawed at demons that got too close. His firerat robe had saved him from many an injury, still his shoulder was slashed, where a demon had attacked him from the back ripping the robe and gorging deep furrows in his shoulder. Since then the hanyou fought with his back almost flush against the wall. He had little room to manoeuvre, but what he could see he could kill. He had been fighting for hours, the waves of demons came with short windows of rest between each attack. The shoulder was the worst injury but he was cut, bruised and bleeding from most parts of his body. Inuyahsa’s world narrowed as it usually did in these days, to two thing bear the pain, and fight to survive.

So focused he was on this that he missed the approaching demonic aura, and missed an almost invisible window of opportunity to run for it. (not that he could have run far in the state he was in!!)
Energy roared out of the enraged Shogun, how dare lowly demons attack his prey!! The demons snapped out of their frenzy for blood, as with a single swipe of his claw the force released, disintegrated the demons in the Shogun’s path. Panic overcame blood lust and the control room was emptied of all the lesser demons as they sought to escape the fuming Shogun.

Inuyasha was in such agony, he only registered that nothing was attacking him, and leaned back against the wall trying to catch his breath. He was covered in dirt and blood, his head hung low as he sought to regain his breath, and manage the crippling pain. Only a shock of dirty and mattered white hair and two blood drenched hanyou ears were visible, to the Shogun who stalked into the control room.

On seeing the ears, his anger rose to new heights.

“You DARE!!! Impersonator! Your hide will adorn my council room as a warning against such impudence.” The shogun snarled, his claws growing to a length of a foot, poison dripped down, eating the floor.
The voice more then the words had Inuyasha raising his heavy head, “Sesshoumaru!” he whispered, for a spilt second joy infused him. Then he saw the eyes bleeding red, and the claws dripping death as his half brother moved with deadly intent towards him. His heart quelled, there was no safety here, he was going to die.

“Fucking hell brother, I thought we had a stinking treaty when we rescued Rin, get your head out of your ass!!” Inuyasha yelled, his hand curling around the sheathed Tessaiga.

“Your impudence is only overreached by your audacity! I am going to rip that mask off your head! You will beg me for death before I grant you that release!” Sesshoumaru was literally seeing red, the costume, the scent, was good- too good; the impersonator was actually causing the Shogun’s heart to pound, it was unacceptable - he channelled 500 years of emotion into his anger.

Inuyasha braced himself, a strange peace took him as his brother stalked to him. He had no hope, not anymore, there was absolutely no chance of escape. His brother would finally fulfil his promise made over 500 years ago, he would die at his brother’s hand. Somehow it was alright, Inuyasha was tired, he was in pain and he was at the end of his strength. He would die fighting a superior enemy and better yet he would not be alone when he died, his big brother would be with him.

Sesshoumaru bloodlust in his eyes wanted to drink the blood of the fool before him. He didn’t bother with a weapon, he wanted to feel his claws sink into the creature before him. He leapt forward, his claws aiming for the neck of the impersonator, with deadly accuracy, unbelievably the Shogun missed. The creature managed to dodge, and roll away from the Shogun, and flip back on its feet. This fed the Shogun’s fury and he increased his speed- the claws of his right aiming straight for the creature’s heart.

His momentum slammed the creature against the wall, and it released a gasp of pain, as he viciously pinned it to the wall, his left hand digging into the wound on then shoulder. Then he felt it, his right hand had not reached the heart of the creature, instead his attack had been blocked. For the first time in 500 hundred years his attack had been blocked.

Sesshoumaru drew in a shocked breath. “Tessaiga” he blinked at the sword that had taken the brunt of the blow. Growling he freed his hand from the sword, grasped a shock of blood soaked white hair and raised the head of the being he had pinned. Sharp gold met dazed molten gold.

Inuyasha had managed to unsheathe Tessaiga and block the attack, then he felt the claws dig into his shoulder, more unrelenting pain and then a blessed numbness spread out. He had reached the limit of his endurance, suddenly for a second his senses sharpened, he looked into bright powerful golden eyes, he breathed in and was surrounded with his brother’s scent, instead of just his own blood. His brother got to fulfil his promise and kill him; as the world faded Inuyasha hoped his big brother was satisfied now, no more half breeds to slur his good name. The hanyou welcomed the coming of death.

Sesshoumaru watched the eyes close as his little brother seemed to smile, almost gently at him then collapse, Tessaiga fell clanging on the floor, as the Shogun bore the full weight of the hanyou. “Inuyasha” Sesshoumaru whispered, he could not believe the truth of his eyes, and leaned down to bury his nose in his brother’s neck, breathing in the scent. It flooded him, wrapped around him, under the layers of woodsy scent, was that familiar scent that was wholly Inuyasha. He had missed it earlier, because the scent that was once the most obvious in the hanyou, had become the most subtle layer of his scent. Inuyasha no longer left it as part of his scent trail, instead one had to be near him, had to be literally breathing him in before that scent was apparent. “Inuyasha” Sesshoumaru’s arms tightened around the unconscious hanyou, his eyes closed, as his whole being focused on a scent that was uniquely his brother. The scent worked its way into his being. The scent found the bleeding scar in his soul, and the wound of 500 years, was wrapped in the scent, embraced in the warmth and gently healed. It took no more than a few seconds, but to Sesshoumaru it felt like a lifetime, he was holding his brother, but the warmth of his brother’s being embraced him utterly.

The smell of oncoming death suddenly broke the spell and assaulted his senses. Inuyasha was not dead – yet – the poison he himself had released into the hanyou’s wound was killing Inuyasha. Sesshoumaru did not even think about it, his mouth closed on the wound, and his saliva, the antidote to his poison, was pumped into the unconscious hanyou. His moko-moko rose on command wrapping the hanyou in warmth. Sesshoumaru was unsurprised as his little brother quickly stabilized, long ago he had come to respect his brother’s strength. Without releasing his brother, Sesshoumare grabbed torn pieces of the firerat robe, and picked up Tessaiga, sheathing it. Then cuddling the unconscious figure in his arms he gracefully moved out of the sewers, bringing him out into the bright moon light. The Shogun took to the air heading for the mansion in the hills.

Ignoring the window he broke, Sesshoumaru landed on the balcony of his own room, the door sliding open at his presence. He laid his brother on the bed, and took a close look at the unconscious hanyou. The wounds were not lethal, but his brother seemed even unconscious to be in a great deal of pain. Sesshoumaru brushed a button, and walked to his door. As he opened it two of his people had come running in response to the silent summons. “You get the healers here NOW!” he said pointing to the one on the left, who immediately scampered down to drag the healers to their master. “Aidon! You will contact the Generals, have them and all the Lieutenants meet in my chambers in the Council building tomorrow at 10.00am. Inform the Youkai Council that the anomaly will be presented to them at 11.00am. Even I cannot delay it longer without causing serious insult. Also have the halls cleared at 9.30am, you will drive us to the Council Building in the reinforced Limousine. This wing is under full security alert. None without level 4 security clearance is allowed here, and the rest of the manor is on level 2. Understood.”

“Yes Shogun” Aidon was the highest administrative personnel in the Shogun’s residence. He had the privilege of questioning the Shogun and even voicing opposing opinions that the Shogun would consider seriously. He had also learnt to read some of his Shogun’s moods and he knew when absolute unquestioning obedience was required. The Shogun turned and closed the door in Aidon’s face.

Three healers accompanied the assistant, their state of disarray indicating clearly that they had been roused from their beds. None had hesitated at the 3.00am summons.

Aidon eyed them and stopped the middle healer. “You and Yazz (the assistant) are to leave this wing immediately. You do not have high enough security clearance to be here.” Both gulped and stepped back at once, the penalty for being in a location that they had no clearance for was usually death, and ignorance was not accepted as an excuse. “The order was just given.” Aidon stated, “You have a 5 minute grace period. Yazz clear the others with less the level 4 security from the wing on your way out. And supervise level 2 protocols for the rest of the manor.” Aidon knocked respectfully and opened the door to the healers, he made no move to enter the room himself and went about following his new orders.

Sesshoumaru was standing beside the bed, watching the unconscious hanyou in his bed. Both healers had a split second of shock when they saw the person on the bed was wrapped in the Shogon’s fur. Without turning the Shogun spoke “Your lives will not be worth the dust, if word of what you witness in this room gets out.”
Izraat the younger healer’s eyes rolled in panic, Nannaq the older healer just shook her head.. “Why tell us what we already know Shogun? Come, get moko-moko-san out of the way, so that we may proceed.” She was elderly and had severed Sesshoumaru for a few hundred years, earning the right to address him with a level of casualness.” The fur seemed to very reluctantly uncurl from around the inu-hanyou. “Izraat, clean him up while I examine him.” She placed her hands over Inuyahsa’s heart.

“There must be some internal damage, he seems to be in a great deal of pain.” Sesshoumaru said softly he stood at the head of the bed, his hands behind his back.

The healer gasped, she snatched her hands away from the hanyou, before with a deep breathe placed her hands on his chest again. “No my Lord, there is no internal damage, he is in pain, but it is not from a physical wound. All I can tell you is that it may be a heart or soul wound. I can do nothing for it.” In spite of her familiarity with the Lord, when she sensed the sudden spike in his aura, she hurriedly added.. “My Shogun, the pain is a fading one, what ever the wound is, it is healing itself. He should be free of the pain by morning.”

“What causes that kind of wound?”

“It is beyond my ability to discern that, Shogun, I believe only this young one can tell you that.” Nannaq quickly and efficiently began working to clean and treat the numerous physical wounds on the hanyou, while Izraat cleaned him. All there were a little amused that under the ancient kimono, the hanyou wore a modern pair of plaid boxers. They left the boxers untouched.

“He will need a proper bath before he is presented to the council, but he will be fine my Lord.” The healers having completed their task took leave.

Sesshoumaru stood by the bed watching the hanyou. The hanyou seemed still at first, then Sesshoumaru noticed the hanyou was trembling slightly, the small figure, caught in some dream or nightmare, began to curl on the bed. Sesshoumaru’s ears strained and he only just managed to catch the soft whine that was almost continuous, emanating from deep within his little brother. Slowly Sesshoumaru, got into bed next to the hanyou, and drew him close. Moko-moko curled around both of them.

Sesshoumaru gently stroked his brother. “What has the world done to you little brother?” He whispered. “You are safe now, I will never fail you again.” That was a decree more then a statement. He closed his eyes and the two brothers slept.