Sesshoumaru Wept

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

This is the last chapter I have fully written; I'm in the process of writing chapter 8. I write with a soundtrack, and if you're interested, I have it posted on FF.Net under the same pen name.

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::Chapter 7: Something Wicked This Way Comes Pt. 3::

Sesshoumaru trudged through the shadow world, leaving the mortal shell of his body miles in the distance. His steps were labored as if he walked through quicksand, and a directionless wind tugged at his clothes and braid. With Tenseiga in hand and a single purpose in his mind, he sought the location of the entrance to the Coptic Plane. A demonic aura, as familiar to him as his own scent, rose from off to the side and grew closer with every step he took. Without a word said between father and son, Touga joined Sesshoumaru in his trek, both unwilling to speak, being so near to the realm of the gods. Sesshoumaru paused, causing Touga to halt as well. In the distance, a curtain of membrane shimmered, separating the in-between world of mortals and the infinite plane of Osiris' domain. Father and son glanced at each other, and Touga nodded, took Sesshoumaru's hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze. When they arrived at the skin, together they walked through it.

Sesshoumaru felt his stomach fall through his feet, and his head and the environment were spinning. The sensation didn't last very long, though it felt like an eternity. When he opened his eyes (uncertain when he had closed them), he was facing the see through shell-like barrier that protected the Citadel from attack. Immediately on the other side were large, oddly shaped trees, grown to keep intruders from seeing beyond into the backyard of the Egyptians' gods. Peering through the leaves, Sesshoumaru could just make out a monstrous structure, seemingly lit with the brilliance of the sun itself. He took a shuddering breath, feeling more than a little overwhelmed and unnerved at the magnitude of what he had to accomplish.

"One breath at a time, pup," Touga whispered, squatting down to examine the barrier.

For the better part of the last century, Sesshoumaru dug at one place in the self-healing barrier. In the interim between his visits, the hole would be filmed over, and he'd have to break through it before continuing where he'd left off the last time. It was a futile and frustrating endeavor until he'd figured out his venom could burn the hole open. And almost a hundred years later, he was close to breaking through to the other side. The hole didn't need to be large-it was just a little bigger than the circumference of his finger-but it did need to penetrate the whole thing. A number of times he'd almost been caught by the constant patrols sent out. His sire hadn't known of his actions for decades because Sesshoumaru didn't want to worry Touga any more about InuYasha. Some years ago, Sesshoumaru had slipped in a conversation with Touga due to his exhaustion, and then refused to tell him anything else. There was a vicious and bloody vying for dominance between the two, and even if he'd been at full power, Sesshoumaru didn't have a chance against his sire. Touga mounted his son, cowed him and demanded to know details of his activities. Since that time, Touga accompanied him on the excursions to draw attention from Sesshoumaru's work.

Touga indicated the place on the barrier where Sesshoumaru was almost through. The plane they were on was a strange place. Sesshoumaru needed his sire's help in finding the hole every time since he wasn't of the Coptic Plane, and Touga was, in truth, no longer in the realm of mortals. Sesshoumaru knelt and, after Touga donned the illusion of being Sesshoumaru, began to burrow into the barrier once more. Touga hit the barrier with everything he had, causing it to ripple but not break, and he leapt into the air, getting further away from his son.


Ma'at penetrated the barrier easily, it recognizing her spiritual signature immediately. She landed lightly on one of the many carved balconies and strode through the Great Hall with a deepening sense of determination. The servants she encountered dropped to their knees, heads on the floor until she had passed. Several twists and turns and staircases downward, and she entered her workroom where the multiple realities continued in their never-ending loops. The workroom shook as another blast rocked it. She had to grab onto the back of her chair to keep from falling over. Ma'at growled in her throat, looking between the numerous crystal balls. In each, Sesshoumaru and InuYasha were fighting. In each, Sesshoumaru was a full demon, and in each, InuYasha was a hanyou. It wasn't something she had ever questioned before speaking with Shakyamuni. Now, it seemed more important than ever.

"Anubis affected all of the timelines with this stunt," she said with dawning realization how far-reaching the consequences would be if not allowed to balance out. Very few events in any of the realities had the power to affect all timelines; she could only count on one hand how many she'd seen in her immortal life. This, obviously, was another, she marveled.

"Show me Sesshoumaru," she said, touching the largest ball. Her eyebrow rose when she saw the youngest of Touga and Sayoko's brood diligently working at breaching the barrier around the Citadel. A slight motion behind him caught her attention, and she willed the ball to show her what it was. Ma'at almost laughed when she saw Touga hitting the barrier with his aura. Never had she cared enough to focus in on what was causing the Citadel to shudder so, having assumed-as all the others-that Sesshoumaru was attempting to break the barrier by hitting it.

"No, my pup," Ma'at said with a smile on her face, watching him work. "I should have known you are much too intelligent to expend your energy on a fool's errand. How we have underestimated you and your son, Touga."

She watched for a while. The dog was very close to breaking in, a thing unheard of in the gods' court. Unless they were deceased, mortals never entered the Coptic Plane... at least, North African mortals. There were other gods on other planes, but Osiris and his incestuous family were specifically guardians over Northern Africa. It was unheard of for a Japanese mortal to try and enter the Coptic Plane. Ma'at held her breath as she saw Sesshoumaru's claw pierce through to the other side.

"You did it, you sly pup," she said softly. She slowly smiled a knowing and dangerous smile.

"Anubis, today is the day you shall learn how the Universal Law of Balance applies to you."


Damn! Sesshoumaru growled to himself as another claw broke off, the tip bleeding. He focused his venom through the next claw and began scraping at the inside of the hole. He was tiring quickly, but the thought of InuYasha being trapped until he died pushed Sesshoumaru to draw on the reserves he'd stored from the dog-eared warrior's Backlash Wave. He smirked, thinking how enjoyable it would be to teach his younger brother all of the tricks he knew about Tessaiga. He continued digging, his claw in his line of sight so he couldn't gauge his progress. And as he was on the verge of taking a short break, he felt the barrier under his claw give way. Sesshoumaru froze, not daring to hope for success but unable to repress the small spark of excitement filling him with renewed energy. Slowly he pulled his hand away and there, at the end of the finger-sized hole, the true colors of the trees beyond. He could see through the barrier. Sesshoumaru had a thousand different emotions hit him all at once: he wanted to cry, laugh, beat the living hell out of Anubis, and run far, far away from the Citadel. However, he did not become Lord of the West by allowing emotions to rule his actions: he calmly opened it the rest of the way, giving him a smooth entry point.

"Father, I am through." Touga continued his assault, but the malicious smile on his sire's face told him Touga heard.

"I shall return as quickly as I can," he said.

After a slight nod from Touga, he dissolved into a ball of light and began streaming through the small hole. When all of the light particles were inside the barrier, they congealed back into a large glowing ball and then he shifted back into his humanoid form. Sesshoumaru lay on his back, eyes shut and panting, resting from the large amount of energy expended on his shape shifting. Being in dog form would be ideal, as that form would take the smallest amount of energy to exist in since it was his true form, but he hadn't had the ability to shift into his true form in many years. Sesshoumaru sighed. And he didn't really have a well thought out plan because he never truly believed he would get through.

"Well, shit," he muttered to himself in a rare moment of insecurity, arm draped over his forehead. "What now?"


The tension in the small group was thick as they waited for some sign of Sesshoumaru's return. The only one who seemed at ease was Fukinmaru. He sat on a moss covered boulder, the kilt rode high on his legs and confirmed to the humans and hanyou that he was indeed male. Fukinmaru caught the young bitch staring, and when she noticed he was aware of her scrutiny, she blushed hotly and looked away. His deep, rich laughter rolled over them as he pushed himself off of the rock and ambled slowly to Kagome.

"Never be ashamed of being curious," Fukinmaru whispered closely to her ear, causing her to shiver.

"Ahh, Jakken has returned," he stated, heading off to where Ah-Uhn was about to land.

Kagome stared at the broad and thickly muscled back Fukinmaru presented to her as he stripped off the tunic. InuYasha came up beside her, both of them watching his elder brother step out of the kilt, proudly baring his well-developed body before gods and man. Where Sesshoumaru was cold, austere, this dog had a bed of embers in his spirit, waiting to be stoked into a raging fire. From all InuYasha had heard of his father, he wondered if Fukinmaru was a more accurate reflection of the late InuTaishou than Sesshoumaru: sensual, affectionate, expressive, and frighteningly powerful. InuYasha had no problem antagonizing Sesshoumaru, but he wasn't willing to test the patience of the brother standing before them. Fukinmaru took the modified fighting apparel Jakken retrieved for him and dressed, leaving the haori open after tossing the obi aside. With his long hair in dreadlocks and the torque still around his throat, to Kagome he seemed like he walked out of a faery tale.

"If I shouldn't be ashamed of being curious, I have questions I would like answered," she said, coming up beside Fukinmaru.

He inclined his head. "I will answer to the best of my abilities, miko."

"Why does Sesshoumaru hate InuYasha?"

"Sesshoumaru does not hate InuYasha," he said, looking pointedly at the young pup. "If he hated you, you would have been disowned and stricken from our clan's records. And that has not happened."

InuYasha's ears flattened, and he looked away, shaking his head to clear the confusing thoughts from his head. He thought he remembered Sesshoumaru telling him he was hated because of his human mother and was hated because of Tessaiga, but the memories he had were foggy. His younger years were shrouded in chaos and disorientation. Even the memories of meeting Kagome for the first time weren't very clear. Was Sesshoumaru actually telling the truth? he thought to himself, cocking his head.

"Why can't I remember?" InuYasha said to no one in particular.

"The beads around your neck," Fukinmaru replied softly. "They have a spell on them-"

"It's not a spell," Kagome interrupted. "Those were made by a priestess. I am her reincarnation."

Fukinmaru's eyebrow rose. "Oh? So what is the purpose of the beads, miko?"

"Well... InuYasha attacked me when we first met. He wanted the Shikon Jewel to become a full demon-"

"So what is the purpose of the beads?" he asked, his voice growing softer as he stood. He had a bad feeling about the beads since experiencing the aura roiling off of them.

"To-to prevent InuYasha from attacking people," Kagome said, shrinking slightly from the dog demon.

"And how do they prevent him from attacking?"

Kagome opened her mouth to say it, then closed it quickly, thinking better of a demonstration in front of InuYasha and Sesshoumaru's much older-much more powerful-brother. Fukinmaru watched the younger pup out of the corner of his eye, and as the miko was about to speak, his little brother flinched violently. Whatever they did, it wasn't good.

"If I say a particular word, it puts him on the ground."

InuYasha barked a laugh. "If it only just 'put me on the ground.' Kagome, it hurts every time you say it."

"It's not my fault you lose control sometimes!" she yelled.

"But you aren't my mother! You don't get to say when I'm being bad or not!" InuYasha yelled back. Fukinmaru stepped in between the two, pushing their bodies apart.

"Control yourselves, both of you!" he snapped.

Kagome and InuYasha immediately fell silent, but both had their arms crossed and were glaring at each other. Fukinmaru hooked a claw under the beads and examined them. After several tense heart beats, he positioned his claw between two of them and pulled, snapping the spiritual energy holding them together around InuYasha's neck. A spark ignited each of the beads in turn causing them to implode, and they fell as small, blackened stones onto the ground, burning the soil where they landed. InuYasha fell to his knees and grabbed his head, whining from the sudden pain.

"What was that?" Kagome whispered in amazement.

"That was black magic releasing its hold on the beads," Fukinmaru explained, wrapping his arms around the younger pup. "It was feeding off of the energy the priestess used to make the beads. Look at me, child."

He put a finger under InuYasha's chin and lifted his head, peering into pained golden eyes. He stared long and hard at InuYasha's aura, and convinced the pup would be ok, smiled gently and soothingly stroked the puppy ears.

"You'll be fine after that headache passes, young one."

"What would've happened to InuYasha if the beads weren't removed and the energy ran out?" Sango asked, a bit unnerved when the large demon turned his piercing gaze on her.

"I know not. But the one who made the beads will."


Sesshoumaru held his breath, willing the foot soldiers to pass his hiding place. Somehow, he'd made it across the gigantic yard without being spotted, and then managed to slip into an unguarded back entrance-or what he assumed was a back entrance. He couldn't help but wonder if his luck would hold. The retreating boot steps spurred him into motion again. Sesshoumaru was about to step out from behind the pillar when more approaching soldiers forced him back into hiding. He growled quietly to himself. A flash of light and he heard the sound of bodies falling to the sandstone floor. He froze, praying to any god listening for the being to pass him by, but cursed inside of his head when he heard the near-silent footfalls and the clicking of claws turn into the darkened corridor he was tucked in. It stopped on the other side of the pillar, and he exhaled when he heard the voice of Taweret.

"Sesshoumaru, come out. There isn't much time."

He came from around the pillar and was struck by the beauty of Taweret's humanoid form. She was a tall, pale woman with raven-colored hair and a long, whip-like tail coming out from under her white robes. Her eyes were pools of glowing white, and her facial markings were the same as when she was in her lioness form: a black, ever-moving aurora across her cheeks and nose. Taweret held out her hand and beckoned for him to follow. They rushed down the corridor, each of the guards falling asleep seconds before they appeared. They were running so quickly, Sesshoumaru lost track of the direction they were heading and realized he was completely dependent on the goddess to get him out of the Citadel alive. Taweret stopped before a set of carved double doors depicting a scene of a pharaoh being embalmed by jackal-headed creatures. She pushed one of the doors open and motioned for him to enter.

"We do not expect our home to be invaded, so there are no wards or spells on any of the doors," she explained as she followed him in. Sesshoumaru glanced around what he assumed was Anubis' personal space. Even though there was a large, satin covered bed in the middle of it, it didn't feel like a bedroom.

"He is in here somewhere," Taweret said, beginning to dig around in the floor-to-ceiling bookcases. "I am unsure where he is kept, though. You should be able to feel his aura by now, I would think."

Sesshoumaru nodded and shut his eyes, hoping to block out the visual noise so he could focus on his young brother. He expanded his aura to encompass the room and slowly weeded out the areas that had the least promise. It wasn't so much that he could home in on InuYasha's aura, but there was a subconscious draw to him. He wasn't aware he'd been moving until his thigh bumped the heavy desk in the far corner of the room. Golden eyes raked over the top of the desk, looking for anything that could contain InuYasha's spirit. He rifled through the different scrolls piled on top of one another, picked up the inkwell and feather, inhaled to see if scent would give anything away. He pulled the top drawer out to find it empty. And the second drawer was empty as well. Sesshoumaru sat with a deep sigh. So close but so very far... He leaned against the back of the chair and glared holes through the wood, silently demanding it reveal its secrets. Taweret ran a hand through her long hair, sighing as well.

"Are you sure he's in here?" he asked.

"I am positive," she replied, looking around the room again. "There is no where else he could be. I have scoured the Citadel for any sign outside of this room, and there is nothing."

Clicking footsteps stopped in front of the open door, and a guard gasped as he saw Taweret and Sesshoumaru in Anubis' room. Taweret saw him a moment too late, sending an energy blast through the door and just missed him. She was about to go after him, when Sesshoumaru touched her arm, shaking his head. Immediately, she erected a barrier around the perimeter of the room.

"We will find him before Anubis returns, even if that fool of a guard alerts him to my presence," Sesshoumaru said, going back to the desk.

He knelt and began feeling the sides of the drawers for a latch for a secret panel when a shimmering against the wall caught his attention.

"Taweret," he called. "There is something wrong with the wall."

She touched the wall and her hand was violently thrown from it. "A ward. You don't want anyone to get in here, do you Anubis? And I can guess why."

Taweret's hand glowed a silvery blue, and she drove her hand through it, opening a hole large enough for Sesshoumaru to fit through. Slipping through, they found themselves in a room with a single item in it: an hourglass. The sand dropped from the ceiling and piled up on the floor, but was held in the shape of an hourglass by an invisible force. Sesshoumaru frowned. There was very little sand left in the top half. He approached, not touching the place where glass would usually be, and peered at the small, rolling dunes the sand had formed into. Motion caught his eye, and even as sharp as his eyesight was, it took a moment for them to focus on the moving white speck. His breath was stolen as he realized he was seeing InuYasha's true form for the first time. The infinitesimal dog was running across what would be, for him, large sand dunes, forever trapped in the desert environment.

Sesshoumaru howled in rage, eyes glowing red, and the small dog stopped running, cocking his head to listen. He then answered with his own howl. Sesshoumaru was about to throw his body against the invisible enclosure when Taweret stopped him.

"I can open it, Lord of the West," she said and drove her hand through it. "You will need your true form to subdue him. He has been too long away from your pack to understand what is happening except by instinct."

"I can't change! I've been feeding InuYasha my youkai for too long! I don't have enough in reserve," Sesshoumaru yelled in frustration. So damned close!

Without a word of warning, he felt his body begin to change. Long guard hairs grew out of his humanoid pores, and his face began to stretch into a muzzle with sharp canine teeth. His claws grew larger with a razor edge on them. He wasn't finished shifting when he began to shrink, and floated through the ward. He landed hard on the sand but wasn't about to complain. Taweret managed to get him in! He would be forever in her debt.

"Yes, yes," she said impatiently. "We can discuss how grateful you are when the two of you are back in your world. Hurry up! He's directly in front of you."

Sesshoumaru stood and gave his body a firm shake. It felt wonderful to be in his true form again after so long of being caged as a humanoid. He bolted in the direction his nose was pointing, enjoying the breeze blowing through his thick coat. He crested the dune in front of him and found the smaller dog in the valley, staring up at him with deeply curious eyes. Each of his cheeks bore a cornflower blue demon mark, and his ears were triangular and perked in the new dog's direction. Sesshoumaru grinned. InuYasha would be thrilled to know he had a true form. He sent out his aura tentatively, wanting to test the pup before barreling toward him with the intent to mount him. The demon shyly met Sesshoumaru's aura with his own. It was a feather-light touch but enough for Sesshoumaru to feel confident his brother was a beta.

He approached the young pup with ears and tail up, hoping to set him at ease. InuYasha's head dipped, but his ears remained up, and his tail wagged slowly in a hesitant greeting. Sesshoumaru stopped close to him, close enough to smell his intoxicating scent, but out of the other's personal space. They stood, simply smelling each other, and Sesshoumaru was forcing himself to be patient and let InuYasha make the first move. The pup didn't disappoint him, either. He approached the elder dog and began nosing his flank, and when he was satisfied, pushed his nose against Sesshoumaru's ass. Sesshoumaru stood still as InuYasha pulled away and sniffed around his face, giving it a gentle lick. Sesshoumaru moved slowly toward InuYasha's ass, nosing along his side until he was positioned behind him. With a surge of rippling muscles, Sesshoumaru mounted him, but the pup didn't give in. He spun quickly and snarled at Sesshoumaru in warning. Sesshoumaru sighed. This was about to get bloody.


Something was wrong. Sayoko could feel it in her bones. She hadn't become a renowned warrior by ignoring her intuition, so she tore through the castle seeking anything that might seem off. Guards and servants alike fell into formal prostration as she passed, unsure what the Lady of the West was up to, but knowing when she was focused, their best behavior was required. It began after her early morning practice session with Makoto. Sayoko put a stop to the practice earlier than usual, and the two spent a bit in the hot springs. Unable to shake the ominous feeling, Sayoko left the young bitch and patrolled the perimeter of the castle alone so she wouldn't be distracted. Upon finding nothing out of the ordinary, she sought the counsel of Touga's most trusted sorcerer. She finished her scouring of the castle, and finding nothing, knocked on Tamotsu's door.

"Sayoko, do come in," Tamotsu said, moving aside.

Tamotsu was an old dog demon whose mokomoko were scruffy and worn with age. His long hair was braided, and he worn non-descript clothing more suited to a servant than one of high standing in the court of the West. At first glance, his rooms seemed crushingly small and filled with oddities he'd collected over the years. As a pup, she'd come to his rooms and would explore for hours on end. Oh how she missed those days of no responsibility.

"Tamotsu, something is in the air, and I can't figure out what it is," she said without preamble. He chuckled.

"You always were a sensitive one. Indeed, I have felt it as well," he said, taking hold of a cloth covering a round table in the middle of the first room. "I was waiting for you to show up. You're earlier than I expected."

He tore the cloth off of the table and revealed a see through crystal ball firmly seated in the center of it. Tamotsu blew on it, and Sayoko got closer with wide eyes. He grinned, showing a missing fang.

"Just a bit dusty."

Sayoko snorted.

"Alright, m'Lady, speak to it. Tell it what you wish to see."

Sayoko leaned forward, unsure of how to begin. "Uh, show me why I am so uneasy... Please?" she said hesitantly and looked up at Tamotsu. He nodded encouragingly.

They watched as the inside of the ball swirled and shimmered. The tempest began to take the shape of a field, with small groves of trees interspersed among the grass-covered downs. Sayoko's brow furrowed.

"That's the advanced practice arena," she said with no little amount of surprise of how close to the castle it was. But it was barren with no sign of life. "No one can infiltrate it unless they are specifically keyed to your spells."

They exchanged a look, and Tamotsu covered the ball again.

"I would begin my search close to your heart, Sayoko," he said, uncharacteristically serious.

Sayoko's eyes widened with dawning realization, and she bolted out of the room with a hasty thank you.


The two white dogs faced each other, circling. Sesshoumaru didn't want to hurt InuYasha, but couldn't come up with a better way to get the pup under control other than brute force. His time for planning was at an end as InuYasha lunged for his throat. He side stepped the attack and bumped the smaller dog with his body, hoping to throw off his balance. The pup gained his legs back too quickly and snapped at his leg, catching a bit of skin. Sesshoumaru yelped, then growled as InuYasha danced out of reach. He backed away and with a twinge of regret, the psychic wind started whipping around him. Sesshoumaru expanded his most dominating aura around the two of them, and as it raked over InuYasha, he rolled onto his back and pissed, terrified of the newcomer.

Sesshoumaru approached him once again, not releasing his hold but gentling his dominance. InuYasha rolled back onto his stomach but didn't move, with ears flat and tail tucked between his legs. InuYasha whined softly in confusion as Sesshoumaru climbed onto his back, enfolding the smaller dog under his warm body. His cock was unsheathed and throbbing, his hips thrust forward connecting with InuYasha's ass in spite of the tail. He continued to thrust until he was buried in the tight body beneath him. InuYasha attempted to stand but couldn't with the heavier dog on him and strong jaws holding the scruff of his neck. Sesshoumaru could feel it becoming easier to thrust, knowing he was tearing delicate skin and the blood was lubricating his entrance. The male under him was fully demon and would heal in very little time, so he did not relent even when the pup whimpered. He knotted and with a final hard thrust, tied himself within the beta male's warmth. Sesshoumaru relaxed somewhat and groomed InuYasha's face and ears in apology. Without warning, InuYasha turned into thousands of pinpricks of light and absorbed into Sesshoumaru's body, leaving the Lord of the West lying on the sand.

"We must leave!" Taweret said, pulling Sesshoumaru out of the empty prison and reforming him into his humanoid shape.

"Where did he go?" Sesshoumaru asked, expecting to see InuYasha's demon but not finding him.

"He is inside of you," she said, pushing him toward the balcony.

Sesshoumaru dove into the place in his soul that had been empty since just after InuYasha's birth and found the emptiness was gone. In its place was InuYasha' demon, curled up and resting. Sesshoumaru came out of himself and leapt from the balcony, unconcerned with raising an alarm. He had what he came for. An explosion from behind interrupted his flight, and he landed on the grass, rolling and springing up onto his feet. The balcony he jumped from was blasted open and engulfed in a dust cloud. Anubis stepped out of hole and landed on the ground.

"Come, my jackals!" Anubis roared.

For moments, nothing happened. And then Sesshoumaru felt the earth itself heave under foot. He pulled Tenseiga from where it rested on his hip and waited for the attack. In different places around the yard, the ground sank and particles of sand formed the bodies of large canine-like figures in each of the holes. They solidified into black jackals with glowing red eyes, all intent on Sesshoumaru.

"Kill him!" Anubis hissed, and as one mighty black ocean, the jackals dashed in his direction.

Sesshoumaru braced himself, knowing he wasn't fast enough to make it to the barrier before the first wave of devil dogs hit him, and he was never one to run from a fight, anyway. The edge of the oncoming attack was close enough that Sesshoumaru could count their teeth when a powerful wind blew from behind him, scattering the sand the jackals were made of like powder. A more powerful being than Anubis landed between he and the God of the Dead, her spiritual energy crackling around her caused the fine hairs on his body to rise. She had her back to him and her black wings spread, blocking him from Anubis' view.

"Leave this place," she said, looking over her shoulder at him.

"Prepare for war, son of Touga!" he heard Anubis bellow just before he transformed into a ball of light and streamed through the swiftly closing breach.


Sayoko barked orders to each guard she passed, commanding them to prepare for a siege. Makoto rushed down the stairs when she heard her pass, trotting to catch up.

"Mother, what may I do?" she asked, finding it difficult to keep up with the warrioress. Sayoko stopped and took Makoto's face in her hands.

"You must stay safe. Sesshoumaru would go on a rampage if he finds you injured," she replied. "Go to Kinuko. Tell her to take the concubines, the betas and as many children as all of you can find to the catacombs. There are enough supplies to sustain you for some months. Go with them and don't come out unless Sesshoumaru or I come to get you."

Makoto fled through the castle to do Sayoko's bidding, and Sayoko continued to the massive gate marking the primary entrance to the Western castle. The word spread like wildfire through the palace and most were in hiding or armed and ready to defend. The vendors' booths around the castle walls were eerily empty. The only sound was the wind picking up speed, heralding a storm rolling in from the ocean. Two dog demons were at the intricate wrought iron gate, waiting for her arrival.

"I don't know what I'm going up against," she said to the two of them, "but if I don't return quickly, send message to Sesshoumaru. He is within a day of Edo. Prepare the castle and let no one in. Listen!"

She grabbed the face of one of the young male guards who had never been to war, tears streaming down his face.

"Listen to me," she said, soothingly, "this could be nothing. But if we're at war, I need to know I can depend on you."

He nodded. "I won't let you down, m'Lady."

"Go to the catacombs now. The next Lady of the West is there with others. I need you to protect them with your life. Can you do that for me?"

The young male nodded again. "Yes."

"Good. Go!" Sayoko commanded, and the young man fled back into the castle. She turned her attention back to the other guard. "If I don't return, send word to the Lord of the West. Is that understood?"

"Understood," he replied.

Sayoko exited the gate and watched as it shut with a resounding thud. Her body was wracked with chills, but she viciously suppressed them. Now was not the time to second-guess. On a turret overlooking the field she was in, stood Tamotsu. His face was contorted in concentration and in moments, a humming screen appeared around the castle. Not just a barrier, but a death trap for any who would dare touch it. She hoped it would keep out whatever lay in the advanced practice arena.

Saying a short prayer in her head, she shifted into her true form and let out a mighty bay that shook the ground. Many who would attempt to conquer the West were quite intimidated by the sight of a demon's true form, so she hoped she could provoke fear into what was waiting. She shot into the air high over the surrounding countryside, the hills and trees becoming small to her sight. Her black nose was ever moving as she attempted to catch even the faintest scent of what she was up against. Over the rise ahead of her was the advanced arena, training grounds for those who completed the first five levels of training under the West's best fighters. She decided where she would touch down and descended, and her landing kicked up a geyser of dirt and rock.

She placed her nose to the undisturbed ground but scented nothing. She trotted over the rolling downs, occasionally expanding her aura outward to check for intruders, but there seemed to be nothing. She ranged to and fro and managed to cover most of the area Touga had marked off and found nothing of significance. Sayoko was about to head back to the castle and a noise caught her attention. A slight scraping of metal on metal, then the world was spinning perilously. Her head hurt from hitting it on a rock, and she couldn't move her body very far. When she could see without getting dizzy, she found she was encased in a wide net with weights on the ends of the rope, and she was pinned to the ground. Two powerful alpha male auras surrounded her, and she growled reflexively.

"Look what we've caught," one voice said.

"Hn," the other agreed. The two appeared in front of her, and she snarled at them upon recognition.

"Well, hello mother."