The Sacred Trees

a/n : Oh Man, I am over doing it.. BUT I had to write this chapter – mainly cause I know I am going to be busy for the next few days. So a few more days before the next chapter. Thanks to all reviewers I haven’t answered PM’s but spent all free time at the computer writing this. I figure you’d appreciate it more.

SOME CLARIFICATION ON BREEDING;
In a world with less magic; pure Youkai go into heat less as they have less magical energy to rely on. Hanyou’s human bloods allow them to need less magic for breeding, so they go into heat more often. But for a Hanyou to have pure Youkai children their demonic blood must be strong, or else they will not carry the child to term. Hanyou and Youkai DONT produce more powerful kids, power depends on parents’ linage and training, they just produce MORE children.

I really enjoy reading speculative reviews. Some you guess right, some not so right. I know I am mean to my puppy... well it gets worse. I have a funny feeling I am going to get some hate mail at the end of this chapter.. feel free to send it, just don’t make it a pointless swear fest. It may encourage me to write faster in spite of being busy. Also you may now see why a LOT of what happened, happened the way it did.

Enjoy ; SunHawk
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CHAPTER 9 : HEAT OF THE HANYOU!!

The gong sounded, Inuyasha took a deep breath and followed Koga and Shippo into the room. It was like nothing Inuyasha imagined.

The council room was old, old fashioned fire lamps graced the walls, giving an eerie flickering light. Though it was morning the Council room was shadowed and had an ancient feel to it. On the two side wall were old paintings, artefacts and even small shrines, the scent of incense and magic was heavy in the air. But even here Inuyasha sensed the magic was low, nothing close to what it should have been in one of the original meeting locations of Youkai of great power. The far wall; was not really a wall, instead a heavy curtain was pulled across the whole width of the hall, there was some natural light coming in from behind the curtain but it was faint.

Inuyasha frowned at the curtain, there were symbols and signs all around the curtain and floor.. something... He shook his head, his imagination was getting the better of him.

The Youkai Council were made up of Youkai of power. Sesshoumaru was the most powerful Youkai in Japan, not just in terms of being a Dai-Youkai and having individual power – which had been he main yard stick of power in ancient times, he was also a land owner – owning outright huge tracks of land and property in Japan stretching from Kyoto to Tokyo. But these did not make him the most powerful, his main source of power was the reason he was THE Shogun. He alone had the absolute loyalty of the Canines, in full force it was the most loyal and deadly army in Japan.

There were no treaties, between the Sesshoumaru and the groups serving him.
When the secret war had broke out, there had been two choices, belong to Lord Sesshoumaru or not. He rarely sought for groups to serve him, some occurred almost by chance, some due to the urging of a nagging Kitsune, and some came voluntarily. He made no threats against groups that choose not belong to him, he just ignored them, utterly.

For those that belonged to him, Youkai, human or Hanyou - he claimed them, utterly.
Their lands, property, wealth and lives became his. In all matters his word was absolute law. Only titles conferred by him had any meaning. As it all belonged to Sesshoumaru, individual ownership had no meaning, amongst the canines. They never went without as their Lord was extremely generous in sharing his wealth with his people. And with the focus of all on increasing their Lord's prosperity rather than just their own, the Canines as the united groups became known (though it has other Non-canine groups in it) as a whole prospered beyond expectations.

More then this the Canines prospered because belonging to Lord Sesshoumaru had unbelievable benefits, though the lord was aloof and strict, he kept a distance from almost all who served him, yet none doubted that he would stand between his own and an enemy without hesitation. He was generous and fair in his dealings with his people. He was relentless in building a better future for his pack and had protected them against terrible odds. Real Estate, Pure Research (Medical, Magical & Demon products) and agriculture were major areas the Canines were invested in. Through this, Sesshoumaru had discovered the value of the Hanyou’s, and had arranged for their protection rather then abuse. While other alliances had fallen to betrayal and assassination during the Secret War, the canines while losing many had grown in strength, betrayal from within was unknown to them. Sesshoumaru was extremely possessive over what he considered his; when necessary he demanded instant unquestioning obedience, most other times however he stood back, giving his people space to grow, act interdependently and prosper together. Ultimately those who had accepted his dominion found family, safety and loyalty beyond measure.

***
The council members sat in a loose spiraling circle, the hall had no table just chairs. The inner circle had ornate chairs where the permanent members of the Council sat. All council members were Dai-Youkai on their own right, and most we as old or younger then Sesshoumaru. On paper each member of the Council was equal to the others in authority. In the outer spirals, guards, assistants and generals of higher ranks sat.
Shippo as the escort and to show off his knowledge to his father a little, introduced the 13 members of the Council. They were Lord Sesshoumaru of course and;

Lord Tatsukiinoue of the Demon Dragons (Overlord of Demons on the Island of Kyushu) was heavily involved in mining, manufacturing of human and Youkai equipment as well as international export.

Lord Kusajishi Ranjiku (Overlord of Demons on the Hokkaido) he was a Bear Demon, the oldest Lord on the council and best negotiator among the Lord, he oversaw Japan's treaties with foreign Youkai, and was invested in livestock and farming.

Lord Sunshi Yamanoto (Overlord of Demons of Shikoku) he was a Lightning Demon, focused on areas such as copper mining, fruit plantations and hydro-electric power plants.

Lord Kotetsu Hisana (Based in Osaka) Tiger Demoness. Head of the Felis clan. Created in response to the Canines, treaty based, mainly tiger, leopards, civets and panther demons; not all cats are are signatory. Wholesale, retail and financial industries, owner of only specialized Youkai financial institution – international setup.

Lord Mirei Chizuhime (Based in Akita) Demoness Lord of Cranes, and numerous winged demons. Official historian, maintainer of the collective knowledge of the Japanese Youkai, involved in publications and IT.

Lord Akaishiimaru (Based on Mount Kita) Serow Demon, presiding over the Southern Mountain range, protector of the Mountain Kitsune. Focused on Magical training and development. Involved in setting up Youkai Sanctuaries, mountainous holiday spots for Youkai all over Japan. Youngest Lord, with close friendship to the Canines.

Lord Kira Iemura (Based in Nagona) a Monkey Demon, involved in the Youkai entertainment industry. Computer gaming and developing equipment that enhances skills training.

Lord Kayenkura (Based in Hiroshima) a salamander demon, involve in bio-chemical research and pharmaceuticals, international import-export.

Lord Kuroyukitake (Based in Sendai) a Manatee Demoness, presided over demon sea mammals, involved heavily in pearls, aquaculture and preservation of coastal regions.

Lord Tetzusemon (No permanent base) Dragon demon, Weapons master, successor of Totosai, with weaponry workshops all over Japan and Asia.

Lady Shiba Senin (No permenant base – so not Lord) Phoenix Demoness specializing in Demon Miko research. Works closely with Hanyou and Humans, to harmonize spiritual and demonic power. Has had a measure of success, the most respected female demon in Asia.

Lord Aikito Kudo (No permenant base) Serpent Demon Poison and Herb Master. Research in Poison, Antidotes and Herbs, markets all over Asia.

“And this” Shippo concluded “Is the Hanyou that was seen in the club on the night of the energy spike. This is Inuyahsa, son of Inutaisho; half-brother of The Shogun, Killer of Naraku and my father.” Shippo said with a grin.
The council looked sceptical. Lady Shiba spoke in a melodious voice, “General, before we go into the event at the club, we do not of course doubt your introduction, however if you may, pray tell how is it that your father is younger then you.”

Inuyasha just went “Keh”, having determined that they really were not a great threat; he was totally disinterested in the proceedings. Shippo quickly coughed to cover the snort, and he proceeded to tell the story of the well and what happened. Sesshoumaru listened for the first time to the story of his half-brother’s ‘death’.

Inuyahsa was not paying attention. He was fidgeting and nervous, Koga touched his arm, but the Hanyou ignored him. His attention kept being drawn to the huge curtain. Inuyasha was confused, he did not have the usual something was off feeling. Instead he felt something was wrong.. really, really wrong. It scraped at the Hanyou’s senses, there was something behind the curtain. But no one except him seemed to notice. Inuyasha could not understand how the Council could sit and listen, almost be entertained by Shippo’s story telling, with the looming danger around them.

Finally at the end of the story, Lord Kusajishi addressed the Hanyou, “So what was the force that healed you Inuyasha son of Inutaisho, tell us of your life here. And of what occurred in the club.”

“I wasn’t healed here, I was healed by the trees in the Boreal Forest in Canada, and I was just visiting the trees in the club.” Inuyahsa said shortly.. he could not stand it anymore. “Look how the heck can you just sit there.. what the hell do you have behind that curtain?”

“It is us asking questions, Hanyou” Lord Kotetsu said warningly. “That was hardly sufficient, explain your story in details.”

“I can’t! This thing is too fucking distracting.” Inuyasha said, he suddenly stalked forward walking to the curtain, guards made to stop him, but Lord Mirei and Lord Akaiishimaru; curious about the Hanyou stopped the interference. They knew that there was nothing of import behind the curtain, so the Hanyou’s behaviour was ‘interesting’. Sesshoumaru’s eyes narrowed.

Inuyasha grabbed the curtain and ripped it off the wall. He almost reeled back in shock. Behind the curtain was the largest Ancient one he had ever seen. Its trunk rose out of the roof of the Council room, huge vines hung down, a small amount of sunlight filtered through its humungous canopy of leaves. Only this Ancient was not just asleep.

“Inuyasha, its just a sacred tree, like Ginshenboku, meetings of this level have always been held beneath this tree. There is nothing strange or threatening here.” Lord Kusajishi said almost gently, feeling that the young one was just nervous facing the council.

They all heard the Hanyou moan, “Nothing threatening? Have all your senses died? This spirit of the tree, it is crying, trapped.” Inuyasha was shaking as he opened all his senses, focusing totally on the Ancient one. He did not even hear the voices of the Youkai in the room. Then he saw it.

Growling, he leapt up claws bared and raked the bark almost 20 feet off the ground. The Youkai Guards believing that the Hanyou had gone mad, rushed to pull him off the tree. Only the symbols and signs around the tree flared, creating a barrier. The Youkai would have to dissipate it before they could get at the Hanyou. They began to break the barrier, when a ripple of surprise spread out. They paused watching the Hanyou.

Inuyasha’s claws had revealed a diamond shaped metal plate with inscriptions in it, drive into the trunk of the ancient one. He grasped the plate and shuddered at the malice that seemed to be encapsulated in the plate. Slowly and steadily he pulled. It was stuck fast. Placing both feet on the tree, he used his body weight and slowly the plate began to inch out. 5 prongs from the plate were nailed deep into the ancient one.

The Youkai watched in confusion as the Hanyou pulled something out of the tree, and then all of a sudden, as it someone had turned on a light, they felt it. No longer encased in the trunk of the Great tree, the miasma that rose from the metal piece the Hanyou pulled from the tree was sickening, grating on the nerves.
The prongs were embedded deep into the heart of the ancient one, Inuyasha was standing upright on the trunk of the tree when he finally got it free. Released from the tree the miasma sought to cling to its nearest victim, but Inuyasha was having none of it. He glanced at his brother, and tossed the metal abnormality towards him.

“SESSHOUMARU, make yourself useful and Melt this fucker, but keep the plate, It may give clues.” He ordered the Shogun. Sesshoumaru, was outwardly impassive, ignored the stupefied glances in his direction as he followed his younger brother’s orders. Inwardly he found his brother’s audacity amusing and endearing, after all a good leader kept his people guessing and knew when to follow. Sesshoumaru even as his poison ate away at the metal, kept his focus on his brother.

Inuyasha gracefully jumped off the tree landing at its base, he placed his hands on the bark, then rested fully against the tree.

The Youkai just watched, mesmerized by the Hanyou’s strange actions.

The energy of the tree had which had been tinged with a black and yellow aura, had turned an emerald green.

Inuyasha allowed his consciousness to sink deep into the tree, a part of him yelled that he was not supposed to heal in front of the Youkai, but the ancient one’s suffering was too fresh, too urgent. If he put off the healing, the Ancient One would die, so Inuyasha allowed his need to heal to drown his inner alarm. Inuyasha called to the consciousness of the tree; trapped and damaged, it had retreated to sleep deep into itself. Energy pulsed between the Hanyou and the tree, Inuyasha pressed closer, his body becoming hot and flushed as he called, enticing the spirit out of unconsciousness.

He felt it respond and awaken, the tree was one of the true ancients, and the energy released in the club was but a tickle, to the flood of energy pulsing from the tree now. Such was the power of this tree, that even before healing, its vines wrapped gently around the Hanyou. It was too weak to fully communicate, but Inuyasha received the emotions of the tree. The Ancient one wanted Inuyasha to let it die, it was afraid of the consequences of the healing on the Hanyou. The connections in Inuyasha’s mind flowed freely, and he knew that by not healing this ancient one regardless of the cost to him, something would be lost. Something precious, that was needed by web of life. It would not kill the balance, but would weaken it, make the future a little more darker for the world
And Inuyasha could not do it, the stubborn Hanyou decided; the Ancient one HAD to be healed.

He surrendered himself, without expectations he offered all of himself to the tree, and tightened the connections between them. If he Ancient one rejected the healing, they would both die.

If the Ancient one could cry, it would have, not for itself but for the sacrifice that the Hanyou made without hesitation.

The Ancient one, took more then a sliver, it had to. The tree needed double the amount of a normal healing to regenerate. Inuyahsa knew even if he didn’t delay it would take at days to recover, this would be much worse then his first healing. The Hanyou screamed in agony as the part of his soul left him, still he clung to the Ancient one, never releasing it, prepared to offer more if it was needed. Nothing mattered to the Hanyou except the healing. Bloody tears leaked from his closed eyes.

The ancient one regenerated, and the colours released were not just a rainbow, the energy sparkled with gold and the brightest sparkling lights shooting through it. The Ancient one pulsed strongly, and awakened. The Hanyou was unaware of the world, the ancient one awoke fully aware.

Sesshoumaru watched his brother hug the tree, he seemed in a trance. Inuyasha, eyes closed with a beautiful smile, rested against the tree. Then Sesshoumaru felt it, the throb of energy. The Shogun watched in growing shock as his brother, softened and seemed to glow, he had an almost ethereal look about him. Inuyasha was calling, enticing, and Sesshoumaru felt his whole being respond. Blood pounded in the Dai-Youkai as the heat from his brother coiled around him, embraced him. Inuyasha then pulsed with his own power, and it was clear the Hanyou was powerful, almost as powerful as a Dai-Youkai and in some ways mayhap more powerful.

Then to Sesshoumaru’s utter disbelief, his brother literally thrumming with power, surrendered, submitted totally to the Sacred tree. For Inuyasha it was a totally non-sexual act, but to Sesshoumaru the surrender released the Hanyou’s heat, feeding the need to dominate and claim the ethereal creature to inferno levels. Inuyasha’s scream was alluring, enticing, feeding the protective and possessive instincts of the Dai-Youkai.

Then the Sacred tree pulsed, the Dai-Youkai felt it in his very bones, deep in his soul; MAGIC pure and new, pulsed from the Sacred tree, filling the air, filling the room. More magic then they had felt it a long time. A part of the puzzle that he had worked on for 300 years, was suddenly crystal clear to the DaiYoukai. The trees, the trees that were forgotten, overlooked and ignored, the trees that had been sacrificed so carelessly in the name of progress; were linked directly to the magic of the land. The drastic drop in trees since the time of the feudal era, was the cause of the drop in the magic of the world. His little brother through the Sacred Trees had the ability to correct this! (Sesshoumaru was not exactly sure what he had done)

His brother had the ability to call out the magic from the trees, the power to do what had been thought impossible, restore magic to the world and in doing so to revive the Youkai.

Lust for a being of such power, that could submit so totally burst full force. He wanted his brother NOW! Lust consumed the Shogun, and his eyes began to bleed red!

While he ignored the other, Sesshumaru was NOT the only Youkai in the hall.

“Beloved one,” The awakened tree whispered to Inuyasha its vines protective around him. “You must prepare yourself, what you have done this day forges new possible futures. If the right thing is done, before the night of the new moon, once you fully recover, find and save my brother Bakusen-oh. He can do what the rest of us cannot, he can answer your questions, but he is trapped like I was and is near death. If the Youkai do the wrong thing, if Dai-Youkai of Japan; prove themselves to be despicable and unworthy, bear it for a few days, beloved. Know that we have already summoned those who can save you, who will fight for you. You are not alone – you will be saved. We cannot stop this event, it is in the hands of the Dai-Youkai here. If they fail here, you will be removed from this Island and the Youkai here will be condemned by their own actions. Forgive us for what is about to happen Beloved, if you can. Know you are loved, you will be saved. Prepare yourself.” The ancient one finished and slowly lowered the Hanyou to his feet.

Inuyasha came out of his trance. He slumped and pulled himself away from the tree. He raised his head to call Shippo for help and froze.

Never heal infront of the Youkai, Inuyasha had been warned.

Scents assaulted him, lust.. it hung heavy in the air. The Youkai in the council area were all standing, energy surged around them. Eyes bleeding red, all the Youkai were as one, looking at him with lustful, greedy, possessive eyes, the violence of their energy was quelling.

Inuyasha searched desperately for Shippo, meeting the Kitsune’s eyes, his heart sank, the Kitsune looked at him hungrily without recognition, eyes red, even the Kitsune was no longer in control. Nothing compared to the pain Inuyasha felt in that second. He was alone. The Youkai were going to use him and tear him apart in a frenzy of lust. The Youkai as one began moving forward tearing at the barrier, he had only seconds to prepare.
Inuyahsa figured had only one chance, the second the barrier failed –n if he could clear a path with the Windscar he could run. Though it would cost him later, there was no choice, he had to delay the onslaught of pain so that he could fight his way out, and he partially succeeded.

Inuyasha drew the Tessaiga, releasing it, his claws clutched at his father’s legacy to him, he could only count on it and his own failing strength. He forced his pain, his fear and the sheering sense of betrayal aside. He should have stayed away from the Youkai!! On trembling legs he stood alone, teeth bared in defiance. He faced the 13 lust crazed Dai-Youkai and their guards, regardless of the odds he would fight, he would find a way to survive. He faced what should have been his own pack, his heart son! Whether he managed to escape or not, the moment they attacked Inuyasha knew this day would mark the day he would truly lose everything.

His mouth growled in defiance, deep in his heart, he mewled in pain.


--- to be continued ----

Or have you had enough of me and I should stop here??? 
Do you feel like killing me just about now? Hehehehee... yes I know I am EVIL!!!
So much for Sessy being patient, no sake after council and did you really think I was gonna make it that simple? There were a LOT of hints about this... so don’t blame me if you didn’t see it coming. Or do – cause yes I reiterate .. I’m EVIL!!!! Cause I love this chapter.
Review please!! And thanks for reading.