Chronicles of the West

Sesshoumaru listened to the happy chatter of children as they played with Tohru's pets. He held his smile. Amari was still so young, it was blaringly evident as he listened to him speak with a child's enthusiasm.

He turned from the hidden area of the garden and wandered back inside. Amari was no threat. He was an abused youth and Sesshoumaru decided then and there that should he survive what was to come, he would remain in the west.
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Inuyasha returned to the western palace a day and a half later. He dismissed his weary men to their rest and trudged to Sesshoumaru's office. The Taiyoukai knew from his brother's face that something terrible had happened.

"What is it, Inuyasha that has…troubled you so?" he asked. Inuyasha grunted, "The castle is gone" he stated, "Nothing remains, not even one stone atop another. I razed everything". He didn't want to divulge what he'd seen, what he'd done. Didn't want to relive those moments.

Sesshoumaru arched a brow at his reticence. He merely sat, staring at him, waiting. Like a silent death sentence. Inuyasha glared at him, "Fine asshole, you wanna know?" he spat. Sesshoumaru growled softly both out of irritation and now growing concern.

Inuyasha's ears drooped and his golden eyes found the floor at his feet fascinating. "We found something" he said quietly, all previous fire gone now. His tone tinged with shame…and sorrow. Sesshoumaru suddenly found himself quite uncertain as to whether or not he wanted to hear.

"A room" Inuyasha went on, "Full of creatures". Sesshoumaru blinked. That should not have surprised Inuyasha in the least. Why then was he so rattled by this? Inuyasha's eyes locked with his, "They were…like us…. Our hair, our eyes……even….our faces".

Sesshoumaru sat impassively, inside however he was seething and sickened. "Where are they?" he asked at length. Inuyasha's jaw tensed, "They were imperfect……weakened and sickly" he said then, "I….dispatched them". He purposely used his brother's choice of words. With such detached vocabulary the weight of what he'd done seemed momentarily lightened. Momentarily.

Sesshoumaru tapped a claw on his desktop, the only sign of his inner turmoil. "In the razing?" he asked, knowing full well that if he could avoid it Inuyasha would never allow anyone to burn alive. Inuyasha's hand instinctively touched the hilt of Tetsusaiga. "Windscar" he whispered.

Fast, clean, painful, but then, just living must have been for them. Pain would have been brief, death too swift. Sesshoumaru nodded. "You did a kindness then" he said. Inuyasha grunted, "Yeah, killing kids…it's a kindness" he said. Sesshoumaru watched Inuyasha for a minute more, "This is no fault of yours, and therefore you shall not shoulder the burden of their deaths" he announced, "The makers shall".

Inuyasha Keh'd. "You can be so arrogant" he said, "You think that your word alone makes it right?". His anger rising, Inuyasha slammed his fist on his brother's desk, upsetting ink dishes and documents. Sesshoumaru lifted a silver brow at the outburst but remained silent. Inuyasha went on, "The makers made them…. I am the one who unmade them Sesshoumaru. A fucking room full of kids. Some even had the faces of the pups I gave life to, you gave life to. One was your image!" he thundered.

Sesshoumaru let his brother rage unimpeded. He tried to imagine how it would feel to look down the length of his Tokijin and see Tohru's face, or Ryu's or anyone of his family. His gut tightened uncomfortably. No matter, he would have seen it done, just as Inuyasha had. He knew all too well that one suffered from such things after the fact….usually long years after the fact. Inuyasha's heart would ache for a very long time indeed.

Rising, he turned to the window, Inuyasha had fallen silent by then. "Kagome has been very worried for you" he said quietly, his tone almost gentle, "I think perhaps you need time with your mate. It will…calm the conflict of your soul". Inuyasha sighed, "Yeah. I guess".

He paused at the door of the study, "We will need the war council called" he said, not wanting to plan anything at the moment. Sesshoumaru seemed to understand his reluctance, "There will be no war council tonight" he assured him.

"Tomorrow night is soon enough and Inuyasha, no one will know that the Taisho bloodline was so grossly compromised. Amari is enough and that other abomination". Inuyasha nodded and pulled the door closed behind him.

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Inuyasha was sunk up to his chin in steaming water, the soreness of tense muscles only now starting to diminish. His silver hair floated around him in curling tendrils just at the surface. He felt, distant and somehow broken inside. He'd not felt that way since the day so very long ago. Glancing down at his claws he shuddered. Bloodied bandits, a gasping Ayeka.

Kagome found him that way, staring at his claws and pruning in the bath. The intense expression on his handsome features making her pause. "Inuyasha?" she called and his head slowly lifted, as though he'd not known she was there.

She stood at the edge of the bath and looked at him, her expression concerned. "What is it Inuyasha? Are you alright?" she called to him. He remained silent, his eyes never leaving hers and he lifted his dripping hand to her.

Kagome quickly divested herself of the costly silks and stepped into the water. She'd not seen Inuyasha in this state for a very long time. Wading into the waist deep water she approached him. The inu waited until she was close enough and threw his arms around her middle, dragging her closer to him, burying his face against the softness of her bare stomach.

Her hands settled in his silver hair, gently stroking the furred ears that drooped atop his head. Tremors ran through his powerful body and she held him closer, making those whisper soft sounds that one used on fretful pups. She badly wished to know what had brought him to this, however she knew she couldn't ask…not yet.

Inuyasha was content to seek solace in the tender embrace of his mate. His loving, trusting mate, who would no doubt want to question why he was upset. How was he to tell her? What was he to tell her? He knew she would not blame him, and perhaps that was the reason he remained silent. Perhaps he deserved to be blamed and haunted by it and he knew that no one else would force him to shoulder that weight but himself.

Long minutes passed and Kagome's fingers stroked rythmically in the silver strands. Inuyasha's tenseness had subsided though he still held onto her like a lifeline. Slowly, she pushed his bangs back from his brow and lifted his face. Golden eyes locked with stormcloud gray. "Inuyasha?" she whispered, "Tell me".

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Ryu woke to the sweet scent of Silvana in his nostrils, tinged with his own woodsy maleness. She shifted in his arms, and he growled softly, clutching her close, burying his nose in the snowy smoothness of her long hair.

They'd gotten precious little rest. Now that nothing stood between them, Ryu had taken her again and again. Not that she'd complained, on the contrary more than half of that number had been initiated by her.

She rolled over, snuggling beneath his chin. "What are you thinking about Ryu?" she asked, her voice a husky velvet whisper in the growing light. Ryu gave her a small squeeze, and kissed her hair, "I was thinking that the world is perfect".

Silvana blinked, "Perfect?" she asked, "Hardly, we have a powerful enemy before us and the west is now compromised". He grunted, "True" he agreed and rolled her beneath him, looming over her like some forgotten god returned to power, "But for now, right here….the world is perfect".

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Toga latched his armor quietly, his eyes on the window and the brighteneing world beyond. With practiced grace he slipped his sword into his obi. Behind him Aislin was quietly dressing for the day. He'd held her through the long hours of the night, feeling content to have her close to him once again.

Her scent was warm and sweet and soothed him even as it inflamed him. They had spoken quietly of what might be coming. Toga had answered her honestly that his father and uncle were concerned and therefore the situation was precarious. Nothing ruffled the fur of those two, or himself, but these things…. they did.

"I will be speaking to my father this morning" he said suddenly. Aislin's slender fingers paused at the silken ties and she looked over her shoulder at him, waiting for him to continue. "I will tell him I refuse to wait any longer, that you will be the lady of the north".

Violet eyes went wide then lowered. Toga perceived this action and frowned. "What is this look?" he demanded of her. She shook her head, rushing to finish with her ties, "Nothing Toga" she replied, her voice soft.

Golden eyes narrowed, "I do not believe you" he said bluntly and she turned to look at him fully. "Fine" she said angriliy, "I was merely wondering if this is the best time for such things. You are going to fight a war after all and surely there are more important things to consider".

Toga growled, "Is that all Aislin?" he asked then and her eyes narrowed on him. Hands on hips she strode to where he stood, toes touching toes, head tilted all the way back to hold his gaze. Purple fire flashed at him and he found he quite liked this side of her. Even if his beast did snarl in indignation.

Aislin was unaware of his inner displeasure but she wouldn't have cared anyway. "What is that supposed to mean?" she demanded in turn. Toga growled softly, advancing on her across the polished floors. "One would think that you would be overjoyed at the thought of becoming mine" he pointed out, "One would suppose it was your heart's desire".

She sniffed, while these things were true, she disliked his questioning of her reasons. Just as much she supposed, as he disliked the same thing. Toga looked downright mean when he towered over her, she'd retreated a handful of steps and now would go no further.

"Why now Aislin?" he asked, "Why this sudden hesitance to be my mate?". She blinked, thinking she'd stated the obvious reasons clearly before. "The conflict?" she pointed out, "The thought that you should be focusing on what must be done now". She would much prefer to be a bride in times of peace and not have to worry about winged enemies swooping down on her guests. She would have thought that he would undstand that as well.

Toga, meanwhile had sifted through the many possibilities for her reaction. While her concern was sincere, it was also unfounded for he would see to it that she was safe at all costs. The very thought that she didn't believe that was a grating insult to his male pride and inner beast.

Golden eyes narrowed further on her lush form as a new possibility entered his thoughts. "It is the horse isn't it?" he snapped. Aislin looked quite shocked by his assumption. Toga, misread her surprise and curled his large hand into a fist. "You wish to mate the horse?" he demanded.

Aislin did the unthinkable then. She laughed. Laughed long and hard at his misconceptions and mistake. Toga didn't appreciate her mirth in the least. "You find this amusing woman?". She shook with her amusement, "Oh yes" she panted.

Toga closed the space between them and glowered down at her. "I shall kill him" he said flatly, "And any other suitor that had captured you eye". She blinked up at him, he was serious. "Toga" she said. His grunt cut her off, "No, you are mine Aislin, and I mean to make it permanent".

Aislin lifted one fine red brow, "And as your mate I would have some say?" she asked. He nodded at once, "Of course". She growled at him and shoved him back, surprising the large dog. "Then why can't I have one now?" she snapped at him.

"I do not wish to wed another" she said in icy tones, "I made my choice, just like you did Toga". He blinked, if that were true then why was she so damned upset? "How dare you assume that I am delaying out of care for Daisuke". His growl grew louder as she said the name of his rival.

"Don't you growl at me" she commanded, "I want you to focus on the protection of this place and these people. Then I will be lady of the north". He glared at her and her tone softened, "I do not wish to be a distraction, or slow you down".

Toga's ire evaporated as he beheld her, "You might have said so" he told her, feeling rather foolish for having such a misplaced squabble. She lifted her chin, "You might have let me" she pointed out. Toga's mask slid into place. "So be it Aislin, I shall still hold council with my father".

She nodded and watched as he turned and strode from the room. He was so pigheaded sometimes.