REASON FOR WAR by ACER WOLFE SMI she.her

Chapter 10

A/N: Inuyasha and the creation of Rumiko Takahashi isn’t mine.

1. This is a slightly different version of the story. Some of the characters will have different personalities.

2. Please enjoy this chapter and if you have the time please do leave me reviews they will be much appreciated!  ~ SMI  J

CHAPTER 10

"Sesshoumaru-dono?"

Sesshoumaru opened his eyes to Shippo's voice. He was lying down. Why? Then he remembered the…with a gasp he hurriedly sat up. "Kagome!" Sesshoumaru looked around and saw the inside of his tent. He turned around, his brows knotting in confusion and became a little disoriented when he looked down and saw he was wearing a simple sleeping haori and hakama.  "What happened?" He snarled as he grabbed at Shippo's armor.

"Hah! About time you wake up, dog!" The tanned and brawny arm of the Southern lord brushed the tent flap aside. Sesshoumaru stood up with eyes narrowed and reddened at the appearance of his nemesis inside his tent, of all places.

"What are you doing here, wolf?" the Inu lord snarled and flexed his claws ready to dismember the annoying wolf.

"Never mind that, dog." the brash Ookami lord rested his hands on his waist. "I'm not here to fight with you."

"Where is Kagome?"

 "I should be asking the same thing from you, dog." Kouga repeatedly stabbed an accusing finger at the dog demon. "You were with Kagome in that cave. You tell me what happened."

"How long have I been asleep?" he turned to Shippo hoping it would put off the wolf from butting in.

"Two days, dog. She's long gone." The Ookami lord looked as if he hadn’t slept at all. His hair was disheveled and stringy.

"What do you mean 'she's gone'?" Sesshoumaru demanded. "Kagome's dead?"

"Nope. She disappeared. Just gone." Kouga waved his hand in the air.

Sesshoumaru wanted to curl his fingers around Kouga's neck just to squeeze some answers from him and perhaps along with his life. "Explain."

"There's this light exploding everywhere and then when it stopped, she vanished, and you were left inside the cave." The wolf crossed his arms and looked away from Sesshoumaru.

"Where did Kagome go?"

"We have no idea." The wolf walked at the entrance and leaned against the post dejectedly.

"The wolves have been here all this time?" Sesshoumaru turned to the kitsune general.

"Heh, don't worry, dog. We didn’t slaughter your army while you were asleep." the Ookami bragged. "But now that you're awake…" Kouga chuckled at his gallows humor when the Inu lord narrowed his eyes at him in warning.

Sesshoumaru chose to ignore the jab for the moment.  "Report!" the Inu lord commanded the kitsune. Sesshoumaru waved away the food he was offered by a servant. Instead, he went into the closed in dressing area and opened the big ornate trunk that held his clothes, choosing his usual garb from the pile.  By the time Shippo finished his litany of what had transpired during his slumber, aided by snippets of comments from the Southern lord, Sesshoumaru had both felt thankful and irate at the loss of control over the events as he tied his obi with a jerk.

The wolves had chosen to remain to find the missing miko. Strangely their battle with the base demons had changed everything between the two groups. Both parties didn’t like the intrusion and decided to remove the interloper among them. Due to their unity they have defeated a common foe. They were brought together by a common enemy. Their association turned from enemies into a combined "alliance".  What a strange word, Sesshoumaru noted, and all of this due to the disappearance of the miko. His thoughts went back to Kagome. Did he really choose to remain with the woman in that cave where the blast of building holy power could annihilate him? What was he thinking? Why did he want to be with her? He didn’t exactly need another female in his life; his concubines could assuage his needs and apart from that he didn’t need much by way of female companionships.  

What did you feel when she was near you these past few weeks? His inner beast asked him.

I wanted to take her.

Hm, such a simple answer, Sesshoumaru. You just wanted to take her? Are there any other reasons?

Sesshoumaru could feel his beast prowling inside his head like a teacher demanding answers from its pupil.

What else is there? She's beautiful and powerful and that's enough for me.

Ah, but isn’t there much more that you wanted from her then? Was I wrong to assume that?

I do not know what you are talking about.

Yes, you do.  The beast pushed its head in front of his face. He could almost feel its breath on his skin.

Explain.

Your heart. Its claws pointed to the general area where his heart would be.

What of it?

What does it feel when Kagome was with you?

I do not repeat myself.

You cannot deny to me what you truly feel for the miko, Sesshoumaru.

Why don’t you tell me instead since you know me well, he snarled at his alter ego.

I'll leave you to figure it out for yourself since even the Kami couldn't knock some sense into you. And the apparition that was his beast faded into the background with an irritated snort.

Stupid beast. Yes. What does he want from her? 

No, I wanted to be with her. I said she would not be alone but I failed. She is now on her own, wherever she is.

But why does he want her?

0 ~ 0 ~ 0

"Dog, come here." Kouga called as Sesshoumaru landed. Before them the ravine overlooked at a silver sliver of river meandering to the west. 

Sesshoumaru frowned at the affront. "Wolf, learn to address this Sesshoumaru in the proper manner or I will teach you how."

"Whatever." The Ookami lord smirked and waved his hand. The arrogant threat lost to him. "We got word that there was a holy energy felt around here somewhere." The Ookami lord swept his hand at the connected mountain spine to their left.

Sesshoumaru followed the finger directing him to a nearby mountain range; its dark col almost black with thick forest growth, mist rising in the early morning sunrise.

"When was it first felt?"

"A few days ago at most." Kouga and Sesshoumaru raced towards the tallest ice capped mountain.

"Was?" coming back to the previous statement of the Ookami.

"It had dissipated somewhat. You feel it too, don’t you?"

"Hn. Spread out." At once the youkai went with their respective leaders and explored every nook and cranny.  Sesshoumaru shot to the sky to better see the placement of the troops.

"Show off." Kouga snorted.

Kouga looked up at the taiyoukai who was his enemy.  Heh, the Ookami lord thought, we're still enemies. This is just a cease-fire of sort. I bet when all this is over we'd be back slashing and gouging at each other's throats again.  Kagome…where are you?

The Ookami lord felt that the miko was like water running away from his grasp. Why didn’t I just make her mine all those months she was with me, living in my castle, under my protection…he could have done it but he didn’t. The wolf didn’t know whether he would call himself a gentleman or a fool. He snorted, more like a fool. She's a weak female and that didn’t usually bother him if he wanted to get a woman or a female for that matter. He could have subdued her, marked her as his and that would be it. His for the taking…but he didn't.

I wanted her. She would be perfect for me. Such an intelligent and beautiful woman. His pack had accepted her almost immediately. Even he was surprised at the ease she insinuated into their lives. Kouga shook his head in disbelief. Look at Ginta and Hakkaku, both of them adored Kagome; the idiots wouldn’t deny her anything. The two were crying like babies when they found them in the middle of the Western camp and asking about the miko.

She protected them from the Western lord's wrath. In return for their freedom Sesshoumaru wanted Kagome to be his woman but she rejected him.  Could she have done that because of him? The Ookami lord hoped that she had.

0 ~ 0 ~ 0

"Hey, Higurashi. How about joining me for lunch?" Pierce stopped to let an officer and a struggling perp pass by the latter's voice loud and shouting obscenities to the female officer.

"Sure. Who's coming with us?" She shoved the drawer shut and turned the small key.

"Well, I was hoping it's just us. I've been wanting to treat you to that Japanese restaurant three blocks down. I hear they got great tasting udon. I knew you love udon so…"

Kagome had a memory of eating udon inside a …tent?  A red tent…?  She frowned.  But where? 

In her mind's eye Kagome turned around and saw…there's a white haired man…ah, not white haired…silver-haired…long silver hair…his eyes are gold… I know…

"Kagome? Hello, Kagome?"

"Uh..huh?" Kagome blinked twice, the noise inside the police station suddenly loud in her ears. "What? Sorry, did you say something?"

Pierce laughed softly. "I said…ah, never mind. So, you wanna grab some udon with me or not?" His blue eyes crinkling in amusement.

Kagome smiled brightly as she hooked the keys to her side. "How could I say no to udon?" As she stepped around her desk she felt goose bumps on her arms and she rubbed her skin to warm it.

"Are you cold?"

"I don’t know." Kagome frowned and then she shrugged sheepishly. "Don’t worry about me. Here, let me grab my coat." Kagome smiled as Pierce took the garment from her and helped her into it. "Thanks. Let's go?"

Pierce smiled and let her go ahead of him.

0 ~ 0 ~ 0

A shiver shook the being. Its hands grasped  bare skin, its body tightening into fetal position. The black waist lenght hair tinted violet as it floats around the female's head.  Her porcelain smooth forehead frowning in the coldness of the air. She whimpered.

0 ~ 0 ~ 0

The place had always reeked of mold and mildew aided by the constant trickle of brackish water drenching the walls and ceiling. Luminescent algae gave the whole place an eerie glow but without its faint greenish light navigating through the slippery and rocky path would have been treacherous. High up, in the jagged ceiling between the dark cover of the stalactites, faint screeching sounds could be heard from its flying denizens. One by one the creatures suddenly became stirred up as they picked up an aura in the air. The noise increased drastically as the creatures flap their wings faster in agitation.

The aura stopped at the maw of the cave looking around as if checking if he was followed, his aura flaring in circular patterns seeking other auras in the surrounding area. Satisfied he was alone except for some forest animals, he entered the liana-covered entrance of the cave; the lush drooping vegetation hid the entrance effectively from prying eyes.

Down below, footsteps echoed in the walls and a shadow blocked the dim light flickering inside this cavern. The voice of its occupant could be heard as if talking to itself, and most probably is, the visitor thought. Weird idiot.

The visitor negotiated the slippery stone steps with ease, each foot sure of its destination. But the owner of the footsteps had often been annoyed to go down to this place due to the strong moldy scent and other unusual odors coming from inside the cavern.  He lifted his nose as he neared the bottom steps, his slim-lipped smile flashing in the dimness. A tongue flicked at sharp tipped fangs as if savoring the new scent in the air. The smile got wider as he entered the inner chambers glowing with violet radiance.

"Ah! I was wondering when you'd grace us with your presence." a youkai with black hair bisecting his shoulder length orange hair stood just in the middle of the spacious semi-circular room.

"I wouldn’t miss this for the world." the newcomer rubbed his hands in anticipation.

"Yes, I know. Well, there it is." A gloved hand motioned at one corner of the chamber where the glow was coming from. "Delivered as promised." The poison maker, Sune-ku, a snake youkai, noticed the dilation of the pupils from the violet man's eyes, his blonde hair flowing as he trotted to the corner of the cave.

"There 'she' is, you mean." The blonde man corrected, throwing the snake a sharp look.

"Hmm, yes. Anthropomorphize that as much as you want. You've always been the whimsical one." The poison maker sarcastically retorted as he turned his back and bustled inside his laboratory lifting vials here and there from the crowded shelves and peering into their glassy depths. The other one, robes rustling as he strolled over the enclosure peered into the shimmering barrier.

"That'll fry you."  Sune-ku warned the blonde man without looking. The robed one stopped his hand just in time, the poison maker gave another snort.

"Is this necessary?" The robed one pointed at the barrier.

"Well, you have two options; this," the snake pointed at the barrier. "will keep 'her' dormant and out of my hair. OR I pump it full of drugs until you get a worthless piece of meat to work with. You choose."

A growl and a clenching of hand expressed the other one's dissatisfaction. He looked at the resident inside the container; she looked so still and so pale. His eyes hungrily caressed the form of the quiescent but naked creature hovering within.  His forehead creased when he noticed a scar marring the smooth skin on her right shoulder, just above the swell of her breast. The scar was fresh, perhaps a few weeks ago. Where did the scar come from? Did she get this from the hanyou's mauling?

His face lingered at the face. How silky it must have been to touch, he thought. Perhaps her whole body is as smooth as the skin on her face. His hands itched to run his hands up to her lean and silky thighs and the cup the proud breasts modestly covered by her hands. He wanted to remove the cover and bare the proud twins to his gaze. There will be time….he has lots of time.

"Did you remove…?" he gestured at his own arm. 

"Of course, as per instructions!" Sune-ku snorted as he busily arranged some things on the table, the items clinking as he put them down.

"All right." the man finally decided.

"Thank you!"  but the show of gratitude was heavily tinted with sarcasm. "You can bring her with you after I'm done with this." The gloved one pointed at the various bowls and vials spread on the rough-hewn table. "Now, if you're done 'ogling' the specimen, do you want to know what I've come up so far?"

The blonde man gave the content of the barrier one last gaze then turned away to listen to his accomplice's report.

When he moved away he failed to see a spark of life twitch at the eyes of the creature floating inside the circular pen.

0 ~ 0 ~ 0

The restaurant smelled new but for Kagome it was fantastic. The owner didn’t spare a cent in bringing a little bit of authentic Japan in central New York. When Kagome bowed to the hostess after they have removed their shoes in the reception alcove, she got a pang of nostalgia and homesickness. It was like back in Tokyo. She couldn’t help but gulp down a lump in her throat.

"Hey Kags, you okay?" Pierce looked down at the sudden silence of his lunch date.

She nodded and turned away so he wouldn't see her misty eyes. "Yeah, no problem. I was just admiring this scroll." Kagome went nearer the scroll so she could secretly wipe her eyes away.

"Ah yeah, they said that's a genuine antique scroll from the Edo era." Kagome felt Pierce's warmth beside her but her eyes were nailed to the scroll.

Edo…Sengoku Jidai…there was a big tree…and the Bone Eater's well….youkai are alive there….Inu…youkai…

Kagome's eyes widened as she took in the details in the scroll…a gigantic dog was flying over a village. Its head was turned toward her. It has Prussian blue crescent moon tattoo…not tattoo, that is his heritage marking on his forehead.

I know this…I know him…tall and so handsome in his bone armor and red and white haori and hakama…amber yellow eyes with magenta markings on his cheeks…two magenta markings…his hands were so gentle when he was healing me…

0 ~ 0 ~ 0

The twitch became a shiver. The shiver that passed along her body made her aware how cold it was, the violet light around her painful to her skin. Her aura began to strike out at the demonic bonds surrounding her, fighting with it, pushing it away. The barrier shook.

The robed one suddenly stopped talking and frowning, turned towards the enclosure.

"What was that?"

"What was 'what'?  the snake scratched his head and looked at the violet eyes of his guest.

The violet eyed man turned and walked to the barrier-enclosed pen and looked closer. "I thought…" his head jerked back when the barrier wavered like waves on water. The blonde man ran his eyes up to the top.

0 ~ 0 ~ 0

An older memory flashed….

I was at mom's house…I said my goodbye's and mom gave me a plastic bag full of food, as if I wasn't already burdened with my own training bag, well, but that's mom.

The guys were waiting for me in the van down at the Shrine steps…then…as I was walking I heard a noise at the well house…then…then…yes, I opened the well door…Hm, there's nothing there…huh? What was that? "Hello? Is someone here?" Strange, what was that noise? Maybe my imagination. Huh? There it goes again.

Oh, maybe one of Buyo's kittens got lost inside. Oh, poor baby…

Kitty, Kitty, Kitty…where are you? I stepped down to the middle of the shed and looked around and under the stairs for the missing kitten. I turned and saw the well cover was moved away. Grandfather told Souta to keep the well covered since Buyo got kittens. Who could have removed it? The groundskeeper?

Whatever, I sighed. Okay, let's just cover it up or Gramps will have fit.

Hm, that's strange, there were supposed to have been sutras pasted all over it. Where did it go? I went near the well and…

A shadow fell behind me…I turned and…then there's pain and a blue light and then blackness.

0 ~ 0 ~ 0

The woman opened her eyes in a snap, making the blonde man step back in surprise. When their eyes locked the flash of recognition in her eyes scared the man. Fury hardened the blue orbs.  His mouth opened in shock.

"She's breaking out!" the violet eyed man backed away as the force of the barrier began to concave and give in to the greater force pressing against it, the barrier creaked with a glass-like sound.

"Impossible!" the snake grabbed something on the table before he joined the blonde in front of the pen.  Quickly, her power surged around her and pushed against the barrier seeking freedom. The two men saw the barrier bulge out. Its spell becoming brittle at the onslaught.

The snake fumbled to scoop something from a bowl he held in his hand. He raised his cupped hand and blew a yellow powder-like substance at the corral. The dust burrowed its way inside the cracks and went to the woman. She coughed as the acrid smell of the powder. Some of it got inside her nose and mouth; it stung where it touched. She coughed harshly and struggled to take in air, she clutched at her throat and shook her head at the burning inside her throat and lungs.

"Don't worry," she heard the orange haired youkai tell the blond one with a nod, "when it takes effect she won't give us any problems."

"But she's choking!" the blonde haired youkai pointed.

"It will pass. Don’t worry!"

When it began to break apart, the slivers of holy power straining to be liberated got through a crack and caught the two youkai, searing their chest black. The force slammed them to the cavern wall, their chests smoking where they fell with a loud thud.

The blast she released was enough to break the damned barrier so she pushed her power some more. She fell hard on her side when the barrier finally broke the spell vanishing in the air. The woman gasped for breath, the raggedness of the sound filling the cavern, her hair fell in front of her face untidily. She struggled to push herself off the ground to get away from the two unconscious youkai on the floor not far away from her.

Masahiro. He's the one behind all of this. He's more of a snake than that snake youkai, the woman thought. The thought sent rage boiling over her again but she contained it. Instead, she hurried to grab something of dark clothing on a chair and wrapped it around her shaking body. For a moment she wanted to purify them both for what they did to her and what she heard but her desire to escape won instead. Her strength could not do the job well for now. 

She wavered as she run up the rock-hewn stairs, using the wall to hold her up. As she reached halfway she was thankful that her legs didn’t shake too much, but she almost lost her footing three times from the slippery rocks.

She would stop from time to time to listen if the two were running after her but when she didn’t hear anything she continued her climb until she reached the opening with the weeds covering the entrance.

It would have been beautiful if it weren’t hiding something malicious inside. The woman looked around a bit and then took a path that would lead her to the valley and hopefully to a village where she could ask for help. She hurried away and the soft spongy grass hid her tracks as if nature too was helping her make her escape.

>[ ] < 0 > [ ]<