Sesshoumaru’s Imouto-chan

Part 12

*In a hospital waiting room, a purple-haired girl paces restlessly as an 
older woman sits in a beaten but well-cushioned chair, staring 
at her hands.  A long-haired boy sits almost smugly in another 
such chair, but stays silent, not wishing to stir the wrath of the 
women.  Shampoo sternly ignores him*  The clock on the wall 
ticks slowly onward, hands marching like snails on parade past 
the smallest of the numerals.  1:12, and still no word of 
Ranma’s state.  A door clangs open at the end of the hall, and a 
man in a light green coat emerges, pulling off his latex gloves.*

Doctor: *to Mrs. Higurashi and Shampoo* His condition is serious, but 
we’ve stopped the bleeding and set all the broken bones.  His 
chances are very good right now, assuming no complications.  
*Kagome’s mother breathes a sigh of extreme relief as 
Shampoo starts happily babbling in Mandarin, collapsing to her 
knees in a moment of half-thankful prayer, half-exhaustion. The 
doctor holds up a warning finger* However, it will be a while 
before he is able to go home.  Well over half his ribs were 
broken, including one which nicked a lung, and he lost a great 
deal of blood.  I doubt he will fully regain consciousness for 
nearly three days.

Mrs. Higurashi: *nods* Thank you, doctor.  It is enough that he’s still 
alive.

Doctor: Hmm. I know you said he was mugged, but some of his 
wounds were very strange.  Are you sure-

Shampoo:  Yes, I sure.  They come up from behind and attack Airen.

Doctor: *shakes his head* The gangs are becoming bolder nowadays.  
Be careful.  *The two women nod.*


*Half an hour later, back at Kagome’s house*

Mrs. Higurashi: *finishes explaining Ranma’s condition to Inu-Yasha* 
Inu-Yasha, would you like to visit Ranma tomorrow with us?  
*Inu-Yasha nods*

Inu-Yasha:  Thank you.  *Mrs. Higurashi takes him to the guest 
bedroom, leaving Shampoo and the strange boy from the 
hospital in the living room. Shampoo turns to Mousse*

Shampoo: *too tired to be angry, but still a little annoyed* Mousse, 
why you follow Shampoo?  You supposed to go with 
Great-grandmother.

Mousse: I came because you did.  You are my heart, and I have to 
follow.

Shampoo: *sighs* Shut up, Mousse.  I go to bed now.  *Goes upstairs 
to Kagome’s room, which Mrs. Higurashi has given her for the 
night.  Mousse follows Inu-Yasha.  The other is already in bed, 
the lights turned off; Mousse collapses onto the futon on the 
floor.  A few moments later, he hears the other boy roll over*

Inu-Yasha: So who are you, anyway?

Mousse:  ... The man who seeks to conquer beautiful Shampoo’s heart.

Inu-Yasha: ... Feh.

Mousse: *affronted* Do you challenge my pure love?

Inu-Yasha: *rolling back over* Doesn’t seem like she really wants to 
be conquered, if you ask me.  

Mousse: She- *about to retort, but bites back his own words, lapsing 
into silence*  (Of course she does.  Don’t all women want to be 
wooed?  ... Don’t they?  I guess I never did ask her...)  *He 
sighs, and pulls off his glasses, setting them on a nearby shelf.* 
(You know, I actually wore those all day today.  Strange.  It was 
nice, being able to see...  Short-sightedness sucks.)


*The next morning*

Kagome: Finally, home!  *pulls herself out of well*  I’m glad Kirara 
let us all ride her.  

Akane: Yeah.  *climbs up behind her cousin* Now come on, let’s go 
check on Ranma.

Kagome: Right.  *yawns suddenly* And then, bed.  *The two girls head into 
the house.  Kagome’s mother is downstairs making breakfast when 
they come in, and updates them on Ranma’s condition.  Shampoo and 
Inu-Yasha are already up, sitting silently at the table, but Mousse is 
still in bed.  Akane and Kagome head to Kagome’s room, collapsing as 
soon as they are comfortable.  A few hours later, Mrs. Higurashi wakes 
them.*

Mrs. Higurashi: It’s almost visiting hours.  We’ll leave in twenty minutes; 
I’ve made rice balls for you eat.

Akane: *immediately awake* Arigato.  

Kagome: *NOT awake*  A’gatho.  *mumble, mumble*

*An hour later, the whole group is by Ranma’s bedside.  He sleeps blissfully 
on, held in an unnatural slumber by both pain and painkillers.  Silence 
grips the rather overcrowded room as only nothingness can, holding 
each player in a total but tenuous bondage.  Akane and Shampoo, for once 
not fighting, sit by Ranma’s right side; Inu-Yasha by his left.  The other 
three stand by the end of the bed.  Only Mousse has any humor left in 
him, but the sobering sight of his rival’s plight strips him of any will to 
gloat.  What if he had been the one to encounter whatever Ranma 
had?  Obviously, this was not the work of a real gang, as Xiam Pu 
claimed.  Probably a oni, or an angry spirit.*

*A nurse waltzes in, breaking the spell.  She wheels around the room, 
checking a multitude of instruments, turning the heart monitor up to a 
more normal level, adjusting Ranma’s drip, then spirals back out, 
giving the friends and family no more than a cursory glance.  Mrs. 
Higurashi glances at the clock, then does a double-take.*

Mrs. Higurashi: It’s nearly lunchtime. I know you’re all worried about 
Ranma, but we mustn’t forget to keep up our own strength.  *She 
starts leading the others out, despite their protests of not being 
hungry.  Inu-Yasha, however, refuses to move.*

Inu-Yasha:  Bring me back something, if you must.  I’ll stay here.

Mrs. Higurashi: Inu-Yasha, you-

Inu-Yasha: *gives her a Look.  She recognizes it, and shoos the others out, 
then turns back*

Mrs. Higurashi: What happened wasn’t your fault, Inu-Yasha.  No one can 
control the actions of others.

Inu-Yasha: … *stares at the bed*

Mrs. Higurashi: It was his decision to make.  He made the mistake, not you - 
we can’t always protect those we care about.  Not friends, not 
family, not even our own children.  *She follows the others out.*

Inu-Yasha: … (What does she know?  I ought to have known what they were 
going to do.  First I fail Kikyo, then my mother, then Ranma… How long 
until it’s Kagome who gets hurt? Maybe Sesshoumaru was right.  
Maybe even Otousan’s death was my fault.  Am I cursed?  Am ~I~ a 
curse?)  *He stares down at the sleeping form in the bed.  Ranma’s 
midnight hair lies free around his strong but strangely frail face, 
stubborn expression set even in the supplication of sleep.  The beeping 
of the monotonous TV matches exactly the lethargic beating of the 
other boy’s heart, perhaps even by design.  A bleached, dead scent 
permeates the air, hovering thinly over a layer of illness, pain, and 
death.*  (This place reeks of sorrow. I… belong here.  Not you, 
Ranma. Not you, not Kagome, not Akane or Shampoo or Kikyou or 
Sango or Shippou or Miroku… Well, maybe Miroku.  But not because of 
me.)  *His knees draw up to his chin, two sneakers resting on the 
edge of the chair.  The tight bandana sends shocks of pain through his 
ears.  White bangs hang over the dark glasses hiding his eyes.  He 
huddles within Kagome’s gift, the black leather not quite warming the 
icy place within.*  (Maybe I should just go home.  Go home, and seal 
the well forever.  Let Sesshoumaru win; keep everyone here and safe.  
Forever.  I should.)  *looks at his friend, helpless but still strong* But I 
can’t.  I can’t go back, not to being alone.  And Kagome would get 
herself killed trying to stop me. I won’t let that happen again.  Ever.  
You hear me, Ranma?  I’ll die before I’ll let anyone touch her.  I 
swear.  *The hanyou lapses into watchful silence*


*Two days later, near the end of visiting hours*

*Inu-Yasha sits by Ranma’s head again, with Akane on the other side. 
Kagome stands by his feet, but her mother, Shampoo, and Mousse 
have left the room to fetch lunch.  Kagome looks about the room at 
the others, and sees something which scares her the corners of her 
soul: hopelessness.  Both Akane and Inu-Yasha stare at their friend as 
if his defeat has destroyed everything they ever believed in.*

Kagome:  *smiles encouragingly* I think he’s doing much better today, isn’t he?

Akane: *looks up*  So the doctor says.

Kagome:  He is!  It’s not like a single defeat will destroy everything he is, 
after all, and he’s a strong person.

Akane: ... He was stupid.  He’s always doing stupid stuff like this.  

Kagome:  So he made a mistake.  *shrugs* It will make him stronger.

Inu-Yasha: Feh. Getting half-killed does ~not~ make a person stronger.

Kagome: *glares at Inu-Yasha* But learning from your mistakes ~does~.

Inu-Yasha: *looks away* 

Kagome: *sighs* Just wait.  He’ll want to come back with us when he’s 
better, I bet.

Inu-Yasha: Baka. Why would he do that? 

Ranma: *his voice rising tremulously from the bed* ‘Cause it’s good 
training. 

Akane: Ranma!  *Ranma grins a weak but cocky grin, his blue eyes finally 
open.*

Ranma: Kagome’s right, I’m not gonna let a little stupidity stop me from 
going back.  Besides, I bet if I train enough, I could beat those youkai.

Inu-Yasha: *growls* Baka.  No way I’d let you try that again.

Ranma: *smirks* We’ll see.

Akane: Don’t even think about it, Ranma.

Ranma: Doubt I’ll have much choice for a while, anyway.  When are you 
guys going back?

Inu-Yasha: *blinks*

Kagome: *confidently* Soon.  But we’ll be back as soon as you’re better.

Inu-Yasha: What?!

Kagome: *authoritatively* We have to get back, Inu-Yasha.  I’ve only got a 
couple of weeks left of vacation, and then I’ll have to start school 
again.  I won’t be able to hunt for the shards all the time then!

Inu-Yasha: F*** the shards!  I won’t let you get yourself killed because of 
them!  I can find them myself if I have to!  I don’t even care about 
them anymore!

Kagome: *blinks* Inu-Yasha... 

Inu-Yasha: *realizes what he’s just said* *blushes* Feh.  I’ve just got 
bigger problems right now.

Ranma: *grins* Just tell me if you find the spring of Drowned Boy.

Inu-Yasha: Er... *not quite what he was thinking, but he uses it anyway* Hai.

*Shampoo comes in with a big bag of food.  Seeing Ranma’s eyes open, she 
promptly drops the meal (which Inu-Yasha rushes to catch) and runs 
to stand by his bedside.*

Shampoo: AIREN!  *pulls up just short of a glomp, mainly because she can’t 
reach Ranma without dislodging any of the medical equipment.  She 
instead kneels down eye-to-eye with him*  Airen, you awake!

Ranma: *with a sigh of relief at not being glomped* Hai, Shampoo.  

Shampoo: *Eyes go pleading* Ranma, why you no take Shampoo with you?  

Kagome: *interrupts* Urm, where is my mother?

Shampoo: *waves generically* Mother-lady and Duck-boy put car away.  
Ranma?

Ranma: C’mon, Shampoo... Like you could take on a youkai any better than 
me?

Shampoo: *pouts* Shampoo smart. Shampoo make sure Ranma no do 
something stupid like try to fight youkai alone.  *Ranma facefaults*

Nurse: *Walking in* I see you’re awake.  Is that the name of the gang that 
attacked you?  The Youkai?

Kagome:  *Facefaults, then recovers and bluffs*  Um, yes!  But don’t tell 
anyone; they’ll come after us if they know we told!

Nurse: *Shooing Shampoo away to check Ranma’s vitals*  Gomen, I can’t 
do that – but I will ask the police to keep your identity quiet.  *To 
Ranma*  My.  You’ve recovered incredibly quickly.  But you still need 
to rest! *gives a warning look to the others* The rest of you will have 
to go now.  *They leave, Shampoo taking the ramen lunches with her*

*The next day flies by quickly.  Shampoo decides to remain behind to watch 
over Ranma until he heals, but the others must go back.  The purple-
haired girl insists, however, that the others return within three days.  
For once, Inu-Yasha does not argue.  Of course, he doesn’t agree 
either – in fact, he remains suspiciously silent throughout the entire 
exchange.  His only objection is to Akane’s insistence on remaining 
with the group; she insists anyway.  The group resupplies, then heads 
back into the well.  Inu-Yasha goes first*

Inu-Yasha: *emerging, sniffs the air*  Huh.

Kagome: *appearing beside him, leading Akane*  So, who’s hanging this time?

Inu-Yasha:  *sniffs again, just to make sure* Apparently, no one.


*Elsewhere, in front the Kitsune Den*

*An old woman emerges from the gates, deftly dodging the two guards.  
She approaches the now-standing Sesshoumaru, then waits*

Sesshoumaru: Are you the records-keeper?

Woman: *nods once, curtly*

Sesshoumaru: I seek information on a relative of mine.

Woman:  Name?

Sesshoumaru: Inu-Yasha.

Woman: *nods again* Come.  *walks away into the woods, heading to a 
small clearing.  Sesshoumaru follows.  She stops, and waits*

Sess:  *stopping with her* Well?

Woman: *Waves a hand, and a section of the grass disappears, revealing 
stairs.  She descends; again, Sess can only follow.  At the 
bottom lies a room full of books.  Both pause in the middle.  The 
woman glides gracefully along the cases, then stops. She points.* That 
one.  *After a moment, Sess realizes she means for him to 
take it.  He does, and cracks it open.*  

Sess: *eyes widen* Interesting.

*Two hours later, Sesshoumaru returns to the entrance, and turns to the 
trees, where his servant still waits.  He does not bother to look upward 
as he calls, contemplating his find.*

Sesshoumaru: Jaken.  I have found what I came for.  We are leaving.  *He 
walks off, and Jaken can only follow if he wishes to keep up.*


*Inside the enclave*

*The room is dark, but warm and dry.  Only three candles provide light, 
barely illuminating the brightly colored wall-hangings depicting scenes 
of Kitsune cleverness.  Rugs pile over the wooden floor, two or even 
three in places; pillows line walls.  One section of the floor is slightly 
elevated, covered with a single large, silken pillow and backed by the 
most magnificent of the tapestries.  On the pillow sits a lean figure, a 
female Kitsune, her tail curling gracefully around her knees.  The 
candles, one on either side behind her, do nothing to show her face; 
the third candle’s light cannot reach her, for it is set by the door.  The 
records keeper enters silently, gliding to the center of the room and 
kneeling to the imposing woman hidden by darkness.  A single word 
issues from the leader’s mouth.*

Head Kitsune: Speak.

Records-Keeper:  A youkai came in search of some information, My Lady.  
He claimed to be looking for records on an Inu-Yasha...


*At the river*

*Inu-Yasha, Akane, Kagome, Sango, Miroku, and Shippou squish into two 
boats.  They continue down the river for a while, mostly peaceful, 
despite Inu-Yasha’s less than voluntary change to female.  Their 
journey today will be different: they are not seeking the shards, but 
rather, a way to get farther than before: Horses.  The next shard lies 
in the mountains, far enough away that the four-footers will be 
necessary.  Two hours down the river, Miroku orders them to pull 
aside.  Leading them away from the boat, he enters a nearby village - 
which happens to house some very large homes.  They approach (of 
course) the largest.*

Kagome: So this is where your contact lives?

Miroku: Why, yes.  Very personable fellow; a true, devout citizen.  

Sango: In other words, he has a “problem” with demon infestations.  And 
probably a couple of lovely daughters, too.

Miroku: Well, yes!  Have you been here before, Sango?  *She rolls her eyes*

Akane:  *confused, whispers to her cousin*  What are they talking about?

Kagome: *shakes her head and whispers back* You don’t want to know.

*Five minutes later, the monk knocks on the door.  A brief discussion ensues 
with the doorman, followed by a warm welcome.  It seems that the 
poor Master of the house is again suffering an angry spirit.  Twenty 
minutes later, the six are ensconced in a warm, comfortable room, 
lined with rich tapestries and silken pillows*

Inu-chan: Wow, someone the houshi ~hasn’t~ robbed blind yet.

Miroku: *innocently* What do you mean, Inu-Yasha?  A monk such as I 
would never so cheat my loyal customers.

Shippou: *slyly*  The master must be extremely gullible!

Miroku: *glares at the Kitsune*  Nonsense.  I do not have to stand for this, 
anyway.  I have a job to do.  *Disappears through a doorway*

Inu-chan: *to Akane*  Don’t get too comfortable.  We’ll probably have to 
run in the morning.

*Miroku comes back in twenty minutes later.  He settles beside Akane, 
looking rather overly-innocent.*

Kagome:  Akane-chan, you might want to get your mallet ready.

Akane:  Why, Kagome-chan?  *Pinch*  *Twitch, twitch*  HENTAI!!!!  
*Miroku flies through the wall*

Servant: *sticking head through door*  Oh, did Miroku-sama leave already?

Sango: *calculating Miroku’s projectile curve* He’ll be back… in about, oh, 
thirty seconds.

*Thirty seconds later*

*CRASH*

Miroku:  … Ow.  

Servant: Oh, Miroku-sama!  The master of the house wishes to inform you 
that your mounts will be ready by morning.

Miroku: Thanks.  *whimper*

*The next morning, the group sets out.  Neither Akane nor Kagome are good 
riders, but as the day wears on, they find their seat.  Inu-chan finally 
has a chance to return to Inu-Yasha, with the river left behind and the 
day looking sunny.  Yet even now the group retains a feeling of loss, 
of incompleteness.  Inu-Yasha sits apart from the others as they break 
for lunch.*

Inu-Yasha:  *staring out into the distance*  (How can I make Ranma not want 
to come back?  It was my fault, for refusing to stay with the others. If 
I can’t protect everyone, how can I let them keep coming?  Not even 
Kagome is always safe with me.)  *Sigh*  (But I don’t want to travel 
alone, and they’ll come anyway.  I remember the last time I 
tried keeping her behind… Didn’t work.)  *Fiddles with a piece of 
Ranma’s ripped shirt, a reminder of his own failure taken when he left 
Ranma at the hospital.*  (I wonder… could I learn martial arts?  Maybe 
that would give me the power I need to defend everybody.)


*Elsewhere, twenty minutes ago*

*Sesshoumaru glides through the dead, waist-high grass, following Inu-Yasha’s 
trail.  Jaken lags behind, muttering about his master’s new obsession.  
Drifting through the air is a strong scent of hanyou, a familiar hanyou.*

Sesshoumaru:  *waves one hand gently through the air, motioning Jaken to 
stop*  Stay out of sight.  We get close.

Jaken: Master Sesshoumaru, you should not dirty-

Sesshoumaru: Do ~not~ question me, Jaken.  *The toady attempts to nod 
his head from where it’s buried under Sesshoumaru’s foot*

Jaken: Yeff Mather Feffoummu.

Sesshoumaru: (My little sister is more lucky than she knows. Even in her 
youth, she encountered a useful protector.  But I must know more.) 
*The small cookfire comes into sight, Inu-Yasha sitting out of the 
circle and playing with a scrap of fabric* (Hmm. It seems a companion 
is missing.)  *The scent of blood drifts from the red cloth, faint but 
obvious to the dog-demon.* (Ah.  I see.  Inu-Yasha truly is incapable 
of protecting his- ~her~ humans.  Why does she continue to encourage 
their company?)  *Kagome starts toward Inu-Yasha, holding 
a bowl of soup.  He hastily stuffs the cloth into a sleeve and 
accepts the instant ramen.*  (That broth smells horrid.  I truly cannot 
understand, Inu-Yasha.  You simply cannot keep them all safe, though 
that is obviously your wish; they cannot cook; they will not obey your 
orders… Why?  Not even father kept more than his human trollop 
around.  I must… think on this.)  


*At the fire*

Inu-Yasha: *scarfing down his food, notices Shippou staring at something* 
Whatcha lookin’ at, brat?

Shippou: *sniffs* For your information, Inu-Yasha, I’m keeping the lookout 
that you’re too busy eating to do.  

Inu-Yasha: Right.  Don’t look too hard, or your eyes will pop out.

Shippou:  *makes his eyes pop out* Like this?

Inu-Yasha: *spits soup out*  Yech!  Aww… my soup!  I’ll get you for that, 
brat!  *Starts chasing the little Kitsune around the fire.  Shippou takes 
refuge in Kagome’s arms*

Kagome: Leave Shippou alone, Inu-Yasha! 

Inu-Yasha: B-but- Argh! Never mind!  *Gives a death glare to the boy, who 
sticks his tongue out*

*After the group cleans up, they remount and continue on their way.  They 
ride through the mountains, admiring the thick snow on the ground 
that was absent from the lower slopes.  A chill breeze keeps them 
moving briskly, despite the difficult trail.  The horses struggle through 
piles of white that occasionally reach the stirrups, their sweat freezing 
streaks of white in their shaggy coats.  Frequent stops, however, keep 
them fresh, and Inu-Yasha scouts the least icy of paths.  A snowball 
fight during one break brings a little more cheer to the group, and an 
unconscious Miroku slung across the back of his poor steed.  By 
nightfall, the group is more than tired.  A carefully chosen campsite 
provides them shelter from wind, and a brisk fire draws them into 
a tight circle around it.  The horses huddle together against the cold, 
the mountain cave big enough for all.  Suddenly, though, they start 
plunging against their ties, their eyes rolling in fright*

Sango: *rushing to soothe them, she sees a figure approaching the rocky 
cove, camouflaged against the snow*  You!

Inu-Yasha: *immediately by her side*  Kisama… What is it now?

*Sesshoumaru steps no quicker, his long white hair almost disappearing 
against the backdrop of snow.  The cold makes no mark on him, 
though small crystals of ice streak the fur of his silver tail.  Finally, 
he stands nose-to-nose with Inu-Yasha, both demons ignoring the 
terrified horses trembling behind them.*

Sesshoumaru: I am joining you, Inu-Yasha.

-----

Authors Note:

Sorry ‘bout the wait, folks!  Really, I am!  I’ll be better from now on!

Part 11

My Fics