Protect by AisuKaze

Sesshoumaru

White and red mix together as the youkai's life blood drips from his finger tips, staining the white powder covering the ground under his feet. His quicksilver hair flowing from the top knot upon his head; dancing with the wind currents. He stands proudly despite the obviously wound to his person. Behind him, a carbon copy of himself despite a few details, his son stands.

"Are you going, Father?" Ask the young one with a cold tone to his voice.

Without missing a beat the elder of the two, Toga, responds, "Are you going to stop me, Sesshoumaru?"

Sesshoumaru doesn't respond at first, the cold water from the sea crashing along the snow covered beach the only sound between the two. When he speaks, his voice takes on an edge, reminding his father of the steel of a sword piercing his flesh.

"I will not stop you. However, before that, I would like the fangs Sou'unga and Tessiga, to be handed over to me."

In a husky voice the father asks his son, "If I say I won't give them to you... Would you kill me, your own father?"

Toga waits for his son's answer and when he receives none, it speaks louder than any words could. He sighs quietly as his golden gaze turns up to the sky.

"Hgn." The noise is made softly, as if accepting his son's silent answer. "Do you desire power that much?" He asks in no more than a whisper.

He receives no answer.

"Why do you seek power?" He asks out of curiosity which is plainly laced through his voice.

Sesshoumaru answers his father without hesitation, as if he had been anticipating the question. "I must travel the path of conquest... Power is necessary in order to walk that path."

Toga lowers his head, muttering into the wind all the while knowing his son can hear him clearly. "Conquest, huh?" His eyes close as he asks his son one more question.

"Sesshoumaru, is there something you protect?"

The youkai's eyes narrow as he repeats his father, "Something to protect?"

He stills, looking at his father through his narrowed eyes. As he gazes at his sire, the ice like wind swirls around him. His right arm slowly extends to his side, making his words final.

"I have no need...to pursue such an endeavor. This Sesshoumaru, protects nothing."

The words leave his lips and his father, the old youkai's heart breaking at hearing his eldest make such a statement, and he allows his aura to overflow, the wind picking up as it winds around him. The air stills and in Toga's place stands a large white dog, a grave wound evident on his right side. Without looking back, he bounds away, his powerful muscles carrying him a great distance as the wound on his side leaves a bloody trail.

Sesshoumaru's eyes slowly open, the golden depths giving away nothing to his companions as they ready themselves for another day of trekking across Japan.

'That was the last time I saw Father.' He rises, the thought floating through his head, and looks to his retainer as the toad shoos a human girl onto the back of a two headed dragon.

'All because of a human woman and an infant hanyou... Pathetic.' He briskly begins to walk, all thoughts of his father fleeting from his mind, brushing by his toad underling without a glance.

"Jaken, take Rin back to the fort."

The toad looks up at his Lord, his yellow eyes widening to the size of saucers. "M-my Lord!"

His beak flaps as if he wishes to say something, but the golden promise of death glare from Sesshoumaru stops him.

"Do as this Sesshoumaru says, Jaken." With that said Sesshoumaru resumes his walk to the easy, leaving his retainer, ward, and pack beast behind to gawk at him.

Jaken sighs and hangs his head, the twin headed dragon nudging him slightly on the back of his football shaped head.

"Yes, yes, AhUn. You heard Lord Sesshoumaru. We head home...without our Lord."

The left head of the dragon snorts while the right picks up Jaken and drops the toad on his back behind Rin.

As the dragon takes to the sky heading in the direction of the West, Rin turns her large doe eyes to the toad behind her, her voice small and timid as she asks, "Master Jaken, did Rin do something to upset Lord Sesshoumaru?"

Jaken begins to retort, almost saying her human existence had everything to do with it yet stopped short when he saw Rin's brown eyes filling with tears.

"No, Rin. You did not do anything to make him leave. I-I...I'm not sure myself why he has left us."

Satisfied with his answer, Rin nods and turns to look back at the sky.

Sesshoumaru closes his eyes, his head turning to the air as his nose twitches. Tensaiga at his side rattles as Sesshoumaru turns his head north east. Golden eyes open and the young Lord's lips twitch into a smirk.

"Little brother..." The whispered words hold malice to them as a violent wind briefly winds around Sesshoumaru. His body glows white for a brief moment and turns into a ball of pure energy. Within a few seconds, the only thing that could've shown Sesshoumaru was previously there is the unnatural breeze.

"Oi! Kagome! There's a hot spring to the west of here. About a five minute walk."

A silver haired half demon, or hanyou, announces at his arrival. His feet softly and silently touch the ground, his arms clad in the fire rat fur fold over his chest and into the sleeves of the haori.

"Thank you, InuYasha!" Standing quickly, the woman gathers her bag as well as the female demon slayer and sprints off to the west, the laughter of the two women ringing behind in the clearing to fill the hanyou's puppy ears. Said puppy ears twitch and InuYasha turns his amber gaze to the monk kneeling by a roaring fire, poking it here and there with a long stick.

"That was nice of you InuYasha." The monk smiles a little too smugly as he looks up to the hanyou with his violet eyes.

"Feh. I didn't do it for her, Miroku, I did it for my ears. You know she'd bitch until I found a place for her to bathe."

Miroku chuckles at his friend and stands, reaching down to dust the loose dirt off his black robes. He turns to look at his half-demon friend, mirth filling his eyes.

"Indeed I do. Maybe I shall go take a bath myself..." He grins and pivots on his heel, preparing to march off to join the girls, the rings on his staff jingling with his movement.

"Oh no you don't you letch!" InuYasha yells as he jumps at Miroku and grabs the back of his robes.

Swiftly bonking Miroku over the head with a closed fist, knocking the monk out, he mumbles and lets the limp form drop from his grasp to plop to the ground at his feet.

As he turns to jump into the nearest tree, his ears twitch violent and he spins around, sniffing the air. 'That scent...'

His voice holds a growl in it, showing how angry the hanyou is.

"Sesshoumaru..."