Entry tags:

chaptered fic: between the devil and ..., fanfic, fanfic: inuyasha, genre: action/adventure, genre: slash, pairing: sesshomaru/omc, rating: r

[InuYasha] The Devil and the Deap Blue Sea, Pt.4 [R] slash
.
.between the devil and the deep blue sea.
InuYasha. overall rated r. chapter rated pg-13. yaoi/shonen-ai. adventure/action. violence. Sesshomaru/OMC. WIP. chapter ~3200 words. | Summary: A sinister presence troubles the land, and Sesshomaru is trying to find out what or who it is. Friends and foes, old and new, cross his and his companion's (OMC) way, including InuYasha + friends and Naraku.

Disclaimer: Not mine.

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*** = scene change
-I- = POV change

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Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea,
Part Four: The Light of One Candle
by Chocolate H.-D.

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The dark is generous, and it is patient, and it always wins—but in the heart of its strength lies weakness: one lone candle is enough to hold it back.
Love is more than a candle.
Love can ignite the stars.
- Matthew Stover in "Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith"

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“What?!”

“You know,” Anakin began, a small smile tugging on his lips, “he does it to the brother of yours as well.”

Now that seemed to get the hanyou’s attention all at once. Okay, the others as well, but, yeah. Time to stop thinking too much and concentrate on what was being said. Damn. He sometimes had the problem to drift of to… um, yeah right. Focus, damnit! “…he does?”

“Yes.”

“And he didn’t kill the damned dog yet?!”

“Obviously not.” Sighing, he clapped his hands, so Shadow would stop growling. After he barked out an especially pleased sounding ‘woof’, the dog went back to lazily stretching out on the ground, apparently waiting for Shippo to pet him once more. “He is rather alive, wouldn’t you agree?”

Miroku was the first to get his laughter under control. “So what does the mighty Lord of the Western Lands do if this happens?”, he asked, visibly amused.

“He looks at him.”

“That’s all?”

Anakin nodded. “Yes.”

“Are you kidding me?”

“No. Think about it. Don’t you shiver everytime Sesshomaru looks at you? Aren’t you just the slightest bit nervous every time his eyes come to rest upon you?” He looked at them, smiling. “Isn't that enough to make others cower? Now, imagine how it must be like for Shadow.”

The girl looked down. “I see.”, she mumbled.

“So that bastard scares harmless dogs into submission now, huh? Feh!”

So now the dog is harmless again. Just wonderful. “No he doesn’t. Shadow respects him a hell of a lot. Your brother simply reminds him were his limit is.” Because, really, it wasn’t what InuYasha said, no, it was more what was implied. And he didn’t like it one bit. “Shadow is not afraid of him, InuYasha, neither am I.”

The hanyou looked at him for a moment, only to utter a bored “feh” in return. Which probably meant he didn’t believed a word of what he was saying. Ah well, he couldn’t care less. InuYasha could – and would – believe what he wanted anyway. No sense in trying to change his mind.

“Right back at you.”, he laughed.

“But seriously, Anakin. How does he know?”

“With InuYasha turning?” Miroku nodded. “Honestly, I have no idea. But I heard a story once, a legend to be exact, about hanyou turning into human at some point in time, so I wouldn’t be surprised if he did as well. And then there is the small detail that they are brothers after all, no matter how much they want to deny it.”

“When will he be back?”

Miroku had been right, InuYasha did pout, and he looked just like Shippo. Well, in a way.

“In a few hours, I suppose. You never know with him.”

“And I understand you will stay here until then, huh?” Anakin shrugged his shoulders at the question. There was nothing to say, really. Or, nothing InuYasha would listen to and believe more than one word of it, so why waste his breath? “Great. That damn bastard can’t even take care of his charge alone. And he calls himself Lord. Feh! Damn him.”

Anakin smiled. That should do for an interesting night.

-I-

He had been roam the area searching for clues too long already. It should not have taken him this long. He was well aware of that. Only the thing was, it did. For one reason:

There was nothing there.

Nothing as in… zero. No trace, no scent, no nothing. And Sesshomaru almost growled in frustation. Almost. He was more disciplined than that. Despite the fact that the sinister presence was all around him, he could not make out the exact location, there was simply too much of it. Nor cold he get a read on what this was.

Who this was.

And the only thing that made it clear that there indeed was someone or something around and he did not simply started to imagine things, was the unnatural silence.

Even with his sensitive ears he was unable to pick up on any sound in this area. Almost as if there was nothing left, but the wind. And himself. It was dark as well, considering there was no moon during this night. ‘It is darker and so much colder’, Anakins words from before echoed in his mind.

Standing on a small plateau overlooking the land, – his land - he looked up to see clouds gathering on the horizon. It was probably going to rain soon and it would certainly fit the situation. He had to find out what was going on and soon. A blue ball of light seemed to surround him, and in the next instant, the youkai was gone.

The silence remained.

***

Far away but only moments later in a different part of his lands, the blue ball of light emerged in the middle of a light forest. The lightened up the dark night for an instnat before it was dark once again. He was standing infront of the narrow entrance to a cave. He knew he was not alone. Next to the entrance knelt a woman, head bowed deep in respect, not submissiveness, that much Sesshomaru knew.

A sorceress never submitted to anyone. Not this one.

She looked like a regular human female, but she was so much more. Centuries older than himself she was, but he did not know how old exactly. The only thing he knew was that she was powerful – human and youkai alike feared her – and that she had worked with his father on and off during his reign over the Western Lands.

Her black hair covered her like a curtain, wavering over the ground were the wind got hold of it. As if it had a life of its own. Her long gown was dragging over the gravel as well, but the sorceress did not seem to pay that any mind.

She kept her bow, eyes on the ground, but he could see the power flickering around her like lightning. His father had respected that woman dearly, her advice, Sesshomaru had learned to accept to do the same. If his father had known how old she was or where she had come from, he had never bothered to inform his son about it, and if he did not know, he doubted anyone else did.

On the outside, she looked like a grown, human woman. Older than Anakin, that he could guess, but what did he truly know about her? Certainly not enough to draw any kind of conclusions. He did know, however, that she had access to immense knowledge. And that was exactly what he needed to answer a few questions.

This was best chance. She had stood beside him as an ally every so often in battles before, there was no question to her intentions toward him. Her loyality, on the other hand, solitary belonged to hersef and the Land of the West, and that was all right with him. Sesshomaru respected that in her. She never claimed to be loyal to him, but to what was best for the Western Lands.

And thus far it agreed with his own.

“You know I would come.”

It was not a question, just a statement.

“Yes mylord.” When she stood to her full hight, barely reaching his shoulder, there was no dirt clinging where the gown had touched the muddy ground. Nor in her hair. Light blue eyes fell upon him. “There is a menance drifting throughout the lands, you have encountered it mylord, and it will bring harm for each and all.”

She already knew. That much he had expected. “It will taint the lands.”

“You speak the truth. It will taint the land, taint the living and the death.”

“How can I stop it?”

Now the sorceress looked at him… amused? “That you can not.” He was about to speak again, but she held up her hands. “No, mylord, do not mistake my words for what they are not. If you grant an old witch like me a bit of your time, I shall tell you why that is.”

For a moment he hesitated, only for a moment, then he nodded and followed her into the cave. A wall of light appeared in front og them and the youkai lord sensed great powers behind it. A power he had merely encountered a few times in his life before, and twice it was this woman’s doing.

The lady did not stop, she walked right through the light.

He followed.

What the reason for the wall of light was, he was not sure. He assumed it to be some kind of trap, or protection spell. For whom or what, that was another matter entirely and he did not wish to ask. Sesshomaru followed her deeper into the cave when they came upon a natural spiral staircase shaped into the wall that led them even further down. Once the staircase was left behind another one of those light spells awaited them, only to have it flicker out a second before he walked through it only to set it a moment after he had passed.

Another trap., he thought. And a different one as well. They reached a rather huge cave, it was obviously where she lived. She motioned for the table in one corner.

“Take a seat, mylord.”

And just like that, two chairs appeared. He took one and the sorceress took the other a few seconds afterward. “What is it that you know of the menace that endangers the Lands, Lady Kimi?”

“Not much, mylord. But I till tell you what I am familiar with. The menance, it is older than me, most likely older than everything that lived now or has ever wandered this lands. What I know about it, my mother’s mother has taught me when I was still a learner of the ancient powers.”

She cleared her throat softly, hands neatly folded on top of the table. “The presence we all sense now, it is just as ancient. I shall recall my granmother’s words for you mylord. ‘And as the earth was still young and pure and peaceful, a being with malice in its heart and mind woke at the edge of time.’ Nobody really knows what it was, where it came from, it was just there.

“Years went by and the thing brought darkness over the lands, growing more cruel and dangerous with every moon cycle. It is said that one day the gods themselves stepped down from their throne to set an end to its menace. But the damage was done and as the earth grew older, more and more beings wandered the lands and it was getting more difficult in dealing with those with menace in their heart and mind.

“Where it was one being before, the numbers went up fast. Immortal or not, menace took place in a lot of thoughts and acts. Youkai and human alike ignored that fact, stupidly thinking it would not concern them.”

“They were wrong.”

Lady Kimi nodded. “Yes. Many youkai and human were blinded by the menace they had in there minds and souls, bringing violent wars across the lands. Clans went to war against each other, families slaughtered their beloved. Innocent died, children. Not only human, but youkai as well. Hate had entered our world. It was born out of the flames of hell, purified by the the belief of rightness. The gods were helpless, they could not interfere with the affairs of human or youkai, their hands were bound by their own laws.

“They say that just shortly before there was another war, that ancient being returned. It fueled on the hate, gathering the powers around him, being more dangerous than ever before. The gods decided that now was their time to act if they wanted to safe their world from its doom. Once again, they stepped from they throne, but this time, instead of taking care of it alone, they called upon a power that was even beyond them to control. They called the Master of Time and together, so we are told, they created a place that no mortal alone, no youkai, noone but they themselves could enter.”

To the great youkai, that sonded foreign, but then he remembered that all of this was a legend and that it happened a long, long time ago. A time long before he was born, maybe even his father. Sesshomaru was a bit overwhelmed by it, but he did not let show it. Just then the Lady went on. “They picked a mere female human, her heart or soul not tinted by the hate that endangered the earth for so long, gave a few magical powers and made her the keeper.”

Sesshomaru frowned inwardly. “Keeper? Of what?”

“Of the Gate at the end of Time.” That was something he knew. His father and Myoga had spoken about it before. “I see you know of it as well. The human is called The Guardian. She is the impersonation of time itself, representing the…”

“Master of the Time. Yes. I know about this indeed. Go on.”

“The great Inu no Taisho has encountered her before, I belief, so that is no surprise. You are his son after all. But I shall return to your question. She would forever stand guard at the gate to test those who wished to pass. Test what, noone knows. Behind the gate, so it is said, is nothing. They built a dark castle into the nothingness that is neither dark nor light, with no windows, no doors, and they cursed the ancient presence to forever roam its halls. Another keeper was picked. A youkai, mighty and well-known at that time.”

A youkai? “Who was it?”

“I do not know, mylord. The name was lost in time. Forgotten. Once the being was gone, the gods went to look upon the damage that had been done. The legends say it was bad, indeed, but not impossible to renew. And the gods went and put a spark of something else into the human hearts to conquer the darkness and the hate left behind by the ancient being. They called it hope. It took decades until the wounds turned into scars, and even longer until the scars faded, but the world moved on.

“Youkai started to despise the humans for being weak then, and human started to fear the power of the youkai such as you. Mistrust was born in those years. But for those mortals with at least a spark of kindness in them, one thing never disappeared fully. Hope. Decades went by, centuries, millenia, but it stayed the same. Noone ever heard from that acnient being that once tainted the lands. Life never quite returned to what it was before, but the gods thought it was just well. Their world was freed of the darkness. It took care of itself.

“This is all there is to tell, mylord. But my grandmother said that, if that creature ever returned to this time and space, she hoped that youkai and human were strong and wise enough to withstand its threat.”

“And you belief that this being has now indeed returned.” She nodded. “You said that it could not be defeat by I. Explain.”

The Lady stood. “You alone, can do nothing. You are a youkai, there is nothing you could do to defeat this threat when the gods themselves could not succeed. All they did was ban it to a place where it should not be able to escape.”

“But it did.”

Now the woman looked crestfallen. “Yes. If I only knew how that is possible.”

“Could someone have called upon it?

“Possibly. But it had to be someone with great powers, I doubt that even you, mylord, would be able to command it.” Honest as always. Another thing he respected in her. “No. There has to be something else. I tried to ask the ancient powers for help, but they refuse my request. The only thing I saw in my visions, all of them, was black mist.”

Black mist? That sounded familiar. ‘And when we were back there, a black mist was wavering in the village.’ The words of the monk who travelled with InuYasha came back to him then. “I passed through a village that was drowned in blood. I have been told that shortly after it was attacked by a youkai that seemed posessed, a black mist was crawling through the village.”

The eyes of the sorceress widened. “Are you sure?”

“Indeed. I was told by a mere human, a monk, but I accept his words as true. He had no gain in lying. I noticed a sinister aura passing through the village as well.”

“A monk? Ah, not my business, I believe. But those news indeed are disturbing, Lord Sesshomaru.”

“To what extent?”

“Do not take my word for it, mylord, but it is told that the creature would lose his corporal body eventually, only existing through its black soul. Why that is, I do not know. It could only be a legend in a legend, but…”

“It could explain how it escaped from the place it was held.” His opponent gave a curt nod in reply. “What else can you tell me, Lady?”

“Search for a small village hidden in the north-west. The miko there, she will know about the gate at the end of time. She is old, but she is wise. And you should not take that path alone. Pick a few companions first. You can never know who or what will cross your path mylord.”

A pause, and Sesshomaru thought she might have looked torn about what she was going to say next. If she was going to say it. But not being one to fear him and his powers, she went on nevertheless. “That mortal, the young man that travels with you, he is one you should pick. And… your father’s youngest son. Youkai and humans will need to see eye to eye if they want to ban the great darkness that is roaming the lands. The gods might not be in the position to intervene this time.”

Join forces with InuYasha? Not likely. “I shall pick my own followers, old witch.”

She chuckled. “That you will, mylord, as always it is just my advice you are taking with you regardless of your wishes.” Her face hardened visibly and her words turned icy, biting like the cold north wind in the time of winter. “Remember my words, Sessomaru.”

She had her ways with word, he had to give her that. Cold blue eye were watching him with no trace of fear in them. Yes, she knew his powers, but she also knew he respected his father’s heritage. “Very well. I shall leave you then.”

They both stood, and the Lady led him back to the entrance. “It is raining.”, his superior hearing caught the sorcererss mutter. “Even the heaven’s know of the tragedy that is happening.”

He breathed in then. Indeed, it was raining, he could smell the humidity unmistakably in the air. How she knew, he would never know. But then again she had her little ways. Always had. Once they reached the opening of the cave, he stepped outside into the rain. The sorceress kept hidden, bowing to him. “Watch your back, mylord, there will be a lot of troubles coming for you.”, she warned him. “And not only for you.”

As if he did not know that himself. But he kept his face as stoic as always, instead dipping his head a bit. “Lady Kimi.” And with that, he turned into a bright light, leaving her behind. He had other things to do.

And nevertheless, Seeshomaru could still feel her burning eyes on him, even as he should have been too far away to sense them.


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