InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Betrayal's Gift ❯ Chapter 36

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

By: ldymoon

Inuyasha sat by the well thinking about the previous night. Why had he succumbed to this woman? What was it about her that made him fall in love with her to claim her? Looking up into the puffy white clouds he thought on the night with a sense of awe. He's never once felt that way when he was with a woman. Was that it, was it that they combined their powers and went into each other's mind.

`I wonder if that would have happened with Kikyo or Kagome? Nah, I don't think so, I just think its Hotaru.'

Than he thought about what his Jeanie had said, that his second wish had been fulfilled.

`It wasn't how I planned it but, it's good enough, even better actually, I caught her in the act and now she caught me with her own daughter. Keh, serves the bitch right. Now, how to get my vengeance on Miroku, I wanted him to suffer too. I can't send Hotaru back now with my child I marked her.'

Inuyasha's nose began to twitch as he smelt something approaching and with a shimmer a humming bird messenger appeared before him.

The messenger bowed low before Inuyasha her teal green hair falling short over her eyes.

“What do you want?”

“Lord Inuyasha, master Shippo said you would be here, your brother has sent word of you. He wishes for you to come immediately to his castle.”

“Now?”

“Yes my lord.”

“Damn it all to hell, I'm waiting for someone…”

“It is urgent my lord.”

“Damn, well, can we get Shippo and have him wait here for the person I'm waiting for and then go?”

“As you wish my lord.”

With that she stood up and grabbed his shoulder and shimmered back to his castle.
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Sesshomaru was pacing back and forth angrily, stretching out his claws muttering words in his mind.

`That damn idiot brother of mine, what has he done?'

“Sessho, I don't understand why your so upset I mean didn't you want him to find a mate?”

Sesshomaru turned around with his eyes bleeding red toward his wolf mate.

“He's bonded himself with a mortal…are you that stupid wench that you don't see the implication of it?”

Ayame's green eyes flashed, she hated when he called her stupid wench as if she were some commoner.

“Sessho!”

“Stop disrespecting me woman, know your place!” He said with a low threatening growl.

Ayame arched her delicate red brow toward him in challenge.

“Look here dog, you don't need to disrespect me, I am your mate, your life mate remember that! Now, I don't see the problem with him and this priestess, in fact, I am happy he's finally found someone.”

Sesshomaru sighed; he was going to have to teach his wife a lesson later on how she should properly respect her head. He smiled maliciously thinking about it. He thought momentarily that she rankled his hackles purposely just to get his attention. Mentally shaking the punishment he was going to put on her he answered her question.

“Inuyasha has fought so hard as a hanyou to gain his respect; he has even wished to become full youkai only to have his children to be hanyou? He has followed father's footsteps to a different degree at least father had not marked his wench.”

Ayame threw her hands up in the air in exasperation.

“I still don't understand what the problem is; even you said yourself that the mortal was beautiful, that you would have put her in your harem had you not been with me.”

“That woman, is the difference, I would not have marked her as my mate, just slept with her whenever I felt the need to ravish a mortal woman.”

They were quiet with their own thoughts for a minute when Ayame spoke quietly, almost to herself.

“But, whatever it was…their mating was…I can't explain it; I've never felt anyone's power like that before…I mean…we felt their bond…isn't that strange Sessho? I mean regardless of what you and those of you who think like you think, their bond meant something and I am happy for Inuyasha.”

He was thinking about that very thing all night. Never in all the years he's been around has he felt or heard of such a power being spread like that when two beings mated. It was like he saw them, he saw Inuyasha as a boy, running for his life, being ridiculed by the mortals, saw his life with Kikyo, Kagome and now he saw his brother with the mortal Hotaru.

`Is there some kind of bond between the priestess and her lineage? Is this the power of that mortal woman? Did she somehow seduce Inuyasha to mate her?'

He had received Inuyasha's message to come to his castle as soon as possible, why did Inuyasha want him there so urgently?

Then there was a knock on the door.

“Come in.” Sesshomaru replied coolly making sure his indifferent mask was put in place before anyone saw him.

The humming bird messenger prostrated herself in front of her lord and master.

“I have done as you asked my lord; I've brought your brother.”

Sesshomaru turned around dismissing her in his usual fashion. Ayame of coarse frowned and thanked the servant properly. Soon Inuyasha was walking through the door.

“Ayame, leave and close the door behind you.”

“Sessho, I have…”

When he turned around she noticed that he was not playing any kind of games. She bit her tongue for now and did as he commanded. She would of coarse get him later.

Inuyasha watched confused, he had no idea why his brother was so upset, but, he waited to hear why. Sesshomaru stood there looking at Inuyasha. Anger filling his veins but not showing through to the eyes.

“What the hell Sesshomaru, you call me out here and now your going to stand there and just stare at me?”

Sesshomaru in a flash pinned Inuyasha up against the opposite wall.

“Explain this to me little brother, why have you bonded yourself with the mortal wench…of all…”

Sesshomaru let Inuyasha drop to the floor leaving Inuyasha panting for breaths. Once Inuyasha got the wind back in his lungs he stood up and started growling.

“What the hell…how do you know anyway, spying on me?”

Quietly dangerous Sesshomaru circled around Inuyasha trying to sense a form of a lie.

“The entire globe knows you bonded Inuyasha with a mortal for everyone knows that the wench was in your care, which she was there for you to determine if she is indeed the threat to our very existence and you…you mated with her.”

Understanding his brother's anger Inuyasha stopped growling. He sighed for he didn't really know what to say to him.

“I don't understand what you're saying to me Sesshomaru. What do you mean the entire globe knows?”

“Last night Inuyasha a wave of power flowed through the Earth. Everything that is living felt its power. I felt your power, I know your ki Inuyasha…for we share a very similar power you and I, and the other power was pure…it was that of the priestess I know because it was too pure. You marked her as your mate Inuyasha…how did she do it…did she trick you?”

Inuyasha folded his arms into his black and blue satin robes with the flower emblems on his right shoulder. His armor looked frightening and yet, Inuyasha face was just as frightening as he looked at his brother with an insulted stare.

“Keh, like I would fall for a trick like that…give me some damn credit will ya.
No, she didn't trick me…she loves me and I…I care for her…my second wish came true…Kagome came through the well last night and saw me coupling with her daughter. She saw me mark her as my own. My revenge has been completed.”

Sesshomaru grew furious almost insanely so. He knew that his brother left something out.

“Inuyasha…do not presume to take me for a fool for I am not you. You did not mark that girl to solidify your revenge. You fell for this…this mortal…this mortal who can possibly destroy our entire community our existence.”

Inuyasha's ears began to fold back, for his brother wasn't lying, but, he had to stick up for Hotaru, it wasn't her.

“Look, this is why I called you over to my castle. We have to find a cure for her; she's suffering from a duel personality though the other personality seems to be acting youkai.”

Sesshomaru raised his elegant black brow.

“Explain.”

“She has another person living inside of her head, she calls herself Hitomi and she's powerful. She's been the cause of the disappearance of the lesser youkai around my region. I saw her in action with one of the concubines you gave me. By the way thanks for giving me some crazy ass wenches”

“Do not change the subject Inuyasha. You mean to tell me, this Sesshomaru that you mated with the being whom you were supposed to bring to me if in fact she was the direct cause of what we supposed she was doing? You mated with the enemy who could destroy us? You're a bigger fool than I thought! You idiot!”

Inuyasha growled he didn't like being treated like some puppy, but, he had to explain to Sesshomaru the events that he's found out. It was his duty after all.

“Hotaru is the main alter, she's the good priestess, but, Hitomi, she seems to be the bad priestess. She's hurt and killed even humans. We need to find a way to cure Hotaru of Hitomi and then Hotaru will be back to normal.”

Sesshomaru thought about what he said.

`That would explain the power I felt coming off this mortal. How she was able to contain me and…no matter…she is a threat.'

“Inuyasha…she is more a threat now that I first presumed.”

Inuyasha cocked his head to the side and lowered his eyebrows in confusion.

“What do you mean?”

“Inuyasha, do you know why father never marked your mother?”

“No, I never really gave it much consideration. I guess your going to tell me.”

Sesshomaru disregarded the sarcastic tone behind Inuyasha's voice. Even now Inuyasha still gets defensive over his parentage.

“Father never marked your mother because to mark a human would kill them Inuyasha, your mortal woman however isn't normal even for a priestess. Your mark should have killed her. Damn it Inuyasha If you should go back on your words she could easily destroy us all because of your wish for vengeance. Hadn't Jaken instructed you on the do's and don'ts of mating?”

Inuyasha didn't hear the question he was stuck on the fact that his mark could have killed his Hotaru…if she were normal he had to remind himself.

“But she's alive…she didn't die…so…what does that mean?”

Sesshomaru looked at Inuyasha, he had no idea what that meant and now his curiosity was getting the better of him.

“Sesshomaru damn it answer me, what does that mean?”

`I do not know little brother; we'll have to find out.'

Sesshomaru proceeded to open the door and head out leaving Inuyasha to follow behind him to the library where a bunch of ancient scrolls and books were left.
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Hotaru found herself at the bottom of the well looking up at the blue sky with puffy clouds.

“Inuyasha! I'm back!”

Shippo was the one to pop his head over the well and greet her as he jumped in and helped her out of the well.

“Where's Inuyasha?” Hotaru said hurt.

“Oh, don't feel sad, he was summoned by Sesshomaru. It was really urgent if Sesshomaru sent a humming bird messenger.”

“A humming bird messenger?”

“Yeah, they fly so fast that it looks like they shimmer in and out of visibility, in a matter of seconds they are where they need to be.”

“Wow. I would like to see one.”

“Well, your going to have to wait for now. Here hop on.”

Hotaru gave Shippo the bags and hopped on his back. It was different riding on him, he was fast, but to her it didn't seem like she was flying.

“Um, Hotaru…congratulations.”

Looking confused she reached her arms around his neck and asked him what he was talking about.

“You're mating with Inuyasha.”

Hotaru blushed.

“He…he told you?”

Shippo laughed.

“He would have never told me, had I asked him he would've told me to mind my own damn business. No, it's weird really, but, when he marked you…well…I felt it…in fact the entire castle felt it.”

Hotaru was now crimson with embarrassment.

“What do you mean you felt it, that you and the entire castle felt it?”

“It's weird really; it was like a tidal wave of two different powers colliding. I felt Inuyasha's strong ki and your pure ki and we felt happy and calm. Like I said it was weird.”

Hotaru was lost in her thoughts about what the kitsune has revealed to her. Remembering last night was like a dream. She remembered seeing visions' of his childhood, adolescence and feeling like he was holding something back, but, she felt his love. She figured that it was youkai magic or something, but for another youkai to say that something was weird, well she didn't understand.

“Shippo, you mean to tell me that you don't feel that way when you're mated to someone?”

Shippo shrugged his shoulders.

“I've never marked anyone to know, but, I know you were marked.”

“You felt that too?”

Shippo chuckled.

“No, I see it on your collar bone and it's lovely.”

“Oh, thank you, it's a really pretty and unique tattoo.”

“Well, it is that, do you know what it means in youkai language?”

“No.”

“It means my precious jewel. That is what he thought about you the moment he marked you and in three days time the same symbol will appear on the inside of his wrist.”

Hotaru looked lost now; no one told her that that would happen.

“Why I don't understand.”

“Um, it's like exchanging items to prove that you belong to each other.”

“But why would his come up in three days?”

“Uh, don't worry about it, it's nothing…it's how it is is all.”

Shippo began to sweat drop, he opened his mouth without thinking, he should have known better than that, Hotaru was very similar to Kagome in the fact that when something was different she needed to know the details to the finest letter.

“Shippo you're lying to me. No ones ever told me about this explain it and explain it now or I'll do something to you that I won't be responsible for.”

Hotaru threatened without really meaning any of it, but she wanted to know and Shippo feared her threat. Hitomi was mean and nasty enough to come out and destroy him just to play.

“Oh alright, you have a right to know. It's so that the male can make sure that he really wants to commit to the female. If he feels that he made some sort of mistake, well, the bond between the two won't form and the mark will disappear, but if that happens well…never mind Inuyasha should really be telling you this.”

“No, continue, this is happening to me and you have to inform me, since Inuyasha failed to communicate with me.”

“Damn him, I knew he didn't. If your mark disappears well…you'll go mad and then you'll…well, you might die… most females that I've witness had died because she had already given herself up over to the male and she cannot take it back, her heart was already in too deep it's just how things work…it's the way of things, but…don't doubt that Inuyasha has strong feelings for you. He won't back out.”

Hotaru sat there now on his back in silent shock. Doubt filling her brains.

`No I must not think that, he really loves me, I felt it last night…he didn't trick me…no…it's real. It's real.'

She kept saying that mantra in her head determined to believe in it as she held the white cherry blossom tightly in her palm to her chest. Shippo felt like kicking himself for hurting her and causing her doubt. But, he knew that Inuyasha only cared about one thing and that was getting his revenge. A part of him wanted to desperately tell her, to help her out of this situation, but, he had to prove loyal to Inuyasha, for he didn't take kindly to any form of disloyalty and he couldn't be disloyal to someone who's treated him like a big brother.

`You wanted your revenge so bad Inuyasha that you didn't think it through. Without your love she won't survive so that you can claim your revenge and damn it I should've butted in more, reminded him of that fact. I was just hoping that…sigh…I'm sorry Hotaru I failed you, Kagome and Miroku.'