InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Brotherly Love ❯ Chapter 5

Disclaimer: No part of Sesshoumaru is mine - not even my dreams of him.

 

Author Note: Whoa, that last chapter was almost… serious. Don't worry, it won't continue long.

 

Brotherly Love 05:

 

It had been seven days. A full week of rest and relaxation, allowing his brother time to adjust to the changes in his figure, and still the insolent brat insisted upon being difficult. Sesshoumaru was frustrated by Inuyasha's continued refusal to bend. What was so hard to understand about duty to family? There were no unattached inu-youkai females left in Japan. His brother was already part of the family, already grasped the basic dog-demon powers and attacks, and this was the only way to accept him back into the fold. They didn't have to like each other, no attraction was necessary at all; the only requirement was to secure the throne!

 

Plus, the boy had the foulest mouth he had ever encountered. For many years he had blamed his brother's complete lack of manners and sense on the human mother who raised him, Izayoi. The boy hadn't been with her long, but perhaps a disposition for rude human behavior had come through in his blood. Still though, the superior training he received as a member of the silver-inu clan should have rid him of such habits long ago. When Inuyasha had run away, losing himself in the world of humans, it had obviously set him back by years. The hanyou orphan had regressed horribly. And frankly, his dirty mouth was getting on Sesshoumaru's nerves. Every time he visited his sibling, nothing could be accomplished for all the insults and invectives being hurled in his general direction.

 

How could he get through to his brash half-sibling? Somehow he had to make his brother understand the way things stood, before he could get around to what he really wanted to be doing, which was courting the miko. Otherwise, the miko would protest his treatment of Inuyasha, and Inuyasha would protest his interest in her, and everything would remain the fine mucked-up mess it had been before they wished on the Jewel.

 

From what he had seen, the miko was a kind, forgiving sort, and she opened her heart to everyone in turn. Hopefully she would be more reasonable than her guardian, and they would spend only a little time arguing, before moving on to more enjoyable pursuits like…

 

“Sesshoumaru! You can't keep me here forever!” screamed the impatient prisoner. “Lemme out!”

 

Jaken grumbled to hear such a raucous outburst in a normally peaceful home, but made no other objection. Astonishing. It seemed even a kappa understood the severity of the situation! But then, there hadn't been any women in his underling's tribe all those years ago either, from what he could remember. Briefly, Sesshoumaru wondered if his retainer was lonely.

 

The spasm of pity quickly passed, and he returned to normal, still pondering what to do about his unruly relative. He could introduce her to Mother… No, his mother was still miffed about Father's affair, and would probably fail to see the humor in having a bastard step-daughter now, instead of a bastard step-son. Death was the likely result.

 

On the other hand, he could just beat Inuyasha into submission. Such a tactic had never worked properly in the past, but perhaps things would be different this time. A full dog-demon's instincts might force Inuyasha to recognize him as a pack-leader. And at the very least it would be good practice. His sibling hadn't left the room in days.

 

Yes, it seemed like a viable plan. Patience was a virtue, but violence was faster. Grabbing a set of wooden practice swords from the dojo, Sesshoumaru strode purposefully toward his captive's chambers.

 

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Kagome leaned back against the well and sighed heavily. Well, at least she understood Midoriko's cryptic warning now. It was definitely more difficult to have the well active than sealed. If she had disappeared, never to return, her family would feared the worst, but assumed the best, always hoping that she had lived a full life in the Sengoku Jidai. But this way… To say the least, her mother had not been pleased to discover her daughter had turned into a mythical creature. The truth hurt sometimes.

 

Yet she had needed to inform them. With the changes in her sensory range, and a sudden influx of uncontrollable powers, she found she needed her family's support now more than ever. They were her firm ground, something stable to hold on to in a shifting sea of transformation.

 

And where was Inuyasha? She had assumed the taiyoukai would not actually hurt his own brother. Half-brother, she corrected herself mentally, before wincing. Okay, half-sister now, I guess.

 

When they had fought a week ago, she had assumed they were merely blowing off steam. Neither one had made any real effort to trounce his opponent. Swords had not been drawn. Even when Sesshoumaru had flown away with Inuyasha's prone form, she had assumed the best - they were probably just going somewhere private to `talk' (a.k.a. finish ripping each other to shreds without interference.)

 

But as the days passed, she became more and more alarmed. Inuyasha did not have the Tessaiga; it was resting weightily in her palm, instead. Luckily, the Tessaiga accepted her loving, protective nature, despite the fact she was a youkai now. Yet she had not put in down in a week, intending to give it back to her love the moment he returned. Could the taiyoukai have been serious about … that?

 

Surely not! I mean, she reasoned, They are still siblings, right?

 

But what if Inuyasha was out there… helpless against his brother's demands? And what if his half-brother really demanded … that?

 

Argh! She couldn't even think the words. Years of prudish behavior and forcibly repressed desires, and now she might never be normal again. And her best friend, her first love, might be in dire straights right at this very moment!

 

Worst of all, there was nothing she could do about it. She didn't know where Sesshoumaru lived, and even if they somehow found his residence, what could she say? He had not been interested in bargaining for the Tessaiga, and the only other thing he desired from their group was… apparently… her. Also an alarming concept in its own right.

 

Maybe they could withhold Rin! It would not count as kidnapping, because Rin would be happy and never know the difference. They could merely refuse to return her until he returned Inuyasha. An exchange of prisoners, so to speak. Except Rin was not a prisoner. And if the taiyoukai really wanted her back, there was little anyone could do to stop him, unless the group was willing to traumatize Rin and endanger the entire village.

 

At least one good thing had happened since Inuyasha disappeared. Rin and Kohaku had grown fond of one another, and the boy was clearly on the road to recovery. Kohaku had traveled with Sesshoumaru's group for a time, and the two kids had a lot in common - a strange fascination with a certain stoic taiyoukai being the first item on the list. Obviously, these two would make a good match someday, even if they were still too young to see it.

 

Inhaling deeply, she savored the new scents and sounds of her world and decided begrudgingly that being a full-demon was not such a bad deal. As Shippo had pointed out, at least she would live as long as Inuyasha and her precious kitsune son. And because of the well, she would be able to see her family both in the past and in the future, as long as she remained careful and never crossed paths with her future self. Assuming that she lived that long, of course. She was still a mite puzzled about the lack of youkai in the modern era…

 

With one last prayer that Inuyasha was okay, she rose in a graceful leap and bounded down the hill to greet her friends.

 

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“No way am I surrendering to you,” snarled Inuyasha, “Doesn't matter what you say.”

 

“You would rather the miko take your place then?” taunted the taiyoukai.

 

“Aaaah!” the shorter demon shrieked in an outraged, effeminate voice. “You leave her out of this!” Charging toward his brother once more, Inuyasha made it halfway across the courtyard before his elder stopped the attack with one swipe.

 

Their bokken met with a resounding crack, and Inuyasha quickly realized he would be unable to hold the pose. With his smaller form, it was all he could do to meet his brother's attacks; holding off Sesshoumaru's full weight with this wooden toy was impossible. And how did the bastard employ energy attacks, without using a demonic blade? It was completely unfair.

 

Little by little, Inuyasha realized he was losing ground in the courtyard. Frantically, he shredded a few paving stones with his Soul-Reaving Claw attack, creating a diversionary mist of powdered rock, and took this opportunity to leap above his opponent. He couldn't outrun the bastard, but a sound knock on the head from this height would slow anyone down, even the Lord of the West.

 

Except as the haze cleared, his brother was gone. A shadow alerted him to the presence above, and he found himself crashing to the ground, an energy charged bokken in his back. Owww! moaned Inuyasha internally, gritting his teeth to avoid letting on how much the move had hurt. Not fair! How does he infest a wooden practice sword with youki? It's physically impossible!

 

Flipping onto his back, he prepared to push off with his elbows, only to realize he was trapped against the gravel. The stones below were hot from the summer sun, and a trail of sweat beaded down his face, attracting his adversary's attention. His youkai opponent had maneuvered him into a sort of triangular hold. Sesshoumaru was kneeling at his side, swordpoint at his neck, trapping him beneath the larger man's torso. Inuyasha growled in defiance. Unfortunately, this only increased the smug look on his elder brother's face, as he pressed down with the tip of the bokken, and it swelled with a sickly green power once again. Inuyasha could smell the acrid scent of poison pooling at the tip of the blade, yet somehow it failed to melt the fragile practice instrument.

 

“Surrender,” his brother demanded coldly.

 

“No way.”

 

“You will,” growled the taiyoukai, changing his stance to entrap one of Inuyasha's legs.

 

“Go to hell!” Inuyasha shouted angrily, knowing that in such close quarters the sound would pierce his brother's ears. In fact, the volume of his voice hurt his own ears. But Sesshoumaru kept his composure and merely smirked as a drop of shimmering poison gathered and fell toward his rival's flesh.

 

Rival? Yes, strangely enough. Inuyasha was still his rival, now more than ever before. If the headstrong youkai did not surrender his claim to the miko, the miko might have reservations moving on to greener pastures, such as him. And although Inuyasha was cuter now that he was a she, a relationship between them still seemed impossible. He wasn't a rapist, and he knew full well that his brother would never agree to such terms. But submission wasn't just about mating - it was about dominance. And she would submit.

 

She? Sesshoumaru momentarily pondered this new development. It was the first time he had thought of his brother as a girl, without forcibly reminding himself to do so. Even now, the situation felt strange, although he had been the one to make the wish. He wondered if Inuyasha would learn one day to see himself in this new light too, as a different gender.

 

Probably not. His little brother had always been stubborn and resistant to change. And in the end, this was just as well, because it was all he could do to remember his original goal as the enticing little morsel squirmed beneath his legs. Knowing the person inside was a male, and convincing his body of that truth, were two completely different matters. Especially when her figure felt warm and tempting, and had very, very voluptuous curves…

 

Watching his brother's eyes narrow, Inuyasha decided he didn't like the look he was receiving one bit. His brother seemed distracted from the fight, and his eyes were almost fiery with warmth. Usually when his brother glared at him, it meant he was about to be skewered on the sharp side of a sword, but this time… He didn't know what to think.

 

Then, the falling drop of poison made contact with Inuyasha's skin, and all thought ceased. It felt like the world had burst into flames. By all that was holy, it was ten times worse than ever before - and he had been doused with generous amounts of Sesshoumaru's toxins in the past! Howling in agony, he writhed against his brother's hold, then went limp as the green sludge ate through the skin in his neck and entered his bloodstream.

 

For some reason, relaxing eased the pain slightly. Emphasis on the word slightly. Unable to fathom why it hurt so much, a whimper escaped Inuyasha's lips and he chastised himself for displaying such weakness. But anything was better than such torture, wasn't it? Wait! That wasn't right. He had to get up, had to fight this…

 

“Sesshoumaru,” he spat angrily, “What did you do to me?”

 

“Hn,” his brother remarked, unhelpfully cryptic in his response. “Perhaps the blood does have some instincts after all. Shall I draw out the poison?”

 

The burning sensation had not abated, and Inuyasha felt a tendril of dread coiling around his intestines, as he realized this level of pain had arisen from one drop, just one drop, of the Dokkasou on his skin. If his bastard of a brother had so much power over him, how could he possibly prevail?

 

He was going to have to cheat. If he could trick Sesshoumaru into lowering his guard, then he could run him through with a claw attack. In such close quarters, the attack would surely hit.

 

Nodding his head in agreement, Inuyasha hoped his latest plan would work. The taiyoukai lowered his face to the wound, and the hanyou whimpered again, all while reassuring his bruised ego it was only a ploy to soften the opponent's defenses. He was absolutely not surrendering. Not at all.

 

A touch of tongue to skin, and he flinched away, afraid this was a bad idea after all - but then, he could feel the poison neutralizing, his brother's saliva taking effect as Sesshoumaru gently licked the afflicted area clean. Warmth surged through his muscles, as his brain memorized the novel sensation. With long, slow strokes of his tongue, the taiyoukai seemed to drain away more than just the toxins in his bloodstream; he loosened the tension in his body as well.

 

Sesshoumaru rumbled a low growl of approval deep in his chest, pleased that his unruly partner was finally behaving. And for a moment, all Inuyasha could think was… Wow, I had no idea his tongue could be so smooth… All ideas of an attack forgotten, the young youkai relaxed further in his brother's hold, his head dipping back to scrape the ground.

 

Perhaps, it was so remarkable for the taiyoukai to sound happy that Inuyasha's shock was excusable. But, whether the behavior was reasonable or not, it did not change the anger Inuyasha felt, when he realized what he was doing. Shit! he cursed in silent horror, I'm enjoying this! No way!

 

“You sick bastard!” he shrieked then, hating himself and blaming his brother, “Get off me!” With a well-placed shove, he managed to unseat his brother and roll their bodies apart.

 

Unfortunately, Sesshoumaru's claws had pierced the fabric of Inuyasha's kimono during their little… interlude… and this move only worsened the situation. Because Inuyasha never understood how to properly tie an obi, nor did he grasp the mechanics of fighting in women's clothing, the garment was already loose, and his frantic maneuver pulled the kimono open completely.

 

He could feel a draft of cooling air on his chest and heard his brother inhale sharply in surprise. Well, at least it got a reaction out of him, thought Inuyasha glumly. Feminine modesty he did not have. General embarrassment though? Definitely. When the lecher merely continued to stare, Inuyasha growled in frustration and yanked the fabric back in his direction. It ripped to shreds, one sleeve and half the top remaining in his brother's fist, and the other half limply hanging from his now almost fully exposed torso.

 

Quickly tearing a length of fabric from the bottom of the kimono, Inuyasha wrapped it around his chest, grumbling about the unfairness of life. But it was not the sight of a female body that had stunned Sesshoumaru. These, he had seen before. What had left him speechless were the hundreds of silver and red scars tracing their way across Inuyasha's figure, from front to back.

 

How could the boy have gotten so many? He wasn't old enough to be so scarred. The marks were of various ages, some so pale they were almost white, and others so red they must have come from the recent fight against Naraku. He saw scars from every conceivable kind of weapon - claws, blades, blunt instruments, puncture wounds… Even, he noted, one from the time he had put a hand through Inuyasha's chest, a lasting testament to how he had treated his little brother in the past.

 

And right then, Sesshoumaru learned something about his brother.

 

The taiyoukai was not used to feeling guilty, so it took a while to sink in, but when it did it stung like hell. At first, he tried to blame Inuyasha's hanyou heritage. If the boy had been born a full-demon, he reasoned, his healing capabilities would have been better, and he would never have formed so many scars. Yet this did not change the fact that he had such a huge number of them. It was appalling. It looked like everyone, including idiotic human villagers with pitchforks, had gotten in a cheap shot.

 

He had announced once that Inuyasha was his to kill. Had he really believed it would keep others from hunting and hurting the hanyou?

 

After a long pause, the silk sleeve he had been holding fluttered to the ground, and Sesshoumaru took to the sky without a word, leaving behind a puzzled Inuyasha.