InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Brotherly Love ❯ Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I don't make any money from fanfiction madness. Sheesh.

 

Author Note: My SessKag fans are mad that Inuyasha is taking over the story, and the SessInu fans are confused why Kagome is even there… sniffle. I hope you all enjoy it!

 

Brotherly Love 06:

 

“Get up.”

 

The command didn't make sense at first. Inuyasha was too tired from his experience the day before to process words well. After an exhausting fight with his brother, he had decided to make the best of Sesshoumaru's absence and attempt an escape. Using his new sensory abilities to check if anyone else was nearby, he had leapt to the rooftops, only to discover a shield barrier now surrounded that entire wing of the castle.

 

It was unfortunate that his escape attempt had failed so quickly, but still, it had been good to explore. For a few hours Inuyasha had enjoyed his freedom, wandering through the corridors of a seemingly empty palace-wing that smelled vaguely like home, although he knew it was not. For an ex-hanyou, any feeling of belonging, even a false one, was a welcome diversion. After sunset, he had returned to his rooms, falling asleep to the soothing sound of crickets and a gentle nighttime breeze.

 

Yet his sleep had been too restful, it seemed. His brother had snuck up on him - again - and was now standing over him with a sword. Gah! This back and forth, passive-aggressive behavior was getting on his nerves. Why didn't the bastard kill him already?

 

“Get up,” the taiyoukai repeated, dropping a bundle of items at his side. “We will train.”

 

Inuyasha came fully awake at this. Any more training like yesterday, and he was going to need new clothes immediately. Indeed, it seemed his brother had thought along the same lines. There, on the floor lay hakama and gi for him to wear! At last a respectable, masculine outfit! Even if it hugged his effeminate figure in all the wrong places, he could fight much better in men's clothing than a kimono. Tearing the remains of his once-beautiful kimono into pieces, Inuyasha used the scraps to bind his chest, and dressed in the proffered clothing, privately swearing he would never allow his brother to clothe him like a girl again.

 

Sesshoumaru was waiting for him outside the room, and as he entered the hallway, the white demon moved away, authoritatively gliding over wooden planks in the floor without a sound. Inuyasha suppressed a twinge of excitement when he realized they were walking in a new direction, not toward the courtyard. Yes, it was disgusting to follow along behind his brother like an obedient puppy, but for the moment, he was eager to know where they were going.

 

As if in response to the unspoken question, Sesshoumaru explained curtly, “It is unacceptable that you can no longer use Tessaiga effectively. You fought better as a pitiful hanyou. This will change.”

 

Bristling at his brother's sneering tone, one he had heard often over the years, Inuyasha instantly lost his temper. “Ya, well look who can't touch the sword at all?”

 

“After considering the problem at length, this Sesshoumaru has come to a conclusion,” continued the taiyoukai, calmly ignoring his younger sibling's taunt. “The Tessaiga does not respond to those with full-demon blood, yet it does respond to those with a desire to protect. Although these things seem incompatible, perhaps if the user's desire to protect is stronger than the impact of his full-youkai blood, then the barrier will drop.”

 

Inuyasha had never really thought about it like that. As a hanyou, he had accepted Tessaiga as a gift from the gods. His mighty father, the Inu no Taisho, had wanted him to have it, so the sword's barrier had been designed to keep all others away (namely Sesshoumaru). Yet the blade blocked all youkai, and surely his youkai father had used the blade too. At the very least, he had placed barriers on the sword before his death. So, it was fair to assume the Inu no Taisho must have touched the blade at least once, after the barriers were created. How could that be possible, unless Sesshoumaru was right?

 

There was more to the story, of course. Sesshoumaru had carefully left out the word “human” from his little speech. A desire to protect (humans) was needed to truly wield the sword. Er… at least this was the way Kagome had explained it to him. Once again he wondered how Kagome had deduced such a fact, and whether she had understood the situation correctly. Did his brother know something they didn't?

 

Wrapped up in his thoughts, Inuyasha did not even pause when they reached the dojo and the ceiling suddenly stretched up into the rafters. This indoor practice space was huge compared to other rooms in the castle, and if he hadn't been so focused on the mystery of Tessaiga, Inuyasha would have been enraptured by the space. Truly, his brother had the money and resources of a lord.

 

Instead, the sword occupied his attention, forcing Inuyasha to realize a wrinkle in his brother's plan. “Hey wait! How can I train with Tessaiga, if it isn't here?”

 

With one brow raised, the taiyoukai carefully inspected his little brother's face. Surely, his own flesh and blood was not so obtuse. Obviously, he had retrieved said item, so it could be used. As to how he had retrieved it… Well…

 

“Inuyasha!” a familiar voice yelled from one side, “You came!”

 

There, tied to the wall, was Kagome. Inuyasha whipped around upon hearing his name, but he did not recognize her for a moment, since her scent and figure were fundamentally different as a demoness. However, he would have known her shrill tone anywhere. How many times had he rescued her from life-threatening situations and heard that yell?

 

“Kagome?!” the ex-hanyou blurted out, feeling like the world had suddenly tilted on its axis. What in the world was she doing here? In Sesshoumaru's domain? No! It could only mean one thing. “Sesshoumaru, you arrogant asshole, what did you do to her?”

 

With a subtle, satisfied smirk, the elder youkai faced his sibling. Amazing that it had taken the youth so long to notice the miko's predicament. “It was my understanding,” he answered haughtily, “that you needed something to protect?”

 

Tense silence held sway over the dojo's inhabitants for a moment, before Inuyasha understood the hidden threat in his brother's words. If he didn't win this fight, then Kagome would die. As usual, the thought of her peril enraged and worried him all at once. His blood heated up, and he felt a frustrated scream waiting to burst from his chest, but he refused to vent his anger. First he needed to beat this arrogant asshole once and for all! And for that, he needed to master the Tessaiga. Er… Re-master it… Again.

 

Growling with as much menace as he could muster, Inuyasha stepped forward, and his brother threw him the weapon. As the Fang of his father soared through the air, he reached up to catch it instinctively - this time, it did not deny him. With a satisfied smirk, Inuyasha scoffed at his brother. Perhaps this would be easier than he had thought. The instant he imagined Kagome in danger, the blade accepted him. All that remained was to pound his over-confident, ill-tempered sibling with a couple of Kaze no Kizu, and they could go home. Didn't Sesshoumaru realize a `Red' Tessaiga attack could break any barriers placed around the castle to restrain him?

 

Kagome, on the other hand, watched and wondered what the taiyoukai had up his sleeve. Using a sword was not the same thing as mastering it, and she fully recalled Inuyasha's past difficulties with this concept. The way things stood now, if he stopped concentrating even for a moment, the barrier on the blade would reject him. Plus, she had a sinking feeling that the deck was stacked in Sesshoumaru's favor. Even if Inuyasha won the battle, he would lose the war, for by successfully using Tessaiga, he would demonstrate to his brother how to wield it as a full-demon. The taiyoukai might simply take the sword, once he understood how to bypass its safety-guards.

 

And then there was the little matter of her situation…

 

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

 

Sure enough, half-way through the fight, Inuyasha succumbed to his brother's taunts, and forgot he was supposed to be `protecting' her, during the fight. The hissing of electricity and a clatter of metal against wood awoke her from her stupor, and she looked up to see her protector, eyes-closed, on the ground.

 

Oops, Kagome thought with chagrin. I guess I zoned out for a while. It wasn't that the fight was uninteresting. Watching two super-powered demons try to kill each other was always fascinating, especially when chained to a wall, with a front row seat. Yet she had seen this particular scenario so many times, and the boys had behaved this way for so many years… After a while, she found herself focusing on the discomfort in her arms and wrists instead. These chains were so uncomfortable!

 

Besides, she already had known how the fight would end.

 

Turning toward her now, Sesshoumaru came closer, his silent tread at odds with his deep breathing. Silvery white hair hung thickly about his face, damp after his workout. Good. At least Inuyasha had given him a hard time of it.

 

As he drew near, Kagome shrank back against the wall and glared at the taiyoukai. “You promised you wouldn't hurt him,” she reminded him sharply.

 

“He is unharmed,” came a quick reply.

 

Was it her imagination, or was Sesshoumaru actually tired? He seemed to be doing a good job of hiding it… But he wasn't meeting her eyes, and his movements were sluggish compared to his usual fluidity.

 

“Well, aren't you going to let me down from here?” Despite her deal with the demon lord, Kagome was anxious to check on Inuyasha personally. `Unharmed' in the language of youkai could mean anything from `mildly injured' to `seriously maimed.'

 

At this, his golden eyes seemed to glaze over, and he hesitated.

 

Surely, he was not seriously contemplating the question? Shifting uneasily, Kagome wriggled in place. Really, there was nothing to think about - she would make a terrible wall-decoration. Noisy, smelly, and irritable to boot. Wall-art was supposed to be pleasant and agreeable.

 

Tugging on her chains to show what she thought of the delay, the miko cleared her throat. “That was sort of a rhetorical question. Given that we have an agreement and all, and I know you will not go back on your word.”

 

“Of course, miko.” With a brief nod, the taiyoukai unclasped her arms from the bindings and removed himself a few paces, still looking at her strangely, but without the vacant, worrisome look of a few seconds ago. Kagome edged around him, shivering as his eyes followed her every movement across the floor, and quickly she made her way to her best friend's side.

 

It was cold of him to do this at all, but the demon had played fair. True to his word, Inuyasha lay unharmed, only unconscious. Relieved, she gently reached out to touch his head, where lovely, silver ears had been once. Yes, she was going to miss those. With her attention totally focused on Inuyasha, Kagome never saw the taiyoukai quickly glance away, as her hand stroked silver hair.

 

Apologizing to her long-time protector in her heart, Kagome prayed things were better this way. Sesshoumaru had come to her with a proposal, one even stranger than his last. He wished to train his half-brother to use Tessaiga, and for that he would need her assistance. In return, she would agree to live at the Western Lord's castle until the training was complete. It had been an unexpected suggestion, and quite generous of the taiyoukai really. Of course, this was exactly what made it so bizarre. When had Sesshoumaru ever taken the time to `train' his brother in the past? Why begin now?

 

After asking a number of questions, to ensure it was not a trick, Kagome had agreed upon certain conditions. One, she must be allowed to stay by Inuyasha's side. Two, the taiyoukai had to promise not to hurt her friends, any of them! And finally, once Inuyasha had mastered the Tessaiga, they were to be freed, unconditionally.

 

The last qualification she had tacked on as a safety valve, knowing the taiyoukai could easily side-step the demand, by stating that Inuyasha had not `mastered' the sword yet. However, it ensured Sesshoumaru would not push his brother too hard, and it meant that Inuyasha would strive to train as quickly and vigorously as possible. Plus, it had distracted Sesshoumaru from thinking too hard about her first two requests.

 

A fact which was bothering the taiyoukai, at this point. She had insisted on access to Inuyasha's quarters, to be near his side. Which meant the two companions would be together again. Two lovely lady demons, sharing a room, right beside his own, and neither one of them showing a whit of interest in paying any attention to him at all. The elder demon didn't know quite to make of it.

 

“I shall return him to his chambers now,” announced the white demon, stiffly.

 

The miko nodded sadly and moved away, casting such an innocent, longing look toward Inuyasha that Sesshoumaru had to refrain from growling. It would never do to let her know how deeply the situation was affecting him. Quite frankly though, it was. Somehow his half-brother always seemed to disrupt his plans - why hadn't he killed the brat when he had the chance? So many opportunities lost.

 

Unknown to the taiyoukai's disgruntled thoughts though, the miko was currently enthralled by the picturesque image he presented. It had always bothered her that the two brothers could never get along. Oh, there had been plenty of other worries to occupy her mind - Miroku's wind tunnel, Sango's tragic past, her dubious life in the future… But if she had been asked to name one personal pet peeve, it would have been watching these two brothers battle over the smallest things, every time they came into contact. Families, she believed, should stick together. When her Father had died, the rest of the family had grown close, not purposefully driven each other apart.

 

But as Sesshoumaru cradled his brother's womanly figure and carried him to their chambers, Kagome watched and wondered. It was a beautiful scene, for all its weirdness. The elder youkai unconsciously handled his little brother with care, demonstrating a softer side that she hadn't known he possessed, and their silvery hair mingled as Inuyasha shifted softly on his brother's shoulder, curling inward as if seeking comfort. Truly, they presented a picture of unearthly beauty, and their blood-ties showed even more clearly when they were side by side. Perhaps, she mused at last, Sesshoumaru isn't any more honest with himself and others, than Inuyasha is.

 

In the past, he had tried to kill them, and he never failed to state his perpetual hatred of all things human and hanyou, so it seemed beyond strange for Sesshoumaru to make such a wish. Yet Midoriko had looked into his heart and stated with conviction that the wish was unselfish. The old Sesshoumaru, proud and powerful, who attacked them in his Father's gravesite from greed and hatred, seemed irreconcilable with the new Sesshoumaru, who protected Rin and sought to avenge Kagura. Yes, the wish had been highly inappropriate, and it was the wrong way to go about asking for… female companionship, but the taiyoukai had never been good at speaking his mind. Maybe he was tongue-tied, like Inuyasha, when it came to all things female. Maybe he was lonely too.

 

Even before Naraku's defeat, she had begun to re-evaluate him. Her opinion of him had changed upon meeting Rin, and the feeling had only grown stronger when he rescued her from Mukotsu. But when they had happened upon him in the meadow where Kagura died, she thought she had never seen such sorrow on his face. The rest of the group had been trying to observe Kagura - after all, they had been chasing her scent, not Sesshoumaru, but Kagome had found herself watching him, watching her. After that, she couldn't help but feel he was not as apathetic as he made himself out to be.

 

And now, she had a new puzzle to work on, a new facet of his character to consider.

 

If only Miroku were here! He was far better at evaluating people. But her friends had agreed to remain in the village, while she `rescued' Inuyasha, all the while hoping against hope that it wouldn't come down to that.

 

As Sesshoumaru laid his brother on a futon, in the stark, empty room they had been allotted, she bowed to the white demon and noticed his eyes go wide with surprise. What? Was it really that unbelievable that she would show respect to him?

 

Okay, maybe it was. She had always been rude in the past. But this one time, he had been decent - he was trying to help his little brother, so she would do her best to help him too. With a tentative smile, she bid the taiyoukai a good-evening, and turned to face her friend.