InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Concrete Rose ❯ Bad History ( Chapter 13 )

Concrete Rose

 

Chapter 13: Bad History

 

 

 

 

Sesshomaru stepped through the brush just as Rin opened her eyes. Kagome was coming around also. Her face was still puffy and red from all her crying. She saw Sesshomaru approaching them. Rin stood up and dusted herself off. Sesshomaru pulled Tenseiga out of the ground and looked down at her.

 

“Are you hurt?” he asked. Rin shook her head quickly. She turned and looked at Kagome. Kagome had drawn her knees up to her chest and was staring at the ground. Rin looked back at Sesshomaru. Sesshomaru said nothing.

 

“Damnit, Sesshomaru! You cheated!” they heard coming from the trees. Kagome looked over as Kai came through the brush. She stopped next to him and hit him on the back of his head. Sesshomaru closed his eyes and growled softly; he had to remember who Kai was.

 

“Yeah! Turning into that damn ball of light is not fair!” Rin heard Koga yell. He came through the brush next. He saw Rin and smirked a bit. Rin smiled and nodded slightly at him. Sesshomaru noticed this interaction and squeezed his fists together. He was beginning to loathe Koga more and more. He sniffed the air and sighed.

 

“Koga!” a very loud and angry voice yelled. Kagome's head snapped up. She stood up quickly and looked around.

 

Suddenly, a flash of red, white, and brown ran behind Koga and kicked him in the back. Koga went flying head first to the grass. He landed at Rin's feet. Koga recovered quickly and turned to face and very displeased and agitated Inuyasha. Inuyasha had mud all over his face and body. They stared malevolently each other, fists balled and ready to pounce.

 

Rin looked over at Kagome. She was staring at Inuyasha with teary eyes. Inuyasha had not seemed to notice her yet. He was still staring at Koga with a high amount of malice.

 

“What's your problem, mutt? Isn't brown your color?” Koga yelled. Kai pinched the bridge of her nose. Sesshomaru just sighed. Rin crossed her arms and shook her head.

 

“Why'd you do that, huh? You're saying Sesshomaru cheated? You purposely jumped on my head and pushed me into the mud! You're the fuc...” Inuyasha was silenced by Kagome throwing herself into him. She was crying hysterically again. Inuyasha looked down at her.

 

“Inuyasha,” she said through tears. Inuyasha looked confused.

 

“Why are you crying?” he asked, truly perplexed. Kagome just continued to cry, completely ignoring his question for the time being. Inuyasha put his arms around her. After she's calmed down enough to talk, she looked up at him with watery eyes.

 

“I thought you were gone,” she said. Inuyasha's face softened. He just sighed. “I was so scared.”

 

“Sesshomaru brought me ba...” Inuyasha stopped again. The heat of Kagome's body had abandoned him.

 

Sesshomaru opened his eyes as he felt a body slam into him, nearly knocking him down. He took a step back as he saw a mass of black hair beneath his chin. Rin, Kai, Koga, and Inuyasha watched with wide eyes as Kagome clung to Sesshomaru. Sesshomaru stared down at her, clearly unsure of what to do. He looked up at his younger brother. Inuyasha was looking just as shocked as the rest of them.

 

“Thank you for bringing him back, Sesshomaru,” she whispered into his chest. Sesshomaru was still holding his hands out as if Kagome was contaminated. He looked back at Inuyasha. Inuyasha was now fighting laughter. Kai and Rin had already given into the temptation and were holding their sides. Sesshomaru lowered his hands slowly and hugged Kagome quickly and released her. Kagome smirked and stepped back from him.

 

“Uh, you're welcome,” Sesshomaru muttered. He looked around at the others. Inuyasha and Kai were leaning against each other. Tears ran down their faces. Rin and Koga were on the ground, laughing just as hard.

 

“You guys, it's really not that funny,” Kagome said, walking over to her things.

 

“Yeah, it is,” they all said at the same time. Sesshomaru's right arm was itching to grab Tokujin and kill them all. Instead, he looked towards the east. He could smell Ikeike all the way from here.

 

Much later, while Kagome and Kai were bathing, Sesshomaru sat in a tree. He closed his eyes as he heard footsteps beneath him. He turned his head to see Rin standing there, looking up him with big brown eyes. He sighed.

 

“What is it that you want?” he asked. Rin considered him for a moment. Somehow, Sesshomaru could sense the question that she was about to ask. He closed his eyes and prepared himself for it.

 

“What happened between you and that other inu youkai, Ikeike?” she asked. Sesshomaru sensed another approaching him. His eyes narrowed when he noticed that it was everyone else.

 

`Great. Now they'll all want to hear the story,' he thought dismally. Everyone was staring up at him. Sesshomaru sighed and looked back out at the sky.

 

“Well...”

 

110 years ago...

 

Sesshomaru walked through the forest with Ah-Un following closely behind him. Gifts were strapped to the two-headed youkai. Today had been particularly uneventful. He hated being dragged to diplomatic meetings. Most of the other clans attempted to throw their daughters at him in hopes of their clans joining. He sighed at the thought; none of the other demonesses struck his interest in any way.

 

Sesshomaru stopped in his tracks. He sniffed the air as the wind blew towards him. The scent of blood was very near. He turned his head to the left and started running towards the offending smell. Ah-Un stayed behind, watching its master run off. Soon, he heard the jeers. Sesshomaru stopped as he arrived at the source of the blood.

 

Two cat youkai were standing side by side and looking at a tree. Sesshomaru looked up and saw two hands tied together by what looked to be a very strong vine. The hands were small and the fingers hung limply.

 

“Normally, we would kill slaves for running away from Lord Samuru. From what Lord Samuru said, you were definitely his favorite. Now, he wanted you back in one piece, but it's apparent that you did not want to come quietly. Iwo, would you kindly do the honors?” one of the youkai said. Iwo nodded and stepped to the side.

 

Sesshomaru looked at the female youkai that was being held captive. She looked like she could barely stand up. Her chest was exposed for the entire world to see. Her white hair indicated that she was an inu youkai like Sesshomaru. She had scratches all over her arms. Her face was vacant of any expression. Iwo touched her face. She turned her glare on him.

 

“You're such a pretty bitch. Why would you want us to rough you up? If you weren't the boss' favorite, you would've been my slave. I've always had a soft spot for pretty bitches like you. You owe us a scream, you know,” he said. The female continued to stare at him.

 

“Scream on this,” she whispered. She made a disgusting noise at the back of her throat and spat a mixture of mucus, saliva, and blood at Iwo. It landed directly in his face. The other youkai laughed as Iwo wiped it off of him. The female was still glaring maliciously at him. Before she knew it, Iwo's hand went across her face. Her white hair hid her face.

 

“Turn her, Genra,” Iwo said. Genra, the other youkai, nodded and turned the female's body around. Sesshomaru flinched as he saw her back. It was littered with cuts from a whip.

 

“You will scream, little one,” Genra whispered to the female. She narrowed her eyes in defiance as Iwo pulled out a whip. He raised his hand and slashed down at her back. She kept staring at Genra with fierce eyes. Sesshomaru could see the pain in them, but she did not make one single noise. Deciding he could not let them torture this poor female any longer, he lashed out from his hiding place.

 

The female gasped as Genra's head fell to the ground. Iwo stopped whipping her and looked around to see Sesshomaru standing there. He looked down at the body of his fallen comrade and stepped back.

 

“Release her,” Sesshomaru said in a placid voice. Iwo continued to back up. He soon turned tail and ran off into the woods, leaving Sesshomaru and the female youkai alone. She looked at Sesshomaru with wide eyes. He used his claws to cut the vines and the girl fell into his arms.

 

“Domo arigatou,” she whispered before passing out.

 

Sesshomaru held her up, not knowing what to do. He couldn't just leave her. Instead, he picked her up and carried her back to where he left Ah-Un. His faithful servant was still in his place when Sesshomaru arrived. Sesshomaru opened one of the gifts, revealing silk drapes. He wrapped them around the female's body and placed her on Ah-Un's back.

 

After about two hours, Sesshomaru heard the female awaken behind him. He did not turn, confident that she would say something to him. She looked around her and saw the scenery change. She tried to sit up and winced in pain.

 

“It would be better if you did not move too much. You're wounds are very extensive and you will need to be treated,” he said calmly. He heard the female scoff. Sesshomaru slowed down and let Ah-Un come up beside him. He looked at the female.

 

“Why'd you save me?” she asked.

 

“It was dishonorable what those youkai were doing to you. I could not let it go on any further,” Sesshomaru said simply.

 

“From the way you are dressed, am I right in assuming that you are one of importance?”

 

“Hai.”

 

“Who are you?”

 

“The Lord of the Western Lands.”

 

“Not one for conversation, are you?” the female said. Sesshomaru turned his head slowly towards her. The girl certainly had a mouth on her. She was staring down at Sesshomaru with amber eyes just like his. Their eyes met. The female immediately looked away.

 

When they arrived at Sesshomaru's estate, Sesshomaru picked the female up off of Ah-Un, jarring her awake. He threw her unceremoniously over his shoulder.

 

“What the hell are you doing?” she yelled at him. Sesshomaru ignored her. “Answer me, damnit!” she screamed.

 

“You are in no condition to walk. Will you not accept help from this Sesshomaru?” Sesshomaru said. The female relaxed in his grasp as he continued to carry her. Soon, they met up with another female youkai. She examined the girl wrapped in Sesshomaru's arms.

 

“My lord, what happened to her?”

 

“She was being tortured. Fix her up and give her some decent clothes, Suki,” Sesshomaru said, putting the female down. She wobbled on her feet and looked at Suki. Suki looked her up and down and then back at Sesshomaru. She inclined her head.

 

“Hai, my lord,” she said. She pulled the female along. In minutes, the female found herself lying on a futon with her back exposed. Suki and a few other youkai were standing over her, tending to the wounds on her back. The wounds were on top of scars. “What brutal monster did this, my child?” Suki asked.

 

“A cat youkai named Samuru,” the female said dismally. Suki nodded.

 

“Come along,” Suki said. She began walking out of the room. They came to a bath house outside the castle. A steaming bath was waiting for the female. She looked apprehensively at the water. Suki gestured for her to get in. “It's just water,” she said. The female nodded and took her kimono off. She got in the water and sat in it.

 

Sesshomaru looked up from the scrolls he was reading. For some reason he could not concentrate on what he was doing; the female youkai seemed to have captured his thoughts. He wondered what she was doing at the exact moment. By now, Suki was probably giving her a bath. It was then that a knock came at his door. Sesshomaru looked towards the door and caught the scent of the female youkai.

 

“Enter,” he said. The door slid open and revealed the young female. She stepped inside, wearing an all white kimono. Her skin was devoid of the dirt and dried blood that had once plagued it. Her silver hair was thrown over her right shoulder in a braid.

 

“I have done what you asked of me, my lord,” Sesshomaru heard Suki say from behind the female youkai. For the first time in his life, Sesshomaru could not say anything in response; he was still staring at the female. Suki cleared her throat loudly and Sesshomaru blinked. He turned his eyes toward her.

 

“Domo arigatou, Suki. You are dismissed,” he said. Suki bowed and left the room, sliding the door closed. The female approached Sesshomaru.

 

“I look a bit different without blood covering me, don't I?” she asked with a smug look on her face. Sesshomaru did not respond to her comment. Instead he stood up to meet her approaching form. She looked up at him in his eyes. “I'm Ikeike,” she whispered slowly. She definitely had a piercing stare.

 

“Sesshomaru,” he said in return. Ikeike nodded.

 

Over the next few weeks, Ikeike followed Sesshomaru almost wherever he went. The Lord of the Western Lands tolerated it, thinking it interesting that she was so intrigued with him. She never spoke to him, but just tried to secretly follow him.

 

One day, he grew tired of her staring and sighed. Ikeike raised an eyebrow. Sesshomaru never sighed for no particular reason. She stopped moving in her tree and continued to watch him, wondering what was wrong. She saw him move his hand and crack his fingers. The popping sound was especially loud to her and he knew it; females tended to have more sensitive hearing than males.

 

“How long are you going to continue to follow me around without ever making yourself known?” Sesshomaru asked. Ikeike blinked. He had just spoken to her. Smirking, she jumped down from the tree and landed behind him. Sesshomaru turned around to look at her. Her hair was in a braid that was thrown over her left shoulder. He raised an eyebrow at her attire. “Were the kimonos I bought for you not good enough?” he asked. Ikeike just laughed. She wore a black unitard.

 

“They're quite nice, Sesshomaru. I'm just not used t feeling so constricted,” she said.

 

“So you think dressing like some sort of demon slayer will rectify that?” he asked. Kimi just laughed again.

 

“Call it what you will, but I prefer this over a kimono,” Kimi paused. “You want to actually acknowledge my presence now, eh?”

 

“You've been following me around since you were healed. Do you think that I cannot hear you? Much less smell you?” Sesshomaru asked. Ikeike just gave him a look and walked past him. She looked out at the setting sun. Sesshomaru just looked at the side of her face. She really was beautiful.

 

“I've never been completely and totally free before. Now that I am, I have no idea how to spend my time. So, I follow you around.” Ikeike turned to face him and her eyes met his amber ones. “Plus, I king of like you. You fascinate me,” she said.

 

Neither knew how long they stood there staring at each other, but Sesshomaru was thoroughly surprised when Ikeike jumped up to kiss him. His eyes widened and he just stared at her. As if she realized what she was doing, Ikeike almost immediately withdrew.

 

“I'm so sorry. I don't know what came over me. Um, I'll see you at dinner,” she said quickly. Ikeike turned and began to walk away as fast as she could without running. Sesshomaru just stood there with a dazed expression on his face. He shook it off and caught up with her.

 

“Wait,” he said. Ikeike did not stop walking. Sesshomaru grabbed her hand and turned her around.

 

“I said I was so...” She was cut off as Sesshomaru kissed her.

 

Many months later, news was spreading that someone was going around attacking different lords. They were apparently looking for someone. Sesshomaru feared that this could mean that Ikeike's previous captors were looking for her. This was also not very good. These cat youkai were waging war. That was why Sesshomaru had two demonic swords forged for Ikeike, Senketsu and Ryuuketsu.

 

“Damnit, Sesshomaru! Stay still so I can hit you!” Ikeike yelled. Sesshomaru smirked and jumped out of Ikeike's way. She was a very fast learner and she was nearly as good as him. He landed softly on the ground behind her. Ikeike turned quickly to face him.

 

“You are slacking, Ikeike. You have not managed to hit this Sesshomaru once. You might even be worse than my pathetic brother,” Sesshomaru said. Ikeike frowned. She looked up and an idea came to mind. She ran forward at full speed. Sesshomaru readied himself. He was taken completely off guard when Ikeike jumped up.

 

“Don't ever compare me to that rueful hanyou!” Ikeike yelled. She threw both Senketsu and Ryuuketsu at Sesshomaru. He smirked and easily blocked them. However, during his counter, he lost track of Ikeike. He sensed her behind him. As he turned around, the female youkai scratched at his abdomen. Her poisonous attack melted through his armor and haori, drawing blood. Sesshomaru jumped back.

 

Ikeike admired her handiwork as she watched Sesshomaru examine his wound. She looked at the blood on her hand. She held it up. For some reason, she was compelled to lick it. She smiled and looked at Sesshomaru.

 

“My, my. What sweet blood you have, Sesshomaru,” she said. Sesshomaru looked up from his wound and saw Ikeike licking her hand. “If this is what I get when I slice you open, I should do it more often,” she laughed. Sesshomaru raised an eyebrow.

 

“My lord!” Sesshomaru heard Jaken yelling. Both he and Ikeike turned to face the little imp. Ikeike frowned at him for having interrupted their sparring session.

 

“What is it, Jaken?” Sesshomaru asked, standing upright. Jaken noticed that wound in his abdomen and glared at Ikeike. Ikeike was too busy retrieving Senketsu and Ryuuketsu to notice his murderous glare. “Jaken, you are losing my patience.”

 

“Oh, right, my lord. You have a visitor,” the imp said as the wind blew. Ikeike inhaled as it blew through her hair. Her eyes widened and she turned towards the castle.

 

“Who is it, Jaken?”

 

“He would not say, my lord. He is dressed as someone of importance and he wishes to have an audience with you,” Jaken said. Sesshomaru nodded and started to walk towards the castle. Ikeike hung back a little bit before following them in.

 

After changing, Sesshomaru walked into his study. The scent of a cat youkai overwhelmed him. He resisted the urge to growl and looked around. A cat youkai with red hair was sitting watching him walk in. He smirked as Sesshomaru stepped up to him.

 

“Lord Sesshomaru. I have heard so much about you,” the youkai said. Sesshomaru nodded.

 

“And you are?”

 

“I am Lord Samuru of the Red Cats,” he said. Sesshomaru nodded.

 

“What is your business with me?” Sesshomaru asked. He already knew the answer to that question. He did not even know why he asked it. Samuru just gave him a toothy grin.

 

“By now, I am sure you have heard of the other clans being attacked. I am looking for a young and beautiful inu youkai named Ikeike. She might be called the female version of you. She escaped some time ago and, silly me, I killed the one who was sent back after she escaped. He did say that someone had saved her. In my anger, I killed him. In retrospect, I think that was bit of a bad idea. Don't you?” Samuru asked.

 

“Hai,” Sesshomaru said.

 

“Well, all I want is the bitch back. She was my personal favorite and I can't see myself without her any longer,” Samuru said.

 

“I see. Won't you stay the night, Lord Samuru? I can send scouts out to look for her tonight. By morning, we should have a trail for her that I can send you along,” Sesshomaru said. Samuru blinked.

 

“Your offer is most kind, Lord Sesshomaru. I will gladly accept.”

 

Later that night, Sesshomaru went to Ikeike's room. She was not there waiting for him as she usually did. Sighing, Sesshomaru went outside and tried to pick up her scent. Catching onto it, he followed it deep within the forest. He found her sitting on a tree branch and staring out at the river.

 

“And why have you run away?” Sesshomaru asked from the ground. Ikeike looked down at him.

 

“I'm not going back with that arrogant buffoon. I'm not going back to be his slave,” she said. Sesshomaru nodded.

 

“Besides that torture, what has he done to you?” he called up to her. Ikeike took a deep breath and closed her eyes. She rolled off the tree branch and landed on her feet a few feet away from Sesshomaru.

 

“Oh, he only tortured me when I was naughty, Sesshomaru. The torture I could take. It was what he did while I was obedient that was far worse,” she said.

 

“What was that?” Sesshomaru asked. Ikeike began slowly walking towards him.

 

“After I was sold to him by my own clan, he immediately took a liking to me over all the rest of his slaves. He is a rapist and nothing more. Imagine having that done to you over and over until you cannot walk. Imagine being whipped whenever you refuse him, and then afterwards raped. I'm never going back with him,” Ikeike said.

 

“I see.”

 

Neither of them sensed the youkai around them, overhearing their entire conversation.

 

The next morning, Samuru and Sesshomaru stood talking.

 

“I am sorry, Lord Samuru. I could not locate her for you. Perhaps you should try the Northern Lands,” Sesshomaru said. Samuru nodded with a light smirk on his face. It was then that a scream echoed through the air. Sesshomaru whirled around to see Ikeike being held by several cat youkai.

 

“Well, it seems that my servants have found her after all. You should not have lied, Sesshomaru,” Samuru said. Sesshomaru turned back towards him.

 

“Let her go,” he said in a deadly voice. Samuru shook his head.

 

“She is mine and I intend to keep it that way.” Samuru sauntered pass Sesshomaru. “Either she can come with us right now or we can wage war. I know that the White Inu Clan cannot afford more losses; there are so few of you left. You don't want to be responsible for the death of every youkai in your clan, would you Sesshomaru? What's one little bitch to every other youkai?” Samuru asked. Sesshomaru did not make a move. What Samuru said was definitely true; there really weren't that many of his clan left. He held his head down.

 

Ikeike watched Sesshomaru lower his head. He was going to give her up. She could tell. Did her love for him mean nothing at all? Did he even love her? After all this time under his roof, he just willingly gives her up.

 

“Take her,” Sesshomaru said quietly. Samuru smiled.

 

“I knew you'd see it my way.” Samuru left with Ikeike being dragged along behind him. When they were outside, he walked up to Ikeike. She growled low in her throat as he grew closer. He seemed to be analyzing her. “You smell different,” he said. Ikeike raised an eyebrow. She knew exactly what he meant by that. It took male inu youkai a bit longer to smell it, though.

 

“Don't you fucking touch me,” Ikeike said in a low voice. Sesshomaru watched from the doorway. He could hear every word that was being said.

 

“You've let him touch you, I see. Now you carry his seed. This I cannot have,” he said, touching her stomach. Sesshomaru had never noticed it until now, but there was a slight bulge in it. Before he could do anything, Samuru used his claws to slice her open. Ikeike screamed in utter agony.

 

“No...” Sesshomaru said.

 

“You just LET him do that to her?” Rin exclaimed. Sesshomaru winced at her shrieking. He continued to stare off into the horizon.

 

“I had no choice,” he mumbled.

 

“If I were Ikeike, I had you too,” Koga said absentmindedly. Sesshomaru just sighed and closed his eyes.

 

“If this Sesshomaru knew that you all were going to pass judgment, I would not have told the story. I did not ask your opinions nor do I care to hear them. If I had known that she was with child, I would not have let her go. She did not tell me and she was not that far along so I could not sense it,” he said.

 

“How did she get her swords back?” Kagome asked.

 

“She attacked me much later on. She'd killed most of the cat youkai clan that Samuru was with and escaped once again. Her hatred for me was unparalleled by then. I got a little angry with her and I slashed her across her face. My acidic attack melted away the bottom half of her face. The poison also injured her eyes. She may not seem it, but she is nearly blind in both of them. She swore revenge on me and left with her swords after she nearly cut my legs off.”

 

“Wow. She fights pretty well without being able to see all that well. You just keep fucking up with her, don't you Sesshomaru?” Koga said. This time, Sesshomaru did turn towards him.

 

“You would do well to shut your mouth, wolf. I already have an aversion towards you. Do not make it worse,” he said. Koga blinked at Sesshomaru's threat. Rin just shook her head and Inuyasha chuckled.

 

“Are you still angry with him?” Kimi asked as Ikeike finished telling the exact same story. Ikeike was staring out at the moon on Kimi's balcony. Her eyes were quite placid and she seemed to be in deep thought.

 

“I would not go as far as to say I am angry with him. I am no longer furious with him.”

 

“Then, you hate him?”

 

“No,” she said,

 

“Then why do you fight with him?”

 

“He hurt me in a much deeper way than just deforming my face and hindering my eyesight,” Ikeike whispered.