InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Destiny ❯ A brothers request ( Chapter 4 )

Destiny - Chapter 4 - A brothers request

The walk to Kaede's hut felt like it was taking forever, with Kouga and Inuyasha threatening to break out into another fight every few steps. Luckily so far they had kept the sparring to verbal attacks, but Kagome feared if they didn't get there soon, then it would soon become physical blows they traded. She looked over at Sango to find her frowning.

"Sango-chan don't worry, they'll have to stop yelling sooner or later." She tried to reassure her friend, not that she believed herself.

"It's not that Kagome-chan, look at the villagers, have you noticed how frightened they look, something is wrong." Sango motioned to her side for Kagome to take a look.

"Hmm you're right, I'm not sensing any shards other than Kouga's, so it isn't Naraku himself. We should tell Inuyasha anyway though." Kagome looked over at the hanyou, still fully engaged in fighting with Kouga.

"Its probably nothing Sango, the villagers are probably reacting to the presence of Kouga, they are not used to having him round here, they are probably fearful he will bring the wolf pack." Miroku smiled at the beautiful young Taijiya.

"Hai, Houshi-sama, that's most likely it. Thank you for clearing it up for me." Sango nodded her thanks but did not smile back, still holding a grudge for his earlier lecherous activity.

Beside her Miroku sighed, hopefully by tomorrow she would have forgiven him. He went to take another step forward only to stop frozen in his tracks along with the others. The sight before him had even managed to stun Inuyasha and Kouga into silence at the figure standing before them, in front of Kaede's hut. Cold eyes regarded them before addressing Kaede.

"Miko, it is your duty to protect this village and all in it, is it not?"

Inuyasha growled stepping towards the tall figure flexing his claws and making a fist.

"What of it Sesshomaru! Why are you here?"

"Inuyasha, this is none of your concern... yet! I believe my question was directed towards the miko was it not?" Sesshomaru pointed his head in Kaede's direction, making it clear his younger brothers presence was not required.

"None of my concern? Well I'm making it my concern" Inuyasha reached to his side to draw out Tetsusaiga, but his hand was stopped over the hilt by Kaede's gentle touch.

"Nay Inuyasha, fighting here would not solve anything. Best to answer Sesshomaru's question and find out what it is that he wants." She stepped forward meeting Sesshomaru's cold stare unflinchingly with her one eye. "Aye it is my duty to protect this village and all that reside in it. Of what importance is this to ye?"

"Rin" Sesshomaru spoke with authority and the small human girl stepped out from behind him. So tiny against his tall frame.

"Hai Sesshomaru-sama." She smiled up at him, her gaze one of utter adoration.

"Miko I ask that you protect Rin along with these villagers for a short time." Rin looked up at Sesshomaru in panic at his words.

"But Sesshomaru-sama, I want to stay with you." She wailed.

"Rin, you will stay here with the miko. You cannot follow where I am to go it is too dangerous. Do you understand?" Sesshomaru spoke firmly but gently.

"Eh?" Inuyasha was the first to vocalize his feelings. He stared open mouthed at his full demon brother. Miroku shrugged his shoulders as Sango raised a questioning eyebrow his way and Kouga just looked on bored.

"Hai Sesshomaru-sama." Rin finally replied nodding her head sadly in capitulation, her feelings evident in her sad tone of voice.

"Sesshomaru, you, you are asking Kaede-sama for help?" Kagome finally found her voice.

"Hai, unfortunately the situation requires that I ask for assistance in this matter. Or I would not have lowered myself to consorting with the miko, or having to deal with you and the rest of my half-breed brother's pathetic pack."

Sesshomaru's eyes bored deep into Kagome's, they were amber pools of cold indifference. While they had the same color of Inuyasha's they held none of his fire. She saw no life in Sesshomaru's eyes; they were as dull as they were cold. The only spark of fire she had ever seen in them was when Sesshomaru had fought with Inuyasha and for a brief time she had seen anger in them. But his was a cold fury, unlike the passionate fire that burned within Inuyasha's when he was angry. It was even worse when he turned into a full demon. Kagome felt shivers run down her spine as she remembered the soulless pools of blank red that his eyes turned into. She snapped back to the present at the sound of Inuyasha's voice.

"Who you calling pathetic? I'll take you on right now!!" Inuyasha roared. Sesshomaru didn't make a move save for raising an eyebrow, viewing Inuyasha as if he were but a fly buzzing around his head.

"Take me on Inuyasha? You think to defeat me, when you can't even dispose of a lowly wolf demon who lays claim to your woman? Why I could have Jaken defeat you!"

Inuyasha stopped stunned momentarily into silence, not sure how to reply. He had stopped denying Kagome was his woman a long time ago, because in his heart he knew she was. When exactly it had become that way he wasn't sure. But somewhere along the line, Kagome had stopped being just a shard detector, she had stopped being Kikyo's reincarnation. She had simply become Kagome. The girl he could not bear to live without. The one who's mere presence calmed his heart and brightened his day with her smile. The girl who would accept him as the hanyou that he was.

Frustratingly his brother was right; he should have put a stop to Kouga a long time ago. But then Kagome had always stopped him, something that always confused Inuyasha. Kagome had asked to be by his side, even when he had hurt her by being indecisive over her and Kikyo. He was pretty sure Kagome cared for him, the way he cared for her. After all hadn't she earlier said she would let him fight Kouga without interference? Kagome had given him permission to claim her; she wanted to be his woman as much as he wanted her to be! But of course this was all stuff Inuyasha could not tell Sesshomaru.

"Kouga's time is coming Sesshomaru, he'll wish he was never born once I'm done with him. But he'll have to get in line, coz first I'm taking care of YOU!" This time nothing could stop Inuyasha from drawing Tetsusaiga, he held the fully transformed sword before him with both hands, baring his fangs in anger at Sesshomaru.

"Idiot half-breed, you're making this way to easy. Now I won't even have to fight you to claim Kagome, your brother's going to do it for me!" Kouga laughed at the hanyou, resting his eyes on Kagome when he was done, to torment Inuyasha further.

"That's it I don't care about any alliance against Naraku, I'm gonna tear your bowels out and make you eat them!" Inuyasha snarled and whirled round careful not to turn all the way, so that he could still see Sesshomaru out of the corner of his eye.

"Mou and I thought today couldn't get any worse." Kagome sighed.

"Inuyasha that is enough! This is not the time to be fighting over that human girl, there are more important matters at hand." Inuyasha's ears pricked up and he straightened his body slightly, his interest piqued at what would make Sesshomaru stop his brother from fighting his claim when he had just taunted him about it. And what would seem more important to his brother than fighting him.

"And what would you know about anything Sesshomaru?"

Sesshomaru sighed, "Have you forgotten so easily what occurred at Fathers tomb, which you so disrespectfully desecrated!" Sesshomaru's voice flared slightly with anger when talking of their father's tomb. "Tetsusaiga alone cannot defeat Naraku, it will require the combined forces of Tetsusaiga and Tensaiga.

Realization suddenly dawned on Kagome's face. "So you're here to come with us when we battle Naraku?"

"Hai, your woman shows more intelligence than you do dear brother, it seems you are inferior to humans as well as demons."

"Then it must run in the family, because you're an even bigger idiot!" Kagome grinned stupidly at Inuyasha realising she had just insinutated that he was an idiot.

"Not that I'm saying your an idiot Inuyasha, because your not, although you can act stupidly at times. But that definitely doesn't make you an idiot, more like a guy with idiotic tendencies, yeah, that's it!"

Kagome looked proud of herself like she'd worked something out and was about to stop speaking when she realized she'd been in the middle of making a point entirely related to the one she had just made.

"Oh yea, but you Sesshomaru are an idiot. You don't go around insulting people you intend to ally yourself with. You may not think much of us, but we've been collecting the shards and defeating bad demons for a long time now and quite successfully at that." Even if Naraku did get all the shards off of us, Kagome thought sadly. "Inuyasha has learned a lot, all of us have, and we are a lot stronger now than when we began this journey. And yes we may need you to defeat Naraku, but even without you, we'd give him a hell of a fight, he's not going to take us down easy. Inuyasha could kick your butt any day of the week. In fact, when Naraku's gone, why don't you get in line and we can all sit back and watch him kick your sorry ass."

"Kagome."

Inuyasha's voice was a mix of warning and admiration. It was stupid to speak so boldly to Sesshomaru most wouldn't even dare to look his way. And even after his brother had nearly killed her, she still showed no fear and spoke her mind scolding Sesshomaru like he were a mere child. She always does it for me, Inuyasha realized, she speaks to Sesshomaru like that when he's insulted me!

"I don't know whether to think you brave or stupid girl. But hai, you do have a point about the insults."

"Whaaaaaaaa?" Inuyasha couldn't believe his ears, and the disbelieving faces around him told him neither could the others. Was Sesshomaru agreeing with Kagome?

"Even though my words are true, my brother is very temperamental, and gets easily agitated by such observations. It would be best not to antagonize him until after Naraku is defeated as you suggest."

Sesshomaru stared at Kagome once again and this time she thought she saw a little respect there. No she must have imagined it.

"Okay fine, since the whole gang is here, what do we do now?" Kagome spoke having decided to get the ball rolling concerning the battle with Naraku.

"I believe the Miko has yet to answer my question." Sesshomaru turned to face Kaede who stared passively back at him.