InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Feel Like Makin' Love ❯ Asking for Help ( Chapter 4 )

Chapter 3

 

Asking for Help

 

***

 

And if I had those golden dreams of my yesterday
I would wrap you in the heaven, really dying all the way

Feel like makin'...
Feel like makin' love, feel like makin' love
Feel like makin' love, feel like makin' love to you - Bad Company

 

***

 

As he walked down the halls of the fortress, InuYasha held his head high. His passage was marked, as always, by murmurs and whispers. When he turned to look challengingly at those around him, they quickly bowed their heads, as befitted his rank. But in his heart, InuYasha knew they bore him no true respect. This used to irritate him, but not any more. He no longer cared to try and fit in with life in the fortress - he did not fit in anywhere. Only when he was with Kagome had he ever felt truly accepted.

 

During this time of the day, Sesshomaru would be in his audience hall. There was no way around it -he would have to confront him there. He turned into the room and strode purposefully up to where his brother was seated. Sesshomaru raised an eyebrow and put the tips of his fingers together under his nose.

 

“I need to speak with you,” said InuYasha, crossing his arms and looking intently at his brother, his lips pressed firmly together in a line reminiscent of said brother.

 

Gazing at InuYasha a moment and trying to gauge his mood, Sesshomaru was quiet. Everyone else in the audience hall shifted about nervously, feeling the tension in the air between their Lord and his brother. No one dared say a word - or hardly breathe for that matter.

 

“Leave…” said Sesshomaru, flicking his eyes at the other youkai assembled in the room.

 

“You heard my Lord!” Jaken screeched. “You all must leave at once!”

 

Quickly, Jaken herded everyone but InuYasha out of the room…and Rin. The human ward of Sesshomaru was now fourteen, and still lived under Sesshomaru's protection. Although of an age to be betrothed in marriage, Sesshomaru had not made any intentions known of doing so. As for Rin, this was fine. She was not ready to leave her surrogate father - and secretly everyone doubted she ever would be. She still followed him around like his faithful shadow, and he still tolerated it. At this moment, she stood quietly behind her Lord at his left shoulder.

 

“You have something to say to me?” Sesshomaru said, the tone of his voice even but tinged with darkness.

 

“I don't belong here, even after seven years, and I think you know that,” said InuYasha. “I need your help to find a mage who can put me to sleep - until Kagome's time.”

 

“Ah, still I hear that miko's name,” said Sesshomaru heavily.

 

“I refuse to let go of my love for Kagome,” said InuYasha, his hands balling into fists at his sides. “Nothing you have done, and nothing you can do will change that! All you can do for me now, as my brother, is help me find a way to sleep and not age - like when I was pinned to Goshinboku.”

 

“There are currently no mikos powerful enough to do that again,” said Sesshomaru.

 

“I know that!” InuYasha spat. “Will you help me?”

 

The youkai Lord closed his eyes a moment and inclined his head forward, a slight scowl between his brows and on his lips. It had finally come to this, as some day he knew it might. Despite trying to re-claim the honor of his family by no longer having any half-breed brother, InuYasha was cut from the same cloth as their father. It was growing more and more difficult to deal with InuYasha, instead of easier. Despite his honorable intentions, his brother was slipping further and further towards madness with each passing year. No, this Sesshomaru did not want to taint the family name with an insane brother.

 

“I will do as you ask,” said Sesshomaru.

 

“When?” InuYasha asked, the steam and bravado suddenly gone from him as he realized his brother had acquiesced.

 

“Soon….wait,” said Sesshomaru.

 

Behind Sesshomaru, Rin smiled and clasped her hands together happily. She had learned when to stay quiet and out of her Lord's way during his dealings. But she had always liked InuYasha, and wanted him and her Lord to get along. But since that was not to be, their agreeing to something - anything - was welcome. Although it would be sad to see InuYasha go, she understood the necessity and wanted him to be happy, even if he had to sleep for five hundred years.

 

Rising from his seat, Sesshomaru walked passed InuYasha without looking at him. But as she followed her Lord, Rin stopped in front of InuYasha.

 

“I'll be sad to see you go,” said Rin softly, “but I am happy you will wake up and be reunited with Kagome.”

 

“Yeah, thanks,” said InuYasha, smirking at the young woman a moment.

 

As he looked at Rin smiling shyly at him, InuYasha felt a pang in his heart. He had been trying to ignore the fact that Rin was growing up, and was now almost the age Kagome was when they first met. It was a reminder that despite the fact that he had aged seven years, Kagome would still be a teenager when he saw her again. How would that affect their relationship - if they could even have a relationship. But Rin looked at him with such hope and happiness before she looked away, that he closed his eyes and sighed. Worrying about it made no difference - he had to see Kagome again, regardless the outcome.

 

Opening his eyes, InuYasha found Rin had gone. No one was there, and that suited him fine. He found himself shaking and angry, and fell to his knees. Inside his emotions were in turmoil - hope and fear each vying for dominance, but only causing tears to come to his eyes. Clenching his fists, he slammed them down on the floor a few times in an effort to get his feelings under control. Finally, he rose up, took a deep breath, and composed himself for the walk back to his rooms. There was no way he could lose his cool in front of the whole fortress - it was bad enough he still lost it in front of his brother all the time. If there was one thing he had learned from his years here, it was that there was a time and place to be emotional and impulsive, and he schooled himself in keeping a cool, reserved manner like his brother when out in public.

 

Once back in his room, InuYasha decided he needed to go out. The fortress felt stifling to him, and he longed for the freedom and anonymity that the forests provided him. Glancing towards a corner of the room, his eyes fell on Tessaiga for a moment. The sword was now the same as it was when it belonged to his father. But even though he had gone to Totosai and had the spell removed that made the sword repel youkai, he had had little use for it in his years here. Once his best friend besides Kagome, with no enemies to fight, they had become estranged. Now he suddenly felt a need to feel his sword at his side again, and he took up Tessaiga and pushed it through his obi. It occurred to him that he had not worn his fire rat and his sword at the same time in many years. This realization brought up bittersweet memories of when his fire rat and sword were his only possessions. This was the only InuYasha Kagome knew.

 

Before his emotions got the best of him again, InuYasha stalked out of the fortress and headed into the forest. The smell of it, the feel of the breeze in his hair, the rustling of the leaves and calls of small forest animals and birds made him feel at home. He started to run, leaping over everything in his path, and reveling in his speed and expenditure of pent up energy. When he finally stopped, he drew Tessaiga, and went through some kenjutsu exercises. Then in a burst of speed he began to slice at the trees around him with his sword, pushing himself to his limits.

 

Finally beginning to wear himself out, InuYasha lowered the sword. He had cleared quite an area of trees, and he stared into the darkening sky. Having cleared his heart and mind of his inner turmoil, InuYasha re-sheathed Tessaiga and headed back to the fortress.