InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Fragments of Broken Pride ❯ Be my Brother ( Chapter 2 )

Fragments of Broken Pride

Chapter 2

The sun broke over the distant horizon spilling warmth over the landscape and vanquishing the night's gloom. Sango awoke and climbed from her sleeping bag, careful not to disturb the two tiny bodies that had been snuggled up to her side. She looked over to where the demon lord had been the night before, and was relieved to see he was still there. She wondered for a minute if he had regained consciousness yet, but her thoughts were interrupted by Miroku tapping her on the shoulder. She jumped a bit, because she had not heard him get up.

"Look." he said gesturing with his head to the couple lying together against the tree trunk., "What happened while we were asleep?" he said chuckling softly.

Sango smiled, "They look so cute like that. Picture perfect."

Miroku then changed the subject, "So, how is our pet taiyoukai doing?" he said moving around the demon hunter to look at the lord. "Still unconscious? He's healing slow for a youkai, isn't he?"

Sango nodded, "It must be all the masma he was exposed to, I think. He was hurt pretty badly though, Hoshi-sama."

"Yes, but it still makes me a little uneasy with him here." Miroku said scratching his chin, "When he finally awakens…I would prefer to leave than stay and wait for him to recover. Once he can stand I wouldn't put it below him to turn on us."

Sango looked at the sleeping taiyoukai, "He looks so peaceful right now, but it's so misleading, isn't it, Hoshi-sama?" she turned to the monk but her face went red and she suddenly slapped the man across the face, "Hoshi-sama! I'm trying to have a conversation with you! Honestly! First thing in the morning!" she turned away and stalked over to the dim fire to rekindle it.

Miroku had a contented smile on his visage as he held his hand over his stinging cheek, "So perfect, how could I not take such an opportunity?" he muttered to himself.

Sango's yelling caused the hanyou to open his eyes but then he realized Kagome was still sleeping on his arm. His face turned the same color as the fire-mice coat that was wrapped around the young woman, and he jumped up, jerking his arm out from behind the miko, causing her to fall over.

Kagome awoke to herself being flung into a tree root, and she suddenly sat up with wide eyes and a bizarre expression on her face, clearly not full awake yet. She looked at the figure that was standing in front of her and seemed puzzled, "What happened?" she said, her words slurred a bit by sleep.

Inuyasha shrugged and walked away, settling on the opposite side of the fire. He looked to where his brother still lay, wondering if he was awake or not. He stared at the lightly breathing body, then stood up as Kagome approached him, "I'm gonna go for a quick walk. I'll be back in a bit." he said. Kagome stopped him before he left and returned his fire mice coat that had been keeping her warm through the night. He accepted it with a nod then disappeared into the foliage.

The kitsune awoke as the furry warmth he was snuggled up to left. He sat up rubbing his eye with a tiny hand. Sango smiled, "Good morning, Shippo-chan" She said as he rose and walked over to the group trailing behind the tiny cat demon. The group socialized a bit as Kagome prepared their first meal of the day, with a little help from Sango as well.

"I wonder where Jaken is. He's usually trailing behind Sesshoumaru like they're attached." said the miko as she stirred the soup.

The youkai exterminator nodded in agreement, "Yes. I wonder. He must be worried for his master after him being gone for this long."

The conversation started out mostly about the demon lord, but trailed off to other subjects in little time. As Kagome declared the soup was finished cooking the group all made their plates and started to eat. The miko, however , did not start to eat as the others did. She filled her bowl, but then stood and walked to the spot where the lord of the west now lay, facing away from the troupe. She knelt next to him, "um, Sesshoumaru-sama. I brought you some food." The lord was awake, and had been for a time, but he was still weak and had decided to remain resting. He looked at her momentarily, then laid his head back down, not wanting to debase himself anymore than he already had. He was hungry, after not eating for nearly four days, but what remained of his pride would not permit him to take the dish from the human woman.

She'd expected as much, but somehow it angered her that he would choose to let his body waste away rather than accept help from her. "You're not going to get any better if you don't eat and regain your strength! Just swallow your pride and do what you need to do!" she said rather angrily.

The demon lord was surprised by the miko's aggressiveness, but sat up and moodily jerked the bowl from her hands with a scowl on his face.

Kagome seemed pleased with that and retreated back to the group, leaving Sesshoumaru to eat in solitude. The others of the band were all staring at the young woman as she seated herself and made her own plate. They appeared to be disbelieving that she had confronted him like that. She brushed it off and began to eat, blowing lightly on the steaming bite she was about to consume.

The youkai lord had to fight to not just swallow all of the soup in one youkai-sized gulp. He was so hungry. The soup tasted good for human food, but he was in a state that anything would taste good as long as it was edible. In less than two minutes the bowl was empty and the lord set it on to ground next to him. He wanted more, but once again, his pride detained him from asking. He glanced at the others through the corner of his eye, then turned back away, seemingly unsure.

Kagome was about halfway done with her bowl when she noticed the demon lord. 'He finished that fast for someone who didn't want it in the first place' she thought as she returned to his side. "Your bowl please." she said as she stood over him. He returned the bowl to her hands, not making eye contact as she took it. "Would you like more?" she asked politely.

Sesshoumaru nodded silently without lifting his eyes from the ground. In a minute he was rewarded with a newly filled bowl. Kagome smiled as she handed to him, and he accepted it gently this time. In little time he finished it, but seemed none the less full. He consumed the chow fast, but in a well-mannered behavior.

On his sixth bowl Kagome began to worry if there would be any left for Inuyasha. But as he finished and she moved to refill the bowl again he rose his hand, "No more..." he said decorously, then added after a moment, "Thank you."

The miko bowed courteously to him, "You are most welcome." she had not been expecting any verbal gratitude, but she was especially pleased with his minute praise. She put the bowl down atop the other dirtied ones then sat beside her friends. "I wasn't anticipating Inuyasha to be gone this long. I wonder where he ran off to." she commented as she took out a canteen and wet a cloth to clean the bowls.

Sesshoumaru felt better after eating. He could already feel strength returning to him, though in small increments. He sat up from the sleeping bag and slowly, and a bit shakily stood up for the first time that day. The chattering of the others stopped and they all turned to stare at him as the lord got to his feet. He looked at them for a moment before he turned and limped away into the undergrowth.

Kagome hopped up and bound off after him, leaving her friends a bit worried, "Sesshoumaru! Wait! Where are you going?!" She reduced her volume as she reached his side.

The youkai continued to hobble on his path, "Privacy is something I value, miko. Will you not grant me a moment's leave?" he said bitterly.

Kagome stepped in front of him, "No, I won't, You shouldn't be up and walking around with those wounds. You're going to tear them open again."

The lord of the west scowled, "I am caked in blood. Masma reeks from every part of myself. I have been in a battle for three days straight, neglecting my body for that entire time period. I can barely stand my own scent." he said in his usual cool, flowing tone. "Move out of my way miko. I really have no temper for this nonsense."

Kagome blushed a bit, "I'm sorry. I thought you were going to leave." she paused to look over the demon lord. He really did look like shit. He was filthy from head to toe, and his clothes were in worse condition than a homeless person after a hurricane. She frowned. "I think there is a village nearby. Only a mile or two, I'll take a hike there and see if I can't get you some new clothes."

Sesshoumaru nodded in appreciation as the miko stepped out of his path and started back to the group, "Are you sure you will be alright by yourself? Be careful."

He looked over his shoulder, "You needn't fret over this Sesshoumaru's safety." He then continued on his way, fading away into the dense greenery in little time.

Kagome returned to her friends and informed then that she was going to make a trip to the village to buy some clothing for the lord, and Sango agreed to accompany her along with Kirara. They departed leaving the monk and kitsune alone at the camp site.

* * *

Sesshoumaru sniffed the air as he neared the lake he'd been searching for, and caught the scent of his brother. As he arrived on the bank if the sparkling water, he saw his brother's red clothes piled on the ground along with something he recognized as his. Toukajin lay along side Tetsusaiga beside the hanyou's discarded clothes. The youkai lord approached the swords and knelt beside them.

"So did you escape and kill everyone, or did they run off and leave you as soon as I left." Came a sarcastically familiar voice. Sesshoumaru looked up from the swords and stood up again, "Neither." he said monotonously. "Your miko granted me leave."

The hanyou sat against the shore resting his head on his folded arms while the water thumped lightly over his back. His nudity was covered by the water's reflective surface as he spoke to his brother, "I thought you might want that back, so I went and retrieved it for you."

The taiyoukai was silent for a time before he removed his tattered garments, then joined his sibling in the cool water. Inuyasha moved over a bit, allowing his brother to enter the steep slope beside him. Sesshoumaru's long silvery hair floated across the surface of the lightly bobbing water before it slowly began to soak up the moisture and sink. The lord cupped his hands together and brought the water to his face, feeling relieved at the coolness that soothed his skin. The duo was silent for a long time as the lord of the west drank greedily after having gone without water for so long. Then the youkai broke the silence, "Why are you doing this for me?"

Inuyasha had expected the question to come sooner or later, "I honestly have no idea. Kagome was the one who brought you back, but…after that, I'm not sure why I decided to help. You're my only family. I guess I'd feel lonely if you had died."

Sesshoumaru looked at the hanyou seemingly confused, "How can you feel lonely because you loose someone who was never there to begin with?"

Inuyasha shrugged, "It's not so much a physical loneliness as a mental one. Who knows. Maybe I don't know what I'm talking about." He said as he began to scrub his arms in the water.

The elder brother looked at the sibling he had always rejected with different eyes than he usually had. "Perhaps you do know what you mean. I understand." He said softly as he ran his fingers through his tangled hair. "I am in your debt, Inuyasha. I dislike my situation, but I will not discard what little pride I have left by betraying your aid."

The hanyou seemed a bit taken back by his brother's words, but he couldn't help the tiny smile that came to his lips, "So…how are you going to pay me back?" he said swimming over to his brother like a crocodile ambushing it's prey.

Sesshoumaru eyed the hanyou with a slightly annoyed expression, "What ever you want." he mumbled to the approaching stalker.

Inuyasha came out of the water, standing face to face with his brother, "There is only one thing I want from you, Sesshoumaru." he said seriously as he gazed into the youkai's golden orbs. Sesshoumaru's expression was stoic as he waited for his brother's answer. "I want a brother." Inuyasha said boldly

The lord of the west continued to stare at the half-breed with his usual unreadable expression, "As you wish, brother."

* * *

The brothers returned to the camp site side by side, with damp hair trailing behind them. Miroku and Shippo were no less than astounded as they strolled into the camp like civilized people. Sesshoumaru returned to the sleeping bag while Inuyasha ate the remains of the meal he'd missed. Miroku was curious and wanted to ask Inuyasha questions, but refrained from doing so because of the youkai lord sleeping only a few feet behind them.

"Where's Kagome and Sango?" asked Inuyasha as he finished off the last of the food.

"They went to get some clothes for your brother" said a hyper little bouncing Shippo as he played with his toys.

Inuyasha made a face at the kitsune, "I wasn't talking to you, turd!" he said sticking his tongue out at the boy. "Don't I owe you a beating for the other day?"

Shippo jumped to his feet, "That was Kagome! Not me!" He yelped as Inuyasha grabbed him by the tail before he could get away. "Well there's nothing I can do about that wench, but when she's not around there's no reason I can't thump you a good one" he said smiling evilly at the little cub, not really intending to hurt him, but only scare him a bit.

Shippo whined as he tried to wriggle out of the half breed's grip, "Miroku! Don't let him treat me like this!! Do something!"

Miroku laughed jokingly, "Well, You did call me a pervert this morning, Shippo-chan"

Shippo whined louder, "But you are a pervert!!!! WHAAA!"

Inuyasha laughed at the kitsune's words, "that's not what you should be telling him at a time like this, turd! Even if it is true!" He dropped the cub who immediately ran away from the both of them. "I'm gonna tell Kagome when she gets back!" he yelled after he'd gotten a good distance from Inuyasha.

Inuyasha stood up with an angry expression, " WHAT?!" he said clenching his fists in front of him.

Shippo screamed like a cat that's had it's tail stepped on and took off running again.

Miroku chuckled amusedly along with Inuyasha who sat back down again calling off his bluff. "But you know, Miroku, you really are perverted." The monk stopped laughing.