InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ It's my Life ❯ New player ( Chapter 28 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

Disclaimer: Ok, now obviously I don’t own this, any original characters that pop up, yeah those are mine. But everyone else, those are all owned by Rumiko Takahashi


Inuyasha woke up slowly, feeling a bit groggy and drained. Once again Sesshomaru was all wrapped around him, and the way Sesshomaru had him laying was totally twisting his poor back into knots.

Huffing, Inuyasha pushed against his snoozing sibling, who once again seemed to be made of solid marble. He didn’t understand how Sesshomaru could suddenly become so heavy….

With one good shove Inuyasha succeeded in knocking Sesshomaru off of him and across the bed.

Sighing pleasantly Inuyasha rolled over onto his back, getting a little support for his achy muscle bits. Looking over Inuyasha watched as Sesshomaru scrunched up his face and flexed his arm. Inuyasha chuckled lightly then, the demon Lord looked damn goofy at that moment.

But his amusement did not last long as Sesshomaru’s arm suddenly reached out, pawing at the air until it found him. Snagging Inuyasha around the waist Sesshomaru literally pulled him across the bed and promptly curled back around him.

Inuyasha sighed, grumbling under his breath.

“When the hell did you get so clingy?” Inuyasha muttered to his sleeping brother.

At least he was more comfortable though. But he actually felt more like getting out of bed then lounging around waiting for Sesshomaru to wake up.

Slowly Inuyasha started to rise, all set to sneak out the side. But the moment he wasn’t touching Sesshomaru’s chest, and had almost got Sesshomaru’s arm off of his waist, the elder Inu groaned and yanked Inuyasha back down.

Seconds after his body crashed back into the bedding Sesshomaru pulled himself even closer, how that was possible Inuyasha wasn’t sure, and buried his face into Inuyasha’s neck.

Inuyasha growled, this was getting ridiculous. He wasn’t a pillow or a damn teddy bear….

But there didn’t seem to be much he could do, Sesshomaru had a good solid grip on him now. Inuyasha raised up his left leg, and brought it down hard to heel-kick Sesshomaru right in the butt.

The demon Lord murmured in his sleep….and then wrapped his legs around the leg that had kicked him.

“Oh you are such a pain in the ass Sesshomaru.” Inuyasha grumbled.

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< br> It was dark, the sun would not rise for hours, and throughout the Western side of the castle a shadowy figure silently made its way through the sparsely guarded halls.

A door was reached, and then quietly opened just enough for the figure to slip inside. It emerged a short time later, wringing its hands in something of sadistic glee.

Other rooms were visited by the quick footed shape, who left no trace of its presence to be found.

“If you want to play this game….we’ll play.” The shape hissed softly. “And you’ll learn the hard way…”

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Sesshomaru awoke to something drumming along his forehead. He groaned and shook it…but whatever it was soon returned. Sesshomaru shook his head more vigorously this time, and buried his face in the protective flesh of his little brother.

But peace eluded him as his uncovered ear was soon attacked. Something was tugging at the pointy tip of his ear, and Sesshomaru growled a warning.

Whatever it was didn’t seem to care however, and it only continued to tug and twist.

Sesshomaru growled louder, and shook his head again, rubbing his face against Inuyasha. He wanted sleep…what annoying creature dared to disturb him?

Minutes past without incident, perhaps Inuyasha had seen it and come to his rescue like a good little brother, and Sesshomaru just started to slip back into full sleep when he heard a wet pop.

A second later something cold, wet, and slimy plunged into his ear, wiggling back and forth.

Snarling, Sesshomaru rose up, and twisted his torso around, baring his teeth at whatever soon to be dead thing had disturbed him so.

Nothing was in his sight though, save for Inuyasha’s forearm. Reaching up Sesshomaru pushed it away, and the moment he did, the icky thing in his ear was removed.

Looking over Sesshomaru was met by Inuyasha’s grinning face.

“Well its about time you woke up….and got the hell off of me.” Inuyasha grumbled. “I’ve had to pee for like…and hour.”

Inuyasha pushed himself up off of the bed, and Sesshomaru’s sleep addled brain struggled to piece together the situation. Something caught him out of the corner of his eye and Sesshomaru half dove over and caught Inuyasha by the arm.

Twisting it up slightly so he could see it better Sesshomaru’s eyes narrowed as he looked at Inuyasha’s hand.

“You slobbered on your finger and then stuck it in my ear?!?” Sesshomaru growled.

The evidence was all there, Inuyasha’s finger still glistened with his saliva, and Sesshomaru could see traces of the earwax that had built up during the night around Inuyasha’s claw.

“Well that’s what you get for not letting me go when I try to get up.” Inuyasha shot back as he pulled his hand way. “I could have just pissed on you, you know.”
Sesshomaru rubbed at his bleary eyes as Inuyasha left the bedroom. The suns rays shown only faintly through the nearby open window, informing Sesshomaru that the sun had probably only recently risen.

Why did Inuyasha have to wake up at the crack of dawn? Was it truly necessary?

Sesshomaru wiped at his ear as he dropped back down onto the bed. Little brat was going to pay for that.

Sesshomaru closed his eyes, determined to go back to sleep. Inuyasha could be awake if he wanted, but Sesshomaru had no intention of getting out of bed anytime soon. But much to his displeasure he only received a few minutes of peace.

“Are you going to stay there all day?” Inuyasha asked as he reentered the room.

“….I do not have to rise yet.” Sesshomaru grumbled in return.

“Well….I know I’m going to regret asking…but what is in store for today?” Inuyasha asked in a voice far too loud for such an early time as he sat on the edge of the bed.

“Must you even ask?” Sesshomaru muttered. “And please do not make such a horrid fuss today…”

Without warning Inuyasha drew back and swatted Sesshomaru right on his bottom. To which Sesshomaru growled low and deep.

“I am going to pretend you did not just do that.” He growled.

“Hey…you’re the one with it sticking out like that.” Inuyasha quipped. “And if I don’t have to ask, then I probably don’t have to tell you that this time…I am NOT going.”

Sesshomaru pressed his Face deeper into the pillow, not even trying to stop the half growl, half whine of frustration that spilled past his lips.

“The hell was that?” Inuyasha wondered. Sesshomaru pushed himself up and rolled over to face the hanyou.

“Why!? Why must you do this to me? Have I not made it clear yet? You MUST be there.” Sesshomaru growled. “I am already facing off against two other rulers, must I fight you as well? I need your help in this….”
Inuyasha blinked, looking a little off balance. He blinked again and seemed to refocus.

“I think yesterday pretty much explains why I am not going.” Inuyasha stated.
Sesshomaru sighed, trying to muster up the patience he simply did not have after having just woken up.

“I understand yesterday was quite trying, I also understand how you feel….but you must not allow yourself to become so rattled. To do so is to allow them to win.” Sesshomaru replied.
Inuyasha gave him a typical teenager look. One Sesshomaru felt an urge to physically wipe off of his face.

“And that fact that it will mean nothing anyway comes into play….where?”

Sesshomaru laid back into the bedding, stretching out his tired body. Clearly he wasn’t going to get anymore sleep…but that didn’t mean he had to give up on that dream so easily.

“This will be the last time. It ends today.” Sesshomaru declared. Inuyasha snorted, rolling his eyes like a child.

“You said that yesterday!”


Sesshomaru rubbed at the bridge of his nose, he didn’t want a headache…not so early in the day.

“Yes Inuyasha…I know what I said. But if you would LET me finish. I will force the vote today, I will not go around in circles any longer. Either they will accept that we are innocent…or we will prepare for war.” Sesshomaru stated. Despite his actions yesterday Sesshomaru still believed that Coda would not go to war with him. Enyon would, and that was fine….if he had to battle the East once again, and perhaps the South….he was relatively confident that the West could prevail.
All three regions at once would be tricky…but Sesshomaru was tired. He knew Enyon could not be sway, knew it before they had even arrived. But he had not expected Coda’s behavior at all. From that Sesshomaru was tired…and if Coda would not trust him, would not take his word as he should…then so bet it.

He was the Sesshomaru, he would neither beg nor plead. He had spoken the truth, provided the proper facts. That was all he would do.

“Oh so you’re actually gonna drop this pointless game now?” Inuyasha grumbled.

“And I do hope you are ready for what could be a long and bloody conflict.” Sesshomaru shot back.

“Better then what we are doing now.” Inuyasha groused.

Annoyed by that Sesshomaru sat up reluctantly.

“That is because you have never been to war.” Sesshomaru stated. Inuyasha curled his upper lip, baring a fang.

“I have been fighting my whole life.” He pointed out.

“Fighting a few a day for survival is one thing. War little brother…war is a different beast entirely.” Sesshomaru countered. “You do not know war. You do not know what it is like to send young men to their likely death simply because there is nothing else you can do. You do not know what it is like to arrive too late to a fortress under siege. You do not know the horrors that can be visited upon all that you love, all that is yours, simply to try and break your people’s spirit. You do not know war little brother.”

Inuyasha said nothing, he just turned his back to Sesshomaru and tapped his foot against the ground with his arms crossed. Minutes past as Inuyasha seemed to stew, until he finally spun back around, throwing his arms to his sides.

“Alright…I’ll go….but seriously…this will be the last time. So you had better be right.”

Sesshomaru rubbed at his eyes.

“Why are you being so cranky now Inuyasha?” He asked. “I do not deserve this.”

“You try having to pee like a fucking horse with your heavy ass brother laying on you.” Inuyasha grumbled.

“You could have moved me.” Sesshomaru pointed out. Inuyasha glared at him in return.

“First off, you’re damn clingy in your sleep….grabbing, pulling….and secondly…somehow you gain like…a million pounds when you’re out.”

“I am not fat.” Sesshomaru said. Inuyasha raised an eyebrow.

“You’re really touchy about the weight thing…”

Sesshomaru snagged a pillow and bounced it off of Inuyasha’s head.

“Silence.” He snapped. “I believe you can dress yourself correct? And this time try not to make such a scene at breakfast would you?”

Inuyasha chuckled and shook his head.

“You’re always so worried about breakfast….no wonder you’re starting to plump up in the middle.”

Sesshomaru watched Inuyasha intently as he returned to the bathroom for some reason. Shortly after that Sesshomaru felt around hi waist carefully.

Little brat….he had not gained weight.

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Inuyasha grimaced as he took another bite of his rice. It tasted horrifying….obviously he couldn’t cook rice as well as he had thought. But for the life of him he couldn’t figure out what he had done wrong.

It didn’t help matters that Sesshomaru’s plate smelled so damn good.

Not one to admit that he had failed at something simple, and not wanting Retsu to handle his food again, Inuyasha had taken to swiping little bits off of Sesshomaru’s plate when the demon Lord wasn’t looking.

“That is the sixth time Inuyasha.” Sesshomaru said without even turning his head. Inuyasha jammed the tasty chunk of meat into his mouth before his sibling could see it.

“What are you talking about?” Inuyasha asked.

“If you want something then ask. Otherwise you have your own meal that you insisted on preparing yourself. Leave my plate be.” Sesshomaru answered as he turned his head to look sideways at Inuyasha.

Inuyasha looked down at his soupy, semi-hard bowl of rice and his stomach rebelled. It tasted burnt, and somehow managed to be both mushy and hard at the same time.

“You overcooked it, all the water dried up, and then you added more to try and fix it didn’t you?” Sesshomaru guessed smugly.

Inuyasha glared at the elder Inu and then quickly shoveled the rest of his rice into his mouth, chewing and swallowing quickly so he wouldn’t have to taste it much. He had eaten far worse before, rotten meat, rotten vegetables, milk that had gone sour…so this was nothing.

But he did make sure to steal another one of Sesshomaru’s biscuits for good measure.

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Inuyasha couldn’t believe that he was actually sitting in a chair, watching some demon teen shine the boots on his feet. It was the stupidest thing he had ever seen in his life. Why make something that was going to get dragged through the dirt and the mud, if he didn’t just rip them off, shiny?

But Sesshomaru had insisted.
And by insisted Inuyasha meant -shoved him into the chair-

“What next?” Inuyasha asked his older sibling, who was seated only a few feet away. “Polish my claws?”

Sesshomaru raised an eyebrow.

“That can be arranged if you so wish.”

“You’re kidding?” Inuyasha muttered.

The corners of Sesshomaru’s mouth turned upward and after a moment he snapped his fingers. Unbelievably two demonesses actually came out from the little back room and began to file and polish his friggin claws….

“You have got to be kidding me….” Inuyasha huffed.
He certainly did not like so many people touching him, but there didn’t seem to be much he could do about it. “You just snap your fingers and goofy shit happens…”

“Jealous?” Sesshomaru chuckled. “And you have just added fifteen more minutes to our departure time.”

If Inuyasha didn’t know any better he would have said that Sesshomaru was deliberately wasting time….but that didn’t make any sense.

“You’re an ass.” Inuyasha grumbled. Sesshomaru actually flashed him a fake smile and batted his eyelashes.

Inuyasha just rolled his eyes, boot boy seemed to be done, but the claw girls seemed to be having a field day with his hands. By the time they were done, his claws, which had always been little more then implements of death were suddenly ridiculously shiny.

Inuyasha studied them after the two had left, just unable to believe that something that could rip open a person like ripe fruit now had a glassy shine. Looking at Sesshomaru he held up his hands.

“I don’t know what’s sadder….the fact that someone just did this, or the fact that someone spent time thinking about HOW to do it.” Inuyasha spat. “Seriously…what is the point of this shit?”

“Can I indulge you with any other requests?” Sesshomaru countered sweetly. Inuyasha curled his displayed fingers in, all except the middle one of course. Sesshomaru never even blinked, nor lost the happy-sweet look on his face.

“No…I think we can go now.” Inuyasha growled.

“Are you sure? I could always have your hair braided, perhaps have little flowers weaved into the strands. Rin would love to do it if she were here.” Sesshomaru quipped.
Inuyasha’s anger spiked at the mention of the human girl, gods he hated her.

“And I could snap off your other hand and shove it up your ass.” Inuyasha countered. Sesshomaru clicked his tongue.

“As much as I would like to examine your strange, sexual desire to ram large, cumbersome objects into my rectum further….we really must go.” Sesshomaru shot back.

Inuyasha stood quickly, shoving the chair back against the wall.

“I so do NOT think anything involving sex with you or your ass!”
Sesshomaru stood as well, sighing as he slapped at his thigh.

“Oh the woes of being the Sesshomaru. One must tolerate one’s brother’s lust for one’s body. Even worse are the bizarre fetishes he seems to carry…but such is life for one such as I.”

Inuyasha stumbled and sputtered as Sesshomaru walked around the corner, fighting for words.

Oh…you….damn….screw you Sesshomaru!!” Inuyasha hollered as he tromped after the demon Lord.

“And there you go again…I know teenage hormones can be rather overwhelming, but do try to control yourself little brother.” Sesshomaru called back.
Ohhh…that….damn….double, triple, quadruple bastard!!

“I’ll kick your ass Sesshomaru! I swear to the gods that I will!”

“Yet again…-sigh-…I am more then just an ass little brother. What of my smile? My soft, beautiful skin? My wondrous voice? You miss so much with your narrow focus.”

“Splattered all over the fucking walls if you don’t knock it off if what its gonna be!”

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Inuyasha was still fuming as he and Sesshomaru made their way to the table. The other two were already there…and neither of them looked happy.

“So nice of you to finally join us.” Enyon sneered.

“Yes well….we were unfortunately detained.” Sesshomaru said smoothly as he slid into his side of the bench. Inuyasha followed suit, and once again Sesshomaru’s giant, white cheeto puff of a tail went around his shoulders.
Inuyasha gave it a squeeze, voicing his displeasure, only to have the tip whip up and biff him in the face.

It didn’t hurt, but it sure caught him by surprise, and by the look on Coda’s face….he wasn’t the only one.

The bear’s eyes widened slightly, and he was subtly shifting his eyes back and forth between Sesshomaru and Inuyasha. Sesshomaru on the other hand looked like the proverbial cat that got the cream, or in his case the dog that got the….uh….good dog stuff.

…Fucking metaphors.

“You look rather pleased by something Sesshomaru….care to share?” Enyon asked, his voice never losing its snide edge.

“I am simply looking forward to the end of these proceedings.” Sesshomaru supplied.

“Oh really?” Enyon muttered. “Interesting…and just who says this matter will be resolved today?”

Sesshomaru shifted to place his elbow on the table, and his chin in his hand. It was starting to weird Inuyasha out actually. Sesshomaru had been all uptight and…and Sess-like before now, yet…now he seemed all relaxed and easy going. What had changed?

“I do.” Sesshomaru answered.

“And since when do you wield such power?” Enyon snarled.

“oh it is not a matter of power.” Sesshomaru stated. “The simple fact is that the tale had been told. There is no more information to give. For two days my brother and I have said the same thing, over and over. You both have asked a plethora of questions, from all different angles and yet….the answers remain the same.”

Finally!

Inuyasha had said that over a dozen times!
Though he didn’t like Sesshomaru saying it like HE came to that conclusion all by himself. For that Inuyasha reached under the table and knuckled Sesshomaru just about his knee.

Sesshomaru winced slightly, and sat back up, only to reach over and give the tip of Inuyasha’s left ear a twist.

Inuyasha jerked his head away with a snort and glared at Sesshomaru, who didn’t seem to even notice.

But if anything it only seemed to serve to further stun Coda. The bear demon did not appear to even be able to speak at the moment.

“And as wondrous as I know our voices to be….there is no point in further discussion.” Sesshomaru said. Inuyasha rolled his eyes…vanity…thy name is Sesshomaru.

“I see…” Coda managed to push out. “But just to be clear…”

Sesshomaru cracked his neck loudly.

“We have spoke the truth, and nothing but. Either you accept that…or we return home.”

“You are saying…either we declare you innocent…or condemn you.” Coda muttered. “Which would mean…”

“War.” Sesshomaru finished.

Inuyasha looked back and forth between the three demons. Sesshomaru gave away nothing, for all his doom and gloom about the consequences before now, he just looked calmly relaxed.

Coda looked very pensive, oddly upset, and something else that Inuyasha couldn’t read.
Enyon on the other hand just looked eerily eager.

“Well….if you are in such a rush for judgment…I say you are guilty of murdering he esteemed lady Nefrume, and as such should be put to death.” Enyon declared.

“Somehow….that doesn’t seem all that surprising.” Inuyasha quipped. “But you held it in for three whole days….I’m almost impressed.”

If Sesshomaru could be all flippant and crap, then by the gods so could he.

“You must forgive us if we do not simply accept your…personal judgment on this matter and offer up our heads.” Sesshomaru added without even a word of reprimand for Inuyasha, which filled the hanyou will glee for a moment.

Silly…but it happened.

Sesshomaru rotated his wrist around, and all the muscles in his body seemed to roll and flex for a moment. It was almost as if he were working himself loose…was…was Sesshomaru expecting trouble?

“And what say you Coda?” Sesshomaru asked. “What is your judgment here?

Inuyasha damn near laughed at the look on Coda’s face. The bear demon’s eyes shifted back and forth between he and Sesshomaru once again.

“I do not yet think….there are still questions unanswered Sesshomaru. I do not feel com-”

“-There may be more questions in your mind.” Sesshomaru interrupted. “But there are simply no more facts to be given. Neither I nor my brother can answer questions about fictional events that did not happen.”

“Other then say, uh no, I suppose.” Inuyasha added. Sesshomaru nodded in approval.

“So I ask once more…what say you Coda, Lord of the North?” Sesshomaru repeated. “You know that I do not lie, you have known this since we first met. Will you ignore that now? Will you, for some bizarre personal reason, throw your army, your people, against mine? Will you cross swords with me?”
Was Sesshomaru calling some bluff that Inuyasha didn’t know about? More importantly….where the hell was this Sesshomaru two days ago?

Inuyasha could practically see the gears turning in Coda’s head, although for what purpose he didn’t know. But his own mind was taken up by his own thoughts now.

What did Sesshomaru know that he didn’t? And if he really did have something that could get them out of this…why hadn’t he used it sooner?

Then again, maybe it wasn’t, maybe Sesshomaru was just trying to limit the players or…something.


“I would have to say that-”
WHAM!

Everyone’s head turned as the southern door practically blew open, and a tall man came striding through confidently.

He was an icy blond, with a pair of yellowish eyes. His jaw was set out oddly, and for some reason that rang bells in Inuyasha’s mind, but he just couldn’t put his finger on it. Even more striking was the amount of damage on his person.

Angry, torn gashes sat on the right side of his face, looking as if they had only recently ceased bleeding. His armor was bloody and busted up, and on his back sat the tattered remains of an honest to god cape.

Who was this guy Inuyasha wondered, what was he doing here? And who the hell actually wore a cape?

“What is the meaning of this?!” Enyon snapped.

Without a word the new demon pulled out the empty chair and sat down in it, scooting himself up to the table.

“Forgive me assembled Lords.” The man began, his voice rough and jagged, as if he had been struck in the throat not that long ago…probably had judging by the look of him. “Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Meadi, and I am now the reigning Lord of the South. Now as I heard business concerning my lands was being discussed here, specifically the death of our former lady, my cousin Nefrume, I felt it was only prudent to attend.”
Sesshomaru said back up, and as he straightened up he seemed to tense back up. Which probably meant this could be bad….great.

“Well this is most…unusual…” Enyon muttered. “We were just in the process of rendering judgment.”

“Though it is your right to attend of course.” Coda added.

“Then if what you say is true…I am glad I have arrived.” Meadi stated.

“Truly….this table was beginning to feel empty.” Sesshomaru quipped with a wry smile.

Meadi smiled slightly, pushing out a short chuckle. Inuyasha wasn’t sure just what was going on, but he did know Sesshomaru, and he could see that his elder brother was already sizing the new guy up.

“Well I am glad that I could at least balance that out.” Meadi said as the interlaced his fingers on the table in front of him. “But to the point…I am sure you are all aware of the report that the South released pertaining to this not so little incident.”

“Of course.” Coda stated.

“Well….I am afraid that the report was rather…lacking, biased even. Details were sparse and the entire thing seemed quite cobbled together.” Meadi said. “And so…another investigation was launched.”

“Oh really?” Enyon mused, still sounding eager.

“Yes indeed. In fact…several new details were unearthed.” Meadi reported. “But before I continue….” The new demon turned towards Inuyasha. “You would be Inuyasha correct?”

“The one and only.” Inuyasha responded. Meadi nodded with a smile.

“Marvelous…that will make things go much smoother.” Meadi stated before forging on. “It did not take very long to uncover several key facts that the initial report lacked. I am certain all parties gathered here are aware of my cousins rather…obsessive interest in one Sesshomaru.”

“I did notice.” Sesshomaru remarked dryly.

The small smile and light chuckle returned, making Inuyasha wonder a little. The guy seemed awfully glib for some reason, despite his torn up appearance.

“Yes well…she had been rather disgruntled about the subject ever since Inu-Taisho first shot down the proposal all that time ago.” Meadi reported.

“And you know this how?” Enyon asked.

The first crack appeared in the shell as Meadi shot the demon rat an annoyed sideways look.

“You mean other then her behavior and outbursts in public?” Meadi replied. “The third piece would be the page after page she devoted to the subject in her mountainous volumes of journals.”

Coda raised an eyebrow.

“She kept journals?”

Meadi nodded.

“Yes…it is not widely known but my cousin possessed a particular….mental ability…and while the details of just what all it enabled her to do are unknown to me, I am aware that it tended to cause a rather high level of memory lose. Hence why she often wrote down so much down with such frequency.” Meadi informed.

“Interesting…” Sesshomaru murmured.

Inuyasha said nothing, but his mind turned back to that day. He had wondered why he had been forced to relieve his past like he had. Something of a hunch told him that Nefrume had a rather large part to do with it, but at the same time it had seemed ridiculous. How could someone induce such a….cogent flashback?
Well now he was even more sure that she had caused it…and even more glad that he had lopped off her friggin head.

“I might also ask…” Meadi began as he pulled a slim metal case from some hidden breast pocket. “Do these look familiar?”

Opening the small case Meadi held up….son of a bitch.

“Yeah….that’s one of the damn needles she stuck me with.” Inuyasha growled. Sesshomaru gave his thigh a reassuring squeeze, but Inuyasha received a little rush of nervous anyway at the sight. Meadi nodded.

“Several of these were found on the floor of one of my cousins little….mini dungeons shall we say. A few tests later and we discovered that they were coated in a rather potent sedative.” Meadi explained. “This, and several written admissions by my cousin, plus a few….confessions by her former staff had lead the South to come to a verdict.”
Sesshomaru’s body had slipped into that calm stillness that Inuyasha hated. Of course he was usually on the other side of it.

“And that is?” Coda asked.

“My cousin Nefrume was planning on using the youngest son of Inu-Taisho for her own ends. Which were aimed towards the death of Sesshomaru and the merging of the West and South. This was a dishonorable act that has brought shame upon the South. As a result we hereby absolve the Lord Sesshomaru and his younger brother Inuyasha, of any and all responsibility for our late Lady’s death by reason of self-defense.” Meadi declared.

Uh…what?

Inuyasha was confused…and everyone else seemed to have their own issues with that statement.
Sesshomaru actually seemed a little caught off guard, he hid it well, but Inuyasha could see that his sibling had not expected that.

Coda was hiding most of his face behind his hands, and Enyon….well he just looked pissed.

The demon rat shot of his chair, sending it flying across the room.

“This is preposterous!” Enyon shouted. “You can’t-”

“-I…can’t?” Meadi mused. “I’m sorry Lord Enyon.…but you seem to be confused….you are the Lord of the East, not the South.”

“You can not just come in here and…don’t think it is not obvious what you are doing!”
Well if it was so obvious Inuyasha wished that someone would explain it to him.

“I am not sure what you mean.” Meadi said. “Nor do I care. I am the ruler of the South now, this is my decision, and it is final. If you have some sort of axe to grind, that is your problem, but you will not be using the South’s business to do so.”
Enyon was steaming, his teeth were clenched so tight Inuyasha was waiting for them to shatter. For a moment Inuyasha actually thought Enyon was going to attack, but he only let out a vicious snarling growl directed right at Sesshomaru and then stormed out.

“That was…different.” Inuyasha muttered at the Eastern door slammed shut.

“Hn.” Sesshomaru grunted, never taking his eyes off of Meadi.
The Southern Lord, who Inuyasha now recognized was hyena, turned in his chair to face them.

“Well…I guess I should get used to things like this eh?” Meadi chuckled. “I am sure you all wish to return home…so I shall make this short. I see no reason for any continued strife between our lands Sesshomaru. I certainly feel we can put an end to any hostilities together.”

“I imagine we could.” Sesshomaru replied, totally non-committal.

“Like men, after all…we do not hold grudges as women do, as…some of my other relatives do. They have their little cabal…Nefrume was the center piece…I would hate to see this all brought up again.” Meadi stated.

Huh? Women hold grudges but men don’t? What fucking planet was this guy from?

Sesshomaru nodded.

“The best of luck to you then. I believe that relations could improve.” Sesshomaru said as he rose. Inuyasha followed suit, but much to his surprise Sesshomaru turned and started to walk away.
Confused, and rapidly falling under the sway of a headache, Inuyasha went with him.

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E ven when they were safely secured back on their side Sesshomaru remained silent, which only served to annoy Inuyasha further.

He needed the info damn it!

“So uh…are we off the hook?” Inuyasha finally asked.

The way Sesshomaru was moving Inuyasha almost wondered if he was gearing up for a rally to attack.

“It would appear so…” Sesshomaru replied.

“Well…that’s…that’s good right?” Inuyasha asked. Sesshomaru sure did not seem happy, or even relieved about it.

“It is.”

Inuyasha rolled his eyes. What was Sesshomaru’s problem now? The guy shows up out of nowhere, right when they were in a tough spot, helps out, and now Sesshomaru was all…broody.

Something just didn’t add up.

“Well then what’s the friggin problem? Now we can leave right?” Inuyasha huffed. “And you should be relieved, this guy seems a hell of a lot nicer then his bitch of a cousin. Seems to have a bit of a hate on for the girls though…”

“He does hate them. I can assure you of that.” Sesshomaru stated. “And make no mistake little brother…he is neither yours nor my friend.”

Inuyasha put the brakes on, and caught a hold of Sesshomaru’s belt to halt him as well.

“Alright…enough of the walk and talk. What’s going on?” Inuyasha asked sternly. Sesshomaru actually quirked a smile and patted Inuyasha on the head.

What was he a puppy now?

“I was only going somewhere a bit more comfortable, and to begin preparations for our departure. But if you insist.” Sesshomaru explained. “What would you like to know first?”
Everything to be honest…but if Sesshomaru was going to make him trail along…fine.

“If he is not someone to be trusted….why did he help us?” Inuyasha began.

“Two reasons. For one….technically he owes us a boon. If he wad not disposed of Nefrume he would not be in the position that he now is. He also wishes a strong ally to aid him in keeping the throne.” Sesshomaru replied.

Okay…weird.

“And you know this how?” Inuyasha grunted.

“He told me.” Sesshomaru answered.

“When?”

“Just now.”

He did? Seriously? Ugh…this court crap sucked.

“Well then…why…I don’t’ see why he would need our help. I mean he’s obviously been able to get this far.” Inuyasha said.

“Luck and timing have more to do with it I believe.” Sesshomaru stated. “As for why, the reason he does not like women is because he is hyena, and the women are stronger then he is. He desires our aid to hold on to the throne in the even that he is not woman enough to hold it.”

Oh…

“Well…go girl power…or something.” Inuyasha muttered.

“What?” Sesshomaru puzzled. Inuyasha waved him off.

“Something on the TV box….”

“Well then stay away from this…TV box….it makes you say odd things.”

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX< br>

Sesshomaru was pleased, things had fallen in place rather nicely. Although he did have to admit that nothing had gone how he had expected, or wished. He wasn’t about to forget Coda’s actions, or the trouble it had caused him either.

But all in all Sesshomaru was grateful, not for the journey, certainly not, but for the destination. The fates hadn’t always been kind to him, but just this once they had given him a smile.

They were now in the free and clear, no axe hanging over their heads. Admittedly it had come so fast, and so unexpectedly that it was a little anti-climactic and stunning at the same time.

But now he could take Inuyasha home, and devote his time and energy to the hanyou. So much to do…and so much of it Inuyasha would probably go through kicking and screaming, but Sesshomaru found himself looking forward to it.

He was beginning to get a handle on the hanyou and his moods. Yes Inuyasha did tend to throw the unexpected at him, but Sesshomaru was learning how to cope with it.

Sesshomaru watched as Inuyasha stretched out in one of the cushioned lounging chairs. At this rate the boy would end up falling asleep before too long. Not that Sesshomaru minded, Inuyasha had certainly earned the right to relax.

He was also pleased that Inuyasha was beginning to say, our and we, rather then just you and or me. It was a small thing, but it pleased Sesshomaru that Inuyasha was growing more comfortable with him and perhaps, unconsciously or not, beginning to consider himself and Sesshomaru a pair.

Sesshomaru stretched himself, popping his stiff joints. He was grateful to be out of his formal clothing and into his softer, more comfortable attire as well.

The door to the room opened and Sesshomaru was intrigued to see the young Atrius enter with a large metal tray in his hands.
Sesshomaru rumbled in his chest as his nose caught the gentle scent of tea, the perfect thing to add to a period of relaxation. He would have to commend the young kitsune.
Atrius sat the tray down on the small table near Sesshomaru and took a seat himself.

“I had more then I could drink alone, so I thought it would only be proper…” Atrius stated. Sesshomaru nodded.

“I like your thinking.”

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX X

Lips pressed together so sweetly as two solid bodies intertwined. Fingers explored trails along favored paths and hips bunked into one another.

“Tren….” Alir groaned as his elder brother’s teeth sunk into one of his marks.

“As many times as we have shared each other….I swear its always as sweet as if it were the first.” Tren panted as he pressed down into Alir.

“Probably because its so few and far between.” Alir joked before gasping and lifting Tren and himself off of the bed in a wide back arch when Tren bit down harder on his arm.

“Hush you.” Tren ordered, his voice haggard.

“Hush me.” Alir challenged.

He didn’t have to tell Tren twice.

Alir dug his hands into the meat of Tren’s rear as his elder brother pushed him back into their bunk. His mouth was claimed, aggressively, by Tren, who barely allowed him to get a breath, let along speak.

The sounds of fabric ribbing permeated the room as Tren literally tore Alir’s shirt clean off of his body. Alir writhed and groaned under Tren’s body as his mate attacked his naked flesh with teeth.
It always was amazing to him, how the normally docile Tren became so dominate in bed.

Not that he was complaining.

Alir cried out in the semi darkened room as Tren sunk his teeth into his final mark of claim, almost hard enough to break the skin.

Alir liked to be bitten.

“F-Fuck…gods love….you’re getting me s-so hot” Alir panted.

Tren growled and nipped at Alir’s left nipple before grabbing him by the shoulders and roughly flipping him over.

Alir shivered as Tren’s tongue traced down his spine. He planted a gentle kiss on the small of Alir’s back and then swiftly tore his pants off, drawing a surprised noise out of Alir.

“E-Eager are we?” Alir gasped.

Alir moaned low in his throat as Tren dropped his hot, hard body over his own, it was especially nice when Tren’s erect cock pressed into the split of his ass. Tren swiveled his hips, grinding against Alir’s rear.

“You like that?” Tren whispered into his ear.

“Yessss.” Alir hissed.
Tren’s tongue traced the inner shell of Alir’s ear, tormenting him further.

“T-Tren…do it.”

“Do what?” Tren murmured.

“You know what.” Alir growled. “Don’t tease….give it to me.”

Tren bit down on Alir’s shoulder, knowing full well that it would make him writhe, which teased Alir’s ass without even having to move himself.

“Treeennnnn” Alir whined.

Tren’s fingers dug into his a hair and he gasped loudly when Tren pulled his head back forcibly.

“You want it? Then say it.” Tren ordered. Alir shivered, and fought to voice his desire. Not an easy thing when Tren pull his hips back, causing the tip of his cock to drag along Alir’s hole.

It was wet wit his pre-cum, and Tren, being evil, took hold of himself, and slowly rubbed it up and down against Alir’s opening.

“Tren!!” Alir panted. “Please!”

“Say it.”

“Ugh…f-fuck….damn you…mount my ass Tren! Fuck me!!” Alir demanded.

God damn tease….

Tren rose back up, and Alir could hear him fiddling with something. Alir mentally growled in frustration. Damn lube….friggin girls has it so easy.

Smack!

Alir cried out as Tren’s palm connected hard against his left ass cheek. He bit down on his lower lip and shivered violently.

He knew what Tren wanted now…but that didn’t mean he had to give in right away. Not with Tren being such a pain.

Alir could hear Tren finish unscrewing the lid to the glass jar, and then set it down on the little personal table near their bunk. Tren paused then, seeing that he had not complied, and Alir could almost hear his mate’s thoughts.

“Oh really?”

Smack!

His bottom stung as Tren brought his hand down upon it again. His body twitched, practically trained to comply without words as it was, but Alir held himself in check. His control was hardly remarkable however, especially when it came to resisting Tren in bed.

The thing all of his defiance shuddered as Tren began to trace his hole lightly with on slick finger. Alir let out a light chittering moan and buried his face in the pillow.

SMACK!

Alir half screamed into the pillow as Tren’s hand connected for the third time, harder then before. This time he could not resist….

Alir pulled his legs in slightly, and arched his back up, offering his ass to his mate.

That was what Tren wanted. Unless he laid Alir on his back for sweeter lovemaking he always demanded that Alir offer it to be taken.

And not just something like getting on all fours and dropping one’s head down to put one’s rear in the air either. No…Tren considered that a demand.

Alir had to lay himself as flat as he could, and try to stay that way as he pushed his ass up.

Of course once Tren was inside he would allow Alir to support himself with more then just his back muscles.

“Good boy…” Tren whispered as he massaged the sore spots on Alir’s bottom.

“Only for you…” Alir groaned hotly.

“And even that’s seldom.” Tren chuckled.

Alir opened his mouth to protest, slightly offended. He had always given Tren what he wanted, what he needed, in bed.

But his breath was promptly stolen as two of Tren’s slicked up fingers plunged into his ass.

There had been no warning, and it certainly had not been slow.

Tren had no mercy, his fingers slid deep into Alir, worked around for a few seconds, and then retreated completely.

Only to return seconds later and begin again.
Alir bit down on his pillow, and struggled to control his shaky muscles. Tren shifted and Alir barely had time to register the feeling of Tren’s tip pressing against him before he was abruptly filled to the hilt in one clean line.

Alir tipped his head back and let out a loud, low throaty moan. His body trembled, and Tren had to hold him up for a few moments.
He was far removed from being a virgin, but it was still more then a little overwhelming. Tren had made him slick sure, but not opened him up much, he was still so tight, and so full.

His body was defensive, aching, and he could feel himself stretching around his mate. But he knew it would not last long. Soon Tren would start to move, and it would be a little rough for a time. But that was the whole point of this…to take what was offered.

But that was fine…Alir liked rough sometimes.

It had taken a while of course, getting used to what Tren could, and would, do. As a matter fact they first time Tren had truly let all of his passion go…Alir had bled…which has freaked squeaky clean Tren out badly.

Granted yes, Alir had been brutally sore for days, but he had also greatly enjoy Tren finally giving him what he needed, and taking what HE needed.

Sweet and gentle was great, Alir loved being loved. But sometimes you had to break the bed, knock crap off of the walls, and scare the shit out of the neighbors.

It was must a matter of degree really, they had simply needed to train his body.

Alir’s cock throbbed painfully, his body tensing in anticipation as Tren took a hold of his hips. Alir was so hot at that moment, Tren could do anything he wanted, he was just that needy.

But Tren didn’t move.
Alir blinked and wiggled his rear.

Still Tren did not move.

“What’s wrong baby?” Alir asked, voice breathy.

“Oh nothing…just letting you stretch a little.” Tren answered and Alir could hear a grin in his voice. Alir growled long and low.

“Fuck me damn it!”

“Easy now…don’t want to rush.”

Alir tried to rock his hips, but Tren held him firmly. He growled and pushed himself up, only to have Tren shove his face back into the pillow.

Smack!

Alir’s ass clenched around Tren as he landed another blistering swat to Alir’s bottom.

“Gods Tren…please..”

“Be good.”

With a frustrated whimper Alir let his muscles go slack, forcing Tren to support his weight or let him drop.

He had already been good! This wasn’t fair!

His ass was stinging from Tren’s abuse, tingling from his kindness, and full of the cock it so craved.

Yet he was being denied.

Tren did not hold him up, instead Alir’s mate rode him down, pressing Alir into the bedding and used his added weight to push deeper inside.

“So deep…” Alir panted. “Gods Tren…you always get so deep….”

Tren bit down lightly on the muscles of Alir’s back, and then whispered into his ear.

“Its because this ass is so hungry….just pulls me in.”

Alir’s cock was throbbing so badly now, but he didn’t dare bring attention to it. It was obvious that Tren was in a tormentive mood…and he SO did not need it from both sides.

“Tren please…please” Alir begged.

“Soon….” Tren whispered. “….But man….this stuff feels weird this time.”

Alir’s foggy brain fought to process what Tren had said. He was dick deep inside of him and he was muttering about the oil?

“Same as always…” Alir grunted. Though he was feeling sort of…pulled.

“Just feels different that’s all…” Tren whispered.
Tren shifted position, and Alir bit his bottom lip to keep from screaming at him to hurry it up. Tren started to pull back, and suddenly Alir felt a sharp pain inside, like sharp nails being jabbed into him. He gasped painfully and Tren halted.

“Alir?”

“I…I dunno…” Alir admitted. “Something just…hurt.”

Tren settled back against him for a few minutes, perhaps waiting for Alir to adjust further.

Tren moved back again, a little quicker this time, and the pain shot back. Alir grunted, but this time Tren did not halt. He pulled back harder, wiggling his hips.

Alir sucked in a pained breath, it felt almost like someone was pinching and pulling at his inner walls.

“What the…?” Tren muttered.

Alir felt his mate tense, and then pull back hard.

It HURT.

Alir moved with Tren this time, scrambling backward to follow him.

Good gods….it felt like he was being pulled inside out.

“T-Tren…love…whatever you are doing…please stop.” Alir pleaded, his voice trembling nervously. “It hurts.”

All became quiet then, neither one of them moved or said a word.

Alir was expecting an apology, but none came. Which was completely out of character for Tren, who tended to apologize for EVERYTHING. And with no apology came a question….why would Tren hurt him during lovemaking? Sometimes Alir got hurt FROM it, but Tren never deliberately hurt him.

“I…I don’t….” Tren fumbled. “Alir…I’m stuck.”

“What??” Alir gasped.

“I’m stuck.”

“What do you mean you’re stuck?!” Alir snapped. “I know I’m tight love, but I’m not THAT tight.”

“Oh ha ha ha Alir.” Tren huffed. “I’m not kidding….every time I move…well I don’t and you yell. I can’t move back even an inch.”

Alir’s brain again was forced to leave the sex haze and try to function.

“You’re stuck….up my ass?” Alir questioned.

“Yes Alir. I am stuck.” Tren repeated, exasperation thick in his voice. “What do we do?”

“I don’t know!” Alir growled. “How should I know? Wait till you get soft? I don’t know! How the hell do you get stuck up my ass!?”

“I don’t know!”

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Ko rotated his shoulders as he left the training grounds, his twin Po not far behind him.

“Pretty good workout.” Ko said. “You all ready to leave?”

“Yeah.” Po said. “We didn’t bring much anyway.”
That was true, they had always traveled reasonably light.

Wiping the sweat from his body with a towel Ko looked around for his shirt and armor. Stuff never seemed to be where he left it…

Working out in full regalia really wasn’t exactly easy or enjoyable, so they often did without.

Of course with both he and Po being shirtless, and wearing the same style and color of pants….they could easy pull the twin switch joke…but this really wasn’t’ the place.

Ko’s brow furrowed as he spotted a little statue next to his armor. He didn’t recall seeing that there before…

“Hey Po? Did you see this thing here when we came in?” Ko asked.

“What thing?” Po called out from around the corner.

“This little…sculpture…thingy.” Ko answered as he picked it up.

It looked like a pot bellied laughing man. Odder still….it had little tags with their names on it. Ko tossed it up in the air, catching it with his other hand.

“Somebody wanted to give us a present?” Ko muttered.

“Not that I know of.” Po said as he entered the room. “Let me see it.”
Ko held it out for Po to have, but the moment both of them were touching it Ko felt a surge of energy ripple through his arm.

Vroom! Wham!

The twins both cried out in surprised as the statue grew, and greatly increased in weight, dragging both of them down.

“What the hell?!” Po shouted.

Ko tried to pull his hand off of it, but it wouldn’t budge. Bracing with his other hand Ko pulled, and pulled, and pulled. But still it wouldn’t release. Worse still….now his other hand was stuck.

“Ah! Don’t’ touch it!” Ko warned.

“Why didn’t you say so sooner!!?” Po snapped.

The chubby man just seemed to laugh.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Preve felt like screaming. Where the hell was his bow?! He had left it right in the armory trunk at the foot of his bunk.

But it wasn’t there now.

He knew that Tren and Alir had been in here a short while ago, but they weren’t now. If either one of them has messed with his bow….dead meat….

Preve practically tore the room apart, not even caring what he threw where, until he finally located his bow under a pile of blankets.
As relieved as he was, it quickly gave way to sheer irritation when he saw that someone had unstrung it. Screwing around with someone’s weapon was wrong, and dangerous, but it was especially wrong with one as personal as Preve’s bow. It was a family heirloom after all.

He had spare bowstrings of course, he would be a fool not to have a few on hand. It was still highly annoying however. Not only because someone had broken the guard-sacred rule of not tampering with one’s weapons and armor, but also because he custom made each of his bowstrings, which was a difficult and time consuming process.

Growling to himself Preve plopped himself down on his bunk. Fishing a new string out of his supply pouch, Preve put his foot on the lower crook of his bow, and began to use all his weight to bend the extremely stiff object.

It took a little maneuvering, but after a few minutes Preve finally got the bowstring secured. Slowly easing up on his weapon Preve was more then a little surprised when it suddenly shot out of his hands.

The bow flipped in the air and then….landed on two feet?!

To say he was confused would be a gross understatement. Preve could only watch as his body sprouted a set of arms and slowly turned around to reveal a creepy little face.

“The hell?” Preve gasped as his bow began to dance.

“I will sing this song for you/I do sing it yes I do/I will sing this song for you, till early in the morning!” It crooned.
Even more bizarrely, the moment it finished it was enveloped in a puff of smoke. When it cleared there were now two…dancing….singing bows.

“I will sing this song for you/I do sing it yes I do/I will sing this song for you, till early in the morning!” The two sang in sync.

Poof!

The two became four. Then the four became eight. The eight became sixteen….

They just kept singing…and when Preve moved….they followed.

It wasn’t long before he realized that the room would soon be packed with them, not to mention their high-pitched, shrill voices were becoming murder on his ears…and nerves.

“What the hell is going on?!” Preve roared.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Inuyasha woke suddenly, feeling groggy as hell again. He didn’t bother to sit up, not yet at least…he would probably just fall over if he tried.

He felt confused…where the hell was he?

Groaning and stretching Inuyasha rolled over onto his back. He didn’t’ remember falling asleep…he had only laid down to rest his back for a little. Blinking he stared up at the ceiling….now he remembered. Sesshomaru had brought him here after the meeting.

Rubbing at his eyes Inuyasha sat up slightly. In front of him sat Sesshomaru and Atrius, who were actually chatting away quietly. They were also drinking tea, but they weren’t just drinking it, they were holding the cups very proper like, and taking small sips. Inuyasha had seen Miroku drinking like that before, and it never made any sense to him.

If you were thirsty then just drink it, why beat about the bush?

Plus they were…talking about the tea? The hell?

Inuyasha pushed himself up, groaning as he did.

“Are you two actually…talking about tea?”

“It turns out young Atrius is actually quite the authority, and an enthusiast.” Sesshomaru reported.

A light blush formed in the kitsune’s cheeks.

“Oh…you do me too much credit milord.” Atrius murmured. Inuyasha looked back and forth between the two.

“You’re both weird…” He grunted before a jaw cracking yawn tore its way out of him.

“Would you like some Lord Inuyasha?” Atrius asked softly. Inuyasha blinked and then waved his hand towards the table.

“Sure.”

The Kit complied, pouring Inuyasha a cup. The hanyou snagged it up off of the table and down it in just one gulp. The cup wasn’t all that deep to begin with after all, but it did actually feel pretty good on his throat.

“Such culture you possess little brother.” Sesshomaru chuckled.

Inuyasha stuck his tongue out at Sesshomaru, and was about to follow up with one of his patented suggestions of where Sesshomaru could cram his culture when several loud shouts from down the all caught his attention.

Inuyasha wasn’t the only one who heard it, Sesshomaru and Atrius also turned their heads towards the sound. It seemed to be getting closer.

“Please stop pulling so much love! You’re going to hurt us both!”

“Then keep up!”

“That’s kinda hard when there is so little room to move! If you would just let me carry you!”

“If you would just go where I want to go!”

“We should have stayed in the infirmary! Why are we going this way!?”

“Because HE’S down here! And I’m going to kill him! I’m going to rip off each one of his tails and shove them down his god damn throat! He did this! I know it!”

The voices were very close now, had to be right down the hall.

Sure enough, only a few moments later the door burst open, with a very disgruntled looking Alir marching through, which Tren right behind him…literally right behind him.

They were bare chested, and for some reason sharing a sheet that was wrapped and tied around them.
Alir slammed his hands down on the table hard enough for Inuyasha to hear it crack, and glared viciously at Atrius.

“You! I’m going to break you in half!” Alir snarled.

He started to move, but Tren wrapped his arms around his waist and hoisted him up off of the floor.

“Knock it off Alir! This isn’t helping! And stop squirming!!”

“Then move me where I can kick him!”
What the hell was going on? This was way too much excitement to be going on minutes after Inuyasha woke up.

As Alir continued to rant and flail Inuyasha began to speak, but another burst of sounds caught his attention before he could finish a word.

“One, two, three…HNNN!”

Wham!

“One, two, three….HNNN!”

Wham!

Now what the hell was that?!

It didn’t take long before he was answered, for only a few seconds later in came Ko and Po…dragging/pushing a huge statue. Ko was pushing, but Po…he had his whole upper body and face pressed into it. Looked real uncomfortable, and the sight even stopped Alir’s ranting for the moment.

“Alright….just who is responsible for this?!” Ko roared.

“I don’t care who did it! Just get it off of me! This is breaking my neck!” Po whined.

Inuyasha looked at the statue….they were stuck to it? Hmm…now didn’t THAT sound familiar…

“You guys too?” Alir growled as Tren finally set him back down. “Alright…that totally settles it! You--!”

Crash!
The door, which had swung mostly close, slammed open a third time….and in stormed Preve, who had…dozens of….bows chasing after him. They had…arms…and were clinging to his arms, his legs, and around his neck….and where also crooning in this high pitched warble that Inuyasha could barely understand.

All he did know was that it was damn freaky to see.
Without sparing more then a glance at them, Preve pushed right by the twins and up to the table next to Alir. Preve shoved one hand with one of the flailing bows it in towards Atrius.

“What did you do to my bow?!?” Preve shouted.

Looking around Inuyasha saw that all of them had leveled accusatory stares on the kitsune. But Atrius gave an innocent look.

“Me?” He said, pressing one hand to his chest. “I’ve been right here.” Atrius picked up one of the tea cups and waved it around in a slow, horizontal circle. “With our Lords.”

The door then opened a yet another time, though not nearly as violently as the first three times.

“Now what?” Inuyasha wondered.

He tensed, not sure just who or what was about to make an appearance. But to his relief it was only Daigon, holding some kind of jar over his head.

“Alright, make way here people. Healer coming through.” Daigon huffed as he pushed his way towards the table. “And you know…if the two of you want this one’s help…then you probably shouldn’t wander off.”

“It wasn’t my idea.” Tren protested. “He wouldn’t listen!”

“Oh screw you Tren!” Alir snapped.

“That was the original idea!” Tren shot back.

This had started weird…and by the gods it wasn’t letting up. Inuyasha really didn’t want to stick around and find out where this was all headed, but he didn’t see a way to get out.

“Well…Daigon has discerned the nature of the…fluid you were attempting to use. On one hand yes…it was clearly a lubricant, mixed in however happened to be a high bond adhesive….annnd a powerful aphrodisiac. Which is why you have yet to…go down.” Daigon explained to Tren.

Inuyasha didn’t know what the hell the healer was talking about, nor did he want to know. Was there a backdoor around here somewhere?

“Chances are it has also affected Alir’s…core.” Daigon added.

Core? Like an apple? Oh please let it be like an apple….

“Well…that is very interesting…truly.” Tren grumbled. “But please say you have a way to free us? This is not nearly as romantic as it sounds, and is becoming rather painful.”

Inuyasha’s eyes darted about the room, searching for another exit. But there didn’t appear to be one, other then going through them of course, and the ceiling was too low for him to just jump over…damn it.

“Well of course.” Daigon reported as he held up the jar. “But uh….we have to get it in there…so….”

Inuyasha watched in something of a horrified fascination as Daigon shoved Alir over the table. Bent at the waist with Tren so closed behind him, Alir’s position was WAY beyond suggestive.

“H-Hey now…” Alir fumbled. Daigon shook his fingers at Tren’s waist, ignoring Alir.

“Alright…drop it…”

Tren’s eyes went wide.

“Oh come on….n-not here. Daigon…everyone is watching!” Tren hissed.

Daigon gave Tren an annoyed look.

“Considering your predicament….you’re hardly in a position to argue. You should have stayed where this one left you. Now he is in no mood to put up with any more shenanigans today….but fine…we’ll try it this way.”

Daigon pulled the towel away from Tren a little and slipped his hands under it with the jar in one hand, and some kind of metal tool in the other.

“HEY!” Alir protested.

Inuyasha couldn’t quite see what was going on, but he was actually starting to enjoy this a little. Okay…so that was kind of a dick thing but after Sesshomaru had embarrassed him in front of everyone a few days ago….it was nice not to be the center of attention for once.

“Hey! Ow! What are you! Stop that!” Alir snapped.

“Alright…that should do….just pour this in….” Daigon murmured.

“Ah! Its cold!” Tren and Alir gasped.

“Oh hush you big babies…” Daigon chided.

“Baby!?! How would you like YOUR mate to be stuck in you!?” Alir snarled.

In him? As in…in him, in him? But how would be…oh eww!

“He’s in your butt?!” Inuyasha forced out.

Tren turned his head slowly to look at Inuyasha, and the moment their eyes locked Tren turn THE deepest shade of red Inuyasha had ever seen. Tren said nothing, just put his hand over his eyes and drop his head.

“How long will this take….?” Tren whispered harshly.

“Well you have to work it in.” Daigon stated.
Tren and Alir’s heads whipped around to stare in shock at the healer.

“W-What?!” Tren spat. “Well…how…uh….”

Daigon sighed, rolled his eyes, and stepped behind Tren. The healer grabbed the redhead’s hips and pulled them back, then pushed them forward.

“Wooork it around.”

Tren had barely moved, but Alir gasped.

“Don’t DO that!” Alir half shouted.

“It will only hurt more if something isn’t done” Daigon snapped. “And this one told you your core had likely been affected…so just suck it up…geez….and if you want free…then move Tren.”

Tren’s head looked like it was about to pop from all the blood flowing into it, but he complied, twisting and rocking around.

Inuyasha couldn’t’ believe what he was seeing, and he didn’t want to see it….but he just couldn’t look away...it was like a train wreck or something.

Alir’s body shook, his muscles tightening under his skin. He was trying extremely hard not to look at anyone, but he was finding out what Inuyasha already knew, no matter where he looked there was someone there and curiously….despite what Daigon had said…he didn’t look like he was in pain.

“Al-Almost….I think…” Tren muttered. Alir threw his head back, his eyes rolling over.

“W-Wait! T-Tren….I….I….AH!”

Alir’s whole body locked…and from under the sheet Inuyasha could see thick, white fluid splashing against the table.

It took him a minute to figure it out but….oh good gods….that was it…he gave up. Could he please wake up for real now?

“Got it!” Tren exclaimed as he pulled away from Alir, though he was careful to keep the sheet in place.

“Did you just cum?!?!” Ko shouted.

Alir collapsed on the table, and his body quivered with little aftershocks.

“Gonna kill you…” Alir panted softly.

Following his line of sight Inuyasha realized Alir was staring right at Atrius, who in turn was simply sipping his tea with his legs crossed…looking very…VERY smug.

Then all hell broke loose….

Ko and Po were shouting at Daigon for help. Tren was trying to gather up Alir, who was weakly trying to punch him in the head at the same time. Preve was fighting with the mob of freaky bow over in the corner, and there were even more of them now, they were swarming all over him.

For several minutes pandemonium reigned, and Inuyasha was at a complete loss of how to escape before he got sucked in.

The noise level grew louder and louder…until….

“Ahem…” Sesshomaru grunted.
Suddenly everyone stopped, stopped moving, stopped talking, stopped doing…anything.

All eyes turned towards Sesshomaru, who was still seated comfortably in his seat. Crap…Inuyasha had completely forgotten Sesshomaru was even in the room.

The Lord of the West took the last sip of the tea in his cup, and then slowly set it down on the table. Sesshomaru’s face was set in the perfect picture of neutrality, not a twitch or a tooth to be seen.
And yet…Inuyasha still found himself mildly worried…and he hadn’t even done anything.

Slowly Sesshomaru stood, something his clothing out with his hand.

“I know not what brought such…lunacy before me. Nor do I care at this point. Sesshomaru said just as cold as ice. “I do not want to hear excuses, and I to NOT want such….business in front of my person again. Whatever game is being played here….is not to my liking. Whatever the source of all of this….you will not start it again. Period. Am I understood? For if you do, then all of you, ALL of you WILL KNOW MY WRATH. Are we clear?”
Various nods and muted “Yes Sirs.” came forth.

“Good…and just to make sure the point is driven through some apparently thick skulls. If this does happen again and I must get involved…then I will settle it…and you all will not enjoy it.” Sesshomaru repeated. “We will be leaving tomorrow…be ready. Now…come Inuyasha.”
Sesshomaru moved around the clump of people, and Inuyasha rose to follow.

Talk about creepy….Sesshomaru had totally cowed all of them…and he hadn’t even raised his voice.

“You so have to teach me how to do that.” Inuyasha muttered. Sesshomaru turned his head just enough to give Inuyasha a small smile, and somehow…that only made it creepier.

Part of him wanted to ask Sesshomaru if he knew what all of that had been about…but the rest of him was screaming for that part to shut the fuck up and never, ever think about it again.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

“I’m going to kill him.” Alir growled. “And I’m going to take DAYS to do it.”

“Now Alir…” Po started.

“Don’t you now Alir me!” Alir snapped. “You just got stuck to a stupid statue! I had my mate GLUED inside of me! I was forced to cum in front of our Lords! Oh…he is so dead.”

Hours had past, and the sun was starting to set. Ko and PO had been freed from the statue, and Preve’s shrill bow singers had disappeared when he had finally found his real bow among the false duplicates.

None of them where happy, but Alir seemed to be the most disgruntled of the bunch.

“You can’t do that, or anything else.” Ko said. “Good gods Alir…do you REALLY want Lord Sesshomaru to get involved. He didn’t even blink! Do you know what that means?! We’re all doomed that’s what!”

Sitting in his shared bunk Alir scowled.

“He said don’t let it happen in front of him….when he isn’t around the run is SO fair game.”

Tren remained silent, still too mortified to speak.

“True…our own time is jus that.” Preve muttered.

Before they could discuss any further the door to the guards quarters opened….and Atrius walked in.

“My, my…such an interesting day.” The kit chuckled.

“Oh you’ve got a lot of guts coming in here.” Alir growled.

“Well this IS where I am to sleep.” Atrius said. “Or are you suggesting I should fear attack from my fellow honor guards?”

“We do not attack one another.” Preve stated firmly.

Atrius cocked his head to the side and then began to walk around the group.

‘But don’t think that there won’t be payback kid.” Alir threatened. “And it’ll be a bitch…that I promise.”

“If you didn’t like it…maybe you shouldn’t have started the game then huh?” Atrius shot back.

“A joke is a joke Atrius!” Tren suddenly howled. “But you went too far!”

Atrius turned around to face the group with a feral grin on his face.

“You don’t’ don’t have a problem displaying yourselves in sight or sound when it is just this group no do you? And I did not make you appear in front of Lord Sesshomaru.” Atrius said. “You did that. But perhaps if you were interested in something other then ravaging each other at every brief opportunity…such things would not have happened.”

“Fine…that was them…but you didn’t have to drag us into it! I nearly blew out my back!” Po snapped.

“Don’t think we’ll forget.” Ko growled.

Atrius sighed and rolled his eyes.

“Threaten away boys…do you know how long it took me to come up with this? Ten minutes. Twenty to set it all up. So go ahead…push me again.” Atrius jabbed. Alir opened his mouth, but Atrius forged on. “And Alir….before you start threatening again, think about this. This was easy, you actually want to see what happens when I REALLY plan it? I’m a fucking kitsune, and you do not get into a prank war with a kitsune. Its what we do boys…its what we have always done, what we have spent thousands of years refining, developing and passing down. So go ahead….you think this was bad? Piss me off again….and see what I do….”

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XX

Inuyasha absentmindedly stared into the mirror as he washed his face. He wasn’t thinking about anything in particular, just letting his mind wander.

Sesshomaru and Daigon were in the next room, talking about…something. Inuyasha didn’t know what exactly, but in truth all he really wanted to do was leaving this place and never, ever coming back to it.

He wondered what his group was up to, and what he was going to do when he met back up with them. So much had changed in such a short span of time…what the hell was he going to say?

And what was Sesshomaru going to do? Just about everything at the castle had been about this moment, and now that it had past…what would happen?

It would be yet another whole new situation…and he hadn’t’ even finished getting a hold on this one.

Inuyasha whined softly in his throat, he was getting a headache just thinking about it. He felt weird too…kind of tired and weak for some reason.

Which was stupid honestly, he hadn’t done much of anything today.

Rubbing at his face vigorously with one of the soft towels Inuyasha stepped away from the wash basin and left the room.

Sesshomaru and Daigon were still talking in hushed voices, but Inuyasha could barely make it out. Odd….it was annoying, and Inuyasha hated it when people did it around him. It meant that they were trying to hide something from him.

Though what the two were trying to hide, and the why of it where unknown to him, Inuyasha still got a rush of nervous tension. He knew all too well that what you didn’t know certainly could hurt you, so….

“What the hell are you two whispering about?” Inuyasha grumped.

Daigon turned his head towards him and smiled.

“The moon.” Daigon answered. “It is something of interest to this one’s people, and has a connection to both of you as well.”

“Oh really?” Inuyasha asked skeptically.

Sesshomaru traced the small circle around the crescent moon on his forehead with one finger. Inuyasha snorted…yeah…like he really believed that they were talking about the moon.

You didn’t get all hush-hush about the moon, everyone knew it was there. No…they just didn’t want to tell him what it was, and that was highly annoying.

Honestly, if not for the fact that he felt so…ugh….he would totally just smack them around for a while. See if they wouldn’t …wait….the moon….

Inuyasha hadn’t thought about it for a while but….his eyes widened, his heart rate speeding up.

He felt weak, his senses were dulling…that’s why he couldn’t make out what they were saying….

Inuyasha took a look out the window to the right. The sun had just about set…the moon….the night of the new moon.

Tonight was the night of the fucking new moon!!

“Inuyasha?” Sesshomaru whispered.

Inuyasha didn’t dare look at him, his mind was already focused on one issue, and one alone.

He had to hide, had to get out of here. Other then that damn girl Sesshomaru hated humans, so what would he do when Inuyasha turned into one right in front of him?

Inuyasha didn’t know, and he didn’t want to know.

He had spent over two hundred years hiding his secret, from Sesshomaru, from everyone. He had been forced to share it with his group…but…this was not his group.

He was surrounded by demons, and not just Sesshomaru and his troupe either, but also Coda’s, Enyon’s, and now Meadi’s. Two of those groups wanted him dead, and those two demons had noses that probably surpassed his own. Sesshomaru’s did, so why not them as well?

They would know…they would know and spread his secret. Everyone would know, Naraku would know…Inuyasha’s heart was pounding in his chest, he didn’t have much time, it had already started and he had been too stupid to notice.

“Inuyasha? What is wrong?” Sesshomaru asked.

Inuyasha turned, giving Sesshomaru his back.

“I…I have to go. P-Don’t follow…”

And then he ran.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

I t went without saying that when Inuyasha bolted out the door Sesshomaru was keen to follow, if only to find out why. Where did Inuyasha have to go so suddenly, and why would he have to go alone?

Then there was the matter of the sudden burst of fear that had spilled off out Inuyasha. He had gone from just a normal, if a little cranky, mood…to frightened in only a matter of seconds.

But why?

The sudden burst of the scent of fear coming off of Inuyasha had been so out of the blue, it had actually startled Sesshomaru. Rolling his mind back over the past few minutes Sesshomaru didn’t see anything that should have provoked Inuyasha in this manner.

He and Daigon had simply been talking, not about the moon, but about Inuyasha’s health. It had not even been all that dire a subject. Daigon had simple been telling Sesshomaru how he wished to proceed once they were back home.
When pressed by Inuyasha of course Daigon had told a half truth, the sun and moon where important objects to his kind, and yes the Inu family did have a connection to the moon, if only through their marks.

It was a little complicated, Sesshomaru’s body did have a connection to the moon, he was at his most powerful, most fertile, when the moon matched the mark upon his head, though he didn’t dramatically weaken when it did not. For all he knew that legend wasn’t even true, he didn’t tend to feel any different after all.

But why….there was no point in wondering, he would just have to catch up to Inuyasha and ask.

“Inuyasha! Please stop!” Sesshomaru shouted.

This was ridiculous, this was the second time in only two days he had been forced to chase after his hanyou sibling.

This time however Sesshomaru could see that Inuyasha was headed straight for one of the recreational balconies…and that his speed was seriously lagging this time as well. He was not kicking off with half the power Sesshomaru knew he possessed.

Which was curious, why would Inuyasha hold back? He was still frightened, Sesshomaru could smell that, if anything Inuyasha fear was actually increasing as his speed slipped.

“I said don’t follow!” Inuyasha screamed, sounding near panicked.

Well….that certainly settled it. If something affected Inuyasha to that degree then there was no way in hell Sesshomaru wasn’t keeping the hanyou by his side so that he could protect him.

Inuyasha caught a hold of one of the tables set against the wall, and pulled in hard, throwing it into Sesshomaru’s path. It was hardly a problem, Sesshomaru had plenty of time to react.

Kicking off with his toes Sesshomaru leapt over the table and kicked off the ceiling with all his might. Sailing through the air Sesshomaru touched down right behind Inuyasha just as the boy was starting to jump over the balcony railing.
Sesshomaru reacted, wrapping his arm around Inuyasha’s waist. However he was not completely on balance, so Inuyasha’s momentum sent them tumbling off of the balcony.

It was no real problem.

Again Sesshomaru had plenty of time, and the distance was hardly enough to be a threat. Tightening his grip around his squirming sibling Sesshomaru righted himself in mid air. His bare feet squished down into the earth as he landed, Inuyasha half cradled in his arm. Inuyasha gasped, and seemed to panic even more. The hanyou increased his struggles, but despite all of his flailing his strength was also lacking.

‘Inuyasha, please stop. What is wrong little brother? Tell me.”

‘Let me go! Let me go!” Inuyasha demanded breathlessly.

“I will not.” Sesshomaru stated firmly. “What is wrong? Brother…please let me help you. I can-”

“-NO!!!” Inuyasha screamed with such force it frightened Sesshomaru slightly. Inuyasha’s eyes were wide with panic, practically popping out of his skull as he watched something.

Following his stare Sesshomaru realized that he was staring off at the skyline. Sesshomaru watched with him as the last traces of the sun dipped under the horizon…and then…Inuyasha quivered.
Sesshomaru dropped his gaze to his sibling just in time to see Inuyasha beautiful silver hair shimmered for a moment…and then turn an inky black.

Inuyasha’s entire scent changed, his weight, his muscle structure, everything seemed to change.

Overwhelmed by the sudden shift in information his senses were giving him, and startled by the entire thing Sesshomaru dropped Inuyasha.

Inuyasha somersaulted along the ground after he hit, and scrambled over to a tree. Sesshomaru could hear his heart thundering in his chest, so close to blind panic that it made Sesshomaru’s own chest ache.

He took a step forward and Inuyasha’s muscles locked. Through the darkness their eyes locked. But it was not Inuyasha’s rich golden eyes burning into his own, and Inuyasha’s cute puppy ears had also disappeared. A look at his hands revealed rounded off nails instead of deadly claws.

“Human…” Sesshomaru whispered. Somehow…someway…Inuyasha had become…human.

And the moment the world past his lips, Inuyasha’s fear spiked even higher…

Sesshomaru’s mind rapidly processed the information. As a human Inuyasha would lack his strength, his speed. His claws and fangs would be gone. His senses would have obviously dulled, and he would not be able to truly wield Tetsusaiga.

He was…completely helpless.

Helpless and in desperate need of protection.

The situation left Sesshomaru with only one question to ask.

“Why run from me?”

Inuyasha’s breathing was rapid and shallow, close to hyperventilation.

“You can’t know….no one can know…” Inuyasha replied, his voice tight and frightened.

Sesshomaru understood what Inuyasha meant, this was a time of weakness and thus the perfect time to attack.
Without warning Inuyasha dove to the side, attempting to make a break for it. It actually made Sesshomaru heart ache, not just because Inuyasha felt he had to flee from Sesshomaru, but also because of how…slow he was.

Before Inuyasha could even blink Sesshomaru was in front of him, and he was barely able to stop himself from crashing into Sesshomaru’s chest.

Sesshomaru himself gently wrapped his arm around the…hanyou.

“It is alright Inuyasha…everything will be fine.” Sesshomaru soothed. “I will watch over you tonight while you sleep.”

He had been a bit hurt that Inuyasha would suddenly show such distrust, but now that he gave it some thought it make perfect sense. For once it was another one of Inuyasha’s survival habits, and those could not be broken without extreme effort.

More importantly Sesshomaru could not smell any traces of Inu within Inuyasha…he was completely human. Thus he would have a human heart, and human emotions…therefore it only made sense to flee from the presence of powerful demons…things that could easily rip him to shreds.

“I don’t sleep tonight…” Inuyasha said softly. “Its not-”

“-I will make it safe.” Sesshomaru interrupted.

He knelt before Inuyasha so that the boy could see his face without having to crane his neck. Interestingly enough…Inuyasha had shrunk.
He gently cupped Inuyasha’s cheek, and nuzzled his face.

“No fear little brother.” Sesshomaru whispered.

“You hate…humans.” Inuyasha stated. “And I’m….I’m not Rin.”

Sesshomaru ran his fingers through Inuyasha hair, and it even felt different. Instead of the soft, smooth silk feeling of the norm, Inuyasha’s hair now reminded him of thick, heavy cotton.

Not bad per say…but certainly different.

Leaning in slightly Sesshomaru laid a gentle kiss upon Inuyasha’s lips. Inuyasha blushed, and looked away uncertainly. It caused a dominate rush to well up inside of Sesshomaru, but he suppressed it. He certainly could not take advantage of Inuyasha during such a time.

“Regardless of your form…you are still my brother.” Sesshomaru said softly. “And I will care for you.”

Curiosity where there yes, what would Inuyasha be like in this…softer form? Oh the things he could do not that he would not have to contend with Inuyasha’s own dominate instincts.

But the call to protect was also there, and it was stronger then anything else.

Inuyasha needed Sesshomaru, now much more then normal, and such things tended to greatly influence a powerful, possessive Inu-Daiyoukai like Sesshomaru.
Curiously, though he did not quite realize it, his youkai had fallen silent on the issue. It was aghast at the change in his desired, and had no inclination to do anything sexual with this…dark haired human thing that wore his siblings face.

But Sesshomaru did not noticed that, didn’t pay attention to the fact that the feelings inside of him were his and his alone. He was far too busy thinking of a way to calm Inuyasha, and how to return him back to their room without drawing anyone’s notice.

Carefully Sesshomaru scooped Inuyasha up, cradling him with one arm like a child.

“Put me down.” Inuyasha said softly, completely lacking any force or bite.

“I think you might have some difficulty making such a leap in your current state.” Sesshomaru responded, referring to the distance from where they were now, to where they would be shortly.

He had meant it as a joke, but Inuyasha began to squirm and thrash.

“Put me d-down.” Inuyasha insisted.

“Inuyasha…please trust me.” Sesshomaru whispered.

“Put me down.” Inuyasha repeated with much more force.

“Inu-”

“-S-something’sR 30;wr-wrong…I-I don’t….putmedownputmedownputmedown!”

Inuyasha kicked off of Sesshomaru’s chest and out of his gentle grip. The hanyou-turned human landed on all fours, but made no attempt to flee again.

Instead Inuyasha trembled, pulling in deep, almost pre-regurgitation style breaths. Even in the darkness of the night Sesshomaru could see that Inuyasha was beginning to sweat profusely.

He took a step forward, but when he did Inuyasha threw his head back, gasping loudly, his eyes bulging wide.

Sesshomaru winced as he heard cracking and shifting bones inside of Inuyasha.

“W-Wh-What’s…ha-happening..” Inuyasha grunted.

It was neither smooth nor pleasant looking but before Sesshomaru’s very eyes the silver began to bleed back into Inuyasha’s hair, his fingernails pushed out of the skin, shaping into razor sharp claws, his teeth elongated inside of his mouth, morphing into wicked fangs Sesshomaru was used to seeing.

The last thing was the eyes, the gold of which filled with like water filling a cup.

A soft, straggled sound poured out of Inuyasha’s throat, and he collapsed onto his side.

He looked scared, he looked pained.

“Never…w-why…wh-whats…happening 230;t-to…to….m-me.?” Inuyasha gasped.

To be continued.