InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Kyoudai no Meiyo (The Honor of Brothers) ❯ Shame and Chagrin ( Chapter 6 )

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

I can't move.

Sesshomaru awakened early. Before opening his eyes he carefully scented the air around him for danger. Not scenting anything of danger to his person, he slowly opened his eyes a slit and took in his surroundings.

Rin was seated somewhat protectively near his head, eyes closed in slumber. He spied Jaken nearby resting on a root, snoring with his mouth wide, tongue hanging disgustingly to his chin. He noticed a smoldering fire pit to the side of him opposite Rin, and three large agglomerations of blankets in a semi-circle on the other side of that. Next to one of said blanket lumps, Inuyasha was seated, in a similar protective stance as Rin.

In an attempt to find Ah-Un, knowing the beast would not be far from his human's side, he tried to turn his shoulders. He hissed painfully, eyes opening wide of their own accord, muscles convulsing at the foreign sensations, as he was made achingly aware of his body's injuries.

The low sound woke Rin from her erratic dreams. She was instantly at his side.

"Do not move my lord, please, you are grievously injured."

The girls voice was broken with concern.

"You lost consciousness last night after finding us."

Ah yes, now I remember. I happened upon their camp, but what are Rin and Jaken doing with Inuyasha's group?

He gazed at the girl questioning.

"When you did not return, I sought the aid of your half-brother in finding you. I am sorry, my lord."

She threw herself down in supplication.

"Rin."

She allowed her eyes to reach her master's chin.

"It is all right."

Her gaze rose to his face. The relief apparent in them.

Does she really think I would be that upset?

His gaze traveled to the bindings that wrapped his torso. He looked at her again. Again, she knew his question.

"The miko that travels with your half-brother treated your wounds, they were bleeding heavily."

"This Sesshomaru has no need for such."

She stared at the crimson stained bandages.

"Leave me, ready yourself. This Sesshomaru does not need your concern."

"Yes, my lord."

The female rose stiffly, as her chosen sleeping position had been uncomfortable, to begin preparations for the day.

"Rin."

"Yes, my lord."

The girl stopped her ministrations and leveled her gaze at his forehead.

"Arigatou."

"Douitashimashite, my lord."

The pleased shine in her eyes was not lost on him. He nodded slightly, as to not cause himself more pain, and rested his head back to the mat beneath him.

He watched as the female rummaged through her pack to find her bathing items, and headed in the direction from which he could scent the sulfurous odor of a hot spring. His gaze followed her lithe form till she was out of sight.

His attention was caught by a slight snicker of amusement from beyond the fire pit. He leveled his most piercing glare at the culprit. It was the monk that traveled with his brother, and he was wiggling his eyebrows in a lewd manner.

Yoi kami, the disgusting ningen thinks I was ogling the girl. What an abominable idea.

The thought, combined with the pain caused by an unconscious stiffening of his shoulders, brought bile to his throat and caused him to gag, in a most discomposed manner. He coughed, which only caused him more pain, and allowed another wave of wretched vomit to rise.

The bizarre scene caused the monks violet hued eyes to widen in shock. The noises awakening the rest of the camp.

The hanyou leapt up and withdrew his sword, bracing himself defensively over the miko. The miko had shot up as well causing her head to collide with a loud agonizing smack, on Tetsusaiga's hilt.

"OW!"

The woman rubbed her head comfortingly, and gave the hovering half breed a disparaging glare, before moving over to the still prone form of the dai youkai.

"How are you feeling this morning?"

He stared at her stoically.

I will not show weakness to this detestable human.

"Not talking huh? Well can I at least check your wounds?"

He glanced at her, the disgust plain on his face.

"This Sesshomaru does not need your simpering."

A determined light flashed across the woman's face.

"Oh, well excuse me for making sure you didn't bleed to death, you ungrateful..."

She paused a moment searching for the right insult.

"..Spoiled brat!"

Brat! This repugnant human filth dares use such a slur!

His eyes began to glow with a crimson light, and he was actually able to pull his shoulders a few inches off the earth before the waves of pain hit him and he collapsed back again.

Light pulsed before his eyes in time with the crashes of pain. His thoughts swam and crashed against his skull, a low growl was torn from his chest.

Hearing the growl and thinking the dai youkai was about to rise in attack, Inuyasha jumped to Kagome's side to pull her away.

What a loathsome predicament.

The thought splashed to the forefront, moments before Inuyasha grasped his half sibling's silver hair, pulling the groaning dai youkai to face level and shaking him roughly.

"Don't you ever threaten what's mine again!"

The hanyou's face plainly displayed his rage.

"Inuyasha! Sit!"

Surprise replaced the rage on his half brothers face, as Sesshomaru watched him crash to the earth, through the haze that disrupted his vision. The rough treatment administered by the hanyou had nearly caused a submissive whine to reach his vocal chords. He suppressed the reaction, but did release a yelp when his battered body crashed to the earth again.

The miko was at his side again, checking the bandages on his face and chest.

"Will you just relax and let me help you!"

She searched his face for assent.

He closed his eyes to the humiliating situation and nodded.

She sprang into action quickly. Noticing the bleeding had started again under a few of the bandages she gently removed the gauze to examine the newly opened wounds.

He hissed as she hit a broken rib. He felt the partially healed bones grate together and another wave of sickness passed over him. He opened his amber eyes and watched the woman at her work. She was swift and gentle despite his treatment of her, the remains of a guilty grimace just leaving her face.

She is anxious at having caused me pain? How odd.

He continued to examine her while she completed her work.

She is not unlike Rin in her appearance, odd among ningen, it is not overly displeasing to the eye. He perused her chocolate locks and pale skin. Thankfully she does not stink of an unwashed body like so many humans, or I would be sick , what with her being this close to me.

He noticed another scent, Inuyasha's, it was strong though the hanyou had moved away after regaining control of his body, to the tree he had occupied the night before.

Strange, why do I still smell his scent as if he were standing nose to nose with me?

The demon lord looked down at the pile of cloth that the miko had slid to his waist. He noticed the scarlet hitatare bunched around his body.

That's Inuyasha's.

He glanced up at the hanyou where he perched in the tree. He noted the absence A strange expression darkened the hanyou's features. Anger, hate, jealousy, all of these emotions were visible, and something else something like...

..concern?

The surprise of that thought was lost in pain again as the miko brushed another crushed bone.

"Sorry! There I'm done."

Kagome moved away from the injured dai youkai.

"There, now if you just stop moving around you'll heal faster."

"This Sesshomaru does not need instruction in healing, human."

He glared impotently at her.

The miko simply shrugged and turned to begin building up the fire to prepare breakfast.

A moment later, the hitatare was snatched away. Sesshomaru, having been thoroughly chastened already, slowly turned his head in the direction of the retreating hanyou.

"Going soft half breed?"

The taunt brought the desired response as Inuyasha whipped around, a deadly gleam in his bitter gaze.

"No such luck you dumb bastard, I simply felt a weakling like you needed it more than me, seeing as you couldn't even kill a puny half-demon like Naraku without nearly dying."

He stalked forward, bringing himself nearly face to face with his longtime tormentor.

"So did you actually kill him, or was that just the dream of a beaten wimp?"

Steel entered Sesshomaru's cold face.

"The hanyou is dead, by my hand."
He gritted the words past the bile rising in his throat.

She saved me, she died for me.

The cold mask returned to his face as his thoughts became turbulent.

The foolish woman could have taken her heart and left, could have been free of him. But she returned, and distracted him long enough for me to get close to Naraku's heart.

He lay back again, lost in his own memories.

That look she gave me as he crushed her, she almost looked happy. If not for her and the dead miko, I might have fallen, I was nearly killed as it was.

"Hey you! I was talking to you!"

Sesshomaru was startled out of his subconscious wanderings by his silver haired half sibling rudely poking his shoulder.

"Hn."

"I asked you how it happened. How did you come to kill Naraku?"

The attention of all of Inuyasha's group, save the still sleeping kitsune, was on the dai youkai.

"We fought him, he died."

That stupid wolf, he was a hundred years to early to take on the likes of Naraku. If he hadn't interfered, Naraku would have still been short two more jewel shards. That stupid miko returned to hell trying to protect his shards, and the rash cretin lost them anyway.

"We...Who is we?"

Sesshomaru was again brought to the present this time by the demon slayer's soft voice. Sango had come closer along with Miroku when the telling of the battle began.

"That wolf pup, the dead priestess, and the wind woman, were there as well."

"That wimpy wolf got to be there,..."

The full force of the words hit the hanyou.

"Ki..Kikyo was there?"

"Hn."

Sesshomaru's brows furrowed slightly. Kagome leaned in asking the question Inuyasha dared not.

"What happened to Kikyo?"

Naraku held the wolf immobile as he began to remove the shards imbedded in his legs, I was blocked by tentacles, the miko wished to prevent Naraku possessing the shards. She moved close and tried to purify the appendages holding the wolf, she struck but it did no good, Naraku surprised her, crushing her clay body under his weight. He removed the wolfs lower limbs to extract the shards.

"She is dead, Naraku killed her..."

The gruesome body of the wolf was thrown aside, I raced in to attack while the hanyou was distracted, it wasn't enough. Kagura had snatched her heart from Naraku's grasp earlier and fled. I misjudged, Naraku enveloped my body I lost my grip on Tokijin.

"...then he took the wolf's shards."

Kagura struck him with her Blade Dance. He relaxed his grip, I was free, she was dead. Tokijin was in my hands again, I attacked the white child, she held the infant. Both were slashed in two.

"This Sesshomaru destroyed Naraku's heart, and the soulless child that guarded it."

Naraku screamed as the infant fell. It was too late for her though, her body burst into flames, her ashes scattered to the wind. She is beyond his control forever now.

The monk approached.

"Kagura-san?"

"Dead."

Tears edged the miko's eyes.

"Kouga?"

"This Sesshomaru does not know what became of the wolf, his pack carried away his body."

The miko gasped and fisted her hands into Inuyasha's robes.

"Kikyo is dead..."

"Hn."

The hanyou clasped the miko to him, they embraced in their shared grief. He for the miko he'd failed yet again, her for her demon friend.

"What of Kohaku? What happened to my brother?"

"He was not there."

Sango slumped in defeat, the monk rose to comfort her.

Naraku screamed and screamed, until I slit his throat, his body fell. The miasma encased in his body was released, I was weakened already, I fell.

A footfall. Sesshomaru glanced up to see Rin returning from her bath. She carried a bucket of fresh water.

"I brought you some water Lord Sesshomaru."

Only now did he notice the parched rasp of his throat.

"Hn."

The woman knelt again beside her master, ignoring the stricken group around him. She dipped some of the liquid and held it out to her lord.

"Rin."

"Yes my lord?"

He swallowed the retch that surfaced at the admission of weakness.

"This Sesshomaru is unable to use his arm."

"Yes, my lord."

The woman held the ladle to his lips and he drank thirstily.

A wheedling voice rose above the clearing.

"My lord! You are awake."

The grating sound roused the clustered mourners. They began to dissipate.

"I knew you were not as injured as the ningen made you seem."

"Jaken."

"Yes my lord?"

"Quiet."

"Yes my lord."

Sesshomaru watched as the stricken group gathered around to comfort each other.

Who mourns Kagura? She gave her life for mine, that is a debt I cannot repay.

It unnerved him to think that he could be in debt to one as such as her.

I can at least honor the gift she gave to me. My life does not come at a small price, I will repay her. When I am whole again.

He was startled by a snuffling near by, Ah-Un had awakened and moved to his master's side. He stared at the beasts.

"Did you take care of Rin for me while I was away?"

The soulful eyes of Ah glittered, while Un grunted softly.

The brothers lay their shared body at the feet of their chosen master, and nuzzled his palm gently.

"Lord Sesshomaru?"

He continued to stare intently at Ah-Un.

“Lord Sesshomaru, what happened to you?”

He glanced at his ward for a moment.

“I killed Naraku, and was injured in doing so.”

The memories of the battle played again as he looked away from the girl.

“Lord Sesshomaru, will you be alright?

His eyes were drawn back to the woman’s face, he noticed the moisture gathering in her eyes.

I don’t need her tears. I am not so feeble.

“This Sesshomaru is in no danger.”

He watched as she drew herself up and fought the tears away.

That is how I taught her. The strong survive.

He returned his gaze to his half brother and his friends. He returned his thoughts to the battle and it’s cost.