InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Love is a Battlefield ❯ Chapter 1

 

Blanket Disclaimer:

Inuyasha, and the characters therein, are the property of Rumiko Takahashi. I am in no way affiliated with Takahashi, or VIZ Productions

 

Love is a Battlefield

 

A Sesshoumaru tale.

Chapter One

…Pain…

 

A petrified scream cut through the forest as the fire swayed in the slight breeze were InuYasha and his group had stopped to rest that night, the fear in the echoing cry had InuYasha instantly on his feet rushing to help. “What was that?” Kagome asked Miroku who also sat on Kilalas' back as the fire cat streaked through the trees following the demon half breed. “Sounded like a kid, which is probably why InuYasha left so quick, he hates kids in trouble,” the monk replied.

InuYasha stoped at the edge of the clearing unable to believe his eyes, the child who was now up a tree, completely nude looked like a younger version of his older brother Sesshouaru, his long tail hiding his backside and privets. The large naga hissed as it stretched up towards him, its long forked tongue flicking through the air which soon echoed with another terrified cry. Looking around the clearing he saw a pile of white silk, covering odd shaped rocks and had two swords poking out from under them.

Looking back to the Sesshoumaru like pre-teen seconds later InuYasha watched as he kicked at the naga who now had one of his stripped ankles in its clawed grasp. “Let go of me!” the boy snapped fear lacing his voice as he struggled against the large, stronger demon. “Sssssstruggle all you want, little one, ssssoon, yesss very ssoon you'll be all mine!” the naga hissed as the boy struggled even more. “Stop it! Let me go!” he cried and InuYasha snapped out of his daze as the boy fell. Rushing towards the pair he drew Tetsusaiga, the batted blade almost instantly changing into its larger, fang form. “Get away from him you slimy snake!” he yelled swinging his sword at the demon. Realising the boy the naga hissed at him before slithering away, fleeing from a battle that it knew it couldn't win.

Looking up at him with large golden eyes, so like his own the boy scrambled to his feet, bowing “Thank you, thank you so much, sir, my father will give a huge reward for saving my life,” he said his tone grateful.

“Yeah, well I don't need no reward kid, what your name?” InuYasha asked looking down at the younger inu youkia. And just like his older brother he had a magenta moon crescent on his fore head and scarlet slashes on his cheeks starting near his pointed ears. His long silver hair only just reaching his thighs.

“Prince Sesshoumaru, son of Lord InuTaisho, and you are?” the boy asked and InuYasha was floored.

“InuYasha!” Kagome cried before he could tell his own brother his name.

Turning slightly, so not to give the boy his back he watched as his human friends, fire cat and fox kit entered the clearing.

“Hay guys,” he said sheathing his sword as he eyed his nude brother who looked around 11-12.

Sniffing the air Sesshoumaru watched the humans curiously as they rushed to his and `InuYashas' side, having grown up taught to have the highest respect for the inferior breed, he just smiled at them as they looked down at him, the young fox watching his wearily.

Frowning slightly he looked around, wondering where he was, and why he was there, and why his father wasn't with him. “Where are we?” he asked looking up at his saviour.

“In a forest east of Twilight Lake,” InuYasha replied, slightly creped out by the oddness, the openness and trust his older brother was displaying.

“Wow, that's so far from home, how did I get here?” Sesshoumaru wounder aloud.

“What's your name kiddo?” Miroku asked looking down at the boy who looked like a younger replica Sesshoumaru.

“Prince Sesshoumaru,” he replied absently looking around shivering as a cold wind whipped past.

His eyes widening he looked at his friend who was watching the young demon as if he were a spell-gone horribly wrong. “It's nice to meet you my lord, I'm Miroku,” he answered.

Looking back at the monk Sesshoumaru smiled, flashing white teeth and dimples, he said, “It's nice to meet you too!”

Swallowing hard Kagome shook her head, this was so odd, like an abstract dream gone wrong, Sesshoumaru; the second worst thing to ever happen to their group was acting like an innocent boy…who had freaking dimples.

Looking at the other two humans, both women, one a demon slayer, the other dressed really weird and the two demons the young demon prince bowed in a show of respect as he said “It's nice to meet you, I'm Prince Sesshoumaru, and may I know who you are?”

Light-headed Sango replied “I'm Sango, this is Kagome, Shippo and Kilala.”

Smiling he nodded before asking “Have any of you seen my dad? He's tall and handsome and really powerful…and have you seen my clothes?”

Laughing Miroku answered “We haven't seen your dad, but I think that pile of silk over there is yours.”

Following the monks' direction Sesshoumaru walked over to the pile of silk and lifted up apiece wondering why he'd removed his clothing, he didn't remember doing so. The haori looked huge, almost the same size as his fathers, only the pattern was different, it was his pattern, hexagonal flowers done in red. Pulling it on, figuring it was better than being nude and cold Sesshoumaru dressed slowly, trying to make the large pieces of clothing fit but like all the times when he tried to wear his fathers' clothes they were too large.

The haori hit around his knees, the Sashinuki hakama's were far too long, and he had to tie them at his knees so that they fell around his ankles like normal hakamas instead of dragging on the ground. Looking at the armour he frowned, there was no way to make that stuff fit. Turning back to the humans, demon and hanyou he asked “Are you sure these are mine? They're way too big and there is no way I'd fit in that armour. I doubt I'd even be able to lift it.”

Blinking at the boy InuYasha looked at Miroku, confusion ever present in his golden gaze. “Yes young prince,” the monk replied.

“Okay,” the boy replied slowly, picking up the two swords his brow furrowing as he turned back to the group “Were do these go?” he asked and if InuYasha hadn't been so floored by the absolute strangeness of this he would have laughed.

“You tie them to your hip,” he replied before sighing when all his brother did was tilt his head to the side, “Like this,” he said walking over to the boy and fixing the two blades to his side.

“How old are you anyway kid?” he asked wondering how old he'd been reverted back to.

“12 and half,” Sesshoumaru replied as he looked down at the heavy blades at his side.

“Dad says I'm not meant to have swords yet, that I'm too young, so why do I have two?” he asked looking back at the `older' boy.

“I don't know,” InuYasha replied wondering who he could tell the boy that he was actually around seven hundred. He only knew this because his mother had told him as a child that he had an older brother and when he'd asked how old she'd told him he was around five hundred.

And even though Sesshoumaru had abandoned him as a child he couldn't bring himself to do that to the overly trusting prince before him, this boy was nothing like the brother he knew and he wondered what had happened to change that. Most of all he wondered how he could break it to the boy that not only was he his younger bother but that his beloved father was dead.

Kagome watched as InuYasha helped his brother as she asked, “What are we going to do?”

“Well I doubt InuYasha will leave Sesshoumaru on his own, unlike his brother he could never leave a child, no matter how potentially powerful, on its own, so I guess we'll be taking the young Lord to the palace of the west,” Miroku said.

He watched as the hanyou spoke with his brother, InuYasha's golden gaze flickering over to meet his black one. He'd picked it all right, InuYasha had just told him with his eyes that he was correct. Winking at the hanyou prince he looked at the two ladies and sighed.

“I don't see why he can't leave that nasty prick to fend for himself!” Kagome snapped only to have InuYasha turn his head to glare at her.

Sighing InuYasha looked down at his brother who had the cutest frown he'd ever seen this younger, innocent version of his brother was a welcome change to the one who was constantly trying to kill him.
“InuYasha, why do you smell like my dad?” the boy questioned.

Smiling slightly InuYasha said, “Because I'm his son,” figuring that getting that bit of truth out would help keep the boy at ease.

“Wow, so you're like my older brother or something!” Sesshoumaru grinned obviously happy.

“Or something,” InuYasha agreed turning to rejoin his group as he spoke “Come on, we better get you home.”

“Okay,” Sesshoumaru agreed and to InuYasha's absolute shock the young boy took his hand, squeezed and walked at his side.

His heart melting at the feeling of his brothers' hand in his InuYasha led the way over to his friends.

“Guys, we have to take Sess back to the house kay,” InuYasha, said begging them with his eyes to be nice.

“Why? All he's ever tried to do to you was kill you InuYasha! How do you know this isn't a trick?!” Kagome snapped.

“What? I've never tried to kill no body!” Sesshoumaru denied his golden gaze wide and innocent.

“Yes you have you little snot!” Kagome snapped, he angry tone making Sesshoumaru flinch.

“It's all you've ever done! Just because you can't handle the fact that your dads dead!” Kagome yelled glaring at the now tearful child.

“Dads not dead! No body could ever kill him! He's the strongest demon ever!” the child like lord cried.

“He is! And it's your own fault for not manning up to help him and InuYasha!” Kagome yelled.

“Kagome! Enough!” InuYasha snapped at her, pulling his brother closer to him as tears fell down his face.

“Dads not dead right? InuYasha? Dads not dead, right?” he asked looking up at his brother.

Sending Kagome, a hot, angry look, he soften his gaze and turned to his brother, “I'm sorry Sesshoumaru, but yes dads dead,” InuYasha confirmed and the child broke, tears streaming down his face as he lunged at InuYasha. Expecting an attack he tensed only to soften when all his brother did was wrap his arms around InuYasha and sob like his heart was shattering. Wrapping his arms around his brother he turned his head to glare at a stunned Kagome, “Do you have to be such a bitch Kagome, he's 12 and half, he's just a kid,” he snapped, holding his brother to his chest.

Turning away from the woman, InuYasha led his brother away, “Come on,” he said.

 

# # # #

 

Looking up from her untouched food, Kagome looked over at the young boy in InuYasha's lap, his tear streaked face slake with sleep as he leaned against InuYasha, who kept casting her angry, hurt looks. Even Sango and Miroku had sided with InuYasha about the boy, who seemed nothing like the cold, cruel man they all knew.

“InuYash-

“Don't Kagome, just don't,” InuYasha replied, he'd been curt and mean since her little outburst at his brother and he refused to listen to her at all.

“But-

“No, no buts Kagome, you were just plan cruel, you wanted to hurt Sesshoumaru, and you did,” his gaze hard he looked at the woman he now despised.

“But what you need to realise is that it isn't always about hurting people or what they've done to you in the past. Sesshoumaru right now, is 12, he's a young boy who worshiped his father and you've told him, in the cruelest way possible that the man he loves is dead and that it's his fault. How would you feel, if your mother was dead and you had no idea and the person telling you that she was gone told you that it was all your fault?”

Wincing Kagome snapped “My mother isn't dead, and it would never be my fault because I'd never leave my mother to go after my newborn brother alone.”

Shaking his head InuYasha said “And this Sesshoumaru wouldn't either, hell Kagome, he doesn't even know how to use a fucking sword!” His hand resting in the hits of the three swords resting beside him.

Rolling her eyes she looked back at her food. Only to have him speak again “Kagome, I know for a fact that you can't come with us, all you'd do is hurt Sesshoumaru. I want you to go home, I know you have school or something, Sango will take you to the well and once this is all over I'll come and get you.”

Gaping at the half-breed Kagome sputtered “InuYasha!” she yelled only to have Sango shake her head at her.

“Kagome, we've talked about this, Miroku, InuYasha and I, and we think its best for both of you, you need to simmer down,” the demon slayer said calmly as she looked at the out raged girl from the future.

“And Sesshoumaru has been hurt enough by you, your very presence will torment the boy and your every glare will hurt and alienate him more. Moreover this is InuYasha's chance to be with his brother in a friendly, family way, don't spoil it for him,” she said.

Glaring at the older woman Kagome snapped “Fine, the little snot can have the lot of you I'm through!” standing.

A soft groan came from the young Sesshoumaru and all heads turned towards him instantly. Blinking large golden eyes he spoke softly “Don't fight, dad always says that fighting and hurting those you love and care for only hurts you more, if my presence if unacceptable for one of the members of this group then I should leave.” His voice wobbling before he stood.

“I'll find my own way home, thank you for your help, if you ever need anything please don't hesitate to ask and InuYasha, your welcome home anytime, but then you know that,” he said walking away on wobbly legs.

The sent of his tears reaching InuYasha, Shippo and Kilala, “Good one, Kagome,” InuYasha muttered standing to follow his brother, reaching for Tetsusaiga he realised his brother had left both his swords Toukijin and Tenseiga. Wincing at the very thought of his younger older brother getting hurt he quickly tied all three to his side before rushing after him Kagome calling out his name in aggravation.

“Sesshoumaru!” he yelled following the boy's scent, which was laden with tears.

It wasn't long before he found the boy, huddled by a tree, tears running down his face.

“Sesshoumaru, you know better than to run off like that!” he snapped, his fear abating.

Looking up at his brother Sesshoumaru sniffed, a small smile tipping his lips up, “Dad always said that, every time, I ran off to go play by the river.” A small sob excepted before he buried his face against his knees trying to hide his weakness.

Walking over InuYasha sat down beside him and sighed, “Yeah, he must have.”