InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Nothing of Importance ❯ Segment Three ( Chapter 3 )

“Stopstopstopstop!” Inuyasha scrambled to get away from him, his eyes wide and filled with fear. Sesshomaru froze, his breath catching in his chest. He knew that look, having had that expression on his face once before, a long time ago. Then he shook himself of the icy feeling of fear that had started to weave its way into his belly. It couldn't have happened to Inuyasha. The hanyou had left when he'd started to reach his teens.

 

Before his half-brother could get too far, Sesshomaru moved to his brother's side and wrapped his arm around the trembling boy, holding him tight. He didn't care who saw them at that moment. All that mattered to him was calming Inuyasha down and finding out what was truly bothering the boy. To his surprise and dismay, the hanyou had grown warmer, the heat having become almost unbearable for the older youkai.

 

“Inuyasha, calm down,” he murmured. “Calm down. You're safe now. It's a dream. Only a dream. Calm down. Relax.”

 

“Sesshomaru?”

 

Inuyasha's chest heaved up and down as he drew in deep breath after ragged deep breath. His voice had been so tiny and filled with fear and uncertainty. The normally brash hanyou had disappeared at one point, when the strange illness had settled in. He'd gone limp the moment he'd started to wake and realize where he was at.

 

“Hai,” he nodded. “I'm right here. You're safe now, otouto. It was just a bad dream.”

 

“But it was so real,” Inuyasha croaked out, his voice dry and cracked. “I . . . felt everything that has happening to me . . . like I always have . . . Kami, I'm so tired, aniki. I'm so tired.”

 

“Inuyasha, what happened? What were you dreaming about?” Sesshomaru inquired quietly, a strange sense of dread mingling with the icy feeling of fear. Inuyasha's eyes started to roll back as exhaustion hit him. He shook the hanyou until his eyes fluttered back open. “What were you dreaming about?”

 

“I dreamt,” Inuyasha took a deep breath and let it out, “I dreamt about that night . . . after Mother died . . . when you . . . you brought me to live with you . . . I . . . was sleeping . . . in the room you had given me . . .”

 

His brother licked his lips at that moment. It was then that Sesshomaru noted how pale the hanyou had become. Though he continued to burn, his skin had dried. All feelings intensified as his brother's eyes rolled back once more and a whimper escaped him.

 

“Lord Sesshomaru?”

 

Rin's voice tore through his thoughts, and he glanced sharply at her. The small girl stood on the opposite side of the fire, her eyes wide in concern, Jaken right behind her. He took a deep breath.

 

“Water. Get water. Hurry.”

 

She nodded quickly and scurried off, Jaken trailing behind her. Sesshomaru let out a soft breath as his eyes went back to his brother. Carefully, he eased his brother down.

 

“Sessh . . .”

 

“I'm right here, Inuyasha . . . what happened the night you arrived to the palace?”

 

“ . . . so tired . . .” Inuyasha's head rolled to the side.

 

Sesshomaru grasped his chin and lifted it so he could see his brother's face.

 

“Stay awake, Inuyasha,” he commanded. “Open your eyes. Now.”

 

Pale golden eyes opened. The heaving of his brother's chest had slowed considerably. Sesshomaru opened his mouth to say something when Inuyasha cut him off.

 

“I can still feel them . . . to this day, I can still feel them . . . I can remember everything about them . . . their faces . . . their scents . . . I can't forget what they did . . . I don't want to go to sleep . . . they're always there . . . they're always there . . .”

 

The hanyou coughed at that moment, his body jerking violently. Sesshomaru released him and waited for the spasm to pass. He didn't know why but certain things were becoming clear. Vividly clear, though he tried to reason that it wasn't possible.

 

`It doesn't mean anything was done to him,' a little voice argued. `He's delirious with fever. Anything could be tormenting him.'

 

`But he started to change after he came to live with me,' Sesshomaru frowned. `I know he was tormented before his mother died but he'd still been a happy child . . . like I was . . . before Father . . . the laughter left his eyes . . . I saw it then . . . I should have paid more attention . . .'

 

`Be sure before you start sympathizing with him,' the little voice stated, almost angrily. `Especially if it's just the fever talking.'

 

`I should . . .'

 

Rin and Jaken returning interrupted his private argument. The child immediately walked up to them, a bamboo water pot in front of her. Sesshomaru lifted Inuyasha up once more. Without instruction, Rin pressed the pot to his brother's lips and tilted it. Inuyasha lifted himself up to the best of abilities, drinking the water greedily.

 

“Easy, Rin,” he murmured, keeping a firm grip on his brother. She nodded once and continued to hold the container, pulling it away only when it was empty. His brother whimpered in protest but didn't ask for anymore. Instead, his eyes drooped, sleep coming to claim him once more. As the hanyou's breathing evened out and steadied, Sesshomaru lowered him to the ground, pulling the blankets up to Inuyasha's chin. The hanyou's body had gone completely limp. If it hadn't been for the sound of his shallow breathing and the frantic beating of his heart, Sesshomaru would have thought him to be dead.

 

“Is he going to be all right, Lord Sesshomaru?” Rin asked quietly, her eyes never leaving Inuyasha's prone form.

 

“I don't know,” he shook his head. “I don't know.”

 

Silence ensued after that, the only sounds were those coming from the surrounding forest and their soft breathing.

 

The daiyoukai kept his gaze on his brother while keeping his senses tuned in to his surroundings. Any demon would be enticed to attack them, especially now that he'd taken his brother under his care. Inuyasha had become too weak to even be able to defend himself, but Sesshomaru found that he couldn't simply just leave the hanyou, not even with the ragtag group that were his friends. The boy had become ill in such a short amount of time and it bothered Sesshomaru a great deal, though he'd never admit it.

 

As he watched his brother, Sesshomaru noted with a growing alarm that the water his brother had drank was rapidly leaving his body. His silvery-white hair clung to his face as did his clothing.

 

`He isn't going to make it if we keep delaying . . . I can smell it.'

 

“Rin, Jaken . . . we're leaving.”

 

“My Lord?” Jaken gazed at him with wide eyes.

 

“We're leaving,” he repeated, lifting his brother's limp form into his arms. `Before it becomes too late.'