InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Of Gods and Monsters ❯ Chapter 15: Triage ( Chapter 15 )

Chapter 15: Triage

Sesshoumaru stared in confusion at his half-brother. Certainly his expression was earnest, but his words made absolutely no sense whatsoever. What on earth is he talking about? Could she have lost her way while traveling back from the cavern? It doesn't seem likely, but... The youkai lord's eyebrows twitched into a slight frown. "So you found her. I was unaware that she was lost."

Inuyasha's brows lowered. "I dunno if she was lost, but..." he paused, taking a deep breath. "She fell or something. I think she's okay, but I wanted to bring her here." He kept his eyes trained on the youkai's face, searching it for any sign of... well, any emotion whatsoever -- something other than controlled curiosity, at least.

Sesshoumaru only pursed his lips, gesturing dismissively at Inuyasha. "Do not be absurd. She has never fallen. I'm sure she's fine -- you've simply overreacted." That troublesome woman has probably created some manner of mischief and Inuyasha has found himself deceived by it.

Inuyasha looked at the demon lord incredulously, deciding to humor him. "Right. Overreacted. Yeah, just hold on a sec," he said, heading off toward the den's entrance. He could just hear Kirara's growl in the distance; they were approaching fast. Inuyasha reached the mouth of the den in time to see Miroku easing off of the fire youkai, carrying Sesshoumaru's mate. It was a tight squeeze, but Inuyasha had held no doubts as to whether Kirara could hold the weight.

He approached the monk, a grim expression on his face. "Lemme carry her... I don't think I want you guys in the blast radius when he figures out something's really wrong."

Miroku nodded, his expression one of concern mingled with not a small amount of doubt. "I'm not sure, Inuyasha... perhaps we should have taken her to Kaede." His eyes went to the cave for a moment. "Are you sure this is wise?"

Jerking a thumb over his shoulder, he cast a wry look to the rest of his companions. "Do you want a pissed-off Sesshoumaru in the village?"

Sango quirked her lips to the left. "Good point. But Inuyasha, I don't understand why we're here at all. I don't want him in the village, whether he's pissed-off or not. But what possessed you to bring her here?"

Kagome was watching the scene in silence, first noting Inuyasha's determination in coming here, and now his behavior regarding Teles and Sesshoumaru. She watched as Miroku transferred the woman's body to Inuyasha's arms, how his jaw seemed to set while he obviously contemplated how much to share. Kagome's eyes drifted to the former goddess' rounded stomach and she felt her eyes widen as the pieces fell slowly into place.

Inuyasha's eyes darted away from the rest of the group. After a moment, he sighed. "She's... she's his mate," he said, his voice soft as he cradled the woman gently. He cleared his throat suddenly, his gaze back on his companions.

Miroku blinked, looking first at the woman and then at the den's entrance. "His mate? But I thought she was going to kill him."

Inuyasha almost smiled before glancing briefly at Kagome. "Sometimes... things turn out differently than you planed." And ain't that the truth? He was quiet for a moment before exhaling softly and looking over his shoulder at the mouth of the cave. "I gotta take her in there. Don't come in, okay? No matter what."

Kagome's frown as almost immediate. "Inuyasha..." Whether that's Sesshoumaru's mate or not, I don't like the idea of him going in there alone...

"I'll be fine," Inuyasha replied, hearing the concern in Kagome's voice.

Sango's frown deepened and she folded her arms across her chest. "Do you want us to wait for you?" she asked, still clearly dubious.

Inuyasha hesitated for only the barest second. "I should be okay," he answered, starting toward the den.

Sango watched him for a moment before nodding once to herself. Whatever it is he's decided to do, it's pretty clear he's decided to do it. I just hope he knows what he's doing. She scratched absently behind Kirara's ear as Miroku climbed up to sit behind her. Sango looked over to where Kagome still stood, her bright yellow pack on her shoulder. "Kagome, are you coming?"

The girl shook her head briskly. "No, I'll wait out here."

Inuyasha stopped walking and turned around to face her. "Go with them, Kagome."

But Kagome was firm. "No, Inuyasha. I'm waiting here, for you. I'll wait outside, and I won't come in, but I'm going to be here when you come out."

Inuyasha sighed silently. "Whatever." He shook his head and watched as Kagome looked around for a few moments before finding a tall tree that offered shade.

Sango and Miroku both looked worriedly at Kagome. The exterminator ground her teeth for a moment. "Kagome, are you sure you'll be all right?"

Kagome nodded. "Yeah, pretty sure." There's something more going on here, and I want to find out what it is. Staying is the only way I'll be able to do that.

Sango expelled a breath, giving a quick glance to Miroku who had settled in behind her. "Well, if you're sure, then... I guess I'll have to be," she replied. The exterminator turned her attention back to Kagome's eyes, searching for any sign of reluctance or hesitation. Finding none, she nodded once and nudged Kirara off.

As Inuyasha headed back into the den, he gave a soft sigh of relief. No, he didn't want Kagome in danger, but knowing she was going to be nearby did offer him a level of comfort. Mildly relieved, he went further into the dimly lit den, searching out Sesshoumaru. His search was not a particularly long one -- he found his half-brother exactly where he'd left him. Sesshoumaru stood in the main hall, his back to the den's entrance. Squaring his shoulders, he approached the demon lord.

The youkai's ears twitched as he heard Inuyasha's footfalls come down the hallway. His nose picked up the faint tang of human blood and he frowned, turning around. "What possible reason could you have for bringing a hu --" he stopped suddenly, looking down at the unconscious woman in Inuyasha's arms.

Inuyasha watched as amber eyes not unlike his own lifted from Teles' face to meet his eyes. "I know," he said softly. "It doesn't make any sense."

Sesshoumaru paled, his eyes widening slightly, but he said nothing. An eternity of silence passed between brothers, the youkai trying to comprehend what had happened, why Inuyasha was holding a woman who looked so much like his mate, but smelled nothing like her at all. Finally, there was a small movement in his throat. "But Teles is not... she is not human."

Pursing his lips, Inuyasha shrugged to the best of his ability while holding the woman. "I'm telling you, this is her. There's no other bitch in the world who smells this much like you. Okay, I can't explain the human part, but up till that point, doesn't that sound like your bi-- er, your mate?"

Shaking his head slowly, the elder brother stared in disbelief at the woman's face. "No, that is not possible. She does not... bleed like that. She does not smell like that. It is impossible. It may look like her, but it cannot be her." With a hand that was not entirely steady -- It cannot be -- Sesshoumaru tugged at the neckline of the sheath just until the small crescent moon was revealed on the upper swell of her breast. Leaden dread settled in his gut as he pulled his hand away quickly, as if burned. "I cannot believe this."

Annoyance washed over Inuyasha and he grit his teeth in response. "Look, this big shockwave of magic woke us up. We went lookin' for the source and found her. She looks like the woman we met before, and she smells like you. I know she wasn't human before, but she is now." He glanced down at the mark. "But I guess you figured that out, huh?"

"Magic?" he replied, his voice soft. A magical disturbance that had left his mate... mortal? A frown settled onto his features; his jaw set as anger slowly seeped into his veins. So this is her punishment...

Inuyasha was nodding, noting the change in his brother's expression. "Yeah. Something big."

Sesshoumaru's tone brooked no argument. "Give her to me." He let Inuyasha settle the woman's weight into his arms and was faintly disturbed that she seemed so light.

The hanyou watched his half-brother's face, noting at first that Sesshoumaru seemed to be his typically unflappable self. But as he took in the youkai's features, he saw something reflected in eyes that had always seemed so cold before -- so full of hatred, derision, disdain.

Inuyasha saw fear. Concern. Anxiety.

The quick sound of footsteps came from one of the far halls; Inuyasha's ears twitched toward the noise as he heard Sesshoumaru swear under his breath. The small child who was the youkai's charge came bounding into the room, her face alight with excitement and anticipation. "Is Teles-sama back yet, Sesshoumaru-sama?" she called as she ran, her steps causing her voice to waver. "When are we going to the--"

Rin stopped abruptly, her widening eyes taking in the scene before her. She saw her Sesshoumaru-sama and the strange hanyou, but it was not the hanyou's appearance that caused her to still suddenly. Rin stared in horrified disbelief at Teles-sama, who seemed to be sleeping in Sesshoumaru-sama's arms. She was dirty, her dress was torn, and there were little red lines all over her. Teles-sama was hurt. Very hurt.

But Teles-sama doesn't get hurt... Rin swallowed hard. "Sesshoumaru-sama?"

Sesshoumaru's eyes narrowed as he glared at Inuyasha. "Get her outside," he said, his voice a low, dangerous growl.

Shit. "C'mere, kid," Inuyasha muttered, plucking Rin off her feet -- suddenly even more thankful that Kagome had decided to stay. He held her snugly as she began to wriggle, fighting his grasp furiously.

"Teles-sama?" Rin said, her voice quavering. Shaking her head in disbelief, she began to pound her tiny hands against the stronger arms holding her. "Teles-sama!" she cried, twisting frantically. "No! No, lemme down!"

Inuyasha grunted, trying to hold her without hurting her. "Look, kid, Sesshoumaru needs to take care of Teles right now, okay?" he said as soothingly as possible, heading quickly for Kagome.

"No! Let me down! Sesshoumaru-sama!!" Rin's thin voice echoed through the den.

Torn, Inuyasha's steps slowed. He could hear the desperation and panic in the child's voice and it made him wince. He attempted to shift her in his arms, but she fought him too furiously for that.

Tightening his jaw, Sesshoumaru turned away from Rin's pleas. They were sharp needles that seemed to pierce him completely. He could not handle it, not now. Slowly and deliberately, he carried Teles to their chamber.

"Teles-sama!" Rin screamed, before her small body gave in to the sobs that were threatening to overwhelm her. She went limp suddenly, crying softly.

Closing his eyes, Inuyasha shifted the girl in his arms, carrying her so that her head rested on his shoulder. The salt-water from her tears tugged at him, and he wanted nothing more than to deposit the child with Kagome so she could handle it. No way she could do any worse than I'm doin' right now. He exited the den, blinking suddenly as he stepped into the bright morning sunlight.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome was jogging toward him with a book in her hand, which she was using to shadow her eyes. Her eyes widened at the sight of Inuyasha, holding the small child they had seen so often with Sesshoumaru. The girl's face was buried against the soft material of his haori and Kagome was almost afraid to hear the news -- she had heard the little girl's cries. Kagome swallowed hard. "Wh-what happened?"

Inuyasha shook his head. "She came out and saw... everything." He glanced at Rin out of the corner of his eye before looking back at Kagome. "She's just a kid..."

Kagome winced. "I know." She reached for Rin, gently disentangling her from Inuyasha's arms.

Sighing, Inuyasha handed over the girl. "Hey, kid..." he said softly. Dark eyes made luminous by tears were turned on him, and against his will, he felt his heart clench at the sight. Rin wiped clumsily at her eyes, but did not look away from the hanyou. He swallowed and cleared his throat. "I'm gonna go help Sesshoumaru take care of Teles. You're gonna have to stay with Kagome for a little while. She's... my friend. We're gonna make sure Teles is okay."

Rin glanced at the older girl's face. Kagome. Rin had remembered her, but not her name. She didn't want to be out here with the hanyou who seemed to bother her Sesshoumaru-sama so much, even if the girl -- Kagome -- was nice. She wanted to be inside and help Sesshoumaru-sama and Teles-sama. But if Sesshoumaru-sama wished it, she would stay outside. He would fix Teles-sama and then she'd be allowed to go back in. Then maybe they could go down to the stream and go wading later. Rin just had to wait for Sesshoumaru-sama to fix Teles-sama. She knew he could; he could do anything. Rin nodded solemnly, listening to every word the hanyou told her. "Promise?"

"Yeah," he answered, giving a firm nod.

A small smile formed at Kagome's lips as she watched the exchange, her expression softening. Inuyasha caught the look and flushed, glancing away. "I hate seein' kids cry, okay?"

Kagome looked down briefly. "I know, I know..." She turned her attention to the little girl in her arms. Tears still pooled in her eyes, clinging to her dark lashes, but the frantic sobbing seemed to have stopped. She trembled slightly in spite of the warmth of the day, so Kagome held her carefully, rubbing Rin's arms gently. She reached into her backpack and pulled out a light sweater, wrapping it around Rin's diminutive body. "Is that a little better?"

Rin nodded.

"I think we're gonna need this," he muttered, grabbing Kagome's pack from her side and shouldering it. Clearing his throat, Inuyasha backed away from them. "I need to, uh... I gotta go back in now."

"Okay," Kagome nodded. "We'll be all right out here."

Turning, he made his way quickly back to the den.

Sesshoumaru stood alongside the futon, staring in disbelief at the still figure of his mate; most of her injuries were on her back as well as the backs of her arms and legs, so he had carefully situated her on her side. His face was stoic, his arms folded in his robes, but behind the veneer his mind was working frantically, trying to figure out how this was possible. He was only too aware of who was responsible. Hera -- Teles had already told Sesshoumaru of the goddess' vengeful nature -- was most likely the one accountable. In fact, the youkai was sure of it.

Teles, mortal. Sesshoumaru stared at her for several long moments. He wouldn't have thought it possible, but even her appearance had changed with the transformation. Her hair had lost its golden sheen; her skin no longer glimmered like pearl. For the first time since Sesshoumaru had seen her, she looked fragile.

She looked like a creature that could die.

He could not allow her to remain like this. He refused to allow it.

Inuyasha stood in the doorway, eyeing his brother for a moment before taking a deep breath and striding into the room. "There any water in this place? She needs to be cleaned up."

Without looking at him, Sesshoumaru nodded. "Jaken went for water earlier." He paused for a moment. "I will... get some."

Shaking his head, Inuyasha dropped the backpack before turning and striding away from the room. "I'll find it. You stay with her."

The youkai closed his eyes and grimaced, silently chastising himself for his weakness. There is no logical reason why I cannot walk to another room to retrieve water. It is not as if she would notice my absence, at any rate.

And yet, he balked at the idea of leaving the room, even for a moment.

Expelling a loud breath, Inuyasha shook his head as he poked around the den's halls and rooms experimentally. Where in the hell did we keep the water? He turned a corner and suddenly felt the keen prick of memory poke at him. Without knowing how he knew, he found the water supply and filled a basin with the clear, cold liquid. He returned to the chamber to find his half brother sitting gingerly on the edge of the futon, staring at the goddess -- former goddess -- a pensive frown in place. He set the basin down and rooted around in the pack for Kagome's first aid supplies. He found some antiseptic wash as well as a cloth and, remembering how Kagome did it, began to gingerly clean up Teles' wounds, starting with the backs of her legs. Her rounded stomach did not permit them to roll her onto her abdomen, so Inuyasha made due as best he could, carefully washing the welts on one calf and then the other. He cleared his throat and glanced at his half-brother through his bangs. "You can touch her, y'know. It'll prob'ly help."

Without responding, Sesshoumaru placed his hand on the rounded stomach. The gesture had brought him comfort in the past, but now as he felt for the pup, he was prepared for the worst. After several very long minutes, he was able to feel only the faintest shift beneath his palm.

Inuyasha caught the movement out of his peripheral vision and cleared his throat softly. "Pup's fine. I could hear him earlier." He paused. "I guess I shoulda told you that."

"I can see where it might have seemed necessary to prioritize your news," Sesshoumaru murmured, watching as Inuyasha washed the cuts methodically.

Inuyasha nodded. "Didn't know where to start."

"I imagine few would," he replied softly. Sesshoumaru was still for a moment. "The pup is quieter now. His movements are weaker." Pausing, he considered his words. "He will no longer be a demi-god."

Frowning, Inuyasha shook his head. "But he's going to be okay, right? I mean..." He stopped, suddenly comprehending. "Oh." He was still, his hands poised over the basin, wringing the cloth. As Inuyasha's mind processed the thoughts, his fingers curled, water trickling from the cloth as his hands balled into fists. Though he hadn't moved, Inuyasha's hackles had gone up almost immediately. "You're not gonna kill it, are you?"

Sesshoumaru's head shot up with a snarl. "I am not going to kill my own... my own..." He blinked, staring at his half-brother, the anger fading as quickly as it came.

"Oh?" he replied caustically. "Never stopped you from tryin' before."

Tightening his jaw, Sesshoumaru looked away. "She chose to be with me though it meant her kin would ostracize her. She accepted me, accepted being my mate, even though her kind considered me a base being who could only soil their line. I had no idea that she would be... punished so severely."

Focusing his attention on the angry red welts, Inuyasha said softly, "My ma was like that."

The youkai lord cleared his throat, still looking away. "I am aware of that," he replied, his voice nearly as soft as Inuyasha's.

Dropping the cloth in the basin, Inuyasha brought his hands to the back of Teles' sheath and started to slice down the back with one claw. Sesshoumaru reached over his mate's figure and grabbed his half-brother's wrist. "What do you think you're doing?" he growled.

"Listen, these cuts need to be cleaned, or they're gonna get infected. This thing's practically in shreds anyways. You wanna worry about her virtue NOW?"

Blinking, Sesshoumaru released his grip on Inuyasha's wrist, pragmatism overwhelming the surge of protectiveness. "Very well. Continue." He watched as his half-brother tore the garment and began working on Teles' back.

After several seconds of silence, the only noise in the room the splashing of the water in the basin, Inuyasha cleared his throat. "If... you... don't want the kid... maybe Kagome and I could take care of it. She wouldn't let anything hurt it, and I know something about getting along as a hanyou."

Sighing deeply, Sesshoumaru finally looked at his half-brother. "Inuyasha, she is ... she is my mate. The pup... it is mine. My fidelities are not so fickle as you might want to believe. Teles would never forgive me if I gave our child away."

Shrugging, he dragged the cloth over the cuts. "Keh. I just wanted to make sure someone wanted the kid. And I wasn't sure you would." Inuyasha paused briefly. "I hated being hanyou when I was growing up. Hated it. If I can..." He flushed, looking away suddenly. "Nobody should hate what they are."

"I suppose I did not... help the situation."

"Well... no," he replied dropping the cloth in the basin. "Humans hated me because I was youkai; you hate me because I'm human." Inuyasha paused, rocking back on his heels and surveying his handiwork. "Even the people I thought cared for me didn't want me to be hanyou." Now that she was cleaned up, they didn't look quite so bad. He turned his attention back to Kagome's bag, reaching in and pulling out a tube of antibiotic ointment and bandages.

Inuyasha thought for a moment about the wooded area where she'd gone down. Having fallen from many a tree in his youth, he recognized the marks on her skin. Most of the welts weren't deep enough to require bandaging, but there were a few that were particularly deep and had already started bleeding again. That's prob'ly where she hit some of the bigger branches. "Here, help me with this." He handed Sesshoumaru the tube of ointment. "You gotta put that on the deeper cuts. Not sure what it does, but Kagome makes us use it. Then the bandages go over the cuts." He held up a roll of white tape. "We gotta use this stuff to stick the bandages to the ones on her back."

Sesshoumaru nodded, staring at the strange tube. He moved to the other side of the futon where Inuyasha knelt. "Humans need a great deal of aid in healing," he muttered, opening it. When he squeezed the tube, thick white cream oozed out. It had a strange odor unlike anything he'd ever smelled before. His nose wrinkled reflexively, but he began smoothing the ointment into some of the deepest cuts.

Rocking back on his heels for a moment, the hanyou shrugged before slicing a length of bandage with his claw. "Yeah, I guess they do."

"Her breathing is so... noisy, her heartbeat so strange sounding -- it sounds weak," he said distastefully. "Everything about her is different. It is as if she is not the same individual."

Inuyasha shook his head, wrapping one of Teles' upper arms. "It all sounds normal to me. And I think I've spent a little bit more time around humans than you have. So what?"

"But she is different now," Sesshoumaru replied, his voice low. "She is not the same as she was. What if this... truly changes her?"

"I think you've pretty much made it clear she's changed," Inuyasha responded dryly, tying off the wrapping.

Sighing, the youkai closed his eyes. "What if it changes her soul? Is the soul of a goddess identical to that of a human?" What if she becomes like the rest of them? What if she becomes a groveling, weak, petty creature, desiring nothing more than to be with her own kind? He looked at his half-brother, surprised to see Inuyasha watching him with a quietly stunned expression.

Inuyasha cut off another length of gauze bandage. "You don't care that she's human," he murmured, not a little shocked.

"Of course I care that she's human," Sesshoumaru snapped. "Humans are small, weak, worthless creatures. My mate has been transformed into one of them." What if that transformation extends beyond the physical?

Inuyasha stared at Sesshoumaru for several seconds, the gauze hanging uselessly in his hands. "I'm gonna tell you something, okay? So shut up and listen." The youkai arched an eyebrow at him, but Inuyasha plunged ahead anyway. "It don't matter what the fuck she is -- whether she's a human or a goddess. She's your mate. She's still got the same soul as she did before. Hell, I'm still who I am no matter what form I take." He glared at his brother. "I almost became human for this woman, then she pinned me to a tree -- never mind why." Inuyasha clenched his jaw as he fought the disgust welling up in himself at the memory. "Anyway, fifty years later, there's this girl -- her reincarnation -- who wakes me up. I try to kill her, and she stays with me, damned if I know why. Same soul, different woman. 'Cept this one yells at me all the fucking time."

"Hn. No less than you deserve, I imagine," Sesshoumaru replied.

Sighing, Inuyasha turned his attention to Teles' left leg, wrapping the bandage around her calf, securing it and tying it off. "What I'm trying to say is that there's no damn reason for Kagome to feel anything for me, right? I mean, I tried to kill her when I got off the tree. But for some reason... fate, a joke of the gods, whatever, she accepts me. She accepts who -- and what -- I am. Always. She doesn't try to change me -- she never has." He was quiet for a second. "And I know she never will."

Sesshoumaru contemplated this for a moment. "Brother, you occasionally surprise me."

Rolling his eyes, Inuyasha folded his arms in his sleeves. "Keh. Maybe I'm just trying to make sure you take care of the mother of my nephew."

Sesshoumaru stiffened. "She is my mate -- I would not abandon her. Do you think I have no honor?"

"If she's your mate, then you're hers, so quit actin' stupid." Inuyasha turned back to bandaging.

The demon lord ignored the remark. "The fact remains, she will not be pleased when she wakes." He was quiet as he continued applying the cream to the welts. "So I must make sure she is restored before she wakes."

Inuyasha was quiet for a moment. "You sound like you have an idea of what did this to her."

"I have more than just an idea."

"And just what do you think you're gonna do about it?"

"The only thing I can do," Sesshoumaru replied, slowly and methodically rubbing the ointment into the welts. "Appeal to the powers that turned her in the first place."

"Let me see if I've got this straight," Inuyasha said acerbically. "You're gonna 'appeal' to a bunch of beings who have the power to make an immortal mortal? Yeah, that's a great fuckin' plan. Did it occur to you that she'll be really pissed if you get yourself killed during your 'appeal'? Keh. You just said you wouldn't abandon her."

"I cannot allow her to remain like this," Sesshoumaru snapped. It is because of her involvement with me that she's like this. "Even if a soul is unchangeable, she deserves to be what she is."

Biting back a number of retorts. Inuyasha shrugged and wiped his hands, surveying their work. "Fine. Whatever. Okay, I think that's the stuff we can fix." As opposed to your FUCKED up idea of a relationship -- no help for that. "S'all we can do for the wounds, anyway. You'll hafta keep her warm in the meantime; humans can get kinda cold while they're recovering. I don't know how long she'll be unconscious... Kagome would usually wake up after a few hours. If it was magic that did this, it might even take longer. No way to tell. When she does wake up, she'll prob'ly have a vicious headache." He rooted around in the bag before pulling out a bottle of aspirin. "Give her these -- they'll help a little. She should start feeling better in a few days."

Sesshoumaru stared at Inuyasha. "Days?" he asked incredulously.

Inuyasha only shrugged. "Humans don't bounce back the way we do."

"I knew they were weaker, but this is absurd. No, I cannot wait several days for her to recover. I have no idea if there is a period of time during which this ... spell can be reversed."

"You're actually determined to do this," remarked Inuyasha, shaking his head. "Is it really that bad that she's human?"

"But she is not a human. Her entire existence has been that of an immortal. What if you woke up and had been changed without your knowledge, much less your consent?"

Inuyasha gave a wry look. "Human. Once a month."

"And you can prepare for that," Sesshoumaru countered. "You can expect it."

Thinking about this for a moment, Inuyasha sighed softly and shook his head. "Yeah, yeah, I get your point. So, I take it they weren't too thrilled about the idea of a half-god half-youkai?"

Sesshoumaru glanced at Teles' abdomen. "Any pup of ours is an abomination," he said, his voice low as his lip curled up in a snarl. "A blasphemous beast to be put down like diseased vermin." His voice was loaded with bitterness.

Inuyasha snorted. "Sounds familiar." He sighed and stood. "So they decided the kid'd be better off hanyou, huh? Way it seems to me, the only thing he got out of it was losing his set of immortal enemies for a bunch of mortal ones. Not much of a trade off, but there ya go."

"I could have protected the pup," Sesshoumaru said evenly.

"From gods," Inuyasha responded flatly, arching an eyebrow at his half-brother. "You can't even take ME down, and you're tellin' me you could wipe out every single god who ever came after the pup?" He folded his arms angrily. "So what if the kid's hanyou? Why the fuck are you so damned and determined to make sure he doesn't turn out like me?"

"You don't understand," the youkai growled.

"Oh? So why dontcha try and explain it to me?"

Sesshoumaru leaned forward, his eyes flashing angrily. Every word spoken was forced through his teeth. "Teles is my mate. Mine. It is my responsibility to make sure no harm comes to her." His jaw tightened painfully. "I failed. And now... now I am required to make sure she gets restored." He paused for a second. "Before she wakes. I will return before she wakes. In the meantime-- "

"In the meantime, what?" Inuyasha interrupted. "You've got a toad and a kid here. You're tellin' me THEY'RE gonna hold down the fort? Not filling me with confidence, y'know."

Sesshoumaru folded his arms in his robes, his eyes on Teles' still form, his face nearly expressionless. He closed his eyes, appearing to struggle internally with something. When he finally spoke, his voice was soft and he sounded tired. "You are right."

Inuyasha froze. "Huh?" Did he just say what I thought I heard him just say? No... couldn't be. I mean, the 'I'm not going to try and kill you anymore' thing was weird enough, but he couldn't have possibly just said--

"You are right," he repeated. "But, Inuyasha, this is something I must do. I have to make an appeal to Hera. I have to try, if nothing else. But you're right. I do not believe Jaken is capable of taking care of an injured human woman. Thus, I cannot in good conscience leave her." Sesshoumaru still refused to look at Inuyasha. His throat worked silently as he wrestled with the words as well as his pride. Finally, he opened his eyes and regarded his half-brother. "Someone needs to stay with her during my absence."

"Someone meaning me and Kagome, right?" he asked, folding his arms over his chest.

"If you are volunteering..."

The hanyou arched one dark eyebrow at the youkai. "Only if you're asking."