InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Pride (In the Name of Love) ❯ Chapter 12

Pride (In the Name of Love) 12 / ??
Written by Jezz-Ra
Warnings - Not all warnings apply to all chapters. Yaoi, Het, Rape, Lemon, Violence, Language, Torture, Angst, Incest, Dark (at times). It's a massive story, folks, it's got a little bit of everything.
Disclaimer - I don't own Inuyasha, don't make money off it. Wish I did.

Sidestories can be found under my author profile at any of my archive sites.
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// blah // indicates thoughts.

A/N - I was talked into writing this chapter early... Much love to you-know-who-you-are.
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The journey towards the waterfall pool over the next couple days was uncomfortable, at best. Inuyasha made repeated attempts to crack jokes or lighten the mood, but his attempts either failed miserably or backfired and he ultimately felt like cramming his foot down his throat. Sesshoumaru never smiled or gave any sign that anything at all interested him. He had nightmares every time he slept. The burned out and lifeless way he regarded everything threatened to choke Inuyasha and drag him into despair too. His brother obviously was not going to just snap out of it any time soon.

However, the trip ended up being shorter than they had predicted - Sesshoumaru was physically recovering quickly with the help of proper nourishment. He was by no means all better, but...he was at least headed in the right direction. Inuyasha was about to announce their near-arrival to the pool when Sesshoumaru held up a hand for him to be silent. Inuyasha sniffed and caught a slightly familiar scent...Sairex, the raven demon. Another insidious scent drifted his way, and he was suddenly glad they were downwind.

Sesshoumaru's already pale skin blanched further and his eyes widened as he froze in place. Inuyasha couldn't blame him. But...what was Tsetsukosei doing HERE, and what was that sneaky raven doing here too?

"Stay here, Sessh..." Inuyasha whispered, drawing Tetsusaiga and creeping forward to peek out of the undergrowth, careful to stay downwind of the other too.

The scent of fresh blood caught his nostrils, and his eyes widened in alarm. Sairex was hanging from a wooden pole, bound tightly with his hands over his head. Several minor bruises and gashes covered him, but the raven seemed more annoyed than anything.

Far more annoyed was Tsetsukosei, who was stalking back and forth, quivering in blatant rage. "Damn you, raven, you WILL tell me what I want to know!"Sairex sneered, curling his lip in a derisive smile. "Kaaa, vhy vould I tell you anyting? You tie me up an' try to buy my knowledge vith threats? Zetsukosei, you're ztill a fool."

Tsetsukosei growled and flexed his claws menacingly, his voice a roar. "TELL ME WHY I CANNOT FIND THE GIRL'S SOUL! No spirit is beyond me, living or dead!"

Sairex looked bored. "No.""So help me, I will lock you away in a dungeon so deep you wont even remember what the sky looks like!""Your threats carried no veight vith me vhen I DID vork for you, vhy vould I care now? You von't kill me, because you know dat da information I have vould die vith me. Release me, dis is ridiculous. I'm getting tired of hanging on dis pole."

"You're my prisoner, you idiot! I don't take orders from you! I should kill you just for telling that blasted hanyou about this place! Tell me what you know about the Inu no Taisho's pups, then.""Kaa, vhy? Zezzhoumaru is his father's zon. He is honorable, a fair ruler, and very powerful. He is young yet, but one day he may even surpass his father. You should have left jim alone, he probably never would have found you or cared. You still borrow trouble for yourself, Zetsukosei!"

The enraged draconic beast delivered a stinging slap to the raven-youkai's face, speaking through gritted teeth. "What of the younger?"Inuyasha's ears perked up, eyes narrowing. How much would this raven say?

"Kaa. He is a hanyou, but he has his father's blood and vields his father's fang. He's formidable."

"YOU AREN'T TELLING ME ANYTHING I NEED TO KNOW, DAMN YOU!"

Sairex smirked. "Of course not. I hate you."

"You still hold a damn grudge, bird?"

Sairex's black eyes narrowed and he practically exploded, thrashing against his bindings. "Of course I hate you and hold a grudge, damn your rotten hide! You vere da one dat trapped me in dis place and ruined my life! Kaaa!""...Well, its not my fault you were damn good at your job. You're an exceptional seer...amongst your other...mm. Talents"

"Damn you, Zetsukosei, let me GO! I vill not help you in dis! Or anyting! And furthermore, you're vasting your time! Dere is NO vay dey wouldn't have been here by now...zo dey must have gotten ahead of you vhen you were ZO preoccupied vith catching me. I hope dat hanyou DOES kill you zo I can get OUT of dis damn vorld once and for all!"

Tsetsukosei roared in rage, snatching the raven by the throat and ripping him so forcefully from the pole that the heavy ropes bit into his flesh until they snapped. He shook the bird-youkai violently, barely keeping from tearing him in pieces. "Tell me...where...the human girl-child is. Now. I will not ask you again."Sairex mumbled something unintelligible, shaking his head and struggling to breathe. "Good...it zaves me da trouble of refusing you again."

Tsetsukosei let out a roar of pristine fury and whipped the bird into the pool. His body twisted and then grew. Inuyasha gulped at the beast's suddenly massive size. Tsetsukosei lunged forward at the high rock walls and began tearing out massive chunks of stone, hurling them into the pool with a fury.

Inuyasha gaped in horror as the water began to overflow the basin's sides rapidly as the pool filled with immovable blocks of rock. // The portal! No! And the damn bird...oh shit... //

The hanyou blinked in shock a moment later as a tiny, tattered black form shot up into the sky. It was a raven. It cawed angrily at Tsetsukosei but was gone before the massive, snapping jaws could catch it.

Unsure of what to do, Inuyasha hastily slid off back towards his brother. "Sessh, we have to get out of here. This portal is closed, but there has to be more than just one. The...the thing wants Rin, but he can't find her. So lets go!...Why are you just STANDING there?! Sessh, come ON!"

"...If you leave me, he will not follow you."

"Yeah, if I intended to leave you to that damned thing, I wouldn't have come back for you in the first place. "Sesshoumaru still didn't budge before finally looking at Inuyasha. "...Why do you care? I've been horrible to you."

"I'm hoping that could change. I'd like a real relationship with you, alright? So come on. We can have touching, lovey-sappy moment LATER."

Sesshoumaru hesitated, then nodded with a sigh and headed off with Inuyasha.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

They didn't stop for the night until Sesshoumaru was simply exhausted. The taiyoukai sat by the fire, reluctant to go to sleep, especially with the smell of his recent tormenter still emblazoned in his mind. Inuyasha frowned at the sight of his brother visibly forcing himself to stay awake, his body jerking at the slightest sound. The scent of his fear was almost tangible.

"Sessh...you need to sleep.""No. This Sesshoumaru does not wish to d...I am not tired.""I thought 'this Sesshoumaru' never lied."

Sesshoumaru's expression flickered briefly into the exasperated, irritated glare that Inuyasha knew so well. Inuyasha didn't care - it was an emotion. "I didn't lie.""You're about to pass out."Sesshoumaru muttered. "I'm exhausted...not tired."Inuyasha blinked. "Oh, ha ha. Come on. Lay down. I'll watch you.""No."

"Oh, do NOT try having a contest of stubbornness with me, Sesshoumaru."

"Leave me alone.""You're going to sleep whether you like it or not.""And you intend to make me?""Yes.""How?"

Inuyasha thought for a moment, then simply lunged forward and tackled his unsuspecting sibling to the ground, wrapping himself around the slightly larger taiyoukai from behind and holding him pinned and immobile. Normally this would have been entirely impossible, but in Sesshoumaru's weakened condition, Inuyasha managed to pull it off.

"Let me go." Sesshoumaru demanded. Inuyasha's fierce expression faltered, feeling the trembling in his brother's exhausted body. He relaxed his death grip into an awkward but unyielding embrace.

"No. You still...still need some sleep. And if I have to hold you until you get it, I will.""Stupid, stubborn hanyou..." Sesshoumaru muttered, closing his eyes with a huff. There was no real heat in his words, however, and Inuyasha rejoiced at hearing them.

// Better than the apathy and silence, at least...that sounds a little more like the Sesshoumaru I know... but now what? How the fuck will we get home? //