InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Pride (In the Name of Love) ❯ Chapter 24

Pride (In the Name of Love) 24 / ??
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.
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// blah // indicates thoughts.

A/N - Mm...not much to say this time. ^^ Enjoy your chapter.
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Miroku wondered distantly how much he would have suffered had he not been somewhat isolated by Sairex's defenses. Either way, the pain had been excruciating, surely beyond his tolerance as a human. Sairex was wheezing faintly from his place on the floor, his lungs having a hard time inflating properly around smashed bones. Tsetsukosei had taken out his massive rage on the raven youkai until he had exhausted himself.

Sairex seemed to be dealing with it alright, however - he apparently knew some techniques to distance himself from his physical body. Mentally, he had been kicked back next to Miroku and watching his body being ravaged as if it were someone else's.

// You really have to teach me how to do that, Sairex. I'd lose focus and be back in the thick of it...//

// Oh, I vill...but not right now. Right now I have to vatch your friends very closely. //

// Really?...Why is that? //

// Vhen dey come for you, I have to animate your body zo I can get dem a portal here and explain tings, unless you fancy remaining part of my zubconscious for da rest of your days. //

// Ah. I see your point. Oh well. I can think of less pleasant people to be locked up with. //

Sairex chuckled mentally. // Vhy, I'm touched...you flatter me, Zir Monk. //

It was Miroku's turn to be amused. // Oh, now flattery...that's something I'm VERY good at. I've had plenty of practice. //

// Is dat zo? Not a zkill most properly humble monks practice... //

Miroku coughed. // Well, before we defeated the demon Naraku I was fairly convinced my time would be very short on this world. I had a void in my hand. A wind tunnel. It was a curse passed down through my family. Part of the reason I started traveling was...er... well, I wanted a child to carry on my name and my quest before the void grew and swallowed me up as it did my father before me. So I went looking for a willing woman...er...ANY...willing woman. I didn't meet with much success though... //

// No? Vhat vould you do to attempt to zeduce dem? // Sairex asked, amused. He knew Miroku would be blushing by now if the monk had had that capability.

// Well...er...I'd introduce myself and ask if they would be willing to bear my child. Occasionally ... er... my hand would have a life of its own and grope inappropriately.... //

Sairex blinked....then blinked again...before bursting into laughter. // Ohhh, you are zo zubtle...no vonder tings didn't vork out for you... //

Miroku scowled petulantly. // Well, I didn't have a lot of time. Urgent quests and saving the world and all that. A real courtship would have taken a lot longer than I ever seemed to have. //

// Are you zure? Perhaps you zimply aren't practiced in da art of true zeduction. //

// Hah...I could charm the feathers right off of you, bird. //

// I don't zeem to have many left after dat last round vith Zetsukosei, but vhen ve get out of here, you're on. I vill allow you to attempt to zeduce me. In da unlikely event dat you zucceed, I'll zerve your every desire for a veek. Zhould you fail, you zerve my vhims instead. //

// Deal. But I get a week to make the attempt to overwhelm you with the sheer power of my personal magnetism. //

Sairex snickered. // Yeah, yeah....and I promise to react fairly. But don't you go around tinking I'm easily von over. //

// Good. I like a good challenge. I doubt I'll even need a whole week. //

// Kaa, zo cocky. Mm. I look forward to it, it vill be funny to vatch you try. But you'll have to excuse me a moment, Inuyazha zeems to have found your body. //

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

Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru were both in fairly good moods when they entered the castle. They settled down at a table and Sesshoumaru drew a basic layout of the fortress in surprising detail - his mind had cataloged most everything in his time there. The two went over the map and examined areas they thought would be more likely to hide something of worth.

"So what do we do about all the little bastards running around? Kill em or avoid em?"Sesshoumaru mulled it over. "I've no doubt they would be simple enough to destroy, but if we DO eradicate them we run the risk of alerting Tsetsukosei to our presence before we're ready. I think we should make effort to circumvent them and only kill those that actually are aware of us."

Inuyasha nodded. "Sounds like a plan...although I can't say I'm overly fond of the whole stealth operation sort of thing."

"Subtlety has never been your strong suit, no...in fact, you're about as subtle as a sack of rocks to the face."

"Keh, who needs to be subtle?"

"You are truly not suited to be a political leader."

"Yeah, the cat didn't think so either."Sesshoumaru's eyes narrowed. "Cat?..."

"Eh...Eastern Lord."

Sesshoumaru flew to his feet. "Kanjiro was here?! When? What did he want? What did you TELL him?"

"Jeez, relax. He was just pissy that I was still in charge because he claimed he heard some rumor that you were still around."

Sesshoumaru frowned darkly. Kanjiro was a crafty rival, always prying for information and applying a great deal of the subtlety and treachery Inuyasha despised so much. And if he knew Sesshoumaru was alive... "You apparently do not understand, Inuyasha. We can not both be lord of this land, but if it is known that I live, there are few ways that you have any right to rule unless you have...subjugated me.""Er...so why don't you just rule again?..."Sesshoumaru sighed. "I have already explained this and this Sesshoumaru does not repeat himself."

"So...you'd rather have everyone think I kicked your ass and made you serve me?"

Sesshoumaru growled softly at the thought, his fists clenching slowly. "Hn. We will deal with this when we return. I...NEED...to destroy Tsetsukosei as soon as possible."

Inuyasha shrugged and nodded. "Sure. I'm ready to go whenever you are...and I'm assuming that'd be now. Let's go find Miroku, eh?"

The two of them silently made their way down the hall to Miroku's quarters. Inuyasha rapped sharply on the door. "Hey, monk!"

When he received no response, Inuyasha scowled and sniffed - Miroku's scent was strong. He had to be in there. Without any further ado, Inuyasha flung open the door. "Mir-- Shit!"

Miroku lay in a crumbled heap on the floor, his eyes wide and staring. A good deal of blood had already leaked from his ears, although it seemed to have stopped a while ago and was starting to dry.

Inuyasha thought his friend was dead. However, he caught the slight motion of the monk's chest as he breathed "Miroku?" he asked hesitantly, crouching and pulling the limp form into his arms. Looking into Miroku's eyes, he was reminded of an expression he had heard Kagome use - the lights are on, but no one's home. The monk's eyes were flat and dead. Inuyasha suddenly had a disturbing vision of a pair of golden eyes he'd looked into several times that were equally devoid of any spark. He flicked a glance to his brother.

Sesshoumaru was staring at Miroku's limp form, his thoughts whirling. // If this monk is broken... I can not be free of that beast... //

Both of the brothers were shaken out of their separate thoughts when Miroku's eyes blinked and his body moved.

"Miroku! You're alive!"

"Kaa...he is alive, yes...but he's not here.""Sairex? What the hell is going on?"

Sairex-Miroku frowned and sat up slowly. "Zetsukosei found out how you vere traveling betveen vorlds. Da only vay I could tink of to protect Miroku's zoul vas to zteal it and hide it from da beast vhere he couldn't reach it."

"That asshole was after Miroku?" Inuyasha growled.

Sesshoumaru squinted. "Where did you put his soul, raven?"Sairex grinned half-heartedly. "Miroku is currently zharing my body vith me. I'm protecting him vith my own mental zhielding."

Inuyasha frowned. "Wait...protecting him from Tsetsukosei? Oh SON of a BITCH! I KNEW you were going to do something stupid! I KNEW IT!""Kaaa, be dat as it may...you have to hurry. Dis body von't zurvive long vithout a zoul. You'll find me...us, I zuppose I zhould zay...in da dungeon. Vhen you get dere, I'll help you in person however I can." Even as he spoke, Sairex was weaving open a portal.

When he finished, he moved to lay down on Miroku's bed, getting comfortable. "I'll be vaiting vith Miroku for you. Be careful. You zhould have a bit of time, however...Zetsukosei is exhausted and resting right now."

Inuyasha nodded. "Alright. You two...hang in there. We'll be there soon."

Sesshoumaru glanced at the portal, unable to stop the shiver that clawed its way up his spine. He was really going back to that place... really going to face off against that...that fiend. A low whine tore itself free of his throat, but he didn't notice, just as he didn't notice the trembling plaguing his body. His mind was reeling off in a mad spiral of panic, stealing his breath and his thoughts.

Inuyasha glanced up abruptly at the taiyoukai's soft whine. His eyes flew wide when he saw the wide-eyed terror sinking its claws deeper and deeper into Sesshoumaru. "Sessh?....Sesshoumaru!"Sesshoumaru snapped to his senses abruptly, his gaze darting to his brother, then to the ground. He flushed, ashamed of his pathetic reaction.

Inuyasha frowned and walked over before hesitantly putting his hand on his brother's shoulder. "Hey...if its...I mean...if you don't want to go, you don't have to. No one's making you."

Sesshoumaru gave a dangerous growl to show he did not approve of the unspoken acknowledgment of his weakness, nor the accusation that it would be too hard for him. He abruptly stalked into the portal.

"Oye...take care of dat brother of yours, Inuyazha...and yourzelf. He's right to be afraid, and you don't zeem afraid enough."

"It's just a demon, Sairex. Sure, he's a badass and he's big, but he's just another demon."

"No, he really isn't. Zetsukosei is in a class all by himself. Be careful. Now go, before Zezzhoumaru gets himzelf in trouble...neither of you zhould be alone dere."

"Alright. Seeya soon, when we bust ya out." Inuyasha grinned and then hurried through the portal after his brother.