InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Pride (In the Name of Love) ❯ Chapter 28

Pride (In the Name of Love) 28 / ??
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 - So the fight against Tsetsukosei is thus ended - but the story is far from. Ah, I can never leave well enough alone. Hehehe....
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Sesshoumaru was relieved. He hadn't realized how much of a weight off of his mind it would be to finally rid himself of the dark shadow that haunted his thoughts, although he knew his nightmares were likely to remain for a while.

But moreover...his contact with his father, whether real or imagined, had settled an old hurt deep inside him. He had logically accepted that his father had probably not taken his angry words to heart, but in his own heart he had still held doubt. Now, that had been erased.

He made a mental note that someday he maybe should thank Sairex for his advice. It had made a difference - he had never really thought about his emotional attachments as strengths in any way. And the raven had been right about his father, too. He wondered briefly how they had known each other. // A violent comet crashing to the world, indeed...a fitting description for my Lord Father if ever there was one. And it is odd, that sometimes it takes having things pointed out to you to see them. I always knew how...openly emotional my Lord Father was...and never did I think him weak. Nor did anyone else. //

Inuyasha followed his brother as Sesshoumaru swept down the hallway, not wanting to interrupt his concentration. The hanyou could almost hear the wheels turning in his brother's head. His injuries had closed up enough for him to move freely on his own - they had hurt and been enough to take him down at the time, but the breaks had been clean and the punctures relatively narrow in diameter.

Sesshoumaru apparently had concocted some sort of plan. He stopped by the kitchen and got a mid-sized, sharp knife and a towel, then made his way out and down the hall. Inuyasha was painfully curious by the time Sesshoumaru sat down at a table in his own chambers. Inuyasha hadn't exactly been invited in, but the taiyoukai hadn't demanded he leave either. The hanyou took it as tacit approval for his presence.

Sesshoumaru folded the thick towel over a couple times and set it on the table before taking up his knife. Inuyasha's eyes were wide with dawning alarm, and the taiyoukai paused. "What?"

"Sessh...what are you doing?"

"...I would assume you probably do not wish to watch this. You may go."

This, as one could imagine, did little to ease Inuyasha's nerves. "What are you thinki-- SHIT! Sessh!" Inuyasha gaped in horror as Sesshoumaru drove the knife into his finger.

Sesshoumaru proceeded to ignore his brother and grit his teeth as he shoved the blade further down into the top of his finger and into the bone. A horrifying amount of blood mingled with the hissing purple froth of venom from his severed glands. He ignored his brother's frantic protests and reached into one of his pockets, withdrawing the string of his claws that he had snatched from Tsetsukosei's throat. // Hm. Wonder if this will actually work... They are not regrowing on their own, but if my body merely thinks it to be like a broken bone...perhaps...//

Inuyasha watched in disbelief as Sesshoumaru snapped the cord and examined his claws until he found the correct one. He plucked it from the small pile and then worked it into the deep gouge that he had carved into his finger, holding it in place. The hanyou moaned and looked away. "God, that's....you don't really think it's going to WORK, do you, Sessh...?"Sesshoumaru eyed his healing finger. The claw remained in place when he let it go. "We shall see. If not, I'll simply rip it back out again and find another way." The taiyoukai's voice was tight but controlled - after all, fingertips really are a hotbed of nerve endings and it hurt a lot more than he wanted to let on.

After an indeterminable amount of time, the pain faded. Sesshoumaru hesitantly poked at the table with his claw and almost beamed in delight to find it working properly. He mentally danced about when his further efforts allowed a tiny little drop of his venom to eat at the expensive stone tabletop. // And the peasants rejoice... // "It works."

"Still fucking gory to watch."

"Then do not watch." Sesshoumaru poked at the table with his restored claw again a couple more times, inordinately pleased. He refused to acknowledge how emasculated he had felt being stripped of such a personal weapon, or to fully mute his almost childish glee at being able to dramatically tap his talon on the table - which he did several times.

Despite the prospect of the rather extreme pain it was going to cause, he plucked up his knife again. The reward was well worth it.

Inuyasha plopped down on his brother's bed and refused to watch, although he was unwilling to leave yet. "That was one hell of a fight. You were awesome."

"Hnnn..." Sesshoumaru replied.

"Heh. I was getting worried for a while. Damn thing didn't seem to be feeling anything we hit him with. Then you got all...glowy...and started waving around Tenseiga..."

"My Lord Father told me to."

"Eh?" Inuyasha sat up and blinked, his ears pricking forward.

Sesshoumaru paused in his self-mutilation to look at his brother. He suddenly felt awkward. "I...felt him. He told me what to do and...he and I are at peace."

"Eh, told ya the old man didn't take it to heart."

"Hn."

"So now that that bastard is dead, we can go get Rin again, right?"Sesshoumaru flinched, letting out a sharp hiss as he cut himself far more deeply than he had intended. He growled softly to show his displeasure at the suggestion.

"Sessh, you can't just leave the kid hanging there forever. You know how hurt she'd be? She's probably been counting the seconds until you show up. And you KNOW that even if you don't go back sometime, I will be. Fairly soon, actually."

"Tell her...I was killed."

The hanyou snorted in disbelief. "What?!""Then she will have no reason to constantly worry about coming back here. She will grieve, and she will get over it and move on with her life."

"What are you so afraid of? The bad guy is dead, and you have people to help you protect her now, even."

// But you cannot protect her from ME, and that is what I truly fear... // "No."

"I won't tell her you're dead.""Then tell her nothing."

"And if she asks?"

Sesshoumaru growled again. "Then tell her it is too dangerous for her to remain here any longer!"

Inuyasha could sense his brother's volatile emotions threatening to boil over and decided it might be a good idea to back off. "Alright, alright...chill...So. Er. Am I still going to rule this place?""Hn..." Sesshoumaru growled. "This Sesshoumaru is not fit to rule, but I will not allow a human to control our politics and diplomacy. The monk has to worry about being trained anyways. I will take care of the paperwork."

Inuyasha smirked inwardly. // It's a start... he'll take over everything eventually, even if only out of frustration at it not being done to his...perfect standards. And I think I know a few ways to start working him out of this depression he's in... if it doesn't get me killed first. //

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

A light knock sounded on Miroku's door. The monk glanced at the door for a long moment, not having the heart to get up and answer it. When the knock sounded again, more insistently, he forced down the lump in his throat and sat up. He composed himself as best as he could, although he was not ashamed to mourn the loss of his friend. He had not been informed of the plan with Tenseiga, or of it's success. "Th...the door is open."

The door almost immediately swung open, and Miroku glanced at his visitor. At first, he did not comprehend the full magnitude of this visit. Something about the creature leaning so casually in his door frame struck him as eerily familiar even though he was sure he'd never seen him before.

Reality dawned. Miroku drank in his first sight of Sairex in the flesh.

The raven had taken some time to clean himself up and get some new clothes. He was a short, fine-boned and graceful creature. His black hair fell almost to his waist. Part of it was done up into dozens of small braids, each studded with delicate beads carved from bone, while the rest swung free. His skin was very pale and stood out in sharp contrast to his hair and the arching, glossy black wings. His exotic yellow eyes twinkled in amusement and his lips were quirked up in an amused grin. He was dressed in loose black silks.

Miroku figured the raven was just about the most beautiful creature he'd ever seen. He was on his feet in an instant, darting over to the raven. "Sairex!"Sairex nodded and grinned, returning the enthusiastic hug he was given. "Indeed. I vas half afraid you'd not recognize me outside of your body."

Miroku grinned and tightened his grip briefly before releasing the raven. "I thought you wanted me to seduce you first?"

"Lord Inuyazha vas right, you ARE a pervert."

Miroku pulled a hurt look and clutched his wrist mournfully as he lifted his hand, dropping his head. "I can't help it. The hand...it...it has a mind of its own..."

Sairex snorted. "Be dat as it may, it vasn't YOUR hand you vere using on me."

Miroku blinked slowly before bursting out laughing. "Hmm...I don't have a good comeback for that one. Been accused of a lot of things, but that's a first." His expression grew more serious. "Sairex... how are..."

"I zee dey didn't bother to inform you of da plan. I didn't mean to cause you vorry, my friend. At da time, I didn't realize dat Lord Zezzhoumaru can apparently resurrect da dead..."

Miroku slapped himself in the forehead. "Tenseiga...of course." He blinked. "Wait, you really WERE dead?""For a vhile. It really is not as interesting as you might tink."

"How'd you...who..." Miroku didn't really know if he wanted to know.

"Lord Zezzhoumaru. It vas painless, I assure you. Felt more like a pressure dan a pain. Rather odd. But yes. Dey killed me, killed Zetsukosei, revived me, and now dey are home and I have a new job. Two of dem, actually."

"Two, eh?"

"Vell, yes. I need to train you and be an appropriate advisor."

"Training me, hmm. That will prove interesting."

Sairex flicked his eyes over Miroku before examining his talons with a look of feigned disdain. "Vell, you are only a human monk...it vill be difficult. Can't teach humans much of anyting."

Miroku snorted. "Oh, hush, you. And I have my own work to do, if I am to properly seduce you."

Sairex smirked. "You have your vork cut out for you, den. I am not zo easily zed--mmph!" Sairex's yellow eyes flew wide as he found himself suddenly crushed against Miroku's chest and the subject of a mind-numbingly passionate kiss. His eyelids flickered shut of their own accord as his resistance melted. Miroku's fingers threaded through his hair and held him close, his other arm wrapped firmly around the raven's waist.

Miroku hadn't really intended to be quite so abrupt and vicious about grabbing him. He was a little surprised at how easily he was able to pull Sairex to him - the raven weighed far less than he looked like he should. // Mm...does he have hollow bones, like a bird? // However, it didn't matter. He was just so grateful to see him, alive and well...indeed, see him at all...and he couldn't resist a taste.

Sairex was a bit dazed when he was finally released and Miroku smiled deviously. "Oh, yes...you are going to make this SO difficult."

"Hmph." The raven folded his arms across his chest and turned about, seemingly in a huff. "You just caught me by zurprise is all. I'm not -- nnnnn..." Sairex shivered as Miroku's fingertips trailed over the arch of one of his wings.

Miroku chuckled softly. "Yes...you'll be trouble, indeed."

"I tink for your first lesson, ve vill begin physical conditioning. Go run a hundred laps around da courtyard."

Miroku blinked. "Hey, now...that's not fair. Besides, I'm in good sh--"

Sairex squinted. "You accepted me as your teacher, zo you must do as I zay or face da conzequences. A hundred fifty. Go."

Miroku smirked. // So that's how the game will be played? Very well...// He bowed politely and then made his way towards the courtyard, Sairex trailing behind him. // This should be interesting. //