InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Pride (In the Name of Love) ❯ Chapter 60

Pride (In the Name of Love) 60 / ??
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 know I mentioned I hate my life? I hate my job too. I ultimately get to work a day and a half for free cause I had to pay for mistakes that weren't really my fault, but it was pay up or get fired. Grrr... *sigh* Lol... I keep on like this and no one will ever read my author notes.

This beast is now on page 264. Kinda impressed with myself about that.
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Sairex stared glumly at the destruction in his and Miroku's room. He idly prodded a couple of ruined vials. All of his supplies - and far worse, his notes and books - that he had brought with him were destroyed by the fire and the collapsing wall. Some of the things he had were truly irreplaceable, or at least close to it. Inuyasha continued listing off the day's report.

"...and I guess when the kit went nuts he killed seven wolves and almost killed fourteen more, but between the healer and Sesshoumaru's Tenseiga, they're pretty much better. Oh...and...my fa...er...I don't know what to call him. Her... Uh... Anyway..."

Sairex looked morosely at Inuyasha. "Zpit it out, m'lord..."

"My father is now a female. Don't know how it happened, just woke up that way. Does that make him my mother? Sorta?" Inuyasha scratched at an ear, not really wanting to think about it.

"Perfect." Sairex sighed and flopped back against a wall. Miroku rubbed his back soothingly. "Da gender-zvitching potion vas an accident I found vhen ve vere trying to fix me. Ve zaved zome, but it vas ruined vith everyting else. And vithout my notes and zome of da tings I had here, it vill take me a very long time to be able to make a counter-potion, if I can at all."

"You mean she might be stuck that way?" Inuyasha blinked and then frowned. "Fuck. I can't imagine that'll make him very happy. Her. Gah...."

"I'll vork on it. Zee vhat I can come up vith. As for da kitzune...I don't know vhat to do about dat. Vithout da recipe he used or any idea how much of vhat he used, any antidote I make could kill him. But I'll vork on dat too. And you...double da guard or zometing...Jormandar is up to no good and it is a poor time to take chances. I vill go zpeak to your father."

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

Toga let out a sleepy little half-growl at the knock on the door. Sesshoumaru balefully opened one eye and then shut it. Both of them were exhausted and more than content snuggling up - answering the door was very low on their list of priorities or desires. It didn't even rank, truth be told.

"Toga, open da door or give me permission to come in. It is important. I von't be long."

Toga murmured incoherently and tried to pull the blanket over her head. Sesshoumaru sighed heavily. "The door is not locked."

Sairex peeked in the room a moment later and did his level best to keep his expression neutral. Toga's sleepy golden eyes peered at him from beneath a curtain of disheveled silvery bangs. "Nn...what?"

"I am zorry to bother you."Sesshoumaru sighed heavily. "Hn. The damn guests are probably all here by now. I will need to attend to them anyway." Despite his words, he didn't bother to move in the slightest to accomplish that goal.

"Da reason you're a voman has to do vith a potion I accidently made vhen trying to cure my blindness. I had plenty extra and vould have just given you zome to zvitch you back, but it vas destroyed vith da rest of my room. How is it you came to ingest it anyvay?"

Toga shrugged slightly. "I don't know...the only thing I consumed that no one else did was some tea....but how would this potion of yours have made it into my drink?"

"I am not zure. Zomeone must have ztolen zome."

"Then there is a chance they may have more. I would start by asking the kitsune...should he be at all coherent. Or I shall ask Rin when she awakens."

Sairex nodded and then sketched a quick bow. "I zhall leave you to...er...your business, den." The raven couldn't help but grin, flashing Toga a quick wink. "And you do make a very pretty voman, Toga."Toga snorted and threw a pillow in Sairex's direction. "Eh, get out of here..." She was very aware that she was blushing. Sesshoumaru was simply smirking in amusement and seemed entirely uninclined to help her out. "And just what are YOU looking so smug about?"

"Nothing. Merely thinking that perhaps accepting the raven there as an advisor was a good choice. He seems to have good taste."

Sairex snickered and ducked out of the room, leaving Sesshoumaru to fend off Toga's mock rage.

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

The room swam slowly into focus. One dull ruby eye slowly struggled to make sense of the imagery. What was going on? Some sort of new trickery? A new devious effort to torment him? They had all failed so far. No punishment yet had served to torture his black heart.

Karalichala whirled as she felt the sudden spike in Naraku's consciousness. Her pale yellow eyes narrowed. How was it that this creature could be at all conscious? He was missing most of his vital organs...hell, most of his body...as yet. And yet...his crimson eye - she only had restored one as yet - was open and focusing on her. "My...give you a heart and you vake right up. Impressive.""Who...are you?" Naraku rasped. The action hurt his throat and his barely repaired vocal cords. His voice was a breathless wheeze and scarcely audible.

"I am da one putting you back together. You vill zerve us...and vhen you have done as ve ask, you vill be released to do as you please."

Naraku's eye narrowed dangerously. He served NO ONE. However...now, when he had nothing to work with was not the best time to argue. "What would you have me do?""My....companion...desires vengeance against Zezzhoumaru. I do not know vhat role he vould have you play in dat."

Naraku paused. Revenge against Sesshoumaru? THAT was the task he would be charged with to earn his freedom? Suddenly, this didn't sound half bad.

"Vhat do you know about Zezzhoumaru, Inuyazha, and da Inu no Taizho?"

"I can understand you wanting to know what I do of the first two, but their father is long dead and rotting. I have seen his bones myself."

"Tings change. He vas brought back to life and is to reclaim his throne, zo I hear. Both his pups live vith him in da Vestern castle, along vith a ... very dangerous demon of my own clan."

"So shall I destroy this demon of your clan then?"Karalichala whirled and glared at Naraku. "No! He must not be killed...he is too valuable. He knows...too many tings..."

"Very well. This process of your...restoration of my body...I can make it much faster and easier for you."
Karalichala narrowed her eyes. "Oh?""Bring me demons...and you shall see."

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

Sesshoumaru sighed in agitation. Already, the less patient of his guests had begun to speculate that Toga's failure to appear was, indeed, due to Sesshoumaru making the whole thing up. Public opinion of the taiyoukai was at an all-time low. Even though none of the assembled demons were rude to his face, none of them made a secret of whispering behind his back.

Sesshoumaru felt his agitation increasing, as well as a very strong desire to NOT be here...to be anywhere but in this room with all these hateful creatures. So distracted was he, he barely noticed when the room quieted and the doors opened. A human walked in, flanked by wolves on either side. He bore with him a set of heavy scrolls and a small white flag of truce. An emissary. But from where?

The emissary strode up to Sesshoumaru and cleared his throat. His back straightened. "Are you the Lord Sesshoumaru?"Sesshoumaru did not answer save for the barest inclination of his head. It was rare that someone did not know him on sight.

"Hear you this, Lord Sesshoumaru, for these are the words of my liege and master, Jormandar of the Northern Circle."

Sesshoumaru growled and barely restrained the urge to pounce upon the emissary and rip him into very small, unidentifiable pieces. His cold glare told the emissary to deliver his message...and to be quick about it.

"My liege calls for your personal surrender. The terms are not negotiable. You will have a fortnight to either accept or decline the terms as they are offered. My liege offers a treaty of peace and a permanent non-aggression pact for the Western Lands in return for you turning yourself over to him and submitting to his will. His quarrel with you is private, and he offers to keep it thus."

"And if I should decline?"

"Should you refuse the terms of this offer, my liege has mobilized his army and will declare war on these lands. All that lives under the banner of the Western Kingdoms will perish, be they human, demon, or animal. All that grows will be burned, and the entire land will be rendered barren and empty."

Sesshoumaru stared at the emissary, acutely aware of the growing whispers from the assembled crowd. This bastard wanted him bad enough to start such a war? Not even a war to conquer the land, but to destroy it and make it wholly unlivable. Everything he had spent his whole life learning to care for and protect....everything his father had built. It was unthinkable to submit to such a demand...but what would be the consequences if he did not? If war did come to the West?

Whether or not the West defended itself and won the battles, they would all be viewed as unnecessary. For the price of one life, countless others would be spared the strife and turmoil. Rage and discontent would brew until the armies turned against themselves in a mad hunt for Sesshoumaru, to offer him up and stop the entire thing.

So caught up in the horrifying images painting themselves in his mind, Sesshoumaru almost did not notice his father's presence until he spoke. "Be gone from my House with your ridiculous demands, worm! I am the voice of my House and no decision involving a war or the prevention thereof will be made by any but me. Get you from this place before I remove you myself."

Sesshoumaru stared - his father was back to being male, it seemed, although the younger inu did not know how it had happened. Gasps and a cacophony of whispers shot through the crowd, most of them disbelieving that it could possibly be the one and only Inu no Taisho.

Jormandar's emissary nodded serenely. "Another messenger will be here in a fortnight to discuss the matter further and accept the surrender of Sesshoumaru."

Toga growled dangerously, his claws flexing. In a move faster than half the assemblage could follow, his blade lashed out, cleanly beheading the messenger. His blazing sunfire eyes took in the rest of the room and the quiet, wide-eyed stares. "Should anyone else have an issue with my House, my pup, or my return, I suggest you speak up now."

Never had a silence been so deafening. Toga resheathed his blade with a satisfying click. "You may resume the ball. Enjoy my hospitality." He settled into his throne as the party resumed, wholly aware of the countless stares but not bothering to react to them. He was far more concerned with Sesshoumaru.

Sesshoumaru sat near him, staring at the floor. His pup was filled with a tense, nervous energy that Toga did not like at all. He looked ready to jump out of his skin if something jarred him the wrong way. // Oh, damn that wretched Jormandar...what lengths will I have to go to to prevent my Sesshoumaru from either sacrificing himself to this fiend for the sake of the kingdom...or taking matters into his own hands? // "Sesshoumaru."

Sesshoumaru flinched and then looked up at him slowly. "I do not think I have much choice in this. The West can not be sacrificed simply f--"

Toga's growl was fierce and angry as his hand shot out, catching Sesshoumaru's chin and forcing the younger inu to meet his gaze. "You are MINE and I will NOT give you up to some twisted fiend for any threat. Let his armies come and taste of my wrath, but he will not have you. I will gladly die again before I see that happen."

"But the kingdom..."

"My love for you is far greater than my love for a collection of dirt, grass, trees and rocks. This can be rebuilt. You can not be replaced. So hush, my Sesshoumaru, and put your thoughts of self-sacrifice from your mind. I could never live knowing you had given yourself to some monster for the sake of my lands."