InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Pride (In the Name of Love) ❯ Chapter 134

Pride (In the Name of Love) 134 / ??
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 - Vacation has been good for the Jess, even if it has made some of my more rabid fans sad. I've been distracted lately working on a big project for a friend's birthday and reading a long manga over a slow connection and things like that. However, one by one, my distractions are dwindling. When they're gone, I'll probably be back to daily (or near daily) updates again.

I'm currently working on getting a new website put together...and it is not as easy as I thought it'd be. I think I made a bad choice in hosts...we'll see if they can help me with what I want or if I'll have to go somewhere else. Either way...I'm about done with my vacation of sorts, I suppose. I better get back to writing before y'all lynch me. I can't promise great speed in updates yet...but soon.
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Inuyasha was waiting with extreme impatience by the well. He jumped to his feet when Sairex flew in. "It's about damn time you got back!"

Sairex smiled faintly. "You can go and get your friends. Da crisis is over, your father is free."

"Well, thats good news. You comin' with me?""I vill vait here.""Eh...whats wrong with you?""Lord Zezzhoumaru and I got into it a bit, you could zay. I've been fired and kicked out of da castle." Sairex couldn't help but smirk. "Vill you be kind enough to let me know vhen Lord Toga overrules dat order zo I can come back?"

"Yeah, of course. Er...what are ya gonna do about Miroku and Ali?"

"I don't know. I can't enter da castle for now, but... I really don't tink I'll be gone zo long dat it vill be vorth finding a new place to live. I might take dis chance to go and find out vhat Zetsukosei left behind and zee if I can learn anyting."

"Alright...so you want me to just bring em home and then you'll call when you're done and I'll...er...letcha know if you can come back yet?"

"Pretty much."

Inuyasha nodded. "Got it. ...Damn, Sessh really fired you?"

"Vell...he vas a bit upset vith me and da tactics I used to free your father."

"Do I want to know, or will it piss me off?"

"Probably da latter...but it vorked out just fine vith no ill effects."

"Then I'm perfectly happy not knowing."

Sairex grinned and then bowed. "I vill zee you zoon den, Lord Inuyazha."

Inuyasha turned and hopped into the well.

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

Miroku frowned as Inuyasha explained Sairex's absence. "Sesshoumaru fired him? Damn it."Ali squinted. "I'ma exorcize him again."

Miroku chuckled and ruffled her hair. "Oh, no need for that. I'm sure Sairex will be back before we know it." The monk paused for a moment before turning his attention back towards Inuyasha. "What of Naraku?"

Inuyasha blinked. "Eh? What about him?""Exactly. He is not with you. Did he remain at the castle with Lord Toga and Sesshoumaru?"Inuyasha frowned and thought about it hard. "Well, I guess he must have. Sairex didn't seem at all worried by his absence, so...well. I don't really know. Anyway, er... I'm supposed to bring you all back now. Miroku, Sairex ran off to do some spy work while he's out...he said he really doesn't think it'll be too long before he can come back so there's no point in the lot of you moving anywhere."

"Spy work?... Sounds like he's getting himself in trouble again."

"Eh. He went to go check out the dragon's stuff back in the Circle, and the dragon is gone and can't hurt him. Maybe he'll even find somethin' beneficial."

"I suppose."

It was with varying degrees of reluctance that the group of them left Kagome's new and fabulous home.to begin the trek back to the Western Castle.

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

Sesshoumaru growled softly, not at anything in particular but just the world in general. He had seriously mixed feelings about his father giving Naraku his blessings to go ahead and take the reins of the South...but what could he do about it? The South was assuredly not their territory, and if Naraku was going to try and take it over...it really wasn't their business. In fact, it almost was to their benefit if some semblance of law and order was restored to the wild lands.

But on the same token, Naraku's personal history aside, it was a risky move. Neither the East nor the North were on the best of terms with the West at present, what with the recently averted war. It was entirely possible that they could view the West assisting Naraku's takeover of the South as the West taking over and simply installing a puppet Lord of sorts. This truly wasn't the case...but Sesshoumaru had been in the political game long enough to know that sometimes, appearances mattered more than truth.

And then...the whole business with Sairex. Just thinking of the raven demon brought a fresh growl to Sesshoumaru's throat. It wasn't that he wasn't glad to see his Lord Father...of course he was. He just couldn't believe that the raven had been foolhardy enough to risk his Lord Father being absorbed by Naraku.

Angry or not, however... Sesshoumaru figured he was probably going to have to give in on THIS issue, at least. He knew how close Toga and Sairex were, past relationships aside, and he couldn't imagine that throwing the raven out on his pointy ear was going to sit well with his Sire. In all honesty, he was surprised his order hadn't been directly countered the moment it left his lips.

But then again... in retrospect, he recalled the warning look Sairex had shot to Toga. Chances were good that his Lord Father had been planning on it but hadn't out of consideration for his anger. And he was angry. Hell, he was STILL angry...but he couldn't hold on to what was left of his ire no matter how he tried. His father had a way of soothing his savage beast, so to speak, and after a long sleep in the elder inu's arms he just couldn't work himself up into a proper rage.

One of the first things he had done upon waking had been to issue his orders in regard to Kimi. She had been exiled back to her own castle and was not to return under a very real threat of death. Really, Sesshoumaru had wanted to rip her to shreds on the spot... // And again, my Lord Father deflects my rage. //

Oh well.

Sesshoumaru paused as his wandering took him to the room he had inadvertently crashed into with Sairex. The servants were busy cleaning up the debris and patching the hole. Many of them were curious as to how it had happened, but none of them were fools enough to dare comment. // Smart help, for a change?... //

Sesshoumaru jumped with a startled curse as a pair of arms snaked around his waist, although his other senses caught up to his reactions before he sank his green-glowing talons into flesh. He half twisted around to squint at Toga, who chuckled and pressed a kiss to his cheek."Hello, my Sesshoumaru. You seem surprised.""How did you sneak up on this Sesshoumaru? Even in introspection, I am not so easily caught unaware. I could neither sense your aura, smell you, or hear your approach."

Toga released him with a grin. "I'm well aware of your superb senses, my Sesshoumaru... just suffice it to say that this old dog still knows a few tricks."

"Your tricks almost earned you a painful day recovering from my claws."

Toga chuckled. "It wouldn't be the first time you've poisoned me."

Sesshoumaru looked down, aware of the heat in his cheeks. "My Lord Father, I was a small pup and didn't even know I had venom in the first place!"

"And I was sick for the rest of the day and most of the night. You were such a stubborn child." Toga paused for a moment and then grinned. "Not much has changed."

Sesshoumaru gave him a dark look. "I am most certainly NOT the same as I was when I was a pup."Toga chuckled. "The troubles you invite now are far more epic in scale in comparison... and you're grown now and act so much more serious...not that you weren't serious, even as a pup."

"And you always humored me. It's likely your fault I am accused of being egotistical."

"Well..." Toga couldn't help but chuckle.

"I am aware of it. It does not shame me. This Sesshoumaru has reason to be supremely proud of my utter magnificence."

Toga rolled his eyes. "Well then, oh magnificent one...come with me. The time has come to make our move. The dracolich has been captured. Both the North and East are running fairly smoothly, with the installment of their new leaders. Naraku will likely be capable of taking and holding the South...and I trust he will keep to his word. I understand your history with him, but anyone is capable of change...especially with what he's went through of late. Ultimately, we have but one problem remaining and then everything will go back to the normal, daily grind. That is Jormandar. We must begin the preparations for his downfall."

Sesshoumaru nodded slowly. "Yes. Once he is removed, the last of our problems with the Circle are dealt with. We'll be left with nothing but the standard issues associated with the West...and I can't say I've ever thought I would be glad to have nothing more dire than paperwork and prissy, overstuffed, posturing lordlings scrambling to curry our favor to put up with..."

Toga chuckled and nodded. "Indeed. Come, we'll discuss it over a meal. We will not be caught off guard again...although it would be rather nice if I had a brilliant tactician with intimate knowledge of the Circle to help..."

"Tricks you may possess, my Lord Father, but your ability to subtly hint at things is sorely lacking."

"I wasn't really making an effort. But you know as well as I do that without Sairex's help, I'd still be stuck in that orb. It does not sit well with me how you cast him out after all he has done for us."

Sesshoumaru huffed at his bangs. "I rescind the order. Happy?""Quite." Toga smiled and led the way to the dining hall. "After you."