InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Slave ❯ Chap 21 – Isn't Sesshoumaru-sama missing me? ( Chapter 22 )

Slave
Disclaimer1: I do not own any of Inuyasha characters. I am making no money off this story. This applies to all future chapters. Inuyasha characters & story © 2003 Rumiko Takahashi.
Disclaimer2: I do not own any of Evanescence songs. I am making no money off this story and this song. “Missing” lyrics and the CD "Anywhere But Home" © 2004 Evanescence.
Summary: who is missing who?
Special thanks to: All the readers
Very special thanks to: My Beta and The Reviewers
A.N.: ‘Thoughts’/“Dialogues”

Chap 21 – Isn't Sesshoumaru-sama missing me?
(Back with Inuyasha- in the forest)
It was early evening, the sun had just set in a new moon night and Inuyasha had just turned into his ningen form. He spent the last hour collecting herbs and plants for the miko sisters, and because he forgot that little detail of his hanyou nature, he was cursing himself.

“Stupid hanyou, how could you forget that tonight was the first new moon night? As a ningen you will hardly make to the shrine before the dawn.” Inuyasha knocked his own head with both his hands while talking with himself. Inuyasha was really pissed because he did not pay any attention to the paths and without his ability to track scents and hanyou sight, it would be very difficult to find the shrine.

“During the day it would be easier, Baka!” Inuyasha said kicking a tree root, and naturally since he was barefoot, he hurt his toe. “OUCH!” and to make matters worse he fell back on something. Due the lack of balance, he grabbed onto it, and then felt a very smooth material; like water. ‘Silk?’ he thought turning back and forcing his ningen eyes to visualize what was that silk thing behind him.

At first Inuyasha saw white, then red, after a yellow and blue obi that was made of silk. Inuyasha’s body started to tremble. ‘It can’t be– it can’t be– him’ Inuyasha thought while his eyes went up that dark armor, and soon his eye’s reached the face that confirmed who it was; Sesshoumaru.

Inuyasha was scared to death. ‘Sesshoumaru-sama will kill me right here, right now in this forest,’ was Inuyasha’s first and only thought that assaulted him as soon as he saw that cold face. All his fears took place once again. ‘Sesshoumaru-sama will not accept me back, after all Naraku did to me and Sesshoumaru-sama will not forgive me for Hakudoshi’s death.’ At that moment, Inuyasha’s common sense was completely forgotten along with all what Kikyo had told him weeks ago. Inuyasha still believed Hakudoshi was their first child. ‘Oh Kami-sama, I am a ningen now. Sesshoumaru-sama hates ningen and can’t stand ningen scent.’ Inuyasha took a few steps backwards, and then as fast as he could; without a second thought Inuyasha began to run away from Sesshoumaru.
*

Sesshoumaru on the other hand, was wondering what a ningen was doing, wandering at that hour out in the forest. He was tired and mad; he had spent the last day searching the source of Inuyasha’s scent. When he finally found an area with Inuyasha’s scent strongest presence, a ningen with a disturbing and yet enthralling scent mixed with herbs and other plants showed up unexpectedly, it was playing tricks with his nose.

‘I should kill this ningen that dared to get in my way,’ was his initial thought, ‘However, this ningen is so scared to be face to face with a youkai, that it would be a waste of time. This ningen probably is lost.’ Sesshoumaru thought with a tint of disdain, ‘How weak they are.’ He narrowed his eyes and once again using his might sense he scrutinized the whole area to check on that troubling scent. Then he looked at the ningen dressed as a Shinto miko, carefully.

Sesshoumaru sensed the fear coming off the ningen, among with the ningen scent mixed with the strong scents of herbs, incense and other female ningen scents. ‘There is nothing to be concerned about. Perhaps this ningen could tell me something about Inuyasha,’ he thought while he watched the ningen who was running away from him.

He would had followed the ningen and demanded some information when the scent of Inuyasha once again hit his nostrils. He then let the ningen flee and he returned to the track he was previously.
*
(Back with Inuyasha- in the forest)
Inuyasha ran.

He was running as fast as he could to get as far away from Sesshoumaru and his possible anger. At least at that moment he would keep on running as fast and as hard as his body permitted. However, without his hanyou abilities, Inuyasha got even more lost than he was to begin with.
*

(Back with Sesshoumaru)
Meanwhile Sesshoumaru was following Inuyasha’s hanyou scent that came from the direction of a nearby village. He was getting closer to the source; he could almost touch the hanyou’s scent when he saw a shrine.

***

(Back with Inuyasha)
Inuyasha kept on running, all the despair he felt while on Naraku’s hold was back taking its tools on him. He was not worth of being close of Sesshoumaru any longer.
***

“Please, please, forgive me but I won't be home again.
Maybe someday you'll look up and barely conscious you'll say to no-one:
"Isn’t something missing?"”

***

Inuyasha did not care with himself getting hurt in the forest by anything. He was bewildered, for months he just wanted to be back with Sesshoumaru, now he was running away from him. At the same time he was running away from his brother because he was scared to death. He was also sad, as he ran, Inuyasha could feel a huge pain in his heart. ‘Sesshoumaru-sama did not say anything to me. He had looked at me as if I were a stranger, he is not here with me now and he did not follow me. He simply let me run from him. Why? Am I that deformed that he could not recognize who I was? Or that reaction was because I was a ningen? How could him do not get on my scent? How could he, with his Daiyoukai vision and his Inu-youkai powers do not recognize me?’ Inuyasha wondered while running.
***

“Am I that unimportant?
Am I so insignificant?
Isn't someone missing?”

***
‘Isn't ‘Sesshoumaru-sama’ missing me?’
*

(Back with Sesshoumaru)
Sesshoumaru continued to follow Inuyasha’s scent until he got closer to a small village. From there he could sense that most of the ningen were already setting themselves up to go to sleep, but he could not sense any hint or something from Inuyasha’s presence.

‘This disgusting stench is really getting in my way,’ he thought searching in the area traces of Inuyasha’s scent or even the hanyou himself.

That was when he felt, very close to where he was, Inuyasha’s scent, it was mixed with other scents, but it definitely was his scent. It was weak and a little bit different. But it was coming from that place.

The place was a small old temple. The closer he got the stronger was the scent. But the presence in a way was weak.

Sesshoumaru put all his senses and powers into action to find Inuyasha’s right location.

He heard two old women talking. They seemed to be in the middle of a discussion, and their heartbeats were fast.

A woman was saying in a very stern voice. “…’yasha did not return! I will reprimand him and he will have nothing for his night supper.” They both giggled and the other woman said, “I will wake him up at dawn to do all the chores he didn’t do today. And I will not let him eat…”

Sesshoumaru did not want to listen anything any longer; his blood was burning with anger. ‘Those two must be the ones Naraku said; they are treating Inuyasha; MY Inuyasha as an animal. They are waiting Inuyasha to return, but due the lack of a stronger scent I can tell Inuyasha has left for some time already earlier. He probably has runaway from here and from these old ningen.’ Sesshoumaru would let them stay there and continued his search when both Kikyo and Kaede with bows in hand showed up in front their hut.

“You have changed, but I still can feel your powerful youki, filthy monster. Forget about it, you are not going to have him,” Kaede said aiming her bow at Sesshoumaru’s chest.

Kikyo was the first to shoot her arrow. “You can have him back under our dead bodies.”

“As you wish” Sesshoumaru said and using his high speed, grabbed both of them by their necks and began squeezing them, did not regarding them with their frail bodies or age. “Where is Inuyasha?” He demanded in pure youkai rage.

Kaede had passed out from lack of air and Kikyo kept struggling to breathe. In a last attempt Kikyo got out a few words, “You’re not ever going to have him!”

Sesshoumaru squeezed their necks, snapping them with his hands as if they were not more than twigs. After knowing their lives were extinguished, he then went inside the small hut; with nothing much inside but the fire in the middle of the room and three futons, as three small sets of everything. ‘That is strange,’ he thought. Finally, he decided to drop the old women bodies there. Consequently, Sesshoumaru sensed something odd, and he left the hut in the direction of the village; the only way to follow, since he had not met Inuyasha.
***

(Back with Inuyasha)
It was almost dawn and Inuyasha was still running. ‘He is definitely not coming.’
***

“You won't cry for my absence,
I know,
You forgot me long ago.
Am I that unimportant?
Am I so insignificant?”

***

With first rays of the morning sun reached the forest, Inuyasha returned to his hanyou self. With all his senses back Inuyasha was able to smell the not so distant scent of death. And it was coming from the shrine.

“What the hell...? Oh no! Please Kami-sama; please don’t let it be…” Inuyasha once again started to run, this time to the shrine direction. ‘Please, do not let them be dead… Do not let HIM kill them…’ Inuyasha in tears was running as fast as he could. No longer being a human, Inuyasha could easily dodge all the obstacles; even jump from time to time. Shortly later, he was in door of the shrine. He saw two arrows, on in a tree trunk and another one on the shrine front porch.

All his body went numb when the strong odor of death and decay hit his very sensible nose.

“Please, please, please let it be from another person, not from them Kami-sama…”Inuyasha mumble while with insecure steps he got closer to the door of the small hut they three shared. He saw the bows on the floor. ‘Anything but that, I can’t stand losing anybody else,’ he thought grabbing the door curtain and whipping them open.

The world stopped for seconds when he saw their bodies on the floor.

A loud scream of agony and pain echoed out of the hut.

He felt his knees give way as he walked and stood sobbing before their bodies. They were cold, and totally lifeless, their necks had been broken, but there were green poison oozing from them. “It was HIM! Why– WHY?” Inuyasha asked over and over again.
***

“Even though I'm the sacrifice,
You won't try for me,
Not now.
Though I'd die to know you loved me,
I'm all alone.”

***

(Back with Sesshoumaru)
Sesshoumaru was furious and ready to destroy the whole village when he got not only the fresh scent of Inuyasha, but also his presence, his youki and his pain. And all were coming from that shrine direction. ‘Why am I getting this now?’ Sesshoumaru thought while once again he changed his direction and was running back to the shrine.

Sesshoumaru could listen to someone’s voice. A very sad and defeated voice, and it sounded in a way, as Inuyasha’s voice.

Sesshoumaru in instants was back to the small hut front door; looking at the back of a hanyou with long white hair dressed as a miko. The hanyou was crying, his clothes were dirty, and he smelled herbs, blood, tears of sorrow and fear.
*

(Back with Inuyasha)
Inuyasha was crying, he placed both bodies lying side by side on the futons, and he was on his knees in-between them; his back to the door. He did not sense a powerful youki getting closer. Actually, Inuyasha did not care for his life any longer. He had decided that he would be by his miko friends’ side forever.
*

That was when Sesshoumaru got inside the hut.

Inuyasha finally could feel someone was staring at his back; He slowly turned his head to look. At first, his only thought was to scold with the person and then he would return to his position by the side of his dead friends’ body. However, he saw Sesshoumaru and their eyes locked.
There was a long deafening silence in the room where they continued staring at one another. Whether by the shock to finally being able to see each other or that they were not sure if their eyes were showing the truth, they continued staring.
Unable to stand the silence any longer, Sesshoumaru was the first to say something, “Is that you Inuyasha?”

“Am I that bad that my brother and Goshu-- I mean… my former Goshujin-sama can not recognize me?” Inuyasha asked, the pain in his heart growing. “Why have you killed them? They were my only friends, they saved my life. They were the only ones who came to me when I most needed help. WHY?” Inuyasha once again returned to his first position, and then he bent forwards to sooth the pain in his heart while he kept on crying.

Sesshoumaru looked puzzled to Inuyasha. “Were these old miko your friends? Are you crazy? They were plotting to hardly punish you last night; you should thank me you ungrateful hanyou!”

“NO! They were not plotting anything! They should have been worried that I was returning so late from the herb collecting task. Those fucking herbs took the whole afternoon to be collected, and to make things worse; yesterday was the first new moon night. Now they are dead, and I am here with those stupid herbs and plants. I want them back!” Inuyasha said still sobbing, and held both bodies with his arms.

“Inuyasha…” Sesshoumaru said while he slowly reached his brother.

“Sesshoumaru-sama I have something to ask you,” Inuyasha said without changing his position.

“I am listening.”

“Could you please kill me, and then burry my body along with theirs?”

“Are you out of your mind Inuyasha?” Sesshoumaru asked already grabbing Inuyasha, and looking at the hanyou with confusion in his eyes.

“I do not deserve to live, so please Sesshoumaru-sama kill me! I do not know what your reasons to kill them were, but I am sure they were innocent. They had helped me, they had given me shelter, and they kept me alive till now. But since they are dead, I have nobody else–” Inuyasha was interrupted by a furious Sesshoumaru.

“Nobody else? Inuyasha, do you really prefer them rather than me? I am your brother! Your mate! You are mine. How dare you say to me that you have nobody else?”

“You do not like ningen. I am a filthy hanyou, I am not worthy enough for you, and I am much better dead. So please, if you do not want to dirt your claws with my blood, take your sword out and kill me. Or even Tousan’s sword Tetsuseiga, just kill me!”

“What kind of dark magic have those witches done to you Inuyasha? Since you became my mate, you are worthy to be by my side. Do you understand that? We are going to return to the Western lands and there you will regain yourself again.” Sesshoumaru shaking him said.

“Return to the western lands? I cannot, I have been tainted. I dishonored our father’s name by being so useless even to fight back those neko youkai and after them Naraku. Moreover I have lost our…”

“Stop saying nonsense, we are getting home now. OUR HOME,” Sesshoumaru said before kissing the hanyou’s mouth.

When they broke the kiss, Inuyasha breathless said in a very weak and low voice. “I can not let my beloved friends like this, let me bury these two with all the respect they deserve Sesshoumaru-sama. Also I have to take care of the shrine at least till other Shinto priests arrive, so let me stay here, please.”

“Were those old ningen really your friends? Did they really help you? Aren’t you protecting them, just because you are under their spell?”

“Sesshoumaru-sama please, don’t be stupid! You must know that a dead person’s magic could not interfere or influence on a living one,” Inuyasha said without thinking in the implications of offending Sesshoumaru. Then he begged for Sesshoumaru’s mercy once again. “Please Sesshoumaru-sama, do not be mad. You can kill me after such a dare, but please burry our bodies in here in this Shrine soil.”

“Inuyasha, I am not going to kill you. I just want to know something of you. Do you really like those two that much that you would lose your life for them?”

“Sesshoumaru-sama, those two old ladies have taken me in their home after they found me almost dead on the forest. Naraku have thrown me away in this forest to die by other youkai’s hand or a starving wild animal. However, they saved me. How can I simply let them be after all that?” Inuyasha asked, once again he was trembling in fear.

“Your scent… you are– you were in the forest last night and we met– you were that ningen, that is why the scent was so disturbing,” Sesshoumaru said while he positioned Inuyasha by the bodies’ side.

Inuyasha was completely lost and in total confusion at what Sesshoumaru was doing.

Sesshoumaru stood up, all might and powerful, touching the hilt of his sword with his long delicate fingers, he prepared himself to feel Tenseiga’s power. Soon he could see the little death spirits around the bodies. He slowly took Tenseiga out of its sheath and prepared to use it.

“You must fear no more Inuyasha,” Sesshoumaru said, and then cut both bodies with Tenseiga.

Inuyasha, who was on his knees right beside the bodies, froze watching the entire scene. He loved the way Sesshoumaru positioned himself to use any weapon. He was the killing perfection without questioning, so Inuyasha could only close his eyes and wait to the powerful stroke that would finally kill him. ‘I am happy that it was Sesshoumaru the one to finish this useless life of mine.’
*

--Heart beats--

‘Am I really dead? I do not feel any pain or anything like that and why a dead person can hear heart beats?’ Inuyasha thought while still shivering, he slowly opened his eyes.

“I am not dead and–” Inuyasha said astonished and sniffing the air he realized that both sisters were not dead anymore. “They are alive–but–but they were–Sesshoumaru-sama you–you used your sword–you–you stroked it on me… how could I still be alive, and they are not dead anymore?”

“I did not strike anything on you Inuyasha I struck the sword on them. Tenseiga brings dead people back to life, and since you were so sad with their death and you wanted to stay here to replace them. I thought it would be much better to have them back and we could finally return home without anymore delays,” Sesshoumaru explained.

“Oh, thank you very much Sesshoumaru-sama. I am going to be always in debt with you,” Inuyasha said looking to the sword with surprise. “If at least you could have used this power on our…” Kikyo interrupted Inuyasha.

“Inu-chan, hurry up and come here! Get away from him your filthy monster. Inuyasha, Naraku has changed his appearance, but even though I would not let him harm you,” The older miko said holding Inuyasha protectively.

“No Kikyo-sama, this is not Naraku! This is Sesshoumaru-sama, my Goshujin-sama,” Inuyasha said trying to get free from the hold.

“I am your MATE and BROTHER Inuyasha; I am not your goshujin, at least not the way you are saying,” Sesshoumaru said annoyed. “And I am not Naraku, old ningen miko.”

“Are you Sesshoumaru-sama, the one who holds the key of Inuyasha’s heart and soul? Why did not you tell us that yesterday?” Kaede said standing up.

“I think we did not have time to introductions and any kind of conversation last night,” Sesshoumaru said and bowing for the sisters he added, “I am sorry for the misunderstanding.”

The sisters were incredibly oblivious to the previous events, so it took some time for both to understand what was going on between the hanyou and the daiyoukai.

“Now we must return to the western lands Inuyasha.” Sesshoumaru said leaving the hut.

“He can leave now, Sesshoumaru-sama.” Kikyo said holding Inuyasha’s hand.

“Why not?” A hint of anger could be noticed in Sesshoumaru’s voice.

“Many things need to be explained and Inu-chan is not strong enough to travel, not yet.” Kaede said helping Kikyo, who was sitting Inuyasha in a futon and both were sitting beside him.

“Please, Sesshoumaru-sama, sit and let’s talk.” Both sisters talked at the same time, staring at furious Sesshoumaru.
**

************************
End of chap 21. Isn't Sesshoumaru-sama missing me? –
************************
Glossary
(O)tousan: Father. O- for added respect. -san can be replaced with -sama or -chan. Imouto: Younger sister. (-chan or -san can be added) Otouto: Younger brother [ie. Toguro Otouto]. (-chan or -san can be added) *Goshujin-sama = means master as well as husband
*Ningen = human
*Youkai = demon
*Daiyoukai = great mythical creature/ great demon
*Youki = demon spirit energy / demonic energy (life energy) possessed by demons
*Hanyou = half youkai , half human (“half breed”)
*Obi = sash for yukata or kimono
*Sashinuki hakama = a type of traditional flowing Japanese "pants"
Hakudôshi (”’“¶Žq, ‚Í‚­ ‚Ç‚¤ ‚µ) = white child