InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Suppression ❯ Chapter 2 ( Chapter 2 )

Chapter 2

 

“Jaken, take Rin back to the castle. I wish to be alone for awhile,” Sesshoumaru ordered his retainer.

 

“My lord…” Jaken replied, not sure if he should leave the inu demon on his own. He had been worried for the taiyoukai, last night was the fourth time he had seen his master disturbed by bad dreams. The toad had been shocked that such things could ever bother his lord.

 

“Do as I command,” Sesshoumaru growled.

 

“Y-yes my lord,” Jaken answered bowing low. He also knew that Sesshoumaru, as of late, had an extremely short fuse.

 

Rin came to her adopted father and put her little hand on his. “I'll miss you,” she said, her dark eyes glassy with unshed tears. The only time she was ever sent to the castle was when her lord was going to be away for a long period of time and she hated to be apart from him. She too had been worried. Last night she had shaken her master awake from the nightmare that was plaguing him, frightened by the tears that had been wetting his cheeks.

 

Sesshoumaru had soothed the child and then decided that he needed to find out what all this was about. These dreams he was having almost every night were upsetting his calm, cold persona. What was worse was that, although he knew the dreams were unsettling, upon waking he could never remember a thing about them. He did not want his retainer and ward to see him in such a state, so he planned to work though this problem on his own.

 

“I will miss you as well but we will be together soon,” he intoned gently to the small girl. “Now go back to the castle and wait for me.”

 

“Yes, Sesshoumaru-sama,” Rin responded dutifully.

 

<><><><><><><><>& lt;><><><><><><><><>< ><><><><><><><><><> ;<><><><><><><><><>&l t;><><><><>

 

“It's that damn hanyou's fault,” Jaken grumbled as he led Ah-Un while Rin sat quietly on the dragons back.

 

“Did Inuyasha-sama make Sesshoumaru-sama sad?” she asked innocently.

 

“He must have done something. Lord Sesshoumaru should not trust that one and his humans.”

 

The day before Sesshoumaru had left Jaken and Rin to track the spider he had ran into his brother. As of late the two siblings didn't fight as much as previously when they met and much to Jaken's dismay his lord actually talked to the half-breed in a civil manner.

 

The toad knew better than to complain about it, but it had irritated him that his master seemed to be tolerating the hanyou's presence more and more. At least Sesshoumaru had declined Inuyasha's offer to join his group. Jaken had smirked at the half-breed when Sesshoumaru had turned him down flat. However, his lord had promised to give his brother and his group any information on the elusive spider demon if he found any. Then he had left.

 

The night, when Sesshoumaru had again returned to them, was the first time Jaken even knew his lord could have nightmares. At first the toad was sure it had to be Naraku's doing but his lord had told him that he hadn't found him. The only other creature who would want to harm his master was his despicable younger brother.

 

“He probably had that damn monk put a spell on Lord Sesshoumaru,” Jaken mumbled.

 

The servant youkai stumbled forward, oblivious to the tiny ears listening to his every word. Rin's eyes went large at the revelation; she knew that her lord and his brother did not get along well, although she had thought they were making a bit of progress lately. Her Sesshoumaru seemed more relaxed around the hanyou, more accepting, and he didn't get so upset about Inuyasha-sama having the Tetsusaiga anymore.

 

Would Inuyasha-sama really put a spell on Lord Sesshoumaru? the small girl asked herself.

 

Rin sat on the dragon, fretting about her lord's dilemma. Finally, she decided that the best course of action would be to go and find Inuyasha and his group and have him remove the spell if that was the case. Without asking Jaken's permission, she grabbed Ah-Un's reins from his grasp and kicked the dragon's ribs.

 

The two headed animal took flight with a surprised and infuriated toad yelling at the child and the beast to come back.

 

“I'll be back soon, Master Jaken,” Rin called down from above. “I'm going to help Sesshoumaru-sama.”

 

Jaken ran on the ground following the direction of the flying dragon cursing with every step.

 

<><><><><><><><>& lt;><><><><><><><><>< ><><><><><><><><><> ;<><><><><><><><><>&l t;><><><><>

 

“It's so hot,” Shippou complained as the group walked along the dusty road. Everyone was feeling the heat of the day. The sun beat down on them without mercy and they were all sweaty and grimy.

 

“I believe there is a river near here,” Miroku stated. “Perhaps a rest and a swim would make us all feel better.”

 

“That sounds wonderful. Can we stop, Inuyasha?” Kagome asked.

 

The hanyou had been trying to act as if the heat was not bothering him, but soaking in cool water sounded damn good to him too. “Yeah, I guess you guys do need a break seeing as your weak humans after all.”

 

Shippou rolled his eyes, he knew Inuyasha was as hot and miserable as the rest of them but would never admit it.

 

The group had just finished bathing and were now sitting under the trees that lined the bank waiting for the day to cool down before heading on their way when Shippou noticed a shape in the sky. “Hey, what's that?” he asked as he pointed above them.

 

Inuyasha looked up just as Kagome finished putting his thick hair up in a high pony tail to keep it off the back of his neck.

 

“That's Sesshoumaru's dragon,” Miroku stated. The group rose to their feet a bit nervously wondering what Sesshoumaru could want with them. Although the two brothers rarely fought any longer, the group was still uneasy around the stoic taiyoukai.

 

“Isn't that Rin riding him?” Kagome questioned as the pair came closer into view. “I don't see Sesshoumaru at all.”

 

“He wouldn't let the kid come by herself, he's gotta be around somewhere,” Inuyasha stated as he sniffed for his brother's unique scent. He could not find it at all and he frowned slightly in confusion.

 

The dragon landed and the little girl got off, running over to bow low before Inuyasha. “Please take the spell off of Sesshoumaru-sama,” she begged as she looked up at him with large, brown eyes full of pleading sadness.

 

“What are you talking about?” Inuyasha asked her, totally bewildered by her request.

 

“Master Jaken said you put a spell on Lord Sesshoumaru to make him sad and give him bad dreams.” The little girl began to cry. “Why do you hate Sesshoumaru-sama so much?”

 

It was at this point that a bedraggled and panting green toad came up the road. “Rin, what are you doing? We have to get to the castle,” he wheezed.

 

“What have you been telling her?” Inuyasha asked angrily, grabbing the toad by the front of his kimono.

 

“Let go of me!” Jaken squeaked, trying to disentangle the claws from his clothing.

 

Inuyasha shook him. “And what the hell is going on with my brother?” he continued, ignoring the struggles of his captive.

 

Jaken, who could be quite brave when he wanted to, took this opportunity to do so. He scowled at Inuyasha. “You should know; you must have done something to him,” he said defiantly.

 

“I haven't done anything to him,” Inuyasha returned not releasing the imp. “What's wrong with him?”

 

Jaken's temper cooled. As much as he didn't want to believe the half-demon, he could see that the hanyou was speaking the truth. He really didn't know what was going on. Now Jaken had to decide if he should tell him or not.

 

“He has very bad dreams,” Rin spoke up after Kagome wiped the tears from her face. “He cries when he's sleeping.”

 

Inuyasha dropped the toad who was upset that Rin had let the cat out of the bag. “Rin, you shouldn't tell them those things about our master,” he scolded the child.

 

“Sesshoumaru has nightmares?” Miroku questioned, unsure whether to believe what he was hearing or not. “About what?”

 

“I don't know,” the toad replied grumpily. Jaken sighed, deciding it wouldn't hurt now to tell them since Rin opened her big mouth first, besides there really wasn't much to tell. “He won't tell us.”

 

Kagome stepped up to stand beside Inuyasha. “Do you want to talk to Sesshoumaru?” The young girl was as surprised as everyone else at hearing the news and she wanted to give Inuyasha the opportunity to help his brother if he wished to.

 

“Well I can tell you if he won't confide in me, his trusted servant, he certainly isn't going to tell any of you,” Jaken returned huffily, sticking his nose in the air.

 

Inuyasha knew that the toad's words were probably true. His brother had far too much pride to tell them all what was bothering him, but maybe…

 

“I'll go alone,” Inuyasha stated. “If he won't tell me I'll come right back and the hell with him.” What the hell could make Sesshoumaru have nightmares? He wondered.

 

“Do you think that's wise? I mean you and Sesshoumaru don't see eye to eye. He's not likely to open up to you, Inuyasha,” Miroku counselled. He didn't want to hurt the hanyou's feelings, but even though Sesshoumaru didn't seem to want to kill him didn't mean he wouldn't if he was aggravated enough.

 

“Like I said, if he doesn't want me around I'll come right back.” Inuyasha secretly hoped that maybe he and his brother could come to some kind of an understanding. He was, after all, his only kin and since Sesshoumaru seemed not to want their father's sword any longer, he had hoped that they might at least work together to defeat Naraku. And after that…well he didn't want to voice what he longed for in case he tempted fate.

 

“It's your funeral,” Jaken responded with a shrug. “In any case we have to get to the castle. Rin it's time to go now.”

 

The little girl nodded and mounted the demon dragon. Jaken again took the reins holding them much tighter than he had before. “Thank you, Inuyasha-sama for helping Lord Sesshoumaru,” she called out with a smile as the toad walked down the road towards the west.