InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Sword of Supreme Conquest ❯ Chapter 34 ( Chapter 34 )

 

An ire-laden growl resonated down the deserted hallway, accompanied by the solid thumps of Inuyasha's bare feet against the floorboards.

 

 

Bring me the hanyou? Sesshomaru you bastard!

 

 

His brother's arrogance knew no bounds. Rin's meeting with him had gone exactly how he'd expected it to - badly.

 

 

He dragged his claws roughly through his hair and muttered a few choice curses beneath his breath. Three days ago he'd been tearing through forest and open fields at break neck speeds, trying to outrun his past, his memories of Kagome, and his empty future. Now he suddenly found himself running towards something instead of away from it. That something was a distant, hazy image of what his future could be like - a warm home, a loving wife, a real family…

 

 

It seemed too good to be true. Until today it'd been an idyllic, foolish fantasy, and yet one conversation with her had made it seem possible. Her easy way of talking and careful reasoning had opened his eyes to what could be and for the first time since Kagome's death happiness and love no longer felt intangible. With her it was possible, but only if Sesshomaru permitted it.

 

 

Blowing out an impatient huff, he stuffed his claws deep into the sleeves of his haori to hide the anxious tremors making them shake. He hadn't seen his brother since the day he'd left Kagome's body at his feet. A lifetime of experience had taught him that his previous transgressions would never be forgotten, much less forgiven. Knowing that, he'd had every intention of avoiding a confrontation when he made the decision to return. As luck would have it, now that he was completely unprepared he was being forced into one head first.

 

 

This meeting with Sesshomaru had nothing to do with Rin and everything to do with his brother's desire to punish him. The Lord of the West was as vindictive as he was proud - two traits which made him an unenviable enemy to have under any circumstance; he hadn't been baptised with the title `The Killing Perfection' for nothing. Asking him for permission to leave with Rin…hell, he might as well ask him to hack his other arm off.

 

 

Steeling himself for the worst, Inuyasha paused a moment outside the door to Sesshomaru's study and sucked in heavy sigh. He let it out slowly with a subtle shake of his head. While silently asked himself just what the hell he was doing, he slid open the door. Keeping his gaze lowered in an effort to show some sign of respect for his brother's station, he stepped across the threshold.

 

 

The words he'd been mulling over in the hall, his reasons for why Rin should be allowed to leave with him, and the awkward greeting that sat on the tip of his tongue never left his lips. Choked by the iron grip of a hand around his throat, he fell silent. Of all the times in his life when he'd managed to piss Sesshomaru off, there was only one other when he'd seen him like this. That time had nearly cost him his life and for a split second his stomach flipped with a pang of fear.

 

 

The atmosphere around the demon lord radiated with a malevolence that was almost palpable; it hung thick and heavy between them like a dark cloud, to shatter the serenity of what had otherwise been a perfect day. The sun streamed cheerily through the far windows to fill the room with its golden light, but even it could not warm the spot on which they stood. A shiver travelled up Inuyasha's spine as he made the grim realization that this raging, blood-eyed demon could snap his neck or squeeze the life from his limbs without hesitation and there wasn't a damn thing he could do about it.

 

 

With a jerking motion, Sesshomaru wrenched Inuyasha's body forward until their noses were nearly touching. The demon lord's lips curled back in a snarl to reveal a row of glistening white fangs. “If you defiled her with your hanyou blood I will kill you,” he threatened evenly. Sesshomaru's voice was low and venomous, his tone barely above a whisper and there was no indication that he was bluffing. He punctuated his threat by tightening his grip around Inuyasha's throat, cutting off his air entirely.

 

 

The sight of the hanyou's suffering provided him a fleeting sense of satisfaction. Despite being enraged to the point of near uncontrollable violence, he felt more alive then he had in months. The blood rushed greedily through his limbs injecting energy back into the body that had begun to wither. He could even see the red-hue that bled into his eyes as he struggle to maintain control of his emotions.

 

 

Within seconds, if he allowed it, his body would take on its true form for the first time since she'd left. As it was, the large white beast was beating against his threadbare resolve demanding to be freed. It wanted blood. It would be appeased by nothing but violence of the deadliest kind and yet somehow he found the willpower to force it back into submission. He refused to lose control - to bow to such a thing was utterly beneath him.

 

 

It was the thought of his brother, the disgusting hanyou who remained the bane of his existence, taking and defiling the girl he'd chosen as his ward that had brought on the awakening of his beast. The overwhelming rage that'd flooded through him ignited the most basic of his primal instincts - the desire to protect what was his at all costs. The girl was his and had been from the moment he'd resurrected her from the dead and he would not hand her over so easily.

 

 

The possessiveness of his nature was one thing, and his pride another, but it was thoughts of a different kind that stayed his hand from making the killing blow.

 

 

He'd provided Rin with everything his world could offer a human. She wanted for nothing and there was naught he could not give her, and still it was not enough? The shot to his pride hurt nearly as much as the unexpected pain in his heart. She wanted to leave him. He had made her unhappy. Was life with him truly so unbearable?

 

 

Kagome had sought solace in Inuyasha'a arms because he hadn't been there when she'd needed him. Had he failed Rin as well? Had she simply been biding her time until someone came along to rescue her from the life he'd drawn her into? The thought was almost unbearable.

 

 

Though he was loathed to admit it, Rin's desire to leave cut him far deeper than he'd ever thought possible. He needed her. He'd never admitted that he needed anyone, not even Kagome, but this girl, this child - he depended upon her for survival. Not the physical kind of course, but the rest. If she left as well, what would remain of the man he'd once been? What kind of callous beast would he become in the absence of her kind heart and cheerful disposition?

 

 

It was the realization of his own weakness that drove him into a blinding rage and it was Inuyasha's unfortunate fate that he would feel the brunt of it. With a roar, Sesshomaru threw him across the room and slammed his body roughly into the stone wall. With a groan of pain and a few choking gasps, Inuyasha collapsed to the floor. Pressing his foot into his chest, Sesshomaru held him in place while he withdrew Tokijin and placed the tip against his throat.

 

 

“You cannot have her,” he bit out tersely. His grip on the handle tightened as he resisted the urge to swing the blade down in a final graceful arc and remove his brother's head.

 

 

Annoyed and prone, Inuyasha could only regard Sesshomaru with golden eyes that smouldered with his ire. “Are you gonna let me speak or are you just gonna stand there snarling all day like a rabid dog?” he rasped out, his throat still raw.

 

 

 

Sesshomaru lightened the crushing pressure of his foot as he considered his words. After a moment he made a sound of disgust in the back of his throat and stepped silently to his oversized chair. Slipping into it, he laid Tokijin purposefully atop his desk and glared in Inuyasha's direction.

 

 

“Speak.”

 

 

With a grunt and a visible wince the half-demon pushed his body up off the floor. He felt like he'd been hit by one of the trucks he'd seen in Kagome's time. His chest and lungs ached with every breath he sucked in, but he quickly composed himself and moved to stand in front of Sesshomaru. If he was going to do this he sure as hell wasn't going to do it splayed out on the floor like some weakling. Crossing his arms in front of his chest, Inuyasha regarded Sesshomaru coolly.

 

 

“For starters, I haven't done anything to Rin. If you used your nose like a good dog demon you'd know that already.”

 

 

Sesshomaru snorted indignantly. Inuyasha was right of course. If he'd paid more attention he would've realized that Rin's purity was very much in tact. When she'd arrived reeking of the hanyou he'd jumped to conclusions without pausing to consider other options.

 

 

“And another thing…,” Inuyasha continued, “maybe I need to remind you that you don't own her Sesshomaru. She's loyal to you but she isn't another sword you can stake a claim on. She can do whatever the hell she wants.”

 

 

“Like bed a hanyou?” he seethed.

 

 

Inuyasha's face hardened immediately. Eyes darkening, he pressed his fists against the wooden desk and leaned in close to Sesshomaru. “Yeah, like bed a hanyou. What's wrong? Jealous she didn't pick you?”

 

 

The moment the words left his lips he knew he'd gone too far. With a snarl of rage Sesshomaru burst from his chair, unsheathed Tetsusaiga from his hip in a single fluid motion and unleashed its destructive wrath.

 

 

Sesshomaru ignored the smell of his flesh burning as the sword's spell repelled him. He was too focused on killing his half-brother to question why the fang had chosen this moment to reject him. Nothing else mattered - not the pain searing through his hand, or the hatred Rin would feel towards him should he succeed. He would not forgive the bastard for making such a statement. To think that he, Sesshomaru would ever…

 

 

A guttural howl tore from his throat and another blast from Tetsusaiga carved a hole through the far wall. The explosion that followed shook the palace to its very foundations and filled the room with a blinding cloud of dust and debris.

 

 

Without waiting for the smoke to clear, Sesshomaru tossed the fang aside and dropped to one knee. The pain in his hand was almost unbearable. He stared wide eyed at the residual fires that continued to lick at his skin. Why had Tetsusaiga rejected him? He glanced between the steaming blade embedded within a pile of rubble across the room and his singed palm in disbelief. Unable to comprehend what'd happened to make the sword turn against him, he grit his teeth and bore the burning pain as he slowly closed his hand into a fist. If the hanyou was dead then it was worth it. Any amount of physical pain was tolerable if it was paid in exchange for the peace of mind that would accompany Inuyasha's demise.

 

 

He waited impatiently, his eyes scanning the thick clouds of smoke and rubble for a body. After a few moments he begrudgingly admitted that, yet again, he'd failed to kill him. He could sense Inuyasha's presence amongst the chaotic mess of shattered wooden beams and crumbling stone. For reasons he could not fathom, the hanyou continued to live.

 

 

“You bastard!” Inuyasha threatened as he dragged his body out from under the rubble. He was injured yes, but it wasn't worse than anything he'd dealt with before. Blinking the blood out of his eyes he wiped his face against his sleeve and disregarded the dark red smears staining the fabric.

 

 

“So what's your plan Sesshomaru? Kill me so Rin has no choice but to stay with you? That's a good one. She'll hate you, you know.”

 

 

“Then so be it.”

 

 

Sesshomaru's voice was distant, as though his mind lingered somewhere far away from where they were. Collapsing back against the hard wood of his desk he heaved a heavy sigh and closed his eyes. Inuyasha blinked with surprise at his defeated posture and took a hesitant step towards him, realization dawning upon his features.

 

 

“You can't live without her. That's what this is all about isn't it? She's been with you so long you've forgotten what it's like to not have her around, am I right?”

 

 

The weighted silence that came from Sesshomaru confirmed his suspicions. Intrigued, he took a second cautious step forward before folding his legs beneath him to sit cross- legged on the floor. He was careful to stay out of arms reach.

 

 

“You know me well enough to know that I'm not going to give up that easily,” he stated matter-of-factly.

 

 

Sesshomaru's only response was to open his eyes. He narrowed them at Inuyasha in a cold, piercing gaze that espoused nothing but murderous intent. His lips pressed into a tight frown and he regarded him in tense silence a moment longer before speaking.

 

 

“If you say you are doing this because you love her I will cut out your tongue.”

 

 

Inuyasha was tempted to chuckle at the threat, but Sesshomaru's stern expression made him think twice. The last thing he needed was another unpleasant encounter with the wall.

 

 

“No, it's not because I love her. It's because it's what she wants. You'd do anything for her, I'm doing the same. Look, I know what you're thinking-”

 

 

“You have no idea what I'm thinking hanyou,” the demon intoned with a healthy dose of bitterness.

 

 

Inuyasha groaned loudly and clutched at his hair in frustration. “I didn't go after her! I'm not some kind of horn dog who chases after the most vulnerable girl he can find! Rin told me she wants a life with me. I'm not going to tell her no without a damn good reason!”

 

 

“How can you possibly protect her? I trusted you to protect Kagome and look what happened. You are incompetent Inuyasha. I will not make the same mistake twice.”

 

 

“Shut up about that would you? You're not the only one who lost her ya know! And just to clarify, you weren't there. You have no clue what happened that day! I'm not to blame for this. If you wanna blame someone, blame yourself! It's your damn fault the whole thing happened anyways! Dumb wench died trying to save your ass or did you forget?”

 

 

Inuyasha's words rested heavily in the air between them, the tension was almost palpable. He knew that last comment had been a low blow, but Sesshomaru was too proud and stubborn to understand anything but the bluntest of truths.

 

 

“What are you going to do now?”

 

 

Sesshomaru sighed heavily “Take her Inuyasha. I am…ill equipped to provide for her. Make her your mate, give her a home, make her happy…I cannot.” He kept his eyes fixed on the hole in the far wall, refusing to meet his gaze.

 

 

Inuyasha's eyebrows drew together at his brother's sudden change of heart. The defeated tone in his words had been entirely unexpected. He called his name hesitantly.

 

 

“If you are what Rin wants than she is free to go with you, she is not a prisoner here. But remember Inuyasha, and remember well, that you are and always will be a hanyou. You don't deserve to touch her let alone mate her. The very thought of it is repugnant. The only solace I can find in this tragedy is the knowledge that you will come to understand implicitly what she sacrificed to be with you.

 

 

“Here she has the world at her feet. Here she can be anything and anyone she desires to be. You are taking those opportunities from her to fulfill your selfish need to feel loved. You question my motives Inuyasha, but I must question yours.

 

 

“You admit you do not love her, yet you think you can make her happy. You goad the fact that you are taking yet another possession from me while at the same time accuse me of treating her like another one of my swords. I have protected her for nearly a decade while you were off collecting jewel shards and rutting with my mate behind my back. You think me selfish for wanting to keep her at my side. If I am selfish for protecting what's mine, tell me, what does that make you?”

 

 

Inuyasha sat in contemplative silence, unwilling to admit the truth and logic behind his brother's words. Sesshomaru had a point, one which he couldn't argue. What could he offer Rin? He couldn't giver her his heart since it was nowhere close to mended, couldn't give her a home or any guarantee of happiness since he had none himself, hell, he couldn't even promise her security because humans and demons alike despised hanyous.

 

 

He knew Rin deserved better than him but, for some reason that completely eluded him, she wanted to be with him. Regardless of his reservations, the knowledge that she desired him offered a tiny glimmer of hope that happiness might be possible in spite of the loss and pain they'd shared. For now, that glimmer would have to light the way. He knew Rin was better off with Sesshomaru, but she'd explained to him, in no uncertain terms, what she wanted out of life and it had nothing to do with the plan the demon sitting across from him had in mind.

 

 

“Get it through your thick skull Sesshomaru, whether you like it or not, she's leaving. You can either accept it and deal with it or lose her forever. So what's it gonna be?”

 

 

Sesshomaru heaved a weighted sigh and his shoulders sagged. Narrowing his eyes at his brother he meticulously studied the set of his jaw and the determination burning in his eyes. He would make her happy just as he had at one time made Kagome happy, but so help him, if he ever made her cry he would take great pleasure in ripping out his heart.

 

 

“I cannot avoid the inevitable. If Rin chooses to go with you then so be it. She is not bound here by anything other than her loyalty to me.”

 

 

With a proud air Sesshomaru pushed himself to his feet and strode gracefully towards the window he had previously been staring out from. Nothing had changed. The yard was still alive with demons moving to and fro, going about the menial tasks of their day.

 

 

His heart was heavy with an almost overwhelming feeling of loss and his pride was severely wounded - two weaknesses which he would never expose to his brother. He listened attentively to the scuffling of the hanyou as he got to his feet amidst the rubble. He felt rather than heard him hesitate at the door and in that brief second a thought struck him.

 

 

“Inuyasha.” Without waiting for a response, he continued to speak. His eyes drifted open to gaze disinterestedly at the distant horizon. Dark clouds were rolling in, threatening rain. As if to mimic the changing weather, his golden orbs that normally swam like warm honey became stormy and darkened to the colour of brandy wine.

 

 

“The boy stays.”

 

 

Three words…They had only been three words but somehow they held the power to bring Inuyasha's entire world to a shuddering standstill. His mouth dropped open to hang ajar as he processed the meaning of his brother's single command, but within seconds he'd snapped it shut again. An angry snarl rumbled through his chest and his fists tightened at his sides.

 

 

“Like Hell! He isn't yours-,” he began to shout at the frustratingly stoic figure who stood calmly at the window. He stopped speaking the moment Sesshomaru turned to face him. The cold, calculating look that'd once been the only expression his face ever held, the look that'd been absent since those days long ago when Kagome first warmed his heart, had returned. The look of complete and utter determination Inuyasha read in his eyes told him that in this instance Sesshomaru would not back down.

 

 

He understood completely the unspoken choice he was being given - Rin or Akira? He could have one or neither, but never both. Would he choose the girl who offered him a chance at happiness, or the son who was his only reminder of the woman he'd once loved so fiercely? Sesshomaru's next words dug at his heart and he was surprised at the wave of guilt that rose up to constrict the muscles of his chest.

 

 

“He is mine. Kagome wanted the child to be mine and it nearly destroyed her when she discovered he was yours. She begged me to treat him as my blood and so I have. I have fulfilled her wish and my promise to her to set things right. You will not take him from me as well. I acknowledged him during those months you were away. He is a member of this house, an heir to my lands and there is nothing that you or anyone else can do to deny that claim.”

 

 

 

 

Sesshomaru turned and smiled a cold, satisfied smile at the look of utter desperation on his brother's face. It felt like he'd waited for this very moment for an eternity, perhaps longer. The moment when Inuyasha would realize exactly how it felt to have the things you cherish most taken from you while you're powerless to stop it.

 

 

“You understand don't you? I'm merely protecting my interests.”

 

 

He brandished his claws and held them up in the light so the green hue of poison seeping to their tips could be visible. Shifting his glance to the hanyou standing frozen in the doorway, he nodded his head once to affirm what he was surely wondering. If he attempted to steal them both, the boy would die.

 

 

Swallowing hard, Inuyasha dropped his eyes guiltily to the floor. He knew what his choice was going to be, but it didn't make saying it aloud any easier. Rin would have so many questions for him to answer and he wasn't sure he could stand to see the look in her eyes when he told her. She may never forgive him for this, but it was the only choice he could make - Sesshomaru had made sure of that.

 

 

His eyes were dark with silent rage when he lifted them to meet his brother's impassive stare. “I understand perfectly you smug bastard,” he snarled through clenched fangs. “I hope you realize you're sealing your own fate. You just killed her all over again.”

 

 

Leaving that final cryptic statement hanging in the dead air between them, Inuyasha turned heel and stormed into the hall in a flurry of silver and red.

 

 

Sesshomaru watched him leave and waited until he'd disappeared from sight before allowing the poison to dissipate from his claws. If the hanyou had his way Rin would be leaving within a matter of days, perhaps even hours, and he could not (nor would he try to) stop her. It was ultimately her decision and like Kagome she'd chosen to ally herself with Inuyasha over him. Despite the pain this knowledge cause him, he refused to be drawn down the path of bitter anger and resentment that'd cost him so dearly the first time.

 

 

Turning away from the window to reclaim his chair, Sesshomaru eyed the papers strewn about his desk and the rubble scattered in haphazard piles about the floor, and quickly gave up the thought of doing any more work. Side-stepping a particularly large pile of stones, he grasped his Tokijin from the floor and sheathed it once more in his belt. The Tetsusaiga he left behind, unwilling to test its spell without knowing more about why it rejected him. There would be time for that later. Before Rin's impending departure, there was still one thing he must do.

 

 

----

 

Author's Note: Thank you for your patience! I hope you guys like this chapter…it's a bit of a throw back to the old Sesshomaru we're used to. For some reason I really struggled with this one. There's something about it that naggles my muse as being lacking…Well either way I'd love to hear what you thought of it!

 

 

Until next time…

 

 

- Langus