InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The Love of a Hanyou ❯ The Love of a Hanyou- Chapter 6 ( Chapter 6 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

Chapter 6

***

The journey West had taken less than a day, he was pleased to note. However it also sent a little shudder of distaste down his spine to realize how closely Kaede's village and his forest lay next to Sesshomaru's domain.

Nevertheless, hopefully after meeting with his brother the distance would prove to be more of an advantage than a disadvantage. He pushed off from the tree branch that he stood perched on, landing softly on the warm grasslands ten feet below. If he had calculated correctly, the palace gates stood only two miles ahead, patrolled by six guards that stood at the ready.

Although his vantage point lay downhill from the palace entrance, he was sure that the guards had sensed his jhaki as well as the tetsusaiga's and knew that he was out here, though they knew not whom or what. He anticipated a fight but prayed that his brother's curiosity about his presence would prove to be much greater than his need to kill him because he did not want to have to fight his way through a whole palace filled with guards.

“No time like the present to find out,” he murmured out loud and with that, he raced off to meet his hostile greeting party.

When he was within their sights, he was relieved to see that although the dog demons' stances indicated that they were battle ready, they held position. They stood lined off before the gates, spears and swords drawn and pointed into a defensive stance. Each one of demons were darned in the standard full-bodied battle armor of the Western dog clan with red colored sashes at their waists and high top boots, the taiyoukai crest emblazoned on as many places as possible

He relaxed his posture to show that he was not an immediate threat but he also adopted his brother's calm and cool stance of command as well. The bastard had to be good for something he vowed. He wanted them to be aware that although he would not attack them but at the same time that he was also above them in rank. He would not submit to them or back down.

It amused him to watch them straighten and look at each other in bewilderment, unsure what exactly to make of him. He could barely suppress a cocky smirk. When he shifted to fold his arms before him however, they were quick to take up their battle stances again. Good, they should be wary of me, he thought nastily.

Before he could however, he was distracted by the creaking sounds of the gates of the outer palace walls opening slowly behind them. The guards turned to look over their shoulders before quickly scurrying to either side of the fencing, standing at complete attention. An older dog youkai, followed by a dozen other soldiers carrying a myriad of flags of differing colors, marched authoritatively through them. His even gait marked him as one used to power and one who knew how to wield it.

The youkai had a large, strong build with a long overflowing white beard that was decorated with small golden beads. The length of it looped over one of his broad, armored shoulders. His own white hair sat in a topknot at the top of his head, an elaborate headdress pinning it in place. A man of obvious high rank, dressed in silken robes of royal blue, green and white. He was not stooped with age but rather stood up as straight as any of the other younger youkai. A general of some sort was his first thought, but quickly changed that thought when he saw the golden dragon crest that sat on his right sleeve.

Inuyasha continued his perusal of the youkai and his eyes widened at the sight of the elaborate hilt of the sword that rode on his hip. He had never seen a sword so beautiful, with its golden hilt carved into the form of a dragon, emeralds winking in the dimpled sunlight, giving the illusion of a dragon's wicked glare. He felt excitement wash over him to have a closer look at the sword but he managed to restrain himself, if only barely. This man was obviously a tai-youkai in his own right. His regal bearing rivaling, if not surpassing Sesshomaru's.

The guard procession spread out on both sides behind the general, their armor gleaming under the sun. His sharp gaze took in the subtle differences in body armor of the new guards in comparison to the ones that he had met out front. His face clouded in his confusion before clearing up. Yeah, must be another lord.

The armor of both sets of guards were so similar that if one didn't possess a discerning eye, the differences would be all but unnoticeable but they now acted like blaring beacons to him. The style and shape of the armor, the tie of the sashes and the décor trim shouted unusual to him.

“State your business here pup or else get out of my way,” the general said firmly as he crossed his heavily muscled forearms across his wide chest. The blue- green youkai markings on his face and arms stood out in stark contrast to his pale, weathered skin.

Inuyasha bristled visibly, he didn't like being referred to as a pup, until he paused in his realization that perhaps compared to this old fossil; he more than likely was. He, however, would not accept being disrespected like that no matter what. It was a valiant attempt in struggling to keep to Miroku's advice in trying to be polite and diplomatic in mind instead of just barging his way in to see his brother. Patience had never been his strong suit, and so to try to exercise it where he had none was trying. He straightened his shoulders and lifted his chin in defiance.

“I am Inuyasha, son of the Great Inu no Taisho of the Western Lands, son of his human mate, Izayoi, Princess of the Hirashiro Lands, daughter of the daimyo Kyoshiro, Lord of the…

“I know who you are whelp, I am not as old as to not be able to smell your father's blood on you,” the old fossil harrumphed, unfolding his arms and he made a sweeping gesture towards him. “You must know that your kind is not welcomed here, I thought that this was understood.”

Inuyasha having been rendered speechless at first by the old man's revelation, all but bristled visibly at his last remark. He raised his hand to grip the hilt of the tetsusaiga tightly, his golden eyes flashing in ire. His attempt to be nice was obviously a wasted effort from the start, he silently acknowledged. Miroku and his diplomacy could shove it and take a back seat.

He drew the sword and watched in sadistic glee as the rusty blade was engulfed in golden flames before flaring out to reveal its massive transformed state. He swung the sword once, then twice before hefting it, blunt sin down, onto his shoulder and then hooking his thumb into his hakama sash.

The warriors and the old fart had taken a swift step back when they felt the explosive release of the blade as it released its jhaki. They watched him with keen, calculating gazes, their eyes widening as his suppressed jhaki swirled then merged with tetsusaiga's, swept over them.

“Now then… let's try this again… the proper way,” he grinned wickedly. The mesmerizing rush of adrenaline that always came right before battle surged up and out, hitting him with wave after wave of exhilaration. He closed his eyes and took a moment in order to enjoy the feel of it as it coursed steadily through his veins, warming his blood. He snapped them back open again at the first hint of movement from the other side and watched passively as the general directed one of Sesshomaru's guards back into the gates.

Intense green clashed with smoldering gold, both gazes locked together, unwilling to shift away from the other. Setsui felt an unwelcome surge of admiration sweep over him as he watched the young hanyou stare him down. It was obvious that the boy did not know with whom he dealt with. His restraint on his jhaki was impressive in one so young but all that meant very little when compared with both power and experience. He decided then that testing out the full extent of how well the boy could control his power was too much of a lure to resist.

Setsui could not remember the last time he had been challenged so boldly to a contest of will and strength over the long years of ruling his Eastern terrain. He admired the boy for his spunk in thinking that he had any chance of winning. It was evident, not by features alone, that he was his father's son. It was amusing how the whelp thought to exert any type of dominance over him in the same way that his sire had done many years prior.

He thought back to the days when he had first met the boy's father, when he himself was nothing more than a youngling testing out his new wings of maturity. He smirked, somewhat pleased to find himself in the same situation as he had then.

“Very well boy, have at me,” the words were barely out of his mouth before Inuyasha leapt at him, swinging his sword wildly. Setsui side stepped him calmly, turned and then gently cuffed the whelp in the collar.

Inuyasha jumped back, stumbled before righting himself, his hand rubbing the offended area in disbelief. His golden eyes widened in uncertainty before narrowing down again on his opponent. He had underestimated the old man. He cursed himself for his stupidity. It was so obvious that was hiding his jhaki, but by how much, he wondered idly. He wouldn't make that same mistake again. Obviously he required a bit more finesse in this fight than he usually employed. He shifted his stance and crouched low into a defensive position, sword raised above his shoulder and then charged forward.

Setsui barely managed to dodge the attack a second time. In fact he just barely had enough time to move safely to the side with his dignity in tact. The hanyou had moved so fast that he had appeared as nothing more than a red blur. Setsui hid the surprise that came over him. The hanyou seemed to possess more sword skill than he had previously thought. He held his up hand to stall the guards behind him that had surged forward when he had stumbled to the side.

Critically studying the hanyou, he silently approved of his stance. His posture protected his weaknesses from all sides meaning he would have to exert himself in order to break through the hanyou's defense. Setsui stood in some confusion for a time because the fighting style was not one that he recognized. He wondered briefly where he had learned such an advanced technique when to his knowledge the boy had been left to fend for himself for years.

He eyed Inuyasha a bit longer before waving an elegant hand nonchalantly and turning his back on him. It would be interesting to see how the boy would turn out in the future. He would keep an eye out for him, it was the least that he could do for an old friend.

“Enough! I grow weary of you. I have more important matters to deal with so do as you wish.”

Inuyasha warily relaxed as he watched the old youkai gather up his party and head east. What just happened, he wandered. His dark eyebrows came down heavily in a frown and he pouted just a little. He hated it when a promising battle didn't turn out the way that he wanted it to.

“Keh…,”shrugging his shoulders, he turned his attention to the last remaining guards who also watched the general disappearing over and around the bend in some confusion. Before Inuyasha could even think to question the guards, the gates behind them opened once more to emit Sesshomaru's little green toad.

Inuyasha grimaced slightly at the sight of the toad's slimy, green skin and the wet sounds that it made whenever it moved. Its' round eyes, that bulged grotesquely from its small head, shifted frantically from side to side before finally resting on him. It made a great show of squawking loudly in outrage when it noticed exactly who was standing before him and waved the four-headed staff wildly as if trying to ward him off.

“What are you doing here half breed? How dare you trespass on milord's domain? Be gone from here before I unleash the might of my staff upon you!”

Inuyasha sneered disdainfully as the little toad waddled up closer to him at a pace that he was somewhat surprised that it could achieve, shouting recriminations loudly the entire time. He raised his foot and pushed it against the toad's head as it tried to hit him with the staff. Growling lowly when it made contact with his shin, he snatched the staff away from its grasp and used it to whack the toad on the head with a resounding crack. He had to stifle a laugh when the thing dropped with a loud thump on the ground in a stupor, mumbling incoherently about doing anything for his Sesshomaru-sama.

Staring at it in disgust, he tossed the broken staff to the side and then re-sheathed his sword. So much for the mighty staff.

He kept one eye on the guards at the gate, some of which had turned to the side to hide their amusement at the toad's expense, as he crouched low. The toad continued to mumble stupidly and he shivered as his ears caught the eerie slurring words of idolization. It was so weird, not to mention down right creepy how the thing always followed Sesshomaru around, bulging eyes filled with worship, literally kissing the ground that his brother walked on.

“Hey…come on toad, where's Sesshomaru?” Jaken turned to stare up at him dazedly before smiling goofily. His skinny, clawed hand reached up towards the face of his beloved master and sighed with bittersweet regret as he reared back and moved further away. That's what he loved about his lordship. He was so cool and distant, his bearing making him so much above everyone else, especially such a lowly servant such as he. He watched as his master came back into view. Aaah, his master was asking him something again, he must answer.

“Aaah...my Sesshomaru-sama! What a silly question you ask. Of course I know where you are. Here with your good and faithful servant.” To Inuyasha's horror, the green toad then proceeded to giggle insanely to himself before continuing to tell him how beautiful he was and shouting proclamations of wanting to follow him forever.

Moving away hastily from the toad, he strode over towards the snickering guardsmen. He was more that eager to leave behind the toad, who continued to happily sigh out his undying devotion to his lord. How the toad could have mistaken him for his brother, he did not know nor did he want to know. He shook his head in disgust and made haste to get as far away as fast as he could as the delusional cries became louder and even creepier.

Coming to a stop before the first guardsmen, he said “Take me to him.”

***

As he walked along the wide corridors of the palace, he felt a wave of nostalgia wash over him. He didn't remember much about the home that he lived in with his lady mother but just looking around at these great walls reminded him of the subtle elegance that had left a lasting impression on him.

On both of the opposite walls hung woven tapestries depicting past battles of glory and stern portraits of his ancestors. Those glazed amber gazes of said ancestors seemed to bore holes into his back as though accusing him of the effrontery of entering their splendid abode. They accused him of being half demon, of daring to bring his tainted blood into their midst, as if he could control the circumstances of his birth, the further along that condemning corridor, his shoulders hunched over more and more.

As he remembered all the jeering faces of the adults from his childhood, of all the wicked names that the children used to shout at him, he sneered to himself, then stood straight and tall. He had nothing to be ashamed of, no one would ever again be able to tell him that he lacked worth. There were people who believed in him now, people who understood him, accepted him for who and what he was. He had a woman that loved him despite what he was, loved him when no one else would.

“Kagome…” he silently breathed her name. The mere utterance of it was enough to boost his confidence. He knew that he would do anything for her even if that anything meant sacrificing his own pride on a burning pyre before his brother. His golden eyes burned with a determination that would have made even the toughest of all youkai hesitate in its tracks.These freaks don't know who their messing with. These f**ing self righteous prigs and their prejudice. They feared him because they didn't know what he was capable of.

He was drawn out from his malicious reverie when the two guards escorting him came to a stop in front of him. They were greeted by a third guard garbed in similar armor who stood erect in front of the large wooden double doors. The third guard gave him a once over before turning aside to push the double doors open.

The moment the doors swung open, the stench of his brother wafted over to his sensitive nose. He pushed his way forward not paying the slightest bit of attention to the astonished guards. He knew that they were shocked that he had not waited to be announced but cared very little for their protocol. He had no time to dally on these fools when he had Kagome waiting for him.

The doors closed softly behind him and he was left in an almost eerie silence. Although there were only two open windows on the opposite wall, the room was dark and he had to force his eyes to adjust to the dim room.

“I could have killed you a thousand times over hanyou, before you were even able to draw the tetsusaiga”, the deep voice drawled from just across the room. He turned his head in his brother's direction only to find him sprawled elegantly in a large chair behind an even larger desk. Sesshomaru's cold stare bore into him as if that alone would kill him or at the very least make him go away. No chance of that happening asshole.

They stared at each other for a few moments before a smirk spread across Inuyasha's face. “Yeah maybe, but not before I helped you lose that other arm.”

Sesshomaru snarled silently at the reminder of his loss and Inuyasha watched in mild amusement as the ramrod straight back of his stoic brother stiffened even more, if that was possible. He saw the steady ticking just under the right eye begin and noted his mouth hardening into a thin, white line. Inuyasha stood still and quiet, captivated by the sudden, quick silver shift of Sesshomaru's features as they once again smoothed out to form the cold mask of indifference that he was use to seeing.

It pleased him on a ridiculous level, to see that his infallible brother wasn't as far above everyone as he would like to believe. Inuyasha took a swift step back when Sesshomaru very slowly and very deliberately rose up from behind his desk, his hard gaze fixed unflinchingly with his own, as though each movement required complete concentration. His body fairly thrummed with tightly leashed energy, his self control like an impenetrable armor, however at that moment it was obvious to anyone looking that Sesshomaru fought a valiant battle to suppress his natural instincts to pounce upon the object of his upset. After a moment or two, Sesshomaru finally seemed to win against his primal urges and stalked quietly across the room.

He stood before one of the large bay windows for a long moment, contemplating still if there he wished to stain his floors with the tainted blood of his nuisance of a brother or not. It was a hard decision to come to and Sesshomaru became even more irritated to realize that only Inuyasha had ever been able to rile his temper to such a level in such a short period of time. He would not allow this mere slip of a boy manipulate him, to force him to make the kind of rash decision, and therefore mistakes, that only a young and untried demon would make. It had been awhile since he had last seen Inuyasha and that absence that made him innate to the full level of frustration that he could be pushed to.

“What do you want?”

A long moment passed before either of them moved, the question that hung between them holding implications for them both and immediately Sesshomaru could sense the reluctance and angst rolling of the other like waves. The elder demon shifted so that he could glance over his shoulder at the hanyou. Interesting, he thought to himself as he noticed that Inuyasha stood rigidly, his eyes cast down to the ground, hiding his face, clenching his fists tightly as though he were fighting an internal battle with himself. He turned fully towards the hanyou and raised a fine, dark brow, his curiosity getting the better of him.Very interesting.

“Let's see if I can't help you out here since you're having some trouble. You brave entering into my abode alone, without the accompaniment of your humans I might add, so they must either be nearby, injured or you must not have wanted them to know about something. Am I correct?” His statement was met with nothing more than the faint rustling of cloth.

“No? Hmm, well your bitch that you so insist on following around, is not here, so this has to be about her.” When Inuyasha stopped fidgeting and raised angry eyes to meet that of the older demon, Sesshomaru growled with triumph, certain that he had hit the nail on the head. “Yes, that's it isn't it?”

“You think that you know everything, don't you?” Inuyasha asked sharply, slashing an arm through the air.

Looking away from the angry hanyou, Sesshomaru absentmindedly flicked away an imaginary speck of dust off of his sleeve before replying, his tone neutral, “Of course.”

Inuyasha growled aloud again in frustration before replying. “I want your blessing.”

“Oh…for what precisely? If you wish to jump off of an impossibly high cliff in which there is a zero percent chance for your survival, then by all means, you have my full blessing.” Inuyasha stood rooted to the spot, unsure whether to take offense or simply shake off the comment as being part of Sesshomaru's usual rhetoric. If that statement had come from anyone other than his cold, anal retentive brother then he would have scoffed at the sarcasm. However Sesshomaru had spoken in his usual dull, flat tone so therefore there was the possibility that he was being completely serious. Thrown for a loop, he managed to stutter out a reply.

“I want your blessing for…to…so that…I can mate with Kagome,” a stretch of silence followed that and another long moment passed before he heard a small choking sound that almost sounded like a snicker. No, he must have misheard. There was no way that Sesshomaru would have relaxed enough to actually indulge himself in a bit of humor. So disregarding the unnatural sound, he foraged ahead.

“I want to be acknowledged as your brother. I need your protection for my pack,” he watched with a jaundiced eye as Sesshomaru sobered quickly after that. He inclined his head gracefully to the side and gave him a curious look before carefully blanking it.

“You realize that this Sesshomaru does not find you amusing in the least.”

The blank stare directed towards him was more than just a bit unnerving and Inuyasha realized that a cold mask worn on one's face was a most effective ward against one's enemies than any other expression. It completely hid ones thoughts making the opponent susceptible to an attack.

“Good. I wasn't trying to be,” he replied evenly.

“You must think quite highly of yourself if you think for one moment that I care what you do with your filthy little humans.”

“I know that you don't. I don't think that you care about anything except yourself. As a matter of fact, I think…,”he was abruptly cut of by the dead monotone.

“I do believe that the world would be much benefitted it you stopped thinking, better yet it would be best if you simply dropped off the face of the planet altogether.”

Inuyasha growled loudly at this because it irked him to no end that he had to lower himself to such a level and actually beg a favor of this bastard. He breathed in and out slowly to cal himself and silently reminded himself of the number one reason for coming here. And that reason was Kagome. He knew that the need to protect her was his key goal and so therefore that overrode everything else, especially his extreme dislike for Sesshormaru.

“I want you to bless the union, acknowledge me as your brother so that I can better protect my mate.”

“…” Sesshomaru sent him a very skeptical look before he swept his tail behind him, did a complete about face and glided back over towards his desk. Sliding gracefully behind the comfort of its smooth, heavy oak, he shook back the sleeve of his right arm and pulled the inkpot and brush towards him.

He dismissed the half-breed from his mind as unimportant and began the long, not to mention tedious process of completing the task of writing out a draft that needed to be finalized before the council meeting the next day. His meeting with Setsui this morning weighed heavily on his mind. The increase insurgence of stray low- level youkai swarming the borders of the eastern and western territories hinted of a deep-seated unrest. The rabble were being chased into lands that they normally would not have and that alone suggested that something ominous was looming in the horizon, more than likely to do with Naraku and where he had gone into hiding. A meeting with all the leaders of the surrounding territories was absolutely necessary. Silence reigned over the room for only a few moments except for the scratching sound of the brush bristles meeting the parchment, before Inuyasha lost the battle with his temper.

Screw this diplomatic shit of Miroku's. The bastard understands nothing except brute force. It was with this thought in mind that Inuyasha grabbed the nearest projectile and launched it at Sesshomaru's stoic features. At the last possible second, Sesshomaru tilted his head to his left and the exquisite porcelain figurine that had sat perched on the small table in the middle of the room undisturbed for well over a century, sailed passed his head and smashed against the stone wall behind him.

There was not even the slightest pause in his writing, his concentration focused on the parchment scroll before him. It was not until Inuyasha picked up yet another antique figurine from the table, that he breathed out a heavy sigh, put his brush down and worried at the groove between his eyes with his index finger and thumb.

“You wish to be acknowledged in the House of the Western Lords and still yet you throw tantrums that rival those of a child.” When he looked up at the hanyou, his heavy lidded eyes widened imperceptibly when he noticed the triumphant smirk on the boy's face. He sighed once more, “I should have killed him a long time ago.”

“Are you ready to listen to me now?” Inuyasha asked, his smirk widening to an evil grin as he replaced the figurine and then folded his arms across his chest.

“It would seem as if this Sesshomaru has no choice. You may proceed.” Sesshomaru sat back in his chair and waved his hand imperiously for the hanyou to start.

“I want to protect her from idiots like you who think that I'm beneath them,” Inuyasha stated plainly. He looked up from under his bangs to see his brother's reaction and wasn't so surprised to see that blank stare directed at him, looking completely bored.

Sesshomaru snorted disdainfully. “You can do that simply by leaving her as she is now. She doesn't need you bungling up her life. She is a priestess and is better off without the likes of you around.”

Inuyasha stiffened as Sesshomaru's words washed over him. They made him angry, his face contorting into absolute rage. He snarled loudly and balled his hands into fists. His eyes became blood shot, the tattoos of his youkai slowly bleeding out across his cheeks. “You don't understand!” Inuyasha shouted, stepping forward and banging his fist on the desk. It trembled with the force of the blow but held. “I can't protect her that way! She's vulnerable…she's all that I…” He stepped back and turned to the side, not wanting to show so much emotion before his enemy.

“I couldn't save her,” he whispered brokenly, a feeling of complete anguish filling him at not being able to do anything for his friend. He felt ashamed as well, ashamed to show any type of weakness to his brother. He clenched his eyes closed tightly to stem the burning in his eyes before turning a determined gaze to Sesshomaru, who sat rooted in place, a look of complete fascination etched on his face. “You have to do this!”

Knocked out of his reverie of having watched the steady play of emotion on the half-breed's face, Sesshomaru snorted in amusement at the last statement.

“Precisely why would I do that? This Sesshomaru does not benefit from such an act in any way. What do you propose to give me in return?” Inuyasha stared at him incredulously. How it was possible that he could be related to such a cold and unfeeling bastard he didn't know, but if he wanted something in return for helping him, then he would give the ass anything that he wanted.

“I can help you defeat Naraku and avenge…”

Before he could finish his statement Sesshomaru shot up from his chair. He moved so swiftly across the room that Inuyasha barely had time to brace himself. He was grabbed roughly by his collar and brought within inches of Sesshomaru's face. The elder youkai's eyes bleed out to an eerie red, his pupils constricted to thin slits, his breath coming out in hot, heavy pants as though he had just finished running a marathon. The usually elegant, emotionless face marred by a snarl and bared fangs.

“I do not require your aid in sniffing out that scum. I can do it myself… my vengeance has nothing to do with you. Do you understand me?”

Inuyasha shook free from his brother's grasp, his own growl emerging from deep within his throat. He had taken a bit of a gamble in bringing up Naraku, boldly reminding Sesshomaru of the fiend's deceit and Rin's abduction. It was a gamble that he had had to make because it was all that he had thought would help his argument.

He wrestled his way free from his brother's grasp and stepped back, smoothing out the wrinkles made on his front. The action allowed him a brief moment to look away from the vindictive look that glinted in his brother's slightly crazed eyes. It was a look that sent shivers racing down his spine and that almost made him feel sorry for Naraku…almost. However, if anyone had a greater stake in seeing to the destruction of Naraku, it would be him. He had lost way too much at that bastard's hands, and he would he see to it that Naraku paid for what he did to both him and Kikyo.

“It has everything to do with me. Naraku is my business or have you forgotten what he has done to me. You can't do this alone or else you would've done it already.” Inuyasha snarled. He watched as Sesshomaru stormed away from him to stand once again near the window.

“…”

“Naraku has taken everything from me. Kikyo, my honor, all that I have left is my pride. Do you know what it's like living that way, knowing that such a large part of you is missing? I want my honor back and if I have to join forces with you in order to do so then I will!”

They both stood silently, their breaths coming out in hot bursts as they each struggled to control their emotions. Sesshomaru was the first to break the silence.

“What makes you think that you have anything that could possibly help me? I have my very own demon army to back me up and neighboring kingdoms with whole armies at my beck and call. What do you have? I'll tell you, a ragtag group of humans that have no business being together with the likes of you so please spare me your idea of help!”

“I may not have an army but I do possess the one thing that Naraku wants the most in the world. Even though, the bastard is in hiding now, I can guarantee that as long as I have the jewel shards, our paths with cross eventually. So…what good is your army huh, when you don't even know where your enemy is?”

“You presume much hanyou.” Silence once again reigned supreme for ten minutes that seemed to stretch on forever. Sesshomaru's back was turned towards him as he stared out the window, afloat in his own mind. For a moment Inuyasha contemplated sneaking up on the self righteous bastard, wandering if he could do so and actually get away with it.

He was nearly startled out of his wits when he heard his brother whisper so quietly over his shoulder, that if it were not for his youkai hearing he wouldn't have heard him.

“How will it help?” he watched him take a deep breath before continuing in a louder voice. Inuyasha stood confused, unsure of what he was being asked, when Sesshomaru spoke again, a little louder this time.

“How will your entering my court help you in regaining your tattered honor, in making you any less of an abomination than you are now? You are a fool if you think that by becoming an acknowledged son of the western house; that you can become more than a mere hanyou. No matter what you do, no matter what you say that is what you will always be, how they will always see you.”

Inuyasha was silent a long while, his head turned to the side, eyes down cast. How could he have ever thought that coming to Sesshomaru was a good idea? How could he make him see or understand what he wished to achieve? He had never been good with words, he bitterly recalled but he had to try for the woman he loved.

It wasn't until he thought over his brother's last words that shock washed over his body. His golden eyes widened, his ears twitched wildly on his head trying to catch any sound testing to make sure his hearing was not failing him. Sesshomaru had not included himself with the others. In the group that would never see him as anything other than dirt beneath their feet.

He stared at his brother's profile, the tensed muscles, and the clenching jaw. His tightly fisted claws dripped blood, its acidity burning away at the floor.

“How they will always see me? Not you.” The statement alone brought out a reaction from his brother that Inuyasha never thought that he would see cross his face, ever.

Jaw dropping down to his armored chest, his eyes so wide that Inuyasha thought they would fall out. Sesshomaru looked the very picture of a horrified individual, a more hilarious sight if he had ever seen one. The sight alone would have been enough to make him fall to the ground laughing uproariously if he had not been stricken with how bazaar his reaction was.

Regaining composure, Sesshomaru glowered at the menace that sought to drive him, if not to an early grave then at least out of his mind. “Do not speak of things that you do not understand.”

“Help me to understand then! You see me as more than what others see me, don't you?”

Sesshomaru was disgusted with himself for letting so much slip, disgusted with the whelp that did not know when to stop pushing, disgusted with his great father for having put him in this situation. Well if the boy wanted to know then he would damned well tell him. Let him know who had shaped him, who had helped him to become who he was today.

In a move most uncharacteristic of him, he ran his hand though his bangs agitatedly, mussing the neatly coiffed hair. It was an action that he only allowed himself to do when completely alone, away from all prying eyes and only when he allowed his guard to come down. Now, however, he was in such an agitated state that he didn't care too much about who saw him. His back turned to the hanyou he missed the look of astonishment that held the hanyou rooted in place.

“Before you were born, our father came to me. At that time, I had just come into my majority and had already assumed most of his duties in running the palace. He told me of the human woman that he had taken to mate and of the son that would soon enter the world. He made me make a promise to him that day, made me promise to protect you and your mother in the event something happened to him.”

“How could he have known something would happen to him?” Inuyasha queried, a look of complete confusion twisting his face.

Sesshomaru growled at the interruption, “Use your brain for once you useless fool! He knew the prejudices that lay ahead for both you and your mother. Our father was a great tai- youkai, formidable, however he was also only one demon who sought to fight against a world that wanted nothing to do with his ideals.

The night that he died our Father was in a battle against Ryuukotsusei in which he received wounds that would have healed fully if he had not immediately rushed off to protect you and your mother from an invading human army. You should understand now, that if humans had not killed him then he would've been killed by demons. He forfeited his life in order to give you a chance at one.” At the last revelation, Sesshomaru's voice had taken on a bitter cast.

Inuyasha pondered on this information for a moment and accepted the sacrifice that was made on the behalf of him and his mother. He felt emotion clog his throat and he swallowed in an effort to push it back down.

The information that Sesshomaru had imparted left him so stunned that he was unsure of how or what he should be feeling. He was confused, angry and frustrated all at the same time and all that he could do was respond numbly.

“How did you respond to father's request?”

“Naturally I scoffed. It was an insult to me! Why would I sacrifice so much for a human and her half-breed whelp, both of whom meant nothing to me? As far as I, as well as many others, was concerned, our father was a traitor to his people. He thought of humans as equals, that they had rights!” Sesshomaru chuckled mockingly to himself, remembering the scorn in which he had voiced his opinion of his noble father.

“Despite my feelings on the matter, he was my father, he was my alpha and I was anything if not a good son. He died honorably at least. Although, already seriously wounded, he alone fought off the human army as the castle that he had meant to be a safe refuge for your mother, fell around him. He fought until his very last breath whilst I escaped the burning rabble with cargo that he had deemed do precious to him.”

Sesshomaru turned unusually haunted eyes up at the hanyou. “You do not realize how hard it was to fight my instincts, to not go back and fight alongside my father.”

Sighing deeply, he turned back to look out the window, “I took your mother back to her people immediately afterwards. I had no use for a human or her hanyou baby. However to ensure that I kept my word to my father I left Myouga behind, to watch over you and report your progress back to me.”

“Aah…You were a cute and rambunctious child my lord Inuyasha. It was an honor to watch over you in your time of need,” the small voice spoke aloud, drawing two sets of golden eyes toward him. One set narrowed in annoyance and the other wide with confusion.

“Myouga?!”

The old flea hopped from his place on Sesshomaru's desk and landed on Inuyasha's red clad shoulder. His eyes watered hungrily as his beady eyes zoomed intently on the warm blood flowing beneath his master's skin. His concentration was so focused in fact that he did not see the hand coming down on him with alarming speed until it was too late.

Inuyasha sighed in disgust, rolled his eyes in annoyance as he gingerly lifted the flea between his index finger and thumb. He prompt squeezed the remaining air out of the little demon and then flicked ruthlessly him across the room where he landed in a dazed slump at his brother's booted feet. He was mildly satisfied by the loud yelp that he made.

“Master, why did you do that?” he whined pitifully as he recovered himself quickly. His answer was nothing more than a snort of contempt.

“Now, wanna tell me why you're here?”