InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Want To Be Your Slave ❯ Mistakes and a Story ( Chapter 17 )

Chapter 17 - Mistakes and a Story

 

The next day, Inuyasha woke up with a start because of a loud, crashing noise outside. He blinked the sleep from his eyes and looked around for his master. Sesshoumaru-sama was gone. He could hear Kouga shouting at someone.

 

He ran out of the room and padded on bare feet to the back garden to the source of the noise.

 

“Come on, fucker! What're you standing round for?? If you've got it in you, come get me.”

 

Sesshoumaru stood still as a statue in the face of this barrage. Kouga was clearly incensed, shaking his fists at the unresponsive demon Lord.

 

“Are you scared of me?” Kouga taunted, smirking.

 

Still no movement. Kouga seemed to get all the more riled up.

 

“Fucking asshole....be a man, dammit! Haven't you got any pride??”

 

Inuyasha gasped. Poor Kouga would surely be in for it now!

 

But the demon Lord stood motionless, face blank.

 

Kouga snorted and straightened from his tensed attack stance and turned away, running a hand through his hair.

 

“Who am I kidding? You haven't got the balls to fight for your pride. Gone soft staying in the castle too long, that's what this is.”

 

He smirked cheekily at the other demon. “Not that you ever had the guts, mind you.”

 

No response from Sesshoumaru.

 

Seeing the fight stop, Inuyasha moved forward to go to his Master.

 

Then he was blown back by a cloud of dust and dirt as Kouga suddenly launched himself at his unsuspecting friend.

 

Inuyasha picked himself up quickly and turned towards his Master. That wasn't fair! Kouga-sama had seemed to end the fight! How could the wolf prince do that to his friend?? Peered anxiously through the dust to where Sesshoumaru had been standing.

 

Kouga was struggling to get his hand free. He'd punched Sesshoumaru, aiming for his solar plexus, since he was fighting without armour, but the demon Lord had caught his fist neatly in his hand.

 

“Let go, dammit!” he grumbled, attempting to pry the demon Lord's hand off but because of his position, he was at a disadvantage. In an attempt to put maximum force behind the blow, he had leaned forward and was now caught in the position, unable to get the necessary leverage to get away from the demon Lord and also unable to kick him because if he moved his feet, he would fall.

 

He aimed for Sesshoumaru's temple with his other hand but before he could even completely pull his arm back, a punch from Sesshoumaru threw him into a tree. He gritted his teeth and sprung to his feet, the adrenaline not letting him feel the pain yet. He took a running leap into the air and aimed a solid kick at Sesshoumaru's head.

 

The demon Lord watched him calmly, then ducked his head slightly to the side, causing Kouga to land next to him, feet making a hole in the ground.

 

“Hey, don't shit with me!” Kouga yelled at him. “This isn't called fighting, dammit!”

 

Sesshoumaru raised an eyebrow. “Why don't you make at least a bit of an effort?” his lips quirked into the tiniest of smiles. “Or is that really the best you can do?”

 

Kouga saw red.

 

“I'll show you what I can do, fucker!

 

He aimed a series of moves at his sparring partner. He quite forgot that they were sparring, that he was not really supposed to use lethal moves on his friend. But all of them were easily blocked.

 

Kouga tried not to cry out as three, precise strikes from Sesshoumaru landed on his mouth, his gut and his stomach. He fell back a few paces but braced himself and once again launched himself at Sesshoumaru.

 

“Why. Won't. You. Fucking. Move??” Kouga asked, punctuating each word with a punch. Every one of his strikes had been blocked and the demon Lord had yet to move from his position.

 

“Why should I?” Sesshoumaru asked reasonably, putting an end to the fight by dealing a sharp blow to the back of Kouga's neck with the blade of his palm. With a sharp cry, Kouga collapsed to the ground.

 

Inuyasha stared wide eyed at the wolf. He seemed unconscious.

 

“Are you boys done?”

 

Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha both turned to see Lady Tsukiko gliding into the clearing, somehow managing to remain untouched by the dust and dirt strewed around the garden. Her light-colored silky clothes were spotless when she came to a stop next to her son and the wolf prince on the ground. Inuyasha looked from her to Sesshoumaru. The demon Lord was also immaculate even though he was wearing white silk. Now he knew where his master learned that trick.

 

“You broke the fountain!” Tsukiko accused her son, glancing exasperatedly at the broken-in-half marble structure lying under a tree.

 

“Kouga broke it,” Sesshoumaru told her.

 

Tsukiko wasn't buying it. “You're the one who threw him into it. Couldn't you throw him against a tree or something?”

 

A pained grunt was heard from the ground.

 

They both looked down as Kouga stirred, sitting up slowly. The pains in his ribs and various parts of his body were making themselves felt as rush from the fight subsided.

 

“Are you finally awake?” Sesshoumaru asked, managing to keep a straight face.

 

Kouga cursed under his breath, taking the hand Tsukiko held out to him.

 

“Why do I even bother asking you to spar with me?” Kouga asked.

 

“You were the one who wanted to practice,” Sesshoumaru pointed out.

 

Kouga snarled in frustration, poking gingerly at his ribs. “I can't practice if you don't move!”

 

Sesshoumaru raised an eyebrow. “If you can't land a single blow when I'm standing still…”

 

“Enough.” Tsukiko called. “I want both of you inside. Kouga, go get your injuries cleaned up.”

 

She turned away to go back inside, then looked over her shoulder to glare.

 

“If you get any of that muck on my carpets, blood will be shed.”

 

_________________________________________________________________ ______

 

“Fucker has to aim for my ribs,” Kouga grumbled wincing as he wound the bandages around his wounds. Even talking hurt when your ribs were injured.

 

“Stop whining,” Sesshoumaru ordered. “You'll heal soon enough. I did not administer any poison.”

 

“Rub it in, why don't ya?” Kouga muttered.

 

“It is not my fault you have not been practicing,” Sesshoumaru informed him, absently caressing Inuyasha's ears.

 

They were in Sesshoumaru's chambers. Sesshoumaru was in his usual armchair in front of the fire. The small table had been placed to the side and the wolf demon was occupying the area, with his back to the fire, relishing the warmth.

 

Kouga had taken a shower, mindful of Lady Tsukiko's threat of imminent injury if he spoiled the carpets, and was now seated comfortably on the plush carpet opposite Sesshoumaru, with a tray full of bandages in front of him. Small, left over pieces of bandages were strewn about. Inuyasha was also sitting on the carpet, opposite Kouga near Sesshoumaru's feet.

 

“Screw you…I have been in a hundred fights since we met last and haven't lost one.”

 

“Who have you been fighting? Drugged rabbits?”

 

Kouga raised his arm and gave him the finger, then winced as the wound on the arm stung at the movement.

 

“I've fought Birds of Paradise!” he boasted. “An entire tribe of them.”

 

Inuyasha gasped, impressed. Birds of Paradise were particularly vicious creatures, extremely adept at air attacks. It could not have been easy to defeat them.

 

Kouga grinned rakishly at him. “You know about them, Inuyasha?”

 

Inuyasha turned red at being addressed, then nodded his head slowly. “I-I have heard about them, Kouga-sama.”

 

“You think this ass could beat them?” he asked, nodding at Sesshoumaru.

 

Inuyasha fidgeted with the sleeves of his haori. “Master is very strong,” he replied softly.

 

Kouga looked at him worriedly, unsettled by how mellow he sounded. Just a few days before, he wouldn't have hesitated in jumping to take Sesshoumaru's side. Now, he seemed afraid of saying anything against him, Kouga, to the point that he was even uncomfortable being spoken to.

 

It seemed he still hadn't gotten over the whole new moon thing.

 

Sesshoumaru smoothed back his puppy ears gently, attempting to calm his anxiety. “It is no wonder you were able to defeat them,” he smirked at Kouga. “Their intelligence is probably equal to yours.”

 

Kouga gritted his teeth. “Are you calling me bird-brained?” he demanded.

 

Sesshoumaru's amused eyes gave him answer enough.

 

“I don't get it,” Kouga frowned. “This was almost the same thing that happened the last time we fought. I've grown much stronger and faster since then. Then how-“

 

“You've been getting into fights,” Sesshoumaru said. “That is not the same as getting stronger. There is more to strength than merely winning fights.”

 

Kouga looked away and didn't reply. He was right.

 

The room was silent for a while, everyone lost in their own thoughts. The fire crackled occasionally and workers could be heard clearing up the back gardens of the mess the two princes had made. Inuyasha moved closer to his Master, leaning against his legs and resting his head on his knee.

 

“Will you help me?” Kouga asked abruptly, looking up. He'd been contemplating this for the past few minutes and had decided it was worth putting his pride aside. “Will you help me get stronger?”

 

Sesshoumaru's eyes bore into his. “You know it will not be easy.”

 

Kouga nodded solemnly. “I know. I'll do what it takes. While I'm here, I might as well make the most of it.”

 

They stared at each other for a while. Then Sesshoumaru nodded slowly. “I will.”

 

Kouga nodded and went back to bandaging.

 

A timid knock was heard on the door. Upon receiving permission, a servant entered, bowing low to Sesshoumaru. “Lord Inu no Taisho requests your presence, my Lord.”

 

Sesshoumaru dismissed him. Inuyasha raised his head off Sesshoumaru's knee and turned to look at his Master.

 

“Stay with Kouga, Inuyasha,” he said. “I will return shortly.”

 

Inuyasha nodded and Sesshoumaru got up and left. The huge doors of the room closed behind him.

 

He looked down, fidgeting with his sleeves, unsure how to behave in front of the wolf prince.

 

“What's the matter?” Kouga asked him. “Are ya scared of me?”

 

Inuyasha looked up, startled. He slowly shook his head. “N-No, Kouga-sama.”

 

Kouga grinned, showing his fangs. “Are you sure?”

 

Inuyasha swallowed nervously and nodded. It wasn't the fangs he was afraid of. He knew the wolf prince would not hurt him. But he didn't want to offend him by being too forward.

 

“You ok?” he asked.

 

“Ye-yes,” he said, looking down.

 

“Don't be stupid,” Kouga said gruffly. “I can see you're not. Tell me what the matter is. Or would you rather talk to Sesshoumaru? Whatever, just don't be miserable like that.”

 

“I- it's not that,” Inuyasha whispered.

 

“Well tell me, then,” Kouga insisted.

 

“I-it's stupid,” Inuyasha murmured.

 

Kouga said nothing, only looked at him questioningly.

 

“It's just…how come Sesshoumaru-sama is so…so calm? I saw you fighting…he didn't seem at all affected by what you were saying. I-I used to try to not let people's words affect me but-“ he smiled sadly. “I guess I'm too weak.”

 

Kouga looked at him knowingly. “You're not weak if people's words affect you.”

 

Inuyasha didn't look up. “I am...Sesshoumaru-sama has such control and- and he never lets anything get to him. However hard I try, I can never even come close to such strength.”

 

“Inuyasha-“

 

“I-I just keep messing everything up,” Inuyasha said in a small voice. “I-I try to be better, to make less mistakes but I end up making the same mistakes over and over again.”

 

Kouga's eyes filled with pity as Inuyasha's face fell.

 

 

“I tried to…to be good…to be brave like he wanted me to…but it seems I just make everything worse. I try to be strong but I just get more scared…”

 

He remembered the night of the new moon and the days following that. Tears fell from his eyes, onto the carpet.

 

“Hey, look at me,” Kouga told him gently. Inuyasha sniffed and looked up slowly. “Do you think Sesshoumaru was born like that?”

 

Inuyasha looked confused.

 

“Do you think he was always like that?” Kouga asked him with a smirk.

 

Inuyasha tilted his head to the side. “Yes?” he asked tentatively.

 

Kouga laughed, then grimaced as it hurt his ribs. “Hell no! He had the worst temper of us all,” he revealed. “Everyone used to get scared of his anger. You couldn't say a wrong word without fearing for your life.”

 

Inuyasha was staring at him with eyes wide.

 

“Sesshoumaru-sama used to get angry easily?”

 

“Well, I'll put it this way,” Kouga told him. “You know how I hurtled insults at him today?”

 

Inuyasha nodded.

 

“Well, back then, I'd have died ten times over in that time.”

 

Inuyasha gasped. “H-he would get angry by what people said?”

 

Kouga stared off into the distance. “Yup. He was the most volatile of us all…”

 

1120 years ago-

 

A small, brown haired child ran across the castle playground and stood panting in front of Kouga.

 

“Kouga! You have to come quick!”

 

A much younger Kouga spun around, dropping the thing he was playing with. Big blue eyes widened with worry. “What, Hiro? What happened?”

 

“It's Kinta…"

 

Kouga snorted. “You scared me. I thought someone was in trouble.”

 

Prince Kouga, son of the king of the wolf demon tribe, was something of a big brother for the children allowed to play in Inu no Taisho's castle.

 

The brown haired boy looked panicked. “Kinta's in trouble! He-“

 

Kouga cut him off with a wave of his hand. Even at that age, he had an aura of authority around him. There was a big, toothy grin on his face, the predecessor of his cocky, arrogant smirk.

 

“Kinta is the biggest kid around, Hiro. He's the cause of other kids' trouble. Let the others get a little payback…”

 

“No, you don't get it,” Hiro said, panicked. “Kinta insulted Taisho-sama in front of Sesshoumaru and-“

 

Kouga paled. “Hurry up! Where is he?”

 

Hiro ran and Kouga took off after him.

 

They skidded to a halt at the other end of the playground where a small crowd of kids stared in awe, fear and excitement at a big, tall boy, held aloft, off the ground by his throat by the hands of a much smaller demon.

 

The aggressor's face was contorted in a snarl, eyes red with anger. Silver hair flared around him, his aura causing weaker children to give him a wide berth.

 

“Sesshoumaru!” Kouga yelled. “Stop it!”

 

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A/N: Tell me what you think ^.^