InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Want To Be Your Slave ❯ The Right Reasons ( Chapter 19 )
[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]
By: Lord Youko 
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Hentai | Type: Yaoi | Uploaded On: 01.29.2011 | Updated On: 01.29.2011 | Pages: 3 | Words: 5.5K | Visits: 1.7K | Status: Work In Progress
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Hentai | Type: Yaoi | Uploaded On: 01.29.2011 | Updated On: 01.29.2011 | Pages: 3 | Words: 5.5K | Visits: 1.7K | Status: Work In Progress
A/N: Sorry for disappearing on you guys for more than a month. I hope this make up for it.
Enjoy! ^.^
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Chapter 19 – The Right Reasons
The night had finally fallen completely. While the night air was slowly getting colder, Inuyasha was getting hotter. The sheets wrapped around him were twisted and almost off him from all his squirming. He’d been twisting and turning in Sesshoumaru’s grasp but strangely, he couldn’t get his hands where he most needed them.
Inuyasha bit his lip, glancing apprehensively over his shoulder. The demon Lord’s soft touches had been driving him crazy all this while but Lord Sesshoumaru had not awakened. He couldn’t wake him up for – for such a reason but maybe…
One tiny hand inched slowly towards his own cock.
Maybe he could help himself, just this one time?
His cool, sweaty fingers wrapped around the organ and Inuyasha gasped. He tightened his hand around his dick and pumped hesitantly. All his muscles tightened and his back arched. Oh god, this felt- this felt unbelievable! How come he’d never thought of doing this before-?
The next second, he was slammed on the bed on his back and his wrists were pinned to his sides. Eyes wide in alarm, he stared fearfully at the demon Lord hovering above him.
“Sesshoumaru-sama?” the question came out more as a plea. His neglected cock was begging for attention and after that brief respite, he would die if he didn’t get his release soon.
“What did you think you were doing?” the Lord demanded quietly.
Inuyasha stared at his face cautiously. Master’s tone was stern but he didn’t look angry. His aura was also quite calm. In fact, if Inuyasha didn’t know better, he would say the demon Lord was…amused…
“I- I was…”
Sesshoumaru’s grip around his wrists tightened. “Did I not tell you that your pleasure was mine to give?”
Inuyasha whimpered. Sesshoumaru released his wrists but Inuyasha didn’t dare move them from place. The demon Lord’s large hands trailed down his body, just the tips of his claws grazing his skin. The hanyou shivered, suddenly feeling like prey about to be devoured by the large demon above him.
“Do you think you can defy me without consequences…Inuyasha?”
Inuyasha frowned. Sesshoumaru-sama was supposed to be displeased at his disobedience but the way he said his name…
A clawed finger traced a design around his cock, lightly touching his balls and Inuyasha bucked off the bed, fingers clutching the sheets under them, eyes shut at the torturous pleasure.
Sesshoumaru looked down at the poor hanyou’s predicament and smiled sadistically. The child had done nothing wrong, really. It was his intention all along to reduce him to this. It was cruel to deny him his release any longer but he couldn’t help it. The little slave was far too fun to mess with.
“The punishment for your transgression…”
Inuyasha inhaled sharply as he was lifted off the bed by the scruff of his neck and plopped on the demon Lord’s lap, face down. Inuyasha turned to look at his Master in surprise. The prince looked quite pleased, amusement dancing in his golden eyes. The room was lit only by the dim light of the waxing moon, streaming in from a window and from the balcony. In the semi-darkness, Sesshoumaru’s eyes glinted like a predator’s and Inuyasha swallowed nervously.
“Sesshoumaru-sama…please I-“
One large hand rested on his exposed bum and Inuyasha’s entire body went limp at the wonderful feeling. Then-
SMACK!
“Eeeep!”
Sesshoumaru wanted to laugh at the adorable, surprised squeak from the hanyou. His puppy had his eyes scrunched close.
SMACK!
Inuyasha jumped as the hand came down on his other cheek.
SMACK! SMACK!
The hanyou squirmed. That tingled!
SMACK!! SMACK! SMACK!
Ahhhh…ok that was beginning to sting.
Sesshoumaru looked down in satisfaction at the now pink bottom, wriggling adorably in his lap. But pink was not good enough.
SMACK!! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK!
Inuyasha began to whimper and struggle.
“Sesshoumaru-sama stop…”
The demon Lord smirked. “But you should have thought of that before attempting to touch yourself, puppy.”
Inuyasha blushed. Sesshoumaru-sama only called him puppy when he was pleased with him or when he was being kind, never when he was really angry.
A warm hand landed on his back, caressing it slowly. “This body no longer belongs to you, hanyou. It is mine. I own you. You have no right to bring yourself pleasure unless I order it.”
Inuyasha nodded hesitantly.
SMACK!
Owww!! That really hurt!
“Master…please…”
“But it seems like you are enjoying your punishment, puppy.”
Inuyasha flushed red with embarrassment. He wasn’t…really, he wasn’t but then…why was his little cock still hard-?
The spanking continued but now, Inuyasha could not concentrate on anything except how his dick brushed against his Master’s clothed hakama when he brought his hand down on his ass. When Sesshoumaru smacked him especially hard, his cock was squished against his knee in such a wonderful way…Inuyasha blushed darkly at his own thought. Slaves were not supposed to enjoy their punishment! What would Sesshoumaru-sama thin if he knew-?
SMACK! SMACK! SMACK!
The last one landed right on his crack and Inuyasha gasped at the mixed pleasure and pain, hands clenching into fists. If this continued…he might cum just from being spanked over his master’s knee…
Inuyasha tensed in anticipation of the next strike but Sesshoumaru’s hand landed lightly on his ass, caressing the hot, red skin.
“I believe you have learnt your lesson, Inuyasha.”
Inuyasha sighed, unable to hide his disappointment.
The next thing he knew, he was face down on the bed, his Master’s hard cock resting teasingly against his entrance.
“Master?” he asked in surprise. This was his punishment?
Sesshoumaru stared into the adorable golden eyes, widened up at him. The puppy’s face was dusted pink and sweat was beginning to form on his forehead despite the chilled night air. It seemed the hanyou had enjoyed that almost as much as he had.
“Sesshoumaru-sama…onegai…”
Inuyasha gasped as the demon Lord slowly pushed inside him, not stopping till he was all the way in. The skin on his bottom was still raw; the demon Lord’s cool skin against it felt very good.
“I- please move…Master…”
Sesshoumaru’s response was to grind lazily inside his ass, just brushing against that spot that would have Inuyasha seeing stars. Inuyasha’s head bowed on the pillow. The sheets were bunched in his tightly clenched fists….close…he was so close….
“Sesshoumaru-sama…Sesshoumaru-sama…plea se don’t tease me…harder…please…”
Finally, the demon Lord took pity on him and pulled out, only to thrust back in. Inuyasha screamed as his prostate was hit dead on. The demon prince established a hard and fast rhythm, thrusting in and out of the now sobbing hanyou. His dick ached for stimulation but he knew better than to try and touch it.
“Let me, cum, Master...please, please let me cum…”
Then Sesshoumaru’s hand wrapped around his dick and Inuyasha threw his head back at the wonderful sensation. The demon Lord began to pump him in time with his thrusts and Inuyasha came at the same time that Sesshoumaru released inside his ass.
Sesshoumaru fell back on the pillows and pulled the incoherent, trembling hanyou to his chest with an arm around his back, pulling the sheets over both of them. Inuyasha clung to him, rubbing his face in the demon Lord’s chest. Weakly flickering puppy ears gently tickled his chin and Sesshoumaru closed his eyes contentedly.
“Master?”
Hearing the small, hesitant voice, golden eyes opened to see a blushing Inuyasha resolutely avoiding his eyes.
“What is it?”
Sesshoumaru watched in amusement as Inuyasha opened his mouth to say something, then closed it again. He swallowed nervously, then tried again.
“Ummm…I- I won’t be ve-very scared of doing that if- if you punish me like this every time, Master…”
Inuyasha flushed red with embarrassment as Sesshoumaru chuckled softly. The arms around him tightened and the demon Lord’s body curled around his own; Inuyasha sighed as warmth surrounded him.
The demon prince brought his mouth close to the hanyou’s ear and whispered,
“Good.”
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The next day, when Inuyasha woke up, Sesshoumaru was gone. Kouga came to tell him that they would not see him for the next few days and nights; he wanted to train undisturbed.
Inuyasha spent the days in Kouga’s company, feeling strange to be without his Master. Kouga told him interesting stories about their home in the Northern mountains, the other wolves and various other demon tribes. They spent most of their time out in the grounds, doing nothing in particular. At night, he slept in Sesshoumaru’s room.
When Sesshoumaru had first informed Kouga that Inuyasha was to sleep alone in his room, Kouga had protested. The castle was not a very safe place for a lone hanyou. But Sesshoumaru had told him of the incidents with Teru and the guards and Kouga was reassured. After knowing that the Lady of the West was on Inuyasha’s side, very few would dare try and harm him. Besides, only someone who was suicidal would enter Sesshoumaru’s chambers without permission.
So, Inuyasha went back to sleeping in his puppy basket that still lay near the foot of Sesshoumaru’s bed. It did not occur to him to sleep in his Master’s bed alone. Besides, the basket was small and cosy.
And so the days passed, until it was time.
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Inuyasha stared at the roaring ocean, eyes wide.
He had never before seen such a huge body of water. The sky was clear tonight and the full moon’s pale light made the water shimmer. The waves rushed forth with a rumbling sound and Inuyasha couldn’t help but tense a little every time they crashed on the shores. He relaxed again when they lapped the sands and retreated quietly.
Kouga glanced down at the puppy in his arms. It seemed Inuyasha was a bit frightened of the ocean.
The wolf demon and Inuyasha had arrived a little earlier. Now, he and Inuyasha stood facing the ocean. The little hanyou stood in a rock in front of him so that his head was just under Kouga’s chin and the wolf prince could hold him against his chest with his arms locked around Inuyasha’s torso. Just this once, Sesshoumaru would have to endure him near the puppy; it was for Inuyasha’s safety.
Kouga allowed his arms to tighten reassuringly around Inuyasha and he felt Inuyasha’s tiny hand lay on his arm in return. The unbound ocean had that effect on people; they would either fall in love with it or be terrified of it – it was impossible to stay neutral.
At night, on that quiet, uninhibited sea shore, the ocean seemed to dominate the world. The chilled night wind, whispering softly, and the dull moonlight that cast the world in black and white made the place seem unreal. Inuyasha couldn’t help blinking his eyes rapidly every so often. Staring out at the never ending sea which seemed to merge with the inky sky, Inuyasha wondered uneasily if he was under some sort of spell. The motion of the waves was almost hypnotic; Inuyasha felt he could have stared at it forever, had there not been something else arresting his attention- Inu no Taisho and Lady Tsukiko.
When he and Kouga reached there, the Lady and Lord of the West were already there. When Inuyasha first saw the two pale, silvery figures hovering in the night, he had to admit he had not recognized them. He had been terrified, thinking they were some apparitions of the water. But Kouga had reassured him and asked him to look closely.
When he did, he could see their familiar golden eyes, the markings on their face, the flowing silver hair. But he couldn’t take his eyes off them. All colour was absent from their apparel; they were decked in clothing woven out of spun silver, shimmering dully in the moonlight. The loose kimono fluttered lightly in the breeze as they hovered effortlessly in mid-air. The ceremonial white and silver garb of the reigning rulers of the Land seemed to have transformed them into beings not of this world.
Lady Tsukiko’s face could have been carved out of marble. It wasn’t just expressionless, as in blank, but there was a stillness about it that Inuyasha found frightening. Chin held high, Lady Tsukiko looked down at the world through wise eyes, deep and cruel.
Inu no Taisho wore a heavy-looking metal armour and from each shoulder, a length of fur trailed, giving the demon King of the West a formidable appearance. Inuyasha could not reconcile the image that he’d had of the King with this hard-eyed warrior. He had the face and bearing of a conqueror, the fabled warrior who had brought half of Japan to its knees. Inuyasha swallowed in fear, unable to quite meet the eyes of the Demon King.
When Inuyasha felt his Master’s aura approaching, he turned his head in his direction, craning his neck to see him. When Sesshoumaru came into view, Inuyasha’s mouth fell open.
He had always thought his Master was majestic –beauty and grace personified - but the image that he saw of the demon Lord that day would be forever etched in his mind.
The demon Lord was wearing armour similar to his father’s but his covered only one shoulder and there was one length of fur wrapped around his shoulder. The clothes he was wearing were also different from his usual; they were white, as befitting the son of the royal family but his usual yellow obi was gone. Instead, it seemed to be woven out of gold.
In the pale moonlight, the superficial colours leeched away and the heir of the Western Lord stood resplendent, decked in gold and silver, with the red flowered insignia of the House of the Moon woven in his billowing sleeves. The purple and magenta markings on his face and wrists seemed darker and deeper. Each step was measured, filled with inimitable grace, as if he walked on thin air. Inuyasha glanced down at his booted feet and his eyes widened; in the dusty sands, where everything made a mark, Lord Sesshoumaru’s feet left no footprints.
Slowly, he approached his parents – only, today they weren’t his parents; they were the Lord and Lady of the Western Lands, preparing to pass judgement on the prince and heir; the warrior, Sesshoumaru. Once before them, the prince bowed deeply. Inuyasha had never seen him bow like that in front of anyone.
“Prince Sesshoumaru,” Inu no Taisho spoke in a deep, commanding voice that was at once quiet and yet seemed to resonate through the silent night. “This night of the full moon, the Lord and Lady of the West test your prowess, in battle and otherwise. Are you prepared?”
Sesshoumaru bowed, spine rigid, form impeccable. “I am.”
Lady Tsukiko gestured towards his waist and Inuyasha noticed he was wearing a katana.
“Begin.”
Sesshoumaru took three steps back, then faced the sea. Slowly, with rigid muscles, he unsheathed the katana. Despite the roaring ocean, the cold sound of a blade unsheathing made Inuyasha’s hair stand of end. The bright, flawless blade glinted dully in the moonlight and Sesshoumaru began.
He was demonstrating Kata but it looked more like a dance. Each movement, sharp and precise, blended seamlessly into the next. Form perfect, the blade in Sesshoumaru’s hand seemed to be an extension of his arm. Inuyasha had never seen the demon Lord draw a blade before. It was a beautiful sight. The movements, the flashing blade, the look in his eyes; Inuyasha stared, hypnotized.
Soon, he sped up and then each movement was a blur, not visible to the hanyou’s naked eyes.
He finished with the sword sheathed and bowed before the Lord and Lady. Inuyasha’s heart soared; that was magnificent! He hadn’t made any mistakes at all, he had never once faltered. Surely he had passed!
But Inu no Taisho and Lady Tsukiko said nothing. The expressions on their faces remained unchanged, their eyes inscrutable as always. When Sesshoumaru straightened, Inu no Taisho said one word.
“Dokkasou.”
Sesshoumaru inclined his head respectfully in response.
Once again taking three steps back, he stood, this time facing away from the sea, facing Inuyasha and Kouga. His eyes were closed. The ocean breeze lifted his shimmering silver hair.
The moment seemed to stretch forever.
Then Sesshoumaru slowly raised one hand and began to turn slowly. The green poison whip unfurled and the demon began to slowly spin in place, gaining momentum. The glowing whip looked beautiful; if Inuyasha hadn’t seen it himself, he would never have thought it capable of tearing people to pieces and administering poison strong enough so that they begged for a respite.
Before Inuyasha’s fascinated eyes, it grew longer and longer. Inuyasha had only ever seen Sesshoumaru use it at close range but right now, it moved around the demon Lord in a seemingly random fashion, creating a beautiful circular net-like design around him. As the prince turned, the whip undulated lazily moving gracefully in precise patterns.
Faster and faster, the demon Lord spun and soon, all Inuyasha could see were flashes of green light.
It ended abruptly, by Sesshoumaru raising his hand straight up in the air. The whip rose straight and high towards the sky for a moment and then disappeared. Inuyasha released a breath he didn’t know he’d been holding.
Sesshoumaru once more turned towards his parents and bowed.
Inu no Taisho began to descend slowly through the air. As he came lower, Inuyasha could see a similar Katana at his waist. He touched down gently on the ground and stood facing his son. His eyes were steady, piercing, and Sesshoumaru met them with his own unflinching gaze. The night stood still as father and son stared each other down.
Then with a clang of swords that made Inuyasha jump, they met, blades inches from each other’s throats. The King of the West pushed him back and Sesshoumaru was on the offensive, striking at any openings that he saw.
But each time, Taisho’s sword was there to meet his. For the first time in a fight, Inuyasha saw Sesshoumaru’s face tense with concentration.
Then Taisho took to the air and Sesshoumaru followed, trying to hit his father as Taisho moved in and out of his range.
“He’s – he’s really trying to hurt Taisho-sama,” Inuyasha whispered to Kouga, stunned.
“Yeah,” Kouga replied absentmindedly, not taking his eyes off the scene in front of him.
Inu no Taisho fought nothing like Sesshoumaru. While Sesshoumaru’s movements were fluid, blending into one another, Taisho’s were sharp and precise moving no more than necessary. The two white figures clashing in the sky against the moon made a magnificent sight and for a moment, Inuyasha forgot that it was a fight.
Until, with one, powerful stroke, Taisho had hurtled Sesshoumaru onto the ground with an almighty crash. Inuyasha gasped, instinctively moving forward towards his Master but Kouga held him back, arms like steel restraints around his body.
The King of the West gave him no opportunity to get up. Next moment, Sesshoumaru had his blade over his head, trying to withstand Taisho’s blade weighing down implacably on him.
With all his strength concentrated on throwing him off, Sesshoumaru was not prepared for the solid kick that landed on his ribs. He hunched over with a grunt and the flat of Taisho’s blade slapped him on the crown of his head.
Inuyasha saw him blink his eyes rapidly to clear his vision. Then he was staggering to his feet, glaring at his father. Taisho swooped in low, attacking violently, driving him back with the force of his blow. He began to dodge, moving right and left, trying to flow out of the path of his attacks like he did for many of his opponents but it didn’t seem to be working. Taisho’s blows still landed precisely.
Then, in an instant, he was, gone and had reappeared behind his father. He raised his sword for a blow to the neck but the blow was parried and Sesshoumaru received a swift punch to the solar plexus. Inuyasha heard him gasp and he looked up at Lady Tsukiko, horrified. What mother could watch her child get hurt like this? But the lady’s face was impassive as ever, though she was following the fight intently.
Inuyasha turned his attention back to the fight when he heard a grunt from the demon prince. He was panting hard and there was a huge bleeding gash on his arm. Blood was dripping from Taisho’s blade.
“Is that all?” Taisho asked, voice hard and mocking, and Inuyasha saw Sesshoumaru’s face twitch in his effort to keep it impassive.
Then he attacked again, once more putting all his strength behind his attacks but soon, it was apparent that he was getting tired. Taisho, on the other hand, had barely broken a sweat. They exchanged blows, Sesshoumaru on the defensive, but soon, they were just a moving blur to Inuyasha’s eyes. The night air was growing hot and stifling, even though they were close to the open ocean.
“If that is all you have learned from the last time we trained,” Taisho said, “Then perhaps you should give up. A few mere moments and you are on the verge of collapse. I had expected better of my son.”
Inuyasha shielded his face with his arm as the youki in the area flared, hot and electric. Sesshoumaru snarled, eyes bleeding red. He began to attack again but his attacks were much more violent. Taisho’s youki also raised in response and Inuyasha could feel the tension in the air. Then Taisho’s blade was drawn back to stab through Sesshoumaru’s heart and the demon prince suddenly floated up, hovering several feet above his father.
Taisho lowered his sword and laughed, low and dark. “My son is a coward as well, it seems.”
He raised mocking eyes up at the floating white figure. “Running from your own father, boy. Is this what you plan to do when you lead an army? Run away when you’re losing…do you know who does that?”
Hard, pitiless eyes met Sesshoumaru’s angry ones.
“Thieves and whores.”
Inuyasha squeezed his tear filled eyes at the scorching youki that swept towards them but there was no need. Kouga had raised a small barrier around them that kept the blast of the youki from hitting them.
The fighting continued. Sesshoumaru’s attacks were growing reckless. Taisho took advantage of this and soon. Blows began to land – on Sesshoumaru’s ribs, on his thighs, on his unarmoured chest.
In a final, desperate attempt, Sesshoumaru aimed a close-range stab for his thigh but before he could draw his sword back, Taisho’s sword was at his neck, nicking him just enough to draw blood and put the point across.
For a moment, they stayed frozen, neither moving a muscle.
Then Sesshoumaru’s arms fell to his sides and went limp. Head bowed, he allowed the sword to drop from his fingers and lowered his eyes. Taisho took the sword away from his neck and stepped back.
“There are too many blind spots in your moves,” he said, face impassive “Especially the dokkusou. Now watch carefully.”
Sesshoumaru stepped back. Taisho looked up into the sky at his silently watching mate and the Lady of the West slowly descended from the sky.
Lady Tsukiko drew the thin sword at her waist and stood facing her mate, eyes blazing and hard. Inu no Taisho leaned in low and sped towards her, slashing violently enough so that if she had not dodged it, she would be skewered in half.
Inuyasha gaped as Taisho’s huge sword seemed to be about to land right on her head. Tsukiko, however, raised the sword to meet the oncoming one. Instead of taking the brunt of the blow the way Sesshoumaru’s had, the sword slid neatly down the upturned, slimmer blade and then Tsukiko was gone, leaving Taisho to stumble forward slightly from the blow.
In a graceful movement, Tsukiko raised her sword arm and a glowing poisonous green whip unfurled, ready to strike the Lord of the West. But then Taisho had blocked it, whirling quickly and wrapping it around his sword, pulling his attacker with it.
“Watch,” he ordered Sesshoumaru, keeping his eyes on his mate.
Tsukiko allowed herself to be pulled in by the sword and at the last second, when Taisho pulled his arm back to strike, Tsukiko landed a short but precise jab to his side, making him hunch slightly.
The fraction of a second was enough for Tsukiko to remove herself from Taisho’s range.
As they fought, Inuyasha finally saw where his Master got his grace from. But while Sesshoumaru’s movements were fluid, Lady Tsukiko seemed entirely insubstantial. Taisho’s blows, even though they were fast enough to beat Sesshoumaru’s speed, seemed to pass right through Tsukiko, even though the Lady’s speed was probably nowhere near Taisho’s. She seemed to move languidly, a serene, distant smile on her face and yet, her blows were powerful enough to get Taisho on his knees White robes fluttering because of the movements, Tsukiko really did look like a specter, dancing gracefully in the moonlight.
They were a perfect blend, of raw power and deceptive skill.
Throughout the night, they fought, instructing Sesshoumaru about certain attacks and blocks, and what was missing in his technique. Inuyasha couldn’t help glancing at Sesshoumaru occasionally. He was losing blood from his deep injuries and it seemed like he was about to collapse. Still he stood erect, never complaining.
Finally, they stopped, not even out of breath.
“Your turn,” Taisho told Sesshoumaru, taking a few steps back.
Inuyasha looked anxiously at his Master. The prince could barely stand and he was expected to fight?
But Sesshoumaru stepped forward silently, readying his sword.
Tsukiko stepped in front of her mate and raised a hand to the sky. The green whip struck out at Sesshoumaru. Eyes narrowed, Sesshoumaru gripped his sword hard and charged straight towards it. Stepping swiftly and precisely, he avoided the path of the whip.
For a few moments, it seemed as though he would make it, but then Tsukiko moved her hand slightly and it struck, right on the bleeding gash.
The demon Lord could not suppress a gasp at the pain of poison seeping into his wound and Tsukiko darted forward, punching him across the mouth. Sesshoumaru’s head snapped to the side, blood beginning to trickle from his mouth.
Sesshoumaru raised his sword to strike her when she was close but it landed on thin air. Tsukiko was far away in a second. Raising his hand, Sesshoumaru threw his own whip towards his mother. Tsukiko smiled faintly at him. Without even moving, she thrust her sword forward and stabbed right through it, managing to go through all the empty spaces in the swiftly moving pattern. Sesshoumaru fell back, clutching his gut where blood was beginning to seep into his clothes from his mother’s attack.
“Not even passable,” Tsukiko said. “Again.”
Sesshoumaru looked up and raised his hand, throwing his whip out again, this time in a tighter formation.
“You are not paying attention to the end of it,” Tsukiko told him. “The longer you make it, the more you expend your power and the more skill it takes to control it.”
Again and again he tried and failed. Tsukiko’s sword found blind spots in each of his attacks stabbing forth to injure him. The exhaustion from the hours of fighting began to take its toll. His movements became slower.
Tsukiko noticed and her mouth became a thin line.
When Sesshoumaru threw the whip forward, Tsukiko pushed it aside with her bare hand. She darted in low and plunged her sword directly into Sesshoumaru’s stomach.
“If you allow tiredness and pain to rule you,” she said in a cold voice, “You are nothing better than the foot-soldiers who fight other people’s battles for a few coins!”
She twisted the sword in the wound.
“If you are a conqueror, act like one.”
Sesshoumaru stumbled back when she withdrew the sword. Wordlessly, he began again, throwing the whip towards Tsukiko. Again, she found a path through it but there was a small smile on her face.
“Better.”
Then she raised a hand up and Sesshoumaru stopped.
“Now,” she said, floating further back from him. “You will counter my attack.”
Releasing the whip above her head, she struck. The distance between them was longer so it should have been easier to find weak spots in it.
But it wasn’t. Each time, the poisonous whip met its mark leaving hissing wounds on the demon prince’s skin. Because Tsukiko’s poison was stronger than Sesshoumaru’s the wounds didn’t heal immediately.
Tsukiko threw the whip in different patterns every time, explaining each one to her son – where and when it was to be used. Sesshoumaru absorbed her words while simultaneously trying to defend himself and attack the Lady of the West but Tsukiko’s whip found it’s mark, again and again.
“It seems,” said Taisho glancing once to the side, as Sesshoumaru fruitlessly tried to fend off Tsukiko’s attacks, “You are distracted.”
“No!” Sesshoumaru shouted clutching his copiously bleeding wound, eyes wide with understanding.
The next moment, there was a sharp gust of wind and Taisho was standing in front of Inuyasha, sword raised above his head. Inuyasha’s eyes squeezed shut. The sword went through Kouga’s barrier and wheezed towards his head.
But it never landed.
Inuyasha opened his eyes. Sesshoumaru, teeth gritted, was holding Taisho off with his own sword, even though the manoeuvre widened the gash on his arm and allowed the poison to sink deeper, shooting a lance of pain through his arm.
“No…” he whispered and then, with superhuman strength, Taisho’s sword was thrown off and the King of the Western Lands fell back a couple of steps.
The demon prince’s head was lowered, bangs covering his eyes. His hands were clenched into fists, trembling. There was a steadily widening red spot forming on his stomach where Tsukiko had stabbed him through the stomach.
But despite his injuries and exhaustion, his back was unbowed.
“Sesshoumaru.”
He raised steady eyes to meet his father’s.
On Taisho’s right cheek, was a small cut.
“It seems,” Taisho said, raising a hand to his cheek to touch the blood, “You have finally found something to protect.”
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A/N: I took so long to write this because I wanted to try and make it as close as possible to the scene in my head. Tell me what you thought.
Converting /tmp/phpLOGZBc to /dev/stdout
Enjoy! ^.^
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Chapter 19 – The Right Reasons
The night had finally fallen completely. While the night air was slowly getting colder, Inuyasha was getting hotter. The sheets wrapped around him were twisted and almost off him from all his squirming. He’d been twisting and turning in Sesshoumaru’s grasp but strangely, he couldn’t get his hands where he most needed them.
Inuyasha bit his lip, glancing apprehensively over his shoulder. The demon Lord’s soft touches had been driving him crazy all this while but Lord Sesshoumaru had not awakened. He couldn’t wake him up for – for such a reason but maybe…
One tiny hand inched slowly towards his own cock.
Maybe he could help himself, just this one time?
His cool, sweaty fingers wrapped around the organ and Inuyasha gasped. He tightened his hand around his dick and pumped hesitantly. All his muscles tightened and his back arched. Oh god, this felt- this felt unbelievable! How come he’d never thought of doing this before-?
The next second, he was slammed on the bed on his back and his wrists were pinned to his sides. Eyes wide in alarm, he stared fearfully at the demon Lord hovering above him.
“Sesshoumaru-sama?” the question came out more as a plea. His neglected cock was begging for attention and after that brief respite, he would die if he didn’t get his release soon.
“What did you think you were doing?” the Lord demanded quietly.
Inuyasha stared at his face cautiously. Master’s tone was stern but he didn’t look angry. His aura was also quite calm. In fact, if Inuyasha didn’t know better, he would say the demon Lord was…amused…
“I- I was…”
Sesshoumaru’s grip around his wrists tightened. “Did I not tell you that your pleasure was mine to give?”
Inuyasha whimpered. Sesshoumaru released his wrists but Inuyasha didn’t dare move them from place. The demon Lord’s large hands trailed down his body, just the tips of his claws grazing his skin. The hanyou shivered, suddenly feeling like prey about to be devoured by the large demon above him.
“Do you think you can defy me without consequences…Inuyasha?”
Inuyasha frowned. Sesshoumaru-sama was supposed to be displeased at his disobedience but the way he said his name…
A clawed finger traced a design around his cock, lightly touching his balls and Inuyasha bucked off the bed, fingers clutching the sheets under them, eyes shut at the torturous pleasure.
Sesshoumaru looked down at the poor hanyou’s predicament and smiled sadistically. The child had done nothing wrong, really. It was his intention all along to reduce him to this. It was cruel to deny him his release any longer but he couldn’t help it. The little slave was far too fun to mess with.
“The punishment for your transgression…”
Inuyasha inhaled sharply as he was lifted off the bed by the scruff of his neck and plopped on the demon Lord’s lap, face down. Inuyasha turned to look at his Master in surprise. The prince looked quite pleased, amusement dancing in his golden eyes. The room was lit only by the dim light of the waxing moon, streaming in from a window and from the balcony. In the semi-darkness, Sesshoumaru’s eyes glinted like a predator’s and Inuyasha swallowed nervously.
“Sesshoumaru-sama…please I-“
One large hand rested on his exposed bum and Inuyasha’s entire body went limp at the wonderful feeling. Then-
SMACK!
“Eeeep!”
Sesshoumaru wanted to laugh at the adorable, surprised squeak from the hanyou. His puppy had his eyes scrunched close.
SMACK!
Inuyasha jumped as the hand came down on his other cheek.
SMACK! SMACK!
The hanyou squirmed. That tingled!
SMACK!! SMACK! SMACK!
Ahhhh…ok that was beginning to sting.
Sesshoumaru looked down in satisfaction at the now pink bottom, wriggling adorably in his lap. But pink was not good enough.
SMACK!! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK!
Inuyasha began to whimper and struggle.
“Sesshoumaru-sama stop…”
The demon Lord smirked. “But you should have thought of that before attempting to touch yourself, puppy.”
Inuyasha blushed. Sesshoumaru-sama only called him puppy when he was pleased with him or when he was being kind, never when he was really angry.
A warm hand landed on his back, caressing it slowly. “This body no longer belongs to you, hanyou. It is mine. I own you. You have no right to bring yourself pleasure unless I order it.”
Inuyasha nodded hesitantly.
SMACK!
Owww!! That really hurt!
“Master…please…”
“But it seems like you are enjoying your punishment, puppy.”
Inuyasha flushed red with embarrassment. He wasn’t…really, he wasn’t but then…why was his little cock still hard-?
The spanking continued but now, Inuyasha could not concentrate on anything except how his dick brushed against his Master’s clothed hakama when he brought his hand down on his ass. When Sesshoumaru smacked him especially hard, his cock was squished against his knee in such a wonderful way…Inuyasha blushed darkly at his own thought. Slaves were not supposed to enjoy their punishment! What would Sesshoumaru-sama thin if he knew-?
SMACK! SMACK! SMACK!
The last one landed right on his crack and Inuyasha gasped at the mixed pleasure and pain, hands clenching into fists. If this continued…he might cum just from being spanked over his master’s knee…
Inuyasha tensed in anticipation of the next strike but Sesshoumaru’s hand landed lightly on his ass, caressing the hot, red skin.
“I believe you have learnt your lesson, Inuyasha.”
Inuyasha sighed, unable to hide his disappointment.
The next thing he knew, he was face down on the bed, his Master’s hard cock resting teasingly against his entrance.
“Master?” he asked in surprise. This was his punishment?
Sesshoumaru stared into the adorable golden eyes, widened up at him. The puppy’s face was dusted pink and sweat was beginning to form on his forehead despite the chilled night air. It seemed the hanyou had enjoyed that almost as much as he had.
“Sesshoumaru-sama…onegai…”
Inuyasha gasped as the demon Lord slowly pushed inside him, not stopping till he was all the way in. The skin on his bottom was still raw; the demon Lord’s cool skin against it felt very good.
“I- please move…Master…”
Sesshoumaru’s response was to grind lazily inside his ass, just brushing against that spot that would have Inuyasha seeing stars. Inuyasha’s head bowed on the pillow. The sheets were bunched in his tightly clenched fists….close…he was so close….
“Sesshoumaru-sama…Sesshoumaru-sama…plea se don’t tease me…harder…please…”
Finally, the demon Lord took pity on him and pulled out, only to thrust back in. Inuyasha screamed as his prostate was hit dead on. The demon prince established a hard and fast rhythm, thrusting in and out of the now sobbing hanyou. His dick ached for stimulation but he knew better than to try and touch it.
“Let me, cum, Master...please, please let me cum…”
Then Sesshoumaru’s hand wrapped around his dick and Inuyasha threw his head back at the wonderful sensation. The demon Lord began to pump him in time with his thrusts and Inuyasha came at the same time that Sesshoumaru released inside his ass.
Sesshoumaru fell back on the pillows and pulled the incoherent, trembling hanyou to his chest with an arm around his back, pulling the sheets over both of them. Inuyasha clung to him, rubbing his face in the demon Lord’s chest. Weakly flickering puppy ears gently tickled his chin and Sesshoumaru closed his eyes contentedly.
“Master?”
Hearing the small, hesitant voice, golden eyes opened to see a blushing Inuyasha resolutely avoiding his eyes.
“What is it?”
Sesshoumaru watched in amusement as Inuyasha opened his mouth to say something, then closed it again. He swallowed nervously, then tried again.
“Ummm…I- I won’t be ve-very scared of doing that if- if you punish me like this every time, Master…”
Inuyasha flushed red with embarrassment as Sesshoumaru chuckled softly. The arms around him tightened and the demon Lord’s body curled around his own; Inuyasha sighed as warmth surrounded him.
The demon prince brought his mouth close to the hanyou’s ear and whispered,
“Good.”
____________________________________ _______________________________________
The next day, when Inuyasha woke up, Sesshoumaru was gone. Kouga came to tell him that they would not see him for the next few days and nights; he wanted to train undisturbed.
Inuyasha spent the days in Kouga’s company, feeling strange to be without his Master. Kouga told him interesting stories about their home in the Northern mountains, the other wolves and various other demon tribes. They spent most of their time out in the grounds, doing nothing in particular. At night, he slept in Sesshoumaru’s room.
When Sesshoumaru had first informed Kouga that Inuyasha was to sleep alone in his room, Kouga had protested. The castle was not a very safe place for a lone hanyou. But Sesshoumaru had told him of the incidents with Teru and the guards and Kouga was reassured. After knowing that the Lady of the West was on Inuyasha’s side, very few would dare try and harm him. Besides, only someone who was suicidal would enter Sesshoumaru’s chambers without permission.
So, Inuyasha went back to sleeping in his puppy basket that still lay near the foot of Sesshoumaru’s bed. It did not occur to him to sleep in his Master’s bed alone. Besides, the basket was small and cosy.
And so the days passed, until it was time.
______________________________________________________________ _____________
Inuyasha stared at the roaring ocean, eyes wide.
He had never before seen such a huge body of water. The sky was clear tonight and the full moon’s pale light made the water shimmer. The waves rushed forth with a rumbling sound and Inuyasha couldn’t help but tense a little every time they crashed on the shores. He relaxed again when they lapped the sands and retreated quietly.
Kouga glanced down at the puppy in his arms. It seemed Inuyasha was a bit frightened of the ocean.
The wolf demon and Inuyasha had arrived a little earlier. Now, he and Inuyasha stood facing the ocean. The little hanyou stood in a rock in front of him so that his head was just under Kouga’s chin and the wolf prince could hold him against his chest with his arms locked around Inuyasha’s torso. Just this once, Sesshoumaru would have to endure him near the puppy; it was for Inuyasha’s safety.
Kouga allowed his arms to tighten reassuringly around Inuyasha and he felt Inuyasha’s tiny hand lay on his arm in return. The unbound ocean had that effect on people; they would either fall in love with it or be terrified of it – it was impossible to stay neutral.
At night, on that quiet, uninhibited sea shore, the ocean seemed to dominate the world. The chilled night wind, whispering softly, and the dull moonlight that cast the world in black and white made the place seem unreal. Inuyasha couldn’t help blinking his eyes rapidly every so often. Staring out at the never ending sea which seemed to merge with the inky sky, Inuyasha wondered uneasily if he was under some sort of spell. The motion of the waves was almost hypnotic; Inuyasha felt he could have stared at it forever, had there not been something else arresting his attention- Inu no Taisho and Lady Tsukiko.
When he and Kouga reached there, the Lady and Lord of the West were already there. When Inuyasha first saw the two pale, silvery figures hovering in the night, he had to admit he had not recognized them. He had been terrified, thinking they were some apparitions of the water. But Kouga had reassured him and asked him to look closely.
When he did, he could see their familiar golden eyes, the markings on their face, the flowing silver hair. But he couldn’t take his eyes off them. All colour was absent from their apparel; they were decked in clothing woven out of spun silver, shimmering dully in the moonlight. The loose kimono fluttered lightly in the breeze as they hovered effortlessly in mid-air. The ceremonial white and silver garb of the reigning rulers of the Land seemed to have transformed them into beings not of this world.
Lady Tsukiko’s face could have been carved out of marble. It wasn’t just expressionless, as in blank, but there was a stillness about it that Inuyasha found frightening. Chin held high, Lady Tsukiko looked down at the world through wise eyes, deep and cruel.
Inu no Taisho wore a heavy-looking metal armour and from each shoulder, a length of fur trailed, giving the demon King of the West a formidable appearance. Inuyasha could not reconcile the image that he’d had of the King with this hard-eyed warrior. He had the face and bearing of a conqueror, the fabled warrior who had brought half of Japan to its knees. Inuyasha swallowed in fear, unable to quite meet the eyes of the Demon King.
When Inuyasha felt his Master’s aura approaching, he turned his head in his direction, craning his neck to see him. When Sesshoumaru came into view, Inuyasha’s mouth fell open.
He had always thought his Master was majestic –beauty and grace personified - but the image that he saw of the demon Lord that day would be forever etched in his mind.
The demon Lord was wearing armour similar to his father’s but his covered only one shoulder and there was one length of fur wrapped around his shoulder. The clothes he was wearing were also different from his usual; they were white, as befitting the son of the royal family but his usual yellow obi was gone. Instead, it seemed to be woven out of gold.
In the pale moonlight, the superficial colours leeched away and the heir of the Western Lord stood resplendent, decked in gold and silver, with the red flowered insignia of the House of the Moon woven in his billowing sleeves. The purple and magenta markings on his face and wrists seemed darker and deeper. Each step was measured, filled with inimitable grace, as if he walked on thin air. Inuyasha glanced down at his booted feet and his eyes widened; in the dusty sands, where everything made a mark, Lord Sesshoumaru’s feet left no footprints.
Slowly, he approached his parents – only, today they weren’t his parents; they were the Lord and Lady of the Western Lands, preparing to pass judgement on the prince and heir; the warrior, Sesshoumaru. Once before them, the prince bowed deeply. Inuyasha had never seen him bow like that in front of anyone.
“Prince Sesshoumaru,” Inu no Taisho spoke in a deep, commanding voice that was at once quiet and yet seemed to resonate through the silent night. “This night of the full moon, the Lord and Lady of the West test your prowess, in battle and otherwise. Are you prepared?”
Sesshoumaru bowed, spine rigid, form impeccable. “I am.”
Lady Tsukiko gestured towards his waist and Inuyasha noticed he was wearing a katana.
“Begin.”
Sesshoumaru took three steps back, then faced the sea. Slowly, with rigid muscles, he unsheathed the katana. Despite the roaring ocean, the cold sound of a blade unsheathing made Inuyasha’s hair stand of end. The bright, flawless blade glinted dully in the moonlight and Sesshoumaru began.
He was demonstrating Kata but it looked more like a dance. Each movement, sharp and precise, blended seamlessly into the next. Form perfect, the blade in Sesshoumaru’s hand seemed to be an extension of his arm. Inuyasha had never seen the demon Lord draw a blade before. It was a beautiful sight. The movements, the flashing blade, the look in his eyes; Inuyasha stared, hypnotized.
Soon, he sped up and then each movement was a blur, not visible to the hanyou’s naked eyes.
He finished with the sword sheathed and bowed before the Lord and Lady. Inuyasha’s heart soared; that was magnificent! He hadn’t made any mistakes at all, he had never once faltered. Surely he had passed!
But Inu no Taisho and Lady Tsukiko said nothing. The expressions on their faces remained unchanged, their eyes inscrutable as always. When Sesshoumaru straightened, Inu no Taisho said one word.
“Dokkasou.”
Sesshoumaru inclined his head respectfully in response.
Once again taking three steps back, he stood, this time facing away from the sea, facing Inuyasha and Kouga. His eyes were closed. The ocean breeze lifted his shimmering silver hair.
The moment seemed to stretch forever.
Then Sesshoumaru slowly raised one hand and began to turn slowly. The green poison whip unfurled and the demon began to slowly spin in place, gaining momentum. The glowing whip looked beautiful; if Inuyasha hadn’t seen it himself, he would never have thought it capable of tearing people to pieces and administering poison strong enough so that they begged for a respite.
Before Inuyasha’s fascinated eyes, it grew longer and longer. Inuyasha had only ever seen Sesshoumaru use it at close range but right now, it moved around the demon Lord in a seemingly random fashion, creating a beautiful circular net-like design around him. As the prince turned, the whip undulated lazily moving gracefully in precise patterns.
Faster and faster, the demon Lord spun and soon, all Inuyasha could see were flashes of green light.
It ended abruptly, by Sesshoumaru raising his hand straight up in the air. The whip rose straight and high towards the sky for a moment and then disappeared. Inuyasha released a breath he didn’t know he’d been holding.
Sesshoumaru once more turned towards his parents and bowed.
Inu no Taisho began to descend slowly through the air. As he came lower, Inuyasha could see a similar Katana at his waist. He touched down gently on the ground and stood facing his son. His eyes were steady, piercing, and Sesshoumaru met them with his own unflinching gaze. The night stood still as father and son stared each other down.
Then with a clang of swords that made Inuyasha jump, they met, blades inches from each other’s throats. The King of the West pushed him back and Sesshoumaru was on the offensive, striking at any openings that he saw.
But each time, Taisho’s sword was there to meet his. For the first time in a fight, Inuyasha saw Sesshoumaru’s face tense with concentration.
Then Taisho took to the air and Sesshoumaru followed, trying to hit his father as Taisho moved in and out of his range.
“He’s – he’s really trying to hurt Taisho-sama,” Inuyasha whispered to Kouga, stunned.
“Yeah,” Kouga replied absentmindedly, not taking his eyes off the scene in front of him.
Inu no Taisho fought nothing like Sesshoumaru. While Sesshoumaru’s movements were fluid, blending into one another, Taisho’s were sharp and precise moving no more than necessary. The two white figures clashing in the sky against the moon made a magnificent sight and for a moment, Inuyasha forgot that it was a fight.
Until, with one, powerful stroke, Taisho had hurtled Sesshoumaru onto the ground with an almighty crash. Inuyasha gasped, instinctively moving forward towards his Master but Kouga held him back, arms like steel restraints around his body.
The King of the West gave him no opportunity to get up. Next moment, Sesshoumaru had his blade over his head, trying to withstand Taisho’s blade weighing down implacably on him.
With all his strength concentrated on throwing him off, Sesshoumaru was not prepared for the solid kick that landed on his ribs. He hunched over with a grunt and the flat of Taisho’s blade slapped him on the crown of his head.
Inuyasha saw him blink his eyes rapidly to clear his vision. Then he was staggering to his feet, glaring at his father. Taisho swooped in low, attacking violently, driving him back with the force of his blow. He began to dodge, moving right and left, trying to flow out of the path of his attacks like he did for many of his opponents but it didn’t seem to be working. Taisho’s blows still landed precisely.
Then, in an instant, he was, gone and had reappeared behind his father. He raised his sword for a blow to the neck but the blow was parried and Sesshoumaru received a swift punch to the solar plexus. Inuyasha heard him gasp and he looked up at Lady Tsukiko, horrified. What mother could watch her child get hurt like this? But the lady’s face was impassive as ever, though she was following the fight intently.
Inuyasha turned his attention back to the fight when he heard a grunt from the demon prince. He was panting hard and there was a huge bleeding gash on his arm. Blood was dripping from Taisho’s blade.
“Is that all?” Taisho asked, voice hard and mocking, and Inuyasha saw Sesshoumaru’s face twitch in his effort to keep it impassive.
Then he attacked again, once more putting all his strength behind his attacks but soon, it was apparent that he was getting tired. Taisho, on the other hand, had barely broken a sweat. They exchanged blows, Sesshoumaru on the defensive, but soon, they were just a moving blur to Inuyasha’s eyes. The night air was growing hot and stifling, even though they were close to the open ocean.
“If that is all you have learned from the last time we trained,” Taisho said, “Then perhaps you should give up. A few mere moments and you are on the verge of collapse. I had expected better of my son.”
Inuyasha shielded his face with his arm as the youki in the area flared, hot and electric. Sesshoumaru snarled, eyes bleeding red. He began to attack again but his attacks were much more violent. Taisho’s youki also raised in response and Inuyasha could feel the tension in the air. Then Taisho’s blade was drawn back to stab through Sesshoumaru’s heart and the demon prince suddenly floated up, hovering several feet above his father.
Taisho lowered his sword and laughed, low and dark. “My son is a coward as well, it seems.”
He raised mocking eyes up at the floating white figure. “Running from your own father, boy. Is this what you plan to do when you lead an army? Run away when you’re losing…do you know who does that?”
Hard, pitiless eyes met Sesshoumaru’s angry ones.
“Thieves and whores.”
Inuyasha squeezed his tear filled eyes at the scorching youki that swept towards them but there was no need. Kouga had raised a small barrier around them that kept the blast of the youki from hitting them.
The fighting continued. Sesshoumaru’s attacks were growing reckless. Taisho took advantage of this and soon. Blows began to land – on Sesshoumaru’s ribs, on his thighs, on his unarmoured chest.
In a final, desperate attempt, Sesshoumaru aimed a close-range stab for his thigh but before he could draw his sword back, Taisho’s sword was at his neck, nicking him just enough to draw blood and put the point across.
For a moment, they stayed frozen, neither moving a muscle.
Then Sesshoumaru’s arms fell to his sides and went limp. Head bowed, he allowed the sword to drop from his fingers and lowered his eyes. Taisho took the sword away from his neck and stepped back.
“There are too many blind spots in your moves,” he said, face impassive “Especially the dokkusou. Now watch carefully.”
Sesshoumaru stepped back. Taisho looked up into the sky at his silently watching mate and the Lady of the West slowly descended from the sky.
Lady Tsukiko drew the thin sword at her waist and stood facing her mate, eyes blazing and hard. Inu no Taisho leaned in low and sped towards her, slashing violently enough so that if she had not dodged it, she would be skewered in half.
Inuyasha gaped as Taisho’s huge sword seemed to be about to land right on her head. Tsukiko, however, raised the sword to meet the oncoming one. Instead of taking the brunt of the blow the way Sesshoumaru’s had, the sword slid neatly down the upturned, slimmer blade and then Tsukiko was gone, leaving Taisho to stumble forward slightly from the blow.
In a graceful movement, Tsukiko raised her sword arm and a glowing poisonous green whip unfurled, ready to strike the Lord of the West. But then Taisho had blocked it, whirling quickly and wrapping it around his sword, pulling his attacker with it.
“Watch,” he ordered Sesshoumaru, keeping his eyes on his mate.
Tsukiko allowed herself to be pulled in by the sword and at the last second, when Taisho pulled his arm back to strike, Tsukiko landed a short but precise jab to his side, making him hunch slightly.
The fraction of a second was enough for Tsukiko to remove herself from Taisho’s range.
As they fought, Inuyasha finally saw where his Master got his grace from. But while Sesshoumaru’s movements were fluid, Lady Tsukiko seemed entirely insubstantial. Taisho’s blows, even though they were fast enough to beat Sesshoumaru’s speed, seemed to pass right through Tsukiko, even though the Lady’s speed was probably nowhere near Taisho’s. She seemed to move languidly, a serene, distant smile on her face and yet, her blows were powerful enough to get Taisho on his knees White robes fluttering because of the movements, Tsukiko really did look like a specter, dancing gracefully in the moonlight.
They were a perfect blend, of raw power and deceptive skill.
Throughout the night, they fought, instructing Sesshoumaru about certain attacks and blocks, and what was missing in his technique. Inuyasha couldn’t help glancing at Sesshoumaru occasionally. He was losing blood from his deep injuries and it seemed like he was about to collapse. Still he stood erect, never complaining.
Finally, they stopped, not even out of breath.
“Your turn,” Taisho told Sesshoumaru, taking a few steps back.
Inuyasha looked anxiously at his Master. The prince could barely stand and he was expected to fight?
But Sesshoumaru stepped forward silently, readying his sword.
Tsukiko stepped in front of her mate and raised a hand to the sky. The green whip struck out at Sesshoumaru. Eyes narrowed, Sesshoumaru gripped his sword hard and charged straight towards it. Stepping swiftly and precisely, he avoided the path of the whip.
For a few moments, it seemed as though he would make it, but then Tsukiko moved her hand slightly and it struck, right on the bleeding gash.
The demon Lord could not suppress a gasp at the pain of poison seeping into his wound and Tsukiko darted forward, punching him across the mouth. Sesshoumaru’s head snapped to the side, blood beginning to trickle from his mouth.
Sesshoumaru raised his sword to strike her when she was close but it landed on thin air. Tsukiko was far away in a second. Raising his hand, Sesshoumaru threw his own whip towards his mother. Tsukiko smiled faintly at him. Without even moving, she thrust her sword forward and stabbed right through it, managing to go through all the empty spaces in the swiftly moving pattern. Sesshoumaru fell back, clutching his gut where blood was beginning to seep into his clothes from his mother’s attack.
“Not even passable,” Tsukiko said. “Again.”
Sesshoumaru looked up and raised his hand, throwing his whip out again, this time in a tighter formation.
“You are not paying attention to the end of it,” Tsukiko told him. “The longer you make it, the more you expend your power and the more skill it takes to control it.”
Again and again he tried and failed. Tsukiko’s sword found blind spots in each of his attacks stabbing forth to injure him. The exhaustion from the hours of fighting began to take its toll. His movements became slower.
Tsukiko noticed and her mouth became a thin line.
When Sesshoumaru threw the whip forward, Tsukiko pushed it aside with her bare hand. She darted in low and plunged her sword directly into Sesshoumaru’s stomach.
“If you allow tiredness and pain to rule you,” she said in a cold voice, “You are nothing better than the foot-soldiers who fight other people’s battles for a few coins!”
She twisted the sword in the wound.
“If you are a conqueror, act like one.”
Sesshoumaru stumbled back when she withdrew the sword. Wordlessly, he began again, throwing the whip towards Tsukiko. Again, she found a path through it but there was a small smile on her face.
“Better.”
Then she raised a hand up and Sesshoumaru stopped.
“Now,” she said, floating further back from him. “You will counter my attack.”
Releasing the whip above her head, she struck. The distance between them was longer so it should have been easier to find weak spots in it.
But it wasn’t. Each time, the poisonous whip met its mark leaving hissing wounds on the demon prince’s skin. Because Tsukiko’s poison was stronger than Sesshoumaru’s the wounds didn’t heal immediately.
Tsukiko threw the whip in different patterns every time, explaining each one to her son – where and when it was to be used. Sesshoumaru absorbed her words while simultaneously trying to defend himself and attack the Lady of the West but Tsukiko’s whip found it’s mark, again and again.
“It seems,” said Taisho glancing once to the side, as Sesshoumaru fruitlessly tried to fend off Tsukiko’s attacks, “You are distracted.”
“No!” Sesshoumaru shouted clutching his copiously bleeding wound, eyes wide with understanding.
The next moment, there was a sharp gust of wind and Taisho was standing in front of Inuyasha, sword raised above his head. Inuyasha’s eyes squeezed shut. The sword went through Kouga’s barrier and wheezed towards his head.
But it never landed.
Inuyasha opened his eyes. Sesshoumaru, teeth gritted, was holding Taisho off with his own sword, even though the manoeuvre widened the gash on his arm and allowed the poison to sink deeper, shooting a lance of pain through his arm.
“No…” he whispered and then, with superhuman strength, Taisho’s sword was thrown off and the King of the Western Lands fell back a couple of steps.
The demon prince’s head was lowered, bangs covering his eyes. His hands were clenched into fists, trembling. There was a steadily widening red spot forming on his stomach where Tsukiko had stabbed him through the stomach.
But despite his injuries and exhaustion, his back was unbowed.
“Sesshoumaru.”
He raised steady eyes to meet his father’s.
On Taisho’s right cheek, was a small cut.
“It seems,” Taisho said, raising a hand to his cheek to touch the blood, “You have finally found something to protect.”
_______________________________________________________ ____________________
A/N: I took so long to write this because I wanted to try and make it as close as possible to the scene in my head. Tell me what you thought.
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