InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ What Matters the Most ❯ The Dogs Howl ( Chapter 1 )

A\N - Okay, this is my first story up here, so please be nice. Flames welcome, but please no rips. Also, there are no warnings for this chapter, but there are likely going to be for future ones. I don’t know if the title has anything really to do with what’s gonna happen in the story, just seemed like a good title so I used it.

This is based on someone’s (Inu-chan puppy’s I think) challenge, but isn’t necessarily following all the guidelines for the story, so...

VERY IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER: I do not own Inuyasha or any of the characters that come from or have any relation to the anime, and I make no money off of them. They belong to Rumiko Takahashi, so please don’t sue me.

Okay, that about covers it. Now, without further ado, on with the damn story already!

*************************************************************** **********************   What Matters the Most Chapter 1 - The dog’s howl

Inuyasha sighed as the long howl filled the night, and cracked open one golden eye, his ears twitching back the forward.

He just couldn’t get a moment’s rest, could he?

For a few moments Inuyasha entertained the thought of ignoring his father’s call, just remaining here, lying next to the stream and letting the cool evening air wash over him. However, that thought was quickly ended as the thoughts of what sort of punishment might await him should he ignore the call took it’s place and, grumbling, he pulled himself to his feet, pausing to wipe the dirt off his hands onto his hakama’s, before leaping up into the trees and headed back toward the castle he called home.

He slowed as he approached, recognising the silver blur that was his brother as he raced below (and passed) Inuyasha. Sighing, the hanyou let his brother have this small victory as he followed behind at a slower pace, silently acknowledging that, when it came to speed and agility, he was no match for his elder brother.

Still, his curiosity had peaked since seeing his brother, and he wondered why their father had summoned both of them, especially since it was common knowledge that the two brothers could hardly stand to be in the same room together for more than a few minutes before blood began to boil and all hell would break loose.

The only place they could both be at once for more than five minutes without going at each other’s throats was the dojo, and that was only because they were going at each other’s throats, only in a manner that was considered acceptable since it was wrongly dubbed “training”, and using swords and fists instead of words and dark looks.

It had actually gotten so bad lately that Inu no Taisho had been forced to have guards watch them training constantly to stop them from killing each other.

He landed softly on the grass in front of the castle, knees bending and one hand landing in front to steady him as he fell into a crouch, before taking off at a much more dignified pace toward their father’s study.

Knocking gently on the door before entering, Inuyasha eyes fell immediately to Sesshomaru seated before their father, the brother exchanging a malevolent look, before turning his attention toward his father and mother, who was hovering slightly behind and to the side of the Inu no Taisho.

‘Konbanwa, father, mother.’ He said, taking in Izayoi’s gentle, yet somewhat nervous smile, and his father’s gentle but firm look.

‘Konbanwa, Inuyasha.’ The great dog demon said, then gestured toward the chair next to Sesshomaru, indicating he should sit. Casting a loathing glance at his brother, he lowered himself into the chair and waited tensely for their father to begin speaking.

His eyes fell upon Katashi, one of his father’s most trustworthy advisors and warriors, who was standing a little further behind their father, opposite Izayoi, and looking at him and then Sesshomaru, his brows lowered as though contemplating something. This only managed to increase Inuyasha’s nervousness, since the demon rarely ever managed to spare much more than an exasperated look and dry comment for either of them.

Not that he minded.

He found most of his father’s councillors to be rather dull and very boring, and he hated the few times that he had been forced to endure the painfully dull gatherings they held to discuss politics and lands and demons causing problems in the Inu no Taisho’s lands. His father and Sesshomaru may like that kind of thing, but Inuyasha was, and always had been, and would always continue to be, more of a hands-on, take action kind of hanyou, and he wanted nothing to do with the politics and business that came with running the lands.

Sesshomaru was the eldest, and therefore would take over when the Inu no Taisho died, so Inuyasha had no reason to concern himself with such things anyway. As far as he was concerned, as soon as his parents were dead, he had no reason to stay (though he doubted Sesshomaru would let him anyway), and he planned to leave and make his own way in the world.

Not that it would be a very good or profitable way--even if he was the son of the great Inu no Taisho, he was first and foremost a hanyou. And that fact alone had clouded more opportunities in his life than he cared to contemplate, as well as was the main trigger for his brother’s hate for him.

His father began speaking-- to Sesshomaru, mind you, but Inuyasha still felt the need to sit a little straighter in his chair, even if he could get his mind to focus on the words flowing from the taiyoukai’s mouth. He could feel his mother’s eyes upon him, and offered her a small smile, before turning to look at their father again, glancing at Sesshomaru out of the corner of his eyes, that same cold mask of indifference his brother always wore still firmly in place.

Inuyasha mentally growled.

He hated and loved that about his brother: The way he let nothing (except, perhaps, the fact that Inuyasha was part of his life and connected to him by blood) get to him. It was both a great strength and an incredibly annoyingly aggravating weakness, even if Sesshomaru wouldn’t acknowledge that fact. The cool indifference he showed toward everything cut him off from the rest of the world, allowed him to take (or at least not show) any pleasure in anything. And in some ways it hurt Inuyasha.

Especially when it occurred to him that he had never seen his brother laugh. Ever. Had no possible way to imagine what it would sound like. All he had to go on were the few cocky smirks his brother sometimes threw at him when he managed to get the better of the hanyou in battle, and that wasn’t much at all.

He wanted to hear his brother laugh, to see that mask lift away, if only for a moment, though he would probably be too stunned when it did to take much pleasure in the fact that Sesshomaru had been gotten the better of by someone who had convinced him to let his guard down, or simply surprised him enough to make it slip.

Inuyasha himself certainly tried often enough, but all he managed to get out of his brother was an increasingly agitating cocky anger that drove him up the wall. Because in his mind, he had done nothing to deserve it.

After all, he didn’t ask to be born, especially not hanyou, and it was no fault of his own that his blood was “tainted” as Sesshomaru put it. He loved both his parents, and would no way insult them by being ashamed of his blood, a fact which seemed to annoy his brother to no end. He was the son of the Inu no Taisho too, and, whether his brother liked it or not, that put gave him an equal, if not higher, ranking than most youkai.

Plus he was one hell of a fighter and could take on an beat almost any opponent he came across. But that was hardly the point.

‘The point is, that you are both now of an appropriate age to find mates’ his father’s voice cut into his thoughts, and Inuyasha snapped his attention back to the youkai before him, hoping no one had caught on to his inattentiveness, though, judging by the looks Katashi was giving him, the demon had, and more than did not appreciate it, but said nothing in respect to Inuyasha’s father-- something the hanyou was incredibly grateful for: he had no desire to hear the youkai’s slow, dry voice reprimanding him at this moment in time.

‘Sesshomaru, you, perhaps, should have had one for several years by now, if any of any worth or respect at all had come through here with more intent than to gain power and status. However, through no fault of your own, none of such requirements have come.’

The great dog demon turned his fiery golden-red eyes (that, while had been passed down to two his sons, had been undeniable softened in colour in both his and Sesshomaru’s) onto Inuyasha, and his son stared back waiting for what his father would have to say, silently dreading what might be to come: he was not ready to mate. He had no interest in mating, and he certainly was not prepared to take one on yet. But if the Inu no Taisho commanded it, he knew he would have to take one.

‘You, Inuyasha, have only recently come of the right age to take on a mate, yet seem un-inclined to do so, though already many have come to ask for my permission to mate with you.’ Inuyasha’s eyes widened slightly at this. He had known that many demons were interested in mating into their clan-- had seen the myriad of women (and men) who had come to try and court his brother-- and had seen his father turn them all away. He had never really been concerned with why before, since it didn’t concern itself with him, but now he was slightly curious: Maybe that was the same reason his father had turned away all his possible mates.

His eyes flickered to his mother to see how she felt about this news, but her eyes were remaining fixed on a spot on their father’s desk, and she was refusing to look at him. Reluctantly, he turned his gaze back to his father, who was watching him sternly as though waiting for a reaction. Swallowing roughly, he said the only words that would come to mind: “They have?”

He had wanted to ask why his father had turned them all away (more out of curiosity than anger or because he was upset: he had no interest in a mate!) but those words simply wouldn’t come out.

His father seemed to know what he was about, however, and, after giving a small nod, proceeded to explain.

‘All of these possible mates have been interested in gaining nothing more than power and status. They had no interest in mating for love, or, possibly, for life, and would have left you hurt and in a state of confusion. They would not have made you happy, nor you been happy with them, and, if nothing else, it is important to find happiness and love with your mate and not be with them because of the wish to gain importance or status.’ The dog demon’s eyes flickered to his eldest son, then back to Inuyasha as he said ‘that is why I have come to the decision I have, and had chosen mates, to which such things will have no effect, for both of you.’

Inuyasha tensed as the feeling that he was not going to like what was coming washed through him, and again his eyes flickered to his brother, who’s face was still emotionless (damn him!) then back to their father, waiting...

‘You two will be mated to each other.’

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AN -- Okay, well that's it for chapter one, let me know what you think about it and I'll think about updating it.

Glossary

Hakamas - Pants

Hanyou - Half-demon

Inu no Taisho - Inuyasha’s father (Means something like Lord of the Dogs)

Izayoi - Inuyasha’s mother

Konbanwa - Good Evening

Taiyoukai - Means something like great demon (not entirely sure if it’s correct though)

Youkai - demon

(If you have any corrections for the glossary, feel free to let me know)