InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ What Matters the Most ❯ Trauma ( Chapter 17 )

A\N: Thanks to everyone who read “Scars” I’m glad you guys all enjoyed that story so much! ^_^-- in truth, I didn’t think anyone would like that set of stories-- not many people go for dark\incest\angsty\rape fics. Weak stomachs or something I guess. ^_^

Anyway, at the moment my cat is currently staring at me (something it has been doing for the last half-an hour) and I am getting really disturbed by it. I know they like to observe people, but this is just fucking freaky!

Anyway, I think I went a bit out of character with Sesshomaru here-- but what can I say? It’s hard to keep a stoic, emotionless, cold, arrogant character in character when his mate has just been raped and I have no real idea how he’d react to something like that. Anyway, I did my best, I have no regrets. -- Fuck, if anyone here remembers the pokemon gameboy games, you remember on that one bridge you battled those five people and at the end that’s all any of them said. Friggen annoying I tell you.

Lol, well that’s my rant on useless crap you really didn’t want to know about... hm, I think I’m gonna go update my warnings to include “language” (something I probably should have done a long time ago) though I don’t think anyone really cares.

Okay, before I start off again on another of my rants, I think I better answer the reviews first:

-AnimeRainChildOfLove - Lol, well angst and drama are my specialty. Don’t get me wrong, a little romance now and then is nice and all, but it’s just too overdone and sappy for my tastes. I can never get bored with angst! ^_^ - - Yeah, I do write a lot and I try to update quickly, but sometimes you gotta leave people hanging for a little bit, ya know? Luckily enough this isn’t one of those times. ^_^  

VERY IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN INUYASHA, SESSHOMARU, INU TAISHO, IZAYOI OR ANY OF THE OTHER INUYASHA CHARACTERS. I make no money off of them. I only own this story and, currently, TWO of the characters in it. That’s right, I finally got a new person in here! ^_^. Anyway, I don’t make any money off of these things either, so just shut-up and leave me alone about it already! This is only written for your and my entertainment and enjoyment. ~*~   Trauma

Inu Taisho could sense Sesshomaru’s panic (a fact in itself that should have been enough to send the entire castle into a frenzy) long before his eldest son burst through the castle doors, and it gave him enough time to gather Izayoi and Katashi and go down to meet him in the entrance hall.

The great oaken doors opened with enough force to send them flying against the walls and scatter light blankets of dust falling from the eaves as Sesshomaru rushed in, carrying what appeared to be a pile of red and white something-or-other (that vaguely resembled clothes) covered in dirt and blood. However, while it was unrecognisable to the naked eye, Inu Taisho and Katashi could tell by the smell that it was really the dog-demon’s youngest son.

‘Inuyasha.’ Inu Taisho murmured to himself, and Izayoi glanced at him in fearful confusion.

Ignoring his mate for the moment, Inu Taisho moved toward his son, who did not look at him, did not even bother pausing in his purposeful strides, even as the scent of his youngest’s blood filled his nose.

‘Sesshomaru, what has happened?’ He demanded, moving to walk in step with his son, who cast a meaningful (if cold) look at his father,

‘Now is not the time for explanations.’ Sesshomaru said calmly enough, belying the panic he could feel coursing through his son’s veins. ‘Someone needs to fetch the healer.’

Inu Taisho stopped walking, and Sesshomaru paused as well, standing just below the bottom of the stairs, and turning to look back at the three of them.

‘Did no one hear me?’ He asked, his tone scornful and authoritive. ‘He needs a healer. Someone must retrieve one for him. Now.’ He added when everyone still seemed too stunned to do so, before turning and whisking his brother away up the stairs without a second glance.

For long moments the three stood there staring, before Inu Taisho’s senses returned to him and he turned back to his mate and Katashi.

‘Katashi, I need you to get the healer for me. Izayoi, will you please wake some of the servants and have them ready should we call for them?’

Katashi nodded and bowed, up Izayoi stared at him. glancing at the stares and biting her lip in nervous anxiety. ‘Koi... was that Inuyasha?’ She asked quietly, and a heavy silence followed her question, filling the room in it’s entirety before Inu Taisho gave a small nod.

Her teeth sank further into her lip and the scent of her blood weakly tinted the air.

Inuyasha could feel her fear and concern, but now was the not time for it. Right now they both needed to be strong and do whatever they could to aide their son.

A salty tang filled the air, and Inu Taisho looked up to see tears fill his mated eyes. Hating himself for having to be firm with his mate when she was in a state of such obvious distress, he hardened his face and said ‘Izayoi.’ Drawing her tear-filled gaze to him.

‘Come, Lady Izayoi-- the servants shall not rouse themselves.’ Katashi said, gently touching her arm. She looked over at the dark-hair youkai who stared grimly back at her.

Izayoi cast a glance at the stairway again, before setting her jaw, giving a small tilt of her head to her mate, before allowing Katashi to lead her from the room.

Inu Taisho stared after them a moment before turning to follow Sesshomaru’s path up the stairway.

He was surprised when his sons scents led him, not to Inuyasha’s room, but to Sesshomaru’s, where his eldest was now laying the hanyou down to bleed all over his silken sheets.

Sesshomaru looked up warily at his father’s approach, wanting to ward the other demon away from his injured mate, but held himself back and allowed his father to move close enough to examine his youngest son.

The smell of blood and semen was almost overpowering on Inuyasha’s body, and that, combined with the faint traces of blood in his still-fresh tears, were enough to tell Inu Taisho of the horrifying fate that had befallen his youngest son.

Anger that only his years spent as a warrior skilled in schooling such emotions allowed him to suppress, he straightened and turned to stare grimly over at his other son.

‘Who has done this?’ He asked, but Sesshomaru only shook his head in a-- I know, but now is not the time to tell you-- sort of gesture. Inu Taisho narrowed his eyes slightly, and might have continued questioning his son if, at that moment, Katashi had not come through the door, the healer Takehiko in tow.

She took one look at Inuyasha, and her ancient blue eyes dimmed even more with grimness as she approached.

Sesshomaru was up in a flash, a low growl escaping his throat, teeth bared, claws at the ready as he came between the old healer and his mate.

Inu Taisho and Katashi tensed, but Takehiko just frown. She had, after all, been in this business a long time, and an over-protective mate was something she could easily handle without assistance, thank-you very much!

‘Lord Sesshomaru, I know that you fear for your brother’s life, and that you wish for no one to touch him at the moment, however, I fear that, if I am going to properly assess how much damage was done to him and how serious it all was, I must be able to inspect his body.’ The old healer said, staring calmly but firmly at Sesshomaru. ‘I swear to you I’ll do him no harm.’ She added, and Sesshomaru slowly, grudgingly, ignoring his youkai raging within him not to, lowered his arm and let the healed pass, though his golden gaze never once left her as she approached her newest patient.

Flipping dark silver-grey hair over her shoulder, Takehiko crouched down next to Inuyasha and began moving the filthy clothes from his body.

Sesshomaru growled again, and Takehiko sighed. She may be experienced with dealing with upset mates, but she also knew that, when a mate was feeling it’s mate was threatened, it could lead their youkai’s to take over their minds and drive them to hurt any and all who came within striking distance. So she slowly removed her hands and gave him a patient and understanding (if slightly agitated) look.

‘Lord Sesshomaru, these clothes are filthy. Not removing them could well result in an infection, worsening his state further. What’s more, should they remain on I shall not be able to properly assess the hanyou, and I could end up hurting him-- something I truly do not wish to do. Please, do not force mistakes to happen over something so trivial. He can be covered again as soon as I am finished.’

The healer talked slowly and calmly, never raising her voice from the low soothing hum she had it at, the years of her experience in such matters etched clearly in her eyes, and it was obvious that Katashi had made a good choice in bringing her instead of one of the younger healers.

She was the head of the healers, but usually spend most of her time teaching her art, rather than actually performing it, trying to keep the ancient skills of healing alive as best she could. But age was catching up on her (being several thousand years old as she was) and soon (a few hundred more years by youkai standards) she may well not even be able to remember the very art she wanted to teach.

Takehiko nodded gently when Sesshomaru glared but did not make any move to stop her as she leaned forward toward Inuyasha, pulling on the Hakama and Yukata wrapped around his waist, then pausing to look over her shoulder at the two demons behind her.

‘I think it would be for the best if it were just I and Sesshomaru in the room for now.’ She said calmly, and Inu Taisho froze up slightly, not wanting to be parted from either of his son’s when they were in such states. However, Katashi quickly moved in to defend his case before Inu Taisho had even decided if he wanted it defended. For surely anything the healer suggested at this point could only be to aide his youngest son in his healing.

‘Now see here, Lake Takehiko, Lord Inu Taisho has just as much right to see his son as Sesshomaru or you.’ The councillor said, his voice loud and very pompous and dry sounding all at once in the small room, and Takehiko stared at him, her eyes narrowed slits, the grey-blue depths flashing the way thunderclouds would before a storm.

‘It is not a matter of “rights”, Katashi, but a matter of what’s best for Inuyasha.’ She said, mimicking the councillor’s dry tone. The healer was old, wise, and very patient, yes, but she also held a fiery spirit and a hot-temper (not unlike Inuyasha’s) that, when riled up, made her more than a force to be reckoned with. She also sometimes held very abstract opinions on things that did not entirely make sense to others but always seemed to turn out for the better in the end, and as such it caused a clashing of personalities between her and Katashi and had more often than not put the two at odds with one another.

‘Inuyasha has been violated-- the worst crime imaginable-- and now it is likely that his spirit and heart, more than his body, are torn. He is asleep for now so everything is fine, but when he awakens do you think he will want to be surrounded by people he knows and cares about-- who know and care about him-- and have them learn what has happened to him?’ She demanded of the councillor, who opened his mouth to reply, but she cut him off ‘of course he won’t! The shame that would come from that would cause him even more internal agony than he is already feeling. He will need company eventually, yes, but for now he will feel ashamed and overwhelmed-- perhaps even fearful-- of any who try and get to close to him. Now, since we need someone to get him to trust again, to teach him that there is nothing to be ashamed of, I opted that Sesshomaru stay. He is his brother and his mate, and, if no one else, Inuyasha will trust him. Perhaps not at first, but if anyone can break through the walls that will have built up around the hanyou, it will be his mate. Not his father, nor his mother, nor, I’m very sorry to say, even his father’s trusted councillor who he has never been entirely fond of.’ At this Katashi’s previously blanched face heated again slightly, and he opened his mouth again, only to, again, be cut off by the healer.

‘Now, you two will either remove your presences from this room, or I will have someone remove them for you!’ She snapped, her eyes meeting Inu Taisho’s in an almost apologetic and, at the same time, defiant manner, because she knew that she could talk to him like that, threaten him like that, and get away with it. She was here of her own will and could get up and leave at any time, and Inu Taisho would be hard put not to stop her from doing so.

Katashi huffed slightly, then looked at his lord and was surprised to see none of his own indignance reflected on Inu Taisho’s face.

‘Whatever you think is best, Lady Takehiko.’ He said quietly, and she looked hard at him for a moment, before glancing toward the door, indicating they should leave.

‘Take care of my son.’ He said in the same quiet manner that was so foreign to hear-- the tone he hadn’t used since Inuyasha was little more than a pup. ‘Both of them.’ He thought, not daring to say it out loud, knowing it would only further enhance Sesshomaru’s chamber-of-ice attitude for the moment, before turning slowly toward the door, gesturing for Katashi to go out before him (which the councillor seemed to grudgingly do) before moving to follow, pausing when Takehiko started to speak again.

‘And Lord Inu Taisho’ She said, drawing the youkai’s gaze back to her, though she was no longer looking at him, her eyes again focused on the broken hanyou in front of her. ‘I think it would be wise not to reveal all, or perhaps even any of what has happened to Izayoi. As little as possible, at least. I fear the effect of such news would only lead to further trauma for both you and your mate.’

Inu Taisho nodded, forgetting that she could not see him, before casting one final glance at his two sons (who, in less than a few hours time had had their spirits maimed to an almost unrecognisable state), taking in their positions-- Sesshomaru perched on the edge of the bed near Inuyasha’s head, tense, his gaze flickering between Inuyasha and the healer, while his brother lay limp and unaware beside him, looking incredibly fragile in that moment, and Inu Taisho was overcome by a sudden urge to pick up his youngest and cradle him to his chest as though he were an infant again.

He suppressed it, shaking his head roughly, before turning away again, leaving the healer to do her work as he exited the room, gently shutting the door behind him.

End ~*~

Glossary

Inu Taisho - Sesshomaru’s and Inuyasha’s father (and, yet again, it means something like Lord of the dogs)

Izayoi - Inuyasha’s mother

Koi - Means several things (including carp) but in this case I’m using it by it’s most common use “love”. After all, it would be very disrespectful if Izayoi called her mate “carp” don’t ya think?

Youkai - Demon

Hanyou - Half-demon

Takehiko - Another of my made up characters. She is a dog demon, and her name means “Healthy wise child” or “Brave wise child”.

Hakama - A type of Japanese Pants

Yukata - A light summer Kimono or a bathrobe. ~*~  

A\N: Also, to those people who like AMV’s, this one’s pretty cool I think-- It plays to “lies” by Evanescence (of course) and I think it’s kinda cool.

http://video.freevideoblog.com/player.aspx?fileid=5A46FDB5-6B2F-4F F2-95EB-9E4EC6AE0FD2&pl=wm