InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ What Matters the Most ❯ Thanks ( Chapter 40 )

A/N: Hm. I have no idea how I managed to get this chapter out... Oh well. This one, I’m not sure I like the title of, may change it later. There’s no real point behind it other than everyone wants to see Inu Taisho again, so I thought I’d give him this little chapter.

Oh! I should probably tell you that this chapter has some very mild spoilers for the third movie. Actually, it doesn’t really mention all that many things that have to do with the third movie, but one of the “characters” in here is from the third movie, and will likely be appearing in passing again. If you haven’t seen the third movie, though, and don’t want to take the chance that this will spoil some of the things in it (which it likely will) then I would suggest going out and seeing the third movie before continuing. If you have seen the third movie, then go out and see it again, cause it’s really awesome!

Sorry if Inuyasha seems a little OOC in this chappy (though he has a very small part in it) I blame it all on the pregnancy!

-Crazy-Inuyasha-Gril - Will do

-AnimeRainChildOfLove - Lol, yep. Well, she’s just looking out for her sister. Plus, I needed some way to finish off that chapter, didn’t I? ^_^ -- Yep, more WAFF between Inuyasha and Sess. Excuse me well I go puke. ^_^

-eccentrik - Lol, thanks! ^_^ -- I honestly don’t know how many more chapters there are going to be... but I’m a little confused... how is this effecting your paper? ^_^ Hopefully there won’t be all that many more chapters... But I really don’t know... -- Where did I get the idea for this story? Well, mostly it’s based off of these two challenges (one by Inuchanpuppy and the other by I can’t remember their name) that were incredibly similar. I sort of combined them, and then used that as my very vague borderline for this story. Of course, in the one challenge it called for Kagome and Kagura to be the two sisters (which I didn’t like since Kagome’s from the future and I don’t want to mess with that ^_^) and for Sesshomaru to get upset and Inu for some reason and grope Kagura right in front of him, making Inu very upset and he goes running off and gets raped. Well, that wasn’t his plan, but that’s what happened. I didn’t much like those parts, so I bent the rules of the challenge. Cause, as far as I’m concerned, you can only follow a challenge so much before everyone is just writing the exact same story in slightly rearranged words. >_< I like to be unique! ^_^   ~*~   Thanks

Inu Taisho watched his son’s approaching the castle from their spot on the cliff by the ravine-- the place he had watched them argue that fateful night when everything began to spin out of control.

His face was shadowed and darkened in thought as he silently brooded about all he had seen in the past few hours.

Last night had been the new moon.

The point of Inuyasha’s transformation, and the boy’s greatest secret... and weakness-- something they had made certain Inuyasha was aware of and kept to himself.

They weren’t being cruel or ashamed by any means, they were simply trying to protect him.

Because Inu Taisho had seen a hanyou captured by humans on her night of weakness, and she had been slaughtered in a very cruel and degrading manner. And he knew that demons would be much worse.

He had vowed that such a fate would never befall his own son.

And Inuyasha seemed to fully comprehend the implications behind this, and he kept very much to himself on the nights of his transformation.

He did it so well, in fact, that it had been many, many years since the Dog Lord himself had seen his youngest son as a human.

Yet there he was, curled up safely in his brother’s arms, returning to the castle after what had obviously been a very long night together.

It was... strange.

He had hoped for but never actually expected Sesshomaru or Inuyasha to accept his judgement to mate. Or each other, for that matter.

And yet they had and, in doing so, had found yet another way to defy what he had predicted would happen.

Not that he was about to complain.

He was just glad he had never claimed to be a seer.

‘A damn lousy one I would be.’ He thought, snorting at himself in a fairly undignified manner, before turning his attention back toward the window.

This room he currently occupied was raised and built slightly out from the others, making it into a sort of high up, enclosed balcony of sorts that, because of it’s inconvenient positioning in the general lay out of the castle, was not used very often.

Yet it held an excellent view of the grounds, and he could see much of his lands (the one’s that surrounded the castle anyway) from it.

Izayoi’s gardens, for instance, where the wolf-prince and ningen girl had been last night.

And the forest Inuyasha so loved-- the one that stretched out for miles and moved to surround the entire of the castle.

It’s dark and ancient trees made for good protection to ay the least, since most demons could easily get lost and killed inside of them before they ever made it through.

The only creatures that could really get free passage there, offered or not, were the Kodama-- the tree spirits-- who caused no harm anyways, and the shadow demons, but they could not leave the presence of the shadows that they fed upon anyways, or they would meet a quick and untimely death.

Of course, now it seemed that there was a third species that had penetrated the forest and they needed to be wary of: spider.

One half-demon kumo to be exact, that had used the very forests that Inuyasha loved so much to trap him in and humiliate and hurt him in that way.

He clenched his hand at his side, gritting his teeth in anger.

“You could kill him you know.” A deep, falsely soothing voice suddenly said, not quite in his mind, but not quite out either, and it echoed in that way that mind-thoughts always seemed to do. “With me in your possession, Naraku would not stand a chance. He would fall easily.”

Inu Taisho growled, knowing full well who the intruder in his thoughts was.

‘Do not take me for a fool, Sounga. I know the rules of your game far better than you. If and when I defeat Naraku, you know as well as I that I will not use you. And you are in my possession right now.’ He muttered back to the upstart sword, feeling it pulse against it’s resting place upon his back, angrily, but uselessly nonetheless, because Inu Taisho did indeed understand and control the sword. All except it’s voice and over all powers had been subdued. But, while the latter of them had been focused and was now controlled by him, the sword’s voice was impossible to be silenced, and it used that to it’s advantage.

Inu Taisho was also aware of Sesshomaru’s former desire for the sword, but, as with Tetsusaiga, he had refused, though for entirely different reasons than to attempt putting an end to his eldest’s lust for power.

He would never dare to burden anyone with something as dangerous as Sounga-- especially not one of his own sons.

Even one as strong as Sesshomaru would have a hard time mastering Sounga’s power, but it would take even greater strength to survive not being possessed by the blade.

Because, once Sounga’s power was subdued, it’s rage and voice reigned on, and together they made a very dangerous combination, especially since the sword possessed the ability to read it’s wielder’s heart and mind. It was enough to drive even the strongest over the brink of insanity.

Lately, he had been much too distracted to notice it, but usually it would speak up whenever it saw the opportunity to try and lure him into darkness, insanity and bloodlust.

In truth, he was not entirely certain how he had managed to survive the sword’s presence this long.

It was always much easier to bear the sword when he had Tenseiga or Tetsusaiga near him though, and, while giving the swords to his sons had slightly worsened the swords attacks on his mind, it had made them much less frequent since both Tetsusaiga and Tenseiga had grown immensely powerful in his sons’ grasps.

Because of this, whenever the other two swords were a fair distance away, Sounga would begin to rant and taunt him in his mind, trying to make him give in, let his rage consume him and weaken him so that he would be possessed.

That was what Sounga was attempting now, he knew.

But he had played this game with the sword for a long time, and he wasn’t about to give in to it now.

‘What of the boy?’ Sounga murmured as his thoughts turned back toward his sons, and Inu Taisho tensed slightly but waited patiently for the blade to finish it’s rant. ‘What of your hanyou son? The one that kumo attacked? Would you leave him so unjustified as this?’

‘His justification will be served.’ Inu Taisho responded slowly. ‘But not by me. It is up to him first, and then his mate.’

‘Ah yes, his mate.’ The sword responded, it’s tone sickly-sweet and mocking. ‘His own brother no less. Tell me, do you enjoy thinking of them together? Listening to them moan when they are “mating?” Is that why you proposed such a match?’

Inu Taisho kept his thoughts calm and even despite the swords words, knowing that patience and control were the only way to deal with the katana. Rage and despair only fuelled it’s power, and signs of consideration it exploited.

‘I have no such thoughts, Sounga, though it does not surprise me that you would come up with such a thing. I would have thought you more original than that. Especially for one who has the ability to read minds.’

He could feel Sounga trying to come to life-- trying to take over-- and he quickly reached back and suppressed the sword, but not before a faint burning sensation shot up and down his arm as the katana tried to possess him.

He rubbed his arm and grimaced slightly.

He should have known better than to talk to, let alone taunt the blade. It simply was not a smart idea at all.

He was drawn from his thoughts, thankfully, when the door opened slightly and in poked the head of...

‘Inuyasha?’ He questioned, turning more fully toward his son, wondering what he was doing in here of all places.

Inuyasha’s ears twitched at the sound of his voice, and the boy turned tired gold eyes upon him.

‘Ohayo, father.’ He said in a rather sleepy voice, as though he had just woken up after a very short and inadequate sleep (which Inu Taisho supposed he had), and that was more than a little understandable, considering everything.

The boy entered the room, shutting the door softly behind him, before coming to stand next to the dog lord, staring rather blankly out the window.

At his side Tetsusaiga was pulsing rather rapidly, it’s aura rising and growing with every pulse, warding off Sounga, and making the sword hiss as it’s “youki” slipped back and away into the pit of self-made darkness for the time being.

Inu Taisho stared at his son for a moment, confused, and then turned back toward the window.

‘Was there something you wanted, Inuyasha?’ He asked after a minute, glancing sidelong at his son. Inuyasha shook his head and shrugged.

‘No I...’ He trailed off, frowning, uncertain what to say next. ‘Just want wanted to come.’ He finally said, his voice quiet and a small frowned gracing his features as though that was actually what he wanted to say, but didn’t quite think it an adequate enough answer.

Inu Taisho was slightly surprised by it, to say the least, but he did not show it, accepting his son’s reason, having received many answers similar to that from Izayoi on more than one occasion.

‘Alright.’ He said softly, turning back to gaze out the window, not really seeing anything.

It was strange standing there like that.

Inuyasha was never one to spend too much time with any one person in any one place. But now he was here, just... standing, without having been called or requested.

Inu Taisho paused a moment and gave a subtle sniff of the air, slightly surprised that he was actually able to smell the pups already, despite how early in the pregnancy it was (though to a dog, it would likely be nearly half-over). He wasn’t sure how many there were, of course, even a dog’s nose had it’s limits, but the point was that they were making their presences known of their own accord. And that alone was an indication that they were developing healthily.

‘Father...’ Inuyasha said after several long minutes of silence, drawing Inu Taisho’s attention back to him.

‘Yes Inuyasha?’ He asked.

Inuyasha frowned again, still staring out the window, and then shook his head. ‘Never mind.’ He murmured.

‘Alright.’ Inu Taisho said again, a slightly bemused smile tugging at the corners of his lips.

Another long moment of silence fell between them, before Inuyasha suddenly turned and made his way back toward the door, pausing with his hand on the frame to look back at his father.

‘Thanks.’ He said softly, causing Inu Taisho to look back at him over his shoulder, confused.

‘For what?’ He asked softly. Inuyasha stared at him a moment, his ears tilted back a little, clearly not comfortable with this situation but going on with it anyway as he gave an offhanded sort of shrug. ‘Everything.’ He said after a moment, before turning and walking away, shutting the door behind hi,.

Inu Taisho stared after him a moment, and then felt a small smile tugging at his lips.

‘Do itashi mashite, Inuyasha.’ He murmured after his son, before turning back toward the window, watching once again as the world began to come to life under the rays of the rising sun. ~*~

Glossary

Hanyou - Half-Demon

Ningen - Human

Kumo - Spider or cloud. In this case it’s spider.

Katana - Sword (though I think this title only applies to one longer than 16 or 24 inches or something like that...)

Sounga - I’m not sure, I think it’s name means Hell Fang, but I could be wrong. It’s the third sword possessed by Inu Taisho, but, unless you’ve seen the third movie, you likely won’t know anything about it’s existence. The sword is very strong and can easily overpower even some of the strongest youkai. If it possesses a human, it will go on a killing spree until every other mortal is dead. In the third movie it possess first Inuyasha (though he resists somewhat) and then Takemaru. It takes both the strength of Tetsusaiga and Tenseiga to subdue it. It seems to me that a lot of people leave this sword out of or simply forget about it in their stories involving Inu Taisho, though I don’t know why, since it seems like a fairly important part, but I thought I’d include it anyway. Hope I didn‘t ruin it for ya. ^_^

Youki - A Demon’s “spiritual” energy or aura. I’ve been referring to it as “youkai” a lot, but I suppose it doesn’t really matter.

Do itashi mashite - You’re Welcome (at least, I think it means you’re welcome...)

Kodama - This idea was taken from the movie “Princess Mononoke” and, from what I understood in that movie, they were little tiny white tree spirits that communicated by turning their heads to the side, and then letting them snap back with rather odd and annoying rattling noises.