InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ What Matters the Most ❯ Are you for Real? ( Chapter 67 )

A/N: Well, I wasn’t sure if I was gonna do what I did in this chapter before, but I saw the 4th Inuyasha movie for the first time last night and it put me in a pissy mood, so I, in turn, seem to have decided to take that out on the characters in the story.

Inuyasha (Stupid baka!-- and yes, before you ask, I am shouting at a fictional person!) decided he didn’t want to cooperate with me at all in this chapter though and be nearly as traumatized as I was attempting to make him, and in return he went and messed up everybody else. *shakes head* I’m gonna have to have a long talk with Rumiko Takahashi sometime about making her characters a little less difficult to work with.

Anyway, I’m still in a rather cranky mood, so I’m gonna shut up now before I really begin to rant. ^_^   ~*~   Are You for Real?

‘Sesshomaru.’

It was soft-- barely more than a cracked whisper that was all but lost in the surrounding air-- but Sesshomaru heard it nonetheless. And it was enough to make his head snap up in surprise.

The gathering of miasma around them had alerted both him and Inu Taisho of the fact that Naraku’s presence was, indeed, near and that the bastard kumo was likely coming out to meet them, and thus both of the inu’s had agreed that it would be best to return to their humanoid form so that they might be able to better “discuss” whatever... negotiations Naraku might have planned to propose.

However, because he was in such a vulnerable state when he was caught between the two forms of himself and all his senses became all but obsolete during that time, he had not been able to scent the faint traces of Inuyasha that had appeared on the air, and he had simply assumed that Naraku had arrived alone.

He had not expected the kumo to show up with his mate like this.

Or... at least... whatever was left of him.

Because the creature standing so solemnly before him now... he could barely recognise as living, let alone confirm to be his own brother and mate.

Inuyasha was skinny. Well, maybe that was a bit of an understatement, but it was the only word that Sesshomaru could think of to describe the incredible thinness of the boy before him. Inuyasha’s body was shallow and concave-- full of dips and hollows where none had been or should have been present-- and his very flesh seemed to cling to his bones in a way that suggested there was nothing else underneath to hold it on.

His arms and legs were little more than sticks, and the latter were trembling and swaying in a way that was almost violent from their valiant effort to support the boy’s body weight. Or rather, lack thereof.

All in all, it seemed to Sesshomaru that the tiniest wisp of a breeze would be enough to knock Inuyasha clean off his feet, and a full-fledged one might carry the half-demon away entirely.

And yet, somehow, despite these waiffish qualities, that wasn’t the worst of it. No. Starvation, Sesshomaru knew Inuyasha could handle. They had both gone without food and water for much longer periods of time than this before-- both out of training and because there simply was not a choice. So, while he was certainly concerned about his brother’s condition, this was not what worried him.

What worried him was the scent of miasma that was covering his brother-- seemingly leaking out of every one of his pores, and tainting the air with every breath he released as though trapped within his very lungs. What worried him was the dirt and the blood and the filth and the semen that clung to absolutely every inch of Inuyasha’s body-- from the very tips of his battered and bruised feet, all the way up and into his haggard and mangled hair that hung limply about his frame, completely devoid now of any of the lustre or shine it had possessed before.

What worried him were the deep, sunken, shadowed pools of dulled golden nothingness that were currently staring waveringly at him. Inuyasha’s eyes were... voids. That was the only way to describe them. Blank, empty and looking more like they were staring through him, rather than at him.

And this, Sesshomaru realised with a start, was what he had expected to see in Inuyasha the first time his little brother had encountered Naraku.

These smothered, fathomless pits that held captive inside them only the very scattered remnants of his brother’s soul.

There was nothing left there-- only the barest glimmers of fire and hope existed, and they were buried near the very bottom-- kept alive clearly only by Inuyasha’s own will to remain alive, which had, somehow, stayed alive throughout this entire thing. It was quite obvious, however, that this was starting to fade away as well.

And he could feel his breath catch sharply in his throat in his shock at the sight before him, even as within him his youki keened softly-- crying out towards his unanswering mate, trying to find out if it’s mate was still alright...

It was about this time that Naraku, who had been drawling on in the background with his father about some vague topic finally seemed to decide it was time to take notice of Sesshomaru as well, and he turned toward the inu demon-- his crimson eyes glittering malevolently and a cruel smirk twisting his features as he spoke.

‘Is something the matter, Lord Sesshomaru?’ The hanyou question, mock-concern lacing his every word as the very sound of his voice made Sesshomaru’s hackles rise. ‘You do not seem pleased at the sight of your... mate.’

Sesshomaru’s eyes flashed crimson as they flickered toward the kumo, but a low growl was all he bothered to spare the demon with, before his full attention was again drawn back to his little brother.

Within him, his youki was in a most frantic state-- twisting and thrashing in it’s panic to evoke a reaction from Inuyasha’s own youki, but getting nothing more than the barest shifts from his mate in answer.

‘Perhaps,’ Naraku said, amusement obvious in his voice at Sesshomaru’s clear devastation, even as one of his hands came up to take hold of Inuyasha’s hair-- pulling his head back by his silver tresses until it was lolling awkwardly against his shoulder. And Sesshomaru did not miss the spark of pain and fear that flared to life in Inuyasha’s eyes at this act-- nor the sudden pulse of demonic energy that swelled to life at the motion, centring somewhere around the boy’s neck.

Sesshomaru’s eyes slid down to the pale column of flesh-- focusing in on the raw, and all but rotted skin that now covered it-- before moving to fixate on the large, black band there, digging tightly into Inuyasha’s flesh and rubbing it raw... And he felt rage flash through him as he realised two things.

One, Inuyasha had been collared. Collared and leashed, as if he were no more than a common mutt!

And two, this horribly degrading piece of neckwear also happened to be, not only where the chain that bound him to Naraku was attached, but where the strange, malevolent aura was being released from.

His eyes narrowed as he stared at the band, trying to determine exactly why it was he was feeling such a strange presence from it, when Naraku’s voice again cut him off.

‘-- Would you like a closer look?’

The question was low, and uttered as though the kumo had been finishing a sentence. However, whatever the hell it was that the bastard had been saying before was completely lost on Sesshomaru.

Apparently it did not matter much, because the next second Naraku’s hands began to move-- sliding up Inuyasha’s body in a slow, sensuous, and all around vulgar glide that made Inuyasha shudder in revulsion, and Sesshomaru’s eyes bleed sporadically to red, poison hissing from under his nails despite himself. All it earned them was a small, deep chuckle from the spider, and those hands continuing to move up; stopping when they reached his neck, Naraku brushed his fingers against the black band there, before moving around-- unhooking the chain that bound Inuyasha and allowing it to fall to the ground like a boneless, metal snake.

Inuyasha blinked slowly in confusion at the sound of the chain rattling despite his lack of mobility, and, despite his currently arched neck that had his face tilted skyward, attempting to glance at the group of metal links.

He was not given much opportunity to do so, however, because the next second Naraku’s hands slid around his back-- one moving to collide harshly with him directly between the shoulderblades, sending him spiralling forward with a small cry of surprise.

Not expecting the sudden assault on his being, Inuyasha fell blindly forward-- his feet catching in the chain and making him stumble even worse as the ground rushed up to meet him. It did not get the chance to connect, however, because in an instant Sesshomaru was there-- strong arms wrapping around him and saving him from the fall, before drawing him back-- away from Naraku and up against the strong, familiar chest of his brother.

A strange wave of familiarity and comfort swept through Inuyasha’s entire being-- shaking him to the core and sending warmth spiralling through him-- momentarily shocking him after living for so long with the ice that had filled him. It was enough to even get his otherwise dormant youki’s attention, and make his eyes go wide with the emotions attempting to flood through him.

Yet, despite that-- despite the love and belonging he could feel while in his brother’s embrace-- he still remained rigid and tense against him.

And there were a variety of reasons for that.

The first of which, Naraku was still standing maybe ten feet behind him, and was very much a threat to them both at the moment.

The second... after everything he had experienced with Naraku... he was having a very hard time handling being touched. Even like this. Even by Sesshomaru. It was sending spikes of fear racing through him, and made him want to squirm and pull away, though he knew he was far too weak to actually accomplish anything in the effort, and that he had no real reason to even attempt it. His mind refused to accept that, and thus he remained as taut as a bowstring in his mate’s embrace.

The third reason... he didn’t know if this was real.

During the last little while the hallucinations he had been experiencing had been getting worse and more frequent, and he found he was having a hard time distinguishing them from reality.

And he hated it, because whenever he had one with Sesshomaru in it, it almost always ended up with Naraku tearing him away, or Sesshomaru rejecting him.

And... he didn’t think he could handle that anymore. His youki had even begun to give up on it, tired of getting all worked up and wasting precious energy on a mate that was not truly there.

Yet this felt... different from the hallucinations somehow.

It felt real if he dared to put a name to it.

And he wasn’t sure if that frightened him more than if it had just been another dream.

Still, he needed to know-- he had to find out what this actually was. If he was still in the world of his miserable, hopeless reality, or if his mind was trying to suck him down again.

‘S... Sesshomaru?’ Inuyasha whispered, his throat scraping almost painfully against each and every syllable as he remained tense and unyielding in his brother’s grip-- choosing to ignore the other two beings there for the time being.

‘I’m here, Inuyasha.’ Was murmured softly somewhere near his ear, causing the abused appendage to flicker back a little, before flattening completely in his state of desperation.

Inuyasha’s heart pounded madly in his chest-- threatening to break any number of ribs with the force of it’s powerful beats as he felt a small glimmer of hope bubble up inside of him. A hope that, despite it’s faintness, he did not want to disappear again. He needed it. He needed something to help keep him going. Which was why he hesitated before speaking again.

Because the response... could very well snuff out that small spark within him. It could turn this all into a dream, from which he would then wake up again. Alone. Frightened. With no one but Naraku, and his missing daughter who may or may not still be hidden somewhere within the castle.

Pausing a moment, Inuyasha sucked back a deep, shuddering breath-- willing some saliva to wet his throat so he might actually be able to say something-- before he spoke again.

‘Are you?’ He asked, so quietly that Sesshomaru had to strain to hear him despite their close proximity. ‘Are you for real?’

Sesshomaru who (in spite of his longing to keep his full attention focused on his mate) had been keeping one of his eyes fixed upon the kumo standing a few feet away, could not help but be startled by this question-- by the broken whisper it was uttered on-- and he did not hesitate to show it in the confused and concerned frown he offered his brother. An action which was completely lost on Inuyasha, who could not see his brother’s face with his own currently buried against the folds of Sesshomaru’s kimono.

‘Of course I am, otouto.’ He murmured, the words feeling heavy against his throat as he leaned down to press his lips against the crown of Inuyasha’s head while trying to ignore the way this small action somehow seemed to both relax Inuyasha, and make him stiffen even more-- instead focusing in on Naraku... and he could not help but wonder why the hanyou was not objecting to this.

After working so hard to steal Inuyasha away from him, Sesshomaru had not expected Naraku to so willingly allow him this close to his mate... Not that he was about to object it, it just seemed... odd to him. And it instantly made him all the more wary of the demon before him.

He was not allowed to focus on this for long, because apparently his statement had been exactly what Inuyasha needed to hear.

The hanyou fell into his brother’s embrace, trembling and whimper and crying softly, and shaking all the while in his efforts not to do any of the former as he buried himself against Sesshomaru-- inhaling deeply of the familiar scent that seemed so foreign to him now in a vague attempt to wash out any traces of Naraku within his nose.

One of his brother’s arms came up to wrap around him-- pulling him closer-- and Inuyasha nestled into the grip, trying to push down the growing, nauseous waves that were racing through him at being held that tight and intimately by anyone, and just focus instead on how safe and comfortable he felt in his brother’s grip.

He thought he might have heard Naraku murmur something, but he couldn’t focus on it. He couldn’t focus on anything but Sesshomaru at the moment-- willing himself to believe that it was alright for him to do so, and that the elder youkai would protect him now. That Naraku wouldn’t touch him again.

Seemingly of their own accord, Inuyasha’s hands came up to trace over Sesshomaru’s shoulders lightly, before slowly beginning to move down-- sliding over his chest and arms and down to hover over his hips for a moment, before one moved up to rest on the flat of his brother’s stomach-- each of the fingers bent slightly and poised so the nails were razoring teasing over the silky fabric separating him from his brother. And it was then that Inuyasha realised with a rather violent start that he had no control over the appendages.

He couldn’t move his arms from where they had poised themselves, nor could he withdraw from Sesshomaru’s unwitting embrace.

Fear and dread reared up almost painfully within Inuyasha as his eyes flew wide open at the unfortunately familiar sensation of having no control over his body even as about his neck, he felt the collar give a rather large pulse of youki, before clamping down tightly around him.

Wrenching his head away from his brother, Inuyasha opened his mouth to say something-- utter some kind of warning and let his mate know of the danger he was in... but he never got the chance, because the moment his mouth opened, the collar tightened to an unbearable level-- choking him and cutting off anything he might have tried to say. The tiny spines lining it’s inner edges stabbed deeply into his flesh, releasing a fresh wave of their toxin inside his body, and all that managed to escape his tortured lips was an agonized keening sound.

And by the time Sesshomaru pulled back to find out what was wrong with his mate, it was far too late.

Blackness clouded around Inuyasha’s vision as the poison worked it’s way through him, and it was all he could do to keep his trembling body standing as the spell of the collar continued to work over him.

Nails stretched and elongated unnaturally from the hand still poised against Sesshomaru’s stomach-- pricking through fabric and brushing against flesh before, with one violent, fatal sweep, Inuyasha plunged his hand forward.

Blood gushed over his hand as he tore through fabric and flesh and veins-- burying his fist deeply and unwillingly into his brother’s stomach... hearing and feeling the small gasp that escaped his mate’s lips as it fluttered past his ear-- an answering whimper tearing free from him, before, without consent from his mind, his hand twisted-- slicing against Sesshomaru’s insides-- before yanking it violently out, an agonized scream tearing free from his throat and filling the surrounding area as the blood dripped from his hands-- rising up to match the soft, startled cry of pain Sesshomaru emitted from the action, and the chorus of Narku’s maniacal laughter that moved to surrounded them. ~*~  

Glossary

Kumo - Spider

Inu - Dog

Youki - A demons “spiritual” energy

Hanyou - Half-Demon

Otouto - Little Brother

Youkai - Demon ~*~  

A/N: Well, c’mon, how bad was that? *grimaces* On second thought, don’t tell me. ^_^ Still, hope you all enjoyed the nice little twist at the end... ^_^

Reviewers: Just like to apologize beforehand if I seem a little bit redundant or distracted. It’s only because, at the moment, I am. Nothing personal. ^_^

-Trysted punishment of the Inu - Lol, yeah, Naraku really does need to die sometime soon. Or someone does. My muses are itching to kill someone right now. It’s a little bit scary actually... They’ve become really rather sadistic lately. Moreso than usual, anyway. ^_^ -- Hm. Normal and Inuyasha in the same sentence... now there’s something you don’t see everyday. ^_^ Still, it looks like I’ve given him another dose of mind-fuckery to cope with now, so it might be a while before we see even a glimpse of the old inu in him. You’re right though, he’s gonna need some serious therapy if he ever gets out of this. ^_^ His mating bond better be able to take this. It’s one of the only things that kept him coping the first time around. Hm... okay, now you’re just giving my muses ideas... ^_^ -- Anyway, I, Avarwen, am very glad that you are very glad to see an update. Here’s hoping that this one can make you just as happy. ^_^

-golden_kitsune - Mm. Well, he’s certainly attempting to be rescued, isn’t he? So far though it doesn’t seem to be going too well... So far it doesn’t seem like there’s been a fight or bargaining does there... just a lot of mind-fucking. And as to the rest... well, I really can’t tell ya that. Wouldn’t want to ruin the story for ya, now would I? Although I think it’s safe to say at this point that, before this story is over, someone is gonna die. ^_^

-Mom1/anf600 - Lol, yep, another cliffie. And another and another and another... ^_^ Lol, hope your safety line is good and secure, it looks like a long way down from here. ^_^ Mm, yes, acrophobia, but a love of fanfics that leave you hanging... I know the feeling. ^_^ -- Will inu become pregnant again? Well, that is something we’ll just have to wait and see, won’t we? For sanities sake (or whatever shreds of it he has left) we better keep our fingers crossed that he isn’t. ^_^ And thank you! I am glad that you are enjoying it! ^_^!

-CrimsonInHumanBlood - Eep! *hides under desk* Okay, okay, here, there’s more now!!

-Tai-san - Lol, well I’m glad you liked it anyway. It’s really annoying having to fight with the chapters because they’re being so difficult lately, but I’m glad you enjoyed it anyway. ^_^ Although I wouldn’t be celebrating about the reunion just yet... so far it doesn’t look like things are going their ways, neh? ^_^ -- *grins* I’m glad you like it so much! And I can’t thank you enough either for just taking the time out to read it and review my work! I mean, sure it’s fun to write, but it’s always so much better when I get to hear from you guys too! ^_^ I really appreciate it! ^_^

-Crazy-Inuyasha-Girl - ^_^ Glad you liked it! I’ll try!

-Nikkie23534 - ^_^ I’m glad you enjoyed it so much! ^_^ Lol, naw, Inu Taisho and Sess weren’t being lazy. They just didn’t know where Naraku was, so Inu Taisho forced himself and his son to be rational instead of tearing apart the countryside like we were all silently hoping he would. ^_^ -- Yeah, Naraku really is making a pest out of himself... and it seems to have only gone downhill lately... Still, at least he allowed inu and Sess to have a hug in this chapter... Though it seems he had an ulterior motive, neh? *sighs* why do I torture my fav characters so? ^_^ -- Only when they’re napping, huh? Well then, I shall try and post this when they are napping! (mind you, that’s a little difficult, considering I don’t know when they nap, and we’re probably in different time zones anyway, but I can still make the attempt!) ^_^ Was I anywhere close to successful?

-Fluffymiyster - Yeah, I imagine it would be. It’s a real harsh mind-fuck to make them so confused they can’t tell the difference between what’s real and what’s fake. Still, it would be perfect for Naraku, because it would (eventually) get to the point where Inuyasha would know nothing but him, and he would rely on him to tell him what was real and what was fake. Hm. Funny, because I didn’t even think about that while I was writing it... My muses are cleverer than I thought. ^_^ -- Lol, yeah, Inu Taisho and Sess have finally gotten down there... now if only they could find a way to get out of there with everyone but Nararku intact, things might go a whole lot smoother. So far that plan seems to have lodged itself quite firmly in the gutter. ^_^ Still, I’m glad you enjoyed it! -- Hm... well, no, I didn’t watch it. But that’s alright, cause I have all the movies on DVD, so I’ve already seen it. ^_^ They only play Inuyasha on YTV where I live though, and I think they’ve only gotten around to playing the second Inuyasha movie. Although they did play the first one twice, so that makes up for it. Kinda. Sorta. Not really. I dunno, half of the time YTV seems really far behind from the rest of the world where I live... Anyway, The third movie is definitely the best one. ^_^ Hm. I never really considered the collar and Sounga to be alike. But now that you point it out, maybe they are... And, considering the way this chapter went, maybe it’s even including the violent killing sprees... ^_^

-Caitriona695 - Lol, yeah, poor inu... I guess that’s the price he has to pay for being one of my favs. ^_^ And the mind-fucking seems to just be getting worse and worse... Yeesh, I really am evil, aren’t I? ^_^ -- Mm, yeah, the moonless night is coming up soon, but then I don’t know if that will effect his senses until the actual night it happens. It doesn’t seem to in the anime, at least. Not that he really needs anymore problems like that, considering everything I’m currently putting him through... I’ll be surprised if he makes it out of this fic alive (or at least with his sanity still intact.) I imagine Rumiko would be having a conniption if she could see what I’m doing to her characters. ^_^ -- Well, I’m not entirely certain what paragraph you are talking about, but still, I’m glad that one could have such an effect on you and emphasize those points. Because Inuyasha really doesn’t have anything to rely on right now-- he doesn’t know anything that’s going on or might be happening, he can’t distinguish what’s real from what’s fake, and he doesn’t know when or if he’ll ever see any of his family again. The only constant in his life is Naraku, and that’s really not much of a provider in the means of happiness and hope. -- Hm. Well, my muses weren’t interested in Tsukiko this chapter, but I’ll have a talk with them and see if they feel like doing something about her sometime soon. Hopefully not too soon, mind you, because, as I said, they are feeling a bit sadistic lately, and I don’t want to think about what they could do to little Tsukiko in that time. ^_^ Lol, bribing the muses? Well, you could try, but I don’t know how successful you’d be. They aren’t very cooperative most of the time. ^_^

-coldTenshieyes - Lol, yep, a chapter. ^_^ Lol, well, you don’t have to love it, but it’s still good to know that you do! ^_^ Lol. ^_^ -- I’m glad you liked the chapter! ^_^ I didn’t realize it was any longer than any of the others, but if you say it was, then I guess it was. ^_^ -- Lol, yeah, Inu’s really losing it. That’s to be expected, though, considering everything I’ve put him through? Hallucinations are one of the sideeffects from Depression, dehydration and starvation, so it seemed like it would be a good thing to add in there for both a touch of realism (strange as that may seem) and also as just a good way to mess with him. ^_^ And Naraku is supposed to be confusing in his actions. He’s fucking with inu’s mind. Making him degrade himself and abusing him while at the same time offering up moments of mock-tenderness that Inuyasha can’t help but crave because everything else is simply too much for him to cope with. Not many mind-fucks as effective as that. ^_^ Then again, maybe there is something more behind his actions? Hm... we’ll see, won’t we? -- I do? o.O huh. Well, I didn’t know that I was succeeding in answering all the questions in the writing... huh. Well that’s an interesting revelation for me. Lol, still, that’s a good thing! The easier it is for everybody to have things explained in the actual writing and not the responses, the better off the story is! ^_^ -- Just a weird passing thought? Well that’s alright-- those ones are always the best! ^_^ Hopefully I haven’t gone and muddled everything up for you in my response, because I, personally, am confused as all hell by what I’ve said. ^_^ -- Lol, yeah, the new moon. I realised earlier that I had missed the time when Inuyasha would have had his transformation. From the point when he initially transformed in this story, there were a few weeks and then the babies were born, and then he and Sess had approximately two weeks with the pups before Naraku came and he’s been with Naraku for probably at least a week, so that means that, at the most he’s got one week left until the new moon. At the most. Probably has less than that though. ^_^ -- Yeah, I imagine we’d all be pretty fucked up if we went through what he’s gone through. I’m surprised he’s lasted this long, though. ^_^ Although, now that I think about it, some people don’t really begin experiencing the trauma of events like this until after the fact... so maybe that’s why he’s held on so long. ^_^ -- blabber? Lol, well that’s fine with me. I’m glad it’s fun for you! ^_^ I always seem to ramble when people talk to me, and eventually everyone seems to start rambling back. I love hearing what you have to say! ^_^ Lol, maybe we both need to learn to shut up then, neh? Or maybe the rest of the world just needs to learn to talk more... ^_^ -- Lol, so you read my two threesomes? (that was a weird question... o.O). Lol, I’m glad you enjoyed both of them-- can’t help it, you gotta love it when three of the hottest guys in the anime all get together like that. ^_^ All they need is Miroku or maybe... hm... well, Bankotsu’s pretty good, maybe I should get him in there sometime. He’s the only member of the Band of Seven that didn’t drive me up the wall at least once. ^_^ -- Lol, well you’ve jibber-jabbered and I’ve ranted long enough, so I guess this would be a good place to stop talking (mostly because I’ve run out of things to respond to that you wrote) so... ^_^

-Ms_Sensitive - Well I’m definitely glad that you like the storyline (although most of the credit for that belongs to the author of the challenge), and I appreciate that you’re being honest. Lol, I know the spelling in this story isn’t up to snuff (I really need to start getting into the habit of editing) and it always surprises me when people give me a 10/10 in spelling. I feel half-inclined to go up to them and say something like “Hello? Didn’t you read this? Can’t you see the errors in it?!” I don’t, mind you, but it can be tempting sometimes. ^_^ Don’t worry about offending me, either. I know my writing isn’t perfect and it still needs a lot of work, but I’m content in the knowledge that I’ve come a long way from where I was before, and I’m improving a little bit every time I pick up a pen. ^_^ As you said on “Let the Rain Fall” there are some parts that I tend to drag on a bit longer than is sometimes necessary. And I suppose one of the reasons this story hasn’t been quite as heartfelt recently is my mind has been a bit too distracted to completely give it it’s all. Still, it might take me a few chapters, but I’m going to work a bit harder to try and tug your heartstrings. ^_^ As I said before, I appreciate your honesty, and I’m glad you’re pointing out the things that are bothering you, because, really, I can’t always see where I’m needing improvement, so if nobody tells me, I’ve got no way to fix it. ^_^ Thanks again! ^_^