Sesshomaru, poised at the apex of his father's tomb, let out a shallow sigh. He had been standing motionless, deep in thought, for what felt like hours. For all anyone could attest it may have even been days. The winds, often howling and forceful, had been reduced to a mewl of a breeze; as if the very forces of nature were too cowardly to disturb the powerful youkai from his meditation. His hair and fur adornment fluttered gently before settling against him once again, but he remained unchanged by his surroundings.
Before he had arrived at the final resting place of Inutaisho, Sesshomaru had been traveling through the Southern Region, Rin, Ah-un and Jaken following him closely in what could be called the oddest procession to exist. It was at this time Rin spoke, which resulted in Sesshomaru visibly bristling and a flustered Jaken chastising her for speaking out of turn, with such a delicate matter as well. Jaken admonished Rin, reminding her of previous lectures on etiquette but was cut off by Sesshomaru's low rumble of a voice, informing Jaken to guard his ward while he was absent.
"My-My Lord! For what reason are you taking your leave?" the imp inquired, his face stretched into a groveling smile. He was given no answer, as Sesshomaru had already departed. Turning towards the child in question he began to wave his arms in anger, shouting indignantly, "Rin! This is all your doing! you have angered Lord Sesshomaru with your insolent questions. What right do you have to ask his lordship of his family relations? And to speak that half-breed's name aloud in his presence?! Why! Why you!"
The toad looked as if he were going to suffer from combustion, hopping and waving his arms in what Rin thought was nothing more than a glorified tantrum. She opened her mouth now for the second time, shrugging her shoulders as she addressed her guardian. "Lord Sesshomaru doesn't have any other family, does he? I was only curious. If I knew I had a brother alive, I would want to be with him. I would want to be with my family."
Jaken sputtered, almost foaming at the mouth now with unnecessary rage. "Rin you foolish girl! To accept that disgusting half breed as kin would mean that Lord Sesshomaru would also have to accept him an his equal! How dare you even consider he do such a heinous act?!"
Rin smiled now, deciding to be amused at Jaken's anger instead of offended by his insults. She knew Lord Sesshomaru would return to them in time, and had little worry towards his impending disposition.
Many years ago, when Sesshomaru was a younger youkai, he recalled an encounter with a human woman, and much to his chagrin he felt his young acolyte's words brought that encounter back in full color. "You sir, please! Please, I beg of you, please hear me!" The familiar woman had pleaded with his back as he walked away from her, but she would not be dissuaded from her task. "Inutaisho spoke of your strength and brilliance. He said you would grow to be more powerful than himself, if you allowed yourself to grow."
At the mention of his father's name Sesshomaru reeled back towards her, his eyes narrowing with a growing disdain for the woman. He could smell his father faintly on her skin, and knew who she was in regards to him. Inutaisho was not a prolific womanizer, but he did have his, Sesshomaru internally wretched, tastes. His disgust was interrupted, no inflamed, by the sound he heard next.
The woman turned her head down, breaking eye contact as she shushed the fussing infant in her arms, rocking him gently before again returning to his gaze. Swallowing hard, she spoke.
"Please, Lord Sesshomaru, you are his only remaining family aside from myself, and I fear I will not be able to protect him from this dangerous, hateful world." Her eyes grew damp as she pushed onward, daring to take a step forward, closer to the raging beast in front of her. "Please, you can help him become strong. You can teach him in ways I never can, Inutaisho said-"
"Silence." The youkai spoke, his ice words sending physical chills down the woman's spine. "I do not care for what my father said. You and that mutt are nothing to me. It is only in respect towards my father that I do not kill you where you stand." To emphasize he flashed his fangs. But even then, the woman persisted.
"How can you hate a child you have never met? How can you wish death upon your own flesh and blood-" Sesshomaru released and audible growl, and still she maintained, "By denying him you are cursing him to a life of loneliness. He is Inutaisho's son," She dared another step closer, her voice rising in her own anger, "He is your Brother!"
Sesshomaru bounded back from the human's form, lest he strike her and make himself a liar. He opened his mouth to deny her claims, but she continued.
"Lord Sesshomaru," She spoke in hushed tones now, recognizing his reaction for what it was, "You are Inutaisho's heir. Inutaisho also recognized InuYasha as his heir, and he had planned for both of you to succeed him. To deny InuYasha is to deny your father's will." She reasoned, but it was no use. Sesshomaru cooled, and turned again from her.
"So be it." He dismissed her, and she disappeared into the distance as he left her, and his memories, to return to the present.
"Lord Sesshomaru, if InuYasha is you brother, why do you hate him? Did he hurt you?"
Sesshomaru felt his nostrils flare slightly, mulling over Rin's unknowingly perceptive questions. He could not deny himself the laws of her truths. Rin reasoned that hate would come from an initial offense, but could she understand the offense of just existing?
Hours passed.
No, Sesshomaru decided, she would not understand. Rin's past as an orphan would indefinitely sway her towards empathy for being born an unwanted soul. She could not comprehend the dishonor his very existence brought onto the Inu Daiyoukai clan.
The sun did not set in his father's tomb, instead rotating near the horizon constantly. Sesshomaru was not quite certain time move the same here as it did on the earthly plane, nor did he dwell on the thought.
However aside from himself and his mother, InuYasha was the only other living carrier of Inu Daiyoukai blood, despite its dilution. Rin would question who in fact was actually being dishonored. She would point out how small the clan was, unaware of that it was obvious to him as well. She would wonder what his mother thought. She would not understand that his relationship with his mother was not like a human's, that he did not seek his mother's approval as a human son would.
Again the wind kicked up, this time from the east. As if gaining courage from his lack of reaction, the tentative breeze strengthened into a gust, pushing Sesshomaru's hair forward, trailing in front of him in wild tendrils. Sesshomaru knew Rin would point out that he wasn't making sense. She would state that if he did not care if his mother felt sullied by a hanyou in the family, then the only ones left to care would be InuYasha and himself. She would wonder if InuYasha would feel slandered by his own existence, if not in so many words. The infallible logic of a young girl would find the flaw in all of his reasoning, as an observant Rin could quickly pick apart the web of thought he had subscribed to for the decades InuYasha had lived. She would pierce to the core of his feelings, if one could call them such, and reveal it was his personal pride that fueled his disdain for his half brother. And yet, she would wonder why it would hurt his pride in the first place. His pride, and thirst for power. Inutaisho threw his power away when he died for that human woman. He disregarded Sesshomaru's request for his demon swords. He died in battle with a human, and despite injury Sesshomaru knew his father could have been victorious if he had not been distracted by the weakness that was his love for a human.
Rin would not say it out loud, but she would wonder how his father's love was any different than his own for her, and thus his father's weakness be his own.
Rin would give him existential headaches for a century, without even being there to deliver the other side of the debate. Her unfaltering pure heart had truly infected Sesshomaru's mind, but he did not think to rid himself of her. He could not, and this was his flaw. His one imperfection, truly mirroring his father. Was he to die in defense of a human as well? would that human be Rin?
And yet there she was again in his ear, reminding him that Inutaisho was alone in his efforts to protect InuYasha's mother, and InuYasha had grown to be a formidable force. Even as a hanyou. Sesshomaru could no longer tell if it was himself or the child impersonating his conscience who was scheming, but he did know where it was going, and again he felt his pride bristle at the thought of considering InuYasha assisting him in anyway. But the point remained, and was becoming more valid as time passed.
InuYasha was on edge. Everyone was. The New Moon had their party residing in one of the many abandoned shacks along the western region; a side effect of the many warring factions of Japan. Kagome stood, her disposition that day having been rather foul, and announced she was going out to the stream to get some fresh air. Inuyasha began to protest, but quickly relented when met with the woman's icy glare. Miroku sighed.
"It is impolite to remark on a lady's scent, InuYasha. We are all adults here, let Kagome endure her cycle in peace." InuYasha reddened, but said nothing in his defense. Shippo spoke instead.
"Even I knew why she smelled like blood InuYasha, this isn't the first time." He shrugged his little shoulders before continuing, "It's not necessary to point it out every time, no wonder Kagome is mad at you."
At this InuYasha raised his fist to hit Shippo, but was interrupted by Sango, who surprisingly grabbed InuYasha's clenched hand and gently lowered it. "InuYasha, we know you were merely concerned. Your demon senses had also been weakening as the New Moon got closer, which could have been distracting you from Kagome's plight. The best thing you can do is apologize. The cycle is every woman's burden, and it is nothing that Kagome should feel embarrassed about. I'm afraid your acknowledgement of the change has made her feel self conscious."
Miroku, Shippo and InuYasha all stalled for a moment, reflecting on the wisdom Sango had dropped upon them, until finally the temporary human scoffed.
"You sound like a mother." he remarked, before relaxing his fist and using Sango's hand to pull himself up. Patting her on the shoulder, InuYasha turned and left the hut.
"He didn't fight." Shippo commented.
Miroku nodded. "Good work Sango, I couldn't have done better myself."
Sango smiled, returning to her seat next to Shippo and Kirara.
"No, you couldn't."
Kagome stiffened and relaxed her toes in the icy brook. The moss covered rock she sat upon was cold, but cushiony; Decidedly more comfortable than sitting around with InuYasha sniffing at her. Kagome knew she was exaggerating, but her frustration and physical discomfort was better soothed with anger than reason.
A mute awareness made her glance up, and she gasped audibly.
"Sesshomaru! What art you doing here?"
Sesshomaru approached the miko with a calm equilibrium. His poise was regal, but without posturing. As the woman raised her eyes to him, she voices her dismay for his presence; For a reason Sesshomaru felt he had not thought through to it's fullest extent, but felt he could identify it well enough, the Daiyoukai was not perturbed. No, it was the smell that caught him off guard, and though he recognized it it took him a moment to remember what it was. At realization, he covered his nose with his sleeve.
Kagome pounded her fist in the water, sending a splash that glistened in the light of the milky way. She huffed, thinking to stand, but deciding against the cramps it would bring. Instead she raised her voice.
"Really?! Fine, Okay! Yes, I'm bleeding." She waved her hands above her, before bringing them to her ankles, fingertips dangling in the water as she leaned forward, another wave of pain being summoned by her anger. "Big dumb deal! It's what girls do! Hell, that little girl you keep with you is going to do it too, so you better get used to it buddy." At this, Kagome rested her cheek on her knees, looking Sesshomaru strait in the eyes.
The outburst was unexpected, and could have almost been poorly received if the woman had not mentioned Rin's inevitable fate. Sesshomaru could hear her laughing voice rejoice at the idea of having someone who knew the maiden trials lead her through. He kept his face covered, but was clear to understand. "I did not come with any intention to fight. InuYasha is approaching; I wish to speak with him."
"Kagome!" As if on cue the hanyou bound out of the opposing treeline, splashing into the stream to strand between the two. He knew he would smell like fear, one of his worst nightmares coming to reality. Without his Tessaiga, he could not protect Kagome.
Sesshomaru saw the calculation in his younger brother's eyes, and could smell the adrenaline leaking from him, almost completely overpowering his companion's scent. The weakened hanyou would do something rash very soon, and Sesshomaru did not know how to intervene. Rin would suggest the truth.
"Calm yourself, InuYasha. I am not here to harm you, or your miko." The human girl tensed, reddening. She opened her mouth as if to correct him, but he did not give her time. "My human ward, I want to you to protect her."
"What the hell are you talking about?" InuYasha crossed his arms, but his guard was not down. "Why would we watch your little brat?" Kagome relaxed her tension, the string of her open heart being plucked by a sense of intuition. she grabbed the damp pant leg of her defender's sashinuki, communicating with her eyes that he should listen. His was response was a distrusting glace at the Daiyoukai, but he remained silent.
"Our father died protecting your mother, InuYasha. I found that act to be proof of his weakness." Sesshomaru paused, lowering his arm, and slowly stepping forward. "But I have come to learn it to be untrue. Our father died because he was alone in protecting Lady Izayoi."
The respectful addressing of InuYasha's mother is what did it, and Kagome found herself springing to her feet, stumbling slightly as they had been frozen numb why she was distracted. Grasping onto InuYasha's arm for support, she proclaimed, "We will protect your ward with our lives. You won't be alone, Sesshomaru." she smiled, feeling euphoric in the face of an event she always dreamed she would witness. Finally, the brothers would unite. Finally, family will overcome all.
InuYasha looked at Kagome in shock and dismay, but the emotions on her face stopped him from opposing. She was so happy; He didn't understand why. In reality, InuYasha could feel himself slipping into shock, the amount of stimuli sending his emotional brain into overdrive. Why is Sesshomaru here? What is he scheming? A quiet hope, almost ignored among the din of his thoughts, had faith this was sincere. InuYasha felt it, but said nothing still. His company waited, the silence hung heavy in the night air. Finally, he spoke.
"I don't know what you're on about. I don't trust you. But I won't let your brat die if I can help it." He felt Kagome's hand squeeze his bicep gently, her cheek resting against his shoulder in approval.
As Sesshomaru nodded and turned to leave, the hanyou addressed his brother a final time. "Hey Sesshomaru.",the Daiyoukai turned, and InuYasha continued, his voice quieter.
"Kagome. Protect Kagome." he heard a soft gasp to his left.
Sesshomaru glanced at the miko, then returned his gaze and nodded, before fading into the shadows of the woods.