Author's Note: A one-shot I threw together in a few hours time. Please ignore grammar and spelling mistakes – I went through this in a hurry.
Inuyasha groaned as he sat out of his hole – Kagome was in a bad mood for some unknown reason and decided, 'hey let's take it out on the innocent hanyou'. He rubbed the side of his head and tried to ignore the disappointed murmurs of Miroku and Sango in the background. They always seemed to be on Kagome's side, no matter what he did.
It always annoyed him when they immediately assumed everything about him. They seemed to forget at every turn that he hadn't been raised with a loving parent – he'd been alone for most of his 200 years, growing up in the forest, away from society. He hadn't had time to learn social niceties, as he'd been a little busy escaping demons out for his blood or deranged brothers claiming him as their kill.
He wasn't stupid, he was stubbornly rude and there was a difference. He hated being expected to know all these things that he had no idea existed. Why bother to eat nicely when another person could come up and take it away at a moment's notice? Why say excuse me to a person you knocked down when you're trying to run away from a demon trying to kill you? Why care about what language you use in front of elders; he'd heard them use it as well. Why coddle children – he knew he'd hated it as a pup, and he doubted children liked being treated like they were babies.
All these strange manners and society norms were strange to him and he never pretended any differently. He saw no use for them, so he ignored them, especially since he expected to be alone again in a few years.
Inuyasha was startled out of his thoughts when he smelt a demon coming up. Sniffing discreetly his eyes widened when he realized that it wasn't one demon – it was two that he knew very well; Kouga and Sesshoumaru heading towards him from opposite directions. Groaning internally he stood still and waited.
Sesshoumaru was the one who arrived first, his face as stoic as it had always been in the past. Inuyasha betted he would be the only one to see the extremely faint lines of stress around his brother's eyes, or the discreet slump to his shoulders. He smirked internally when he heard Miroku and Sango yelp and Kagome screech but didn't turn away from his brother.
Kouga arrived moments later, nearby Sesshoumaru who he gaped at before sweeping into a hasty bow. Sesshoumaru nodded his head back, his narrow gold eyes never leaving Inuyasha's.
"Otouto," he said calmly. "We have business to discuss."
Inuyasha perked up – it had been a long time since Sesshoumaru had ever come to him with business and not threats to kill him. He raised an eyebrow, silently asking Sesshoumaru what kind of business and ignoring the shocked silence behind him.
"War," Sesshoumaru said simply and surprisingly Kouga nodded as well.
"The old dragon soldiers of the previous war are gathering again mutt," he said quickly, not seeing the look Sesshoumaru shot him. "They've been attacking villages in the Northern borders and I'm guessing the Western ones as well," he said with a swift glance at Sesshoumaru who nodded. "I was coming to tell you all to get back to Kaede's village before they could get you – those on guard are telling me some of them are heading to this area."
Inuyasha nodded and before anyone could say anything else Kagome stepped up and said in her high pitched voice, "Then why is Sesshoumaru here?"
"If you waited ningen perhaps you would find out why," Sesshoumaru said, almost irritably. Inuyasha hid a grin and Kagome looked shocked.
"Have you gathered your council?" Inuyasha aimed the question at Sesshoumaru.
His brother scowled and Inuyasha blinked at the breach of the mask. "Yes, but they refuse to see this as a threat."
"What!" Inuyasha yelped, his amber eyes wide. "Rouge soldiers attacking the villages, and they're refusing to see it as a threat? How many have died?!" he demanded.
Sesshoumaru sighed – he knew his foolish younger brother would want to know this. "At least 10 a day, if not more. The remaining civilians were only saved due to the actions of patrolling demons. There have been four attacks each week for the last four weeks."
"And you only inform me now," Inuyasha said angrily, ignoring the shocked look Kagome sent his way. His mind was too busy trying to come up with solutions to this problem.
"Have you identified a leader, or their home base?" he asked quickly. Sesshoumaru shook his head.
"They have announced no leader, and our soldiers were too busy fighting them off to notice which direction they headed when they were done."
Inuyasha swore under his breath, "Is there any idea of where the next attack will be focused, or when it will happen?"
Sesshoumaru shook his head again, "Nothing. We only know that it will happen soon, as the dragons seem to be attacking weekly at least."
"Why have you come to Inuyasha then my lord?" asked Miroku, stepping beside Kagome and giving a half bow to Sesshoumaru. "Surely you have councilors to help you with this?"
Sesshoumaru gave an impatient wave with his hand and Inuyasha understood how much all this attacking was agitating his brother. Sesshoumaru rarely let his emotions breach his mask.
"Otouto has helped me before on attacks," he said quietly. "And as he is my heir, I need him to be informed."
"Your heir!" Sango spoke this time, as she alone had an idea of how important that position was. "Than why do you keep trying to kill him?!"
Sesshoumaru sneered at her, "I do not want Inuyasha to be coddled and foolish like the heirs of the rest of the countries. The Western land is the one that is the most attacked and he will have to be a warrior and a leader. Fighting against me is the best way to train him."
"Did you know of this Inuyasha?" Sango turned to him now, her brown eyes wide.
"Yes," he answered irritably, his mind still on the current problem. "Sesshoumaru let me know so I wouldn't get myself killed doing something stupid and leave him heirless."
"Which you seem to do anyways," Sesshoumaru said curtly. Inuyasha shot him a glare.
"Yes I'm sure it's all my fault I have demons out for my blood, a crazed half-demon who wants to kill me, and a jewel to fight for Aniki," he said sharply. Sesshoumaru snorted, but Inuyasha was relieved to see the subtle lines of tension around his eyes fade and his shoulders relax. Strangely enough his older brother seemed to like it when Inuyasha fought back. They had a strange relationship.
"Wait until the next attack," Inuyasha told Sesshoumaru, "and when you send warriors, send extra ones that can follow the dragons to their home base. I'll be there in a week's time – in the meantime try to get your stupid council to recognize that there are people of the Western lands dying. And if that doesn't work tell them that letting rouge youkai attack us without retaliation will make the Western lands look weak. That should make them get off their asses."
Sesshoumaru nodded thoughtfully, "I had already planned to send extra soldiers for the next attack, but I can see the use in provoking the council. Maybe your plan will work Otouto."
Inuyasha grumbled, "Yea, yea. You keep saying that, and my plans keep working."
Sesshoumaru smirked and nodded his head to Inuyasha, "I shall see you in a week's time. We still have the plans to finish about your coming of age Inuyasha, and do not think that you will get out of it. Plus there is the matter of your mating."
Inuyasha groaned but didn't protest – he knew that he needed to come out and be mated and there was nothing he could do to get out of it. Sesshoumaru smirked again at his little brother's irritation before disappearing into the trees. Kouga stayed for a minute, staring at Inuyasha curiously.
"Why does he call you Otouto?" the wolf asked quietly.
Inuyasha rolled his eyes, "Please tell me you can still use Japanese wolf. Sesshoumaru is my older half brother."
Kouga's eyes widened in surprise and then narrowed and he cocked his head to the side, "Well that explains a lot. I always thought you looked like the old Inu no Taisho, but I thought I was seeing things….."
Inuyasha snorted, "People always seem to say that to me."
Kouga shook his head, "So you're the heir to the Western Lands, huh? I can see they're going downhill now…..what will we do with a mutt like you as the leader of a country?"
Inuyasha was about to snap a sharp retort when he saw the playful look in Kouga's blue eyes. He rolled his own eyes and answered back, "I think we're already down here with a wolf like you as a Lord. Making me a leader will give us a boost and make people forget we have such a mongrel in such a powerful place."
Kouga growled and flung himself at Inuyasha, making the two hit the ground with a loud thump. Inuyasha smirked up at Kouga's angry face, surprised when that made the wolf's anger disappear.
Kouga smirked and moved to whisper in Inuyasha's fluffy ear, "I have been invited to attend your mating ceremony, Inuyasha, so I'll be seeing you there," before disappearing in a whirl of smoke.
Inuyasha stayed on the ground, his eyes wide. If Kouga was attending his mating ceremony that meant Sesshoumaru was considering him as a potential mate for Inuyasha. Groaning he got to his feet. He hoped to Kami that his older brother didn't choose that arrogant wolf as his mate.
When he looked up he was surprised to see his pack frozen behind him, their eyes and mouths round with shock. He shrugged and moved back to the tree he had originally been sitting against when all of this had started and slumped to the ground. He didn't acknowledge his pack when they gathered around him, instead closing his eyes.
"What was all of that about Inuyasha?!" Kagome's voice hurt his ears, especially when she shrieked like that.
"Sesshoumaru came for advice so I helped him out," Inuyasha said calmly, not adding that Sesshoumaru had also come so their fights could relax him a bit. No need for Kagome to know that detail.
"How long have you two held a truce Inuyasha?" Miroku's voice was calm and low, soothing Inuyasha's ears from the attack of Kagome.
"Ever since I first met him after my mother died," Inuyasha said easily. "We fought because he wanted to train me, and he came to tell me about the political situations I needed to know about as his heir. He was pissed at me for a while after getting caught by Kikyou's arrow, which is why we fought so much when Kagome freed me."
"Why did you not tell us?" Sango sounded sad and confused and Inuyasha opened his eyes to look at her.
"I have tried to tell you about myself before, and you haven't listened," he said simply. "And like many of my secrets I didn't want to share it."
"You can't keep everything to yourself Inuyasha," Kagome said condescendingly, making Inuyasha grit his teeth.
"Alright you want to know some of my secrets Kagome?!" he spat out, sick of being told that he could tell them, that they would understand. "I had to kill my first human when I was ten, just after my mother died. I lived alone in the forests my entire life after her death. I have gotten mob beatings regularly until I got sealed by Kikyou, most of them so bad that I wanted to die afterwards. I don't have manners because I never bothered to learn them when I was much more concerned with surviving until the next day. I put up with a snobbish little girl and her lackeys who always seem to side with her no matter how many fucking times I save their lives because I am so desperate for companionship and don't care what abuse I have to go through to get it." He shook his head at their shocked looks and added in, "I don't like getting beaten to the ground every time Kagome feels angry, just like I don't like having people berate me for getting her angry in the first place, when most of the time I didn't do anything. I don't enjoy having to be your protector for nothing in return. I hate being treated like a lap dog. I hate that none of you listen to me when most of the time what I say is in the interest for your protection and safety."
"I tried to tell all of you this, but you refused to listen. Now tell me why I should tell you the rest of my secrets? To a woman who claims to love someone and then pounds them into the ground whenever she's angry? To her friends who titter and natter about I shouldn't have angered the all-mighty Kagome, who must have her every selfish whim considered?"
Shippou, who had been silent, said quietly, "What about me?"
Inuyasha shook his head, "You are being spoiled Shippou, so thoroughly that when you are left alone you won't be able to survive."
"What do you mean left alone?!" Kagome cried angrily, "I'd never leave Shippou alone!"
"But you will," Inuyasha said cruelly. "You will die in 80, 90 years time, or leave before that to go back to your world. Miroku and Sango will die too, and Shippou will live beyond them. He will be alone and he won't be able to survive because he's been taught to expect good food from his provider's and to be protected by me. He'll be a coddled demon and he will die because of it. There is a reason we don't let demon children get raised by humans – they get pampered and then their humans die, leaving them to fend for themselves in a world they know nothing about. Shippou is young enough that if you allow him to be trained his previous spoiled nature will disappear and he will be able to function when you all leave him behind."
There was shocked silence before Shippou jumped from Kagome's shoulder to Inuyasha's lap and curled up there. Inuyasha laid a hand on the red hair and stared down at the fox kit, sighing when he realize that he would have to be the one to train him.
He looked up at the still shocked members of his group before sighing, shaking his head, and closing his eyes, allowing his mind to drift into sleep. Tomorrow things would change, but tonight he would be at peace.
Author's Note: It's slightly weird, but it was an idea that popped into my head. Leave a review or don't, whatever.
New Author's Note (11.12.07): I'm considering trying to make this a multi-chapter fic, so review to let me know if you think that's a good idea or not. It would go more in depth with Inuyasha's mating, the relationship with Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha, the Feudal Era as a whole, and the Dragon soldiers that I randomly inserted in here. The pairing would be Kouga/Inuyasha (as hinted in here).