The Women We Protect, The Women Who Protect Us
Writhing demon flesh and blood flooded the forest.
Everything is lost there is no use, nothing but pain and despair remains. Nothing left to do but kill.
And kill he did, legions of lesser demons fell before the great dog demons heir.
Inuyasha.
Never resting, sustaining himself on demon flesh Inuyasha slaughtered thousands of demons. This was all he had left.
His claws tore through more and more flesh, he slashed and slashed until a clawed hand grasped his wrist. Thrashing he could still do nothing to weaken the burning grasp on his wrist.
"Inuyasha stop this foolishness," Sesshomaru's cold and familiar voice demanded
And slowly the snarling stopped, the red faded from his eyes and he slumped. Releasing his grip Sesshomaru sat down in front of him, leaning against a tree.
"Ten years you've abandoned your human half, Why?"
"What's it to you." Inuyasha spat, Though they'd grown closer. Especially while Rin lived in Kaede's village they still didn't particularly like each other.
Sesshomaru went quiet, reaching into the bag that hung from Ah Un. From the bag he produced a Sake set and an old bottle of Sake. He set out the two cups and filled them both.
"Rin died." Sesshomaru took a sad sip of Sake
"First it was Kaede, we all saw it coming. But then I just got wrapped up in my life, My friends, my children, Kagome." Inuyasha paused to drink his Sake
"Then all of a sudden, as if overnight. They were all on death's door, and my children had all gone off seeking their own glory, as you left father when you were young" A pointed glare went Sesshomaru's way
"Miroku died first, and Sango couldn't bear to live without him. Then Kagome got sick, she spent 9 moons withering away in pain before she died. Shippo left, saying it was too painful to stay in the Village. And then I was alone, I realized human attachment causes nothing but pain." Inuyasha said wistfully, his head respectfully tilted to the ground.
"It took you this long to realize that."
"If you'd known it all along why'd you even stay with Rin as long as you did?" Asked Inuyasha.
"I loved her." Sesshomaru said bluntly.
"So you'd actually admit to that, never thought the great Sesshomaru could admit to loving a human." Mocked Inuyasha.
"I never fell so sick with grief that I lost control of myself" Sesshomaru shot back.
"Yeah well. . ." Inuyasha trailed off, how could he finish that? You were always stronger than me, you're a heartless bastard? The two brothers sat in silence sipping Sake for a long time.
"Inuyasha, father used to say that Inu men will take two lovers in their lifetime. The woman who will protect us and the woman we will protect."
"Huh" Inuyasha stared blankly.
"My mother was a fierce demon who fought by father's side, Izayoi was the woman who needed him to protect her."
"When Kikyo died she said she'd protect me." Mused Inuyasha.
Sesshomaru sipped his Sake.
"You'd admit to needing protection? That's unlike you Sesshomaru"
Sesshomaru pulled out a feather tipped with green beads "I don't need it, but we don't chose to be surrounded by the wind."
Inuyasha smiled, for the first time in ten years Inuyasha smiled. "Kagome called me dense for not seeing it. I never thought the great Lord Sesshomaru would fall in love with the spawn of his greatest enemy but Kagome saw it. She saw everything."
"Rin saw it too, even before I did"
There was silence, a long silence that lasted until the Sake ran dry.
"I just don't know what to do anymore." Inuyasha admitted weakly.
"I plan to expand my lands, you should do the same Inuyasha. Three heirs, you'll need vast lands to split between them. Not that a Half Demon such as yourself could amass more land than a great demon conqueror like myself." A daring smirk crossed Sesshomaru's face.
"I'll race you, Brother." Inuyasha's smirk mimicked Sesshomaru's
And they each walked off to follow their own paths, a newfound respect forged between the two heir's of The Great Dog Demon.