Chapter 9

InuYasha

"I do not understand why our kind is being destroyed." Touga stated, looking over a scroll sent to the West.

Lord Sesshomaru himself was leaning back in his chair, deep in thought. More reports had come in stating that a village of inu yokai had been found dead, not a single wound on them. Something was killing off his kind, and he had no idea what.

"The West is full of inu yokai." Youta said, looking somewhat confused.

"The West is, but outside of these lands, there are hardly any." Touga explained, sitting down with a sigh. "Especially silver and black inus."

"Black?" Youta asked, his eyes perking up slightly. This caught the silent lord's attention.

"Yes, a black inu hasn't been spotted in about twenty years." The older daiyokai replied, throwing the scroll onto his son's desk, not noticing his grandson's face.

However, the lord did. Youta almost looked excited before his face suddenly turned to worry. It was as if he was deep in thought about a black inu yokai. While silver inus were dying out, the dark inus were even rarer. They were something thought to have gone extinct, but Sesshomaru was starting to believe Youta may have some idea of where one was.

"Youta, have you seen one?" Sesshomaru asked, watching his son's face carefully.

"No." He lied, making his father's eyes narrow.

The smell of said lie was easy enough to scent, and the boy knew that, so why was he covering for this inu yokai? Did he not realize that if he were to speak of its whereabouts, it would instantly be brought here and protected?

Granted, the demon would be mated off and expected to either produce or birth pups and carry on the bloodline, but that was a small price to pay for the royalty it would receive. Sesshomaru knew his son was hiding something, but he decided to wait before calling him out on it. Ultimately, he would get to the bottom of it, and one thing the lord was good at was patience.

"Lord Sesshomaru!" A shrill voice rang out, making all three inus flinch from the squeal.

"Jaken." Sesshomaru acknowledged as he ran into the study.

"I have news! Your brother has been caught on the Western Lands!" The toad yelled.

Instantly, the room was filled with very angry youki, and Youta was confused. He knew he had an uncle and that his father did not particularly like him, but to get this kind of reaction? Just what did his uncle do to piss off his father so badly?

He was just glad his mother wasn't here at the moment. He would never want her around a demon who was so angry, their beast was on the verge of exploding. Looking to his grandfather, he could see the shame and sadness etched on his face and feel it in his aura, just as much as he could feel his father's wrath. Whoever his uncle was, he had done something horrible.

"Bring him to me." Sesshomaru snarled, his hands clenching into fists while Jaken ran from the room in utter fear.

"Son, please don't kill him." Touga begged, knowing that it probably wouldn't do any good. As expected, Sesshomaru turned on his father the very moment he asked.

"He is lucky this one did not kill him when he was banished. He was warned not to return, yet he disobeyed my orders. I will no longer show mercy for your sake!" The lord growled, his eyes warning his father to continue speaking.

Touga just looked away from his son. He knew that this day would come. While he never wanted any harm to come to his youngest, his actions were dishonorable. Had any other been caught doing what he did, they would have had a public hanging. It was only because of his begging that Sesshomaru even allowed his brother to live. Why, InuYasha? Why have you come back?

"I have brought him, milord." Jaken yelled, running back into the study. Shackles could be heard clinking together as the hanyou got closer and closer.

Needless to say, the moment InuYasha entered the room, Youta was shocked. There stood a half-demon, all the way down to the fluffy ears on the top of his head. He wore a bright red outfit, the sleeves so long, they covered the cuffs holding his wrists together.

What caught the young boy's attention more than anything else was the smug look that resided on his uncle's face. It almost looked as if he was happy to be back and chained against his will. Youta instantly knew something wasn't right, and he strained his senses, trying to figure out what it was.

Touga was filled with a deep sorrow at seeing his son treated so. He could only thank the Kami that he was no longer lord, for if he had been, he would not have had the heart to do what was needed. InuYasha would have only gotten a firm scolding and then sent on his way, never truly learning his lesson.

He had made too many excuses for his son as he raised him, and now he was a corrupted demon. Touga wasn't even sure InuYasha could be helped at this point. There was no telling what all his youngest had been up to since he had been banished a hundred years ago.

"Why are you so foolish as to return to my lands, Half-breed?" Sesshomaru asked, calming slightly at the sight of his half-brother chained like the filth he was.

"I wished to warn you of a traitor in your home." InuYasha replied, that arrogant look still on his face.

"Why would this one believe anything you have to say?" Sesshomaru countered, knowing to be wary of this yokai.

He knew better than to trust InuYasha. The boy had already proven he had no honor which meant he would be willing to do anything just to get what he wanted. Sesshomaru was not stupid. His brother's words were most likely false, but he could not ignore a possible threat during this time of war.

"I have no reason to lie. I'm already chained and stuck here, why not give you some information that could help?" InuYasha shrugged before his eyes glanced towards Youta.

"Take your eyes off my son, Filth." Sesshomaru snapped, bringing back InuYasha's attention. "Speak of this traitor."

"The miko you have in your possession. She works for the Eastern Lord." InuYasha stated as if it was common knowledge.

His announcement was met with two feral growls from father and son. Youta was angry. How dare this male tell lies about his mother? She was nothing but loyal, and right now, her loyalty lies with his father. Even if this war was not on their doorstep, she would still belong to the West, simply because her son did.

Sesshomaru was thinking along the same lines. He knew the little miko well enough to know she despised the Eastern Lord. She would never align herself with such a creature. What spiked his attention was the spark of hatred in his brother's eyes. InuYasha knew the miko on a personal level, and Sesshomaru was determined to find out how. If the half-breed touched her the way he touched other females…

"Jaken, bring me the miko." Sesshomaru ordered, never taking his eyes off of his brother.

"Father!" Youta yelled, not understanding why his father suddenly didn't trust his mother.

It wasn't until his father's eyes met his that he understood. Sesshomaru trusted his mother, but he had a different reason for bringing her in. Truthfully, Youta was curious as well. He knew his father had seen something that was worth investigating. It was a tense silence as they waited for Kagome to arrive.

Kagome, on the other hand, was confused. She had been enjoying her bath when Jaken rudely interrupted. Of course, he tried to hide his blush at seeing the woman of his dreams unclothed. At the moment, other matters were more important.

Not even having time to properly dry, the miko threw on her clean kimono and growled when it began sticking to her damp skin. When I see that arrogant lord, I'm going to teach him a lesson for interrupting my bath! Angrily, Kagome stomped towards the study, slamming the door open, and going straight for the one who caused her wrath.

"Listen here, Mister!" She started, making the lord raise an amused eyebrow before his eyes looked over her still-wet form. "There are certain times you don't interrupt a woman, one being when she is bathing! I didn't even have time to dry off!"

"You haven't changed a bit, Kagome." InuYasha cut in, making the woman stiffen instantly.

Sesshomaru, of course, noticed this, as well as the flash of fear in her eyes. Something about that flicker of emotion upset him. Out of the months they had been together, she had never once shown fear. Now, just from hearing his worthless brother's voice, she felt it.

Before anyone even had a chance to say anything, Kagome had grabbed the nearest weapon to her, which happened to be Bakusaiga which was resting on Sesshomaru's hip, turned to the hanyou, and had the sword pressed firmly against his throat.

"Ma!" Youta yelled, standing just as quickly as the others in the study.

"Did I not tell you, the next time I saw you, your head would be mine?" Kagome growled through clenched teeth.

This was a man she had never wanted to see again. After what he did to her…all she wanted was to cut his head from his body. She wanted to watch the light fade from his eyes as she took back everything he had stolen from her.

"Miko, release my sword." Sesshomaru ordered, quite surprised that the little woman could even hold a demon sword.

"Why are you here?" Kagome asked the smirking hanyou, ignoring the others in the room.

"Did you not know? This is my family. The fucking ice prick is my brother and Touga is my father." InuYasha sneered, loving the shocked look on her face.

Catching herself, Kagome pressed down on the hanyou's throat more, watching as blood began to drip down his neck. "I do not care who your family is!" At the thought of family, a thought struck her. If he was here, then so was she. "Where is Kikyou?"

"Are you worried about her? You shouldn't be." InuYasha scoffed, not at all scared of the little woman.

"I do not care what happens to her, but she is not welcome here either." Kagome said before removing the sword from InuYasha's throat. There was no way she could kill him until she knew where her sister was. "Lord Sesshomaru, it would be in your best interest to send out troops to look for this woman. If any ask for a description, she looks like me."

"Who is this woman?" Touga asked, relieved to see the sword away from his son.

"My sister, and yes, she is just as powerful as me." Kagome answered.

At that, Sesshomaru jumped into action. He barked orders to Jaken, making sure the toad knew exactly what to do. He could not have a rogue miko on his lands, especially one tied to his brother. She couldn't be trusted.

Learning this new information made him look at the miko in the room. He truly knew nothing about her, and that wasn't sitting well with him. Of course, he knew she was on his side, but as a lord, he should know everything about a person who was working for him. If not, it could be his downfall.

"Miko, explain how you know this half-breed." Sesshomaru ordered, watching as said miko tensed before turning sad blue eyes to him.

The lord's breath caught at such saddened eyes. No one should ever hold that much pain, especially this woman who always seemed so happy. It made his mind fly back to the words his son had spoken when they first met. "She puts up this front like she is the happiest person on earth, but I see the true her." What was the true miko? Just what was she hiding?

"Ha! This bitch loved me. Of course, she made the mistake of making me fall in love with her, then telling me she was leaving. As if I would allow that." InuYasha laughed.

"What did you do, Half-breed?" Sesshomaru growled, not liking the way it seemed as if the miko withered the more his brother talked.

"Not much. I just showed her who was boss, although she still managed to escape." InuYasha admitted without a care in the world.

"Miko, did he…" Sesshomaru couldn't finish his sentence. He was filled with a sudden rage that he wasn't expecting.

He knew what InuYasha was capable of, just as he knew he had no problem with doing it. InuYasha was willing to prove his dominance in any way. The one thing that calmed Sesshomaru was the reminder that Kagome was a priestess, and a strong one. There was no way she would ever allow InuYasha to touch her like that.

"No. InuYasha, you are not strong enough to even get close to the woman. Her reiki would have purified you instantly." Sesshomaru reminded, his anger calming slightly until InuYasha let out a wicked laugh.

"Tell me, Bastard. Did you know that a miko can bind her reiki to someone? In other words, she gives a piece of herself to that person to make sure no monks or mikos can hurt them, including herself." InuYasha asked, that look of smugness still on his face.

"It doesn't matter what happened." Kagome cut in, her face a perfect emotional mask. "We need to be more focused on Kikyou."

Sesshomaru looked at Kagome for a moment before calling for a guard. After ordering the guard to take InuYasha to the dungeon, he turned back to the small woman who hadn't moved an inch. Her entire body was shaking, and Sesshomaru found he hated the sight.

"Youta, Father, leave." Sesshomaru demanded, not saying another word.

Youta hesitated but, after his grandfather nodded his head, agreed. The two left the study, leaving behind an angry lord and a terrified miko. Sesshomaru watched the woman a bit longer before he felt his heart break.

Everything her actions said told him what he needed to know. InuYasha had not been lying. She had given her reiki to the filth, rendering her unable to protect herself, thus making it possible for InuYasha to dominate her.

"Kagome." Sesshomaru called softly, surprising even himself.

Kagome turned to look at him, her mask gone. Tears were flooding her eyes and threatening to fall, but she was fighting it with everything she had. She didn't want the lord to see her being so weak. She never cried in front of anyone, and damn it, she wasn't about to start now.

"There is nothing to worry about, Lord Sesshomaru. We need to find Kikyou. She could be doing some real damage." Kagome said, hating the way her voice cracked and sounded strained.

Sesshomaru didn't say anything. In truth, he wasn't sure what to do. He had always had a softness for crying females, but he could normally ignore them. This time, however, his entire body was screaming to help her, to comfort her, so he did the only thing he could. He let his instinct take over.

The moment two strong arms wrapped around her, Kagome lost it. She cried for the first time in a hundred years. She cried into the hard, yet soft, chest of the last male she ever thought would comfort her.

She didn't even shed a tear when InuYasha had left her broken and alone. Sure, she had fought against him and had been angry, but she refused to be weak. Now, a hundred years later, she was falling apart while the cold demon lord rumbled in his chest, trying to calm her. It wasn't until a few minutes passed that he finally spoke.

"This one will not ask, for he does not need to. I know perfectly well what InuYasha is capable of. It is, after all, the reason he was banished. However, should the need arise that you wish to speak to someone…I believe…that in a certain way…we can relate."

Kagome pulled away from his tear-soaked chest slightly to look up at the tense lord. She could tell he wasn't used to these kinds of things, but he was trying. She also understood what he was saying.

While he had never been violated, he himself had been forced on a female. He had never wanted to touch her in such a way, but his beast had made him. He was right. In a way, they could relate to each other. She also knew she could trust him. If she chose to confide in him, he would never tell a soul. However…

"I thank you, Lord Sesshomaru. When I am ready, I will remember these words." She whispered, pulling away from him completely and wiping her eyes.

Sesshomaru looked her over for a second longer before nodding. He was pleased with himself for helping her because he had never done so before…with anyone. Normally, he would have been appalled that he had even wanted to comfort the human female, but he hated seeing her upset more than he hated touching her.

"Good. Now go change into your armor and ready yourself, just as I will. We will search for your sister. Then when we return, you will explain to me what you know about my brother, your sister, and the East." Sesshomaru ordered, back to his stoic self.

Kagome smiled at him, knowing she had just seen a side of him no one else had. She felt…lucky, and knew not to take such a thing for granted. Seeing any side of him was a rare thing, and she suddenly became very determined to see more.

"Yes, milord."

-sSs-

It seems as if InuYasha and Kikyou have something more planned. I wonder what it could be. Just a tad bit of awkward fluffiness between the lord and Kagome. Also, the inus dying off will be explained much later in the story. I hope you liked it.

I do not own InuYasha.