Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha and sadly enough not Sesshoumaru. If I did, I wouldn't be writing fanfics.
Special thanks to Tanith Night for beta-ing this chapter. She is the best. All remaining errors are completely my doing.
Note: Sesshoumaru has both his arms.
"Talk"
Think
"But why wait until tomorrow? We can call Totosai right now." Inuyasha grabbed his phone. "I have his number somewhere. Here it is," Once, twice the phone rang. "Hello Totosai are you there?" Only heavy breathing came as an answer. "Totosai are you there?" Inuyasha yelled through the phone.
"No, I'm not there, I am here. Why are you yelling? I am not deaf you know." Inuyasha controlled himself. This could take a while."Totosai, I want you to make a sword like Tenseiga for me," again the heavy breathing. "Totosai, did you hear me?" Inuyasha tried not to yell. "What do you think I am? I'm not a copy machine, annoying brat." Inuyasha was loosing his patient. "I don't want you to copy Tenseiga, but want one sword like Tenseiga," the breathing became heavier.
"Young insolent brat, I for one won't make an imitation of any sword I made. Who are you?" Inuyasha was taken aback by the question. "Oh sorry, I thought you knew. I am Inuyasha." The heavy breathing was replaced with a deep satisfied sigh. "Inuyasha you say? I can't recall knowing someone called Inuyasha." A distinct sound of water splashing could be heard.
"I am the little brother of Sesshoumaru." He could imagine Totosai scratching his head to remember. "I don't recall lord Sesshoumaru having a little brother. You don't sound like that annoying kappa that is always in his way." Inuyasha sighed. "There was a pesky brat all in red, a hanyou. Oh yes. I do remember you. You are Inuyasha. Why didn't you say so?" Inuyasha decided not to answer. "Ask your brother for Tenseiga if you need it. I've heard that nowadays the two of you are getting along quite well." Inuyasha blushed.
"Eh. I can't ask him. He is dead. That is why I need a sword like Tenseiga to revive him. Tenseiga is lost with him." Inuyasha told him about the circumstances of Sesshoumaru's death.
Totosai scraped audible his head. "I can't help you Inuyasha. A special sword like Tenseiga can only be made once. It was very careless of you to loose it. Are you sure that brat is dead? He is too powerful to die that easy. Besides that, you need a body part to revive him. There is no way you can revive him with nothing to start with." Inuyasha felt his heart break. Totosai was very confident that he could not revive Sesshoumaru.
"If you don't want to help, just say so. Don't make up excuses," Inuyasha all but yelled through the phone. Shippo put his hand on his shoulder to calm him.
"I'm not saying I don't want to help you. I'm saying I can't help you. Are you sure he is dead? I did not sense Tenseiga breaking. So it's still there somewhere." Inuyasha felt a spark of hope bloom in his heart. "Are you saying that if Tenseiga survived the blast, maybe its owner also did?" Totosai sighed.
"No, young fool. That is not what I am saying. I am just stating that Tenseiga is not broken. You could retrieve it, but it won't do you any good. You still need a body to perform." The spark of hope began to fade. "Have you considered the possibility that he doesn't want to be found? Your brother is very unpredictable." Inuyasha sighed discouraged. "You should be happy, that he is out of your way." Inuyasha counted backwards from ten to stay calm.
"Thank you for your help Totosai." Inuyasha ended the call. "The old fart did not help at all." Inuyasha sat down on the bed and looked up at Shippo. "You know magic. Who is the best when it comes to these kinds of things?" Shippo blinked a few times. "Oh…eh…I think eh Totosai is considered the best." Surprise and shock was readable in Inuyasha eyes.
"You got to be kidding. That old fart? There must be someone else who can help us?" Shippo shook his head.
"No, he is the best." Inuyasha fell backwards on the bed, folded his arms over his eyes and groaned.
"I want to be alone." Shippo looked worried at Inuyasha. He did not want to leave him like his, but maybe some rest would help him. Once Shippo was gone Inuyasha jumped out the bed. There was no way he was giving up this easily. He changed and packed a few things. He had a good feeling about this. He would search for the bastard as long as needed. He would travel over the whole world if needed. Hell, he would even travel to the netherworld to get him back and be released of the responsibilities his stuck up brother dumped on him. With that resolve in mind, Inuyasha stepped in the elevator. It swished down. Inuyasha stepped out and marched to the exit.
"And where do you think you are going?" Inuyasha froze. Jaken stepped up in front of him. "Jaken, move out my way." Inuyasha tried to push the imp aside, but surprisingly he did not budge. "First you have to explain yourself." Inuyasha crunched down and looked angrily at Jaken. "I don't have to explain myself." He mocked, imitating his regal brother. Jaken stood his ground and unfazed looked back.
"Okay. ** Hell. If that's what you need to move you miserable excuse for a living being I'll tell you where I'm going. Jeez, you are not my father you know. I'm going to find your stuck up lordliness and bring him back so he can play mister high and mighty again and I won't return unless I find him." Inuyasha saw a spark of hope lit the imp's ugly bulging eyes.
"I can't allow you to leave at this time." Baffled Inuyasha dropped cross-legged on the floor. He ignored the strange looks the people in the reception hall where giving him. "I'm not asking your permission." The sneer in Inuyasha's voice was chilling.
"I won't allow you to leave and destroy all what Lord Sesshoumaru has built. You must finish your job. You have worked hard to maintain the stability in the company, but if you leave now and chase after an impossible goal, you will lose everything. All what Lord Sesshoumaru has worked for will crumble and fall. You will ruin everything." Inuyasha knew Jaken was right, but he desperately needed to find his brother. He could not go on without that stuck up ** making his life miserable.
"I don't care. I am going to search for him." Jaken grabbed Inuyasha by his shoulders and shook him as hard as he could.
"Come to your senses young fool. Your magnificent brother is dead. There is no way you will be able to find him. He is dead. He would kill you if you neglected your duties. You have to attend the board meeting." Inuyasha stood up.
"I don't have to do anything. Just move out my way." Inuyasha pushed the imp aside and walked to the door.
"I always knew you were a coward. Your human mother failed to teach you gratitude and take responsibility." Jaken used the one thing Inuyasha couldn't ignore. Inuyasha slowly turned around. He was now really ** up.
"Leave my mother out of this." The hotel personnel directed the nosy people away from them. "Responsibility? I've done everything what was needed to stabilize his work. His work not mine." Inuyasha bent down a little to look in the eyes of Jaken.
"And I'm grateful he finally after so many ** years accepted me. That is ** why I'm going to search for him. Bring him back for all of you so he can once again play god almighty and you all can grovel at his feet." Inuyasha grabbed Jaken by his shirt and lifted him to eyes level. "I'm doing this for you all. So back off!" Hot tears began to form in Jaken his bulging eyes.
Softly he pleaded to Inuyasha. "Don't you think I want him back? I would go with you this instance, but you can't leave right now. Everything will fall apart. Youkai all over the world will loose their stability. They depend on the Inu clan to live in peace and prosper. If you won't attend the board meeting it would seem like you are not competent to maintain control and are fleeing. The people who are responsible for the death of Lord Sesshoumaru will come out as victors in this battle. Lord Sesshoumaru lost his life and will loose his life work. Those vultures at the board meeting will try to destabilize everything. A battle for dominance will commence. Nobody will win and everyone will loose. The weak and small youkai will loose the most. You can't be so selfish. We are all counting on you. Lord Sesshoumaru counted on you to understand this."
Inuyasha dropped the sobbing imp on the floor. He picked up his backpack and swung it over his shoulders. With measured paces he walked away to the private elevator, stepped in and returned to his duty. He wasn't selfish. Even if he would try he wouldn't be able to ignore the pleading eyes of Jaken, pleading for the lives of so many.
The next day Inuyasha woke up a little late, but it didn't matter. He did not have to do much. All preparations for the board meeting were done. Shippo called to come over, but he declined. He wanted to clear his mind. Jaken came in and out the room and acted like nothing had happened, but when Inuyasha was about to leave to the conference room, he whispered a 'thank you.' Inuyasha nodded, straightened his tie and left.
In front of the mahogany door to the conference room Inuyasha stopped, straightened his tie one more time and opened the door. With a self-assured grin plastered on his face he walked into the room. The room was like the other conference room. One side was all glass. Everyone stopped talking and looked at him. The tense atmosphere was almost thick enough to cut through it.
Inuyasha let his eyes roam over those in attendance. He was happy to see Lady Kartika amongst them. That meant he would have to pay a visit to Sesshoumaru's mother. A part of him was terrified for being forced to bring such painful tidings to a mother. The other part was curious to know who she was.
He walked to the empty seat at the head of the table and sat down. He formally started the meeting. Most of the meeting went fluidly and the tension decreased somewhat. The hard part would be the discussion about the memorial service. With a clear voice Inuyasha reported what had happened on the cruise ship. He left the more personal things out, but everything else, the captain's treachery, the exploding helicopter and the search for Sesshoumaru he truthfully reported to them all.
Lady Kartika glanced at the young collected hanyou next to her. He held his head high, but she could sense the sadness enveloping him. The boy did a good job to assure the stability in the company. "Lord Inuyasha I'm pleased to learn that you have everything under control. Lord Sesshoumaru would be proud of you." Inuyasha thanked Jarukotsu for his kind words.
Lady Kartika also wanted to word her appreciation for his hard work, but she did not get the chance. Rabamaru, the young cat youkai, jumped up. His face was red in anger. "Are you all blind? This hanyou killed lord Sesshoumaru. He is the only one with the opportunity and motive. Why must we all listen to the murderer of our beloved lord Sesshoumaru?"
Inuyasha felt the ire rise in his body. His hands moved to the hilt of Tetsusaiga. He carefully breathed in and out. He shouldn't allow anger to take over. He was now the lord of the West and had responsibility towards almost all living youkai all over the world and their offspring's.
The young cat youkai looked angry at Inuyasha. "Can't deny the accusations, can you?" he said with a sneer. Inuyasha was about to retaliate in his own manner and give the young menace verbally a piece of his mind or physically teach him a valuable lesson, but the approach of a powerful youki interrupted his planned reprimand. Everyone in the room turned towards the door. The door swung open and an ethereal figure strode into the room.
His heart rampaged through his chest and then slowed down. For a second Inuyasha thought his brother had returned. The white long hair, golden eyes, a dark blue crescent moon on the forehead and crimson stripes on the cheeks all were present. Slowly Inuyasha got up and stared at the now motionless female inu youkai. She was beautiful. Her youthful face was expressionless.
Jarukotsu broke the heavy silence. "Lady Taisho, it is a great honor to have you in our midst." He shoved his chair back and walked over to the still impassive female inu youkai. Inuyasha snapped out his daze. She was the mother of Sesshoumaru, the first and only mate of his father. She was breathtaking. It was clear were Sesshoumaru had his good looks from.
Jarukotsu extended a hand towards her. "I offer you my deepest sympathy with the loss of your son." Lady Taisho ignored the male in front of her and turned towards Inuyasha. Inuyasha quickly stepped forward, fell on his knees and bowed deep with his forehead on the floor. He did not dare to say anything.
The youki radiated by the female inu youkai was impressive and dangerous. "Little hanyou stand up." Her voice was a sharp tinkling of bells. Inuyasha fluidly stood up, but kept his eyes cast down. A clawed finger pushed his chin up. Inuyasha looked in the matching golden eyes. "Tell me. How did the taiyoukai of the West meet his demise?"
First Inuyasha offered her his chair, but she refused his chair. Lady Kartika quickly gestured the youkai sitting next to her to move to an empty seat at the end of the table. She took his seat and Lady Taisho sat on Lady Kartika's now empty seat. Inuyasha felt uncomfortable with the powerful and dangerous female youkai next to him. He once again told everything that happened.
The expression of Lady Taisho never changed throughout his recitation. Everyone was quiet when he ended. Inuyasha glanced sideways. Lady Taisho had her eyes closed. The resemblance with her son was disturbing. Sesshoumaru was a tad more beautiful and had twin lines on each cheek, but otherwise they could be twins.
Inuyasha noticed that Rabamaru shifted uncomfortable in his seat. He glared at him. Inuyasha counted the seconds. Within the count of three the cat youkai couldn't control his outburst. "He is responsible for your son's death." He pointed towards Inuyasha. "The hanyou killed Lord Sesshoumaru."
Inuyasha jumped up and draw his sword. Tetsusaiga transformed to the formidable weapon it was. "You **-ing idiot. I'm tired of your stupid accusations. Draw your sword and fight."
Jarukotsu jumped up and stood protectively in front of his son. He tried to calm him. Rabamaru pushed his father aside. "Tell me hanyou. Isn't it very coincidental that after Lord Sesshoumaru appointed you his heir, he dies and surprise, surprise you were also present there at the moment? It is a well known fact that he and you couldn't get along very well and that is an understatement. There was a time you fought each other to kill. You even chopped his arm off. If you not personally killed him, you certainly arranged his death."
Inuyasha growled. "I could never kill my brother or arrange his death. You know nothing about our relationship. If we were such enemies he wouldn't appoint me as his heir. You know nothing." Inuyasha all but yelled at the cat youkai. "I did not ask to be his heir. It was his decision. I don't want anything from him." Inuyasha felt the pain once again erupt in his heart. He did not want to be alone again. He lost his only kin and this idiot tried to blame him.
"Then step back and let us choose someone else." Few of the other youkai backed Rabamaru up. The eagle youkai applauded for him. A few others joined in.
Lady Kartika looked from the all fired up cat youkai to the now deadly calm inu hanyou. Slowly Inuyasha transformed Tetsusaiga back and put it in its sheath. She hoped he would do the right thing. "You are right. I should step back and leave the company in more experienced hands. That would probably the most sensible and easy thing to do. It would take a load off my shoulders." Inuyasha's voice was calm and even. He glanced at Sesshoumaru's mother. She had her eyes open and stared at the centre of the table. "But since he appointed me as his heir I cannot disregard his wishes and just do the best I can."
Lady Kartika applauded for him. "And you did a very good job." Inuyasha accepted the compliment with a slight nod towards her.
"You don't want to step back. Don't pretend you are respecting his wishes. You stay on, for your own good. You planned this. My sister, Lady Larda, told me how you fought on the cruise ship and injured him. When you couldn't win from him in a fair fight you cowardly blew his chopper up. A fine brother you are, but maybe you can't help it, after all your blood is not pure. It is half human." Rabamaru spat the last sentence out like human blood was the foulest thing one could imagine.
"I'm …" Inuyasha stopped talking when Lady Taisho interrupted him. "You were the last one to see my son." She did not ask, but stated it. Inuyasha nevertheless nodded. "You fought and injured him." Inuyasha reluctantly nodded again. "You are still alive so he accepted it was his fault." Inuyasha blush a little and cleared his throat. "Eh yes. We talked and made up." A delicate eyebrow lifted in wonder. "You made up." Lady Taisho repeated thoughtfully. "Little hanyou you did not kill Sesshoumaru. Fulfill your duty. His absence does not release you from the promises you made."
Inuyasha felt relieved. He had thought she would believe the shit Rabamaru was telling, but she was all right. Inuyasha looked challenging at the cat youkai.
Rabamaru was not done yet. "There is not only the question about his involvement in the death of Lord Sesshoumaru, but he also transferred a large amount of money to a bank account in a Swiss bank." Inuyasha did not know what Rabamaru was talking about.
"He is systematically and unexpected cleverly plundering the accounts of almost all the companies he visited."
Lady Taisho glanced from Inuyasha to Rabamaru. "Can you proof these accusations?"
Rabamaru smirked. "Off course we can. Rawan has all the figures." The eagle youkai handed a report to both lady Taisho and Inuyasha.
Inuyasha grabbed the report and glanced through it. He felt a part of him turn cold. Someone was trying to blame him for stealing money. It was cleverly done. The amount was substantial. The money transfer started three days after Sesshoumaru appointed him as his heir. "Rabamaru I for now do not know who is involved in this scheme, but I promise I will find out. Pray you are not one of them." Inuyasha sent a harsh look to the cat youkai.
Rabamaru smirked. "So you want us to believe you are innocent. This is not all the proof we have." Rabamaru gestured to the eagle youkai. Rawan connected his laptop to the beamer and showed a video-footage about Inuyasha entering a Swiss bank, followed by him going in and out rooms, shaking hands with an apparently important bank employee and departing the building with a stupid big grin on his face.
"This does not prove anything." Lady Kartika would not believe that Inuyasha could do something like that.
"No you are right, it does not, but if you add all the facts it is clear that the hanyou is guilty." Rawan spat the vicious words towards Inuyasha.
Inuyasha managed to stay calm. He was wrongly accused, but there was more at stake then only his own hide. "I can prove I was not in Switzerland on the day the video was made."
Rabamaru smirked again. "How? By letting your friends vouch for you? We know that one of your friends has shape-shifting abilities so it would be easy to produce an alibi. No, Lord Inuyasha, you are guilty. You stole from the company and maybe Lord Sesshoumaru found out about it and confronted you with this. He probably granted you the chance to return the money and you killed him." Rabamaru's voice broke. The young cat youkai looked like he could burst into tears any moment.
Lady Taisho listened silently to everything. The hot anger in Inuyasha turned cold. It consumed him from inside. "All your accusations are false and I will prove it." Inuyasha looked in the angry sad eyes of the young cat youkai.
"Try to prove it, but it is clear you have stolen the money for your own gain. Nobody can benefit from the stolen money. Only you can get to the money in that account. You stole from your brother." Rabamaru's voice was getting hysterical high.
"Half brother. The hanyou is my son's half brother." The statement was clear, not accusing, just a plain statement, but it distant him from everyone else in the room. Once again, being a hanyou damaged his credibility.
Jarukotsu looked unsure from Inuyasha, to his son, to Lady Taisho. "I think it would be for the best to ask Lord Inuyasha to step back for a while and let us investigate the accusations and evidence presented. For the time being a team can take care of the company. Lady Taisho, can you agree with me?" Inuyasha glanced at Sesshoumaru's mother. She was most likely not happy with him being a hanyou. If she backed up the motion, it would benefit the ones who were trying to get control of the company, the stability of the company he fought to maintain after the death of Sesshoumaru would collapse. He knew that this was what they wanted and then the culprits would get the chance to take over the company. He could never let that happen. "Lady Taisho has no right to make such decisions. She is not a shareholder in this company."
Lady Kartika gasped in disbelieve. The young lord was playing with his life. "Little hanyou, you are right. I have no share in my son's company. I am not entitled to interfere," Sesshoumaru's mother said with a cold voice.
Inuyasha knew his words must offend her, but he had no choice.
"Maybe not yet Lady Taisho, but you can fight his claim."
Lady Taisho turned her icy gaze towards Jarukotsu. "I know what I can and can not do. I am not ignorant. I will not fight the judgment of my son." She turned her cold gaze to Inuyasha. "Little hanyou, a company as big as this has much to offer. Wealth, power, comfort, but it also comes with hard work, responsibility, strength and endurance. You are appointed to take care of it and the ones depending on it." Inuyasha was glad she would not appose him, for now at least.
With a fierce growl Rabamaru launched himself on Inuyasha. With his chair and all Inuyasha crashed on the ground. Rabamaru jumped up and clawed towards Inuyasha's face. Inuyasha dodged the attack and was also on his feet. "Don't do this. I don't want to kill you." Inuyasha hissed and circled around the young cat youkai.
"Stop this foolishness immediately!" Lady Kartika was fed up with all the negativity. Rabamaru would not back down. "You robbed Lord Sesshoumaru and then you killed him. You have to die!" He jumped towards Inuyasha clawing at his face.
Inuyasha caught with ease the cat youkai's wrists, tackled him and pushed him to the floor. He straddled him and pinned the hands on the floor, making it impossible for the other to fight. Rabamaru trashed in vain. Inuyasha turned towards the table. "I am not going to step down. I have done nothing wrong. Jarukotsu call off your son. I do not want to harm him. Let us solve this in a civilized manner."
The youth under him snarled. "No, I can not allow you to go unpunished. You must pay for killing Lord Sesshoumaru." He trashed more wildly.
Inuyasha had a hard time keeping him in control. He sighed. The brat was annoying and stubborn. He felt a kind of sorry for him. The death of Sesshoumaru really hurt him. Inuyasha leaned down and whispered. "You are not alone." Rabamaru stopped struggling and looked surprised up in Inuyasha's eyes.
Lady Taisho rose elegantly to her feet. She turned towards the door and a powerful youki burst into the room. The door swung open and Inuyasha's heart stopped beating.
"Sesshoumaru," Inuyasha whispered. Inuyasha blinked, blinked and blinked once more. He could not believe his eyes. Sesshoumaru was alive. Everyone was stunned. Sesshoumaru let his eyes fall on Inuyasha. Warmth flashed in the eyes, but the coldness was almost immediate in place again.
"I see you are too pre-occupied with your special friend to greet your brother." Sesshoumaru turned away from him. Inuyasha felt blood rush to his face and jumped off Rabamaru. He had missed the icy cold voice and the cold glare. He was about to rush right into Sesshoumaru's face and give him a piece of his mind, when a soft tingling voice interrupted him.
"Sesshoumaru, you have not lost your peculiarity to play games with other's minds." Her cold and icy voice was slightly amused.
Inuyasha looked amazed from him to her. Her son had returned from death and she showed no happiness. He was definitely a son of her and what did she say? Sesshoumaru was playing a game? She may be amused, but he for one wasn't. His heart had almost shriveled to nothing and here the smug bastard acted like nothing happened. Inuyasha flexed his claws. If Sesshoumaru was playing a game, so could he. The game would be called, 'Kill the smug bastard as slow and painfully you can.' Yeah, that would be a fun game, tearing your traitor of a brother apart piece by piece.
Sesshoumaru scrutinized Inuyasha's face. The boy's face turned from happiness, to a gleeful murderous glare. Sesshoumaru arched a delicate eyebrow. The now sadistic smile on his little brother's face turned into a mock innocent smile. Sesshoumaru glared for a second warningly at Inuyasha, then turned his attention to his mother. "Playing games is more a trait from you." Sesshoumaru looked with cold golden eyes at his mother and walked towards her. Inuyasha was confused. The tension in the air was heavy. Youki flared around the two full blooded inu youkai. Inuyasha was not sure what Sesshoumaru was planning to do. His mother looked calm at her approaching son.
"Are you playing a game, mother?" Lady Taisho smirked calculating. A fang glittered dangerously.
"Life itself is a game, my son. In this particular game I am merely a spectator." Sesshoumaru looked coldly down on his mother. Inuyasha was confused. Was Sesshoumaru accusing his mother for the attempt on his life? Lady Taisho reached up and tucked with an elegant finger a stray strand of hair behind the elfish ear of her son. The coldness in Sesshoumaru's eyes faded away. He turned towards the attendances in the room.
"Inuyasha will stay in charge of the company for now." A shocked silence filled the air. Inuyasha was as shocked as the others. He made a step towards Sesshoumaru.
"But Lord Sesshoumaru we have evidence that Lord Inuyasha has transferred a vast amount of the company's money to his own bank account and we also suspect him to be the one behind the attempt on your life," said Rawan.
Sesshoumaru leisurely turned around and faced Inuyasha once again. The impassive golden eyes began to turn to ice.
"Indeed." The cold low voice was terrifying. Inuyasha faintly shook his head in denial. Youki began to flare around Sesshoumaru. The tips of his platinum hair began to flow in the stirring air. Inuyasha gasped at the irresistible sight. The power sated air was overwhelming. With each step Sesshoumaru made towards him, his heartbeat began to accelerate. Inuyasha reached out to him in a gesture of denial, trust and hope that his brother wouldn't believe the accusations. Sesshoumaru ignored the gesture and kept closing in. Inuyasha stepped backwards until his back hit the wall.
"You can not flee from me, little brother." The voice sent shivers over Inuyasha's back. He closed his eyes to cope with the turmoil of feelings in him. The closeness of his brother was again inflicting all kind of unwanted feelings. He wanted to shout to him that he was innocent. He wanted to yell, that the bastard could not return from the dead and mess up his life again. He wanted to punch him in the face for believing the accusations. He wanted to cry in relief that his annoying brother was alive and well. He wanted to kill him for making him so miserable, but most of all he wanted to run in those arms and…and come home.
"I won't run. It is your call." Sesshoumaru made another step closer. Inuyasha lowered his hand. If Sesshoumaru deemed him guilty it would break his already injured heart. He would not object or deny. He would accept the consequences and disappear from his brother's life.
In the background Rawan kept summing up the 'evidence'.
Sesshoumaru stepped closer. Inuyasha could feel the burning heat from his brother's lean body. His own body wanted to reach out to him. His heartbeat had accelerated to a thundering speed and he had difficulties breathing. Sesshoumaru lowered his head slightly. Inuyasha stopped breathing and his heart came to a screeching stop.
"It's a pity you won't run. I would love a good chase," Sesshoumaru whispered above the lips of Inuyasha. The warm breath gushed over his face. Inuyasha could not think clearly anymore. Sesshoumaru turned away.
Inuyasha's heart was shocked into beating and he forced himself to breath. What was wrong with him? Why was his body always trying to kill him when the bastard was too close to him?
"Rawan the evidence will suffice." Rabamaru glared satisfied at Inuyasha.
Inuyasha felt his heart break. Sesshoumaru believed them. "It would be more convincing if Inuyasha was as stupid as you want me to believe he is. He may be brash, impulsive, ignorant, bad mouthed and more, but he isn't a thief and if he wanted me dead he would try to kill me in a fair fight. My little brother is not capable to premeditate anything that will unnecessarily harm anyone." Inuyasha's heart began to stabilize. Then it accelerated again when he heard the deep alluring voice state. "Inuyasha will never betray me. Those evidences are false."
A shocked silence filled the air. Inuyasha clasped his hand on his chest where his heart was beating wildly. "Sesshoumaru," he whispered. His brother believed in him. Sesshoumaru turned towards him. Cold narrow golden eyes fixed on the huge golden orbs of his little brother. "Thank you," Inuyasha mumbled. Sesshoumaru arched a delicate eyebrow and a faint disdainful smirk graced his lips. Inuyasha blinked in confusion. Why would the bastard be offended by a 'thank you'? "Oh, sorry to offend you lord 'too good for a hanyou's gratitude'. It won't happen again," Inuyasha whispered harshly.
Sesshoumaru grabbed him by his collar and pulled him closer. "You did not offend me. It seems I still have to gain your trust."
A sharp high pinched sound tore through the air and the next moment it seemed like the room exploded. Inuyasha instantly draw Tetsusaiga and Sesshoumaru punched Rawan to the ground when he charged with his sword drawn. Ten to fifteen eagle youkai had crashed through the glass wall. Some of the attendances ran for cover, others drew their swords and some fainted. It took a moment to figure out who the enemy's were and who weren't.
With his back to Sesshoumaru, Inuyasha cut through the charging eagle youkai. The dust they disintegrated into formed a disturbing mist. Sesshoumaru flashed away to defend a few small helpless rabbit youkai. Inuyasha moved towards the shattered windows. The eagle youkai kept coming. As soon as they flew in, they got attacked by both Inuyasha as Lady Taisho. She was standing in front of Lady Kartika and attacked with small energy balls blazing with power. Swaying her arm gracefully around she shot strings of the energy balls from her hands and they exploded on impact. Every energy ball was shot with amazing accuracy and each of them reached their aim. She was a one woman army.
The door swung open and fighting youkai fell into the room. Kouga and his men fought with numerous cat youkai. With the same accuracy as his mother's weapon, the whip of Sesshoumaru flashed through the air killing and wounding the enemy. Rabamaru had his sword in his hand and stood defensively in front of his father. He had a confused look on his face.
Rawan recovered from his daze after he was knocked out by the taiyoukai, grabbed his sword and fiercely joined the fight. When the eagle youkai weren't able to invade the meeting room they bombarded them from outside with energy blasts.
Kouga fought ferociously alongside Inuyasha. Sesshoumaru and his mother hovered outside in the air and systematically eliminated the foe. The culprits were loosing the battle. Almost all of the cat youkai that had invaded the room were wounded or dead. The few remaining eagle youkai outside fled. Lady Taisho swiped with a lighting whip through the air and chased after them.
Rawan shrieked and attacked Inuyasha with renewed energy from behind. Tetsusaiga delved into the side of the attacker, but with Kouga standing that close Inuyasha couldn't sway his sword very well and the cut was deep, but did not cut through. Rawan shrieked again, grabbed Inuyasha by his collar and pulled him up. The wings of the eagle youkai burst through his jacket and they were airborne. Inuyasha tried to sway Tetsaiga again, but was hindered by the hold Rawan had on him. He heard Lady Kartika cry out his name. With a few flaps with the wings they were outside hovering in the sky, much too high to survive the drop. Rawan lowered his head, whispered "farewell," in his perked up ears and released Inuyasha.
For a second Inuyasha dangled in the air, then everything went crazy. The air rushed thundering past his ears. He glanced down to the fast closing in ground. He would not survive the fall. Then he glanced up, trying to catch a last glimpse of his brother.
At first I did not like this chapter, but after I read a few times I could live with it. And yes, I'm once again trying to kill one of the brothers. Sorry, but I can't help it.
Please review.
