A/N: Cross-post from AO3. Finally.
Hope you enjoy!
On the hour of the goat, Inuyasha breathed his last.
It was in the cool of the day, in a forest not too far from that human wench's grave. The castle of greedy, sycophantic noblemen had been abandoned when a group of horseback bandits stormed through the entrance and raided their warehouse, but that woman had not been so fortunate. Ill and gravely wounded, she begged Inuyasha to carry on without her. To live for her sake. To stay strong.
It was a shame, then, that naïve little Inuyasha was cornered by low-bred demons and mauled to death. His thin neck was punctured with a serpent's fangs, his back torn by claws, his feet swollen and raw. Give it a few more hours, and he would certainly turn into some animal's meal. The stench of blood was cloying enough to drive any creature insane, and once Sesshomaru left the clearing, Inuyasha would be theirs for the taking.
A fitting end for a half-breed like him, Sesshomaru thought, his cool gaze assessing his younger brother. He stared into Inuyasha' s empty eyes, and his fingers twitched at his sides. It would have been unpleasant to linger, so Sesshomaru, no longer giving his brother a second glance, walked past. Or would have had Inuyasha's hand not grabbed for his ankle. It caught Sesshomaru by mild surprise, and he looked down. Inuyasha's eyes stared aimlessly ahead. His heart was still silent. But his hand was tightening by the second.
It would have been quicker to kick him off, but Inuyasha's blood would have dirtied him. Let the useless sword take care of useless matters, he figured, and he unsheathed Tenseiga. If it could not cut, at least it could pry, and with that in mind he pointed the sword above Inuyasha's small fingers. He hadn't expected Tenseiga to vibrate so violently his hands began to sweat. He looked down at the sword, then at Inuyasha, where unfamiliar ogres with scythes surrounded him. Two of them disregarded him, but one looked at him and snickered, taunting him by stepping on Inuyasha's face.
Rather than the act itself, the implication that he would be bothered by something like that seared his temper, and he mercilessly cut that ogre in two, following suit with the other two. Having lost his patience, he was going to stab this child's hand, but the sudden heartbeat stopped him. Weak but slowly growing bolder Inuyasha's heart pumped, and his body grew warm. The grip on Sesshomaru's ankle relaxed enough that he could finally pull away.
Although out of spite, Sesshomaru brought Inuyasha back to life. Tenseiga could resurrect the dead, he surmised, but it could not take any lives. What a worthless weapon.
He still sheathed it and carefully fastened the sword back on his waist.
Without looking back, Sesshomaru left Inuyasha alone in the forest, just as it had been before he came.
"Lord Sesshomaru?"
"What is it, Jaken?"
"Pardon my insolence, but there is a demon who has been following us for quite some time."
"…I am aware."
"As expected of someone so capable as you—even a lowly demon won't escape your senses! Not that I ever doubted you for a second," Jaken added quickly, wringing his hands. "But we don't know what his intentions are. Shall I deal with him for you? It will take no effort at all to put him in his place."
Sesshomaru stared long enough that Jaken started to sweat uneasily, and once Jaken began sputtering and stuttering apologies, he turned away and continued at his leisurely pace across the open field for Totosai's dwelling. He would rather not waste time standing around when he could have Tetsusaiga by his side, so he simply said, "Inuyasha is not your concern. Should he impose, I will deal with him."
But he hasn't. For the last five years, Inuyasha has kept his distance, hiding in a nearby bush or branch. It was obvious he tracked down Sesshomaru's scent, but maybe because he has never seen a demon like Sesshomaru before—or maybe it was because Sesshomaru was more intimidating than any human he has ever seen before—he was hopeful but cautious. To him. The older brother he never knew, the older brother that would have killed him himself had circumstances been different.
More than twelve cycles, and Inuyasha was still as innocent as a babe. If jeers and assaults didn't wizen him up, when would he learn?
"Forgive me, I didn't realize you knew him," Jaken said. He looked like he wanted to ask about their relationship, but instead he swallowed his curiosity. "Then as my lord wishes, I will leave him be."
And until Sesshomaru would inevitably find out that Tetsusaiga was hidden in Inuyasha's right eye, that would not change.
Inuyasha was nineteen cycles when he loudly announced his departure.
"Yeah, I'm leaving. I'm tired of having this shitbag insult me all the time!" He rudely pointed at Sesshomaru, who all but ignored him. "Guy can't even tie his own bootstraps without help and yet he's calling me the useless trash. Well guess what. I'm going to become a full-fledged demon, and the first thing I'll do when I get there is kick your prissy ass and take my sword back!"
Jaken balked, his cheeks red with fury. "How—how dare you! After Lord Sesshomaru was gracious enough to take a filthy half-breed like you in—"
"And you." Inuyasha's claws sunk into Jaken's skull, and Jaken yelped. "Don't think I'll forget about that cliff stunt anytime soon. When I get that Shikon Jewel, you'd better pray that I don't mop the floor with you."
"Enough." After five minutes of another one of Inuyasha's seething tirades, Sesshomaru considered him. "Do as you wish. But know that whatever mess you find yourself in is yours to clean."
"I'll bet." Releasing Jaken, Inuyasha stomped away, all the way past a certain village hosting a certain priestess.
After watching his retreating back, Sesshomaru silently followed.