Author's note: So, I was planning to update last week, but since I had a japanese exam, I decided to study instead. Here's two episodes in one in compensation! Thank you for your support!
The general of the West's firstborn looked for any trail, no matter how weak, in a considerable zone for hours, until a scent, a human and shiroinu mix, reached his nose.
Following it with the setting sun, Sesshoumaru reached a valley filled with wild flowers, and, in the hill facing it, there was a recently made tomb with a stone for a tombstone on top of it. This was Izayoi's tomb.
Inuyasha came frequently to this place, for, aside from the large number of fresh flowers over the tomb, his scent could be clearly perceived here even though the most recent trail was already many hours old. It was probably from this morning. At least now he knew his younger brother's scent, and therefore, the trail he should follow, so Sesshoumaru started tracking him down from here.
As he walked away from the tomb, the trail became weak, and even when, after crossing a stream he almost lost it, Sesshoumaru wasn't fazed by it. Knowing that Inuyasha went continuously back to his mother's tomb meant that the boy had found refuge nearby. He probably had survived this days thanks to his instinct. Sesshoumaru vaguely wondered if, like him, he had a youkai side to listen to, but he believed it to be unlikely.
His search in the forest lasted until nightfall, but finally he found a fresh trail. He had been near a peach tree, probably feeding or collecting food, so it was easy to follow his trail… directly to a former pile of peaches that had fallen everywhere, and with them, small footprints and claw marks showed that he had run. Sesshoumaru frowned. He could also smell youkai. He had started being chased not too long ago, and judging by the scent of fear that still lingered, the persecution had started just a few minutes ago.
Sesshoumaru then took off once more, following the small hanyou's trail through the forest. He was close. Very close. The scent of three other youkai, along with their growls and roars reached Sesshoumaru, who gritted his teeth when he recognised the hunt. They wanted to devour him.
When he caught up with them, he saw them following the young hanyou's trail who could barely run fast enough to keep out of their sight, putting bushes and vegetation between them. Fortunately those beasts didn't have a keen nose. The young Lord of the West started his descent just when Inuyasha reached a cliff, and, after looking to one side and the other, finding himself cornered, he suddenly seemed to jump to the emptiness out of desperation just as those youkai exited the forest.
As a demon, who had an eye for a head, stretched his neck to look for the kid, the two that stood behind saw the young shiroinu land… but they couldn't even call the alarm before the three of them were torn into pieces by the powerful whip made of Sesshoumaru's corrosive venom.
Following his nose, the young lord approached the edge of the cliff with some stiffness to his walk before he looked down, expecting to find the kid either dead or badly injured, but there was neither at the bottom of the cliff. Confused, Sesshoumaru formed a cloud of youki under his feet and it lifted him some before descending, but just a meter under the edge, he saw a small form clad in red, the robes made with fire rat fur. That had belonged to his father. Silver hair and golden eyes, his family traits, were present in the pup, and up, on top of his head, were two small white triangles that were thrown to the sides as a sign of fear, but his expression was brave and he tried to look threatening even with the revealing scent of fear emanating from him. He saw him lift his small claws and bare his equally small milk fangs as he growled as the pup he was, and suddenly, to his great surprise, he pounced in an attempt to defend himself.
Naturally, Sesshoumaru caught him mid-air by his wrists and lifted him despite the kid's desperate struggle. –Inuyasha.- he called, and those small ears turned forward as a surprised expression appeared in the child's face, at least he had finally stopped fighting. –I have come for you, for today on you will live with me. I am your elder brother. My name is Sesshoumaru.- he said as he sat him on his left arm to support him better.
He saw the child's mouth open for the surprise as he looked at him more closely, apparently noticing their physical similarities between them, and them, shamelessly like any pup, he leaned forward shyly, his ears descending slightly to the sides submissively as he moved his face closer to confirm his scent, discovering quickly how similar their scents were –My…my brother…?- he asked with caution and hope. He was far too expressive.
Sesshoumaru nodded once, and that simple gesture caused a sea of emotions to reflect in the boy's face: surprise, excitement, relief, sadness, desperation… he had found him! He had finally found him! The family his late mother had told him about! …and then, while his eyes were filled with tears and his ears descended completely, the child hugged him by the neck, clinging to him tightly as he broke in tears against him.
He trusted too much. He could have been lying. He could have really been trying to kill him, and still this young puppy was clinging to him desperately and, in the arms of a complete stranger that claimed to be his brother, he was relieving the fear and pain he had gone through in the last weeks. He trusted far too much, but it was just natural for a pup his age.
The young Lord of the West allowed him to continue the much needed crying, placing, with some hesitation and awkwardness, a hand over his little brother's back. His little brother ...
After a few minutes, when the child's wailing had reduced to mere sobbing, Sesshoumaru moved, ascending once more and heading back to the palace in land, with Inuyasha still clinging tightly to him. –I…I was looking for you…Mother…she said that you…lived in the Western lands…and that I had to look for you…- he murmured against his neck, constantly interrupted by his own sobs. However, Sesshoumaru didn't reply. Not because he found him annoying or because he didn't care, but because he genuinely had no idea about what to say or express to him.
The pup lifted his eyes shyly towards him, watching him look impassively forward… maybe flying required him to concentrate… so, deciding against interrupting, and comforted by the first gentle contact he'd had since his mother's death, Inuyasha leaned against his shoulder, still clinging to the eldest's haori, and, slowly, he fell asleep, exhausted not only for this day, but because of all the previous ones in which he had been unable to have a single night of proper rest.