I Look To You

by MickeyMack

A year after Naraku's defeat, Inuyasha is still adjusting to Kagome no longer being in his life. Whether he wanted it to or not, life moved on and now Sango and Miroku have a family on the way. One day a visitor comes begging for help and flips his world upside down. Will blood prove thicker than water? Yaoi. Inucest. Noncon. Mpreg. Dark. Abuse.

9. Khuzaimah's Demise

Sesshomaru's POV:

Bokusenso; the tree demon. He is the only one of his father's previous vassals whom Sesshomaru holds in any esteem. Totosai and Myoga have proven to be utterly useless over the centuries. If he can count on anyone to provide him with the answers he seeks, it is him. Thus, it is with a calm confidence and expectant demeanor that he stands before the ancient youkai. Not too far behind, his uninvited dragon tag along is hiding behind some foliage. For now, it is of little consequence and the Western Lord turns his full attention to the waking demon.

"Ah Sesshomaru. It has been quite some time since you have sought me out."

"Indeed, it has," In an always rare instance, the daiyoukai drops his haughty attitude when speaking to the respected elder. "I am here because I need some questions answered."

"I will provide you with answers to the best of my knowledge."

"Are you aware that my foolish little brother has managed to get himself captured?"

"Inuyasha has been captured?" The tree does not sound so much concerned as he is incredulous that anyone could manage to do so. "No. I was not made aware."

"Yes. By someone who goes by the name of 'Lord Khuzaimah'."

"Khuzaimah?"

"The nephew of Ryukotsusei."

"What? Is that audacious fledging still making that claim? Hm, I do suppose he would be much more than a mere fledging by now."

"What do you mean?"

"Khuzaimah has been claiming to be a descendant of Ryukotsusei since the great dragon was sealed by your father. However, it is a false claim."

Sesshomaru's fine brows dip down slightly into a bothered frown. "And for what purpose? Tell me of this Khuzaimah's origins."

The youkai hums in quiet contemplation before speaking again, "As far as I can recall, Khuzaimah's entire roost was slain by Ryukotsusei when he was merely more than a whelp. His sister pleaded for their lives and, although grudgingly, Ryukotsusei heeded her pleas and spared them both."

"And you are certain that he, Khuzaimah, is of no relation to Ryukotsusei?"

"Yes. Ryukotsusei had no siblings whatsoever, and no living relatives for that matter. Stories tell that he took the younger sister as a concubine, and she carried the proof of their love in her belly. She laid his egg right before he was sealed, but I hear the egg did not hatch for several years afterwards. I believed it all hearsay, however…" Sesshomaru follows the elder's gaze over his shoulder to the huge reptilian eyes staring at them in wonder. Upon being visually acknowledged Tatsuya scrambles from behind his hiding spot and prostrates himself on the ground in a low bow. 'He cannot be implying that this scrawny little slave could be the results of that affair?' "Of course, this is all speculation." The tree clarifies, perhaps sensing the young lord's bemusement. "I cannot be sure."

"I do not understand. What is the connection between Ryukotsusei taking them in all those years ago to Khuzaimah falsifying lordship and taking special interest in Inuyasha?"

The tree quiets for a moment; deep in thought before sagely nodding his head. "By all accounts Ryukotsusei was cruel to them. He especially treated the boy poorly, even by youkai standards. He was meant to train the young ryu by taking him under his wing but instead he put him through unimaginable torture. Ryukotsusei used every perceived offense, no matter how slight, to cruelly punish him. Khuzaimah tried in vain to catch up to Ryukotsusei's greatness to one day bring retribution to his master for all his misery. Then the battle with your otosama happened which sealed the great dragon spirit."

"And so, he decided to fake a relation to Ryukotsusei and play the part of a lord? A man he seemingly detests?" The more the Western Lord learns, the more questions he has. 'What is the connection to Inuyasha?'

"It does not surprise me. Khuzaimah was and, most likely still is, an insecure youth. He wanted so badly to surpass Ryukotsusei but as the fates has it—he had no such talent. This is not to mean he is to be taken lightly. No matter how hellish and sadistic his late master was; Khuzaimah was, in fact, trained by the renowned dragon spirit. Most notably he does possess a peculiar aptitude for creating barriers. It is likely the very reason Ryukotsusei always stopped short of killing the fledging…I do have an idea as to why Khuzaimah would be after young Inuyasha. Khuzaimah wanted to take revenge on Ryukotsusei, and Toga ruined those plans before they could come to fruition. He then set sights on your father. Toga took pity on the dragon, perhaps knowing what he endured under Ryukotsusei, and he refused to end the boy's life in a battle the young dragon absolutely could not win. Once your father passed, Khuzaimah disappeared and was presumed dead. As you know, Naraku unsealed Ryukotsusei and Inuyasha defeated him once and for all; leaving Inuyasha—"

"As the only one left to enact his revenge." Sesshomaru finishes with a deeper frown set on his dour face.

"Precisely."

"…" 'What a senseless and foolish ploy. To dedicate one's entire existence to trivial vengeance…He should not have been so weak in the first place. How pathetic. And to go after Inuyasha in such a conniving, underhanded manner…disgraceful. If he wanted vengeance so badly, he could have challenged him properly. This Khuzaimah is a coward.' There is little that Sesshomaru loathes more. 'He could have easily come after me when my father refused him a fight. If he thought himself strong enough to face my otosan then he should have forced his hand by attacking his only son. Or even his human lover. Father's compassion would have waned all at once then.' "Tch."

"What are you going to do now Sesshomaru?"

'Something's still not making sense. If Khuzaimah's whole purpose is to get revenge on Ryukotsusei then why…' His gaze drifts back to the child who has not moved a muscle since sticking himself firmly to the forest floor. "Thank you for your assistance." He offers to the tree demon before promptly walking off.

Predictively, the little whelp follows and Sesshomaru allows it; ignoring him entirely until they near the forest outskirts, just out of bounds of Khuzaimah's barrier. He eyes the terrain passively for some time before turning around to stare at the dragon trailing not too far behind. The child startles at the sudden attention and once again drops to the ground in a submissive bow. He quakes in obvious terror; waiting for the daiyoukai to acknowledge him. "Who is your father?"

The ryu looks up at him in bewilderment, but swiftly bows his head to deliver his answer to the dirt. "I-I-I do not k-know, my lord. I-I'm sorry, m-my lord."

"How are you connected to Khuzaimah?"

"I-I am Lord K-Khuzaimah's humble and l-loyal—"

"Is there a blood relation?" Sesshomaru's cool question cuts through his stammers in an instant.

"H-Hai. Khuzaimah-sama is m-my ojisama. M-My lord does n-not approve of m-me addressing him as such."

'His uncle…Bokusenso is likely right then; this weakling may be the son of Ryukotsusei. Why would Khuzaimah not use this child as the outlet for his scorn? Is it out of consideration of his little sister? From what I have been told; he does not seem the type to harbor such compassion. Is his sister involved in Inuyasha's disappearance as well?'

"I-If I-I may, my lord?"

"What is it?"

"Have y-you c-changed your mind about r-rescuing I-Inuyasha-sama?"

"Have you forgotten my words? If I cross this boundary, it will be to slay your master. Are you prepared to bare witness to the death of your uncle?"

The boy does not answer immediately, but after swallowing his doubts he whispers. "My master is n-not h-here right n-now. I-Inuyasha-sama may n-not be a-able to l-last much longer. T-There is n-no time to w-wait and challenge my master." 'Oh? So, he thinks I am no match for his master? He wants me to grab Inuyasha and flee. Heh. Fool.'

"Am I simply to trust that you are so willing and ready to betray your master? How am I to know you are not leading me into a trap with an army waiting to ambush me?" 'Not that it would matter.' "Why now? Inuyasha has been held captive for many full moons."

"…There is no one left to attack you." The sentence was whispered so softly that even Sesshomaru's superhuman hearing nearly missed it. "Master…culled…k-killed everyone. H-He is looking for new p-playthings. L-Lord I-Inuyasha's condition is dire. He w-will die soon, and t-then there will be no one left…I-I had to do something. Inuyasha-sama once told me, by my simple act of c-cowardice I-I am just as r-responsible for all those deaths." His sentence ends in a waver and although his face is hidden, Sesshomaru can smell the unique saltiness of tears.

"This Sesshomaru is to be held accountable for your faults? Because you are too much of a coward, too weak, too useless? Is that what Inuyasha told you to do? Fawn at the feet of those more powerful as you hide and hope for the best? Somehow, I doubt it."

"I-I…I-I'm…" All he can do is hang his head in shame while fighting back the tears pooling in his reptilian eyes.

Sesshomaru says nothing as he turns around and stalks steadily towards the barrier. Without even a natural hesitation, he continues to walk until he meets with the barrier's powerful resistance. Electric shocks pepper his body as his hair and mokomoko fly back from impact. The sparks manifest in the air with growing intensity the more he pushes through and his brow furrows with the effort it takes to keep walking.

"M-My lord! Y-You cannot—" Tatsuya tries to warn him over the onslaught of wind and overwhelming demonic aura but is left speechless when the Inuyoukai suddenly breaks through and crosses the boundary. The obstruction dissolves before their eyes, dispelling the unnaturalness engulfing them. "A-Amazing…"

A frown tugs at the corner of his mouth as he feels the full force of his actions. His body feels weakened. Some of his power has been sapped away. 'It is not possible for a demon to create a holy barrier so why…his demonic aura should be no match for mine. This must be the prowess Bokusenso advised of.' "Where is Inuyasha?"

"L-Lord Inuyasha i-is at the very top." The daiyoukai casts his scrutinizing gaze at the summit but sees nothing but an unassuming mountain top. Night has long since captured the sky but now that he has broken through the fog, he can see the environment clearly. The area is much larger than he originally thought. A couple of smaller hills surround the monument forming a cluster and forming a valley below. "I-I can s-show you the way."

Despite the drain on his power, he ignores the kid and envelopes himself in an orb of white light. To the untrained eye he is nothing but a streak of light cutting through the darkness and in mere seconds he is hovering in line with the mountain peak. His analytical eyes scan the rocks, but he sees nothing but unassuming crags. 'This barrier is stronger than the last.' His superior sense almost missed it entirely. It may actually prove problematic to brute force his way through it. A notion that does not sit well with the prideful Inu and he hangs there suspended in the air, glowering at it petulantly. Soon enough he spots the nimble child scrambling up the side.

"M-My lord—"

"Where exactly is he?"

"I-Inuyasha-sama is d-directly in f-front of you. A-Another barrier is keeping you from s-seeing him. O-Only I can c-cross it and I-I have n-no way of a-allowing you access. F-Forgive me."

"…"

"I-I can go in and t-try and convince Lord I-Inuyasha to f-follow me out." 'Try and convince?' "B-But K-Khuzaimah-sama m-made it more difficult to l-leave after lord Inuyasha almost e-escaped before. H-He will n-not s-survive what you just did in his c-current state."

"…"

The boy lowers his head hopelessly in the face of his cold silence. "I-I do n-not know w-what to do anymore—" His large eyes grow in awe as the daiyoukai draws his sword in one swift motion. The emerald glow of bakusaiga rivals the moonlight and paints the surrounding gloom an ominous green. With a single, elegant swing he lets loose a blast of energy at the shield protecting the summit. The swing is not as powerful as his yoki wave, but it still causes a definitive crack in the barrier. Although it would be easier to unleash his yoki wave, he has no way of knowing Inuyasha's exact location. If he were to get caught up in that devastating attack, it would make his current efforts pointless. Therefore, it is with begrudging impatience that he swings away at the barrier; slowly eroding at its' impressive fortitude. In his mind he concludes that the only reason he is exerting himself is due to being drained by the first obstacle, not because of how difficult the barrier is to break. Nevertheless, he succeeds with one final swing which shatters the demonic blockade. Light momentarily blinds them as shinning powder rains down around them. Squinting past the fluster, he spies a flat surface leading into a dark alcove. As he touches down on the mountain face, he sheathes his sword and makes his way inside where he presumes his outoto is being held.

The sight he is met with stops him dead in his tracks. At first, he could not pinpoint exactly where his brother was until his honeyed eyes fell on a small bundle huddled up on the far side. He almost mistook him for a dirty pile of rags. The fire burning in the center of the bleak cavern casts a wall of light on his naked back; granting Sesshomaru a clear view of his mangled torso. It is a sick crisscrossing pattern of deep clawing that bares the tell-tale disfigurement of a wound constantly being reopened. The parts of him not grotesquely slashed open is peppered in black and blue bruises. One of his puppy ears is so injured that it lies motionless against his skull; staining part of his filthy gray hair scarlet. Sesshomaru can only see his back from this angle, but his nose tells him all he needs to know. The smell of blood, piss, vomit, and semen is pungent enough to turn his stomach and evoke a physical reaction from him. He shields his sensitive nose and gaped mouth with the back of his hand, but he cannot tear his gaze away from the trembling form curled into the wall. He stands there frozen and for the first time in his life, his tactical mind fails him and blanks. He does not know what to make of this. Clearly, it must be some kind of illusion created by Khuzaimah's influence. This maimed captive cannot truly be his brother.

He does not have long to indulge in such denial, because the young whelp darts inside and straight to the hanyou's side. Although his cherubic face is scrunched in worry, he does not look at all stunned by Inuyasha's condition. Sesshomaru hangs back as the child takes gentle hold of his lithe shoulders and cautiously rolls him onto his back. The sight of Inuyasha's sullen cheeks, busted lips, and bruised jaw sends an unpleasant chill down his spine. He resembles a corpse and he would think him dead if his demonic hearing could not pick up on his heartbeat and slow breaths.

"I-Inuyasha-sama?" Tatsuya supports his head and gives him a gentle shake when he does not respond right away. For a second Sesshomaru thinks the worst, but suddenly his eye lashes dance across his pale face. The look in his murk-gold eyes is vacant and unlike any expression the daiyoukai has ever seen on the younger Inu. "Your o-onisama is here." Inuyasha slightly scowls up at the boy in reasonable confusion, so Sesshomaru takes it as his cue to step forward.

It is with great effort that he keeps his expression neutral as he steps beside the duo and stares down at his younger brother. 'He looks…fragile.' Over the countless years they have clashed, he has devised many terms when referring to his outoto, but he never thought he would ever think of him as fragile. Weaker than him? Sure. Brash? Definitely. Idiotic? Without a doubt. But never fragile. 'There is no fire in his eyes. No life. How did Khuzaimah achieve the impossible?' His nose combined with his appearance is enough of an answer to that question, but he cannot stand to contemplate that notion right now."Inuyasha."

"How…Sesshomaru…?"

'There is only one thing I need to know.' "Is Khuzaimah the sole person responsible for your current state?"

He turns his head away to face the wall once more. His lip trembles before he murmurs, in a voice full of shame, a simple broken. "Yes…"

"P-Please my lords," Tatsuya cuts in, voice overflowing with panic. Perhaps in response to the Western Lord's sudden flare of youkai. "M-Master w-will have sensed the disruption and is l-likely rushing b-back here. Y-You have to f-flee before then."

'Impossible. This fool must pay. What he has done is unforgivable—inexcusable. I have never come across an enemy who would stoop so low. This level of cowardice deserves nothing less than death.' He looks down at his brother once again to find him struggling to remain conscious. Their eyes meet briefly before his half-lidded stare looks past him to the night sky. The stars reflect off his golden orbs and they become shiny with unshed tears. He is staring so intently…like he has not seen the sky for some time; like he has not seen the stars.

A sharp whistle draws Sesshomaru's attention to the sky as well and a gust of wind and demonic aura soon follows the grating noise. The very dragon he crossed paths with in the forests months ago soars into view. He flies and hovers just close enough to glower daggers at the Inuyoukai encroaching on this territory; his velvety black wings beating mightily. "You." His blood red eyes flash dangerously in the pale moonlight, but Sesshomaru is not fooled. The dragon was very intentional about remaining in the air. He likely knows that the protection he put around his domain weakened the powerful Inudaiyoukai and he is the one at an advantage. An aerial assault would require the intruder to expend extra energy. "How dare you?! You lowly, uncultured dog! You think you can barge into my nest and do as you please?!"

"Who is going to stop me? You?"

"I AM LORD KHUZAIMAH," He snarls through clenched teeth. "DON'T YOU DARE—"

"Yes. I have come to know all about the story behind your lordship." Judging by the way he pales, Sesshomaru can assume that at least part of what Bokusenso told him is true.

"I shall not stand for this impudence! Your line of filth has disrespected me for the last—"

Before he can utter those final words, Sesshomaru launches into the air, while drawing his sword in one fluid motion. Khuzaimah reacts just as quickly and pulls his own sword in time to block the incoming attack. They remain suspended in the air, swords locked, and demonic aura flaring. The ryu's scaled face is contorted in rage and fear which is in direct juxtaposition to the Inuyoukai who is the picture of calm indifference. 'Hn. Not bad, however—' Although they are locked evenly without either gaining the upper hand, Sesshomaru can see the other's arms shaking with the effort. "As Bokusenso stated; you are not anything special. Ryukotsusei's bane was understandable."

"You—!" Sesshomaru is blown back with a powerful flap of his wings, but rights himself in time to doge his follow-up swing. "You know NOTHING! You are just as INSOLENT as your father and just as PATHETIC as your half-breed brother!"

For a while he lets the mediocre dairyu work himself up into a frenzy; nonchalantly avoiding and blocking his impassioned but obvious swings. To the untrained eye, the daiyoukais are nothing but blurs in the night sky. The forceful blows of their constant collisions shake the very earth and sounds like thunderclaps in the night.

The longer their battle rages on, the angrier Sesshomaru becomes. 'How did he get the better of Inuyasha? He must have relied on some sort of trickery. He may be able to outwit Inuyasha, but there is no way this desperate weakling could ever overtake that idiot in a fight. To think he is really the one responsible for Inuyasha's current condition is…' "Tch. Enough!" Having learned what he needed, Sesshomaru forces him back with one hard push of his sword.

"Ugh!" As usual, his wings keep him balanced and from barreling out of the air. "You—you bastard dog!"

"I am not the bastard here."

"Damn you!" The mountain lord looks to be at the end of his rope. All pretense of maintaining composure is gone. His razor-like teeth are gritted together, and his olive locks are swirling around his haggard face. Beyond his rage, Sesshomaru can see the anguish in his red eyes. He probably figured out a long time ago that he is fighting a losing battle. "If your father was not such a foolhardy coward, I would have rid of him myself and you would not be leering at me so smugly mutt."

Sesshomaru's glare intensifies at the mention of his father again and his sword glows green once more. With a sweep of his arm, he launches his yoki-wave, bathing the surrounding blackness in luminescent green. When the dust settles, he finds the dragon hovering in the air with his sword held in a defensive position in front of his body; entirely unscathed. 'What?!' There is no way Khuzaimah should be able to survive the decomposing nature of his yoki-wave. The dragon is covered in sweat and his sword trembles in his weak grip, but he is uninjured. 'How…' Breaking the barrier did weaken him, but there was still more than enough power in that to reduce the other to ash.

"Hah, hah surprised hah? Thought you knew everything, hah. The smaller my barriers, the more, hah resistant they are."

'Was he actually able to put one up so quickly? And one powerful enough to stop bakusaiga?' "And just how long do you think you can keep up such a spineless defense?"

"Ha! Longer than you can keep up those flashy moves." He hisses; flashing him a knowing grin.

"…" 'A test of endurance? So be it.' Once again, he closes the space between them in a blink of an eye. Khuzaimah meets him head on and they are once again locked in sword on sword combat.

"Is that, hah, it then? You're just going to, hah, swing that thing around and hope to gain the upper hand?" Such impudent questions are beneath him and so he continues his relentless assault. Much like when he chipped away at the barrier surrounding the peak, eventually a crack forms on the one around the fictitious lord. Khuzaimah's eyes widen with the realization of what is happening, and he quickly tries to back off. "Get away!" When Sesshomaru pursues him, he tries to outmaneuver him, but despite the aerial advantage the daiyoukai shatters the barrier with one final swing. "GAAAH!"

"Are you going to put up another one? I can do this as long as I need to."

"Ngh…fine…if that is how it is going to be." To Sesshomaru's surprise the dragon rushes him and he readies himself to engage directly again. At the very last second, he flaps his mighty wings, blowing Sesshomaru back in an overpowering gust of wind. He quickly follows up with a formidable ram to the chest with his enormous ivory horns.

For half a breath, the wind is knocked out of him and bright dots color his vision. In the very next breath, he recovers and sees the ryu diving into the forgotten cave. 'Inuyasha.' Sesshomaru speeds after him but arrives too late to stop the other from reaching the hanyou.

Khuzaimah retracts his wings as he grabs Inuyasha by his silver tresses and yanks him up to his knees, earning a hiss of pain from the younger male. Tatsuya quickly scurries away and presses himself against the far wall in sheer terror. Sesshomaru scowls as he approaches but falters when the ryu raises the sword to Inuyasha's neck. "DON'T COME ANY CLOSER!"

"…"

"Heh, heh…I knew you mutts were loyal, but I never would have imagined the high and mighty Sesshomaru-sama would concern himself with a hanyou."

"You must know," The dragon's sneer fades as the youkai proceeds to move closer.

"STOP!"

"That on the ground—"

"S-STAY BACK OR I'LL—"

"I am much faster than you."

"…"

To emphasize his point, Sesshomaru sheathes bakusaiga and instead flexes his clawed fingers. Khuzaimah swallows and looks down at the hanyou hanging flaccidly in his tight grip. Sesshomaru knows he is recalling the time they met in the forests and how quickly he closed the gap between them. They both know he is right.

"Heh." He tosses Inuyasha to the ground like a piece of trash where he lays lifelessly with his face down in the dirt. "You've got me." Sesshomaru's eyes narrow at his sudden switch in demeanor. Khuzaimah also stows away his sword and shrugs; a mocking smile on his face. "A dragon could never hope to outrun a dog after all."

"Are you sure these are what you want your last words to be?"

"You will not kill me."

"Unlike my father, my compassion only extends to allowing your charge the choice to flee before having to witness his master being ripped limb from limb. Watch what you say to this Sesshomaru."

"Pretty threats, but you will not kill me son of Inu no Taisho. Because killing me would be the same as killing your half-breed brother here."

'What?' His eyes fall on Inuyasha who turns his head to meet his gaze. 'I can smell the difference in his scent but surely he did not…'

"That's right Sesshomaru. Your little brother is my bitch now. If his mate dies, then so does he."

"…"

"Ha-HA! You should see the look on your face." Sesshomaru says nothing as the gloating ryu circles Inuyasha and crouches down, yanking him up by the hair again to smirk in his face. "Too bad for you dogs, eh? See, if anything were to happen to Inuyasha, I would be perfectly fine. As I explained to him, ryu-youkai have no such connection to those subservient to them. To the trash beneath them."

"…"

"Ne Sesshomaru? What is it going to be? You came all this way to play the role of savior but now all you can do is stand there like a fool. HAHAHA—"

"Do…it…" Khuzaimah is stunned into silence when the previously mute hanyou rasps. He is staring at his older brother with a pleading look in his empty eyes. "Just do it Sesshomaru…"

"…" 'Inuyasha…have you fallen so low? After all this time of surviving, would it be so easy for you throw your life away? What has he done to you?'

"Please—"

"Shut. Your. Mouth." Khuzaimah hisses into his injured ear before slamming his face into the ground. "I am sick of—nghk!" His words end in a choked gurgle and he finds himself face to face with the Lord of the West; a mere breath away from his immaculate features. The dragon looks down with wide crimson eyes to find the daiyoukai's clawed hand stabbing him right through the chest, just barely missing his heart and coming out through his back. He latches onto his arm with trembling hands and coughs up pools of green blood.

"L-Lord Khuzaimah!"

"Don't." Sesshomaru's growl is enough to stop the dragon-boy midstride. "Come any closer lest you suffer the same fate."

"Y-Y-You?" Sesshomaru covers the dairyu's mouth with his free hand while at the same time yanking his head to his side, exposing his scaly neck. "MMMPH! MM!" As he struggles to pull away from him, Sesshomaru bares his fangs and sinks them deep into his neck. "MMMMMMMMPH! MMMMMMM MMMM!" He does not let go until the seal is complete and once it is, he yanks his hand out of his chest and shoves the other onto the gravelly floor. Khuzaimah's hands hover helplessly around the gaping hole in his chest before he covers his neck in abrupt realization. His body seizing in pain, no doubt from the burning sensation coursing through his veins. "Y-You—WHAT DID YOU DO?!"

Sesshomaru wipes his mouth with the back of his hand as he straightens up. "You should know. What? Did you think yourself the only one powerful enough to take on more than one mate at a time? Or perhaps you assumed you disgusting reptiles were the only ones with that capability? You are both mine now."

Khuzaimah scoots back as the lord slowly advances on him. "T-This, b-but now you definitely cannot kill me! If you do kill me, you will also perish—"

"Your arrogance knows no bounds. This Sesshomaru is more than capable of surviving the loss of a mate."

Once again, Khuzaimah pales and he scrambles back in sheer panic until he finds himself trapped between the wall and the daiyoukai. Sesshomaru looms over him with a dark expression on his normally noble features. "B-B-But surely it will greatly weaken you?! You dogs are insistently loyal! I know it! Killing me now would be a detriment to you. S-Surely you would not risk such a thing for your hanyou little brother?! Your power means everything to you! Why—"

"Enough!"

"Sesshomaru…" At the soft call of his name, he glances over his shoulder to find Inuyasha still prolonged on the ground and struggling for his every breath. The light is draining from his dull eyes now as they slide close. Right before they shut, Sesshomaru can see the question his little brother wants to ask.

'Am I sure…No, but—' He turns back around and raises his sword above his head. 'He has to die!' He brings the sword down with every intent to slice the false lord down the middle, but the ryu throws his hand up with a shout.

"NO!" Sesshomaru nearly looses his footing from the force of the barrier he throws up at the very last second. "I, LORD KHUZAIMAH, WILL NOT PERISH THIS WAY!" Before Sesshomaru can respond, the cavern begins to shake; raining dust and rocks down on the occupants. He immediately takes note of how the very mountain begins to quake and crumble beneath their feet. 'The entire thing is coming down.' Khuzaimah uses the distraction to sprout his wings and take off into the sky once again with one hand covering the gaping hole in his chest. Sesshomaru immediately flies after him with bakusaiga at the ready. Khuzaimah turns his head and in his desperation exhales a large cloud of fire at the pursuing Inu. Sesshomaru moves out of the way with a quick spiral and closes the gap in an instant. He raises the sword to strike and—

"INUYASHA-SAMA!"

He stops and turns around to see the huge mountain crumbling and deteriorating before his very eyes. In the chaos, he can see the dragon-boy trying desperately to keep an unconscious Inuyasha from plummeting to the earth. His scrawny arms are shaking with the effort to keep him on the cliff eroding under them. Sesshomaru hesitates a beat and looks back in time to see that Khuzaimah is already almost out of his line of sight. "Tch." He sheaths his sword for the last time and turns into an orb of light as he flashes back to the peak.

"AAAH!" Tatsuya's grip slips and Inuyasha drops towards the rocky abyss. Before he meets his end, Sesshomaru grabs him and hovers just above the decaying mountain.

One hand remains on the hilt of his sword as the other wraps around the hanyou's back to keep his limp body close. He stares at his outoto's bruised and bloody face with a blank expression before glaring in the direction Khuzaimah escaped. His hold tightens on his sword and he pulls Inuyasha even closer.

'You have my word that I will bring about your demise.'