"Again!" The dragon snarled, his immense length curling around the Foo-Dog, smoke drifting upwards from fleshy nostrils. From his teeth an acidic saliva dripped, hissing through rock in the places where it dripped down.
"Breathe fire!" Sesshomaru ordered, his fangs overlapping his bottom gums slightly as the order ripped from his lungs. He was sweaty and tired, but finally- they were both starting to see some progress from him.
Youshi startled, turning his head away from the Foo-Dog long enough to belch a long stream of yellow fire from his throat. The rocks nearby blackened and the very air was scorched. Sesshomaru's nose stung painfully from the smell.
The dragon's blue scales glittered as he got right up in Sesshomaru's personal space, his scaly muzzle bumping Sesshomaru's chest plate and knocking him back a few feet.
"Again!"
The Daiyokai snarled horribly and placed a hand on that gigantic muzzle. His hand like a tiny freckle on that armored hide.
"Lay down. You won't touch me again." Sesshomaru ordered, staring the gigantic dragon down. His golden eyes.. changed, then.
The pupils slitting into narrow vertical slips. The whites turning a color Youshi was surprised by – a brilliant mercury that matched Sesshomaru's hair.
Silver and golden eyes.
The blue dragon trembled all over as he fought the order, teeth bared, hot breath ruffling Sesshomaru's clothing and tail as he panted.
And yet the tiny pressure of that minuscule hand, paired with that unblinking gaze, was enough.
It took well over five minutes, but the dragon slowly laid all the way down, from tail to snout.
Once he was down Sesshomaru removed his hand. Panting, he combed a hand through his hair, grooming the sixty inches of locks. His hair was wet with sweat and stringy from how long they'd been moving around.
He felt filthy. Perhaps a bath was in order when he returned to the Palace.
"Sesshomaru. You'd best rest for a moment." Youshi said softly, not moving from his spot on the ground.
Even as he said that, a sudden pain shot straight through his head- right at both temples, as if he'd been shot with an arrow. The Foo-Dog yelped in pain, dropping to his knees. With Sesshomaru's concentration broken, the dragon lifted himself to his feet, examining Sesshomaru's eyes with interest.
The Daiyokai was rubbing his temples and resisting the urge to whimper. What the heck was that stabbing pain? It felt as if just for a moment, there were little bumps under his skin, just above his ears.
He raised a brow when he noted Youshi's gaze.
"Can I help you?"
"Your dragon blood is trying to manifest physically. We'd best rest unless you'd like to keep those eyes – or other features- permanently."
Sesshomaru huffed. " What are you referring to?" and the dragon paused.
"You have not released me, yet."
"Oh. I release you."
Youshi held up a claw, disappearing down the gigantic black hole that led to his nest. After some sounds of clinking and clattering , the dragon returned, offering a small mirror to the Daiyokai.
Sesshomaru lifted it and gave a soft gasp.
His eyes were dragon eyes. The pupil fully slitted, and the whites a solid silver. " I didn't know.. this could even happen." Sesshomaru murmured, a few fingers still on his right temple. Luckily, he could see that the pupils were already starting to fatten up again. But the process was slow.
Youshi was right. He'd have to be careful. No need to let out the truth of his dragon blood too early.
"Nor I. I've heard of it of course, but this is the first time I've seen it." Youshi said, rolling over onto his belly and exposing his larger belly scales- a softer shade of blue than the rest of his body. He scooted close to the Foo-Dog, sniffing along his shoulder and head. Sesshomaru snarled and pushed the gigantic muzzle away.
"Personal space, Youshi. We've talked about this." He snarled, but the dragon simply huffed.
" Yes, we'd best be careful. I can smell the beginnings of horn buds. Your temples ached, did they not?" Sesshomaru gave the dragon a small glare and dropped the hand that had been massaging his temple.
" Do not be ridiculous. As if a Foo-Dog could grow horns."
"Your sire Inu No Takahiro had them, did he not?" Youshi mentioned, casually.
Sesshomaru tensed a bit. The dragon wasn't wrong.
That was the last thing he needed.
"You are improving. Just in time, too. It won't be long before the 'dragon's forces are upon you." Youshi murmured, looking up into the sky impassively.
Sesshomaru looked over at the dragon, asking softly. " Do you know the precise date?" and the dragon shook his head, picking at a fang with one of his claws. " I see a few paths. I can tell you that it will happen within the next three moon cycles."
"Why do you mock Ryuu? He is the proper heir to the Dragon Tribe… Despite his unfortunate personality." Sesshomaru asked the gigantic dragon while muttering the last part under his breath.
"Sesshomaru." One red and golden eye looked in his direction. "One can hold titles without ever earning or unlocking the potential of the title given. Ryuu is more lizard than dragon. Dragons are supposed to be loyal, powerful but fair. He has not grown since he was a small boy- not learned to feel guilt, sorrow, empathy like you have. He imitates these emotions, but he is stunted. You are almost more dragon than he is, now. Be sure that he knows it, before the end."
Sesshomaru went quiet, then. A small breeze picking up his hair and twirling it in the wind.
"Before the end." The Daiyokai murmured very softly, closing his eyes for a moment. His ear twitched slightly as he thought he heard little footsteps. He kept his eyes closed, enjoying the sunlight and waiting for the last signs of his dragon blood to disappear.
"Hey. Mister Doggie."
As Sesshomaru's eyes snapped open, Youshi lifted a tiny drakeling away from the Foo-Dog, huffing, " Haru, you're supposed to stay in the cave while I'm training Lord Sesshomaru. You know that."
" I don't mind." Sesshomaru said, looking up at the little drakeling in interest. He was wearing black hakama pants and a pretty purple kimono and hung from Youshi's mouth in embarrassment. Tiny black horns sprouted from his temples. He had a purple and blue scale pattern, and his eyes were a bright teal blue.
The enormous dragon rolled his eyes before setting the drakeling down. Haru ran about halfway to Sesshomaru and then, overwhelmed by his boldness, ran back to Youshi's arm and clung to it.
"Haru, you obviously wanted to say hello. This is Lord Sesshomaru." Youshi murmured. His enormous snout gently pushed the boy forward until he was about a foot from the Foo-Dog.
His tiny tail tucked up between his legs as Sesshomaru crouched, not wanting to scare the little dragon. It'd been a long time since he'd seen one this young. Dragons usually didn't stray far from the dragon territories after all.
"Hello Haru." He murmured, and the boy met his gaze for a few seconds before flushing and looking down at his own little scaly feet. Dragons often went barefoot- their clawed feet weren't too comfortable in shoes.
"You must have been in that egg that I gave to Youshi a while back. How did you know I was a dog?" He asked curiously. His voice very soft. The same one that he used with his own pups. Youshi watched the exchange with interest, his jaw propped up on his clawed hand.
Haru pointed at Sesshomaru's tail and gave a little nod. Sesshomaru swept it foreward, laying it close by Haru's feet.
"Would you like to touch it?"
"Yes, please, Mister Sesshomaru."
"Go ahead, then." At first Haru was very gentle, but to Sesshomaru's surprise the drakeling soon flopped out on it like it was a couch.
"Wowiie its so soft! This is amazing!" Haru murmured, his little eyes wide and sparkling with wonder. He'd never touched anything this soft in his life!
As the boy played with his tail Youshi murmured, " I apologize for his crassness. I have yet to figure out how to sneak him out into the world. For I have no human form."
Sesshomaru lifted his tail and the drakeling with it, huffing in amusement at the delighted squeal. " I may be able to help you … if all turns out well, in the end." He then gave the dragon a curious glance.
"I cannot deny I wish you were beside us on that day."
Youshi gave him a look and murmured, "Lord Sesshomaru, that is not my role in this world." His eyes meeting the Foo-Dogs in a rare moment of seriousness.
"We all have our own roles to play- you, me, Haru." He said, his gaze going down to the little drakeling who wasn't paying any attention. "And some are harder than others. Yours, my lord, is harder than most. But believe me when I say the more difficult the path, the greater the reward."
"I require no great reward. I only desire the safety of my family. And my mate." Sesshomaru murmured, lifting the tail a bit higher and earning another pleased squeal.
That great red eye leaned towards him. Sesshomaru could see his own reflection in that huge eye, and his own widened slightly.
The dragon murmured, " In this world Sesshomaru, a family of Daiyokai reaching maturation is a high reward indeed."
And though he wanted to contest him, the Foo-Dog knew somewhere in his gut that the dragon was correct.
0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000
Inuyasha knocked lightly on Sesshomaru's door.
"Come in, Inuyasha." The Diaoykai murmured. Inuyasha walked in, giving a surprised look at Sesshomaru. He looked kinda… beat up, and smelled of smoke.
"Are you all right?"
Sesshomaru nodded tiredly, pushing the paperwork on his desk away and setting his writing brush back in the pot to keep it wet.
"Fine. I've been attending... Voice lessons." He joked dryly. The joke of course, flew over the hanyou's head as she muttered, "Jeez, take is easy you ass. Your voice is raspy as all hell."
Inuyasha's ears flicked a bit in discomfort. Sesshomaru's raspy voice was kind of… alluring.
She quickly shoved the thought away.
" I was thinking of visiting Totosai to see if he can do anything about Tetsaiga. I've been training as hard as I can but I'm still worried it's not gonna be enough. And I want to do my part. I don't want to be stuck behind the wall. I want to be fighting right beside you and Diaozuan."
Sesshomaru paused. It wasn't a terrible idea. And on Ah-Un, it wouldn't take too long to get over there.
His yokai crawled nervously under his skin. Not at all liking the idea of Inuyasha fighting outside the wall, not matter how noble the idea was.
"Very well. I will accompany you." Sesshomaru said, getting up out of his chair and flipping his tail over one shoulder.
Both peeked in on the pups before leaving, as they'd return before dawn if they were lucky.
They were in their usual pile. Ame, Toshi, and Katsu, with Inukezi and Rin off in their own bedrooms.
I need to do everything I can to protect them. And to help you. I don't want to be a burden. I'm sick of not pulling my weight.
Inuyasha's claws tightened on the wooden door frame, leaving four little marks. Sesshomaru leaned into her slightly and pressed a kiss to one of her ears.
Rest your heart. I am aware of how hard you are training.
Sesshomaru whispered via their connection. The hanyou flushed and swatted him away.
"Oi. Easy on the ears. They're sensitive."
Sesshomaru quirked an eyebrow and Inuyasha saw a glint of white fang.
I will be sure to keep that in mind.
Inuyasha squawked, " Hey! Do not start pulling that Diaozuan crap with me!" clonking Sesshomaru's chest plate with the butt of her sword. Earning another one of those low amused huffs from the Lord of the West as he thought:
This is entertaining.
Sesshomaru's tail curled in the air. This explains why Diao teases me so often.
Inuyasha cursed lowly under her breath as they walked, keeping her chin up and not making eye contact with the Daiyokai. Together they walked out to the stables. Inuyasha was a little hesitant around the two-headed dragon, but after feeding it some oats, the dragon seemed to warm up to the hanyou.
During the ride, they occasionally chatted but for the most part, rode in comfortable silence. Sesshomaru was one of the few people Inuyasha could stay with and remain in comfortable silence. With others, it was usually strained.
When they arrived, the lava fields were glowing with brilliant red and yellow veins. He and Sesshomaru made sure to land Ah-Un in a safe place before walking over to the giant skull where Totosai often resided.
"Oi Totosai, you home?" Inuyasha shouted, glancing around and slowly walking around the length of the old smith's home.
The old man suddenly appeared out of the sky, floating down on his three-eyed cow and landing several feet away.
"Oh well look who it is! Lord Sesshomaru and.. apparently, Lady Inuyasha. I wonder which sword you broke this time." Totosai said tiredly, leading his cow into her stall. Inuyasha bristled, "What was that, you old bag? I'll have you know I take good care of Tetsaiga!" while Sesshomaru remained impassive.
Totosai soon rounded the corner, "I'll be the judge of that. All right, hand him over." And the hanyou obeyed, somewhat reluctantly.
The old man's gaze lingered on the hanyou before looking at the sword quietly. Running a few leathery fingers over the blade.
"Inuyasha! Look what you've done to it! The poor lad. All these nicks and scratches…No, this won't do at all." Totosai toddled inside and the two Foo-Dogs followed. It was warm- there was a small fire in the hearth, and something cooking in a pot above that.
Sesshomaru settled cross-legged in a corner, half-closing his eyes as the two of them chatted. His throat was sore and the ash from the fire was irritating it somewhat.
Totosai was busy lamenting Tetsaiga's condition in a corner, buffing out scratches with a bit of cloth and pounding out dents with his hammer. " Well no wonder it's not been working for you properly! Honestly, Inuyasha. You'd think you'd be better at heeding his warnings by now…"
"Warnings about what?"
Totosai examined one of Inuyasha's palms. Sure enough, they were red and irritated. " You should have come to me right away. This sword is too much for your arm strength in this form. We need to tune the sword to your female form in order to wield it successfully. We may have to remove a few of the attacks temporarily as well."
Inuyasha's ears twitched a bit, turning towards the old man.
"Tune it to my female form? What the heck does that mean?"
Totosai slapped Inuyasha's shoulder playfully. " Means you're gonna have to get in touch with your feminine side, kiddo! So let's get started." He waddled out of the cave and Inuyasha followed, reluctantly.
"Oh boy." Inuyasha snarled, her ears flattening out to either side of her head in annoyance.
Outside, the lava flowed lazily. Streams of steam billowed, and Inuyasha's bare feet ached uncomfortably on the hot rock. The area they were in was safe enough, but they were pretty close to some very low-moving lava.
"So! You remember what happened when I had to reforge Tetsaiga with your own fang, Inuyasha?" Totosai murmured, still keeping an eye on the sword. Inuyasha ran a hand along the shining silver blade and nodded, " Yeah, yeah. All that stuff about me using my own strength to protect myself, instead of my father. It was damn heavy then, too."
"Well, this will be along the same lines. Now- who are you usually protecting when you use the Tetsaiga? I assume you're no longer travelling with your friends, so it isn't them."
Inuyasha shook her head, "Nah. Usually its just myself now. Or Sesshomaru. But pretty soon, its gonna be the pups, and so I need to be ready."
The old man nodded and said after a moment, " To begin- are there any attacks you feel comfortable shedding off? We must get the weight of the sword down, so we need to remove a few of those."
Inuyasha looked at the blade thoughtfully. " Well.. as long as I can get em back… I guess I could get rid of the barrier breaking Tetsaiga. I don't use that one too often." She jerked in surprise when the hammer came down on the Tetsaiga. A redness seemed to seep out of the blade and cover the hammer before slowly vanishing, soaking into the blackness.
"Lord Sesshomaru. May I borrow Bakusaiga for a moment?" Totosai called. Sesshomaru got to his feet with an irritated huff and made his way over, drawing Bakusaiga . He flipped it in one graceful movement, his hand now on the blade and the handle pointed towards Totosai.
The old man took it gently, his gnarled hand running down the blade.
"Now, this is what a sword should look like! Near perfect condition." He said, lifting it and looking down the length of the blade. There were a few small scratches but it was nowhere near the minefield that Tetsaiga had been. To Sesshomaru's surprise, Totosai slapped the blade lightly along the part of Inuyasha's hair, earning a yelp.
"Maybe Sesshomaru should be cleaning your blade after every fight, eh? At least he seems to know how!"
Inuyasha rubbed her head and snarled, "All right, all right. I get it! Are you gonna fix Tetsaiga for me or not, old man?" Totosai set the hammer lightly on Bakusaiga, almost thoughtfully. That same redness from Inuyasha's sword seeped out of the hammer, and slowly was absorbed into the Bakusaiga. For a moment, the blade changed into a brilliant red before switching back to its usual mercury color.
Inuyasha was heated, "H-hey! You didn't say you were gonna give it to Sesshomaru-" but Totosai stopped her.
"Its my impression that you'll need all the help you can get for this upcoming battle. If you're fighting together, then it'd make more sense to give Bakusaiga some of these attacks rather than have them stored in my home, totally useless. Don't you think?"
The hanyou snarled, " Yeah, but how do I know he's gonna give em back?"
Totosai looked confused. " Well, I'd assume you'd know your mate better than that. Besides-" earning himself a clonk on the head from a closed fist from the hanyou. Sesshomaru leaned against one of the nearby ribcages, crossing his arms in vague amusement at the little scene in front of him.
"We. Are. Not. Mates. You really have gone senile, haven't you?"
"Well you've got his mark. I assumed…"As Totosai grumbled and rubbed the lump, Inuyasha then whirled on Sesshomaru. "And you. Why aren't you out clearing this up, eh? I'd think you'd be the first one to clear up that little misunderstanding!"
Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed, crinkling at the corners in clear amusement.
I think you know why I'm not bothering to clarify. He ended the sentence with a slow and deliberate wink.
Inuyasha's face went as red as her robes as she spluttered, " You- you asshole! I'll kill you!" yet she was tripped up by Totosai, who managed to snag her sword with his hammer.
"Now now Inuyasha. Back to the matter at hand. Does the sword feel a bit lighter now?"
Inuyasha's eyes were still on Sesshomaru as she hissed, " Yep-perfect to run him through with." Totosai turned the hanyou around to break the eye contact between the two, walking the hanyou a good distance from the Daiyokai despite her protests. "Oh really? Let's see your wind scar then."
Inuyasha hesitated, growling lowly once more at Sesshomaru over her shoulder before swinging the sword backwards, yelling out the attack.
The gigantic tunnel of wind ripped across the landscape, creating five deep crevices in the earth. Yet… it seemed Totosai was aware that it was still less powerful than before.
"Hmm. Interesting. Let's go ahead and take off one more." Totosai murmured. This time, they both agreed to take off the dragon-scale Tetsaiga- but for some reason, Bakusaiga rejected absorption of that attack.
"Odd." Totosai murmured, flipping the sword back in Sesshomaru's direction. The Daiyokai caught the sword deftly and ran his claws along it once, feeling it pulse faintly. There was a reason it hadn't absorbed that attack… and Sesshomaru trusted the sword enough to know what it was doing.
Perhaps another dragon-based attack just wasn't a good idea, considering how close he'd come to sprouting horns with his training with Youshi.
"Again!"
This time, the wind scar ripped across the lava, its power crackling in the air all around them. The mark it left was at least twice as long as before, and Sesshomaru could hear the metal ringing faintly.
"Hell yeah! That's more like it!" Inuyasha said excitedly, her face flushed with exhilaration. As she gripped the handle though, she noted a slight change in color.
The blade slowly turned a soft, glittery pink from hilt to tip. Her ears went up and tilted forward as she tried to listen to the blade, but the words were a bit muffled.
"What the-?"
"Ah, its as I thought." Totosai nodded. " Too many different abilities- it was blocking your ability to recognize anything new that this female form might offer. Remember, Inuyasha- you won't just be protecting yourself anymore. You'll be protecting your children. You gained access to the sword through protecting a human. Perhaps it will offer you something different to protect your family."
One thing was clear- it was a new attack, and Tetsaiga wanted Inuyasha to try it out.
"Why does it have to be pink, though." Inuyasha muttered an annoyance, waving the blade around once in frustration.
"What are you even called?" She whispered softly.
It is called 'Corpse Flower' according to Bakusaiga. Sesshomaru's voice cut gently through his thoughts. Inuyasha bristled and raised a fist, " I didn't ask you! Shaddup!" before looking back down at the blade.
Well. It was worth a shot. Inuyasha lifted her sword and swiped it in the air, calling out "Corpse Flower!" and blinking in surprise.
Glitter dispersed in the air in the form of a huge arc. And everywhere that glitter met the ground, huge plants sprouted. They were very strange looking- they had an upside-down bowl at the bottom, with what looked like a sword shaft sticking out of the middle of each. The insides of the plants were a strange maroon and they seemed to be releasing something into the air.
Inuyasha ran over and started poking one moodily.
"Thanks, Tetsaiga, I hate it."
"Now now. I think there are more to these than appearances." Totosai crouched to examine the flowers. Deftly, he yanked a lizard out of his left sleeve and set it nearby one of the flowers. When it crawled close, it was immediately grabbed by one of the dark leaves, and wrapped lengthwise. In moments, it seemed to be completely digested.
"Huh. Interesting. Lord Sesshomaru- would you mind sending a little miasma over towards these flowers?" Totosai called over his shoulder. The Daiyokai huffed and lifted a hand, a purple cloud drifting over to where Inuyasha and Totosai stood.
As soon as it got close to the flowers, it was immediately dispersed by the strange pollen they seemed to be giving off.
"Aha. So it dissolves miasma completely. And look – none of the plants were effected." Totosai murmured, rubbing his chin a little.
Inuyasha squinted at the old man.
"Why did you have a lizard up your sleeve."
The elderly gentleman huffed, "I don't tell you how to live your life, Inuyasha." And gave one of the flowers a quick pat of approval with his hammer. "If Tetsaiga gave you this, then its definitely going to be useful in your next fight. I wouldn't be so quick to dismiss it."
"Yeah, yeah." Inuyasha stood, sheathing the sword and looking over the flowers with mixed emotions. Trading the barrier and the dragon-scale for this? She was conflicted. She trusted her sword… and maybe she'd just have to pray that that trust was not misplaced.
Inuyasha and Totosai trained for a while longer, but it was clear that the Tetsaiga, while still not at full power, was infinitely better off than before. And that was a relief to both the hanyou, and the Daiyokai.
As they rode Ah-Un on the way back, Inuyasha curled up in the seat, thinking about what Sesshomaru had said earlier.
I think you know why I'm not bothering to clarify.
She knew he'd just been teasing, but there had been a grain of truth in his words too.
It was still so hard to imagine that he wanted her back. And, that it wasn't just a physical thing… related to the fact that weren't blood relations.
She snuck a glance in his direction. He was his usual perfect self- sharply pointed ears. His hair draping down his shoulders in a graceful wave, like a curtain. Just barely, she could see the stripes on both of his cheeks from here.
His ear twitched slightly; and suddenly, his face turned halfway, one eye meeting her gaze. Perhaps somehow being able to sense that she was looking at him.
"Inuyasha? What is it?"
She pulled away from him, pulling up her legs and crossing her arms over them. " It's…" She wanted to let it go, but she couldn't. And to be fair, it was sort of an important thing to discuss, if … if this was all going where she was thinking.
"How come you never actually finished me off? I mean, after Tetsaiga and father's tomb, I just felt like you weren't really… trying. Even when I went crazy in my full demon form, you could've just killed me easily. My nose was good enough that I could tell. But you didn't."
Sesshomaru raised a brow in surprise and looked slightly uncomfortable. So, the hanyou was a bit quicker on the uptake than he realized.
"I recognized traits in you that I found … intriguing. Your bombastic nature. Your ambition to become a full demon. Your protectiveness over that weak ningen priestess. Understand that up until that point, I was mostly around other Daiyokai like myself. Those traits are rare and sometimes frowned upon depending on tribe." He murmured almost thoughtfully.
"You were the most irritating being I had ever met. But you were also honest to the point of crassness. Compassionate to human and yokai suffering alike. Sincere. I could go on but for fear of inflating your ego far too much." He said with a slight flash of fang.
"To put it simply, you interested me. And it is also these qualities that make you a desirable mate."
Inuyasha went a little red around the ears that that and muttered, " Even though I'm a hanyou?"
Sesshomaru tied the reins around the horn of the saddle and turned around to face her, much to her surprise. She scooted back just a bit. Had she said the wrong thing?
But set a hand very gently on top of hers.
"It is my belief that it is your human blood that gave you those traits, Inuyasha. I am still trying to learn them." Sesshomaru paused and slipped his hand into hers, being very careful of the claws.
"It is the human in you that brings out the finest in me." The Daiyokai murmured, his gaze so soft that she could scarcely meet it without having her own eyes water. She blinked the sensation away furiously but to no avail.
And felt the tracks of hot tears down her cheeks. Embarrassed she went to wipe them away with a sleeve, but he stopped her.
Instead cupping her face very gently. She felt the slight scrape of cool claws.
" Never doubt that you are worthy of my affection and love, Inuyasha. Should you- wish to receive it." He murmured and wiped the tears on her face, leaning over and pressing a sweet kiss to the center of her forehead.
He was surprised then, to feel her grab him and pull him close. Her head tucked under his chin, those little silken ears folded. She was gripping him so hard that he heard his kimono ripping from her claws, but he didn't much mind.
To hear from Sesshomaru that he accepted her as a hanyou was almost more than she could bear.
She was shuddering slightly and he felt hot wetness near his collarbone, and knew she was crying .He relaxed and wrapped his arms around her; one around her shoulders and the other across her back.
Their hair waved together in the breeze. A soft mercury flag, and another, just a few shades darker. The sun glancing off of it like water on a hot day.
He felt her nuzzle up to his neck and moved some of his hair to make her a bit more comfortable. Too bad he hadn't brought his hairtie. Ah, well.
Suddenly, a sharp pain.
Sesshomaru gasped in surprise, his body trying to jerk away from her. But she held him fast, and when he glanced down, he saw red and blue in Inuyasha's eyes.
Her teeth were deep in his neck.
And he shuddered in pain as venom laced its way through his veins, so hot it felt as if a match had been lit inside him. He gritted his teeth and clenched his eyes shut.
How? How- Inuyasha is a hanyou, she shouldn't be able to –
And yet. He felt that awful itchiness behind his neck. So terrible his claws twitched, wanting to rip the skin off-
And then a cooler tinging as the mark solidified.
And in his mind's eye, he could see their bond-
Two red strings of fate twisting together, lacing in a beautiful dance. And then they tied together.
An eternal knot.
He felt her teeth leave him and looked down in concern- she promptly passed out in his arms, a line of bright blue venom dripping from the corner of her mouth.
Sesshomaru sighed and gathered her in his lap- her legs over one of his arms and her torso in another. Rubbing Ah-Un's snout when one of the dragon's heads leaned back and nudged Inuyasha in concern.
"She'll be all right. She just needs rest." He assured, rubbing the mark on the back of his neck wearily and slowly turning the both of them around. Taking Ah-Un's reins in one hand and blinking away sleep.
He could feel it; her exhaustion, her yokai's satisfaction at having marked such a strong Daiyokai. He would protect and love her, she was sure. And in return she would give him beautiful, strong pups. Her train of thought brought a pink blush to his cheeks.
She marked me.
He thought and felt strangely nervous. Shocked. A little angry, even.
He was now bound body and soul to the hanyou, just like Diaozuan.
But to his surprise, there was also an underlying sense of relief. No more messing around. No more tiptoeing around the inevitable.
Now that he was marked it was only a matter of time before they became mates. Either through their own decision- or a decision made by their yokai in the middle of the night.
So the sooner, the better. His yokai wasn't exactly the most patient being. And considering how many times he'd felt her having explicit dreams about him, it was probably safe to assume she wouldn't wait long to finish their bond either.
The truth of it was both frightening and exhilarating at the same time. Never would he have imagined he would be bound to the hanyou in such a way. But…
He looked back down at her, his expression a mix of exasperation and affection.
You are never going to stop causing me grief, are you. Just full of one surprise after another.
Inuyasha stretched a bit in his grip and then curled up tighter against his chest. Marking him properly had taken every bit of energy from her. After the stretch, she made a small mewling noise of contentment. He felt his own heart flutter a bit and pressed his forehead to hers.
My little hanyou.
He carried her back to her room, hanging her sword on the wall and tucking her in before going to take a long-awaited bath.
At this time of the morning, the baths were mercifully empty. He left his armor in his room and, once by the pools, stripped quickly and gracefully, keeping a towel draped over one shoulder as he entered the pool.
The mineral water smelled of salt and herbs and was steaming silver in the pale morning light. He stepped in and immersed himself up to just under his nose. His silver hair and tail floating along the surface of the water and the minerals tingling his hide and his new mark. It was at the nape of his neck, just under where his hairline began. The exact location of his mark on the hanyou.
A part of him was still terrified of being bound to Inuyasha. After all, the hanyou hadn't exactly reacted positively to his mark before, and that had been done to save his life.
Perhaps it would be better, for now, if Inuyasha was kept in the dark about this. Of course, she'd probably figure it out on her own in no short time… It wasn't exactly an easy thing to conceal. He'd also have to start training Inuyasha to block their connection. After all, it wasn't exactly convenient to be feeling her emotions all the time. And now that their bond was sealed, it'd probably only be more intense.
His gaze wandered over the many different bars of soaps in his personal collection. Eventually, he settled on something strong and got to scrubbing. His throat was healing slowly and the hot water was helping to take the stress from his lean body.
He dipped himself under a few times and flipped his hair Ariel-style before settling back in one corner of the pools. Enjoying the way the steam lightly coated his skin, leaving it glittering with dew.
I wonder how I would have reacted, if I'd been marked back then.
He thought, propping his feet up on the side of the pool. His tail floated into an idle circle, following the light current of the water.
Well. That was easy enough. He really would've probably killed the hanyou. It was no small deal to be bonded to someone after all.
He looked down at his own reflection, at the double stripes on his ribcage and the other set that graced his hips.
Then again. The bond could only be created if both parties had those strong feelings of affection and protection. If he'd really felt that way the venom would've been just that- and Sesshomaru certainly did not want to experience Inuyasha's venom. Not after what the hanyou had gone through from just a drop of Sesshomaru's venom.
He let out a long sigh.
This is just what I did after Diaozuan marked me.
He realized with some amusement. Old habits died hard.
Sesshomaru soon grabbed a mirror and flicked his hair out of the way to see it.
It was a pretty thing- Inu No Taisho's mark. Or rather, Inuyasha's mark, for they were one and the same. Perfectly round: a twisting, turning Foo-Dog, jaws open on a silent howl of victory. Mostly black, but with a glittery blue undertone and red eyes.
Well, well well. Look whose got themselves a new tattoo.
Diaozuan purred, the warmth of the mark Sesshomaru's his chest flaring. The Daiyokai growled and pulled his legs closer, his tail looping over his waist.
I wasn't the one who placed it.
I know, orchid. But goddamn, it was about time. He felt amusement on the fox's end, and growled again a little deeper.
Silence.
I am happy for both of you. The Foo-Dog colored slightly. Though he would never admit it, he was relieved that Diaozuan approved of the bond as it hadn't exactly been planned.
It was quite… unexpected.
There was silence for a moment before Diaozuan said softly, So was ours, love. And I am forever grateful that your yokai nudged us along.
Ours was… different.
Not really. You should get some rest love. You feel tired. Diaozuan murmured before finally disappearing from his thoughts for the moment.
He wasn't wrong- between the lesson with Youshi, the visit to Totosai, and the new mark on his neck Sesshomaru was exhausted.
He stood up, the water running down his body in silver rivulets and dripping from his hair. He hung it out to one side and squeezed as much water out as possible. Then, shook out his tail like a dog before slipping back into his clothes and heading off to bed.
Feeling Inuyasha's consciousness pulsing softly in the back of his mind always.
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No fan of Kikyo- I may or may not have taken your suggestion lol. But, Inuyasha still won't be at full power when they arrive. Its all a part of my grand master plan, you see.
EatEmUp: I based him off of Dark from DNAngel, loosely. He was one of my favorite characters when I was younger, and I felt like his personality would meld nicely with Sesshomaru lol. Nah, Sesshomaru got help from Youshi, and Ryuu was his enemy, but I don't remember any other dragons being involved. But I could be wrong xp I am sometimes not super good at editing lol.