Author's Note: I do not own Inuyasha or any of the source material for this story. All are owned by Rumiko Takahashi. This fic is labeled MA per standards for eventual violence, sex, and language so be warned.

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Reconciliation

Chapter 7 - Some Might Say

The journey West had been an easy one, for the most part. Using the mountains and deep forests to avoid civilization made sure he wasn't causing trouble or inviting it. He was actually enjoying the trip through the wilderness. It had been a while since he and Kagome had traveled anywhere like this. Maybe they would take a trip when he got back… Sadness crossed his face then. If he went back, he thought regretfully.

If Sesshoumaru couldn't or wouldn't help him tame this youki, he wasn't sure what else to do. The inudaiyoukai was notoriously prideful and superior. Sesshoumaru had made it painfully obvious how he felt about his half-brother.

If Inuyasha was honest with himself, he wished now it had been different. Not just because he was in need of Sesshoumaru's help now but because it would be nice to be part of a proper pack. The brothers were all there was left of his father's line until Sesshoumaru took a wife and settled down, which seemed highly unlikely to ever happen as far as Inuyasha knew. His own children might add to the pack one day but Sesshoumaru would never acknowledge them so that was a moot point.

He would have liked to have known something concrete about his own parents, or at least his father. His mother he could remember well enough but not much about who she actually was. He remembered the wistful, often sad, but kind woman who had been with him as long as she could, but that wasn't who she was. It had been what she was. Surely there had been more to tempt a daiyoukai to marry a human princess. So many unknowns in his past and now his future was in question, too. He shook himself out his melancholy for the moment. It was a pursuit for another time. For now, it was time to pack up again and keep moving.

…

A week or so later, Inuyasha finally caught up with Sesshoumaru along the coast at Niigata as he patrolled the Northern borders of the West. He had caught the scent of the daiyoukai some days ago, and assumed his half-brother had scented him too by now. Sesshoumaru seemed not to care and continued, leading him farther and farther North for days before finally stopping in a forest of willows near the river long enough for Inuyasha to approach him.

Sesshoumaru was in the middle of a small clearing with his retainer, Jaken, and the two-headed dragon he had frequently seen with the daiyoukai's party. Sesshoumaru was wearing the red honeycomb traveling haori he usually wore, his armor, and was carrying both Tenseiga and Bakusaiga. Since his half-brother was probably on patrol this far North, it wasn't that surprising he was armed to the teeth. Inuyasha would have to make sure this went well or he might not live to return to the village, no matter his youki problems.

Inuyasha made sure he approached from an open vantage point, so as to appear non-threatening in every way. His sword was sheathed and he tried to assume a relaxed posture as he approached Sesshoumaru's camp. The daiyoukai stood next to Ah-Un reading missives from the dragon's saddlebag. Jaken was squawking about 'needing to return as soon as possible' and Sesshoumaru was ignoring the kappa completely as he read his letters.

"But my Lord, you must return or else the torayoukai will continue to press their advantage! The council is meeting in three days' time and they have deman- urk, urgently requested your presence, my Lord Sesshoumaru!"

"I care not for the squabbling politicians lazing about the palace. The torayoukai are slinking no further into the West than is acceptable. The cats wander in and out of all of the neighboring lands. It is of no concern. We will not risk war at the fear-mongering of my ignorant council."

"But my Lord, won't you at least come back and tell them yourself? If they heard your most reasonable and commanding explanation, perhaps they would stop bothering my Lord as he travels?"

Sesshoumaru was silent for a moment, testing the air.

'What is the half-breed still doing here?' He scowled at the thought of enduring a meeting with the hanyou, placating his council, and continuing his patrol before the day was out.

"It is not currently the council which bothers me." He sent a pointed glare at the imp. "Return to the Western palace at once and tell the council that I will return when my journey is complete and not before. And Jaken, do not seek me out again before I return."

Sesshoumaru's tone alerted the retainer that the conversation was now over unless he wished to invite physical violence. Jaken bowed lowly before climbing back onto the dragon and taking off towards the Western palace, leaving Sesshoumaru alone. Now that the council and the kappa were taken care of, he could turn his attention to his slowly approaching half-brother.

"Why do you seek me out, Inuyasha?" Sesshoumaru turned to face his half-brother with guarded curiosity.

He was immediately interested to notice Inuyasha had grown taller in the short time since he'd last seen him. He was wearing his inherited Robe of the Fire Rat and carrying Tessaiga, both expected. He was thinner and his youki was… No, that couldn't be right. His unshielded youki was twice or three times what it was when they had defeated Naraku. The hanyou had never concealed his energy before, from lack of knowledge about such things Sesshoumaru assumed, so it was easy for the daiyoukai to detect the change.

'Bastard wants to get right to the point… Fine.'

"Sesshoumaru, I wanna talk. Just talk. I have a few questions, if you'll hear me out."

Inuyasha held his hands up in front of himself and continued to slowly walk forward. This had to work. He had to get Sesshoumaru to listen.

'Curious.' the daiyoukai thought.

"Ask."

Sesshoumaru gave away nothing. He didn't move or blink as he waited for Inuyasha to approach and make his request. This was so out of character for the hanyou that Sesshoumaru didn't know what to make of the encounter. If it was a ploy to get within striking range, the hanyou was still outmatched in every way. There were no other beings of consequence nearby, he knew instinctively, so this was not an attempt at deception. If Inuyasha was truly in need of something, Sesshoumaru had no idea what it could be. Never in their history had Inuyasha approached him as anything but either an enemy or an ally out of need. Perhaps the latter was the case again, though no reports of true threats to the West had reached his ears.

"My youki is killing me, Sesshoumaru."

Of anything the whelp could have told him, this was the most unusual. Inuyoukai curiosity ran wild in his mind at that moment. He stopped the mental wheels turning and refocused, curious to know more. When he said nothing, Inuyasha continued.

"Or at least I think it is. It started after Kagome returned from… her home to live in the village."

The less he knew about all of that, the better.

"All of a sudden, I started growing and my youki started tearing me apart. It'll stay quiet for weeks, or used to, but then it takes over and there's nothing I can do. It's worse than the times you saw me lose control. Do you have any idea what's happening? Is this a thing that happens to demons? It's happening every few days now and it's getting worse. I need… your help."

Inuyasha looked truly contrite and exhausted. Sesshoumaru sensed no deception from him. He noted the faint dark circles at the half-breed's eyes and the sickly yellow of healing bruises along Inuyasha's collarbone and forearms. His shoulders were slumped and his eyes were pleading. Inuyasha's description of his affliction was vague but surely it was not a life or death matter. The pup could travel here to him unharmed and had no evidence of severe bodily injury.

"You are not a demon, Inuyasha. You are hanyou." He almost spat the last word. Citrine eyes met Inuyasha's in serious contemplation and thinly veiled annoyance.

"I know that, okay?!" He took a breath.

Failure here meant death. Let the bastard insult him if it made it easier.

"I know I'm a half-breed. But I'm also half inuyoukai and I need to know if any of this is normal. And if it isn't, I need to find a way to stop it before I do something terrible."

The situation was so strange, Sesshoumaru couldn't find the appropriate emotions to respond. Annoyance at the delay was first but negligible. Curiosity was almost overwhelming. Disgust at the potential of facing another embarrassment should the hanyou draw attention to himself with this affliction. The council of the West were less than pleased that Inuyasha had gained so much notoriety as he traveled, making allies as he went, and even more after the defeat of Naraku. A spotlight on the shame of the West was never welcome.

So few things happened now to distract the ageless daiyoukai from the march of time and posturing of politics. Naraku had been a welcome distraction but it would be selfish and futile to hope for something of that magnitude to occur again. It was so easy to fall prey to apathy as a means to detach himself from the problems of the shrinking world.

Perhaps if the hanyou were to die at the hands of his own youki, it would be better. The blight of his father's weakness would disappear and the council would relent the worries of succession they pressed on him every few years or so. As if he would ever be defeated anyway, leaving the hanyou to inherit the West.

No, then they would press the issue of his taking a mate and invite a never-ending procession of high-born demonesses to invade his palace until the matter was resolved. No, that was far more disgusting than attempting to help Inuyasha. Mind made up, Sesshoumaru continued the discussion.

"And how do you propose I could help you, Inuyasha?" He wasn't sure what answer he expected. Assuming anything in this bizarre situation would lead to more surprises, he was sure.

"I don't know. Didn't our father teach you to control it? Would you give me a basic lesson?" Inuyasha shook his head then. That would never happen. "Or point me to someone who could? Anything would help, Sesshoumaru. Please."

"Your youki cannot kill you. That you think it can shows your ignorance. A vessel cannot house that which is stronger than itself."

"Even if that vessel is hanyou?"

"Even so. Granted the knowledge of hanyou is limited."

Then Sesshoumaru had an idea. Putting an end to this annoyance, solving the problem, and granting Inuyasha the help his honor demanded. Then he could be done with the hanyou forever and continue the path he was on without having to address the needs of the West over his own.

"I will return to the capital of the West in three days' time. I employ an inuyoukai captain most experienced with delicate youki manipulation. I will send him here to meet with you."

This was the best Inuyasha could have hoped for. A conversation that didn't end in blood, and proffered help from Sesshoumaru. The hanyou visibly relaxed.

Inuyasha awkwardly bowed to the daiyoukai then. He didn't like the feel of it, and he would probably never do it again but it was deserved. Now he had hope, at least. "Thanks, Sesshoumaru."

"Hm." Surprised at the respect the whelp displayed, Sesshoumaru didn't want to linger in this strange meeting any longer. He was anxious to get back to patrolling the Northern borders, and then to get back and remind the council who the ruling party really was. Gathering his youki at his feet, he launched into the sky, trailing fallen leaves and willow branches up into the sky with him.

After Sesshoumaru was out of sight, Inuyasha collapsed to the forest floor using Tessaiga as a crutch to stay upright at all. Several days of hard travel, staying on high alert in case Sesshoumaru decided to confront him, and the exhaustion from yesterday's youki episode had finally caught up with him. This couldn't continue or he'd die from exhaustion anyway.

Regaining a small measure of energy after the relief of not being murdered where he stood, he settled under a large tree to wait. He realized now that he should have asked more about who he was waiting for but he hadn't wanted to risk angering an amenable Sesshoumaru. The best he could do now was to go hunt, rest, and keep a low profile.

Inuyasha took a moment to observe and was stilled by the beauty of this forest. There was a human settlement bustling with activity nearby but the forest here was undisturbed. It was peaceful. The river passing by just to the South was burbling in the background, adding an echo to the trees' gentle whispering as the wind lazily lifted willow branches here and there. The smell and the feel of the place reminded him of Kagome.

Kagome. He closed his eyes and pictured her smile and the feel of her in his arms. His heart ached to see her again and he could admit to himself that he was lonely now without her. She was surely angry at him for leaving like he did. It would be days of apologies and groveling when he got home. He felt empty and on edge here but even allowing her into his thoughts again was peaceful. He regretted not saying goodbye to the kit too but he was off at school again and Kagome would smooth it over.

'If I ever go home again…' he thought sadly. 'I can't go back until this I know what the hell is happening, no matter how long it takes. Sure hope this captain knows his shit.'

Before long, the gentle lullaby of the trees, the relief at knowing he was moving forward, and the relaxation brought by thoughts of his wife brought sleep to the exhausted hanyou. His head fell back to rest on the tree trunk and his arms encircled and rested on Tessaiga as he drifted off.

…

Sesshoumaru pondered Inuyasha's words as he continued his patrol for the next few days.

'My youki is killing me, Sesshoumaru.'

What could have happened to the boy to make him believe that was the case? Inuyasha's own energies were at new levels, well above normal or what he remembered to be normal, but that should not have led him to believe that he was being overcome.

Sesshoumaru could not remember ever hearing a tale or reading of a case where youki, or any inherent energies, had killed their owner. It seemed highly unlikely. And yet, seeing the exhausted hanyou had given him pause. His half-brother had endured intense hardship at the hands of Naraku and yet, even after the final battle, had not appeared so entirely spent as he did now.

His mind drifted to the captain he would be sending to meet with the hanyou. Ren was an exemplary captain of the Western army. He and his twin brother Kenshin had been living at the Western fortress their entire lives and were very familiar with the story of the Inu no Taishou's human escapade. This would make the request that much easier to ask of him.

The news of the hanyou's request for help would shock the captain but he would most definitely go at Sesshoumaru's order. Sesshoumaru himself would request a full report of the captain's findings on his return.

Then his thoughts drifted to Rin. If Inuyasha was indeed losing control of himself, Rin would need to leave the village she had become accustomed to and come back to the Western palace until the nature of Inuyasha's affliction could be determined.

He also remembered Inuyasha mentioning that the miko had returned to the village. Visions of the warrior miko flashed through his mind in quick succession. Surely, they were mated by now but Sesshoumaru had scented no change on his half-brother. He dismissed the thought and planned when to go back and take Rin away as he continued his flight towards the Northern border.

The closer he came to the North, the more crisp and clean the air became. The drop in temperature was welcome after the long summer but the cooler, thinner air stirred the inudaiyoukai's desire to run free in the night air in his true form. Sesshoumaru wasn't willing to test the patience of the newly established toradaiyoukai house, however. The burst of youki caused by the transformation would set teeth on edge and raise hackles even at this distance. It was best for now to remain as he was, funneling a small amount of his energy into maintaining flight and creating a weak signature they would detect and recognize but not fear.

The dense forests of the Northern regions were now the home of the tiger youkai and their kin. Sesshoumaru made it a point to travel to the busiest regions of the each of the four cardinal youkai lords a few times each year. This trip was to check on the progress made to rebuild the North by the torayoukai following the obliteration of the panthers for the second, and hopefully final, time.

Cats easily forget the past in favor of the pleasures of the present so he didn't anticipate any bad blood between them over the panther's defeat but it was always best to show one's face and make sure bonds were intact. Information relayed secondhand wasn't always trustworthy and Sesshoumaru was interested in how the cats planned to handle the growing human population in the region. Plus, it gave him a reason to stay away from his mother and the council and their constant nagging for several more days.

The ancestral home of the panthers was a sprawling estate set on a steep hilltop at the base of a small chain of mountains in the central Northern region.* It was the perfect position, Sesshoumaru reflected, ever the strategist. There was no angle of approach hidden from the castle's central bailey, and cats were alert creatures even if they were a bit inconstant. They would never be taken by surprise.

Tiger, leopard, and their lesser kin would remain aloof and out of the way and in their own territory until something unusual caught their attention. The cats were instinctively prone to wander indiscriminately in and out of their neighbors' territories and it bothered him that he would have to remind his own palace lawmakers of that yet again. How much did they, as inu, rely on instinct even now? The moment youkai stopped combining centuries of hereditary instinct with rational thought, they were no better than the humans. Just as shallow and single-minded.

Keeping an eye on the growing human population was becoming a full-time job. Right under the noses of the most powerful beings on the islands, humans had stretched their populations to nearly cover the entire land mass. Cities were growing and drawing more and more attention. Palaces and temples were taking up more and more space. The threat was a real one and the council would meet regularly to discuss issues of interrupted trade or usurpation of more land.

Youkai were not being threatened physically but the once respected borders of youkai lands were being challenged silently year after year as human populations grew and forgot about the ancient races of youkai. Decisions would have to be made regarding how to handle the human populations going forward. He made a few mental notes about propositioning the human lords when he returned before he landed outside the gates of the toradaiyoukai's castle. Steeling himself for the aloof cats' teasing and flighty nature over the dinner he was sure would ensue, he strode forward to be received.

*Based loosely on Sannohe Castle, if you want to check it out