"Half-Hearted Scars"

By: Shi-chan

Rating: PG-13

Warnings: Blood, minor angst, fluffiness, the biting of Kagome (O_o), and stuffs like that

Disclaimer: Don't own Inuyasha, Rumiko Takahashi-sama does.

Author's Corner!!

Shi-chan: Wow. O_O That's what I've got to say. Wow. I never thought this fanfiction would be so popular, considering that the prequel for it got so little reviews. Well I wanna thank all of you who left me such nice reviews!! I totally didn't expect that, and much less to get so many within only a day of posting it... ^^ THANKIES!

Oh yeah, after surveying the last chapter, I realized you guys were right. ^^;; It DID need to be PG-13. Sorry about that! Oh, and to answer someone's question, Inuyasha and Kagome had gone no further than kissing or Frenching. (I'm only 13 you guys!! You gotta remember that! LOL)

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Miroku and Shippou had arrived just in time hear Inuyasha scream, and then to see Sesshoumaru save Kagome from the hanyou's rather brutal attack on her. They quickly dashed over to Sango, who was wide-eyed and shocked at the shore of the hot spring. "What... what's going on here?" Miroku asked, the whole setup confusing him to no extent. Sango swallowed and gave him a brief summary, her mouth agape all the while. Shippou hopped onto the woman's lap in place of Kagome and watched the scene with large, teary eyes.

"You... get away from Kagome, Sesshoumaru! She's my mate, and there's nothing you can do about it, so why don't you just go somewhere and die again?" Inuyasha yelled, holding his hand out for Kikyou's reincarnate to take.

Sesshoumaru lifted his eyebrow and clutched the girl more protectively against himself. "She is not your mate, little brother. Is not the tradition that if the scars do not remain then you and the one you are in love with are not meant to be? The scars are intended to last forever, and they bind your life with your mate's for eternally (Someone asked why Inuyasha's scars didn't last, well that explains it. It's not that he doesn't love her, it's that they're not meant to be together)."--He then stopped and lifted Kagome's hair so he could survey her neck--"I see not any scars, and I know it's not been very long since you and she have pledged yourself to one another."

Kagome nestled her head against the Lord of the Western Lands' chest, breathing heavily from the previous events. She felt warm and secure in the arms of Inuyasha's elder brother, who had just saved her from possible injury or death by the person who supposedly loved her. Her closed eyes suddenly flew open as everything came into realization. Inuyasha would never hurt her, no matter what was going on, if he truly was in love with her, and the scars would have remained upon her neck. Maybe...

The miko tugged lightly on the sleeve of Sesshoumaru's kimono, refraining him from the continuation of lecturing his half-brother. "Inuyasha and I are not meant to be by the tradition of your family, correct," she asked, barely loud enough for everyone to hear. The inu prince blinked and nodded wordlessly, thinking that he had already made such a point clear, and was not understanding what the girl was getting at.

Kagome stared straight into Sesshoumaru's eyes and said, back in her normal voice, "Perhaps it is you after all to whom I am meant to be bound." The inu youkai returned the priestess' intense gaze for a moment, then leaned down and caressed the human's lips. "Perhaps," he whispered in her ear before moving his mouth down to her neck and inserting his fangs as gently as he could to where he believed he'd leave a scar. Kagome winced slightly, but allowed no sound to escape from her mouth. Sesshoumaru could feel her muscles tense under his touch and he prepared to remove his fangs from her neck.

"GET AWAY FROM KAGOME!" Inuyasha screamed suddenly, jumping to his brother and grabbing his arms in an attempt to pull him away. Kagome cried out in pain as the prince's fangs tore through her flesh fiercely from the hanyou jerking him away. She fell to the ground, her hand covering her throat, which was now covered in crimson blood.

Sesshoumaru's eyes went wide and he threw Inuyasha off of him so that he could rush to the futuristic girl. He lifted her into his arms and tore a bit from the sleeve of his kimono so that he could dab away some of the blood with it. "Your intent is to kill her, is it not?!" He demanded of his little brother, glaring daggers at him.

The half-human growled and curled his fist into a ball. "It's your fangs that hurt her, you know!" He yelled back all the full youkai, swallowing in an attempt to control his anger. The Lord Prince smirked suddenly, still aiding Kagome, and informed his brother, "Well, dear brother, fate must think that Kagome and I are meant to be. It forced you to lash out at me like that, driving my fangs harder and deeper into her, which created a wound that will positively leave a scar. You just helped prove that I deserve to be with her more than you."

The hanyou backed up, his golden eyes wide and in shock. He opened his mouth to protest, but after a quick glance at the priestess' neck, he could tell that there was no denying an eternal scar. "You set me up," he screamed, swallowing hard in fear that he might shed tears. Sesshoumaru remained expressionless as he stood up, Kagome in arms. "I did nothing of the sort, as I'd never stoop so low as to your level, hanyou. All I did was perform an attempt to become mates with the woman I love."

Sango stared in horror at everything before her eyes. Inuyasha attacking Kagome, Sesshoumaru saving her, then biting her neck as a *romantic* gesture, then Inuyasha worsening the wound?! It was all too much for the exterminator to take, so she swooned a moment, then fell backwards onto Miroku.

The monk quickly pulled the youkai slayer into a sitting position, and grabbed Shippou as well, attempting to stand up with them. "Monk, take them back to the village. This is a dispute my big brother and I must settle on our own," came Inuyasha's voice in a low, agitated growl. The pervert sighed and did as his friend bade, running off with the kitsune youkai and Sango toward Kaede's village.

"Well then, dear brother, what are you going to do? The marks of my territory have been made onto Kagome and it would be high treason and traitorous to dare take someone's mate, and especially that of a family member," The elder youkai informed his younger brother, still not a bit of emotion showing on his face, though inside he felt quite victorious.

"You're not family to me!" The hanyou shot back at his half-brother.

Sesshoumaru smirked as he recalled the relationship the two had shared before Inuyasha was taken away with his human mother. She had always feared the full youkai because he was rude to her, but was never as such to his brother. She had taken him despite Sugimi's (their father) pleas, and it had upset both the brothers. Sesshoumaru was told by other youkai and such who despised Inuyasha for his wondrous power, set aside his being a hanyou, that the half-breed had been glad to leave. He had foolishly believed them. It was then he began hating humans, for taking away his only brother and for creating his brother whom he assumed hated him. That was what led the two to hate one another so fiercely.

Before Inuyasha was taken, they were truly bonded together, and he could remember it all too vividly. The little half-human would climb onto the youkai's back and the two would run around the garden happily. Then, an elder youkai would attack them and Sesshoumaru would defeat them all too quickly with his amazing strength, and it always left Inuyasha in awe and admiration. He wanted to be just like his big brother.

Not anymore, however. Their hate was as strong as perhaps the power of Naraku, Menomaru, Yura, and any other youkai out there. "We were obviously family at some point, and blood is thicker than all, is it not? Therefore, you are attempting to put high shame upon yourself, and demolishing your pride. Do you truly want that?" Sesshoumaru asked the younger hanyou.

Inuyasha hesitated before replying.

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Author's Corner!!

Shi-chan: OKIES SORRY ABOUT THAT CLIFFHANGER, AND THE LITTLE INTERLUDE ABOUT INUYASHA AND SESSHOUMARU! I didn't want the fanfiction to seem like it was going to fast, and those were the only things I could come up with to fill some space, ya know? ^^;; Gomen nasai again!

~Shi-chan Meows~

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