Chapter 4: Sessho-Maro (Written to various things, my iPod is missing in action, so I have to keep switching CDs)
(Well now, it's a new week and a new manga13! Ive now read 1-6, part of 7, 11, 13, and 14Im a little spotty. But I do have some quality shit on everyone's favorite half-brother, and hopefully this'll be one of my better chaptersand btw, the reason my previously superhuman update speed has dropped is personal problems (If you actually want gory details e-mail me) and massive video-gaming parties next door. Sue me. Oh, a quick note to the confused: this story is set right after one of Kagome and Inuyasha's first shard fights, and Kikyo has not been reserected. That's not for like 2 and a half more mangas. Enjoy!)
(For tradition's sake, I don't own Inuyasha, except for 6 and 13)
Sessho-Maru sat on a shadow-shrouded throne, flexing his arm over and over, seeming almost uncomfortable with it. Blasted thingI'll need a new one soon.
A small demon groveled before him, and he deigned to glance at it briefly.
"All goes according to plan, lord Sessho-Maru."
Sessho-Maru smiled, small and unpleasant, as he watched his tiny retainer report. "My bastard sibling has been properly incited? The girl estranged?"
"Yesthe witch I employed made short work of those beads once I had the rumor about her dropped in Myoga's ear."
"Very good, Jakenthe time has come to take my prizes. I'll go collect the sword, claim the shard-detectorand take the head of Inuyashamy worthless half-brother."
*
The arrows binding Kagome's bare body to the god-tree were of a spiritual nature, so her body, while unable to escape without her soul, was unharmed. But being stuck in one position for hours on end, naked in a cold nighttime forest and haunted by tragic stories of supernatural romance was beginning to wear on her.
But as soon as she felt sorry for herself she wept bitterly, imagining how Inuyasha must feel. Oh God I wish I could help himthat awful thing Kikyo did to him
Whether or not I'm her reincarnation she was a bitch, and a stupid one, to let him gobut what am I saying? He's cute, and brave, and wants to protect mebut he's such an ass sometimesoh how can I think things about him at a time like this, when he's drowning in sorrow!?
Not knowing was easily ten times worse than hearing bad news for Kagome, as Sessho-Maru approached. She didn't notice him until he stood before her.
But when she did
He'soh God he's beautiful the setting full moon showed his haunting ethereal features, and in the early morning light his eyes seemed to pierce her very soul. Even if she hated him, she had to admit that he was even better looking than Inuyasha
"I see my dearest brother has been treating you with his usual lack of civility?" Sessho-Maru enquired casually, admiring the nude Kagome as she shivered in the light breeze. He stepped forwards, and with a pair of flicks dispelled the arrows through Kagome's spirit.
Sessho-Maru caught her as she fell, and while she struggled weakly he held her close. "I know that we last parted on less than friendly grounds, but give me a chance to explain please."
She relaxed, mostly, and he continued. "Thank you. Back in father's tomb, when I saw Inuyasha standing there, having just cut off the arm of his older, purer demon brother, I could have laughed. He's nowhere near my speed, strength, or skill, and yet still this puppy had managed to defeat Sessho-Maru, youkai heir to the western lands with a single swipe. How could this be?
"You. As I saw him begin his triumphal follow through, I noticed you, and all of a sudden I understood my father's love of a mortal woman. Inuyasha defeated me because he had something beautiful and wonderful to defend. Without you he's nothing, cannot use father's swords or seek out shards of that damned jewelbut with you he beat me.
"And so I swore to myself that I would know this love, and taste the joys that my father and my half-brother had already prospered from. I studied you, I watched you from afar, and I knew that I could do better than Inuyasha could. He's such a maniac over that priestess's death, I'm not surprised that he reacted like this to you merely looking similar to her.
"I have a proposition to make to you, Kagome. I'll free you forever of my wretched half-brother, and devote myself to aiding you in your quest for the jewel in his stead for a single small price."
Kagome's mind spun. He was so kind, so gentle as he held her, as Inuyasha never had, and she was sure she could be happy never to leave his embrace. But poor, poor Inuyasha, betrayed by the woman he loved again, and to his own flesh and blood
She wept more, and Sessho-Maru comforted her.
*
No one comforted Inuyasha as he cried.
No one at fucking all. Well, seeing as how Kikyo is dead, the village is wary of demons in general and me in particular, Kaede is lying in a crumpled heap after our little chat, and Kagome-
Oh FUCK.
Tears still streaming for his love lost, Inuyasha sped through the morning to his love found, and prayed that she didn't kill him like the last one. At least this time I would deserve it
*
"What" Kagome's voice trailed off. "What is you price?" She finally managed, weakly.
Sessho-Maru smiled in his otherworldly way. "Your love. I won't watch Inuyasha abuse you or our father's gift any longer" His eyes glinted, golden orbs of desire. "I'll treat them both with respect and skill that he could never manage."
It was so tempting to lose herself there, naked and tearstained in her erstwhile love's step-brother's arms, listening to him offer to kill Inuyasha. So tempting to let him have the responsibility of choice that bore down on her bare shoulders with an unholy weight
But in the next second he went flying into a tree trunk halfway across the small clearing and split it in half.
Sessho-Maru, being Sessho-Maru, was of course up in a moment, giving Inuyasha a look that seemed capable of slaughtering a good-sized village.
Kagome, who had fallen to one side, could see both, Sessho-Maru elegant even with one side streaked with blood, and Inuyasha, his fingers made into claws, his clothes covered with proof of his attempts at his own life. Both bloody and scratched and fighting their own flesh and blood for her.
She started crying again, and failed to notice that only Inuyasha actually seemed to care.
*
Of all the days Indeed. He would have to choose now to come for me and Tetsusaiga.
Inuyasha was doing his best to return his half-brother's blood-curdling look, but with his shorter stature and simple, beat-up clothes he knew he would seem, as always, the weaker.
"Why are you here?" Inuyasha demanded. "Wasn't your arm enough of a lesson to teach you the folly of fucking with father's gift to me?"
"Well, dearest brother, I came because that sword is meant for the son who protects mortalsand you don't seem to fit that description any longer. Look over to Kagome, brother, and tell me that when you draw Tetsusaiga it will assume it's true form!"
Inuyasha glanced at Kagome, and nearly gave up then and there. She was naked, scratched slightly, and puffy-eyed from crying and lack of sleep.
He's right, I'm a failure, I should just turn over sword and Kagome both to himhe's right, and all along I was so wrong
Do you KNOW your brother!? Fuck that, he's here because he wants the heirloom and the shardsplus the woman needed to find them. Kill him, and claim the bi-claim KAGOME as your own!
Inuyasha thought hardit didn't take long.
As much as I sometimes hate the bullshit that comes into my mind, I think that sounds like a very good idea.
"If you insist, asshole. When I draw MY sword I'll kick your ass straight into hell with it!"
Tetsusaiga cleared the sheath with a burst of demonic power, and while a surprised Sessho-Maru dodged the first slash, he was obviously not happy with this turn of events.
"You're not protecting mortal life, you'd kill the girl because of your own petty revenge, you fucking whelp!" He tried hard to regain his composition as he landed from his quick jump. "Still, I'll make your wounds bleed poison even if I can't put father's fang through your pathetic body."
Inuyasha spat. "The sword works for me because while I don't know why you're here I can guess. You'd just love to take advantage of me, and of Kagome while we both weep over an emotion you'll never feel." He charged again.
"But I won't take it, you fucking asshole, and you'll touch Kagome again over my dead, twitching corpse!!"
"Prophetic words!" Sneered Sessho-Maru, spinning beneath Inuyasha's thrust and ripping venom-dripping wounds in his abdomen.
The younger sibling growled deep in his throat, and brought the sword's hilt down on his brother's head, then leapt overhead to deliver a coup de grace. But when he came down Tetsusaiga bit into the earth, while Sessho-Maru's poisoned claws again ripped at his flesh.
Inuyasha staggeredand then jammed an elbow in his brother's face, bloodying his formerly pure youkai nose. It was Sessho-Maru's turn to stumble back, and he again fell on his back to dodge the angry swing Inuyasha delivered as he turned.
Vision's swimmingfinish this quick! I'm working on it, he's so godamn fast
Set on finishing the slippery dog demon, Inuyasha pressed the attack.
To late.
Sessho-Maru was ANGRY about his sensitive nose. "You son of a whore-bitch, how DARE you defile my superior person!? I'll rip your half-breed body to shreds before you can touch me again!"
Suddenly Inuyasha was on the ground, his body aching from a half dozen new claw tracks along his sides and limbs. Before he could even cry out in pain, he saw Sessho-Maru standing over him. "Come brother, you didn't really think I'd let you win after all the trouble I went through to arrange your little vengeance? The witch who broke the beads, all my acting with the shard-detector, me having to use my true speed? It's time to die brother, be glad that you made one of your betters spend more effort than he should have on you." He paused, and smirked in a horrible way. "I'll think of you, my little hanyou brother, when I enjoy her the first time"
He swung.
There's no way to move in timeno way out.
I'm sorry, Kagome
(OK, it was mean to leave a cliffhanger, but I know how this ends (and you can prolly guess), so one way or another an ending is forthcominguber-thanks to MindMelda for bringing me up on Inu derogatives, I was actually gonna use fluffy just because I think it's so funny, but she set me straightotherwise general thanks for the amazing reviews I got on chapter 3, keep it up and I'll be writing Inuyasha till the day I die. Oh, and special thanks to Linkin Park for the second half of the soundtrack. A chapter 5 follows this on shiny golden wings of hope. Thankies for reading, reviews please! L8r!)
