by: Del_kaidin and Tiranth.
Chapter 14 - Little Brother
Her companions had left moments ago, for a run and some training. Sesshomaru hadn't wanted to leave her, but she had assured him she would be fine. The morning breeze was cooler than it had been for the last few days. Fall was comming and still they had not found Naraku or his castle. She threw a twig into the fire and watched the sparks fly up. Something made her look up from her thoughts. The man walking towards her was familiar and unfamiliar at the same time. His white hair in stark contrast to the red of his kimono. At his side hung a sword. She met his eyes, which were the same gold as Sesshomaru's. The ears peeking from beneath his hair twisted as they searched for any sound. He marched up to her and sniffed.
"What the hell?" He snarled. "Why do you smell like him?" He demanded reaching for her.
Leaping to her feet, she turned to run, but he easily caught her. As his hand grasped her wrist and his memories invaded her mind she screamed.
He hit the ground hard as Taka landed a blow. Sesshomaru had been training with the pup when he suddenly had a feeling that Akisame was in danger. Ignoring her questioning voice he leapt to his feet and raced back to the camp site, the tell tale red blazing in his eyes. His nose told him now who was threatening her and his ears brought her screams. The growl rippled up his throat. When he got to the camp site he saw his brother grasping Akisame by the wrist. With another snarl and moving with lightening speed, he grabbed Inu Yasha's wrist and threw him backwards, knocking his brother to the ground. Ignoring the hanyou now, he took Akisame in his arms, calling to her. "Akisame, I'm here now," he whispered in her ear, crushing her trembling form to his chest.
Taka was shocked that she hit him, much less knocked him down but was even more so when he took off in the direction of camp for no apparent reason. "Sesshomaru, what?" She then heard Akisame's cry echo in the still morning air and without futher pause took off after the taiyoukai.
As suddenly as the assault on her mind had begun it ended. The comforting warmth that was Sesshomaru pushed away the chaotic thoughts of the other. Slowly her body calmed at his familiar presence.
She had been about to congradulate Taka on being able to knock Sesshomaru to the ground. As Akisame's scream reached the clearing she leapt from the branch she had been sitting on, and ran after her companions. The sight that met her eyes confused her. Inu Yasha still sat where he had landed looking at Sesshomaru who was holding a trembling Akisame.
She watched as Inu Yasha rose from the ground, moving swiftly she took a spot between the two brothers. "Please Inu Yasha, leave." She watched as her uncle stood and looked first at her and then Sesshomaru who still held a quickly calming Akisame.
"Who are you? Who is she? and why the hell is he here?"
He relaxed as he felt her do the same. He should not have left her. 'I'm sorry, love.' On the edge of his mind he heard Leena asking Inu Yasha to leave but the stubborn hanyou would have none of it. Sesshomaru looked into the now angry face of his brother. He let the growl build again, then calmed it. He would not fight his brother, he would not encourage the petty hatred that had existed between himself and his brother in his time. He looked at Akisame, letting her know with his eyes that he would return to her, then stood and approached the now armed hanyou. "Inu Yasha," he said calmly, "I do not want your sword. I do not wish to fight you but if you touch her again I will kill you."
She edged near Akisame, close but not close enough to touch her. The pup was confused, she didn't know what to do, so she just took up a protective position near Akisame. "Are you all right?" she asked, keeping her eyes on the Sesshomaru and Inu Yasha, in case the two should start to fight.
She had to reach him, she knew her uncle to well. And while this wasn't the Inu Yasha that had raised her it was still Inu Yasha. She tried the only thing she could think of ... the truth. "Damn it Uncle Inu! Put that damn thing away. None of us want it." She glared at him matching his anger with her own. "Who am I? Leena daughter of Sesshomaru and Rin. Who is she? Akisame a touch telepath of amazing ability. Why is he here? Because she screamed." She watched as his attention shifted to her.
Inu Yasha looked at the hanyou before him. Yes she had the scent of his brother mixed with another scent that he was unfamilliar with. "Shut up. What does the great and powerful Sesshomaru care about humans? Or Hanyous?" He stepped forward to fight the woman or his brother, it didn't matter.
His apology rang through her mind. She listened to all the conversation and decided she was the only one who could end this fight. Quickly she darted away from her companions and stopped in front of the brother of her love. With a recklessness born of her desire to protect her friends she grabbed his hand. She bit her lip to hold in the scream, as the link flared showing her his memories she began to send him images. Some from her life, some from Sesshomaru's. She showed him his childhood from the eyes of his elder brother. She felt his anger drain in response to her assault. She released his hand and fainted.
He waited, waited for the attack he knew was to come but it didn't. A flash of auburn and Akisame was in front of him, grabbing Inu Yasha's hand. He had a feeling he knew what she was doing. "No!" he tried to stop her but it was too late. She had touched him, he saw her biting back the scream, caught her as she fainted. He knelt, holding her close. 'Oh Kami, don't let me lose her too,' he bent his forehead to touch hers, nose to nose with her. He felt the tear sliding down his cheek. Was she all right? Had the contact hurt her? He looked up at his brother. "Now do you understand? Are you happy?"
"Akisame!" She hadn't been able to stop the girl, so surprised was she. Taka watched, biting her lip. When Sesshomaru caught her as she fainted, she saw the horror in his face. She waited, would Inu Yasha accept what he had seen? She had to be ready to defend if he still chose to attack.
Her mind had been bombarded with the images Akisame had thrust at Inu Yasha. Once the storm cleared she saw Sesshomaru holding the unconcious girl.
Inu Yasha stepped back. He hadn't been prepared for the human girl to come at him, and then his mind filled with memories that were not his. He heard his brother's question, saw his grief at the girls unconcious body. To many strange thoughts threaded their way through his mind. Things he knew didn't happen, people he knew he'd never met. The female hanyou calling him Uncle. Yet he knew his brother had no pups. He sheathed Tetsusaiga. He saw Sesshomaru's tear and knew what that cost his proud brother. Then he finally noticed his brother was missing an arm. The pieces fell into place. What the woman had shown him was true. He turned to leave. "Yes. I understand now. I didn't mean her harm." He met Sesshomaru's gaze, "She's a good woman, she would risk herself rather than see you fight. Keep her safe." He walked to the forest and called, "I think it is time for me to see MY brother Sesshomaru." With that he began the long run to his brother's fortress home.
Leena moved to kneel beside Sesshomaru and Akisame. "Is she all right?"
In the depths of her unconciousness, she felt him. His sadness reached her as nothing else could. She began to fight her way up to him. Suddenly she was in the dreamscape. Naraku stood before her.
"You never answered me. I will remove your curse if you bring them to me." He almost purred to her.
"I will not betray them, Naraku. I would rather live with this curse, than see the look of betrayal in their eyes." She tried to awaken.
He stepped forward and for the first time ever touched her in the dream. She screamed at the agony that was his mind. He released her, "Think on that, Akisame. You will bring them to me or I will await you every night."
The dreamscape released her and she opened her eyes to look into a pair of concerned golden eyes. Gently she reached and brushed the tear from his face. 'It doesn't matter. Do your worst to me Naraku. I will not let you hurt him.'
Inu Yasha was gone, gone to hopefully heal the rift between him and his Sesshomaru. The inu returned his attention to the girl in his arms, willing that she awaken. When Akisame opened her eyes and reached up to wipe away his tear, Sesshomaru breathed sigh of relief. Hugging her even harder, he whispered in her ear, "You brave foolish girl," then kissed her neck gently, "Are you all right?" he asked louder.
Taka sank to the ground in relief. There would be no fight, Akisame was at least awake. She hated to look she had seen on Sesshomaru's face, while Akisame had been unconcious. It was one she had only seen once on her own grandsire's face. She turned her attention to stoking the fire, a chill was gathering in the air.
Nodding she answered, "Yes, I'm fine. He is filled with pain, this Inu Yasha has never known love. He is a gentle soul, covered in anger and pain. I am sure your Inu Yasha is much the same." She smiled. Briefly she debated something. She pulled from his touch so that his thoughts would not interfere and then looking into his eyes she spoke hoping he would understand. "You have never asked why Naraku cursed me." He started to speak but a finger on his lips stopped him, closing her eyes she continued, her hand once again dropping to her lap. "He courted me. The day he cursed me, he asked me to be his wife. I felt his evil and refused. He cursed me by increasing my telepathy." She bowed her head.
She had never been more ashamed of herself. She was the leader of this group and yet she had let her feelings for Inu Yasha endanger Akisame. She watched as she awoke and pulled away from Sesshomaru. Hearing her begin to talk about the reason for her curse she caught Taka's eye and motioned with her head for her to leave. She backed silently away leaving the two of them to work this out.
The young youkai nodded, and followed Leena into the forest. When they were far enough away, she began practicing once again. It was the only thing she knew to do.
With his touch she felt his acceptance. "There is more." She didn't want to tell him the dangerous turn things had taken in the dreamscape. Yet she couldn't not tell him. "After I fainted, I felt your sadness and tried to rise out of it. Naraku pulled me into the dreamscape. He has never, since the curse, touched me awake or in the dreamscape. He did this time. His mind, it is so full of evil it is painful. He told me he will be there every night, touching me every night," she took a deep breath "until I bring all of you too him." She paused for another moment and continued, "When you first touched me, I saw something in your future. I will tell you if you wish to know."
Before he could stop himself a growl had once again rumbled from his throat and red flashed in his eyes. He would rip Naraku into tiny pieces and feed him to the carrion birds before this quest was over. He calmed himself, looking once again into the emerald eyes he loved. There was something of his future she thought he might want to know. Did he want to know his destiny? Or did he want to remain blissfully ignorant of it. Sesshomaru stroked her cheek. "We will discuss Naraku with the others. Tell me my future."
"Just yours? or Ours?" She asked.
"There is no future for me now without you," was his only response, his eyes never leaving hers.
She smiled, she felt the warmth in her cheeks. "I can not see past our confrontation of Naraku. It is as if this event is so important even the Kami's themselves do not know the outcome. I do know that before we face him," she paused and closed her eyes for a moment then continued, "I .... ummm.... we shall be..." Giving up on words she took his hand and showed him with her mind everything her words could not. The dangers they would face, the love they would find together and finally the anticipation of a new life
He let the images wash over him, closing his eyes. When he finally opened them and looked once again into Akisame's, he gave her a small smile. Then gave her the only response he thought was appropriate. He wrapped his arm around her again, pulling her to him and kissing her. Sesshomaru pulled back from her after a long sweet moment. "That future pleases me," he said, his eyes sparkling.
"I am glad." She smiled and leaned in to kiss him again, whispering, "For I want it as well."
She absently watched Taka practice correcting as needed. Tired of feeling sorry for herself, an emotion she detested in anyone, she rose and began working on the kata herself. She allowed the kata to clear her mind and concentrated only on the exacting movements. Finishing that one she moved effortlessly into another kata and continued.