This arc of the story is (belatedly) dedicated to Teo for helping me figure out exactly how I was going to get Rin and Sesshy introduced, and how I was going to get the Tetsusaiga into Sesshy's hands. Thank you, Teo ^_^, and I'm sorry I'm always late returning e-mails. For those of you unfamiliar with Teo's works, go out and read them when you're done here. Or now, for that matter. This'll still be here when you're done. They're really good, too. Just thought I'd mention it. And now, on with the fic!

A Hanyou in Tokyo

By socchan

Nine: Prodigal Brother

"Inu-Yasha, I thought you said Sessho-maru was your brother!" Kagome slapped a hand over her mouth as all heads in the room turned to stare at her. Inu-Yasha's face in particular stood out, and she blushed slightly at his look of shock. She became steadily redder as his expression began to shift from surprise to amusement. Kagome didn't think she could get any redder until the hanyou began to laugh. It started out as a low chuckle, then built to a thunderous roar. The laughter was infectious, and she heard several snickers from Inu-Yasha's relatives. Sessho-maru had the grace to smile as well, though a delicately clawed hand soon hid it. Kagome found herself grinning sheepishly amidst it all.

Inu-Yasha at last calmed down. "You should've seen the look on your face, Sessh! It was…. What was the term you used again, Kagome?"

"Priceless." Kagome supplied, still a little red.

"Yeah, that's it. That look was priceless. Anyhow," Inu-Yasha pulled Kagome up next to him, and clapped her lightly on the shoulder. "Sessho-maru, I'd like you to meet Kagome. Kagome, this is indeed my half-brother Sessho-maru. Since he didn't slice you in half for that remark about his looks, I think it's fairly safe to assume that this is not some sort of twisted trap based on centuries of pent-up hatred from sibling rivalries." He met Sessho-maru's eyes, amusedly. "No offense; we just didn't have the most friendly relationship before, and one can't really be too careful."

"Quite right." The look on Sessho-maru's face had reverted to carefully controlled amusement. "It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Kagome."

Kagome bowed, swiftly. "Likewise, and sorry about the mistake. If I may ask, what's that puffy thing around your shoulders?"

Inu-Yasha just barely kept from laughing this time by stuffing his fist in his mouth. Sessho-maru's left eyebrow rose in what Kagome assumed was amusement. "My tail." He replied, evenly. Inu-Yasha was all but convulsing from suppressed laughter.

"I see." Kagome smiled. "Thank you for telling me. See, I'm sort-of new to the whole 'demon' concept, so I need to be told some of these things."

The corner of Sessho-maru's mouth turned up. "You're quite welcome. Now, if I may be so bold as to inquire, what are you doing with the Shikon no Tama? I thought it was no longer of this plane."

"Ah, see, that's a funny story, really. I honestly don't know what I'm doing with it. We're pretty sure it's somewhere in my body, but we have no idea how it got there or how to get it out. We've already run into a bit of trouble because of it." Apprehension crept onto Kagome's features. "You aren't after it too, are you?"

Sessho-maru shook his head. "No, you needn't worry about that. I think I can safely say I have everything I could ever want already." He met Rin's eyes across the room, and Rin smiled sweetly in return. Kagome grinned wryly at this display of affection. "In any case," Sessho-maru continued, his gaze returning to Kagome's, "I believe this only makes my gift all the more appropriate."

Inu-Yasha had regained control of himself, and his ears perked up at Sessho-maru's last statement. "Oh, yeah, I've been meaning to as you about that…" Inu-Yasha trailed off and frowned. He brought up a hand, and smacked himself on his neck, hard. Pinching something between his thumb and forefinger, he brought it to his face to examine it. Kagome looked over his shoulder at the tiny man caught in his claws. He had four arms and a tiny proboscis. He was dressed in a suit that was probably custom made, and clutched a tiny pipe in one hand. Inu-Yasha scowled at him.

Kagome blinked and peered at the man. "Who's that?"

The man glared at his captor. "What did you go and do that for?!"

"You bit me!" Inu-Yasha accused.

"Oh come, can't you spare at least a little blood for a starving flea demon?" the man pleaded.

Inu-Yasha poked him with a claw. "You don't look like you're starving."

The man closed his eyes sagely, and fiddled with his mustache. "You should know very well, boy, that looks can be deceiving."

Inu-Yasha glared at the tiny youkai. "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't squish you right now."

"Inu-Yasha," Sessho-maru said, rising from his chair. "I wouldn't harm Myoga if I were you."

Inu-Yasha shot an accusing glare at his brother. "And why not?"

"He guards our father's grave."

Inu-Yasha fell silent. Kagome watched him carefully. She hadn't known Inu-Yasha's father was dead. Had it happened before or after the hanyou was pinned to the tree? Kagome decided not to ask. Inu-Yasha would tell her if he wanted to, and if he didn't then it probably wasn't really any of her business in the first place.

"All right." Inu-Yasha said at last. "I won't squish the bug." Myoga breathed a sigh of relief. "For now," Inu-Yasha added with a scowl.

"Come," Sessho-maru said, walking to a set of double-doors on one side of the room. "There is a reason I allowed the flea to be here." Setting the flea demon on his shoulder, Inu-Yasha strode to where his half-brother stood. Sessho-maru opened a door to a dark room. Inu-Yasha cast one last glance at Kagome, then turned and followed the older demon through the door. It clicked shut behind him.

Kagome stared at the door Inu-Yasha had just gone through, concern etched plainly on her face. "Worried?" someone asked. Kagome turned to see Rin standing next to her.

Kagome bit her lip. "Kind-of." She admitted. Then, "Yes."

Rin smiled kindly. "You care about him a lot."

Kagome froze, and studied the older woman carefully. "How-?"

"When you've been around as long as I have," Rin cut in, "you develop a talent for noticing these sorts of things. Tell me, do you love him?"

Kagome was silent for a moment. "Maybe," she answered, quietly. "I know I like him, and I'm definitely attracted to him, but I don't know that it's love yet. In a little more time… probably."

Rin nodded. "I see. I wish you all the best where he is concerned. In the mean time…" She turned to look at the door as well. "We may have to wait and see what happens."

There is a blinding flash—and then nothing.

All is darkness; all is emptiness.

Then, there is something. A giant skull rises from the shadows, glowing with an ancient—and somehow familiar—aura. It is doglike in appearance, half-sunk into a chunk of land it seems to have taken with it. Exotic trees and plants cling to the land, leeching onto the skull in places as if to drain it of some missing mineral. A figure appears—Sessho-maru. He walks towards the skull, and Inu-Yasha follows.

"That was your father's skull." A voice by his ear—Myoga—tells him. Inu-Yasha is silent. Reverent, perhaps? Perhaps.

Now they climb an earthen stair, and walk through a gap where a tooth once was in the skull's yawning mouth. It is cavernous inside, and each slight movement echoes, increasing in volume, assaulting sensitive ears.

There—in the shadows—do you see it? A scratched and dented old sword sticks up from a rock like a thorn from a rose. The handle is worn and frayed. Close up, it smells ever so faintly of blood, of a thousand battles and a thousand lives that could not be washed away. It has a legacy to which another might add should he or she be worthy of it. It carries a powerful name to live up to.

"This," Sessho-maru's voice reverberates in the skull, "is Tetsusaiga."

Kagome fidgeted next to Rin. "This is taking too long." She announced.

Rin frowned. "It hasn't even been ten minutes yet!"

"I know; it's been exactly seven minutes and twenty-three seconds. I counted them." Kagome replied.

"How is that too long, might I ask?"

Kagome scowled. "It just is!" She checked her watch. "Seven minutes, fifty-four seconds."

"That's Tetsusaiga?" Inu-Yasha demanded, incredulously. "The sword that Father had forged from one of his fangs? The one he used to slay a hundred demons with one swing? That rusted-over God-forsaken piece of scrap metal crap? That's Tetsusaiga?!

Sessho-maru's cheeks twinged pink. "Yes, well, I admit that it doesn't look like much, but that is the sword."

Inu-Yasha scowled. "Jeez, what was Dad thinking?"

Myoga puffed up indignantly. "I'll have you know that—"

"Bug off." Inu-Yasha interrupted, squishing the flea with his thumb. He looked at Sessho-maru. "You want this thing?"

"Yes," Sessho-maru replied, "but it's not mine. It's yours. More than that, it was remade for you. If I took it, I would never be able to unleash its full potential. I can't even draw it, where as I believe you will be able. Besides," Sessho-maru's smile was slightly crooked, "I have my own sword to use."

"Alright, alright, I'll give the damn thing a try. Yeesh!" Muttering darkly, Inu-Yasha stepped forward and gripped the handle.

Something pricked at his senses, and he stopped. Frowning, he turned around to face a figure clothed in shadow. His keen eyes picked out features in the dark, and they widened in shock. "Mother?!"

Outside, Kagome shifted uncomfortably. She was anxious about how long Inu-Yasha had been gone (thirteen minutes, forty-two seconds and counting), but there was something else, too. Something wasn't quite right. Trying to calm down, Kagome took a deep breath and closed her eyes. She extended her senses into the next room to make sure everything was okay.

At once Kagome's eyes snapped open, and she breathed in sharply. She expelled the breath in a stream of mild curses, and brought a hand to her temple to wipe away the thin sheen of sweat that had gathered there. Trying to be sure, she extended her senses one more time. Yes, there it was, lurking like a virus that had accidentally discovered new prey. Kagome took another deep breath to steady herself, then straightened her shoulders and turned to the doors.

"Kagome?" Rin asked, anxiously. "Are you okay?"

Kagome's face was set in a look of determination. "I'm fine." She started walking forward.

"What are you doing, then?"

"I'm going to help Inu-Yasha."

Rin grabbed Kagome's forearm and spun her partway around. "Kagome, what-?"

Kagome glared. "Look, Inu-Yasha's in danger, and if I don't go help him now, the results might not be pleasant."

Rin frowned. "I don't understand—how do you know he's in danger?"

"I'm a miko for Chrissake!" Kagome snapped. "Trust me, I know. Now will you let me go, or do I have to do something I may regret later?"

Rin dropped her arm like a hot coal. "Right." She said, quietly. "Go do what you have to." Kagome turned back to the door. "Be careful, Kagome." Rin told her.

Kagome turned her head, quirked a smile and nodded, once. Then, she opened a door and stepped into the room.

There was a flash of light and a pulse of magic, and Kagome stepped into what seemed to her to be a different world. Land jutted out from the darkness, revealing a half-buried canine skull. Ignoring the fact that there was nothing to stand on, Kagome walked towards it.

"Mother?" Inu-Yasha asked, incredulous. "Is it really you?"

"Inu-Yasha!" the woman proclaimed, joyfully. "My one, my only beloved son!"

"Mother…" Inu-Yasha took a step forward, arms limp at his sides. He stumbled towards her and embraced the woman. "Why did you leave me? Where did you go?"

Sessho-maru and Myoga stood fascinated as they watched the woman stroke Inu-Yasha's hair comfortingly. "It does not matter, my son. What's important is that I'm here with you now."

Inu-Yasha struggled with conflicting memories, only half of which could be true. "But… I thought you died."

"You only imagined that, my son." The woman said, soothingly. "It was nothing more than a bad dream; a dream that is now over."

Inu-Yasha smiled, and allowed himself to be pulled closer. "Yeah…"

Kagome pulled herself through the gap in the teeth and looked on in horror as Inu-Yasha literally melted into the embrace of a faceless woman. Their bodies pulled together forming a shapeless blob as Sessho-maru and Myoga stood by, mesmerized.

"Inu-Yasha!" Kagome cried out in a desperate attempt to get him to snap out of it.

Inu-Yasha looked up at the woman's not-face, eyes unfocused. "Did you hear something, Mother?"

"Not at all, my child." The woman replied. The already powerful aura around her flared up stronger.

Suddenly, Kagome was furious. This not-woman was trying to do something to Inu-Yasha, and she didn't like it. Gathering all the power she could, Kagome forced it into one last cry. "Inu-Yasha!"

Inu-Yasha's head snapped up, and he was suddenly alert. His eyes focused on where Kagome teetered unsteadily on her feet. Breaking free of the not-woman's hold, Inu-Yasha rushed to support the girl.

Sessho-maru blinked and stared, the affects of the spell wearing off. Myoga had long since departed in favor of safer conditions. His eyes narrowed as he watched the formless woman try to reassemble herself. "Nothing Woman!" he spat. "Get away from this place!"

The Nothing Woman's form grew, and rage boiled around her. "You dare to take my son from me?! For that, you must pay!"

"I told you to leave!" Sessho-maru shouted. "I will not tell you again!"

The blank face turned to Sessho-maru, and an arm reached out towards him. Energy collected in her outstretched fingers and bolted down to where the dog demon stood, knocking him from his feet. Currents of energy ran up and down his body, locking him in place. He snarled at the Nothing Woman as she set her sights on Inu-Yasha. "My son," she called gently, "Come to me."

Inu-Yasha glared darkly at the Nothing Woman. "You're not my mother. My mother is dead!" He brandished the claws of his free hand, and tore them through the air, crying out as he did so "Claws of Steel!"

The youkai energy hit the Nothing Woman square, and she reeled back for a moment. She shrieked and threw another bolt of energy, effectively knocking both Inu-Yasha and Kagome from their feet.

Kagome hit the ground, panting. Inu-Yasha's attack had failed to harm the Nothing Woman, and she was almost drained from breaking the spell the monster had cast earlier. Kagome glanced around for something to use, and her eyes fell on an old sword. She struggled to her feet and lurched towards it. Kagome grasped the handle and pulled, falling on her butt when it slid out easily. A scabbard materialized around the blade as she watched. "Well, that's one way to do it." She muttered, tiredly. Almost out of energy, she crawled back to where Inu-Yasha was.

Rocking back on her haunches, Kagome shook Inu-Yasha's shoulder, accidentally disintegrating the spell that had him trapped. "Here," she said wearily, pressing Tetsusaiga into his hands. "Use this on her."

Inu-Yasha drew the scratched and worn blade. He glanced between it and Kagome. "May as well give it a try." He said with a shrug. Kagome smiled, exhausted, then toppled over backward, unconscious. "Kagome!" Inu-Yasha yelped. "Dammit, she's over-exerted herself again." He glanced ruefully at the ring at her neck. "Well, at least she shouldn't be out too long this time."

Another bolt of energy flew towards Inu-Yasha, and he instinctively brought the scabbard up to block it. The energy bounced off, harmlessly. Inu-Yasha, on the other hand, was not so harmless any longer. He rose to his feet, bristling with anger. He snarled at the Nothing Woman. "No way am I going to let you hurt Kagome! You're dead, bitch." He leapt forward, clutching the transformed Tetsusaiga so the tip was by his left calf, edge down. He pulled up and cut through the Nothing Woman from hip to shoulder. The pieces fell to the ground, smoldering.

Myoga leapt from wherever he'd been hiding to Inu-Yasha's shoulder, and there bounced around, excitedly. "You did it, Inu-Yasha! You transformed the Steel-Cleaving Fang to its true form! You are truly worthy to wield your father's blade."

Inu-Yasha spared the blade barely a glance before sheathing it and walking over to where Kagome lay. He knelt by her body. Sessho-maru stood next to him, and rested a hand on his shoulder. "You acted admirably, brother. You and Kagome both. I am proud to say that the same blood runs through our veins."

Inu-Yasha lifted Kagome in his arms, cradling her against him. He lifted his head only briefly to smile at Sessho-maru, before turning his attention back to the unconscious miko. "Stupid girl," he said, quietly. "Why'd you have to go and save me like that?"

=^-,-^= End Chapter Nine =^-,-^=

Ah, that feels better. Slightly longer chapter than usual, too. Most excellent ^_^.

Anyhow, next chapter we can look forward to New Moon Inu-Yasha (fun!) and another scene with Naraku. I think. See, I haven't exactly written it yet, but it should work out that way. It'll be the last scene where Naraku digs someone up, so it'll have to be timed right, and with who he's planning to dig, it should be perfect timing. (there's your hint, tenshineko! Try and guess what I'm going to do!)

Anyhow, responses for this time and last time.

Tenshineko: You read my mind again. Maybe we can treat it like a game! I type something, you try to guess what happens, then two weeks later you see if you're right. Maybe. 'Fraid I can't guarantee that Naraku doesn't have some sick fetish, but he's mostly evil, so don't worry too much. Tell you what; he doesn't like corpses that look like corpses. Neat idea for Inu to pull rank on Nathan; I may have to try that. You'll get credit, of course. Oh, yeah, and just FYI, the ring is about an inch and a half in diameter, and about a quarter inch thick. The beads are about a quarter inch in diameter, too, so it's a little large to be an engagement ring. Don't worry, though! Cute moments are coming, I promise. I just don't know exactly when.

Teo: Glad you liked Nathan ^_^. He turned out pretty well in my opinion. In the original version of this chapter, I was going to have him and Inu fight it out so Inu could learn to work the sword, but I like this version better. And don't worry, that's all they have up their sleeves. Yes, it is impressive for Kagome to have drunk all that tea in fifteen minutes. No wonder she had to go to the bathroom ^_^. They were pretty small cups, thankfully.

Jacie: Glad you liked the cinnamon bit. It was the only thing I could think of at the time, so don't take my word on its energy-restorative properties, alright?

That bit in the middle in present tense was just because I've been re-reading 'Ranma and Akane: A Love Story' lately, and just felt like doing a little artistic schpeal. For anyone who likes Ranma ½, go read that fic. Even if you don't like the pairing read it. Wonderful stuff. Amazing stuff. Beautiful stuff. Unfortunately, it hasn't been updated in about two years, but I can take it. At least I update faster than that, ne ^_~? And if you still don't want to read it just because it's Ranma and Akane, go read Shadow Lurker's other stuff. Amazing writer, that guy. Likes butterflies.

Oh, yeah, if I ever throw in any confusing sword terminology, I'll try and explain it. I think that's everything.

Disclaimer: I don't own Inu-Yasha and co., and neither do I make any money off of this production. Nathan, however, is mine, so NO TAKEY! Thank you, have a nice day.

Edit (1-1-04): Not much changed since I posted this.  Just a few things that could've sounded better.

-socchan