Chapter Nine-A Torn Heart
"I knew you'd come sooner or later." Inuyasha eyed his brother in disgust.
Sesshoumaru merely stared back for a moment, before looking down at Saraku. "It's been a month, and yet here you remain, with no intention of going back."
"That's not true, My Lord. Inuyasha wouldn't let me leave." Saraku stood up, and went to Sesshoumaru's side. "I wanted to return."
"You don't deserve her! Do you know what she's been through?!" Inuyasha fumed. He gently pulled Saraku from Sesshoumaru's side. "Well, I'm gonna tell you!" He was glaring dangerously, his anger obvious. "Kagura took her to Naraku!"
Sesshoumaru sighed deeply. "Rin said as much…I should've listened to her. Are you hurt, Sara?"
Saraku was just standing there, listening to the brothers. It had occurred to her that Inuyasha wasn't trying to hurt her. He wanted her to feel like someone really did care for her. "No, Lord Sesshoumaru. Inuyasha saved me."
"Well, then, Brother. I am in your debt. Now if you don't mind, I'll take my child home."
"She's not yours to take anymore." Inuyasha stood between the girl and his demon brother. "Kagome and I will be taking care of her from now on."
"But Inuyasha….." Kagome could see how broken hearted the little girl was.
"Kagome…." Inuyasha looked at her, pleading with her for compliance. He wanted Saraku to have nothing more to do with his brother. This was the only way. He would have to take over raising her himself, and aside from that, he and Kagome would have something to share.
With a deep sigh, Kagome nodded in affirmation to Sesshoumaru. "That's right."
"Aren't you forgetting something?" Sesshoumaru asked. "What does Saraku want?"
"She's too young to know. She's only ten, as I clearly reminded her this morning." Inuyasha countered. "So just leave."
Sesshoumaru growled low in his throat. "Do you really think I'm going to let you keep her without a fight, Inuyasha? For three years, I have raised her, and I will not just let you take that away from me!" He drew Toukijin.
"Put it away, Sesshoumaru. You know you're no match for Tetsusaiga!" Inuyasha drew the sword of his father.
"NO! Stop! Don't fight over me this way. Please!" Saraku was truly frightened at the very possibility of losing one or the other.
"Let it be, Saraku. There's no talking these two out of a fight, young one." Miroku pulled her back gently. He looked over at Sango and Kagome. "This doesn't look good."
"No, it doesn't. Inuyasha! Put your sword away!" Kagome went to the hanyou. "Can you boys not settle this more civilly? Why does there have to be huge fight?"
"He's threatening to tear my family apart!" Sesshoumaru all but roared, which was really unusual, for him. "I've never let anything happen to Saraku. I made a misjudgment. One that I don't intend to repeat. Tell me, is a man not allowed mistakes in life?"
Kagome gasped. Was there really regret in the demon lord's voice? They'd all thought Sesshoumaru only insisted on having Saraku to spite Inuyasha. And since Saraku had seemed so happy, no one had thought to stop the bonding. "Of course you are…." She began slowly. "But this one could've cost Sara her life."
"I'm aware of that. But I see that she's well, and fed. That much, I thank you for."
"Kagome, whose side are you on?!" Inuyasha demanded. "We're keeping her."
"Inuyasha, you're blind! Can't you see what the fighting is doing to Saraku?!" Shippou put in now. "It's tearing her up, and it's not fair!" He looked very distraught himself. "Aside from that, she's gone."
"Don't give me….What?! What do you mean, she's gone?!" Inuyasha spun around, as did the rest of the group, including Sesshoumaru. "Hey, Miroku! Weren't you watching her?"
Miroku looked up from changing Chibi's diaper cloth. "Sorry, Inuyasha. I was changing my daughter."
"This is just great! Can't she stay mad in one place?!"
"I guess not. Maybe she needed to get away from the yelling!" Kagome almost screamed at both demons now. "She IS just ten, okay? You've both come to that agreement. Which is good. Let me tell you something about being little. She's frightened. I can feel it. She's even more insecure now than she was when we found her, Inuyasha. The reason is because she wants to be with all of us. You two make that impossible. Each telling her how the other is a bad influence,vice versa! She doesn't know what's the truth, and what's not." Kagome panted from her outburst. She'd been wanting to say those things for a long time.
Sesshoumaru spoke first. "We have to find her. She didn't take her sword…." He picked up the smaller weapon.
"Even if she did…If Naraku finds her, there's no way she could use it against him!" Inuyasha sheathed Tetsusaiga. "We'll split up. Kagome, you come with me. Sango, you and Miroku go that way." He pointed towards the dark forest.
"What about me, Inuyasha? She's my friend too." Shippou added.
"You can stay with us." Kagome picked him up. "Let's move out. She couldn't have gotten that far already."
"Remember what happened the last time you said that, Kagome? She was captured by Kouga!"
"It's highly unlikely Kouga would hurt her now. He was really worried when she was kidnapped by Kagura." Kagome answered defensively. "Besides, I don't think she'd go too far in the dark."
"That is true. She's still afraid of the dark." Sesshoumaru agreed. "Very well. I will look to the West." With that, he turned, and headed in that direction. "And Inuyasha. Just to make it interesting….Whoever finds her, keeps her." The demon prince was sure he'd be the one to find the child.
"Argh! Why is everything a competition for you two?!" Kagome demanded as soon as Sesshoumaru was out of sight.
"Don't worry about it. We'll find her." Inuyasha replied through gritted teeth. "Come on." He heard his mate sigh with discontentment as he led the way through another part of the forest. Please don't be so unhappy with me, Kagome. I only want what's best for Saraku. This has nothing to do with Sesshoumaru. Although I'm sure he doesn't see it that way. I just want her to grow up happy. "Kagome?"
"Yes Inuyasha?" The young woman looked up at him.
"I just want you to know….this thing with Saraku…It has nothing to do with Sesshoumaru. It's truly for her own welfare."
"I know." Kagome said softly. "But you two are missing something important. Neither of you are considering what she might want."
"What she wants isn't possible, Kagome. Let's be realistic here." Inuyasha left out the fact that he wished it would be possible for he and Sesshoumaru to get along like normal brothers.
"Yes, I know. And so you must come to a compromise with your brother."
"Feh….sure." Inuyasha knew better than to argue the point. Besides, Kagome is right. That's the only way this is going to be solved. "Let's cross that bridge when we get there. We're wasting time."
Kagome nodded. "Yes, come on. Sango,Miroku and Chibi are already ahead of us." So, the pair and Shippou continued on, each hoping Saraku would not fall into the wrong hands again.
