Brotherly Love

Chapter Seven

A kikyou by any other name

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Me: Hmm....the title doesn't make sense, does it? Kikyou is a kind of purple Japanese flower. Get it? A rose by any other name: a kikyou by any other name? -.- I give up. Here's the chapter.

Beware: Kikyou haters! Kikyou become a good person in this story!

AUGH!!!! YUKI YUKI YUKI YUKI!! I don't know why I've been using Sakuma. OKAY!! Yuki from now on!

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After Inutaisho was done lecturing Sango and Inuyasha, Sango and Inuyasha both grew tired and decided that it was time to sleep, while Miroku, didn't know what the whole thing was about - until he looked in the mirror.

Sango yawned. "I wanted to stay up all night!" she whined.

"Look on the optimistic side Sango!" Inuyasha said. "We'll still be getting those pictures out!"

"What's optimistic?" asked Sango, clearly confused.

"It means the happy part!" Inuyasha said brightly. "My brother Sesshomaru taught me that!"

Sango forced a thin smile, then lowered her head and started to weep slightly.

The hanyou looked over her face. She was crying.

"Dai jou veu Sango?" Inuyasha asked quietly, trying to decide what he had said to set her off in the first place.

She shook her head furiously and sat down as more sparkling tears came fluttering down. "It's my brother." Sango said, finally. "Kohaku. Well that's what we were about to name him. He....died, just before he was born......"

Inuyasha widened his eyes. "He - did?" trying his best to sound sympathetic. Sango nodded sadly.

"He died because mommy was too sick to give Kohaku birth. Then they both died....." she wiped her tears away and looked up at Inuyasha, then - for some reason - smiled. "You're lucky Inuyasha."

Inuyasha gazed at her in confusion. "Nande?" he asked slowly.

"Because." she said matter-of-fact. "You have a brother that loves you a lot."

Inuyasha thought back to a year ago.

"And I want you to know that I love you as a hanyou."

Was that what Sesshomaru had said? Yes, it was. Now that he thought of it, he was lucky. He was glad that he had a big brother like Sesshomaru. And proud.

Inuyasha put a comforting hand on Sango's shoulder.

"Don't worry Sango! Be optimistic!"

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Inutaisho sucked in a deep breath as he looked in the clearing by their pond behind the castle.

"Well Sesshomaru." Inutaisho said happily. "Time for some father son activies."

Sesshomaru smiled, happy that his father was being so happy. But was his attitude really set in the right direction? Sesshomaru's attitude was a little choppy too, a scent in the air was bothering him. A slight scent that made him shudder inside.

The king handed his son a long fishing rod. Lady Luck was definatly on their side today, they must have caught about ten fish in just a little more than half an hour. It seemed like the fish were laying a lot of eggs this year. It was odd, they shouldn't be laying so much. Sesshomaru's line tugged as he realed up another fish. He pulled the hook out of its mouth, and the fish bit him.

Sesshomaru dropped the fish, surprised at its action. And even more surprised to come as he watched the fish suck at the dripping blood that came out of his finger.

He narrowed his eyes, and tried to remember this moment for later, storing it in the back of his head. He looked over at his father, was was realing in another fish, not paying attention to what Sesshomaru had just witnessed.

Sesshomaru shook his head. Just leave it alone. He threw the fish in a bucket and continued their father/son activity.

The youkai laughed as he caught another fish. It was as if the fish were just swimming at him! He realed it up, but the fish bounced back and landed behind a bush. Inutaisho stood up, but Sesshomaru gestured for his to sit down as he went to retrive the fish.

He bent down and peered behind the many leaves and twigs attatched to the bush and looked down as he saw the fish, flipping itself over and over again, dazed by the oxygen it was receiving. Sesshomaru reached out his hand out, then slapped his other hand over his mouth to prevent him from screaming.

He gazed down. Beside the flopping fish was a knife. No, not just an ordinary knife. A blood stained knife. He lifted the knife to his nose, then took a good sniff.

He dropped the knife, and gasped.

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One Year Later.....

"Inuyasha!" Inutaisho called from his chamber.

Inuyasha woke up and stretched. He ruffed his hair and hopped out of bed, curious on why his father had called him.

He waddled past his brother - Sesshomaru's room. He knew his brother was still sleeping. Sesshomaru seemed to always be in his room now a days, writing in a strange note book of his. Staying up late at nights, some times even pulling all nighters, most of that time wasn't even spent in his note book. Inuyasha was almost afraid of his brother. His tiredness and cocky attitude made Inuyasha worry.

It seemed Sesshomaru was growing away from the family. It made Inuyasha sad. He really wanted to spend time with his brother. He wanted to return his love. But Sesshomaru was being so resistant.

Inuyasha sighed as he went ovrer to his father's room, and softly shut the door. He went up to his father.

"Daddy why did you call me in here?" he asked, rubbing his eyes.

Inutaisho took in a deep breath. Today was a day he was definatly going to regret. But instead of giving out an obvious expression, he smiled. "Inuyasha, I believe you will be having a new friend coming over today."

The hanyou smiled. "Really? When? What's his name?"

The king put a hand on his son's shoulder. "She's coming today, in the afternoon. She's a girl and her name is...."

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Sesshomaru's eye's snapped open. He automatically pressed his ear against the wall. He was used to his. He would evesdrop every now and then. And he did it just in time to hear the word.

"Kikyou."

He clenched his fist until his knuckles turned white. Kikyou. The sound of it made him sick. Inuyasha was to be wed to her, and he was meeting her now. But would father tell Inuyasha of this future he had in store for him?

No. Sesshomaru answered his own question. Father is not like that. He's going to wait, and I'm going to ask him.

"I can't wait father!" The youkai heard his brother exclaim from the other side of the wall. Sesshomaru got up and kicked his bed.

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Inuyasha shyly looked behind his father to see his new companion. He let out a weak smile. It was another girl. Probably had cooties. (A/N: I think I'm going a little far with the cootie thing) She looked definatly like it. A small skinny pale girl with long raven black hair and small cute brown eyes.

The girl bowed in front of Inutaisho. The man behind her grinned. Inuyasha stuck out his tonuge. Boy did he look ugly! For some reason, Inuyasha thought he could have spotted him at one time. But it must have slipped his mind.

Now that Inuyasha put his finger on it, the girl reminded him a lot like Kagome! Fun, but gross.

"Inuyasha." the king said, leading Inuyasha towards the girl. "This is." he paused before saying the name.

"Kikyou." The man behind Kikyou said grimly. He eyed Inuyasha which made the hanyou wince. "Have fun you two."

Inutaisho bit his lips.

Please let Inuyasha like Kikyou. He pleaded silently. Please don't let everything mess up.

"So." Inuyasha said, leading Kikyou out and behind the castle. "Do you wanna play a game?" he wanted to play now, and maybe get to know Kikyou a little better. He knew she wouldn't be as fun as Sango, but he could try to get something out of her.

Kikyou nodded shyly. "Do you want to play.....tag?" she asked.

Inuyasha scratched his head. "What's tag?" he asked.

Kikyou giggled, a high pitched short giggle. Inuyasha smiled. She was a little cute.

"Tag is a game where somebodies it and they have to catch the other person. Then they're it." she explained matter-of-factly. Inuyasha nodded.

"Sounds fun!" he said. "NOT IT!" he added. Kikyou smiled.

"Okay Inuyasha! I'll be it then."

They started the game. Kikyou let Inuyasha run around on his own for a few seconds, then started chasing after him.

Of course, Inuyasha thought. She's only a human, so she can't run as fast as me. I think I'll save my strength.

Inuyasha kept running, meters away from the girl. Just then, Kikyou started to pick up speed, then jumped forward and touched his shoulder blade. Inuyasha's jaw dropped. How could a human girl catch up to her so easily?!

Kikyou was laughing. "I got you Inuyasha! Now you have girl cooties!"

The hanyou laughed too and started to count, giving Kikyou some time to run. They played for hours on end, then, before the sun started to set, they both collasped on the ground, exhausted.

"You're pretty fast Kikyou." Inuyasha said, wipping sweat off his fore head.

"You're fast too Inuyasha." Kikyou said, offering him a warm smile. Inuyasha blushed. Maybe this girl wasn't as bad as Inuyasha thought she would be.

The two children watched the sun set, both of them lying on a grassy hill along side eachother gazing at the work of art painted in the sky.

"So Kikyou." Inuyasha said. "Do you have a mother?" feeling stupid that he was about to share such information with her.

Kikyou shook her head. "Mama died when I was two. I didn't get to know her that good, but I wish I did. Father isn't nice to me." she turned to him. "What about you?"

Inuyasha took in a deep breath. "My mom died when I was five. I remember her a lot and I miss her too. Daddy's been acting weird sometimes when we mention mother."

"Then we have something in comman," Kikyou said. Inuyasha nodded. "I wish I remembered my mother." Kikyou confessed. "I don't remember much, except her hair, and her voice that sang to me when I slept."

"My mom had a nice voice." Inuyasha said, "She's always sing to me and my brother and play with us."

They both looked back up at the sky. It was painted black with stars scattered all around the sky. A pale cresent moon hung about everything, lighting up the planet. Both Inuyasha and Kikyou gazed up at the magnificent scene. Kikyou gasped.

"Look Inuyasha!" she said, pointing at the sky. "A shooting star!" they both sat up, impatient. "Make a wish!"

Inuyasha closed his eyes and made his wish. Made a wish that him and Kikyou would stay friends. He didn't know it, but Kikyou made the same wish too.

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A/N: I think I'm really going to regret saying this, but I need to ask a favour. I don't do this often (Well I hope not) But I would really appreciate it if you could review all of my chapters. I know! I know! I'm being greedy. It's just that I've spent a lot of hours on his story, perfecting it, and I'm trying to make this my masterpiece story. Like I don't think in my other stories that I've made the chapters this long, or used such a wide length of vocabulary (For my standards, I'm only 13). And I've thought over Sesshomaru's little diary thing as well. I've spent many nights thinking on how the story is going to work, and it's just that people on are so greedy these days. They'll only read stories with a million reviews! So if you guys could do me that one favor, and I will be forever greatful.

A/A/N (Another Author's Note): Hope you enjoyed the chapter! I'll explain a little - two chapters ago, when I had said Inuyasha had smelt a weird scent that he had reconized, it was that knife. He's only a kid, so his sense of smell isn't as strong as Sesshomaru's, But it was the knife they had both smelt. And don't worry, it seems Inu/Kik, but it will change when you least expect it. And uhh.....their only seven?