Chapter Two: Sesshomaru's Proposition
Disclaimer: I do not own anything of Inuyasha. All rights reserved to Rumiko Takahashi. But, I do own my own created character Asaki.
Well tohru-honda14 thanks so much for your nice review! I'm still waiting for more reviews from the fist chapter. But I found a mistake in the first chapter: There is a flashback for the first paragraph and it didn't indent on a new paragraph to the present date for the story, so it might look a bit confusing. Sorry about that! My computer is being stupid and won't let me fix it! Oh well, read and review please! Love you all and thanx! –My Last Farewell (aka Emily)
"All right then Inuyasha, if you're about to grovel I guess I will tell you the bit of information that I have that concerns you and I, and you will understand why I am unable at the present moment why I'm unable to kill you or your friends." Sesshomaru stepped closer to Inuyasha.
Inuyasha stared at his brother in surprise. He said he wouldn't kill them! Was it a trick? Inuyasha, although still convinced Sesshomaru had something wicked as usual up his sleeve, he withdrew his sword from his sight and put the Tetsusaiga back into his sheath. "Go on, I'm listening." Inuyasha stated simply, watching his rivaled brother closely.
"It was only recently when I realized that there will be a lunar eclipse tonight… You see, there is someone of our inherited bloodline who at the moment is trapped into dormancy, but can only be revived during a lunar eclipse…"
Sesshomaru's words seemed to Inuyasha either misleading and untruthful, or strange and confusing. "What the hell are you rambling on about Sesshomaru? You and I are the only ones left from our bloodline….Unless you're talking about father!" Inuyasha looked at his now impatient brother with suspicious eyes.
"No you idiot, father is dead! And you're also wrong about us being the only ones left from our heritage." Sesshomaru waited eagerly to get a confused response from Inuyasha, while retaining an emotionless face.
Kagome, who was listening intently the whole time, understood what he meant immediately. Kagome attempted to recollect anything from the past that would signify what Sesshomaru was saying, but there was no way Inuyasha could have another brother or sister! Myouga or Toutousai would have said something about another family member.
"What are you getting at?" Inuyasha growled, bewildered. He quickly looked back at Sango, then at Miroku, and then at Kagome. Each one of them returned him with a confused stare. Inuyasha turned back to his brother who still remained as emotionless as if he were carved out of stone. He shot him a suspicious gaze. "If it's not father you are about to resurrect, who else from our family is left? We have no other brothers or sisters…"
"Ah little brother, that is where you are wrong and I hardly blame you. Asaki was sealed away long before you were born of your wretched mother. In fact, I was barely the age of your little kitsune friend when she was sealed by our own father dearest." There was silence in the woods, except for the rumbling of nearby thunder clouds, threatening to rain on their meeting in the deep woods.
"W-what! You mean…" Inuyasha's amber eyes widened as he gaped at his blood brother.
"Must I spell it out for you Inuyasha? Oh yes, that is right… A hanyou's mind is so much slower than a full demon's. Fine I shall tell you simply. We have an older sister. Her name is Asaki." Sesshomaru smirked at his brother who stood there as if he got slapped across the face. The hanyou looked so dumbfounded. "That is not all of the information I have to tell you Inuyasha, although I'm certain it must be hard for your little half-breed mind to process all of this information…I have a proposition for you."
Inuyasha felt his temper rising. How dare Sesshomaru, his own brother belittle him in front of his friends with such insulting words. Inuyasha began to doubt him immediately, despite the fact he could sense no lies in his words. "Why should I fulfill your proposition if you're only going to call me a half breed?" He growled wryly, crossing his arms, "Maybe I have better things to do than help you with this 'proposition'!"
Sesshomaru frowned discontently. This was the most emotion he had shown the whole time he had appeared. Sesshomaru shot evil eyes at Inuyasha.
"Step back Sango, things are going to get a bit ugly," Miroku warned the demon slayer beside him, "His aura is changing. It's becoming more ominous. I think Inuyasha may have upset him a little too much."
"I have promised I will not kill you Inuyasha, if our sister was to resurrect, she would have my own head for killing you, but that doesn't mean I'll break you to follow through with my intended plans. And for that, I need a little cooperation." Sesshomaru flexed his claws out in Inuyasha's direction, but gave no effect to Inuyasha's current mood.
With arms still crossed, Inuyasha grunted slightly. "Fine, at least tell me what you want me for and I might cooperate." There was silence for a moment or two. Miroku noticed his demonic aura was going down slightly. He gave a much needed sigh of relief.
Miroku, Sango, Kagome and Shippo all knew that every time the two brothers crossed paths, they tried to rip one another's hearts out. This time looked like no exception until now. Seeing the two brothers, ready to pounce on one another caused the jewel-seeking group to hold their breath and become tenser. They weren't about to see their good friend get ripped to shreds, and they would make sure of that.
Sango tightly gripped her overly-large weapon and intensified her gaze on Sesshomaru. "What do you think he is going to ask?" she asked the hoshi, without taking her eyes off the pair.
Miroku narrowed his eyes. "What ever he is going to ask, cannot be good for Inuyasha at all." Silence filled the woods once more, but the icy stares emanation from one to another was noise enough for them to become weary.
Finally, with a sense of satisfaction that Inuyasha would cooperate, Sesshomaru spoke. "Since tonight is the night the moon will go into an eclipse, it is the only night I would be able to resurrect Asaki from the enchantment that has taken hold of her for more than 200 years now. If I do not succeed tonight, I won't have the chance to free her until the next lunar eclipse, in approximately 20 years. I' afraid by then, it would be too late for her by the next lunar eclipse.
"So Inuyasha, all I ask of you to help free our dearest sister is a little something from you. I do not ask that you come and help me. What do you say?"
Inuyasha's eyebrow rose. "Need? What do you need from me?"
Sesshomaru chuckled in his throat so low, only Inuyasha could hear it. "You won't like this; I need but two drops of naught but your blood and one of your hairs. That is all." Sesshomaru waited for a response. Inuyasha stared blankly at him.
"Two drops of blood and a hair? Is this some kind of scavenger hunt? Why not just kill me?" Inuyasha asked inquisitively.
"Waste not, want not; right little brother? Besides, Asaki would not forgive me if I was to kill you before she got the chance to see you." There was a small silence as Sesshomaru tried to remember something. "Oh yes that is right, she told she had met you when you were a little child. Would you happen to remember?"
Inuyasha grew more and more confused by every word that came from Sesshomaru's mouth. Inuyasha tried recollecting his memories for a possible female dog demon he had met in his early child hood. Then it dawned on him.
"Asaki…well, I never really met her, she came to me in my dreams somehow…But I thought she was someone I made up in my head! Hey wait a sec… How could I have met her if she was and still is sealed? That's impossible!" Inuyasha racked his brain for a possible logical answer, but his brother answered him first.
"Just because Asaki's body was sealed doesn't mean her mind was also. You would be amazed at the powers she had inherited from father. And like I stated earlier, I also talk to her in my sleep. Her spirit since the day of her sealment dwells in the world of dreams. But what say you? Will you help me and pay your two drops of blood and a hair so I can resurrect Asaki?" Inuyasha didn't know what to do. Should he give him his blood and hair? What would he do with them?
"What will you do with them, Sesshomaru?" He gazed at his brother intently.
"To free Asaki from her bondage, the same flesh and blood from the one who sealed her must be used in the process of freeing her. Since father is not around, I have tried using my blood and flesh to free her from her bondages, but mine alone is not enough. That is why I need yours as well."
It seemed reasonable enough to Inuyasha, yet somehow still suspicious. Nevertheless, he unsheathed the Tetusaiga and sliced his palm slightly as it began to bleed. The scent of his blood filled his nose, almost making him sneeze. He let two drops of blood fall onto a white kerchief that Kagome had given him earlier. He put his precious sword back into its sheath and picked a silvery hair from his head and into the kerchief as well. He presented it to Sesshomaru by throwing the kerchief at Sesshomaru's feet.
Sesshomaru smiled malevolently, yet satisfied. "Much obliged brother dearest. You'll hear from me if all goes well." With that, he picked up the small textile which held his brother's flesh and blood and turned his back to leave.
Almost instantly, a question dawned upon Inuyasha's mind. "Hey wait Sesshomaru! I have one more question for you!" Sesshomaru stopped and turned his head slightly. He did not answer.
Knowing he had caught his brother's attention, Inuyasha feverishly asked him, "How come father was the one that sealed Asaki? What was his purpose?" Sesshomaru didn't react to the question instantly. He merely turned his head and began to walk back again.
"I'm not the one who should be telling you that. Ask Asaki when you get the chance," was all he said, disappearing into the thick brush of the woods.
"Wait!" Inuyasha persisted, but Sesshomaru was gone. The woods was quiet. The heavy thunder clouds began to pour its mass down upon Inuyasha and his friends. None of them knew what to say their half-demon friend now, but they each had a good sigh of relief that there was no caused trouble that day.
Kagome grew worried as she fixed her gaze onto the now sulking, silver-haired boy in front of her. "I wonder what he will do now, now that he has a sister," She thought aloud to Shippo, who remained closer in her arms, "More importantly, how could all of this been hidden from Inuyasha for so long? How did Myouga or Toutousai not know? Or do they know?"
Shippo shrugged. "I bet there's so many questions on his mind right now," Shippo said solemnly. This was the first time the little kitsune had ever felt so badly for his short-tempered friend. "You should go and talk to him, Kagome."
Kagome nodded, not taking her bright brown eyes off the hanyou. She put Shippo in Sango's care temporarily and walked over to Inuyasha. Sango and Miroku knew that was a sign for them to be left alone, so they took Shippo and hopped onto Kilala's transformed back.
"We'll meet you at Kaede's hut Kagome." Sango said, smiling at Kagome. Kagome returned the smile, but then fixed her gaze once more upon the silent boy. Sango told Kilala to go, and off they went into the dark sky, dotted with rain drops.
Kagome, finding an umbrella from her back pack laid on the trunk of a tree, went over and sat on the wet ground by Inuyasha, who was now sitting. Kagome opened the umbrella and placed it over Inuyasha's and her head.
"You're going to catch a cold out in the rain, Inuyasha…" Kagome told him concerned. He didn't even respond with a grunt as he usually did. She become more concerned.
Kagome studied his solemn face. The look of a long, deep depression consumed his beautiful amber eyes. Kagome knew he was thinking of his past, and she knew how hard it was for him. She remained silent, in hopes the boy would open up to her.
Inuyasha lowered his head. There were so many things swimming around his mind that he barely noticed Kagome there, until she spoke again, "How are you Inuyasha?" She placed a pale, soft hand on his knee.
Inuyasha was slow to reply. "Fine," he grunted, trying to keep a brave face for Kagome, but she could see right through the mask he was trying to put up.
"Don't kid yourself Inuyasha." She said, her tone had seriousness and concern in it.
Inuyasha was silent. Just hr presence right there, her scent, soothed his depressions, yet never took them away completely. She had always been there for hi, and this gloomy day was no exception.
"What I just don't get," he finally said, not looking at her, "Was why she was kept secret from me. My childhood could've been so much better If I had known I had a sister.." Kagome was surprised he had finally opened up to her. She smiled sadly at him, tears dancing on the brim of her eyes.
Inuyasha looked her, astonished. "Why are you crying Kagome?" He placed his hand on top of hers. He felt she was getting cold from the rain. They were both soaked by the hard-pouring rain.
"I just care about you Inuyasha, that's all." Kagome smiled for him. Inuyasha grabbed her other hand and gave her a swift hug. Kagome, half surprised returned the hug. Inuyasha felt her shivering underneath his body.
"You should get back to Kaede's hut, before you catch a cold." Inuyasha pulled her away, and brought her to her feet.
"You're coming too, aren't you?" She asked worried. Inuyasha lowered his head again. His silver hair was sticking to his face, and his red haori was as soaked as if he dove into a lake. Kagome was just as wet.
After a long pause, he told her quietly, "I need to think things over a bit by myself." He turned the other direction from Kagome, and paused again. "Kagome?"
"Yes Inuyasha?"
"Thank you…"
Well, there you go, my second chapter! I hope it's a bit longer than the first one! I'm doing this instead of finishing my drama homework! Hahaha… Oh well this is much more fun than any drama homework! (Yuck) Ok, well please read and review like I stated earlier, and if you have questions or concerns, ask me please! My next chapter should be up soon, and I'm about to start another story about Kagome and her father! O0o0o0o! Haha! By the way, if you have any flames, I accept 'em also! I love reviews! Thanks Tohru-honda14 and Azmidsike for your great reviews! Love you all!
Until next time,
MyLastFarewell (aka Emily)
