Hiya, peeps! Here's a new chapter. I'm updating mostly from school, so please forgive me.

Ch. 7

After several more subductions, Sesshoumaru was in immense pain. He was leaning against the wall heavily, and he'd bitten his tongue accidentally.

"Damn…you…" he groaned.

"Are you ready to give in yet?"

Sesshoumaru replied by swiping at Zanmaru with his speed to propel him. However, blood loss and disorientation slowed him down and caused him to stumble. His claws dripped poison ineffectively and he groaned once more.

"I don't care much for your little attack. Therefore…"

Zanmaru took Sesshoumaru's arm in one hand and began to apply pressure in the opposite direction with the other hand. Sesshoumaru struggled as he felt the bones in his arm became stressed. His arm began to crack dangerously, but no matter how he struggled, he was unable to free himself from the Inu Youkai's grip; he was much too fatigued.

Sesshoumaru's arm finally broke with a crack like a gunshot. He grunted in pain and collapsed back down.

"Now. Back to business. Are you ready to give in, or must I subdue you once more?"

Sesshoumaru didn't reply, merely stared blankly straight ahead.

"I didn't hear you…Subdue!"

Sesshoumaru's body tremored as he received the awful punishment; he let out a moan.

"Do you yield?"

"…for now, perhaps…"

Zanmaru smiled evilly.

"That is a start. I'll just do it once more, and you can rest for a while. SUBDUE!"

With that, Zanmaru left Sesshoumaru to his own devices. The taiyoukai lord rolled to his side and vomited blood.

I…I cannot stay here, he thought as he fought his nausea unsuccessfully. How am I going to get out of here? Everything they have here is specifically designed to subdue Were-Dogs in or out of their cycle. And I need to feed soon. I don't trust these bastards to supplement me properly…

He took a labored breath.

I will not give in though. Not even if it kills me…

And it was true. Sesshoumaru's spirit wasn't even dented. He was strong as ever, but for how long?

Inuyasha snarled.

"I smell him. He was here."

"Who?" Shippo said stupidly.

"It's Sesshoumaru."

"I don't know who you're talking about, Lord Inuyasha. Let's move on," Jaken said stubbornly.

Inuyasha knew Jaken had a point, but he had a promise to uphold.

"Jaken, you really are a dense little bastard," he sneered; going in the direction Sesshoumaru's blood was headed, he bounded off. That fighting scent was unmistakable.

"Kagome, let Jaken take you to Toto-sai's joint. I'll catch up. You stay there until I do!"

Three Days Later

Sesshoumaru woke up and pushed himself to his knees. His whole body ached terribly and he was hungry, but the gruel Zanmaru had left for him made him sick to his stomach, and so he didn't dare to eat it. However, the taiyoukai had enough sense to prepare for what he knew was imminent.

"Hello, Were-Dog. I see you haven't touched your supper. Such a waste. Tima and I will just need to make sure you do eat it. We can't have you going into torpor, after all…"

Sesshoumaru was too sore to struggle. He merely waited for Zanmaru to break his arm like he did every day. Now that the deed had been done so many times, the bone was healing unevenly and awkwardly.

After Zanmaru finished that, Sesshoumaru hung limp, refusing to touch the meal before him. Zanmaru pinned him back and had his partner, Tima, force-feed Sesshoumaru the gruel. After a few minutes, the taiyoukai's stomach protested and he became sick.

"Oh, well. We'll just find something more appeasing, I suppose. Your body has an adverse reaction to this food. Pity, really. Your predecessor Were-Dog found no problem with it. Or at least he wouldn't relate it to us…" Zanmaru said with a smirk.

Sesshoumaru said nothing. His spirit was wearing down and he was spiraling from three days of pure subduction and starvation. Zanmaru decided yesterday to change his stratagem and used his own poison whip to draw blood from Sesshoumaru. Filled with poison, the wounds were very slow to heal and didn't scab over nearly as well as they should have. He slumped and Zanmaru punished him again with the whip and Subduction Collar.

After Sesshoumaru began to vomit blood once more, Zanmaru left him. He merely stayed on his knees, unable to move his arm; it was giving stabbing jolts of pain every once in a while. He panted still, and finally collapsed to his chest. His tail twitched convulsively. Zanmaru had used his whip to fracture it once more. Sesshoumaru began to whimper doggishly in pain.

I thought my bastard brother was to keep his word to me. It must be worth just as much as he is…

Just then, a red blur burst into the cell. Sesshoumaru was too weak to follow it, despite his efforts. Eventually, he just gave up and let the blur carry him away.

"Support yourown weight withyourarm ortailstupid!" he heard in a blur. The words ran together, so he had problems understanding, but he got the picture.

"Can't…" he groaned. "Broken…"

"Oh."

Sesshoumaru racked his battered mind for answers. He knew he'd heard that sharp, unmannered tone before. And a red haori…?

"Inu…yasha…" he whispered. "Thank you…"

He passed out.

Inuyasha shifted Sesshoumaru's weight on his back. The taiyoukai was breathing in short breaths onto his shoulder, indicating broken ribs.

I can't believe he's sayin' thank you to me. I guess he must be delirious from pain, Inuyasha thought. He looks like he's been through hell…

Yet Another Day Later…

Sesshoumaru woke up with a cast on his arm and was horrifyingly surprised at such. He thought it was a torture device, because he had no memory of the events last night. He made to take it off when he found that the bone under it was healing correctly. There was another cast around the middle of his tail.

"Hn."

I expect that they are going to vivisect me next, the bastards? He thought dully. His back and chest wounds were still sore as ever, wrapped in bandages…

Bandages?

"So, you're awake."

Sesshoumaru jumped and turned red eyes to the intruder.

"Oh. Jaken, it is you…"

"I knew not that Lord Inuyasha was going to save your filthy life," Jaken snarled. "But I trust his judgment."

"Jaken…Jaken, listen to me…"

"To you? Pah!"

"Jaken, I did not leave you to hurt your feelings…"

"Then why say all of those things, eh?"

"…I said those because…because I am a Were-Dog…and I feared for yours and Rin's safety. Even Ah-Un, and they are as strong as I…"

"M-m'lord…is that true?" Jaken stammered.

"It is."

"Oh…oh, milord Sesshoumaru!"

Jaken felt pity to his master for the series of unfortunate events bestowed to him.

"Do not feel pity to me, Jaken," Sesshoumaru said dangerously softly.

"Er…yes, milord…"

Sesshoumaru groaned as his back began to throb horribly.

"I must leave once more. Staying here will only ensure the return of Zanmaru and Tima. I may as well leave…"

"You're not going anywhere!"

Sesshoumaru turned to Kagome, holding his hand against his fractured ribs.

"Do not presume to command me. I shall leave."

"Sesshoumaru, don't you get it? We won't let you! You're our friend."

"Feh. Friendship. Who needs it?"

"You do," Kagome replied. "You're a Dog, buster, and where I come from, dogs love companionship. They hate being alone."

"…Very well, I admit I do crave affection, but do not forget that I am a Taiyoukai…"

"Oh, be quiet!" Kagome snapped, smacking him down.

Sesshoumaru made to get up and slash her with his poison claws when he was overcome with such a pleasurable feeling that he forgot all about Kagome's rudeness.

She was rubbing and scratching his stomach softly.

"Good boy," Kagome said softly.

Sesshoumaru began to kick his right leg in contentment, the heel of his foot coming into contact with the wooden floor of the hut rapidly. His face began to contort and the corners of his mouth twitched until he finally broke into a grin of contentment. Kagome scratched behind his pointed ears and he began to breathe in a relieved way, despite his fractured ribs…

"Just look at him, he's soo cute!" Sango mused. "He's acting like a puppy would…"

She laughed softly as Sesshoumaru's tail began to wag weakly, yet contentedly and he placed his arm wrist-down against his chest, like a typical dog.

"You feel better, Sesshoumaru?" Kagome asked, switching back to his stomach.

"Yes. I am not totally disinclined to the prospect of staying. At least not for a while…"

R and R, please. And if you have any questions, don't be afraid to ask. I'll get around to them next chappie.