CHAPTER FOURTEEN
.x
The Dog-Lord was still stewing as he strode back into the cave, and leaned against one of the dripping walls.
He was disturbed by Inuyasha's comment. Not merely what the boy had said, but why. He had been raised on his own, scorned by humans and demons alike -- as his parents had feared. Now he was traveling with a band of humans, seemed to have feelings for a human girl, yet he resented his own human half and preferred his demon ancestry.
The Dog-Lord glanced out of the cave mouth, feeling vaguely guilty at having left his son alone and resentful. All those years, with only strangers. He sighed, feeling his anger draining away. Anger at himself, not his son. Anger that he had let his temper run away with him, and anger that he had been killed so long ago, leaving his son alone.
Sesshomaru was not like Inuyasha. He didn't need to fear being shunned by others. Nor did he have the conflict that Inuyasha had, between his human and demon sides. So Inuyasha had been raised by himself, believing his human half to be contemptible and weak.
The great demon who had once been feared far and wide didn't know what to do. And he hated that feeling. He had always been decisive and swift to action. But when it came to his son's heart, he was completely confused.
The Dog-Lord growled softly and rubbed his forehead. I wish she were here, he thought. She might know what should be done...
x.
Inuyasha felt like an idiot.
He had been walking in circles in a field for what felt like hours, although the sun told him that it had been less than one. A cold wind was blowing through the field, rippling the grass around his feet; the only sounds were his own footsteps, and the soft chirps of birds. It reminded him of the days before he had met Kagome and the others, and before he had met Kikyo. He had always been alone then, usually off in fields and forests by himself. It gave him too much time to brood over things.
He couldn't go back. Not until nightfall, when his father might be asleep. At the very least, he might have calmed down by then. But Inuyasha doubted that his father would forget what he had said, no matter what. Twice he had been given a chance to show his father that Sesshomaru was wrong. And twice he had botched it. First he'd been beaten to a pulp by that demon spawn of Naraku's. Then he'd made his father angry by denigrating his human half, something the old man saw as an insult to his human mother.
Dammit, I always screw up! he thought furiously. I didn't mean it that way. I wasn't saying Mother was weak... but back when I wanted to use the Shikon Jewel to become a full demon... I wanted to be someone like he was.
He kicked at a flowering weed, taking out his frustrations on it.
It was just like he had said to Kagome. The Dog-Lord probably saw him as a disappointment, a half-human whelp who didn't do justice to his mighty father. I shouldn't be too surprised, he thought bitterly.
Then his pointed ear twitched.
What was that sound? It was like the sound of wind, but.... faster. Sharper. Inuyasha growled and put a hand on Tetsusaiga, ready to draw it. For a moment, he wondered if it was his father, coming for him. But no. Even in a short time, he had learned how his father sounded. The wind-witch, Kagura? No, she wasn't the sort who skulked. Besides, he could smell her a mile away.
"Who's there, dammit?" he growled. "I ain't in the mood to put up with this."
The wind whipped his hair away from his face. Then Inuyasha sensed something coming up fast behind him -- too late. Something slammed into the small of his back, throwing him forward against a rock face. Pebbles rattled down as he staggered back, then swung around with his transformed sword in his hand.
No one was there.
Then something struck him from the side, too fast and too blurred for him to see clearly. Inuyasha slashed at whatever it was, as he fell, before crumpling to the ground. And it wrenched Tetsusaiga from his hand.
No! he cried inwardly as his sword fell to the ground. It shimmered and transformed back.
He rushed toward it, determined to get it back before.... whatever it was tried to attack again. But his hand struck something that burned his hand, and shimmered as he pulled away. It was a barrier -- and Tetsusaiga was on the other side. Desperately, Inuyasha struck at the barrier, but only scorched his fingertips.
Then he felt it coming again, and the blow from behind slammed him into the barrier. It crackled and sizzled, burning at his skin, drowning out Inuyasha's groans. He fell to his knees, stunned. But not for long. He could feel a familiar pulsing seeping into his blood, and a blood-red wave of rage poured through him....
TO BE CONTINUED