Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or any of its characters they are the property of Rumiko Takahashi. This story was written for the purposes of entertainment and I by no means will profit from the story other than the satisfaction of exercising my imagination and writing abilities.


Chapter 15: Good Intentions Gone Awry

InuYasha sat in the tree top, trying desperately to ignore the curious stares he was receiving from below. Miroku, Sango and Kaede stood there gazing up at him, the ever present youngsters playing not far from where the three adults stood. Inuyasha knew they were curious about the demon who had spoken with him earlier.

Reika had arrived mid-morning causing a great commotion in the village. Lady Kaede had been summoned as soon as the Inu Youkai had been spotted on the outskirts of the village. Inuyasha had gone ahead of the others when he caught the scent of the familiar dog demon in the air. He knew who Reika was, and he did not care to expose his friends to yet another enemy from his past. They already had Sesshomaru to deal with, and he wasn't about to give them an opportunity to welcome another backstabbing youkai into their group.

Using his demon speed to put some distance between him and the others, Inuyasha met Reika at the outskirts of the village. Their meeting was brief and it was over before the others had reached the clearing. Inuyasha had left before they could begin to ask questions he wasn't prepared to answer. He didn't understand himself.

And yet again his brother had succeeded in throwing his emotions into the turmoil of confusion.

Reika had addressed him in the same cool, tones his brother always used. Their sounds always served to remind him that they thought him beneath and them and not worthy of their time or notice. There was no emotion in the other youkai as he delivered the message that had sent Inuyasha searching through his thoughts again.

"My Lord Sesshomaru has bade me to inform you Inuyasha that he rescinds the claim he has on your life. The Brother's Vendetta is over, your honor has been proven and you are once more restored to the place of brother to him." The words were said and hung in the silence about the two as they faced each other on the open road. No other witnesses around.

Inuyasha could only stare at the other demon in shock. When he first caught the demon's scent on the wind, he knew he had come on his brother's orders. Inuyasha thought Sesshomaru had sent yet another lap dog to watch over Rin. He had gone to meet him to send him away. He hadn't expected this.

Reika's eyes watched the hanyou with cool detached interest. Once he was certain the hanyou wasn't going to ask him any questions he took his leave without a backwards glance... without another thought.

Inuyasha watched him go. Reika had been his friend once. But that too was ancient history. Reika was just like Sesshomaru... just like most demons, cool and emotionless. Inuyasha had known it would have been pointless to question him, so he had asked nothing. He knew without a doubt the youkai his brother had sent would never reveal anything other than what he had been told to say.

Whatever his brother's reason was for suddenly ending the Vendetta, Inuyasha was certain he couldn't trust it. He wouldn't trust it. Sesshomaru was up to something, and whatever it was Inuyasha was certain it would lead to no good in the end. Every thought and feeling within him told him it was so, and his mind had no other cause to think otherwise.

But yet there was still that small voice of hope that lingered in the secret chambers of his heart. It still dared to believe that his brother was not lost to him. Despite every thing he had seen and felt it still prayed that he had been wrong and had been mistaken.

But just as soon as that voice began to make its way into his conscious thoughts, every bruised feeling; every scar upon his wounded heart caused by his brother's betrayal cried out against this traitorous thought. Forcing it out of his consciousness, hurtling it back into the recesses deep within himself where all his secret hopes and desires were buried alongside the tender memories of his youth. Locking them away where they couldn't hurt him anymore.

His heart refused to let him remember how it had been like. It would do him no good thinking that there was hope. Sesshomaru had made it abundantly clear that he was there to help Kagome reach her full potential. He had not extended a kind word to himself or the others. His brother hadn't even spent any time with the little girl that had traveled with him for so long.

His amber eyes turned upon Rin then and watched her playing with Shippo for a moment. In a way he envied her ignorance. He had known its bliss once too. The sound of her happy laughter brought to mind that this too was just temporary. How one moment she would be happy and in the next her tears would fall. He felt sorry for her then; because he knew one day Sesshomaru would abandon her as well.

That day would come. He didn't doubt it for a second. One day the little girl would not be so trusting as she was now. Rin will have lived in the world, and he knew the weeks she spent with them would change her steadfast view of Sesshomaru. Right now she viewed him as a God. He had once too. Rin was getting used to the attention and affection given to her by Sango, Kaede, Kagome and even sometimes Miroku. He could tell she was thriving on it.

Sesshomaru wouldn't be able to give her that much affection. Inuyasha knew he wasn't capable of giving any at all. She would soon expect affection as well as protection and Sesshomaru would cast her aside. Or had he done so already? The more Inuyasha thought on it, he realized he had.

The bastard himself had suggested it, and here she was with them. Where was he? Then his eyes rested on Jaken. His brother wouldn't have sent the stupid imp if he didn't care about the human. Jealousy rose up within him at the thought. He forced it away, he wouldn't be jealous, because he couldn't care less about his brother.

Besides it didn't matter what his brother did now, it wouldn't change what Inuyasha knew. Sesshomaru was a cold heartless bastard and nothing would change his mind about that.

He sighed. His gaze flickered over the group below that was doing their best not to be so obvious about their curiosity. Amber eyes rested upon Miroku, who was watching him closely, and he remembered the conversation he had with the monk a few days ago. The monk knew about the Vendetta, and had questioned him at length while they had watched Kagome and Sesshomaru. He didn't want to think about his brother anymore than he had already. He knew if he told them about the Vendetta Miroku wouldn't drop it. More than anything Inuyasha wanted to drop it.

He decided then that he was not about to tell them anything about the conversation. "Stop gawking. I'm not going to tell you anything. This is between me and Sesshomaru and it doesn't concern the rest of you."

"The message was from Sesshomaru? No wonder ye are so upset." Kaede's voice betrayed what she had been feeling since she had first learned of all that had passed between Inuyasha and his brother. However one look at the hanyou and she knew she had said too much. She had to remind herself that Inuyasha did not share Miroku's beliefs about Sesshomaru's intentions and she doubted that he wanted the rest of them to know what had happened between them.

Amber eyes looked at the old woman sharply. He sensed her guilt, and he saw the brief look of apology she had shot at the monk. He cursed the monk. And he had cursed himself for being foolish enough to confide in someone whose tongue was as loose as his morals.

Frustration welled up within Inuyasha at this realization. He cursed himself for telling Miroku anything at all. No wonder Sango had been upset the other night, the taijiya thought her situation the same as his. How wrong she was. Their situations were vastly different and that would never change.

Inuyasha now understood why Kagome had given him an unexpected hug before she left. The emotions in her eyes he now knew where they had stemmed from. Inuyasha had thought the sorrow and questioning hope was her way of apologizing to him for trusting his brother. Again he had been wrong about interpreting her emotions.

Inuyasha cursed himself for not seeing it sooner. Inuyasha looked at the old woman who regarded him with sad sympathetic eyes. Miroku had told them all, and now they all felt sorry for him. As far as he was concerned right now they could all take their pitying and understanding glances and go to hell. He knew not one of them understood how he felt.

Not even Sango and her moment of hating her Kohaku. How stupid he had been thinking the tears were for her sorrows alone. She should known that they were wasted tears. What happened between him and his brother had happened long ago. Not a single one of them was alive when it happened, as far as he was concerned it was ancient history that could not be changed.

But now it had changed. Self pity and confusion welled within him, giving rise to the only emotion he was truly comfortable expressing anger. Anger was safe. No one pitied you or wanted to help you when you were angry...no one except...he forced her name from his mind. She too had looked at him with pity.

He cursed the monk and his big mouth again. Amber eyes flicked over the group below him. Inuyasha wished they would just leave him alone so he could think. They meant well, he knew that, but right now they weren't succeeding in doing anything other than making him mad.

"Damn it Miroku can't you keep anything to yourself." Inuyasha said angrily as he regarded the monk.

Miroku had sense enough to look a little ashamed. "Hai. I'm sorry Inuyasha, its just that I felt they should know what was between your brother and you. So they could understand..."

"Like hell it was. I don't need you all to feel sorry for me. I sure as hell don't need you all trying to understand. There's nothing to understand. My brother hates me. I hate him. He tries to kill me, I stop him. What else is there to say? So you all can take your sympathy and understanding and go to hell." Inuyasha fumed. The stupid monk didn't have to go around telling everyone.

Shippo who had heard this outburst came to Miroku's defense, "Inuyasha you really are stupid aren't you." The impertinent kitsune said as he went to stand in front of Miroku and crossed his arms. "Can't you see that your brother was only pretending? Sesshomaru only did that to protect you from other demons. He knew you weren't strong enough to protect yourself."

The kitsune's words stunned Inuyasha for a moment. But soon their meaning permeated his brain, and fanned the anger he had already begun to feel until it was maelstrom of unrelenting unseeing rage. He looked at the kit who stood there regarding him with self assured defiance. Even in his irrational state Inuyasha discerned enough to know that someone must have put that idea in the little brat's head.

He looked at Kaede, the old woman had looked away as soon as his gaze fixed on hers. He would have liked to believe that this was a sign of her guilt. But his keen demon senses told him otherwise. He could sense her fear and unease. That was enough to let him know it wasn't her who had put that hare-brained idea into Shippo's head. He had known Kaede long enough to know that had she thought as much she would have already told him.

Kaede met his gaze for a brief instant before she looked away. What Miroku had told her had made sense, but she had never heard of a taiyoukai manipulating the codes in such a way. Miroku had seemed convinced, and Sango said that Kagome too seemed convinced. Kaede truly did not know what to believe anymore. So much had changed since she had last seen them she was still trying to take it all in. But she hoped that Miroku was right, for Inuyasha's sake she sincerely hoped it was so.

Amber eyes locked with brown ones as his mind cleared Kaede of the crime. Her tortured words sprang from his memory into conscious thought, "I should have had more faith in him." The other night he thought he had given her comfort in Kohaku, but now he viewed it as an attempt to soften his feelings towards his brother. Her brown eyes were filled with sympathetic confusion. Had it been her he would have been met with a warriors gaze, full of defiance and conviction. It hadn't been her.

Rational thought invaded through the haze of anger then. She was a taijiya, she understood the codes the youkai lived by. In her he had an ally. Sango would know as he did that Sesshomaru would not have used the codes as some feeble attempt to protect him from other youkai. His brother was many things, but Inuyasha knew his brother kept to these codes they meant more to him than any familial feeling or even loyalty. Sango was dismissed.

That left only one person to blame for the kitsune's outburst. Molten amber eyes locked with defiant violet ones.

Miroku recognized the intent in hanyou's eyes. Later he would have to have a talk to Shippo about when and when not to say things. Mentally he made a quick vow to remember to make sure that the kitsune was not somewhere where Shippo could overhear things that he shouldn't. However right now he had the more pressing matter of an angry hanyou.

Miroku gripped his staff tightly in his hand as the silence stretched between them. This was definitely not how he had envisioned the conversation with Inuyasha. Besides being ill prepared to have this discussion now, he didn't have any allies besides Shippo.

Sango, Kaede and he had spoken at length yesterday regarding this. Kaede and Sango were not so certain of Sesshomaru's intent. They had both acknowledged that there may be some merit to what he thought about Sesshomaru's intent when he had invoked the Brother's Vendetta. Both women sympathized with Inuyasha's plight, but both still doubted Sesshomaru intentions towards Inuyasha.

Miroku knew the taijiya and the miko were not accustomed to trusting the taiyoukai, having been trained since birth to distrust any demon that could control his youkai and take on a human form. They also knew the codes that governed such youkai, and both women doubted Sesshomaru would abuse the youkai code in such a way.

At least Kagome believed him, of that he was certain. Her instincts had been correct so far and he wasn't about to doubt them now. When he had told Kagome of his thoughts she told him she had come to the same conclusion while talking to Sesshomaru. In his mind when he had envisioned confronting Inuyasha with these conjectures a much different scenario had taken place. One infinitely less hostile, one that including Kagome as a key participant.

But she wasn't here; she was safely back in her own time away from this. The task was now his and his alone. His hand had been forced as he was faced with a very angry Inuyasha. If this did not go well it would make it that much harder for Inuyasha to accept Sesshomaru's help. Miroku was all too cognizant of the fact that Inuyasha's emotions were deeply tied into his ability to use the tetsusiaga. They couldn't go into battle with Naraku if Inuyasha did not believe in his brother and the rest of them implicitly.

Miroku knew that each of them had to be at their strongest if there was any hope of succeeding. He did not fool himself thinking that when Naraku found out that Kagome could summon the shards that he would let go so easily. He would fight hard and fast with everything that he had. It would take all of them together to give Kagome the time she would need to summon the shards from Naraku.

"Now, Inuyasha you need to calm down." Miroku stated calmly. He hoped that hanyou wasn't yet to the point where he wouldn't listen to reason. Inuyasha's molten gaze killed whatever small hope the monk had in that regard. Even if the monk could not have read his gaze the rage that the hanyou felt was more than apparent when the volcano that sat in the tree tops erupted.

"CALM DOWN?!" Inuyasha roared in anger. How dare the monk tell him to calm down?! Inuyasha's strength had been challenged, his ability to defend himself. Hadn't he proven to them just how strong he was? Would Miroku now desert him now that he thought his brother was stronger? Would Kagome believe Miroku? That thought caused his anger to grow and his eyes began to tinge with red, "You're lucky I don't tear you limb from limb for spreading such lies! How the hell can you possibly think that my brother had any other motive other than the fact that he hates me?"

"You're still alive aren't you?" Miroku replied more boldly than he felt. He had faced Inuyasha's wrath before and he would not back down. Right now he had to get through to him. He knew he had to get Inuyasha past this rage, and at this point it meant he would have to emotionally exhaust the hanyou. Praying that he wouldn't push the hanyou too far, the monks gaze flickered to the tetsusiaga on the hanyou's hip. That would help him.

"I don't believe this. You were there!! Or are you so ready to forget so you can feel better about letting Sesshomaru into the group. You were there when he took tetsusiaga from me. You saw him almost kill Kagome, you and Kaede fixed my wounds from that battle!!! I pushed Kagome down the well and locked her in her own time because he tried to kill her!!!! You were there when he had to try out his new sword Tokijin..."

It was working. He was forcing the hanyou to think. Now all he had to do was push a little more, and not let Inuyasha change the subject. Now that they had started this discussion they would have to resolve it.

"I was there for all those fights, I was also there when you turned into a demon and he had Kagome give you the sword to turn you back into a hanyou. Even then I still believed that Sesshomaru wanted you dead, but watching him with Kagome made me realize that I was wrong...that we were wrong..."

"You're wrong now." Inuyasha growled. A part of him felt vindicated for not having told them what the messenger had said. Miroku would surely turn that piece of information against him. Inuyasha knew that now. He promised himself then not to tell any of them that Sesshomaru had called off the Vendetta. "You can't trust Sesshomaru!"

He wouldn't allow any of them to trust his brother. Because now he knew why Sesshomaru had done it, and the anger flared in him again. He was certain that Sesshomaru had found out that Miroku told Kagome...the imp, that little spy must have said something, Inuyasha was more than certain of that fact. "Miroku let us get one thing straight, Sesshomaru is a cold blooded heartless bastard who wouldn't think twice if he had to kill any one of us to get what he wanted...."

"LIAR!!!!" Rin's angry scream interrupted Inuyasha's tirade. All eyes fell upon the little girl who stood glaring at Inuyasha. Her little hands fisted at her sides as she stared defiantly up at the angry hanyou in the tree.

She waited a second in angry silence for the blow she had been sure to come. She remembered what it felt like when the wolf demons attacked her. The pain that tore through her body when the first wolf had sunk his fangs into her, she waited that feeling now. But the angry demon in the tree just glared at her, and she was angry. So very angry at what he had said.

"YOU LIE!!!" she screamed again this time more boldly. She looked at the demon in the tree above her and her innocent heart swelled with indignation. How dare he say those things. They weren't true. She would tell them all what she knew and she would scream it louder than Inuyasha. "Sesshomaru-sama is good. He saved Rin from the bad demons!!! Sesshomaru-sama protects everyone. He protects Rin.... he protects Jaken.... he protects you!!!" Angry tears had already begun to pool in her eyes, but she refused to let them fall as she tried valiantly to breathe.

Five pairs of eyes stared at the young girl in shock. None of them had expected this outburst from the young girl. In truth, the adults were worried about the hanyou and his feelings regarding his brother that they had forgotten Rin was there. Three humans, one Kitsune and one demon stared at the young girl not one of them knowing what to say.

Inuyasha, however was too angry to feel shock or anything else but annoyance at the young human. In his mind he already knew her fate was sealed, that Sesshomaru would turn on her too. So he didn't think twice before he turned his anger towards her.

"I'm not the liar! He's a ruthless killer who tried to kill me, he even tried to kill Kagome. If you don't believe me, ask them, they know. They were there." He bit out. He felt no pang of remorse when he saw the angry tears fall from her eyes. Instead he felt a strange sense of satisfaction that they were there. In his heart he believed he was saving the little girl from more pain later on.

"Stupid hanyou." Jaken's voice broke into the verbal fray that had begun to erupt. Rin's outburst had taken him by surprise. He was surprised because not only that she had stood up for Sesshomaru-sama, but that he was proud of her for doing so.

The young human had more sense than the damn hanyou that sat up in the tree wallowing in self pity and misconceptions. The imp would not allow Inuyasha to take out his frustrations on a small girl who in many ways was smarter than him. Jaken knew the monk spoke the truth. He had kept silent. He reasoned that if the hanyou was too stupid to figure it out on his own than he wasn't ready to know the truth.

Jaken didn't even take into account Rin. The child had been so quiet and unusually disciplined... for a human, that he quite forgot that she would react as one to Inuyasha's heated words.

His pale yellow eyes met amber ones, his unspoken challenge lingering in their depths. "You are not fit to call Sesshomaru-sama brother. You are lucky to be alive..."

"It's not luck. He wasn't strong enough to kill me." Inuyasha growled angrily. The little imp was too mouthy for his own good. He may have argued with Miroku but Inuyasha was not to have a verbal sparring match with that creature. Having already mentally convicted Jaken of telling Sesshomaru Kagome knew about the Vendetta, the angry hanyou had no qualms about beating the horrid creature into silence, especially since he had read the challenge in the little fool's eyes.

He leapt from the tree prepared to strike down the beast. Sword drawn and ready to strike, but he was surprised when the swords downward fatal swing was stopped. He glanced to the side and saw Miroku staff in hand. The monk had blocked the swing had saved the foul creature. He watched as Sango and Kaede moved to stand in front of the small creature.

Miroku wanted to beat his head against a wall, this had deteriorated rapidly. There was no way he would get Inuyasha to see reason now. They had to end this conversation now before blood was shed. This had not gone well at all.

"ENOUGH!!!" cried the monk. "That is enough. We will not discuss this anymore today. We all have to calm down."

"Well I ain't sticking around here. There's a demon in the next town that has some shards and I intend to take them from him. I'm tired of talking about my stinking brother anyway." Inuyasha said as he leapt from the tree and took off in the direction of the next town.

"I'll go with him. Miroku stay here and help Kaede with the little ones." Sango said gently as she put a reassuring hand on Miroku's shoulder. Even if she wasn't fully certain that Miroku was right about Sesshomaru, she knew that Miroku's intentions were in Inuyasha's best interest.

Sango knew too well the pain he still suffered, and part of her hoped that Miroku was right because that knowledge would give Inuyasha some peace. That hope alone kept her silent through the exchange. The taijiya knew she couldn't argue something she didn't whole-heartedly believe in. But Miroku did, as did Kagome. She only wished that she could as well.

The taijiya knew she couldn't help Inuyasha with his brother, but she would help him with the demon. That was all she could do for him right now. That and give him some space. They all would have to after this had gone so badly. She just hoped he understood.

. Miroku watched them go. He turned to Kaede who stood by his side, she inclined her head in silent understanding. This had gone so very wrong, and she understood as the monk did that they would have to help Inuyasha get past this. She understood as Kagome did though that words would not be enough to move this deep hatred of his. She just hoped that they hadn't helped harden his heart against his brother even more.

Miroku sighed, he had failed. When they returned he would apologize to Inuyasha, and he would have to re-establish some sort of trust between the two of them. They would need that. He knew right now Inuyasha felt that he had been betrayed, Miroku would have to find a way to let him know that he was on his side.


Revised, Edited Reposted 10/12/04

Author's Notes: Currently I am in the process of revising, editing and reposting this fic. If you find any errors (ie. spelling, word misuse, plot gaps, etc.) please let me know either by email (which can be found in my bio) or by leaving a review. All comments and help are greatly appreciated. Special thanks to thebigW for pointing many of these out to me.