06/17/06: This chapter has been edited. Okay, I tried to make it longer. Seriously, I went to about 1100 words to 1400 :( there wasn't much more to write in this one. Still... enjoy
Chapter 4 – Listen!
It was over. But Chikara still bathed in her blood which now made a large red puddle. She looked like she was sleeping peacefully, but she wasn't.
Takato was crying as Inuyasha did the same. Sesshoumaru didn't look like he was affected by what seemed like the murder of his mate, but inside her was boiling with rage.
"Father… Why?" he said as he looked at Sesshoumaru.
The lord gave him a look that meant that it was none of his business, but in fact, it did affect him; he just didn't want to let it show.
Takato felt abandoned; he felt his heart tearing into pieces, just like his mother's body. He realised that now that the sorceress was killed, he couldn't change back to his old self. He looked at Inuyasha in his arms and stroked his cheek with a trembling finger: "Don't worry, little one, everything's gonna be okay." But he knew it wasn't.
He let go of Inuyasha's soft face and hit the ground fiercely with his free fist. He growled in frustration.
But then a small light, that held hope, started to shine brightly when he felt a small tingle in his guts. In an instant, he and Inuyasha were surrounded by a blue light, the same as when they exchanged bodies, the first time.
After it faded, Inuyasha was sitting on the ground near Chikara and had a crying Takato in his arms.
The half-demon was so happy that he kissed the baby's forehead and it stopped crying instantly, forgetting its mother for a few minutes because it had realized that he was back in his body.
Sesshoumaru, who had been staring at the scene the whole time, felt a pang of jealousy when Inuyasha kissed Takato. He then turned around to part, when he was stopped by Inuyasha: "Hey where the fuck you think you're going! She needs help, if she isn't already dead!" he growled.
Sesshoumaru frowned: "That's none of my business. She just had to be careful, that's all."
Inuyasha was shocked to hear that: "That's ALL? If you had protected her, like a real mate should, she wouldn't be dead!" he yelled, breathing harshly as a lot of emotions had been put into that cry.
Sesshoumaru approached dangerously Inuyasha, and then stopped. He looked down at his mate who was lying on the ground, in her own blood. He unsheathed Tenseiga and stared; he didn't see any death demons on her. Seeing that his 'job' was done, he drew back his healing sword.
"What's wrong? You can't bring her back?" Inuyasha panicked, seeing that his brother re-sheathed his sword.
"There's no sense in bringing her back, when she's not dead. You should know that" he said, with a provoking tone.
"But, you're not gonna leave her like this, won't you!" Inuyasha said, almost helplessly.
The lord still hadn't moved: "She's fine. She will heal by herself."
Inuyasha was furious at that point: "Listen to me Sesshoumaru; have you taken a look at the sky?" he pointed up in the air.
Sesshoumaru growled: "I'm not in the mood for games, Inuyasha."
"That means that you haven't. What are the
elements of Chikara? Huh?"
He paused, but seeing that the demon
lord wouldn't answer, he continued: "It's the sun and the moon.
She draws her powers from them. Tonight is cloudy and the moon is no
where to be seen. Make the equation. Chikara won't be able to heal
from her wounds."
"But she is immortal, she can't die" Sesshoumaru casually answered.
"So? That doesn't mean she can't suffer! You senseless bastard!"
Sesshoumaru was angry at was Inuyasha was insinuating, so he lifted his hand and prepared to hit him with his poison claws.
Inuyasha held Takato close to him: "You wouldn't want to kill your own son, would you?" he snickered, knowing Sesshoumaru wouldn't want to kill his only heir.
The lord narrowed his eyes in anger: "You are the bastard, Inuyasha." He turned around: "Very well, I'll bring her to my castle. There, healers will tend to her."
Inuyasha was happy to hear that, but something still bothered him: "What are you doing about Takato?"
"You are going to take care of him."
"What? Me? You're his father, not me… unless you want me to take him under my wing and raise him as my own son. Then when he'll grow up, he'll call me 'father' and I'll call him 'son'."
Inuyasha knew he had hit the spot when his brother answered with rage: "You insolent brat! You wouldn't dare!"
"It's time you take your responsibilities, brother."
"Fine! Take him and climb on my back."
Sesshoumaru transformed in his full dog-demon form. Inuyasha took Chikara in his other arm and jumped to mount the giant dog demon.
°°°
The wind his hair, Inuyasha thought that it was good to be in his body again. He looked down at his little nephew and smiled. He was able to make the great Lord Sesshoumaru change his mind about something very important. He could feel Takato's happiness to be back in his old baby body. 'Strange, before I couldn't feel his emotions. Guess it's because of that spell. It brought us somehow closer to the other. Well, it's understandable, since we lived each others' life for two days' Inuyasha thought about it.
He then looked at Chikara, whom was securely placed between Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru's large head, so she wouldn't fall.
Inuyasha could hear his brother making loud growls of frustration. He frowned; how could Sesshoumaru react so negatively at the need of help that his mate was in need of? No mate would react like this. There must be something about their relationship that is not normal.
Being the blunt person he was, Inuyasha asked: "Hey Sesshoumaru."
"What do you want?" the demon lord growled.
"Why are you acting so coldly toward your mate? A normal demon would have given its life to save its mate. So why didn't you?"
Sesshoumaru hesitated a bit before answering: "That's because Chikara is not my mate."
The half-demon was surprised to hear that : "She's not? That is impossible…"
The giant dog let out a frustrated sigh: "I am her mate, but she is not mine."
"But how?"
Sesshoumaru was getting annoyed with all of his brother's questions: "She marked me, but each time I try to mark her, her goddess powers heal the mark entirely and it disappears; as well as the effects of a mating bond that is created with the mark."
Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "And being the ass you are, you don't even force yourself to be a good mate, just because you can't feel her through that bond."
"nHnHnHn. Whatever."
Sesshoumaru seemed pissed. But Inuyasha had only stated the truth and that's what probably enraged him the most.
The demon lord sighed: "She… she made me promise not to intervene when she was engaged in a battle. During the whole fight, each time I moved to help her, she gave me small glares, telling me that she was going to be okay and that she didn't needed my help."
"But why?" Inuyasha asked. He knew Chikara was strong, but like everyone else, had her limits; she was supposed to know them.
"Don't you know that her pride is more important than her life?" the demon lord said, with a sarcastic tone.
°°°
They traveled over the familiar territory that was Kaede's village. They also passed over his old tree that reminded him a lot of sad memories of time with Kikyo. Their relation was somehow very strange; at first, he thought it was love, but when he met Kagome, Shippo, Miroku, Sango and Kirara, he knew that he felt like this toward them too, so he knew it was only friendship.
Inuyasha felt sad, as he probably never know what love is really like…
°°°
A day or so later, they arrived at their destination.
As soon as Inuyasha's feet touched the ground, Sesshoumaru transformed back and a horde of servants rushed toward them.
That castle, Inuyasha passed the first years of his life in it; with his mother and father, the great Lord of the Western Lands… who was now his half-brother.
He looked at the scene as Sesshoumaru was barking orders at his servant and they executed them as fast as they could. They were buzzing like bees and they took Chikara carefully, as Sesshoumaru yelled at them to be cautious because of her condition.
Inuyasha followed them inside unconsciously and hoped that she would get better soon.
